Testimonials

i-heart-djg

“Danny has never reaped a substantial monetary harvest for all his labors. His harvest has been more like that of the farmer who grows a 27 lb. turnip and finds a strange sort of fame for it.”

-Chad T. Johnston / From a Forthcoming Book / Lawrence, KS / Feb. 2010

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“Gibson, a sought-after graphic designer specializing in band posters and music cover art (He’s the ”DJG” in “DJG Designs”.),  takes his fun seriously. He isn’t just in touch with his inner child; the two of them must hang out on a regular basis, playing with scissors, magazines and construction paper…Some of his creations…are meticulously assembled. Others look as though they were fueled by half a box of frosted cereal, washed down with a two-liter bottle of something sugary and caffeinated. At either extreme, and all the points in between, Gibson seasons his work liberally with visual echoes of iconic imagery. That’s understandable, for someone who writes that his earliest input of what is now understood as design and culture trappings include: farming logos, sports team mascots and the apple on the records by the Beatles…Nothing ever feels stolen outright, though.  This isn’t Kid Rock ripping off Warren Zevon and Lynyrd Skynyrd to make a whole far inferior to either of its parts; this is a pinch of one influence here, a dash of another there, and a vigorous stirring in Gibson’s mind to produce something entirely original.”

- Steve Brisendine / Art KC 365 / Kansas City, MO / July 2009

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“Danny Gibson’s artwork combines savvy, streamlined design with an intricate handmade look. Gibson relishes in the rough edges and imperfections of the materials he uses, but the final products he churns out always look deliberate and sleek. Currently an office assistant by day, Gibson’s still using art materials he collected while working a previous job as a janitor.”

- Gina Kaufmann / KCUR, 89.3 / Kansas City, MO / July 2009

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“Danny Gibson makes things out of unlikely, materials: old cardboard, yard clippings, a smashed water bottle. In the winter, he made a giant kitty out of snow. He puts magic in what he makes and the magic glows.”

-Romy & Foxy / Goodie Magazine / May 2009

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“…another one that has somehow never shown up on my radar until now. Great work from DJG Design. All kinds of work in a ton of different mediums. His work is reminiscent of the hand created style that became so popular with the success of ‘Napoleon Dynamite’. It is tough to create this style of design and be so successful, but this guy seems to do it time and time again, and bring something fresh to the table with each new venture. I also really enjoy his short history of himself, a nice way to let your viewers get to know you. Spin your records over at his website and find some fresh inspiration.”

-365 Days of Creativity / Mar. 2009

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“DJG Design is home of a sort of playful illustration that can only achieved by getting dirty and making messes. His work has been featured in most (if not all) of the design magazines, but seems to rarely get any link love. Here’s a few examples of his work, but his site seems to go on and on and on with experimental typography, and cut and paste illustrations.”

-Able Parris / Graphic Hug / Feb. 2009

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“Are you serious? This is not graphic design, and this most certainly is not a logo. This is a fine-art doodle pretending to be design. Stop pretending and be a painter.”

-Posted as a Comment by “An Actual Designer” / Sept. 2008

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“There is something amazing about what Kansas City designer Danny Gibson of DJG Design is doing. At first glance, his work appears to be outsider art made with found objects, but there is more to it than that. To understand Gibson, you must first know that he is a graphic design expert, having studied under great designers such as Cedomir Kostovich. Yet, when he ditched formal schooling to work a regular job and practice design on his own terms, he made the informed decision to abandon the conventions of design that most of us take for granted.

First, Gibson has abandoned the computer as the primary tool of design creation, instead opting to use his hands first, while the computer is used primarily for duplication and typesetting (when handwriting or arranged materials can’t do the job).

Next, Gibson has avoided chasing down big money corporate design gigs, opting instead to maintain sole ownership of his art and abilities. As he writes on his website, he is not opposed to working for someone else, “But, I do not wish for another name to own my name or hand and heart stamps. I do not wish to work for another man’s dream. I do that enough at my day job(s).”

What is immediately refreshing about Gibson’s work is that he has somehow managed, in a world of InDesign, Photoshop and gigabytes of digital font files, to maintain his child-like sense of art creation. When we were young, most of us loved making art. We did it without concern for how the world would receive it, using whatever materials came to hand. I am reminded of the famous quote by Picasso, “As a child I drew like Raphael, it took the rest of my life to draw like a child.” Gibson has found a way to tap this energy without inhibition, and use it to create strikingly original and refreshing design pieces.”

-Design Art Culture / Aug. 2008

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“The custodian-creativity connection first came to my attention through personal experience when I made friends with someone who may very well be the next James Hampton or Henry Darger. In 1998 I was a Resident Assistant at Woods House, a residence hall on the campus of Missouri State University. At the time I was so obsessed with Radiohead’s OK Computer album that I spoke about them in a way that probably resembled automatic writing. Entranced by “Paranoid Android,” my tongue bypassed my brain and spoke about Radiohead in the sort of incessant flow that is most often associated with a broken toilet that never quite finishes flushing. During my first week on the job I met a resident named Danny J. Gibson, a slack-shouldered, shy sort with a mangy blonde mop that hid a brain brimming with brilliance. My broken-jawed jabbering about Radiohead finally fell on sympathetic ears. Ten years later he is one of my best friends, and we still cannot stop talking about Radiohead. We are like the computerized voices in OK Computer’s “Fitter, Happier,” rambling on and on into a fractured future.

Early on in our friendship I discovered that Danny was a gifted artist. He was often so consumed by his visions that he would only sleep three or four hours a night, sometimes falling asleep under his desk in the middle of a project. He worked so much and slept so little that when he passed by my room he floated down the hall like he was on a conveyor belt or something. Eventually, Danny dropped out of college and followed in the footsteps of James Hampton and Henry Darger, pursuing janitorial work so he could pay the bills and work as an artist by night.”

-Chad T. Johnston / Excerpt from a Forthcoming Book / July 2008

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“Gibson’s mode of creating imagery involves an unorthodox use of materials combined with hand-drawn lettering and handmade artwork applying different techniques. The results indicate the physical work of an artist, individual and idiosyncratic markings that infuse each poster with character. Posted on walls, bulletin boards, windows, and telephone poles on the street, the non-digital look and feel of the art stands out from slick or sloppy design that confronts the viewer hundreds of times each day.

Aside from a modest stamp identifying the work by DJG Design, the ego of the artist is not overtly imprinted on his prolific body of posters. Once familiar with Gibson’s diverse visual vernacular, his posters are distinct and recognizable from other material posted on surfaces. However, one does not look at his work and immediately associate it with the artist in the same way that a painting by Picasso is immediately stamped in the mind as a “Picasso.” Rather, Gibson’s posters employ characters, colors, materials, and lettering that form a visual impression at first glance and suggest a story upon further contemplation. The elements draw the viewer’s attention which is what any poster should do as part of its function. The posters invite further study beyond the event details and extend the poster’s design into the realm of art. Gibson’s work arises from his innate design aesthetic, but taps references from the canon of art, history, and pop culture without falling into the pattern of post-modern, cut-and-paste, mashup mimicry for an easy score.”

-Pete Dulin / Present Magazine / Kansas City, MO / Mar. 2008

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“As DJG Design, Danny Gibson has created some of the most striking band posters and music packaging in Kansas City over the past five years…PRESENT Magazine chose Gibson’s work as a kickoff to the Art of the Poster series. His designs exemplify how posters can achieve several goals at once without a hefty budget or expensive production. His images and typography engage the audience, communicate information, and create a lasting impression with its originality and form.”

-Pete Dulin / Present Magazine / Kansas City, MO / Feb. 2007

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“These posters are the most surprising and original work in the show. A budget does not necessarily create a great design project and these posters are good examples of what can be accomplished with few resources. The statements in the posters allude to real stories and are fascinating and really fun, while the illustration and interesting handmade typography exemplify the strength of the show.”

-Judges / 2006 Kansas City AIGA Design Awards

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“One of the hottest new designers working today, Danny Gibson brings fresh perspective to the poster market. “Experimentations, moods, diversity and inclinations (or something like that)” are his tools. Gibson shows that no matter what the budget – or the media – creativity isn’t limited to what is offered by traditional printing.”

-Steve Mehallo / 2006 Exhibit Catalogue / Curator of “Spoken With Eyes” / Sacramento, CA

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“Janitor by day, design rock star by night, DJG has been cranking out the work these past few years. I find his work to be more Art, with a capital ‘A,’ than design, but that’s just me. Clients? He has ’em, but he doesn’t need ’em. He works without them — like a computer. That isn’t needed either. Type doesn’t have to be set with vectors and lines. An x-acto knife and spray paint do the job just fine. I find this anti-digital work to be so refreshing. When does he sleep? If he’s still like he was back in college, he probably doesn’t sleep much. His new site is up with a ton of things to look at.”

-Mr. Blank / Blog Artist / 2005

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“…I do want to make a note of the truly educational aim from this particular committee of judges. As a team we tended to overlook obvious production elements that may sell in a corporate environment, and instead focused on the craft of design: marrying concept to visual. In the case of the band posters created by DJG Design, the conceptual sincerity, married to the obviously homemade production, made each piece truly unique. Design, after all, is about communicating, and the work of this young designer from Kansas City, Mo., was definitely speaking to each of us – without six colors and two hits of varnish.”

-Kevin McConkey / Judge for the 2004 Step Inside Design Annual 100

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“In the Mythological realm of urban folk art, nothing beats a good band poster. Life in Kansas City, Mo., fuels the engine behind these wholly original posters created by Danny Gibson for local bands. The posters stand out equally for their wonderfully eccentric designs and their beautifully crude, handmade appearance. Gibson Seems to find endless inspiration from regular old day-to-day existence…This guy is a nut, and how fortunate that is for his clients”

-Romy Ashby / 2004 Step Inside Design Annual 100

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“…Preferring a handmade, idiosyncratic aesthetic to a slicker, digital look, Gibson creates promotional materials that look sincere – you can tell that a human being made them. And he isn’t doing this on the side to make cash while he waits to get recognized as a painter or sculptor. This is what he wants to do; it’s how he combines his love for music with his need to create in a way uniquely his own. None of this would matter is Gibson weren’t talented, but he is – abundantly so. We like the fliers for the shows he promotes as much as we enjoy the shows themselves.”

-The Pitch / 2003 Best of Kansas City, MO

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” We dare you to make a collage that doesn’t look random and hurried. If you have seen a collage that really did look thought-out and cohesive, it’s probably because Danny J. Gibson made it. Under the name of DJG Design, Gibson’s done record covers and concert posters in his unmistakable style…”

-The Pitch / Kansas City, MO / 2003

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“…Gibson’s work first caught my attention back in December at Recycled Sounds on Main everything about the flier was unique – the paper it was printed on, the collage style, the illustrations, the nonflashy color scheme (mostly composed of the primaries). Toner from a broken fax machine had given the flier’s edges a faded quality reminiscent of old movies on aging celluloid…Gibson’s process comes down to having fun and solving problems, like a kid putting together a jigsaw puzzle.”

-Gina Kaufmann / The Pitch / Kansas City, MO / 2003

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“Wow — his stuff is amazing! I’ve not seen anything like it. I’d love to feature him in HOW…Thanks for sending this along!”

-Editor at How Magazine

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“Danny Gibson is a local artist who works under the title of DJG Design. His poster art is a favorite of many local bands and promoters, and he has been hired to make concert posters for a number of national acts. His craft transcends poster art, though. He does incredible collages, doodles and stamp art. Danny’s work will be featured at The Brick for the month of December, and the opening will be held this same night…And his personal website is brilliant, as well.”

-Amie Nelson / Kansas City, MO / 2005

PDF of a package that housed a DJG fan letter sent to filmmaker Werner Herzog. Letter and Package by Chad T. Johnston.

A brush fire of comments and controversy on a DJG something up on www.gigposers.com

DJG’s Snow Kitty made it on Grandma’s nursing home Brag Board.

Political campaign poster by Chad T. Johnston.

Drawing of DJG at the day job by Chad T. Johnston.

15 DJG Images by Sir Philip James and the use of a strange online morphing machine.

“Thinkin’ ’bout Kitty” Art by: DJG / “Thinkin’ ’bout Thinkin’ bout Kitty” Tribute Art by: Aaron Clark of KCMOUSA

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Random Extensions of Satisfaction (and a few tummy tantrums)

  • “I like it! I do say, I like it! That is cold that early in the morning! That is dedication.
  • “So several months ago I had a dream about being at an art show of DJG Design. It was the kind of surreal dream that really sticks with you past the original incident. It also helps that I was able to recount some of it to DJG later that morning. The setting was some sort of abandoned warehouse studio much like one you would see depicted in a movie about Andy Warhol. It had giant lower level that was filled with Christmas trees so many that they created a grid and walkway in between. You were able to bump into people that you knew but it was hard to seek people out. It allowed for introverts to feel like they were secluded and able to look at by themselve. The trees fillled up the cavernous space throughout the ground floor. There were many pieces of art around the outside walls on the ground floor but what I remember the most was going up a catwalk around the room and seeing vivid works of art that DJG has not yet created but I am sure that he will some day. Each piece had the signature DJG style but felt fresh and unique like something I had never seen him make before. I felt like I was seeing something from the future and not just a dream.”
  • “Danky designs imaginary friends that become real and live in my mind like little children In corners of attics, under kitchen sinks, in cupboards spare, wearing pots and pans on heads and on hands. They dance and clank the night away, sounding like machinery, in time with gears and cogs and chimes in Danky’s head like mother and child, like mother and child walking in step at a grocery store in search of chips and milk and ham and something pickled.”
  • “You’ve got some good stuff going on – I hadn’t seen it since my bands stopped playing and I stopped making posters of my own. I remember them quite vividly on the bathroom wall of the Brick – maybe I should have taken some. I love how tactile your work is. Very rarely do I see things that I feel I should touch to experience fully – when you realize that you can recognize the individual materials that went into construction, you feel like you can relate to the piece and want to experience it more. I was very surprised when I decided to upload some old posters that most of the pieces awaiting approval at the same time were by someone from my town whose work I had seen. Anyway – good to see your work again.”
  • “I think ribs are the state bird in Ohio…Beautiful, stuff. I think you should be the state bird, actually.”
  • “Hi there! I interestingly came accross your site and am confused to what it actually is. My interpretation is that you exhibit fresh creative talents work online, and post reviews on them etc.”
  • “I totally admire your work…I admire people who just ‘get out there and do it’ and your work is very good:)”
  • “I play in Boo and Boo Too and The Terrordactyls. I’m pretty sure i like all of your artwork/posters wayy more than anything I’ve ever seen Blue Collar Press do. Hopefully we can work together on something soon.”
  • “Your poster show was well recieved. People really enjoyed them and were impressed at the scope of the extended work. So many bands so many years. I feel quite honored to have had that many beautiful posters done for shows at the brick. I thank you.”
  • “And your exhibit at The Brick is exceptional, as well. I love getting to see the more organic versions of the designs, and am amazed at how well (and sometimes quite differently) they translate into copies.”
  • “I checked out your myspace page. I don’t want to get too watery on you, but I always enjoy your stuff in a way that I rarely experience elsewhere. I say this in reference to your myspace photo. Hilarious. A day brightener.”
  • “I love all the images…I’m not sure if I’ll be able to use them right away, but I know I will soon. thank you so much. i think i might actually get that tattoo someday in the near future. I’ll be branded with myself, so to speak!!!”
  • “Thanks for the kind words. I dig your style too dude…I am totally convinced you are going to be huge in design one day. One of those bands you work with will become the next Radiohead, then it is all over. You will be the next Michel Gondry, the next Art Chantry, the next Patrick Craig.”
  • “I showed-and-told your stuff at a weekly meeting with my fellow 4-graphic-designer-team here at Two West. I had a few of your posters to show, and Bill proceded to look up your website. They were wowed. Went on and on, especially Bill, about how awesome your stuff is. Obviously. Stirred up some aspirations.”
  • “I’m pretty excited that I made it on to your testimonials page. I’m surprised it took this long. I guess I don’t write testomonials as much as I do say testimonials. I’ll try to carry around a voice recorder from now on.”
  • “Good beginning. Sorry but I don’t see the butterfly images you described–but I am not truly post-modern so others may see that.”
  • “I showed the logo to the group Sunday morning. They liked it. They did agree that the upside down a might be better as an e.
    I think we had a hard time seeing the butterflies but as a whole this looks like a good logo. I think it kind of grows on us and everytime I look at it I see what you are saying. I like the logo now because we can use just the design alone, with or
    without the church name.”
  • “Aloha, Dear! I am young and attractive woman and I believe I deserve for happiness as any human being. What do you think is the most important in this life? I believe you’ll agree with me that LOVE is what we all are looking for…I am eager to make my man happy, I am longing for the cozy evenings together where we cuddle on the sofa and whisper tender words… I have a lot of interests in life like reading, cooking, associating with friends, visiting new places and learn everything new. If you are looking for the same things, I hope you answer my letter.”
  • “On a more personal note: My girlfriend’s (Becca) brother works at the Record Bar in KC, and she just went up to see Regina Spektor (who is amazing) and snagged me an original DJG poster. He said they didn’t really know where your posters came from and just got rid of them after the shows. Luckily I am a big enough design nerd that Becca knows the name DJG well and she has told him to hang on to all your posters. Soon my walls will be filled with the glory of DJG… which will make it much less pretentious than being filled with my own work.”
  • “I attended a Mountain Goats concert last week at an art gallery and they had made up some great custom concert posters. That got me to thinking that possibly there was a poster for the Wolf Parade show I attended last month. So a little googling brought me to your page and your awesome poster.”
  • “I don’t know which shirts I saw at the bbddm show, they were just wild looking and I about peed myself. I could never go back to screen printing again after seeing those shirts…looking forward to seeing what you come up with. Wait until inspiration strikes.”
  • “If I fail, I am not afraid to work with my hands. There is nothing wrong with that. But, we won’t fail – because failure is relative (although I believe in absolutes). When you moved off to KC, I thought you were absolutely wrong for not finishing your degree
    (I told you I would do your math homework), but I was wrong, way wrong. Perfect example.”
  • “Crazy things – I was on djg’s website last night. Scary even. I feel slightly perturbed, or left out, because the outline of his life left out so many amazing moments that only a slightly cramped duplex could provide. You are no stranger to me – just a friend far off.
    I am certain the 5lb bottle of honey has stuck us together for life. It was our sustenance, the sustainment of lives uncertain. Well, here we are – years later – nearly 5 as a matter of fact. I have my bride and you yours. We have moved on to succeed in different ways, although our success is still measured the same way. Here’s to friends who never should have been friends. Here’s to the potter building and rebuilding the clay. Here’s to hoping that our paths will cross again and right soon. Thanks, you have no idea how much you taught me.”
  • “Well I’m emailing you from the UK and everything is pretty surreal at the moment. Flihjt was OK but pretty long – Burger King in Kuala Lumpar is pretty good.. well exactly the same actually. Anyway enough about Indonesian fast food – Recording is getting mixed back in Perth while we speak and should be getting mastered in LA from Friday onwards…”
  • “Oh Danny boy, you’re a legend. I love it and I’m sure the boys will too. The collar spill is a nice touch.
    Its a pleasure and a joy to have you involved.”
  • “I was totally blown away by the stuff you’ve done for BBDDM. It’s amazing.”
  • “I’m passing through Kansas City tomorrow morning (Sunday) on my way back to New York, and I’d love to say hi in person if you’re around. Drop me a line if so. Otherwise, on the next one.”
  • “Yeah, Kansas was pretty horrendous. I was born and grew up in Seattle, actually, when it was still a blue collar town with real vibe. I still know a few people there. I would love to help you get into PRINT. Do you have any idea of the protocol for that thing? You planning on coming to NY any time?”
  • “I know I should enter more competitions. If only I could keep up with you!!!”
  • “The posters look amazing! Your work is always ridiculously cool.”
  • “It would be good to meet you sometime…I’ve admired yer work for several years…”
  • “I gave him a pile driver and then a D.D.T. He is out! I am glad you had fun in Portland, you are always welcome.”
  • “I am so happy for you and all the great stuff in your life. Take care and we will talk soon.”
  • “Would love to do a Goodie Salon page of your work, if you’d still like to be a featured guest.”
  • “Hi dee jay gee! Long time no pee. Did you do much for Halloween? I’m pretty glad it’s all over, the pressure to have a kickass Halloween costume can go away for eleven months.”
  • “You did a beautiful job. Still loving your work.”
  • “…something mysterious, cool, pretty much like all the stuff on your site.”
  • “The kind of posters you do get people’s attention and that’s what we need.”
  • “…I really dug all the stuff on your site…”
  • “We are so excited you will be presenting for us.”
  • “Can I meet him? We should go out for lunch.”
  • “How come my name isn’t bigger? Overall, I just don’t get it?”
  • “…this stuff needs to be one small image with clean type, finely printed. This is WAY too hippie.”
  • “DJG Rocks KC!”
  • “I love me some DJG.”
  • “Dead Birds? This is awesome!”
  • “Some of the best posters i’ve seen!”
  • “The ones I really groove to are DJG Designs.”
  • “The always exciting Danny J Gibson of DJG Design.”
  • “These soar beyond my wildest expectations…Incredible!”
  • “You have a lot of talent, and have a great future ahead of you.”
  • “I recently picked up the new Laredos CD. The artwork is pretty neato.”
  • “Your posters are great and come off as the antidote for dull, that’s what matters.”
  • “You have a lot of talent, and it pleases me to help show your work to a new audience.”
  • “Your new fliers for The Brick are AWESOME! And I rarely use all caps. Very impressive.”
  • “Holy cow, that’s a pretty decent web site you got there.”
  • “You are doing some really cool work”
  • “I also continue to receive compliments on that article. People find you worth reading about, that’s for certain.”
  • “Hell yeah! We’re obviously big fans here and I checked out your site, which is brimming with great work.”
  • “There is a limited section of my book devoted to hand-lettering, but your work is exciting and will get full consideration!”
  • “Off Palm Key he got it. Congratulations! I had a special class meeting to talk about you and your artistic life and legacy.”
  • “Students began to use your name as a chant for the spiritual fulfillment in their destined professional existence: I-gonna-be-like-Danny-Gibson!”
  • “You shall be the blonde thunder that strikes my heart. Your countless awards and recognition for the trash art voodoo, that you do, so well haunts me to be like you…”
  • “You shall have lots of success, I just have a feeling. But you will always know that a good rooster is a three star general equal to the greatest in history I respect STEP more for choosing you.”
  • “I have showed several people your site and they liked it a lot and one girl was really interested in getting something from you.”
  • “I like the general idea of poster and all, but I have to be honest. It seems pretty last-minute/thrown-together. I was looking through a lot of your other posters online (which everyone in the band is really into) and this clearly lacks the thoughtfulness, deliberation, and details that your more flushed-out work has…Again, I understand how easy it is to put things off and lose track of time, but if you’re going to advertise yourself as a professional, there is an expectation that you act like one. Isn’t it standard fare to get the band’s opinion on a design before you start printing? Hopefully you haven’t actually started yet because we have no intention of paying for them.”
  • “I love you in every way I possibly know how. I wish I were your bitch.”
  • “I’m really excited about how everything is turning out.”
  • “You use a lot of green. Doesn’t go with my furniture.”
  • “I dig your recent wanderings. They look great.”
  • “Your use of mixed medium is cutting edge.”
  • “Thank you for turning trash into treasure.”
  • “If you lived here…you’d be home by now.”
  • “I know all about your gay conspiracy.”
  • “Sorry about Mortimer. I loved him.”
  • “Danny pushes so hard when he poops that one time the poop entered the water so forcefully that the Titanic was displaced, and rose to the surface of the sea with nary a scratch, and 27 previously dead crew members were revived. Upon breathing in their first breath of air since 1912, however, they caught wind of Danny’s fecal stench and promptly died again, and the wreckage returned to the bottom of the sea. Shoehorn.”
  • “I just want to let you know that I really enjoyed your website, after by chance seeing some of your work in Print magazine this afternoon. I’m still working through the prolific portfolio section, but I did read the entire history page; your life up to this point has been fascinating, and I’m glad you’ve shared it with the rest of the world.”
  • Your work has a musical, hands-on quality that I really admire, and I hope to see more of it in the future.”
  • “They are beautiful. I love the reedy lettering in The Pines one.”
  • “Wow your work is really great. I’ve seen it featured here and there, including the latest Print design annual. Big ups on all the recognition you’ve been getting man.”
  • “We are open to you doing anything for a spread, because we have faith that you can pull it off.
  • “You are our hero, thank you so much for working with the short deadline. We appreciate your submission very much! AND you get to be in the same issue with Art Chantry!”
  • “A fan of the 5th Dimension eh? Must be the inspiration for your e-mail’s subject line. I want you to sing with the 5th dimension!”
  • “Congrats on the stuff in the new print this year man. good job love your work man.”
  • “I enjoyed going through the concert poster gallery on your website…beautiful work.”
  • “Good work all around. It is so good to see someone who graduated from the same program getting noticed and producing great work. As I am sure you know, it can all be a bit disheartening sometimes. And by it all, I mean Springfield.”
  • “He then explained to us the man that is DJG, and your tendency to collect everything and anything.”
  • “We saw your work in PRINT and decided to check your website out. Great stuff!”
  • “When we saw your ‘Vines’ poster in PRINT, we felt a connection with you, because our magazine is printed on wallpaper, and originally started as a spray-painted stencil for the logo, but now we screen-print it.”
  • “Just a quick letter to say congratulations on having a few children in the pages of Print magazine. You have done well, my boy. Keep it down.”
  • “Thanks for getting back to me. I’m shocked that you do not have your own official studio. You definitely fooled me, and probably fool most of the people that look at your work! Your work is fun and has a free-spirited personality. Good job…That is too bad that you don’t hire…I originally saw your work in a PRINT’s 2003 Regional Design Annual. Then I Googled your name and found your website. I thought your website maintained the free-spirited personality of your work. And it allowed me to see much of your work which is the whole reason I went to the site. It definitely caught my attention.”
  • “I love the work that DJG Design creates. I’ve seen your work in PRINT Magazine. I’m a graphic design senior graduating in December. I know this may be a bit early to ask, but will DJG Design be looking for new talent around this time?”
  • “I hope you have a great party and a wonderful life together.”
  • “Hi, where are you based?”
  • “Wow…such great ideas….finally took time to check out what you work on…excellent play on words and designs…..hope the two of you decided where the couches would be placed in your apt…nice seeing you both…see ya’s in the Spring…happy…fun doing the I-do’s together.”
  • “Just wanted to let you know I finally had a chance to visit your website and view your work. You gave us the web address last Friday night when we met you at the celebration of Adam and Shaleece’s engagement. Just as a reminder, I’m Adam’s mom. Thanks for getting us connected to your site. We looked at a sampling from each category and marveled at the quantity of material on display…I’m so glad we had the opportunity to meet you last weekend.”
  • “I was browsing your Target registery. Is that high-backed black leather chair for you? I should like to know very much.”
  • “I applied the 2D Design Department, and I’m still rather clueless about typography. I’ll soon have my very own copy of Illustrator, but I’m supposed to be somewhat experienced in typeface layouts (I barely know what this is). Honestly, I’d love to have someone show me around Illustrator (typographythat is) as that’s how I’ll learn best, but if you’ve got any insight, I may be gratefully indebted to you (maybe buy you lunch?). Also, I’m supposed to e-mail my prof. this fall a list of 5 local design firms that interest me. So far I’ve got, MK12 studios, sikestyle.com, and you.”
  • “I believe I first checked out your work in a 2004 annual in a trade pub, Print, I think. A poster for The Delgados?? I think that was it. I am sorry to hear about your starving artist situation and I hope better fortune finds you quickly. I too have worked as a groundskeeper and janitor at an old folks facility…isn’t that weird I know where you are coming from with your job…Please feel free to pass along or try out any design jokes on me; they are always good for a laugh, especially with people who know what the heck we are talking about…Well, I am always excited to make new friends in the design community and I hope we can keep in touch a bit. If I do happen to come out to a Royals game or visit the city, I will definitely get in contact with you. Keep up the great work and stay focused on achieving what you want.”
  • “Recently I have seen and enjoyed your work. I wanted to ask if you have any job opportunities at this time for a graphic designer. If you could get back to me, I would greatly appreciate it. I have attached my resume and a few samples.”
  • “I just read the article on the Portland guys website. It was good. Nice web for you too! I like the history of you.”
  • “I looked over some of your work and it is quite good.”
  • “We met a few years back, but it was brief. I now live in Providence, RI, and feeling a little homesick. So, as I often do, I am looking at KC kidds websites…I always enjoy looking at your posters, and like to see that you are still making great work. Well, just wanted to drop a little line of encouragement. Happy Father’s Day and God bless you.”
  • “Yo, yo, yo! I miss you too, man (tear, sniffle, Haggendasz)…I also like to draw at home with my wife and my doggy. I dip their feet in ink and scoot them along on giant pieces of paper…Keep up the good work and keep the mops a-flying!”
  • “Steve Heller and I would love to consider your work for Graphics Today, to be published by Phaidon Press. This is the first omnibus volume to survey the most significant advances in international Graphic Design over the past 20 years (from 1980 – 2005) in all media. We hope to show a minimum of five pieces per designer. This is not simply another annual, but a record of resonant work by important designers.”
  • “I recently came across your Delgados poster in the 2004 Print Annual and was surprised to find it was done here in Kansas City! I searched high and low for your website, finally found it and was very excited, impressed, (and curious) with your work. I relocated from Philadelphia to Kansas City about a year ago after graduating from Tyler School of Art to come work for Hallmark. My boyfriend, Eric, who is graduating also from Tyler this year, is coming out here in mid-July and will be looking for a job. After viewing your website I am under the assumption that you are a small firm if even that….not sure. I was hoping you could email me with some insight as to how things work there or if you are hiring at all…or even if you would be willing to take a look at Eric’s work. He received the top portfolio at Tyler and is very talented and looking to do exciting, edgy, innovative work…He is passing up some oppurtunities back east to be here with me and I don’t want to see his talent go to waste. He is also a musician and is as passionate about music (if not more) as he is about design…your work really struck me as work that he would enjoy collaborating over…so anyway, if by any chance you are hiring or interested in seeing Eric’s work, he will be flying in tommorrow for a short visit…I would love to hear from you!”
  • “Thank you so much for your in-depth reply! I really appreciate it…I figured you were probably designing on your own but I am glad I got in touch with you anyway. It would be really great to meet with you sometime after Eric gets out here this summer. Even just for feed back and perspective on his work (and mine)! So, Hallmark bullied you out of the building!? Funny…….well, what goes around comes around…As far as Eric goes, he is a little more skeptical of “settling” to work for a big corporation….that’s one of the reasons why I thought it would also be interesting to meet with you….even just to hear your perspective on having worked on your own…which is something Eric has thought about trying to do…if not right away, someday…Again, thank you so so much for taking interest and I will be in touch.”
  • “Well, in both of those states and cities you will find a lot of rain. You may as well travel while you have the inclination. There are some real characters in Maine to be sure. The Northwest has murderers but also some interesting people as well. Don’t give up on your beard. It will happen when it is ready to.”
  • “Hey, you’ve seen our office. Well, we’re on the look out for art for the walls of the new place. any ideas? I’m fairly certain that we don’t have a huge art budget. A) Do you think you’d have some fitting creations for our style? B) Do you think we’d be able to afford your magic?”
  • “You may remember me from the swarm of girls from Iowa who inhibited your apartment. I was just thinking that we never sent you a thank you card yet and I didn’t want you to think we had forgotten about you!! We really had a great time touring your place, I think everyone felt inspired and amazed at all of your work, especially how unique it is. And it was really nice of you to give us all treats when we left!!! I just checked out your website, it looks great and i’m sure i could look at all your work for about a week…Thanks again for being so gracious towards us, i know it was a favorite tour for a LOT of students. Way better than Hallmark ;). Keep up the awesome work and let me know when you make a book of it!”
  • “I will save your time by not amplifying my extended royal family history, which has already been disseminated by the international media during the controversial dispute that erupted between my father and his stepbrother, the sultan of Brunei Sheik Muda Hassanal Bolkiah. As you may know from the international media, the sultan had accused my father of financial mismanagement and impropriety of US$14.8 billion dollars.”
  • “djg, it arrived in great shape, thanks you are amazing your work makes me jump up and down. i’m old and fat so that’s saying something. it took me twice as long to log in because your design brief comments made me fall on the floor laughing, also something to avoid seeing…”
  • “you are so freakin’ awesome! i can’t even tell you… and my mind is unfortunately not jumbling and bumbling with clever and strange thoughts at the moment to relay to you. i wish it were. the only thing i am obsessed with is cleaning my dang bedroom, as it is a disaster area. just re-did my bathroom, though, which aids in inspiration for such things. ya know? give that ‘lil millie a great big kiss for us, and have a great night. i cannot wait to see what your brilliant mind and nible didgits produce. have a great night!”
  • “…and I love the work that DJG Design creates. I’ve seen your work in PRINT Magazine. I’m a graphic design senior graduating in December. I know this may be a bit early to ask, but will DJG Design be looking for new talent around this time?”
  • “I’m shocked that you do not have your own official studio. You definitely fooled me, and probably fool most of the people that look at your work! Your work is fun and has a free-spirited personality. Good job. That is too bad that you don’t hire. I originally saw your work in a PRINT’s 2003 Regional Design Annual. Then I Googled your name and found your website. I thought your website maintained the free-spirited personality of your work. And it allowed me to see much of your work which is the whole reason I went to the site. It definitely caught my attention.”
  • “I enjoyed going through the concert poster gallery on your website…beautiful work. thanking you in advance for your kind assistance.”
  • “Congrats on the stuff in the new print this year man. Good job love your work man…again great work.”
  • “Good, nice, rad, congrats, kick ass, work harder you lazy bastard you.”
  • “Sorry to have missed your exhibit! If i had known a tad sooner, I would have LOVED to come. I hope it went well. I would definitely want to purchase a poster of yours…You are my email buddy, and I thought you may want to know.”
  • “Dear Mr. Gibson, I just want to let you know that I really enjoyed your website, after by chance seeing some of your work in Print magazine this afternoon. I’m still working through the prolific portfolio section, but I did read the entire history page; your life up to this point has been fascinating, and I’m glad you’ve shared it with the rest of the world. Your work has a musical, hands-on quality that I really admire, and I hope to see more of it in the future.”
  • “Wow, your work is really great. I’ve seen it featured here and there, including the latest Print design annual. Big ups on all the recognition you’ve been getting man.”
  • “How come you aren’t working in design full time? I mean, it’s no secret that you are one of the best in the region, and you have the accolades to prove it. My theory is that you don’t want to work for someone,and you don’t want to do it unless you own the business.”
  • “We were delighted to get your overdue but still very welcome Christmas card! Your replacement Oscar is doing a fine job and despite a slight language barrier fits in well. However, he does not find treasures in the trash like you did.”
  • “Hello! I am just writing to say congrats on all the wonderful news! I am contacting a few of the artists i’ve covered to bring up in a general, abstract way the idea of collaboration. my interest in art is sincere, and it occurs to me that putting words and pictures together would be very gratifying, especially with those people whose work really resonates with me. that’s you, buddy.”
  • “IT MAY BE PREMATURE FOR ME TO SAY HOW OR WHY RIGHT NOW, BUT IF I DO NOT GET IT BACK FOR YOU WITHIN 2 WEEKS, I WILL GIVE ALL THE INFORMATION I HAVE TO BOTH SHERI AND YOU TO DO WITH AS YOU WILL. I WAS HORRIFIED WHEN I SAW YOUR FLIERS ABOUT IT; IT WAS MY FAVORITE PIECE IN YOUR SHOW. I HAVE ACTUALLY PRAYED A LOT ABOUT THIS. IF I CAN GET THIS BACK FOR YOU, IT WILL MAKE ME ALMOST AS HAPPY AS I KNOW IT WILL MAKE YOU. CROSS YOUR FINGERS AND PRAY.”
  • “Hi! You might remember me as the female counterpart to Cynthia who would randomly adorn your doorstep and porch on warm summer nights to entertain you and Jeremiah. And then I moved to Chicago. Graduating from the Illinois Institute of Art -Chicago, and after coming across your work being praised in magazines such as Step Inside Design and Print Magazine, I felt the need to tell you how amazingly proud I am of you. I think you have such an interesting and memorable approach to design that leaves much to the imagination. I applaud your creative process and humble attitude. I hope one day you decide to get a full-time job by blessing a design firm with your unique talent.”
  • “Oh, you poor devils in the great cities of world politics. You gifted young people tormented by ambition who consider it your duty to pass on some comment regarding everything that happens (and there is always something happening!). Who, when you raise the dust in this way, think that you are the chariot of history! Who, because you are always on the alert, always on the lookout for the moment when you can put your word in, lose all genuine productivity! However much you may desire to do great work, the profound speechlessness of pregnancy never comes to you! The event of the day drives you before it like chaff, while you think you are driving the event… poor devils! These young people lack neither character nor talent nor industry: they have never been allowed time to choose a course for themselves. On the contrary, they have been accustomed from childhood onwards to being given a course by someone else. When they were mature enough to be ’sent off into the desert’, something else was done–they were employed! They were purloined from themselves, they were trained to be worn out daily and taught to regard this as a matter of duty… and now they cannot do without it.
  • “Your work is great. Just wanted to share thoughts. Curious about your site as well. It is well done. How much would a site like that cost to produce?”
  • “Dig the work I’ve admired it around town and now I know who the creator was. Keep it up.”
  • “I would be positively thrilled to be added to your mailing list. Sank you sir.”
  • “Hey! I like your new website. Great work, too. Very inspirational. Put me on your mailing list, por favor!”
  • “Holy stacks of elephants from DJG and the Long Arm of the Lord!”
  • “It’s 321 in the morning and I just finished perusing your new site and I must say that I absolutely love your work. It’s beautiful. Not because it’s 322 in the morning but because it is. And you’re still my favorite designer.”
  • “I LOVE the new site! It’s great and I really like how you’ve shown your work. :)”
  • “Hell yeah I want to be on that email list. Dude you are fucked up. I love and miss you so much. Howcan we once again be united? I am only getting married to Cara because I know you would have turned me down. Sorry I called you a faggot when you were a kid for no reason and then hit you in the head with that basketball. I should not have done that. You inspire me to finish Dailyminefield v2. I will go do it now.”
  • “Ding-dang! That’s all I have to say after lookin’ at your spankin’ new site. Also…You have done a ton of work over the last couple of years and it shows (on your site in the portfolio part). You must not ever sleep! I think that shows in your work as well. You are a source of inspiration. Keep up the good work, pal.”
  • “I have one slide where I show highlights of your work – go over your approach and talk about why you’re a designer to watch. You’re in a section where I update the class to today, showing innovate approaches being handled by unique individuals…with sort of a subtle emphasis on ones using historical elements reinterpreted…”
  • “Your website looks wonderful. I’m glad to have it so I can stick on my pitch letters.”
  • “Thank you! I love your year-end cleansing, and the customers really enjoy your work as well.”
  • “Hkool, mahn. Khroovy, mahn. Arse-clinching shtuff, mahn.”
  • “I must tell you that I think your work is extremely exciting, vibrant and innovative. Your work alone could fill a book! Has anyone written about you and your work? If not, let me know as I might make a suggestion to that effect to some graphics magazines I have written for.”
  • “I’m glad to see you have a site up. I had no idea of the quantity of your work. Super rad illustrations. You should go to flatstock up in seattle…I think I’m gonna head that way in august. Think about it. Me, you and Denny could rent a van or something equally zany…”
  • “…after coming across your work being praised in magazines such as Step Inside Design and Print Magazine, I felt the need to tell you how amazingly proud I am of you. I think you have such an interesting and memorable approach to design that leaves much to the imagination. I applaud your creative process and humble attitude. I hope one day you decide to get a full-time job by blessing a design firm with your unique talent.”
  • “…We really had a great time touring your place, I think everyone felt inspired and amazed at all of your work, especially how unique it is. And it was really nice of you to give us all treats when we left!!!…i just checked out your website, it looks great and i’m sure i could look at all your work for about a week…thanks again for being so gracious towards us, i know it was a favorite tour for a LOT of students. way better than hallmark ;) keep up the awesome work and let me know when you make a book of it!”
  • I’ll be meeting…tonight. He called and said he was coming to the show. I’m going to see if i can help him get a job as a water until he gets more settled. Seems like a swell guy and we both agreed that DJG was solid gold hits from the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and today.
  • “I would be positively thrilled to be added to your mailing list.”
  • “I like your new website. great work, too. very inspirational”
  • “I LOVE the new site! It’s great and I really like how you’ve shown your work. :)”
  • “I recently came across your Delgados poster in the 2004 Print Annual and was surprised to find it was done here in Kansas City! I searched high and low for your website, finally found it and was very excited, impressed, (and curious) with your work.”
  • “Don’t give up on your beard. It will happen when it is ready to.”
  • “I absolutely erupted when I saw that poster. You are hilarious. I will definitely be using that in the future. i’m excited to see what’s on the way. I’m going to eat myself silly today. I’ve got things started with a bowl of corn chex cereal. little does my stomach know things are going to get alot more interesting, for a change.”
  • “We saw your work in PRINT and decided to check your website out. Great stuff!…When we saw your ‘Vines’ poster in PRINT, we felt a connection with you, because our magazine is printed on wallpaper, and originally started as a spray-painted stencil for the logo, but now we screen-print it. We only print 75 copies, and have subscribers who claim 1/3 of those.”
  • “I’ve been visiting your site frequently over the last week and I’ve got to say how impressed I am not only with the art itself but also the site and the ease of navigation.”
  • “Dude, you gotta’ move faster than that. FASTER! FASTER! I want to see it NOW dammit!!!
  • “It’s so funny to me that you’re so quiet and introverted but you’re friends with MY loud ass and you love Rambo, who is the King of Kaboom. That is too funny, pal. I like it!”
  • “Here I moved from Missouri to get away from the scary back woods rednecks and now they are emailing me!!
  • “Danny has always been an odd guy and it’s hard to tell what he’s thinking sometimes.”
  • “You are very formalistic too. Formalism is one of my favorite things ever. The content in your work is important, but I REALLY see you privileging form above content, and that means that your works are really noticeable.” – Chad
  • “That first paragraph of his was wild! Does he actually TALK that way or was he on something? – Chad’s Mom
  • “Danny Gibson’s laziness is the equivalent of hard day’s work for most stiffs, and Danny’s hardest working day is like a miniature, one-man Manhattan Project in his clubhouse. He’s makin’ nuclear art down there.”
  • “Dang baby gotter’switched at da ’spital whinny were a baby. He duh son’uh Harny Derjer.”
  • “I like your mix media Christmas card. That is nice.”
  • “Bacon and Kool-Aid! Damn that is bad ass. I bet santa left you the good stuff. All I gave him was cookies.”
  • “That note is cute. How funny. Bacon!”
  • “I enjoyed the home page image today. Very nice. It looks soft and comfy.”
  • “I stumbled across your website and am impressed with some of your samples available there. Generally speaking, I prefer more “real” designs” – like schematics and diagrams.”
  • “You’re the human equivalent of the kitty that hides under the bed all the time and crafts hairball sculptures and makes poo palaces in the litter box.”
  • “SRSLY: Danny might be the only artist that I know that I like/respect/think is really good/think is cool.”
  • “You have the most interesting office space I’ve ever seen.”
  • “I’ve seen your stuff all over, and now I have a name to it. Awesome stuff, just dropping a line to tell you so.”
  • “Big fan of your work for quite sometime…I first came across your work when I lived in K.C. It was a poster you did for Elevator Division. You have a very unique design style, so your work use to always catch my attention when I would be walking around the Westport area. I really like the album cover you did with the finger-rocket.”
  • “I’m absolutely in love with your work…i always look to your work for a refreshing outlook on image making and composition (like a sagmeister or something)…keep making beautiful things and if you find yourself expanding and in need of “an army”, please keep me in mind. i appreciate your warmth and the time you took writing me back. nice people who make cool things rock.”
  • “I first learned of DJG Design through Print Magazine and I greatly enjoyed your work…”
  • “The work on your website is fantastic, and, even better than fantastic, it is very current.  It has a certain mixture of complexity, whimsy and decay that speaks to a certain group.”
  • “I read in Ink a while back that you are a data entry specialist. Would you happen to know of any data entry job openings in KC?”
  • “DJG is beyond thunderdome.”
  • “Please tell Danny I like his stuff I’m just BROKE right now. I will continue to check his web site though, and if i see something I can’t live without I’ll let him know. Also, do you have a particular film of Herzog’s that you could suggest as a good starting point?”
  • “My ex-girlfriend loves your work.  She says all of it has people discussing it.  Some have questioned the “Self Portrait” element.  Art that gets people talking is a GREAT sign.”
  • “The Boy! I miss the freakin’ boy! He has the most infinite poetic soul.”
  • “I just wanted to give you major props for the amazing art I’ve seen of yours around town. I love that you try anything and everything. I was recently laid off, and now job hunting…You are my inspiration right now to head down a freelance path, while juggling other jobs…”
  • “I just watched a construction worked ponder over your work while waiting for his lunch. He got up and walked around getting his face really close . Then, he looked at me and said “cool”. I agreed. Your work is thought provoking. I love having it hear and watching people take it in. Thanks!”
  • “What they said.”