What the Folk!

The cover art was uploaded to Flickr recently. The artist, John Baizley has a book coming out. The image is massive if you click on it again. The detail is wonderful. There is more of his work here, and here. Freaky indeed.

Baroness are great, and Baizley does all their posters, artwork, etc. I think he also does work for Kylesa as well. He's pretty great.

It's funny, I just set up this computer that I bought last year (figured I'd do it quick before I move ), and one of the options for desktop pic was one that reminded me a lot of that particular drawing of the guys. *right click, save*

Wow. That was some amazing art. Some of them were too grotesque for my taste but I love all the detail and I like how he mixes surrealism with art nouveau. Even the really bizarre ones are still beautiful.

Phantom Limb is my favorite.

Least? Piss Face.

That lovely Conchords drawing is now my desktop. I dug my album out to see it in person, and really enjoyed seeing the shot of them in Radio City on the back. Ahhh memories....

Yes, and I think the Freaky album may actually be the least bizarre of all his pieces. His rendering of the human form is bewitching.


I was reading a bit about him. I was curious what medium he uses, and I read that he generally doesn't explain his work. The designs are really personal and have to do with his experience. He considers his work open for interpretation for those who like to dig a little deeper and find meaning, and if not hopefully it's just a nice looking image.

I also like this statement he made, "For me, most immediately, I have to actually like the music of the band that is approaching me, that’s quintessentially important. I won’t do something for somebody — a band or a musician — who I don’t respect, admire, look up to or just have a gut level friendship with."

So does anyone want to try to shed light and unravel the Conchords piece? Just tell me this, do you think the two white bulbous shapes behind Bret's head are eggs or a nouveau lady's bottom?

Did you find out? I was curious about that too. I'm thinking it's a combination of pen and ink and Illustrator.


I'd say they're eggs... but who knows. Maybe they're sugalumps, lol.

What a gorgeous way to start my daily computer experience - studying the picture, enjoying it, dissecting different parts of it, and realizing that the reason I like it so much is because it is constantly in motion. Does that make sense? There's a beautiful flow to the picture that keeps me mesmerized. I don't want to change screens! I'm so glad I get to study it so much.

I'm enjoying it too, Nancy.


Iirc you are correct. I didn't end up finding an unequivocable quote on the matter, but I think he said he starts on the computer for the layout, then finishes the piece by hand. (one article had lots of talk of smudges and such on the originals) I read a blurb by someone else that there was some watercolor involved, but I don't really know.


Ewwwww. The blank part on the lense of Jemaine's glasses bugs me a bit. I want to finish coloring it in.

LauraK, that Phantom Limb is the cover art for the Pig Destroyer album "phantom limb". I also recommend the album - good thrashy punk-metal with Cookie Monster vocals and a vicious double kick-drum sound.

Is it uncolored, or is it supposed to show us that Jemaine's view doesn't have any ducks or moons and stars in it? Perhaps they aren't there at all.....

I'll def have to give them a listen.....Cookie Monster vocals? I've never heard it described like that but I know what you mean.

It absolutely is in motion. All those globs of floaty things and feathers tumbling down and dripping goose necks... He's really good at organic forms, they really do flow.

He did drop the ball on J's glasses though. It would have been cool to see that feather background all slightly distorted through the glasses lens.

He did that on purpose. He knew that FoTC fans would be discussing it for days....

Probably.