the predatory bird

Tag: Gulls

  • The PB Comic gets Physical!

    the comics float into spaceIn light of recent activity in Vatican City we feel the world has never been more perfectly primed for the release of our first edition print run of THE PREDATORY BIRD COMIC.

    Here’s a list of fun background info regarding the comic:

    • Set in the aftermath of a family death the tale takes our kid on his inevitable, abject, journey through the grieving process.
    • Luckily the world he inhabits contains a constant array of encouraging beacons to guide him through the dark times; these are all the vibrant characters and details that create and symbolize our culture of the wooden toy.
    • The collaboration with Jon Horner was initially sparked by a shared disquiet regarding the Frankensteinian biomechanoid feline nightmare that is Orville the Cat Helicopter.
    • The gulls are our reminder to be realistic. No matter how nice we’d like life to be, life is, as the great orator Nasty Nas has explicitly stated, a bitch.
    • If you’re trying to come up with a big word to describe the PB comic and you hit upon “phantasmagorical” then give yourself a round of applause because seriously, that is a fantastic word.
    • The good folks at Thrasher Magazine were kind enough to print the story over the course of a year or so.
    • This edition of the Comic is for sale here and also here.
    • In the unlikely event of any profit being generated exactly half will be sent to Jon.

  • The Comic Part 5: Death is a bummer.

    Probably the darkest strip in the 12. Thrasher featured it in their January 2013 issue opposite Pedro Barros in a G-Shock ad – do people still wear watches?
    I suppose Pedro Barros must and that dude is straight-up gnarly. Remember that article Rhino shot where him and Grant Taylor went to Portugal?

    Grant Taylor Ollies into a mental bowl in Portugal

    So anyway, Part 5 of the comic. The darkest point. The kid is on the way to his old man’s funeral and it’s raining. Death, like rain to a skater, is a bummer. But, there’s always a bright side, right? So, can we learn to laugh about death? Maybe not laugh, that sounds callous and callous is not the laughter I’m talking about. But what am I talking about? I’m talking about the inspiration for an entire genre of Metal.

    When friends and family die it’s definitely painful. If it’s not then something is wrong. Loss leaves a gaping hole. It’s disemboweling. Laughter is probably not the healthiest immediate response. But from a distance, I mean with the perspective that time passed provides, we can see death and loss as the brief insignificant things they are and we can get on with enjoying all that we still have.
    Okay, blah blah, cliche, cliche, yeah I’ve had losses. We all have; or are going to. What I’m getting to is that this comic grew out of a shitty grieving process that seemed to utterly dissolve any interest I still had in playing the pro-skater game.

    I’m fairly certain that the process of writing the comic helped me come through one of life’s tunnels. For that I am eternally grateful to Thrasher, especially Michael Burnett, who was kind enough to champion the thing and encourage the process despite its rambling, stumbling through the dark, story progression.
    And obviously, always, to the brilliant Jon Horner.
    And of course to the gulls who have no idea about any of this. They’re just hungry, looking for food and in the process they sound like they’re laughing; and sometimes, depending on the circumstances, the direction of the wind and whatnot, they sound very, very callous.

  • The Gulls of Aberdeen

    cairnfield architect motif
    cairnfield_chimney_gull
    fittie gull chimney sentries
    fittieroof2
    fittie gull chimney sentry
    fittieroof
    Gang of gulls on the sea wall at fittie
    cairnfield_take_off
    aberdeen harbour herring gull
    gull_flight_cropped
    nairn wheelie bin buried in sand

  • New Wheels in a New Town

    wheelWe are very stoked to announce that these incredible wheels are now exclusive in 2 of the best skate shops on the planet. Focus and Boarderline, both located atop the rugged paving of Scotland. If you’re in the area stop by, say hi, grab a tee or a set of wheels and glide over pavement Predatory Bird style. Embrace your inner gull.

    Talking of inner gulls I just watched The Brave Onions. It’s a short skate vid straight out of Aberdeen. From the danger filled intro to the inspired editing (more…)