May 2009: Figurehead Experiment in Willimantic

A few weeks ago, I posted on Klub 19's Figurehead Night in Lodz, Poland. This event coincidentally occurred on the night of Figurehead's Sticker Expo in Willimantic, Conn. Thanks to the wonders of MySpace, the two independent parties were able to connect and share photos after the fact. Here's what happened at the Sticker Expo:

“Hey, sorry if it's too late, but here is some stuff on the Figurehead Sticker Expo. For a few months before our sticker expo, we had an open call for stickers and any other kind of ‘street art’. Work poured in from all over. We had stickers from as far away as South America and Italy.”
“We had five local indie bands playing the whole night. As you can see from the photos, we had two big tables full of free stickers. We also set up some tables with copies of The Figurehead for people to draw on. Later on, we taped up all the drawings people made. We also left a big stack of blank USPS labels on this table.”
“It’s cool that Klub 19 set up a Figurehead theme night because we had no idea! Since learning of what they did in Lodz, Poland, we will attempt to set up several simultaneous Figurehead themed parties all over the world sometime next year. If anyone would like to help us meet our goals, they can contact us though our MySpace page.”
“Thanks! Again, sorry for the delay; we have been way too busy lately!”
It's great to hear you're so busy, guys! It's never too late for a follow-up. Thanks so much! I wish I could've made it to the expo, but I'm definitely in favor of a world-wide Figurehead fandango. I was also thrilled to find a photo of my stickers! I don't do much sticking myself, but I love passing them out to friends. Glad to see they found a good home! I also noticed that some people were remixing them and making their own. Fabulous! If you made your own Illicit Exhibitions sticker, I would be honored if you'd send me a photo. Great idea, guys!

Also, can we talk about this for a second? THANK YOU to Mike and the whole crew over at the Kronikle. You're fabulous!

February 2009: Willimantic

Two weeks ago, I took advantage of my day off and went for a hunt in Willimantic, CT. Prior to my adventure, I’d only seen The Figurehead Experiment in real life (check out the Hebron post back in February). Fortunately, Main Street did not disappoint and I added three new artists to my collection. Readers, meet Noxin, Ektin, and another unidentified writer. 

First, there’s Figurehead. This guy’s face is everywhere: staring down from one-way signs, checking you out at the crosswalk, even driving the local bus. Spanning across Connecticut and around the globe, the experiment is spreading worldwide.  

Then we’ve got Noxin. Made of equal parts Nixon and shifty CEOs, Noxin’s character is open to modification. Explore his Myspace for photos and updates. I am loving Ektin right now. Maybe it’s because he sent me stickers and I got to hold these creepy critters in my hands. Whatever the reason, I was delighted to find his stickers peering out from behind traffic signs, lurking on drainpipes, and grinning mischievously on mailboxes. There’s so much personality packed into this USPS sticker!

Finally, who makes this robot? He’s keeping Ektin’s critters under control and making sure people recycle, but who created him? If you’re out there reading this, hit me up and let me know who you are!

Thanks to all these artists for spicing up Main Street. An unexpected snowstorm cut my trip short, but I hope to collect more shots soon.

Also, hit up Figurehead on Myspace to snag a button.