PLAZM

11/08/2025

Plus Plus

at this excellent Festival of Tomorrow event on November 16th. Reading & screening. Details below in the official text.

++
Join Portland author and screenwriter Jon Raymond, poet and essayist and author and creative writing professor for a evening of readings from their acclaimed published works including Raymond’s new book God and S*x—a candid, deeply considered exploration of desire, morality, and the human search for meaning, Wells’s new book The Fire Passage—a lyric descent in the epic tradition, traveling unto realms unmoored by extreme weather and mysterious illness, and Zumas’s Wolf Bells—a biting, lyrical novel about an intergenerational group home run by an ex-musician.

Following the reading, we’ll screen Dreams (S*x Love), a poignant and sharply observed drama from Norwegian director Dag Johan Haugerud.
++

11/04/2025

Every election is important. We believe democracy works best when we all participate and exercise our right to vote.

It is even more important this year when our fundamental rights are directly under attack by the current administration.

If you live in California, your vote has national implications. Please vote YES on California’s Proposition 50, also known as the "Election Rigging Response Act." This is a countermeasure against mid-cycle partisan redistricting efforts in Texas and other states.

We created this voter engagement art leading up to the November 2018 midterm election.

(happening this week, BTW) invited to sit on a Citizen Designer panel with , Michael Ellsworth of & Jen Thomas , moderated by Nishat Akhtar. You can find a recording of the conversation on our YouTube channel.

We set up a station where people could get their fists painted and photographed. shot the photos and painted V O T E on people's fists.

10/21/2025

Ai Weiwei essay commissioned for a German newspaper. They then refused to publish it. Read it in Hyperallergic

A German newspaper commissioned an article from me but then refused to publish it.

10/12/2025

Great to find this new issue of Emergency Horse in Eugene ... It's been a minute since there was an issue but this looks and feels like it did in the 90s …

The first edition of Emergency Horse, a free newsprint periodical, was published in 1991, the same year that we published issue number one of Plazm magazine.

This issue of the Horse features interviews, essays, poetry, a report on the fentanyl pipeline, and an essay and interview about new gatherings at the Kesey Farm. Plazm Editor contributed an interview with ChatGPT, shown here.

Put down your phone and pick up a copy…

09/28/2025

Following up on our previous post showing new work for Red Bull Theater made in collaboration with photographer .

Andrew has shot for Plazm magazine (issues 24, 28) and also sat down with us for an OnCreativity interview. Here's part 2 where he discusses the nature of creativity, the creative process and the importance of not knowing.⠀

"You can't engage with your curiosity if you're worried about being wrong" ⠀
—Andrew Zuckerman
⠀
With the “OnCreativity” series, Plazm explores the nature of creativity and how it works via informal interviews with designers, artists, musicians, animators, and educators. Like creativity itself, their differing points of view inspire, provoke, confuse, and delight.

Directed by DP .c.bryant

Explore more OnCreativity videos at www.oncreativity.tv or via link in bio.

09/27/2025

Important read from Rebecca Solnit

"I don't know" is an important part of truthfulness and accuracy, argues Rebecca Solnit.

09/11/2025

Scary Nightmare

Plazm 24 featured art on the cover by John McKenzie from a nonprofit art center for developmentally disabled adults. The work that we featured first appeared in Whipper Snapper Nerd, a quarterly publication of Creativity Explored.

The issue was designed entirely by and featured a custom version of the New Century Schoolbook typeface inspired by John's drawings. We called it 24th Century. Detail shown here from the masthead page.

The issue opens with a photography two spread feature by Joel Sternfeld which is followed by the masthead then three series of spreads of work by Mr. McKenzie.

A few physical copies of this issue are available in the shop, link in bio.

09/10/2025

See BS

As reported today in Popular Information

CBS News has hired Kenneth R. Weinstein as its new ombudsman, charged with receiving and evaluating "any complaints of bias or other concerns involving CBS." He will report directly to Jeff Shell, the president of Paramount, the parent company of CBS News.

Paramount pledged to create the position at CBS News when the Trump administration approved its merger with Skydance, a movie studio and entertainment company. Weinstein, the former president of the Hudson Institute, a right-wing think tank, has no experience producing or overseeing news coverage.

A Popular Information review of his public comments, however, reveals Weinstein has an extensive record of praising President Trump and criticizing Trump's political adversaries.

Weinstein's appointment is the result of one of several actions Paramount took to persuade the Trump administration to approve the company’s $8 billion merger with Skydance.

Read the full report at Popular Information, link in their bio or below.
https://popular.info/p/cbs-news-hires-trump-loyalist-to?r=fgun&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false

There is a great capitulation happening in media right now and we all best be aware. CBS is not the only major news outlet to capitulate to Trump since he won reelection. In fact, some outlets began capitulating before the 2024 election took place.

09/07/2025

“The Trump administration and international partners are discussing proposals to build a “Riviera of the Middle East” on the rubble of Gaza.”
— The Washington Post, September 2, 2025

08/22/2025

Pilsner

New brand launch and packaging design for our friends at Fort George Brewery in Astoria.

Talking with Fort George as they worked on developing this recipe was inspiring. They did many many test brews over years, aspiring to age old traditions of Pilsner, but made in a uniquely Fort George way.

When developing the Fort George Pilsner brand we were inspired by the era when the first pilsner was made in Plzen. In those days there were many decorative elements and gothic lettering used in European design. We created the Pilsner brand using traditional pen and ink calligraphy in a contemporary way. Thanks to for another great calligraphic collaboration. You can see one of our mood boards in this post.

We developed a graphic system in which the calligraphic flourishes change in relation to the application. They are one way on the can, another on the coaster, different on the truck, t-shirt, etc., but all with typographic and graphic continuity. Also note the shortened Pils variation on the tap handle.

Find Fort George Pilsner where fine beer is sold. If you are lucky enough to live in Oregon, it can be shipped directly to your door. That makes for a good mail day. Merch ships anywhere though, Pilsner fans. Cheers!

08/12/2025

God and S*x, 's latest novel is getting great reviews. Deservedly so! Some screenshots here from Portland Monthly Washington Post The New York Times

You should totally read it. We really like this book and had the idea to make a special foil-stamped slip cover edition of it. We have a Kickstarter campaign currently running, link in bio. It needs some more backers!

If you are here in Portland check out Jon Raymond in Conversation With Justin Taylor Powell's Books, Inc. downtown this Thursday, August 14 at 7pm

08/05/2025

Plazm No. 23: the Architecture Issue

Cover art featured the photography of Lars Turnbjörk. This is the only issue where we have done a split-run cover. On press the printer ran the cover 4-up. Enrique had come up with a couple of options for the covers and we all liked them both. So we ran half with one image and the other half with the second. Both are shown here along with the feature spread of Lars's sublime office photography.

This issue is long been sold out. We have a few copies saved for museums and libraries. We are making one available as part of the God and S*x Special Edition going on RIGHT NOW on — this is in the set of all issues of Plazm that has contributed to — link in bio.

Also shown in this post the People Looking at Architecture series shot by Jim Appleton. Concept by Jon Raymond and featuring models Topher Sinkinsen, Robin Rosenberg, Andrew Dickson, Joanna Searle.

Plazm No. 23 was art directed by