Safwat Saleem is on a (likely endless) mission to create a well-designed alternative to the ugly greeting card.
The Phoenix-based designer cites many problems we face in current culture, including "climate change, global hunger, [and] people being massive dicks online," but says that because ugly cards aren't high on that list, there hasn't been a solid effort against them.
And that's where he hopes "Greetings from Nowhere" can help.
See also: - Safwat Saleem's "A Bunch of Crock" is a Gag Reflex, of Sorts - Safwat Saleem on Expletives, Kickstarter, and Making 900 Screen Prints in Three Months - Big Brain Finalist: Safwat Saleem - A Sneak Peek at Letterpress Central: The Paper Studio's New Workshop Space
This year, Saleem is teaming up with Cindy and Gary Iverson of Letterpress Central in Chandler and printing series of six greeting cards on Johannot Blanc paper on an Original Heidelberg press.
Saleem says his designs were created "to entertain and to ensure that they don't suck as much as most other cards." The collection currently includes holiday, birthday, thank you, love, thinking about you, and not thinking about you designs with bar charts and Venn Diagrams influenced by his own opinions, pop culture, and how much he appreciates ice cream cones.
But before the team (including his Boston Terrier named James) can get to work, Saleem has some fundraising to do.
For "Greetings from Nowhere," Saleem says he's turning to Kickstarter, which helped fund two of his previous creative projects, including "A Bunch of Crock: Politicians, Pundits & Minorities" and "Oh Expletive: Zombies, Unicorns and 8-bit Creatures!". And because he wants backers to have their cards by the first week of December, he's on a tight deadline.
By Monday, November 19, Saleem hopes to rase $4,000, which will cover the cost of printing and shipping. Project backers can receive a combination of designs and sets that also come with temporary tattoos and notebooks (depending on how much you pledge).
For more information and pledge amounts, check out the "Greetings from Nowhere" Kickstarter page.