Ballograf is Swedish again
Topic: Pens, Pencils
Bic Sells Ballograf Activities "The French writing implement and lighter corporation Bic has sold the writing implement brand Ballograf after 45 years. The French bought the company in 1959 to gain access to the Scandinavian market. Now, the Ballograf management has bought back all shares from Bic. Ballograf produces propelling pencils and achieved sales of eight million euros with them in the business year 2003. Within the Bic Corporation, this only represented 4% of European sales and consequently was not a strategic order of magnitude. However, collaboration will be continued between Bic and Ballograf in the Scandinavian, Austrian and Swiss markets."
News via Ambiente 29.Dec.2004

»Ballograf AB, the Swedish pen manufacturer.
»BIC World
»Yahoo! Finance - France Bic: cède sa filiale suédoise Ballograf aux dirigeants. 6.déc.2004
»Search eBay for Ballograf

Brause Nibs - New Website
Topic: Nibs
BRAUSE GmbH - They have been making excellent steel pen nibs since 1850. Now they have a web site! Go to www.brause-gmbh.com

>My page about Brause Nibs (in Swedish)

Kassa Kontoret - New Swedish Cartoon
Topic: Comics
KASSA KONTORET Today I got my copy of the new magazine ds: Dagens Socialförsäkring featuring my new strip cartoon Kassa Kontoret, commissioned by Försäkringskassan, the National Social Insurance Office in Sweden.

(The cartoon is not online. Subscribe to the printed magazine via Försäkringskassan)

Gervais writing Simpsons episode
Topic: Animation
The Office "The Office's Ricky Gervais is writing an episode of hit US cartoon The Simpsons, following an invitation from its creator Matt Groening. Gervais will also have a guest role in the cartoon. BBC News 23.Dec.2004.

»BBC Comedy - The Office homepage
»The Simpsons

The Los Angeles Times dropped the daily version of Garfield, the most widely distributed comic in syndication.
Topic: Comics
Times Drops Garfield "Garfield has received mixed reviews in recent years, but the Times is one of the few papers to ever dare pull it." Read the article L.A. Times Drops Daily Garfield as the Comic Is Blasted and Praised by Dave Astor, in Editor & Publisher 5.Jan.2005.

»uComics featuring Garfield.
»Garfield and Friends official site.
»L.A. Times
»Search eBay for Garfield books and toys.

Calligraphy nibs for Copic markers
Topic: Nibs
Standard nibs for Copic markers can be replaced with calligraphy nibs. Check out the Copic Marker Nibs 3mm calligraphy pack of 10 nibs from MisterArt.com

>Copic official homepage
>Copic USA
>Copic Multiliner

Old Soviet Nibs Box
Topic: Nibs
Nib Box from old Soviet for sale on eBay. "This is an old Soviet nibs box, made of thin wood, covered with paper. Opens like a matches box. Made by the 'Orgatechnika' plant at the town of Yaroslavl, USSR." Auction ended 9.Jan.2005. View eBay item #6502967981. (I am not bidding on this auction and I don't know the seller.)

UPDATE: Winning bid was US $21.50

»Search for nibs at www.ebay.com

Lord Nibs Party Crackers
Topic: Nibs
LORD NIBS Vintage Party Crackers for sale on eBay. "The Crackers were made and printed in Norwich England by Caley Crackers Ltd. Exact date of manufacture unknown. Believed to be circa 1950 before the take over of Caley Crackers by Tom Smith in 1953." Auction ended 8.Jan.2005. View eBay item #6502329110. (I did not bid on this auction and I don't know the seller.)
  »Search eBay auctions for Nibs
  »Search eBay for Party Crackers

UPDATE:Final bid was GBP 1.20 (approx. US $ 2.30) Reserve not met.

»What are crackers? Send a virtual cracker! Learn more about christmas crackers on absolutelycrackers.com

»Author Peter Kimpton, in his new book entitled TOM SMITH'S CHRISTMAS CRACKERS brings you an in-depth history of Tom Smith the man, his accepted invention of the Christmas cracker, his associated products, competitors, many re-discovered facts and images and much, much more in his wide ranging coverage of the subject. Go to thekingofcrackers.co.uk

Herge - Tintin - Au pays de l'or noir
Topic: Comics
DET SVARTA GULDET - Tintin Book Number 15 - the new Swedish translation by Bjorn Wahlberg is available in the stores now. More about Tintin on my TINTIN PAGE

>Kop Det Svarta Guldet fr?n Bokus Bokhandel (Swedish bookstore)
>Search eBay auctions for Tintin Books and Collectibles

My Yahoo! RSS Syndication
Topic: Blogging
Click on the button to get Niblog delivered directly to your My Yahoo! page.

"RSS stands for 'Really Simple Syndication.' It's a format that web sites and blogs use to syndicate content via news aggregation tools and services like My Yahoo!." Read more in My Yahoo! RSS-FAQ

AIGA Typography Forum
Topic: Typography
AIGA - American Institute of Graphic Arts - Great articles and discussions in the Design Forum. Check out the Typography Forum, moderated by Allan Haley. "This forum is for the passionate. It's for those who are crazy in love with type, absolutely hate the problems fonts can cause, have an uncontrollable need to learn more about typography, or an irresistible desire to share typographic opinions and stories. This is not a place for the typographically indifferent." Read more...

Will Eisner, RIP (1917-2005)
Topic: Comics
Will Eisner passed away on January 3rd, 2005 at the age of 87 following quadruple bypass heart surgery.
Click here to enter the Will Eisner.com site

World of Art
Topic: Art
Thames & Hudson World of Art "A constantly growing series that for 45 years has been the market leader in popularly priced, original art books." ArtWords features extracts from new titles in the World of Art series.

>My favorite art links

You Can Protect Yourself From Radioactive Fallout
Topic: Advertising
"This is a poster advertising a Civil Defense training class. This poster is dated 1955. The Hydrogen Bomb was the latest thing and it was obvious that the only hope would be to take cover from the Radioactive Fallout if you happened to be far enough from the blast to survive."

»Get the Facts! in the Civil Defense Museum Art Gallery

Perspective For Comic Book Artists by David Chelsea
Topic: Comics

Misspelling Britney Spears
Topic: Logos
Britney Spears spelling correction - Google have found hundreds of different ways that people spell Britney. The most popular way is Brittany, followed by Brittney, Britany, Britny, Briteny, Britteny, Briney, Brittny, Brintey, Britanny... Read the complete list on Google

»Image: Britney Spears, Rolling Stone, Magazine cover, October 2003.

The Rolling Stone logo was drawn by lettering artist and type designer Jim Parkinson. You can see his work at Parkinson Type Design, including the Rolling Stone logo.

posted by niblog at 00:01 CET

Updated: Saturday, 23 April 2005 15:11 MEST

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