Are You An Obama Girl?

Unless you've been living in Mars (or you're DMX, who apparently had no clue a black man was running for president... yes, we can all shake our heads in unison), you're well aware of the Democratic party's two presidential candidates. And, if you've been paying attention, you know Barack Obama is sweeping the floor with Hillary (Yes, I said it! She needs to go lick her wounds in a corner and stop scheming on how she can win by indulging in mudslingin' nonsense -- after all, that type of unethical behavior is what the Republicans are there for! lol) But I'm veering off course. The point is that this is a historically definitive time and that, win or lose, Barack Obama represents a beacon of hope for African-Americans and Latinos... Only a decade or so ago, Chris Rock was doing skits about being a black president as if it were the most unfathomable prospect ever. Crazy, right?

In that spirit, two amazingly talented artists, Munk One and Sam Flores, have collaborated with The 008 and Upper Playground to design these limited-edition screenprint portraits of Obama. Only 200 posters by each artist are available, all of which are numbered and signed. The proceeds from the posters' sales will go to producing more campaign T-shirts and posters by other artists, all in a massive psah to secure Obama's presidential bid.

The first poster pictured is a straight-forward portrait of Obama by Munk One, a.k.a. Jose Mercado, a California-based illustrator who has worked with such bands as My Chemical Romance, Avenged Sevenfold and Korn. What's remarkable about the poster is how he captures Obama's intense glance and how he zooms in on every facial feature -- from the creases around the eyes to the strong, square chin.

But my favorite is the Sam Flores poster, which is rife with symbolism and interesting, trademark details. The white doves, of course, are a classic symbol of peace (also, note the peace sign behind Obama), and the butterflies represent rebirth and transformation. But there are more subtle bits too. If you look at the characters surrounding Obama, you'll notice the man pumping his fist in the air on the right-hand side. In front of him, you'll notice a girl that pops up in most of Flores' artwork. Aso, below them is Tiger Baby, the character that was made into a collectible vinyl figure (thanks to a partnership with StrangeCo) several years ago. I just love the feel of this poster - it manages to capture what it feels like to be hopeful.

$200 per poster. Visit htp://www.upperplayground.com to pre-order. Posters will ship on April 21, 2008.