We love bringing people together. Employees and employers, husbands and wives, and graphic artists and small wineries… We recently got an e-mail from Dave Potter at Municipal Winemakers thanking us for cluing him in to Brooklyn artist Jon Stetzen, who went on to design labels for Potter’s 2007 vintage. In Santa Barbara county you can’t chuck a Pinot grape without hitting a big, industrial vineyard, so it’s nice to see a small winery dedicated to putting out a personal product. That being said, we actually haven’t tasted any of the wine yet (more details to come), but while the review is pending, we’re proud be a minuscule part of his entrepreneurial story.

It took me about 10 never-ending minutes to figure out how the heck I should tackle this post. The subject’s too multidimensional, I thought, so I should divide the ideas into separate ones — but alas, they’d lose their connection.

Let me explain: I came across a Brazilian artist whom music critic Sasha Frere-Jones digs, a guy who goes by the name of Babe, Terror. He lives in the neighborhood across from mine and is getting some international hype for his psychedelic Animal Collective-ish weirdness, which is a must-listen if you’re into that type of stuff. Through him I bounced over to Alan McGee’s phenomenal, dewy new-music site (love the retro colors and feel, by the way) Too Cool To Die, where he’s featured in an interview. But then I found a post about some emerging garage bands written by the mighty McGee himself on the site, and consequently got deeper into the clicking. So before I find something else through that site I want to write about and consequently make this post even more layered than a lasagna, I’m going to stop and let you continue the fun. Too Cool To Die—what a great name indeed—will lead the way.

At JoshSpear.com we don’t condone violence. Unless it’s against Freddie Kruger, the Terminator or Godzilla. Then we’re all about our second amendment rights. Illustration giant Olly Moss and his ‘Shoot the Baddies’ print will get you prepared for that onslaught of zombies or nightmares on Elm St.

We brought you word of the ART + ACTION = OBAMA ‘08 custom action figure event back in October. Following that successful benefit — and indeed the success of its central character — Jailbreak Toys will release two new Obama Action Figures. Jailbreak’s founder, Jason “J*Rock” Feinberg, gets the props for designing the Inaugural Edition, which replaces the O.G. figure’s dark duds with a “funky, fresh and very shiny gold suit, while keeping the action figure Washington, DC-ready in a classic red tie.”

The Hope Edition transforms the now-iconic image of president-elect Obama into a 3D action figure. Shepard Fairey gave his blessing to artist Nelson X Ascensio and Jailbreak Toys to produce the toy. Both new editions of the Obama Action Figure are limited to 3,000 pieces and will be available exclusively at Jailbreak’s website. The 6-inch figures have eight points of articulation and will be sold in numbered window boxes for $19.99 starting Monday, January 12th.