Non-Entry for the MBTA “New Perspectives” Map Challenge I love the idea of re-designing Boston’s clunky quasi-decipherable Rapid Transit Map. When I heard that the T was putting together a challenge to re-design the map I seized the opportunity. My enthusiasm cooled once I read the fine-print, but more on that later. I spent the weekend tweaking Bezier curves and aligning dots (so many damn dots), using references like Google maps and subway maps from around the world and came up with this. Notably absent from the current map is any green space or any of evidence that humans live and work here. Olmsted’s parks have the decidedly un-manly name of “The Emerald Necklace” which I why I suspect they are absent from the current map. The parks really are a treasure though, and some believe that Franklin Park is Olmsted’s masterpiece trumping his more famous Central Park in New York. ( I confess that I have never been there, though I try to ride my bike to the Arboretum every summer). I did my best to tweak the parks’ geography to the rigidity of the map, as well as keeping them to scale with the Common and Rose Kennedy Greenway. I named relevant waterways and some government buildings and landmarks. The choice not to overdo it with too many of them is a conscious one. The downtown region where all the lines meet is busy enough already that I simply could not include certain important landmarks. Also, station names that match locations like “Museum of Fine Arts” and “Aquarium” already do the job. The handicap accessibility symbol is necessary but also robs any map of rhythm and intent. My work-around was to create descriptive keys for each major lines listing the sub-lines and their teminuses (termini?) with a statement identifying stations that do not have accessibility. The Red Line only has one non-accessible station, the Blue Line -two. The Silver and Orange Lines have access to all of their stops. I feel this solution is an aesthetically stronger choice than to have the symbol at every accessible stop. The Green Line, however, requires such identification because the inaccessible stops outnumber the accessible ones. I’m not sure how ADA-compliant my idea is in the real world. Also, naming all of the stops on the Green Line became important. Easy enough to do with the C, D, and (especially) the E lines. The B-Line with its super long names and 19 18(!) stops proved a challenge. I’m guilty here of omission and abbreviation (The “Griggs St/Long Ave” stop is now just “Griggs St”) but -hey- the T really should shorten those names. While they’re at it, they should eliminate some stops if they can.I also took liberties with the names of the Silver Line, um, lines. “S1” simply fits better on a map than “SL1”. Personally, I think it looks better too and is potentially less confusing for the commuter. So there it is… I would say that its kind of a love letter to this place that I have lived in for 12 years, but that’s over-stating it. It was just wicked fun.Creating something and then surrendering copyright is tantamount to Work for Hire. With this ‘challenge’ (note, they are shrewdly not calling it a contest), the T wants Work for Hire… for Free.  It’s unclear what the incentive is to enter the challenge if there are no prizes and especially if, according to T spokeswoman Kelly Smith: “Replacing all of the maps in the MBTA system would represent a significant expense and not one that is being contemplated at this time.” So, from here it seems that the T is claiming copyright on all the entries so when they do re-design the system map, they can pick and choose great ideas from each without compensating anyone for them. Classy! Even the perpetually cash-strapped T can throw a bone to graphic designers that need to put in at least a weekend of work to make something look decent. If they really, really wanted designers to care, they could put some meat on that bone. I ride the commuter rail 4 days a week… I’ll take a yearly pass. I’m not alone in thinking this. In fact, American Institute of Graphic Arts points out that designers should never provide anything of value if they are paid nothing of value. So, T… pay for quality graphic design. Oh, and get rid of  “forward funding” to finance yourself. That’s just common sense.

Non-Entry for the MBTA “New Perspectives” Map Challenge


I love the idea of re-designing Boston’s clunky quasi-decipherable Rapid Transit Map. When I heard that the T was putting together a challenge to re-design the map I seized the opportunity. My enthusiasm cooled once I read the fine-print, but more on that later. I spent the weekend tweaking Bezier curves and aligning dots (so many damn dots), using references like Google maps and subway maps from around the world and came up with this.

Notably absent from the current map is any green space or any of evidence that humans live and work here. Olmsted’s parks have the decidedly un-manly name of “The Emerald Necklace” which I why I suspect they are absent from the current map. The parks really are a treasure though, and some believe that Franklin Park is Olmsted’s masterpiece trumping his more famous Central Park in New York. ( I confess that I have never been there, though I try to ride my bike to the Arboretum every summer). I did my best to tweak the parks’ geography to the rigidity of the map, as well as keeping them to scale with the Common and Rose Kennedy Greenway.

I named relevant waterways and some government buildings and landmarks. The choice not to overdo it with too many of them is a conscious one. The downtown region where all the lines meet is busy enough already that I simply could not include certain important landmarks. Also, station names that match locations like “Museum of Fine Arts” and “Aquarium” already do the job.
The handicap accessibility symbol is necessary but also robs any map of rhythm and intent. My work-around was to create descriptive keys for each major lines listing the sub-lines and their teminuses (termini?) with a statement identifying stations that do not have accessibility. The Red Line only has one non-accessible station, the Blue Line -two. The Silver and Orange Lines have access to all of their stops. I feel this solution is an aesthetically stronger choice than to have the symbol at every accessible stop.

The Green Line, however, requires such identification because the inaccessible stops outnumber the accessible ones. I’m not sure how ADA-compliant my idea is in the real world.

Also, naming all of the stops on the Green Line became important. Easy enough to do with the C, D, and (especially) the E lines. The B-Line with its super long names and 19 18(!) stops proved a challenge. I’m guilty here of omission and abbreviation (The “Griggs St/Long Ave” stop is now just “Griggs St”) but -hey- the T really should shorten those names. While they’re at it, they should eliminate some stops if they can.

I also took liberties with the names of the Silver Line, um, lines. “S1” simply fits better on a map than “SL1”. Personally, I think it looks better too and is potentially less confusing for the commuter.

So there it is… I would say that its kind of a love letter to this place that I have lived in for 12 years, but that’s over-stating it. It was just wicked fun.

Creating something and then surrendering copyright is tantamount to Work for Hire. With this ‘challenge’ (note, they are shrewdly not calling it a contest), the T wants Work for Hire… for Free.  It’s unclear what the incentive is to enter the challenge if there are no prizes and especially if, according to T spokeswoman Kelly Smith:

“Replacing all of the maps in the MBTA system would represent a significant expense and not one that is being contemplated at this time.”

So, from here it seems that the T is claiming copyright on all the entries so when they do re-design the system map, they can pick and choose great ideas from each without compensating anyone for them. Classy!

Even the perpetually cash-strapped T can throw a bone to graphic designers that need to put in at least a weekend of work to make something look decent. If they really, really wanted designers to care, they could put some meat on that bone. I ride the commuter rail 4 days a week… I’ll take a yearly pass. I’m not alone in thinking this. In fact, American Institute of Graphic Arts points out that designers should never provide anything of value if they are paid nothing of value. So, T… pay for quality graphic design. Oh, and get rid of  “forward funding” to finance yourself. That’s just common sense.

  1. Date Posted Icon 29th April 2013
  2. Notes Icon Notes: 36
    3. Tags Icon #mbta#mbta map
Poster for Somerville Open Cinema 2013

Poster for Somerville Open Cinema 2013

  1. Date Posted Icon 24th April 2013
    2. Tags Icon #poster#Illustration#film#video#film festival
Saw some fantastic published works both raw and refined at Brooklyn Zine Fest this weekend. Hope to exhibit again next year.

Saw some fantastic published works both raw and refined at Brooklyn Zine Fest this weekend. Hope to exhibit again next year.

  1. Camera: Nikon COOLPIX L24
  2. Aperture: f/3.1
  3. Exposure: 1/13th
  4. Focal Length: 6mm
  1. Date Posted Icon 22nd April 2013
  2. Notes Icon Notes: 5
    3. Tags Icon #brooklynzinefest#zine
My new zine SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS debuting at Brooklyn Zine Fest this weekend. It features portraits of South American and Latin American dictators educated at the School of the Americas in Fort Benning, GA. My new zine SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS debuting at Brooklyn Zine Fest this weekend. It features portraits of South American and Latin American dictators educated at the School of the Americas in Fort Benning, GA. My new zine SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS debuting at Brooklyn Zine Fest this weekend. It features portraits of South American and Latin American dictators educated at the School of the Americas in Fort Benning, GA. My new zine SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS debuting at Brooklyn Zine Fest this weekend. It features portraits of South American and Latin American dictators educated at the School of the Americas in Fort Benning, GA. My new zine SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS debuting at Brooklyn Zine Fest this weekend. It features portraits of South American and Latin American dictators educated at the School of the Americas in Fort Benning, GA. My new zine SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS debuting at Brooklyn Zine Fest this weekend. It features portraits of South American and Latin American dictators educated at the School of the Americas in Fort Benning, GA. My new zine SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS debuting at Brooklyn Zine Fest this weekend. It features portraits of South American and Latin American dictators educated at the School of the Americas in Fort Benning, GA.

My new zine SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS debuting at Brooklyn Zine Fest this weekend. It features portraits of South American and Latin American dictators educated at the School of the Americas in Fort Benning, GA.

  1. Date Posted Icon 19th April 2013
  2. Notes Icon Notes: 1
    3. Tags Icon #zines#brooklynzinefest
New zine DE NARVAEZ debuting next week at Brooklyn Zine Fair. New zine DE NARVAEZ debuting next week at Brooklyn Zine Fair. New zine DE NARVAEZ debuting next week at Brooklyn Zine Fair. New zine DE NARVAEZ debuting next week at Brooklyn Zine Fair. New zine DE NARVAEZ debuting next week at Brooklyn Zine Fair.

New zine DE NARVAEZ debuting next week at Brooklyn Zine Fair.

  1. Date Posted Icon 13th April 2013
  2. Notes Icon Notes: 3
    3. Tags Icon #zine#brooklynzinefair
Page in progress: Abuelo steals second.

Page in progress: Abuelo steals second.

  1. Date Posted Icon 7th April 2013
    2. Tags Icon #comics
Poster for CINCO DE MARIO - MARIOKART Wii Tournament

Poster for CINCO DE MARIO - MARIOKART Wii Tournament

  1. Date Posted Icon 1st April 2013
  2. Notes Icon Notes: 4
    3. Tags Icon #mariokart Wii#MarioKart#mario bros.#mario#wii#illustration#video games
ABUELA and INSURRECTOS now available at Seite Books in East LA. ABUELA and INSURRECTOS now available at Seite Books in East LA.

ABUELA and INSURRECTOS now available at Seite Books in East LA.

  1. Date Posted Icon 22nd March 2013
  2. Notes Icon Notes: 32
    3. Tags Icon #Comics#Illustration#zine#Revolución Mexicana
  1. Date Posted Icon 18th March 2013
  2. Notes Icon Notes: 3
    3. Tags Icon #Illustration#mariokart Wii#Typography#mario bros.
Doodlin’

Doodlin’

  1. Date Posted Icon 10th March 2013
  2. Notes Icon Notes: 4
    3. Tags Icon #mariokart#mario#mariokart wii
Snippets from my 4-page story “Death Race 2013” Snippets from my 4-page story “Death Race 2013”

Snippets from my 4-page story “Death Race 2013”

  1. Date Posted Icon 2nd March 2013
  2. Notes Icon Notes: 2
    3. Tags Icon #comics#drawing#Illustration
  1. Date Posted Icon 1st March 2013
  2. Notes Icon Notes: 2
    3. Tags Icon #comics#Illustration
Ken and I traveled cross-country on Amtrak a few years back and I drew this  page mapping our sleeping patterns. This article brought back some memories about our own trip from Boston to El Paso by rail.

Ken and I traveled cross-country on Amtrak a few years back and I drew this  page mapping our sleeping patterns. This article brought back some memories about our own trip from Boston to El Paso by rail.

  1. Date Posted Icon 1st March 2013
  2. Notes Icon Notes: 3
    3. Tags Icon #amtrak#comics#drawing#Illustration
Some work in progress for an anthology of Boston-centric comics - The Miracle 5 in “Death Race 2013”

Some work in progress for an anthology of Boston-centric comics - The Miracle 5 in “Death Race 2013”

  1. Date Posted Icon 27th February 2013
  2. Notes Icon Notes: 4
    3. Tags Icon #drawing#comics#themiracle5
Paintings Series “Crystal Friends” (2009) Paintings Series “Crystal Friends” (2009) Paintings Series “Crystal Friends” (2009) Paintings Series “Crystal Friends” (2009)

Paintings Series “Crystal Friends” (2009)

  1. Date Posted Icon 17th February 2013
  2. Notes Icon Notes: 9