A collection of printed materials and a black box are laid out on a white surface. Items include a book titled “Being Billy”, a graphic illustration of a fork, and a card featuring a bird and the text “Hawaiian Pidgin”.

Things 2013 #13 - a bizarre mix of mascots, sushi and secret places

Words: Holly Wilkins
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Date: 6 April 2013; Things
Work

I bet you’re thinking we get some weird stuff through the post, we do, but it’s our favourite kind of stuff. So in true It’s Nice That style, give a big welcome to our five fave postal picks of the week.

Above

Perrier: Secret Place Invitation

Above

Perrier: Secret Place Invitation

A black wax seal kit in a matching black box. The set includes a rectangular pad of black wax and a handheld seal stamp. — Above
Perrier: Secret Place Invitation

A black rubber stamp with an intricate circular pattern on its base sits beside an open black ink pad. Both objects are set against a plain white background. — Above
Perrier: Secret Place Invitation

A black wax seal stamp rests on a glossy black ink pad. A matte black box and a small green and black card sit beside them on a white surface. — Above
Perrier: Secret Place Invitation

Perrier: Secret Place Invitation

When this came through the post, it took us a while to figure out what the hell was going on. The aim of the game is to turn up at a laundromat, whereupon you present your stamped wrist and are allowed into a ‘secret place’. What goes on in this secret place? We will never know as we don’t live in Paris. C’est la vie!
www.perriersecretplace.com

A poster for an event titled “The Feast of St George”, presented by the mayor of London. An illustration shows a white fork piercing a red dragon. Text below invites people to Trafalgar Square on Saturday 20 April from 12–6pm. — Above
The Feast of St. George: Trafalgar Square

A poster for “The Feast of St George” features a red illustration of a dragon with a white fork laid over its body. Text below reads “Mayor of London presents” and lists the event as taking place in Trafalgar Square on Saturday 20 April. — Above
The Feast of St. George: Trafalgar Square

A red illustration of a dragon curved into a semi-circle, its head and tail pointing downwards. A silver fork is positioned vertically in the centre, appearing to pierce the dragon’s belly. — Above
The Feast of St. George: Trafalgar Square

Above

The Feast of St. George: Trafalgar Square

An illustration of a red dragon curled into a circle on a white background. A silver fork is positioned as if stabbing through the dragon’s body. — Above
The Feast of St. George: Trafalgar Square

The Feast of St. George: Trafalgar Square

On the fair day of April 20 we have been invited to partake in a bunch of English-themed culinary activities at the expense of the Mayor of London. The cleverly designed event poster features a skewered Dragon and sums up us English pretty well – we love to eat! It’s also free. Result!
www.london.gov.uk/stgeorge

An illustration of a hand making a peace sign, set against a background of bold, concentric rainbow stripes. A large pencil tip and stylised clouds are integrated into the colourful composition. — Above
Colin Kinsley Design Co.

An instructional brochure on a blue background explains how to make spam musubi. A diagram shows a slice of “Spam” being placed on “Rice” and wrapped in “Nori”. — Above
Colin Kinsley Design Co.

A printed card designed to look like a computer window. The text reads “Aloha. I’m Colin. I moved from NYC to Hawaii. Because there’s email here too. And because the surf is better here. And there aren’t any distractions. Except waves. But those come and go. So there’s plenty of time to work hard. And that’s really important. At least, I think so. Ok, that’s it. Aloha.” — Above
Colin Kinsley Design Co.

Above

Colin Kinsley Design Co.

An illustration of a pigeon on a white background with the title “The Hawaiian Pidgin”. Lines point to different parts of the bird, labelling them with Hawaiian Pidgin words and phrases. — Above
Colin Kinsley Design Co.

Colin Kinsley Design Co.

Aloha! Yes that’s right, this package came all the way from Hawaii, and what a delight it is. Humorous illustrations abound, from how to make the Hawaiian speciality spam musubi to the lingo of a Hawaiian Pidgin (see what they’ve done there?). Aloha brah, howzit? Lets go talk story over some grind. (Translation: Hello friend, how are you doing? Let’s go chat over some food.)
www.colin-kinsley.com

A red book cover features a white square with the title “Being Billy” in bold red type. Below the title, a smaller photograph shows a person wearing a sports jersey with the number “19”. — Above
Being Billy: Paul John Nelson

An open book shows a page of text on the left and several circular white badges on the right. The badges read “Fulham Football Club Match Day Visitor” and are numbered four or five with handwritten dates. — Above
Being Billy: Paul John Nelson

An open book shows a blurred, distorted photograph of a person on the left page. The right page is blank white. — Above
Being Billy: Paul John Nelson

An open white booklet features a photograph on the right page. A person leans their head against a large, black and white cow mascot. — Above
Being Billy: Paul John Nelson

An open book shows two photographs of a badger mascot. On the left, the mascot stands alone on a football pitch. On the right, they stand beside a group of people, including a player in a red Manchester United shirt. — Above
Being Billy: Paul John Nelson

Being Billy: Paul John Nelson

I don’t really know much about football, let alone that the Premier League had mascots. But apparently they do, and Being Billy is the story of Billy the Badger, Fulham FC’s black and white mascot. Known for being a bit of a rascal Billy spends all his time horsing (badgering?) around on the Fulham pitch and his story makes for a pretty delightful photographic zine.

www.editionsltd.co.uk/beingbilly

A book cover featuring a stark vertical split. The left side is plain white, while the right side shows a dark, textured image with a glowing orange edge. — Above
Ed Parson’s Photographic Zine

An open book shows a two-page spread. The left page features a dark, textured abstract image with white and blue streaks, while the right page shows a portrait of a person with a red glow over their face. — Above
Ed Parson’s Photographic Zine

An open magazine shows a double-page spread. On the left, a person wears a voluminous, colourful garment made from scraps of fabric. On the right, two people walk across a residential street past a tall hedge. — Above
Ed Parson’s Photographic Zine

An open book shows a vibrant double-page spread. The left page features pink and orange flowers resting on a bed of bright blue crystals, while the right page shows a textured orange shape against a black background. — Above
Ed Parson’s Photographic Zine

Ed Parson’s Photographic Zine

This collection of photographs from Ed are pretty random, with dreamy portraits and a cheeky snap of a kid and his mother on halloween. Crude zoom-ins and grainy shots make this a lovely zine – a great example of staying true to analogue photography.
www.elmsprojects.com

Further Info

About the Author

Holly Wilkins

—

Things 2013 #13 - a bizarre mix of mascots, sushi and secret places

Perrier: Secret Place Invitation

The Feast of St. George: Trafalgar Square

Colin Kinsley Design Co.

Being Billy: Paul John Nelson

Ed Parson’s Photographic Zine

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Further Info

About the Author

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