Yep! You read that correctly, I, M T (writes at a speed which compares unfavourably with continental drift) McGuire have a new book out. This book.
Eyebomb, Therefore I Am
Currently it is available, with perks, on Kickstarter, until 22nd February and will roll out to other retailers and my own store in a few months. Although, to be honest, by the time I’ve given Ingram/Amazon a cut, the cataloguing people at Betram’s or Gardeners a cut, and the book store a cut, it will cost about £50 a copy from anywhere else, whereas I can sell it at £30 on Kickstarter or my shop and still ‘lose’ some of the postage costs in there along the way so that even the Antipodeans only have to pay about half £10-£15 (£5-£8 if they go for the hardback or purchase the softback with other things).
Yeh, I nearly did …
Here’s some more about it:
Eyebomb, Therefore I Am
Everything’s a bit grim right now isn’t it? So if you’re looking for something to lighten life up a bit, if you want to grace your home, or your coffee table, with something classy-but-funny, light-yet-cutting-edge; something joyously humorous but at the same time, sort of deep. Here’s a book that might be your thing. It’s about street art. Eyebombing, to be exact.
Yeh that is a Banksey behind there …
Eyebombing is the art, if that’s the right word, of sticking googly eyes onto inanimate objects to give them a personality and raise a smile. See above, and below. I think you may all know this. I’ve forgotten how much I’ve talked about eyebombing on my blog, or not. I know I’ve banged on about it pretty much endlessly on Facebook and Instagram but …
Anyway, if who know my imprint, HUP, or me, you will, at least, know that I illustrate a lot of my social media and blog posts with eyebombing pictures like this:
For years people have been asking me to do a photo book.
Doing a book involved learning a lot of new stuff (like Desktop Publishing) which was a bit daunting. It would also be really expensive (see earlier paragraph) so there wasn’t really much point that I could see. As a result, for almost as many years, about ten to be precise, I ignored peoples’ frequent requests to do a photobook. But people kept on asking, so now I’ve given in, if only to shut them up. Eyebomb, Therefore I Am is the result. Here it is …
And here it is again. This time, with cat for scale, because I didn’t have a banana to hand.
Sniff test passed
Eyebomb, Therefore I Am is my first photo-book. It’s a deluxe 21cm x 21cm (8.5” x 8.5”) hardback containing over 120 images taken my own personal collection of more than 4,000 photos. It’s a bit mad but then … for those of you who read this blog regularly and know me, that should come as absolutely no surprise whatsoever. You will also be unsurprised to learn that the Kickstarter actually started on 7th February and runs until 22nd Feb and I’ve only got round to mentioning it now.
In my defence, I hadn’t got round to writing a blog post in advance, and I was interring both parents in a part of Sussex that is startlingly free of any internet or mobile phone coverage last Saturday so it kind of slipped my mind. More on that story … next week.
Interring the old dears …
As you know, the last couple of years have been quite worrying and my writing muse was having a go slow. When it threw a loop, eyebombing is how I solved my need for creativity; tiny, cheeky, sanity-saving acts of micro creation. No matter how burned out and miserable I was, it was straightforward enough to stick a couple of googly eyes to something and snap a quick photo. Also, there was the added thing that it might make someone laugh and even though I wouldn’t see, that gave me a little buzz.
Oh ho ho
So, yeh. With things really stacking up over the last year, it seemed a good time to have a go at this book because it’s a different kind of creativity. One I actually still had.
Oooh and here’s the blurb!
Eyebomb, Therefore I Am
Step into a realm where inanimate objects come to life and a simple pair of googly eyes holds the power to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. This book invites you to immerse yourself in the whimsical and hilarious world of eyebombing; the art of sticking googly eyes on unsuspecting inanimate items to unleash the joy within.
As you turn each page, you’ll find yourself smiling at the quirky personalities that emerge from everyday articles ranging from lampposts and traffic signs to automatic hand dryers and even dinner. The juxtaposition of the ordinary and the unusual challenges societal norms, reminding us to embrace new or different things, and look for humour in the unlikeliest of places.
Whether you’re a fan of street art, a lover of comedy, or are simply seeking a joyous escape from the mundane, this photo book is sure to leave you grinning from ear to ear. You might even end up stashing a pack of googly eyes in your own pockets and having a go at eyebombing yourself.
So there we go. If you think you’d like to have a look feel free to go here to investigate further: Eyebomb, Therefore I Am on Kickstarter
And yes! OMG! It’s embedded it, Mwahaharhgh! You can watch the vid! What a scream!
Eyebombing is something I’ve been doing since before McMini was born. Over the years I have built up a sizeable library of photographs. Looking at them with a couple of friends, the other day, they said, ‘why on earth don’t you do a book about this?’
If you want to join in …
M T McGuire Authorholic 