We highly recommend the brand new issue of Nozone edited by frequent collaborator Nicholas Blechman and containing several contributions originating from our Topanga studios. Nozone, like Nicholas, comes from New York City and meticulously maintains a NY edge in both message and media.

Nozone is a graphics-based political ‘zine that Nicholas (AKA Knickerbocker) and a Xerox machine started when the latter was a teenager. Each issue has a theme (the last was “EMPIRE”) and the theme for the current issue, Nozone’s tenth, is “Forecast”. Inspired by prophesies of all kinds - from weather reports to doomsday predictions - Nozone X takes a long look at our relationship with an increasingly uncertain future. Over fifty designers, cartoonists and artists offer their visions, projections, and scientific findings. Though it never loses its sense of humor, this issue has a very serious underbelly and, cumulatively, manages to pack a very profound punch. As far as praise goes, perhaps it would be best to quote zeitgeist designer Stefan Sagmeister from his blurb on the back cover:

“Nozone proves again and again that design can do so much more beyond selling and promoting. And it is gorgeous.”

Agreed! The book is beautifully printed and produced, a pleasure to hold (and smell!). Please support your own print fetish (if you have one) by purchasing the item from publisher Princeton Architectural Press or one of many other stores including, and this is particularly cool, Urban Outfitters who have a very snappy book section in play these days.

It was an honor to participate in this endeavor and congratulations Nicholas!

As far as my contributions are concerned they are, as usual, mostly story-based. Below is an excerpt from our NOZONE SURVIVAL KIT - a fantasy toolbox of items designed to make an environmental mega-disaster both more survivable and, um, more fun.

If you happen to be near Topanga Canyon, California on May 10th, 2008, please come by. This fundraiser for our kids’ amazing co-op preschool has been taking up WAY too much of our time, but it is going to be a thing of beauty. Three stages of children’s music, theater, and storytelling; roving clowns; face-painting; kid’s recycled arts projects; eclectic vendors and food; and much more. Here’s the site.

But what, you ask, does this have to do with film and television? Nothing, and everything. Not to wax poetic, but this festival is a great example of the collaborative community spirit that only kids can inspire. Because we know that everything we do for them - every story we tell them - somehow helps build the future. May the tales we tell live up to the responsibility this entails, and be blessed by the creative energy it takes to do it well.

Lucky 8 has been coordinating publicity and promotion for this event.

This is an excerpt from an illustration I wrote for NOZONE #10: FORECAST. A collaboration with Nicholas Blechman, the designer who also publishes Nozone, this chart — in its full form — makes predictions in 12 categories (from population to language to footwear to food), in 10 year increments for the next 100 years.

It’s not a pretty picture.

I won’t give too much away but here are a couple hints for our 100 year forecast: We won’t be speaking English, and we won’t be living on this planet, either.

Nozone is a beautiful publication that has won just about every design award in the business and consistantly draws amazing submissions from top-shelf artists and illustrators. Past issues are collectors items. Each one has a theme (EMPIRE, UTOPIA/DYSTOPIA, WORK and CRIME to mention a few) and an attitude. To give you some flavor, here is a welcome blurb I wrote for issue #10:

Never before has looking into the future been so complicated, or so traumatic. Prophesies, doomsdays, conspiracies, Ice Ages and potential revolutions are everywhere. Wherever you look - from the cover of Time Magazine, to the weird weather out your window - the message seems universal: the Earth our children inherit will almost certainly be nothing like the one we currently inhabit. In the spirit of our Massive Uncertainty we welcome you to …

Nozone #10: FORECAST

Back in the 90’s Nicholas (aka Knickerbocker) and I collaborated on illustrations almost constantly for the New York Times, Wired, George, The Nation and many other publications. Since I moved to LA this has slowed down, but things are still happening. Here’s an example of a NYT piece:

See you in the future!

Thanks, Nicholas.