Blog
Tag: Vancouver
Sign Painters Documentary Vancouver Premiere
by Dan
Craft + Design & Typography + Events / March 27, 2013
There was a time, as recently as the 1980s, when storefronts, murals, banners, barn signs, billboards, and even street signs were all hand-lettered with brush and paint. But, like many skilled trades, the sign industry has been overrun by the techno-fueled promise of quicker and cheaper. The resulting proliferation of computer-designed, die-cut vinyl lettering and inkjet printers has ushered a creeping sameness into our landscape. Fortunately, there is a growing trend to seek out traditional sign painters and a renaissance in the trade.
In 2010 filmmakers Faythe Levine and Sam Macon began documenting the work of traditional sign painters, their time-honoured methods, and their appreciation for quality and craftsmanship.
The subsequent book, which features a foreword by legendary artist (and former sign painter!) Ed Ruscha, was published by Princeton Architectural Press in November 2012.
The first anecdotal history of the craft, Sign Painters tells the stories of more than two dozen sign painters working in cities throughout North America. It profiles sign painters young and old, from the new vanguard working solo to collaborative shops such as San Francisco’s New Bohemia Signs and New York’s Colossal Media’s Sky High Murals.
The accompanying movie, also called Sign Painters, premieres in at The Smithsonian in Washington DC at the end of this month. But like Levine's previous documentary, Handmade Nation, the Canadian premiere of the film will be in Vancouver in association with Got Craft?.
The screenings will take place on Friday June 7th and Saturday June 8th at the Rio Theatre on Broadway, and directors Sam Macon and Faythe Levine will be there to answer questions afterwards. There is limited seating and tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. If you're a fan of lettering, typography, or hand-crafted signs, the film is not to missed!
VANCOUVER SCREENING JUNE 7/8
Doors at 6:30pm | Screening at 7:30pm | Directors Q+A to follow
Rio Theatre, 1660 East Broadway @ Commercial Drive
Tickets & additional information HERE
Screening followed by a directors Q&A
Cory Doctorow Vancouver Kidsbooks
by Dan
Events + Fiction + Science Fiction and Fantasy + Vancouver / September 28, 2012
If you live in Vancouver and you're asking yourself "when, oh when, can I meet Cory Doctorow?" I want to let you know that you don't have long to wait!
The outspoken and controversial author/blogger/podcaster will be giving his take on technology, sci-fi and writing at West Point Grey Unitied Church Sanctuary in Vancouver on Sunday October 21 staring at 7pm. Organized by our amazing friends at Kidsbooks, tickets are $23.50 each and include a copy of his new book Pirate Cinema .*
Kidsbooks Cory Doctorow Vancouver Event
Sunday October 21st at 7:00pm
OffSite venue:
West Point Grey Unitied Church Sanctuary
4595 West 8th Ave., Vancouver BC
Download flyer (PDF)
*The book will be available for pickup from October 2/12, or at the event, WITH THE PRESENTATION OF THE TICKET.
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cory doctorow kidsbooks vancouver
Cory Doctorow Canadian Tour
by Dan
Events + Fiction + Science Fiction and Fantasy / September 26, 2012
If you can't make it to Oakville this evening, novelist, blogger and activist (and all-round nice guy) Cory Doctorow has a string of other Canadian events to promote Pirate Cinema and Rapture of the Nerds (co-authored with Charlie Stross) this fall.
Tomorrow night he will be at Bakka Books in Toronto. Then he's off to the US for a few weeks, but he's back in Canada in mid-October for events in Edmonton, Vancouver, Victoria and Toronto (again!). The man just does not stop working!
Here's a list of Cory's upcoming Canada appearances:
- Sep 27 Bakka Books, Toronto at 7pm
- Oct 19 Pages Workshop, Edmonton Public Library (registration required)
- Oct 20 In Conversation with William Gibson, Vancouver International Writers Festival 2pm (Tickets available from VIWF)
- Oct 20 "What if?" panel with Margaret Atwood and Pasha Malla, Vancouver International Festival 5pm (Tickets available from VIWF)
- Oct 21 Reading at West Point Grey United Church with Vancouver Kidsbooks, 7pm
- Oct 22 Reading at Bolen Books, Victoria, 7pm
- Oct 25 Reading, International Festival of Authors, Toronto, 8pm (Tickets available from IFOA)
- Oct 26 In conversation with China Miéville, International Festival of Authors, 8pm (Tickets available from IFOA)
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cory doctorow ifoa toronto vancouver viwf
Coast Modern Screening in Toronto and Vancouver
by Dan
June 11, 2012
I first wrote about Coast Modern way (way, way) back in July 2010. Now, FINALLY, the documentary about the west coast's unique modernist architecture is about to get some serious screen-time in Canada. Running from July 6th-12th, Coast Modern will be screening both at the Bloor Cinema in Toronto AND at Vancity in Vancouver for the week.
Entirely coincidently, Gibbs Smith will be publishing West Coast Modern by Zahid Sardar (with photographs by Matthew Millman) in September this year. The book showcases modern homes that respond to the deserts, mountains, plains, and coastlines of the west, including work by renowned architects and interior designers like Ricardo and Victor Legorreta, Tom Kundig, Jim Jennings, Steven Ehrlich, Marmol Radziner, Aidlin Darling, Paul Wiseman, Terry Hunziker, and Gary Hutton.
As happens we already have books on amazing work of contemporary architects Tom Kundig (two in fact) and Marmol Radziner, but if the retro mid-century modern style is more your thing, you might also want to get some design ideas from Atomic Ranch and Atomic Ranch Midcentury Interiors by Michelle Gringeri-Brown, or read Design Research by Jane Thompson and Alexandra Lange, which charts the history of the store that became synonymous with modern interior design in America.
...Then again, you might also want to look at It's Lonely in the Modern World just to remind yourself that people in glass houses aren't necessarily happy... 
Tubers Event at the W2 Media Café, June 14
by Danielle
Art & Photography + Events + Fiction + Music + Vancouver / June 06, 2012
While writing the stories, I also took a lot of the found sounds I had started to record over the years of riding the subways and being entranced by “subway sonics”, began to write songs around them. Whether this was turning the rhythm of train wheels turning on tracks into insatiable grooves, or whether it was using conversations that had a musical lilt, I tried to write music around this sonic bric-a-brac, and then align each piece of music with one of the 9 stories. Each piece essentially became a mini-soundtrack to one of the subway stories and has formed the Tuber album.
—Mark Jowett, author and a founding partner in the Nettwerk Music Group.
Tubers is a collection of nine tales set in the subways of Paris, London and New York. Written by Mark Jowett, co-founder of Nettwerk, and accompanied by 7” vinyl record and amazing full-colour art by acclaimed animator Matthias Lechner, it's the perfect book for the subway, bus or streetcar, especially if you have portable record-player in your pocket! (NB: Tubers actually comes with a download code for a nine-track album created for the book so you can, in fact, listen to it on the skytrain or the bus on your way to work. Pocket turntable not required!)
We're celebrating the launch of Tubers next week with a multimedia spectacular on Thursday June 14th at the W2 Media Café in Vancouver, starting at 8pm. The event will feature Kevan Ellis (Cinderpop/SK Robot), Téa Petrovic, Hamish Thompson (The Hermit), Robb Mitchell, and Mark Jowett himself (Cinderpop/Moev). Actors Mercedes Baines and Louis J Chirillo will read from the book. Entry is $8, with $2 going to the World Wildlife Fund.
In the meantime, take a listen to Mark Jowett's track Tweety Bird from the book:
And you can download download the Pacha Massive remix here.
JOIN US FOR THE LAUNCH OF TUBERS
8pm Thursday June 14 W2 Media Café
#250-111 W Hastings Street,
Vancouver, BC
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For more updates, please take a look at the following social media sites for Tubers:
Inside the Fall 12 Sales Conference
by Natalia
News + Vancouver / May 01, 2012
Last week was the Raincoast Fall 2012 sales conference. This is when all our publishers come to Vancouver to talk to the sales team about their brand new fall titles. For us publicists, it's a chance to hear about the hot upcoming books and see what will be in store for us this fall! There were so many fabulous books that it made my head spin, but I thought I would share a small selection of my favourites...
I was blown at conference by this new series of classics from Thunder Bay Press. The picture does not convey how beautiful this series is: they're gorgeous books with a soft, velvety leather cover, a celebration of the tactility of the page.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Canterbury Classics singles series
I like to think of myself as a scholarly being, a reader of highfalutin' literary fiction, an intellectual. But then someone throws a book about cat pee in front of me and I think it's hilarious. So much for the highbrow.
I Could Pee On This: And Other Poems By Cats
Francesco Marciuliano
If you think doing your Christmas shopping on time is a challenge, try getting a book to press in time for the holidays. Publishing is an industry that has to roll way ahead of the game. But this picture book from Sourcebooks is so lovely and sweet it could be enjoyed any day of the year.
A Flower in the Snow
Tracey Corderoy and Sophie Allsopp
Whoever thought rocks would be interesting? This is a quirky one, but I'm intrigued by the promised chapter on inukshuks...
Cairns: Messengers in Stone
David Williams
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Sometimes it's the cover that pulls you in. I love these little quill duelists.
The Language Wars: A History of Proper English
Henry Hitchings
And from Drawn & Quarterly, a very cool collection by New Yorker cartoonist Adrian Tomine.
New York Drawings
Adrian Tomine
What upcoming book are you most excited to see this year?
Alyx Dellamonica Blue Magic Launch at UBC, April 19th
by Dan
Events + Fiction + Science Fiction and Fantasy / March 29, 2012
Vancouver-based author Alyx Dellamonica will reading from her new novel Blue Magic at the UBC Bookstore on April 19th, 7:30pm.
The sequel to her award-winning eco-fantasy Indigo Springs, Blue Magic continues the story of the three friends who unwittingly caused the escape of magic into North America through a crack between worlds.
A powerful story of private lives changed by earthshaking events Blue Magic is a poignant tale of a world touched by magic and plagued by its consequences.
Alyx Dellamonica
Blue Magic Book Launch
7:30pm, April 19th 2012
UBC Bookstore
800 Robson Street, Vancouver
Tel: 1-800-661-3889 / (604) 822-2665
Job Posting: Marketing Manager at Raincoast Books
by Dan
Job Posting / March 19, 2012
Raincoast Books, based in Richmond, B.C., is seeking a marketing manager to start in April.
Raincoast is the Canadian distributor for 25 English language publishers and we emphasize the role of new technology in our sales and marketing work. We are looking for a creative and organized professional with a wide range of marketing experience who has excellent communication and technical skills.
Our marketing manager works with our graphic designer to develop channel marketing materials, and plans marketing campaigns in conjunction with our VP of Marketing, publicists, and senior sales people. The marketing manager also plays a key role in the development and maintenance of our proprietary digital catalogue application.
There will be some national and international travel involved and the possibility of managing staff.
The successful candidate will possess:
- superior writing and copyediting skills
- project management and scheduling experience
- a basic proficiency in HTML
- a minimum of three years of relevant media, marketing, publishing or senior book retailing experience
The following technical skills will be an asset:
- inDesign and Photoshop experience
- a familiarity with FTP clients
- a familiarity with Filemaker Pro 11
- an understanding of how scripting languages can improve workflow and create shortcuts
Candidates should send their résumé and cover letter by March 26 to:
Jamie Broadhurst
VP of Marketing
Raincoast Books
We regret that we can only acknowledge applications from candidates selected for interviews. No phone calls or agencies, please.
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Meet the author: Claire Dederer
by Natalia
Biography & Memoir + Events + Vancouver / March 01, 2012
Claire Dederer will be at Banyen Books next Tuesday (March 6th) to discuss her new book Poser: My Life in Twenty-Three Yoga Poses. The event starts at 6:30pm (full details are below).
Claire Dederer
Tuesday, March 6th: 6:30pm to 8:00pm
Banyen Books
3608 West 4th Avenue in Vancouver
Free admision
“Poser is a powerful, honest, ruefully funny memoir about one woman's openhearted reckoning with her demons . . . In the hands of a gifted writer, the universal is embedded within the personal. —The New York Times Book Review
“One part memoir, one part social critique, one part yoga history, Claire Dederer’s Poser: My Life in Twenty-Three Yoga Poses asks what contemporary motherhood ought to look like … Poser is superb.” —The Globe and Mail
“This memoir about her decade doing downward dog while raising two kids and trying to keep her marriage alive reads like Eat, Pray, Love for hip but harried moms . . . funny, well-observed, and ultimately inspiring.” —People four stars
Check out Claire's latest interview on NPR!
Marissa Meyer at Chapters Metrotown Tomorrow!
by Dan
Events + YA Fiction / February 10, 2012
Come join Raincoast and author Marissa Meyer for the Canadian launch of her bestselling novel Cinder at Chapters Metrotown on Saturday February 11th.
YES! Tomorrow!
See you then! Bring a friend! 
Marissa Meyer author of Cinder
Chapters Metrotown
4700 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC
Saturday February 11th, 2:00pm
Tel: 604-431-0463
PS: For more updates on the 'Luna Chronicles' follow Marissa on Twitter!