Levis wants in on skateboarding. They’ve got a skateboarding collection, a collaboration with Thrasher, and a half baked campaign called Make Your Mark or possibly What’s your approach that features Natas Kaupas. I’ve got nothing against Levi’s. It’s a privately owned company that still makes (a small percentage) some clothing in the USA. Their sweatshop labor controversy is well behind them. They’ve used the Clash in commercials, why not Natas? OK, I do have a beef. If you’re going to post an “interview” with Natas, at least make sure it has a little substance. If you check out the accompanying video, it makes even less sense. I hear him talking, but it’s all chopped up, and in the end it’s like he’s not saying anything.

It’s a weird, weird world we live in, where Mercedes Benz thinks it advantageous to make “a beautifully filmed video pitting man against machine these unlikely four-wheeled allies tango at high-speed on the majestic Franschhoek Pass in the Western Cape.” Are they targeting the desire of older rich males to be associated with speed, youth and danger? It was filmed for Mercedes Benz South Africa, which might explain why there’s no “Do not try this” warning at the bottom of the screen for dumb Americans. There is a “filmed under controlled conditions” message at the end. The rider is Decio Lourenco, and you can read more on Mercedes Benz Life. Because apparently owning a Mercedes Benz is a lifestyle, and not a sport.

– Thanks to Matthijs for the tip.

New video from San Francisco’s Hot Lunch for the song She Wants More. Catch it after the jump.

We passed Freestyle Pizza near Umatilla, Oregon on our road trip out east. It didn’t occur to us to actually eat there, but we did stop for pictures. We should have checked if they had custom take out boxes. Grover claims he sent me a shot of this last year, but I must have forgotten to post it. You can view larger versions after the jump. Those are some crazy Jetsons-looking trucks.

This is Hawaiian Grill’s “Bread Dude.” Bread Dude? Seriously? OK. Wait, really? Bread Dude grill buns. I’m trying to imagine whose blood had more illicit chemicals in it, the person who came up with the idea, or the person who green lit it.

– Thanks to John Aguilar for the photo.

This 1966 film is available for viewing online, legally at the National Film Board of Canada. Actually, they are showing the 1969 version, which is the English language version instead of the original French version. You can even buy a DVD copy if you want. If you haven’t seen it, you should definitely watch this gem.

– Thanks to Japakiva for the tip.

Nothing to do with Bam Margera:

BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) is a multi-arts center located in Brooklyn, New York. For more than 150 years, BAM has been the home for adventurous artists, audiences, and ideas—engaging both global and local communities. With world-renowned programming in theater, dance, music, opera, film, and much more, BAM showcases the work of emerging artists and innovative modern masters.

BAM is screening a film series on skateboarding including documentaries, straight up skate videos and hollywood dramatizations. These 19 films date from the 60’s to present day. There are the usual suspects, as well as a few I’ve never heard of. Skateboarding is Not a Crime started September, 6th and the last screening is on September, 23rd.

Lot’s of cats and other animals around here lately, especially cats. This one spotted at Forever 21.

– Thanks to Stephanie “I swear I don’t shop at Forever 21” Murdock for the tip.

It’s the Cracked Guide to Skateboarding, published in the September, 1976 issue of Cracked Magazine. As a kid, not knowing the history of which came first, I still somehow managed to grok Cracked as a somewhat inferior imitator of Mad Magazine. That didn’t stop me from pouring over each issue I came in contact with. I’ve always associated Mad and Cracked with trailer homes at the lake where my cousin kept his stash hidden from plain sight in his closet. His mother would literally sneer when she’d see us reading them, and she often disapproved vocally of “that trash,” which lent them a small fraction of an illicit quality usually reserved for Playboy and the likes. Sure, there were the frequent Bill Ward illustrations featuring out of place dangerously endowed females, but for the most part it was just adolescent gags and smart-assed comments. Issue 135 of Cracked tackles skateboarding in typical Cracked fashion.

I made some 7 color, screen printed reproductions of an advert for Nash skateboards Park Rider model. These ads appeared in comic books around 1978. I thought I had posted my copy here, but I must have been thinking of this old Bullwinkle ad instead. The idea of printing these has been in the back of my mind for a long time. I went as far as working on the separation file before sitting on it for a year. Earlier this week I got it in my head that I should try to crank these out in time for the Above Coping art show benefit at Commonwealth Skateboarding in Portland tonight. On Tuesday I called RC Screen Shop, luckily they had four screens stretched that the original buyer never picked up. They were large enough that I could burn two colors side by side on one screen, so I decided to go for it. After a few sweaty late evenings (cutting it down to the wire) I have a finished print run. If you buy one at Commonwealth, all the proceeds will go directly to Above Coping. Original advert and more after the jump.