Times, they are a changing.


I’ve said it more than I care to recall, and though I know I’m the most broken of record players, in a futile attempt at stemming the tide, I’ll say it one more time. I don’t like change. I’ve never liked change. It’s how I’m wired, and when I get in a groove, or at a spot in life that’s happy and comfortable, I don’t want it to go away.

Is that just me, or does everyone feel this way?

Truly, I’m a creature of habit, and if you think I’m just rolling with the punches of my current life upheaval, you’d be wrong. I’m kicking and screaming all the way to the homeless shelter.

So you can bet that when I got the text from Cush early last week asking me if I could confirm or deny the rumors that Dirt Rag was closing up shop, I think I replied with a shrug emoji, and exclamation point/question mark combo, and returned my attention to sorting recyclables.

Well, it didn’t take more than a little while before it was officially confirmed that after over thirty years, the venerable, and original bike ‘zine is in fact shuttering their operation;

Via.

Shit.

Man, this is a real drag, but perhaps indicative of an industry and culture that just doesn’t care so much about print, unique voices, and a creative directive. This isn’t to say that there is zero concern for such things, as the fact that we’re all here together proves that there is at least some interest, but maybe beyond the walls of our little village, it doesn’t matter. The world outside our doors is more concerned with easily digestible, and non-challenging fodder. Stuff that makes you think, or perhaps doesn’t align with your perspective in lock-step is scary, and therefore unpleasant. Things you can hold in your hand, and refer to ten years down the road are irrelevant, because the internet is like, forever, right? I don’t know anything for certain aside from the fact that my perspective, and aesthetic seems to rapidly be becoming antiquated.

Any way you look at it, it’s a real loss for the bicycle world at large, and it’s my hope that perhaps at some point in the future, we might have a similar voice to fill the void.

Moving from that bummer, to a topic that is considerably more pleasant- It was a couple of weeks ago when I received a message on the Instagram from a fellow across the pond named Rowley Haverly. He had reached out to let me know he’d done me the ultimate honor and re-created me as one of his tiny figurines;

It turns out I was familiar with his work, as I’d previously seen one he’d done for Spencer (formerly) of Ritte Van Vlaanderen.

Well, I can’t thank Rowley enough. It was a huge surprise, and a tremendous boost to my ever waining ego to be immortalized as one of his efforts.

If you might be interested in such a thing for yourself, by all means reach out to him via his IG, or website

On a continued happy note, it would seem that at long last the Fuct site is back up and running.

Thank Dog. Maybe I can get a new pair of them gigantic brushed denim shorts that felt as if your butt was being cradled by God Herself.

Perhaps you’re unfamiliar with the street brand from the ’90s, and more importantly, the genius that is the brand’s founder, Eric Brunetti;

Via.

-Or even his recent victory in the US supreme court, but it has long stood as an inspiration to how I run my business.

As a sidetone, if by chance, you get the opportunity to purchase the book, I highly recommend it, though at this point, finding a copy is likely to be unlikely;

In short, it’s with two middle fingers in the air, and not catering to anyone’s wishes but my own. If you want a thing I make, get a thing I make. If you don’t, don’t get it, but if you come bellyaching to me about how you slept on a pre-order or whatever, you’d like a version with a slightly altered graphic, different color, or what have you, you can (respectfully) kick the fuck(t) out of some rocks.

Speaking of which, kinda, It was just on Wednesday when I had a phone conversation with the extraordinary talent that is Christopher Friedman about doing some design work on an forthcoming project.

Of course you might be familiar with his work from the Who Rides The Tiger record I put out a few years ago, but perhaps from his work with the Afghan Whigs, At The Drive In, and most recently, O ZORN!, (who by the way have a new record available for pre-order right meow);

One things is for sure, and that it’s gonna wind up on a baseball style T, which I’ve always hated passionately.

I mean, what the hell, Jan? Is it a long sleeve? Is it a short sleeve? What’s this sleeve falling right on the middle of my forearm business? It’s stupid, I tell you.

That is until about a year and a half ago when I (ironically, maybe) got an O ZORN! shirt that was actually designed by Christopher himself, and it all by itself made me love this style of shirt so much that I not only nearly always wear it, but have bought three others since.

It’s even pretty good to fall down in;

Anyhü, it’s been a minute since I released a brand spanking new product, so I’m mightily excited for these developments, and will likely keep at least a couple for myself so I always have one in which to change.

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4 Responses to “Times, they are a changing.”

  1. JP February 4, 2020 at 10:46 am #

    Losing Dirt Rag, as somebody who has every issue for over 20 years and even contributed a few times, really sucks. I still look at those, I still think of the people I got to know (or at least the words and pictures they wanted us to know about). It’s a huge loss.

    Somehow I expected the little tiny cyclocross figurine to then get smacked by an RC truck, but I suppose the scale is off.

  2. Sigh Kokiller February 4, 2020 at 12:52 pm #

    My action figure would definately being giving your action figure a beer hand up in that scene (uh, you know that is if I actually had an action figure)!

  3. Eric February 4, 2020 at 9:56 pm #

    The loss of Dirt Rag is just one more nail in mountain bikings coffin.

  4. Jimmy Riggs February 10, 2020 at 8:32 am #

    On the bright side it looks like Dirt Rag has sold out of all their merch. Good job peeps!