Project: Brunt of It – It's A Mad, Bad, Sad, Rad World
Client: Brunt of It
Art Director: Bill Main
Ska-core chaos with Boston roots. The guys from Brunt of It came to me wanting artwork that screamed loud, looked wild, and carried all the tongue-in-cheek attitude baked into their music. They’re old heads in the Boston punk/ska scene and wanted a cover that tipped its hat to hardcore history while still being its own beast.
The first direction was a full homage to Boston hardcore legends SS Decontrol’s The Kids Will Have Their Say. We reworked it in true two-tone ska style…the black-and-white sketch had a gang of misfits charging the Boston State House, but instead of tough-guy posturing it was loaded with logos, mascots, and in-jokes from their friends across punk, ska, and hardcore.
The first direction was a full homage to Boston hardcore legends SS Decontrol’s The Kids Will Have Their Say. We reworked it in true two-tone ska style…the black-and-white sketch had a gang of misfits charging the Boston State House, which eventually led to a loaded illustration with logos, mascots, and in-jokes from their friends across punk, ska, and hardcore.
Ultimately, the album title shifted mid-process, but the DNA of this chaotic, mascot-stuffed art lived on inside the LP as a bonus insert.
Final Art for the album
The band’s new record, It’s a Mad, Bad, Sad, Rad World, needed a new face. Enter “The Brunt of It Guy,” their own grinning, world-dominating mascot. He’s a puppet master in a suit, pulling strings, manipulating skeleton henchmen, and grinning through the madness. I leaned into their existing red, yellow, and black palette to keep it raw and aggressive.
The result? An album cover that pairs perfectly with their sound: fast, brassy ska-core with a bite of humor and a middle finger to the powers that be. Think early Mighty Mighty Bosstones cranked through a distortion pedal.
The artwork matches their worldview: the world’s rigged, but you can still skank your way through it with a smile.