By: Jeremy House

If you're looking for something new and different in the downtown scene, then look no further.  On April 27th at Club One are the designers of Tall Tales and Thick Lines. We chatted with Jerry Stamp about this unique event and here’s what he had to say.

Rock Eden: Could you tell readers all about this event? Talk about the details such as dates, time, venue, etc.

Jerry Stamp: The designers are a group of like-minded design industry types who came together in an accidental organic unplanned way. Through a series of chance conversations, a pattern emerged where several of us had varying ideas for a design-based event to hopefully rally the design and marketing community of Newfoundland and Labrador. Our varying ideas were similar enough that we saw an opportunity to start something.

The end product will be Tall Tales & Thick Lines. It is a design-centric event on Thursday, April 27th at (the newly renovated) Club One in downtown St. John’s. Our main event is a talk by rock star graphic designer Aaron Draplin. He’s a pretty big name in the industry and known as much for his design work as he is for his openness and bombast. He’s the sort of entertaining character that would keep folks, who don’t even remotely care about design, enthralled.

After his talk, he’ll be joined by a panel of some of St. John’s heavy hitters.  Don-E Coady (Creative Director of Dc Design House) will moderate while Draplin, Terri Roberts (Associate Creative Director, Ray Agency) and Jud Haynes (Independent Illustrator and Freelance Graphic Designer) chat about design, marketing, advertising and whatever else pops into their minds.

While all that is going on the graduating students from CNA’s Graphic Design program will be showing their work and meeting the industry types they are about to join.

Rock Eden: You don't see a lot of events like this come through St. John's. Why was it so important to you to want to put something like this together?

Jerry Stamp: Initially this started as a question of how to get the design and advertising industry types to see the CNA student’s graduate show. That led to a few conversations about a design-centric event. That led to panelists or speakers, and that led to Draplin. He said yes. The next thing we knew it was a reality.

We all know so many design and advertising types. But we never get together and just talk design without it being about work. With such an amazing broad and varied community, it was unfortunate that there were very few community events meant to bring them all together.  You can complain about that, and wait for someone else to start something or start it yourself. Now here we are.

Rock Eden: Can you tell us a bit about Aaron Draplin and the other guest speakers you've got lined up?

Jerry Stamp: Aaron Draplin is known all over the world for his design and perhaps even more so for his openness in talking about design and how his process works. Most folks keep their design processes very secret. He loves to talk about his. He has made stuff for Field Notes, Esquire, Nike, Red Wing, Burton Snowboards, Ford Motor Company, Hughes Entertainment and even the Obama Administration. Seriously, Google the guy. You’ll get lost in a rabbit hole of awesome videos and interviews.

Don-E Coady, a creative director, volunteer extraordinaire, musician, etc. etc. etc. will join him. Don-E is into everything. Sometimes I think there is actually two of him. He is involved in more boards, business community, creative community, tech community, mental health community, and music community things than I can count. How many times did I say the word ‘community’? It’s a bit of a trend with him.

Terri Roberts is Associate Creative Director of Ray Agency. A copywriter by trade; she has helped create successful campaigns for brands like Newfoundland & Labrador Tourism, Maple Leaf, Irving, Air Canada, Brock University, Capital Mitsubishi, MINI St. John’s, RMM, The Cahill Group and Lamb’s Rum. She is one of the most decorated copywriters in Atlantic Canada.

Jud Haynes is an Illustrator and Freelance Graphic Designer. He designs album covers, screen print posters and websites for music festivals, and bands. His work has been commissioned by Massey Hall, The Winnipeg Folk Festival, Blue Rodeo, City and Colour, Sarah Harmer, Bahamas, Harper Collins, The Royal Ontario Museum, The National Arts Centre, The Toronto Urban Roots Festival, and famed astronaut Commander Chris Hadfield. And he does it all independently.

We’re pumped to have this varied crew to chat because they come from such different backgrounds yet work in tangentially similar fields. It promises to be exciting to see how they all work separately and what traits they all share.

Rock Eden: What has your experience been like putting this event together? There must be a large amount of planning and coordinating that goes into it. 

Jerry Stamp: It has been pretty crazy. Luckily between us we have a ton of experience producing and promoting shows and events. So while it is hectic it isn’t exactly anything we are experiencing for the first time. The joke metaphor of herding cats has popped into mind a few times. But it isn’t actually that bad. The hardest part is coordinating between so many people - panelists, sponsors, students, instructors, vendors etc.  When this is over my inbox is going on a diet.

Rock Eden: Is this event something you would like to make a yearly event going forward?

Jerry Stamp: We would certainly love to make this an ongoing series. But we’ll see how this one goes before we make a blood pact or anything.


Again the show is April 27th at Club One and tickets are available at www.thedesigners.live

The schedule is as follows:

6pm - Doors open
7pm - Aaron Draplin
8pm - Panel conversation
8:45pm - Meet & greet

All night CNA graduates’ show