Hey hey, my my … Bob Masse in the IBC studio

Three weeks ago, a few of us climbed aboard a 1958 Beaver float plane – one of two vessels in the Salt Spring Island Airlines fleet – and made a pilgrimage out to the studio of Bob Masse. We were on a mission
to collaborate with him on a project that would involve reprinting a number of his classic posters; but more than that, we were just plain excited to spend an afternoon with a design legend.

Bob Masse is one of the only 1960′s psychedelic concert poster artists still plying his craft today. He started his career with the simple, if not somewhat devious purpose of getting free tickets and back stage passes to concerts. But his reputation grew to a point where he is listed today as one of the “old school masters” in the tome “Art
of Rock”. The list of bands that adorn his work range from such 60′s legends as the Grateful Dead, Santana and Jimi Hendrix to modern day rockers including The Smashing Pumpkins, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and U2. Throughout his work, one finds the diverse influences of Art Nouveau (most notably Alphonse Mucha), Stanley Mouse and Classic Pin-Up Girl Calendars merging together to create something altogether new
and unique.

What impressed us more than anything was Bob’s persistence. This is a guy who stayed true to his craft even when the design world seemingly turned its back on him during the nineties. “Those were tough times,” he said. But with the turn of the millennium, the proliferation of the internet and a new generation of kids silk screening posters and flyers in their basements, there is a renewed interest in his work. Collectors are suddenly emailing him for the classics and today’s bands, embracing the retro trends want something that harkens back to a more golden age of rock n roll, Suddenly Bob is in demand again and it would appear that the additional time and technology have made him a stronger designer than ever before.

This moBlo entry marks the occasion upon which Bob returned the invitation and dropped by our studio to look over the printer’s test sheets of his posters. Thankfully, everything received his approval and we were given the go-ahead to keep moving forward.

Check out Bob’s website, www.bmasse.com to get a good sense of the span of his work. As for the project that we are working on with him, we can’t say too much about it at the moment. But check back here in the weeks ahead for the big reveal.

UPDATE: Industrial Brand helps Hemlock turn on to MetalFX.

Posted by Kevin Broome

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