The Songs of Yesterday Selling the Cars of Tomorrow

Michael Sieben continues his path of destruction with two new zines in the year two thousand and seven. These differ a bit from his earlier zine work (see review here). Both Smile Forever and The Songs of Yesterday $elling the Cars of Tomorrow (the "$" for the "S" is Sieben's doing, not mine) feature the illustrated monstrosities you know and love, but they also seem to contain a few drawings that are more quick and raw and less refined. This, along with lots of hip on-liners, a few bits other interesting, non-character-drawing kinds of stuff, and a photo or two, gives these zines a slightly rounder view of Sieben's skills and workings.

Smile Forever is like a well-scanned and edited Michael Sieben sketchbook. Featuring skulls, knives, lists, doodles, a photo of the sunset over Hooters, and other bits of wisdom, plus a two-color screen printed cover from Bloom, it ranks high on the list for zine quality.

The Songs of Yesterday... continues along these lines. It contains 24-pages of sketchbookings, semi-funny one liners and phrases the artist enjoys, some refined paintings, commercial illustrations, and the obligatory collaboration with Travis Millard and/or Mel Kadel and/or Mike Aho. The centerpiece of this effort is the back-and-forth email correspondent between Sieben and Prof. Barnes of Great Britain where Michael stands to gain 4.6 million in US funds. More good stuff from the master. Screenprinted cover? Oh hell yeah.


Each of these fine publications was created in an edition of 200, and the books are hand-numbered and signed by the artist. Smile Forever is forever sold-out, but The Songs of Yesterday... is still available in our delicious online art bookery for $12. If you're a fan of Sieben's art I highly recommend owning one of these. They don't necessarily break a lot of new ground, but they add depth to an ongoing storyline of really fun art. Gnome sane.