I think I may have finally found the artist to do the CD jacket for the 30th year anniversary of a heavy metal promo I did back in 1983 with then band, Necronom (short for ‘Necronomicon’ – from the book of the same name). We took off the “icon” because everything surrounding the full name seemed to bring us bad luck.
Ever since I started putting out my stuff, I’ve been searching for an artist who is both very good and can understand my vision: not that my sister’s efforts on my first two solo CDs should be dismissed: I rather liked her efforts on what I now term as the pink and green CDs. But Lynn, who subbed for HG in my classroom, has got some incredible stuff – that I find very appealing and thought-(imagination-) provoking.
And yes, this newcomer into my life has the same name as my muse…
I’m hoping that Lynn might also render the Silly Man (my alter ego) into a form serviceable for T-shirts and whatever else might make me (us) money. Folks close to my music know that a former student, whom I nicknamed “Mad Mary” – spent a furious hour-or-so creating her impression of me. What she gave me was a fascinating vision of a being who looked to be a cross between Humpty Dumpty and the Jager Guy who adorned early Jagermeister T-shirts saying: “It’s sooo good!”
The fact that Mad Mary saw me in green-striped Lederhosen – took me back to my kindergarten and pre-kindergarten years when I was forced to wear Lederhosen: how did she pick up on that?
When newcomer, Lynn, suggested that she might be interested in working with me, and she shared her artwork with me, I flashed back to my pink CD and the interesting time I had with producers, Media Planet, surrounding the artwork of this particular CD.
Up-to-the-creation of the CD design of “For Those Still Awake and Those Who Haven’t Slept” – every-single CD jewel case I saw had the black border along the left side of the CD – which I experienced as a “stopper,” or, brick wall to the cover design. I wanted something that had more-of-a-flow to it. I wanted a clear border that continued the artwork of the cover. I knew this had to be possible, because stores sold jewel cases with just, such, clear borders.
At first, Media Planet didn’t seem to understand what I was going for – they didn’t think it was doable. But I convinced them! I have been told that when I really, really want something – that I can be most convincing.
And I was very happy with the results on both “For Those Still Awake…” and on “Resurrection…” which, by-the-way, was released before Tupac’s post-humous collection (I’m sure he would have beaten me to the punch had he been alive).
So I’m gonna git all-Al-Gore-like when I arrogantly suggest that I-was-the-first to utilize the clear border on his CD (everyone else started doing it very soon after the release of the Pinkie)…
I told Lynn this…and I’m hoping that I impressed her as an Original – because, I’m thinking that Originals should work together…