Since Obama is now in his second hundred days (or twentieth business week, twelfth fortnight…) and people aren’t flocking to buy Hope related merchandise, you’d think that Shepard Fairey could take a nice summer vacation. But Arktip found the artist hard at work on a new print, complete with No Age’s punk soundtrack and a nice short-attention-span montage. Makes me want to have a productive Monday.

From beginnings in Stuttgard, Frerk and Marc C. Woehr have developed a style bringing street art into a realm of off-balance darkness. The atmosphere of their collaborative work looks like the product of the Brothers Quay reshaping an urban environment and all the characters emerging from it. While their work has appeared in publications and galleries all over Europe, their first show in the US will kick off at LA’s Carmichael Gallery on July 9th. Also, check out some of the Woehr’s work alongside Shepard Fairey’s at Art Basel Miami.

While we’re on the subject of doing something good, let’s turn our attention to Poketo’s Cancer Benefit and Art Auction going on this Friday. We’re always super behind their projects, but this one hits a cause that’s other than for profit. Forty L.A. artists from Shepard Fairey to Saelee Oh have donated pieces to be sold to caring and generous buyers interested in helping Poketo friend Justin Van Hoy help pay for his ongoing medical treatment after receiving a successful bone marrow transplant. No doubt those of you who are unemployed and thus out of health insurance (hell, I can’t even remember the last time I had health insurance myself) can understand how even a little bit of money can help. It’s a totally win-win situation—you get a great piece of work for a good price, help someone else while doing it and even get to pig out on free food and drinks. The silent auction takes place at the Poketo Studio in L.A. this Friday from 7 to 10 p.m. Does good karma exist? Time to test it out.

Between the happy hours, film festival, art showings, discussions about technology and concerts, there isn't much not to love about the Noise Pop festival that's dominating San Francisco until March 1. One of the highlights of the 17th year of the arts and culture festival promises to be Pop N' Shop, the independent design fair that squeezes as much clothing and unique knickknacks into one afternoon as possible. If you can't wait until the weekend, Wednesday will feature Stephen Malkmus performing solo at the Great American Music Hall and Martha Wainwright at Slim's. Also, a retrospective of festival posters and design that runs through the week is set to feature work by Thomas Campbell, Shepard Fairey, and a few other artists you may have heard of.

We have no idea yet whether or not Watchmen will be as appetizing as The Dark Knight or as revolting as Catwoman. But we do know is that it’s directed by 300’s Zack Snyder, so it has a fighting chance at being great. The film, based on the comic created by writer Alan Moore (who also published the super-dirty comic Lost Girls) and artist Dave Gibbons and set in an alternative 1985 where Nixon is still President, the U.S. is on the verge of going into nuclear war with the U.S.S.R. and superheroes aren’t just part of our collective imagination. In advance of blockbuster’s release later this year, eerie illustrator Alex Pardee’s company Zerofriends is selling a Watchman-inspired print at this weekend’s New York Comicon.

For those of you on the West Coast, Pardee will be a part of The Art of Rebellion, a one-night-only group art show for Harley Davidson held this Saturday (2/7) night at the Robert Berman Gallery in Santa Monica. Other artists at the event include Shepard Fairey, Frank Kozik, and Tara McPherson.

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It may be a month late, but new ideas are never out of style. Studio Number One just issued their 2009 New Ideal Calendar with 12 months worth of fresh typography and illustration from Shepard Fairey, Zach Gibson, Kristian Henson, Philip Lumbang, Jesselisa Moretti, Cleon Peterson, Casey Ryder and Florencio Zavala. With so trouble in our time, they chose to see each day as a little bit of space for working toward innovating and solving problems. Studio Number One’s 2009 calendar is printed in black and white, spiral bound and measures 9″ x 14″ (opened). Perfect gift for font nerds who need organizational tools. Available now at Subliminal Projects.

Face it, Shepherd Fairey is not going to be turning your likeness into an iconic poster anytime soon. Unless your name is Barack Obama — in which case, hello Mr. President! But that doesn’t mean you’re SOL. Paste Magzine and the Zazzle – a site that specializes in customizable retail objects – have teamed up to give you the opportunity to “Obamicon” yourself. Just upload an image or use your webcam, select a saying or write in your own, and share it with friends. You can even order U.S. stamps featuring your own mug. Stuck on ideas? Check out their gallery of top picks like “Fail” one featuring George W. Bush.

Needy dogs in shelters and Barack Obama are about to have something in common. In addition to being “mutts” like Obama, they are now also the subject of an iconic Shepard Fairey poster. As the new first family readies to move into the White House and adopt a shelter puppy, millions of other animals around the U.S. desperately await homes. Shepard was approached by Pia Salk, an animal advocate working with the non-profit Adopt-a-Pet.com, to collaborate on a way to help these animals.

Fairey says, “I’m a big believer in speaking up for all who suffer injustice, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation or in this case, species!  And I’m all for adopting from the shelter. My wife and I share our home with two pooches,  George and Weezie, who is a rescue. They are the happy canine siblings to our two human daughters. The image I created for this print reminds me of a dog I had as kid, a mutt named Honey.”

The image will be available in a limited run of 400 signed and numbered silk-screen prints later this month at muttslikeme.com. Proceeds from the sale will go to getting the nation’s “furry, non-partisan residents” into homes. In true Shepard Fairey-fashion, you can also download free wheat-pasteable PDFs and digital-age web banners on the site. Get the word out!

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.

Popdeck: Buy It ($30 – $40)
A user designed skateboard deck may not be stocking size, but one community member’s design featuring Obama and McCain in KISS makeup is a great ode to ‘08.

Alta Bike (not pictured): Read JS Review | Buy It (â‚665)
The current positive post-election sentiment is further complimented by Alta Bikes’ decision to sell their monochromatic single speed bikes stateside.

ARTSPROJEKT x Zazzle Skateboards: Read JS Review | Buy It ($70)
Why give Lil Jon’s music or Shepard Fairey’s prints when skateboard decks designed by the artists will get more use (and attention)?

Cannondale x G-Star Bike (not pictured): Read JS Review | Buy It
This green machine is a collaboration between Cannondale and G-Star, and has the features to prove it — corked grips, nylon tube covers, and a Brooks saddle make it easy to covet.

Mustache Rides: Read JS Review | Buy It (”S**t ain’t cheap)
Uncle Ira never looked as good as he does with a hand-painted dark ’stache, and your favorite Ernesto will have you to thank for introducing him to Lawrence Melilli’s line of gentlemanly decks.

Grotesk x 5BORO: Read JS Review | Buy It ($50)
5BORO Stakeboards shouldn’t be the only ones to pay tribute to Brooklyn designer Grotesk’s yellow and black “stuck gate” sticker collection — the honorary T-shirt is sure to look good gracing the back of someone on your list.

Monument Snowboards: Read JS Review | Buy It ($300 – $430)
Forget sugarplums — Monument (MNMT) Snowboards’ geometric decks are colorful enough to be dancing through your giftee’s head from now until the first snow day.

Calle Street Soccer: Read JS Review | Buy It ($40)
Calle creator Travis Winn is the one who deserves a gift for reintroducing classic soccer balls and gear inspired by street soccer players worldwide (not to mention for sparing your loved ones Umbra-style eyesores).

Chuck Anderson Wondering Off into Space: Read JS Review | Buy It ($30)
A new book by one of our favorites featuring Chuck’s catalog of illustrations and photographs, new and old. Themes of his works include sharks, space, light bubbles and colors that make you think you are traveling through time. Just a note, it comes out early December.

Lina Scheynius: Read JS Review | Buy It (â‚12)
The very intimate photographer has collected some of her most telling images into a book. The very minimalist design let the pictures speak for themselves: romance, travel, haircuts, sleep, nature and the capturing of light that will stop you in your tracks. Plus its super cheap.

Russ Mills: Read JS Review | Buy It (£25)
Just a warning, his prints are hard to get hold of. They sell out quick and come in limited quantities because his prices are great and his artwork is better.

Obey (Shepard Fairley): Read JS Review | Buy It ($25-$50)
We all agree it was a good year for Obama, but it was also an amazing year for Shepard Fairley. His Obama Hope print has become a fixture not only of the art world, but of the political world. Unfortunately, his the famous print is sold out, but Obey still has some amazing prints.

Jeff Soto Storm Clouds: Read JS Review | Buy It ($41)
Robots and rainbows. So many of Jeff’s paintings begin that way, but then they become so much more. Storm Clouds is a journey through Jeff’s world, as dark and innocent as it can be.

Dyna Moe’s Mad Men Illustrations: Read JS Review | Buy It ($3-$21)
These are obviously perfect for the holidays. Really classy 60s style art — even if you aren’t a fan of the show. Perfect for your cards and thank you notes. A few larger prints are also available for a few extra bucks.

Michael Latimer Surrogate Print: Read JS Review | Buy It (£60-£90)
Michael might be most known for his skateboards and t-shirts, but he wowed everyone with his Surrogate print. We called it a bit of a Murakami nightmare when we first reviewed it, but it has become one of our favorite prints of the year. Available in red and blue.

Si Scott Smoke and Mirrors: Read JS Review | Buy It ($5.95)
Everyone needs a deck of playing cards, especially for family reunions. Might as well make have a trick up your sleeve. And by trick I mean Si Scott designed cards. His beautiful matching decks (one smoke, inverse colors for mirror) are the only ones you need, hands down.

Design Supremo: Read JS Review | Buy It (£4-£270)
Just to cover all bases, the Design Supremo print factory covers a large pool of artist and their creations. If the other items on this list hasn’t set you off, browse through their collection of prints, clothing, thumb drives, coffee mugs, buttons, cards, books … well, everything. If you can’t find something there to give … bah humbug.

If everything goes the way the polls are saying, tomorrow night’s Democratic Party Election Night Celebration in Los Angeles will not only be round of hi-fives for the hard work that went into getting the apathetic behind Obama, but also a mark of success for an underground movement that helped get him elected for the important post. Shepard Fairey, who created posters of the candidate, will be DJing alongside other prominent Obama supporter Z-Trip. The star-studded event will feature guests like California Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, as well as non-politicians like Sarah Silverman and Zooey Deschanel. It’s a party that no doubt will be memorable, especially the very second when the next president is announced. I can hear the resounding roars of happiness already. The party’s free—just RSVP here, and be ready to celebrate.

One week left to go before the presidential election. We’ve shown you the posters, shirts, websites, bike, video game and toys. Now it is up to you guys to actually go out and do it. Just in case you need a little extra encouragement, a new website THUNDERVOTE.com has launched with the direct goal of getting out the vote. You can print off posters, make a paper toy and even instructions on making your own Obama bike (if you’re an Obama supporter), all for free from the design brain of Tristan Eaton. Make your way to the website and turn your office into a DIY campaign headquarters. And remember Thundervote’s motto: Don’t be stupid. Show up and vote on November 4th.

According to some, the streets are at a crossroads. Not long ago, the art covering the bricks and blank spaces of the city was more likely to get you in trouble than in Christie's, but today's take leans more towards halos than handcuffs. This shift can partially be attributed to the quality of today's work (and the hype that surrounds it) but also, strangely enough, to the financial opportunities that have arisen within graffiti. No matter the game, the rules change when money and fame join the party — and they've certainly started to party with street art.

In order to suss out if these fears had a foundation, we decided to take a sit with Doodles, a 20-year-old out of the Bay Area who we consider a member of the ‘new school' of street artists. He also happens to be in school, adding another interesting element to our interview. Say hello to the future of graf art, readers — it's looking good.

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These days, you can hardly round a city block without coming across wheat-pasted, stenciled and sticker-bombed walls. With artists like Shepard Fairey and Banksy getting plenty of attention for their street art, there is an “artist” you’ve likely encountered but for whom fame remains elusive…until now. Brooklyn designer Grotesk is calling out the original kings of NY sticker art as the folks behind the “stuck gate” stickers. The yellow and black rectangular notices are adhered to metal gates and offer help to shopkeepers with malfunctioning gates. They are a part of the New York City landscape, and Grotesk collected them over several years of walking around the five buroughs. Empire Gates and crew will finally achieve a small dose of glory when on September 15th, 5BORO Skateboards will release this tribute skateboard and t-shirt.