Fuel TV Partners With Acclaimed Skate Artist Todd Francis - His new Signature Series network ID is for the birds - Los Angeles, CA - FUEL TV, the only network dedicated to the lifestyle of action sports, is proud to announce the release of its newest
Fuel TV Partners With Acclaimed Skate Artist Todd Francis
His new Signature Series network ID is for the birds
Los Angeles, CA - FUEL TV, the only network dedicated to the lifestyle of action sports, is proud to announce the release of its newest Signature Series network ID featuring legendary skateboard artist Todd Francis.
“Including Todd Francis in the award-winning Signature Series was a no-brainer,” says FUEL TV’s Creative Director Todd Dever. “He’s done so much great work within the skate industry that we were honored when he accepted our invitation to collaborate with FUEL TV.”
Francis has been designing skateboard graphics since 1993. His artwork has helped define such companies as Element Skateboards, Stereo Sound System, Real Skateboards, New Deal Skateboards, and Spitfire Wheels. He’s possibly best known for applying political and environmental satire to his graphics for Antihero Skateboards. This approach continues today in the artwork he develops for Element and with his FUEL TV ID.
FUEL TV’s Signature Series IDs are inspired by signature skateboard decks created for and by professional skateboarders. These Signature Series IDs can serve many purposes: to introduce the audience to new and upcoming artists and/or athletes; to pay homage an influential or iconic artist; or to serve as a way for current athletes and artists to express themselves in art and music.
Part of FUEL TV’s philosophy behind the project is to give artists the freedom to take the project in the direction they want to go, and to get these artists to work with some of the best animators in the world. “The FUEL TV staff gave me complete freedom to dream up some of my usual screwed-up stuff, so how could I be anything but enthusiastic?” says Francis. He worked with long-time FUEL TV collaborators Ka-Chew, a Los Angeles-based animation firm, to bring his vision to the screen. And that vision will make you see pigeons in a whole new light.
“Probably more than the art itself, I’m most excited that I got to use the original Devo song ‘Mongoloid’ as the backdrop to my piece,” says Francis. “Never in a million years
could I have dreamed to have my artwork accompany one of the most important and terrifying songs every written. You have no idea what a fan I am of Mark Mothersbaugh and Devo. In fact, I’m still giddy about it.”
FUEL TV was fortunate that Mothersbaugh and fellow DEVO songwriter Jerry Casale were enthusiastic about this FUEL TV project and helped find an old 4-track recording of the song that worked perfectly.
So what’s next for Todd Francis? “I’ve got a big retrospective art show happening at 3131 Clement Gallery in San Francisco in the Fall that I’m really excited about,” he says. “Details about that and other projects are available at toddfrancis.com. Other than that, spay and neuter your pets.” Yeah, and keep your eye on those pigeons.
To watch the new Todd Francis Signature Series ID, check out FUEL TV or click on this link
About FUEL TV
FUEL TV is the action sports lifestyle network for skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing, BMX, freestyle motocross, and wakeboarding. A unit of Fox Cable Networks, FUEL TV was launched July 1, 2003 and is seen in 25 million U.S. homes. To subscribe to FUEL TV, call 877-4-FUEL-TV. For program times and other information, visit fuel.tv.
