ORDER "PLEASE GOD, SAVE US" NOW THROUGH THIS BANNER
---------------------CRITICAL PRAISE FOR "PLEASE GOD SAVE US", THE NEW BOOK BY DEREK HESS AND KENT SMITH -------- Available at www.strhesspress.com
--------------"Bored with your summer reading list already? Derek Hess and Kent Smith can fix that. Their first book, Please God Save Us debuts July 4. The arguments begin shortly thereafter." -- Northern Ohio Live, July 2008; page 20.
-------------- "Local indie/hardcore artist Derek Hess and politician/self-proclaimed "policynerd" Kent Smith might actually be greater together than the sum of their individual parts. The duo has long charted ground individually in town with fiery effect. Together, they've joined forces for an incendiary graphic essay folio full of scathing indictments that scald like napalm." -- CoolCleveland.com; July 16, 2008.
------------- "If, as Alan Moore once observed, 'the word is the unit of currency of the left brain, and the image that of the right,' then Derek Hess and Kent Smith have achieved a balance between the two." -- Real Detroit Weekly, July 30, 2008; Page 58.
---------------- "Provocative? Definitely. Controversial? Most likely. Inflammatory? Only if you give it to your conservative relatives for Christmas (something we highly recommend)." -- Metrotimes, July 30, 2008; Page 36.
--------------------- "If you have yet to catch a peek at this book, you'll be blown away by internationally known artist, Derek Hess' intense imagery combined with Cleveland-area politician, Kent Smith's powerful words. Yes, the name Please God Save Us pretty much sums it up: this book tests the mind and ideals of the nation in a politically charged tour de force." -- Juxtapoz Magazine (online), September 30, 2008.
---------------- "When a former community organizer and Democratic Party official joins forces with a famed printmaker, illustrator and rock 'n' roll poster artist, you get "Please God Save Us". It's a book of intense illustrations by Derek Hess with text by Kent Smith, ripping into right-wing pieties and devastation wreaked by literal "red elephants" on people, the planet and free thought.” -- Pittsburgh City Paper; October 15, 2008; Page 48.
--------------- "Please God Save Us," a blend of Kent Smith's facts and tracts with Derek Hess's startling, dramatic art. Smith is an activist Democrat from suburban Cleveland, Hess a Cleveland artist who made his mark in the 1990s designing rock posters and album covers for the likes of Shudder to Think, Pantera, and Pink Floyd. Hess's work is unapologetically subversive. A shot at the religious right, "Please God Save Us" balls word and image into a smart fist.” -– Boston Globe; November 23, 2008.
---------------- “This book juxtaposes politically and religiously provocative images by Hess with sharp commentary from local politico Smith. The result is a thought-provoking, often hilarious, always biting picture book of the narrowly averted apocalypse. Smith's honed criticisms of religious warmongering and right-wing Machiavellian maneuvering set just the right tone for Hess' urgent, spasmodic renderings.” -- Cleveland Scene, November 26, 2008, page 46.
----------------- "This fall, when we first thumbed through Please God Save Us, collaboration between artist Derek Hess and politician Kent Smith, it elicited more than a few knowing nods and wry smiles. The combination of razor sharp commentary and pointedly political illustrations were a one-two punch to the kisser of that omnipotent oligarchy of idiocy, the Bush Administration / Republican Party / Christian Right." -- Tattoo Revue #139, page 24.
ABOUT THE NIGHT BY KENT SMITH "There have been other Derek Hess art openings in Cleveland before. Indeed there have been Derek Hess art openings across the globe before. But Hess fans had never seen anything like this. Derek Hess grew from an art student who doubled as a part-time underground concert promoter to an artist whose works now hang in the Louvre and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Cleveland, Ohio is home for Hess and Cleveland’s 1300 Gallery was his local host and showplace.
On December 15, 2006, Derek Hess’ “Please God Save Us from Your Followers” show would be the last artwork to hang on the 1300 walls as Cleveland’s most well known, cutting edge gallery would end its six-year run. It was both a funeral and a celebration. More than 500 art lovers (some who came as far as Texas) gathered to pay tribute to the gallery and its most well known featured artist.
What they witnessed was original Hess artwork with a new twist. It was “Hess style” but with a change in focus. The composition of the artwork still featured atypical perspectives of atonomical illustrations. The subject matter was still emotive, introspective and spiritual in nature. But the events were current, the subjects were modern, the villains were real and therefore the meaning was obvious. See, Hess had gone political.
Before that night, Hess had addressed modern times and culture through generalized artistic statements and works. He had never focused on actual individuals and specific events. On December 15, 2006, Hess delivered a pointed rebuke designed to anger and inspire.
This book not only will attempt to capture and memorialize the night, but also to communicate (in words) the inspiration behind the images. We hope the artwork - and accompanying text - will continue to inspire. Just like it did on a single Friday night in 2006."
音樂
Clutch, Disengage, With Honor, Above This Fire, Chris Butler, The Gore Gore Girls, Hot Cha Cha, Public Enemy, Black Flag, One Dead Three Wounded, NIN, Thin Lizzy, Cop Shoot Cop, The Spice Girls, Iron Maiden
電影
ZEITGEISTMOVIE.COM, An Inconvenient Truth, The Day The Earth Stood Still, Godzilla vs The Smog Monster, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
電視
The PBS 39-Part Series "The Making of the 'Please God Save Us' book by Ken Burns; The VH-1 "Behind the Music Special about the 'Please God Save Us"; The True Hollywood Story about Derek Hess and Kent Smith and the Please God Save Us book. C-Span, MSNBC, Browns Games, LA Ink, Channel 22 on the Euclid Cable TV System, Dogfights, Lost In Space
書籍
Please God Save Us by Derek Hess and Kent Smith ... (you should buy one, it's really good - in fact, buy two just for good measure)
偶像
Marty, Metal Kait, Boston Vicky, Alison, Holly, Charles Darwin, Rachael, Dr. Jen, Annie, Geoff, Davina, Emily, Barack Obama, Jose, Eddie from Iron Maiden.
SPONGE BOB IS HERE! HE'S A CARTOON! GET USE TO IT!
關於我： DEREK HESS, JOSE, DENNIS KUCINICH, and KENT SMITH
WHO IS DEREK HESS?
Internationally-known artist Derek Hess has spent the past fifteen years creating rock poster art that has not only made him a household name, but has also caught the attention of both the Louvre and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where his work is featured in both institutions permanent collections. After years of creating posters and flyers for numerous well-known bands such as Deftones, Thursday, Every Time I Die and Taking Back Sunday, as well as popular fine art, Hess diverged into creating witty and thought-provoking art that pushes the envelope of societal ideals.
WHO IS KENT SMITH?
An award winning Cleveland-area politician who has been friends with Derek Hess for years. He is an elected official and the leader of his city’s Democratic Party. He has written for the Cleveland Free Times and is currently a PhD candidate in the Economic Development program at Cleveland State University. His Masters Degree exit thesis in 2001 was about the dangers of predatory lending and home equity fraud. Before running for office himself, He worked as a community organizer and for Democratic campaigns in seven states.
我想認識：
ADVANCE PRAISE OF PLEASE GOD SAVE US
Taken from Northern Ohio Live
July 2008 – Page 20
“Political Prose and Pics”
Bored with your summer reading list already? Derek Hess and Kent Smith can fix that. Their first book, Please God Save Us was released on July 4, 2008. The arguments begin shortly thereafter.
Hess, a Cleveland-based internationally known artist, contributes over 50 full color pieces of art in this magazine-sized soft-cover book. Smith, a Euclid School Board Member and former Free Times writer, provides written justification for Hess’ angry images. (You may also remember Smith as the infamous doorman at Brillo Pad and Touch.)
Hess’ well-known style remains – his works are oversized, angry, spiritual, funny and emotive. But the subject mater is not abstract; it is subjective and fresh from the evening news. The villain of the book is the menacing red elephant which seems to be killing soldiers and polar bears while polluting the sky. Hess and Smith take on all the controversial topics including the Christian Right, the Iraq war, global warming, the oil industry, stem cell research, evolution, the media, rock and roll, and censorship. It’s a safe bet that this is one way, George W. Bush does not want you to spend your economic stimulus check. For book event information check Hess’ web site www.derekhess.com.
HIGH PRAISE FOR "Please God Save Us" FROM WWW.COOLCLEVELAND.COM - 7/16/08
"Please God Save Us" by
Derek Hess & Kent Smith
Published by Strhess Press
---- Local indie/hardcore artist Derek Hess and politician/self-proclaimed "policynerd" Kent Smith might actually be greater together than the sum of their individual parts. The duo has long charted ground individually in town with fiery effect. Together, they've joined forces for an incendiary graphic essay folio full of scathing indictments that scald like napalm. There are visceral observations, black humor, deathly diatribes and politicalamities in "Please God Save Us", which pairs Hess' exceptional brilliance as an artist with Smith's progressive-toned tomes on the environment, evolution, foreign policy and more. Everything from Fox News Channel and the Republican Party, to stem cell research, rock music and SpongeBob SquarePants is covered. The results are a miasma of shuddering brain shocks that readers may (or not) agree with. But the intention of eliciting a response is most certainly achieved. The images and essays are each haunting enough on their own; to these already blackened eyes, there's nothing quite like another punch landing squarely on each of them. Descriptions and depictions just don't do "Save Us" justice. Suffice it to say it pushes all the right buttons -- for better and worse -- and will leave its readers wrung out, riled up and incontrovertibly rattled. "Mission," as they say, "accomplished."
Hess and Smith launch this new work with a release party and book signing at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History on Friday, July 18 from 6 - 10PM. You can meet the authors, share your feelings with them, purchase the book and snag an autograph or two while you're there. Visit Strhess Press at http://www.strhesspress.com. Visit Kent Smith online at http://www.kentsmith.org. Visit Derek Hess online at http://www.derekhess.com. And visit the Cleveland Museum of Natural History at http://www.cmnh.org.
From Cool Cleveland Managing Editor Peter Chakerian peterATcoolcleveland.com
SUN NEWSPAPERS ARTICLE ABOUT PLEASE GOD SAVE US BOOK
"Clevelanders Launch Book of Hot Topics - covers politics, war and religious right"
By Susan Ketchum -- July 17, 2008 -------
Love it or hate it, anyone who picks up a copy of "Please God Save Us" will likely have a strong feeling about it.
That's just fine with the book's creators, well-known Cleveland artist Derek Hess and Kent Smith, Euclid Democratic Leader and school board member.
"It's not light summer reading. If you're looking for something with Fabio on the cover, this isn't it," Smith said.
The book, released July 4th, includes more than 50 of Hess' drawings which tackle the hot topics of the environment, stem cell research, war, oil, evolution, Fox News, and the Christian right. A red elephant, symbolizing the Republican party, is a recurring image.
The book's themes may surprise those who know Hess, 43, for his rock posters and other music-related works, some of which hang in the Louvre in Paris and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
"Derek's work up to now has been more individually focused," Smith said. "People will recognize Derek's style, but the subject matter has changed. These are topics that are taken from current events and the newspaper."
Hess said he began drawing the pieces after he picked up a Christian tract by Osterhouse Publishing Company on one of his morning walks with his dog, Jose. The smiley face on the cover with the words "God loves you," caught his eye. Then he turned it over and read the back, "But if you reject His love, given at great sacrifice at Calvary, it would be better for you not to have been born."
"Most people would say 'wow' and throw it away. But it inspired me to do these kinds of theme-based works," Hess said.
The drawings based on that tract, along with Smith's written explanation, make up the first chapter of the book. Hess also created a "crosstika," a combination of a cross and a swastika, to symbolize his dissatisfaction with the religious right and the Bush administration.
"It's taking the two most powerful images the world has ever seen and making them into one, to symbolize the church and state," he said.
Many readers will find that offensive, but Hess and Smith say that they don't hate Christians. In fact Smith said he quotes Jesus frequently in the text.
"My works are targeting the people who are manipulating the Christian message for political purposes, and giving Jesus a bad name. It's like the Taliban has hijacked the Muslim message," Hess said. "I'm very disappointed in this regime."
The subject matter may be unusual, but Hess' fans will still recognize his distinctive, loose style and the emotion behind it.
"The goal of my work is to get down to the core of my emotion, and say 'this is where I'm at.' People respond to it when they relate to that feeling," he said.
He displayed the drawings in a one-day show titled "Please God, Save Us From Your Followers" on December 15, 2006 at the 1300 Gallery in Cleveland. The show was very well received so Hess turned to Smith to help him turn it into a book.
The two have known each other for about 12 years, since both were doorman at local dance clubs. Smith, 41 was also a freelance writer for the Free Times and went to Hess' first show in 1994. In turn Hess and Jose helped with Smith's political campaigns.
"When someone asks me to explain about the pictures, I just get angry. I needed someone who could put in words something that would reflect my thoughts and emotions, and I knew Kent was of like mind on these subjects," Hess said. "His writings and the pictures complement each other."
They grouped images from the show and some newer ones into 10 topics, for which Smith wrote 10 essays. Publishers were interested in the book, but they wanted the book to be available before November, so they decided to self-publish it.
"There is a purpose behind the book. We hope it engages people to think about national events. Some people might spend $25 for the book who won't watch CNN," Smith said.
They will sign copies during a book release party from 6-10 p.m. Friday at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in University Circle.
They choose the museum as the launch site because Hess spent time there drawing the mastodons and fish skeletons in the chapter on evolution, his favorite part of the book.
"Before I started to be an artist, I told everybody I wanted to be a paleontologist," he said. "I had my fifth birthday party at the museum."
Hess is working on other projects, not based on politics, which he also plans to turn into books. However, the two friends don't rule out working on another book together.
"If McCain gets elected there will be more," Smith said.
Hello. Hope you're doing good. So what do you think the final healthcare reform bill should be named? "Ted Kennedy?" "The American Plan"? ...and why do the conservatives continue to hijack the national debate? Visit http://wp.me/ps8BM-75 Peace!
What's up. Hope you're doing good. I invite you to check out my latest campaign to fight hate speech against Latinos, the "Justice. Not Bullets." campaign. To learn more & find out the ways you can help, please visit: http://wp.me/ps8BM-6s Peace, -Reg
With the Senators gone, the remnants of the Great Society seem to be dissappearing as well. The courage, compassion and intellect that drove progressive politics to transform the United States into her greatness has been supplanted by greed, religion and cowardice. We seem to be stepping backwards and falling back on the fear that FDR strove to fight off to begin the enlightened progressive movement of the 20th century. Collectively we walked on the moon.....divided we cannot afford to treat our own illnesses...
This nation is dead....it is time to start drawing up plans for a new and better one....perhaps as nation states....?
ABOUT THE NIGHT BY KENT SMITH "There have been other Derek Hess art openings in Cleveland before. Indeed there have been Derek Hess art openings across the globe before. But Hess fans had never seen anything like this. Derek Hess grew from an art student who doubled as a part-time underground concert promoter to an artist whose works now hang in the Louvre and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Cleveland, Ohio is home for Hess and Cleveland’s 1300 Gallery was his local host and showplace.
On December 15, 2006, Derek Hess’ “Please God Save Us from Your Followers” show would be the last artwork to hang on the 1300 walls as Cleveland’s most well known, cutting edge gallery would end its six-year run. It was both a funeral and a celebration. More than 500 art lovers (some who came as far as Texas) gathered to pay tribute to the gallery and its most well known featured artist.
What they witnessed was original Hess artwork with a new twist. It was “Hess style” but with a change in focus. The composition of the artwork still featured atypical perspectives of atonomical illustrations. The subject matter was still emotive, introspective and spiritual in nature. But the events were current, the subjects were modern, the villains were real and therefore the meaning was obvious. See, Hess had gone political.
Before that night, Hess had addressed modern times and culture through generalized artistic statements and works. He had never focused on actual individuals and specific events. On December 15, 2006, Hess delivered a pointed rebuke designed to anger and inspire.
This book not only will attempt to capture and memorialize the night, but also to communicate (in words) the inspiration behind the images. We hope the artwork - and accompanying text - will continue to inspire. Just like it did on a single Friday night in 2006."
SPONGE BOB IS HERE! HE'S A CARTOON! GET USE TO IT!
WHO IS DEREK HESS?
Internationally-known artist Derek Hess has spent the past fifteen years creating rock poster art that has not only made him a household name, but has also caught the attention of both the Louvre and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where his work is featured in both institutions permanent collections. After years of creating posters and flyers for numerous well-known bands such as Deftones, Thursday, Every Time I Die and Taking Back Sunday, as well as popular fine art, Hess diverged into creating witty and thought-provoking art that pushes the envelope of societal ideals.
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HAPPY BIRTH DAY TO U
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