Ernie Cefalu

[Shoesalesman]

It was suggested that Ernie have a thread in General Discussion to update us on the many goings-on in the album cover art world (especially relating to Alice Cooper), a thread where he can update us, one that makes information easier to find for those interested.

This is a message from Ernie from another thread...


"Calling All Alice Cooper Fans"

Now for the first time ever there are some unique opportunities,
Introducing the Original Album Cover Art Store powered by @Google http://ow.ly/1iqn1
check it at: check it out for your self! Enjoy, and thank you - Ernie

[Ernie Cefalu]

Hey Shoesalesman and Little Mermaid, thank you and all my friends here on "SICKTHINGS"

For setting this link up for me, this is great and I will start populating it tomorrow, as I am still working on sketches for a Monday morning meeting.

I will be offering special pricing for you "SICKTHINGS" only, on any and all Alice Cooper pieces offered on my new e-commerce site. I will be giving you more details as soon as I get a moment to get it together. Thanks again... all. - Ernie

[Shoesalesman]

Little Mermaid is Jaded's doing, not mine.

[Ernie Cefalu]

"Here Is Craig Brauns Responce To My Rolling Stones Tongue Logo Design "Back Story!" The Story was posted on RockPop Gallery over a year ago.

FYI... When Craig requests that he be Googled on Facebook" because he is the oine credited with these projects" he is not just talking about The Stones Tongue that I did but Alice Coopers "School's Out" Cheech & Chong's "Big Bambu" Grand Funk Railroads "E Pluribus Funk" albums as well!

THIS STORY (I JUST RECEIVED FROM A JOURNALIST) IS FILLED
WITH IMAGINATION, BUT IT'S SIMPLY NOT FACTUAL...IN OH, SO MANY WAYS
PERHAPS ERNIE THOUGHT I HAD PASSED AWAY...
SO HE COULD PUT FORTH THIS SELF-AGRANDIZING, TALE OF JIVE & MISREPRESENTATION!
FRANKLY, I'M SURPRISED THAT
THE REPORTER OF THIS PIECE HADN'T
GOTTEN IN TOUCH WITH ME TO CHECK THE VERACITY OF HIS STORY...GOOGLE ME...I'M THE NAME CREDITED TO THESE PROJECTS...AND YOU'LL HAVE TRUTH NOT SOMEONE'S (LITERALLY IN THIS CASE) PIPE DREAMS!!

Posted by: CRAIG BRAUN | February 04, 2010 at 01:43 AM

If you haven't yet read the story take a minute or five too, it's fun reading and the comments are even better especially after Craigs. And if you feel moved to do so please leave an honest comment. Thank you- Ernie

Here is the link:

http://rockpopgallery.typepad.com/rockp ... efalu.html

[Ernie Cefalu]

"CALLING ALL ALICE COOPER FANS!"

Check out all the really cool "Coop" stuff that I just posted some of which I am certain you have never seen. Also there will be a lot of new Alice stuff coming down the line so stay tuned, and thanks to all my fellow "SICKTHINGSUK" for your support. - Ernie

http://www.facebook.com/ernie.cefalu

[Ernie Cefalu]

Here Is An Alice Cooper Piece That's "NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE!"

Hey really glad that you all like vintage Alice Cooper stuff. So between us there will be some "never seen" before images making there way to these pages very shortly.

For a "quick peek under the tent" how about the never been seen by anyone other Alice, Shep, Alice's manager, myself and the two artists that did it with me... "The Alice At The Palace" Poster for the concert that didn't happen! Coming Soon! - Ernie

[Dannorama]

Pure greatness! Thank you so much for sharing all of these gorgeous gems, Ernie. To me, Pacific Eye & Ear carries the same weight as 20th Century Fox. I have always been a humble fan. Thanks for EVERY thing!

[Ernie Cefalu]

"THANK YOU SO MUCH"

Billion Dollar Baby, your words are greatly appreciated and I am truly humbled by them. Furthmore I will make sure that you are one of the very first ones to see "what's under the tent" as I move forward with Alice, including three other things that I am working on with Alice and Shep! - Ernie

P.S. Please reach out to me with you're personal Email at: www.originalalbumcoverart.com and I will make sure that you are on the short list!

[Ernie Cefalu]

"EARTH SHAKING NEWS"

Man I have to say, I am blown away with some great, really hot news about Alice that I can reveal shortly. It's amazing and personally crazy. As soon as i get the nod, I will say it here first... so stay tuned! - Ernie

[daytripper]

All good to me. Thanks Ernie

[Ernie Cefalu]

Thank you all for the kind words and wishes, I will certainly keep you and all our neighbors here in "SICKTHINGSUK HANGOUT" up to the minute up-dates as I am able but for sure you will here it here first. Things like Alice will be performing "Schools Out" on American Idol tomorrow night, so be sure to tune in. - Ernie

[Ernie Cefalu]

"Hello Fashon Flusher"
Thanks for weighing-in and your positive words, I will strive to deliver to them.
- Ernie

[Ernie Cefalu]

"DADA GOD"
It's all good to me as well! - Ernie

[Ernie Cefalu]

"Billion Dollar Baby"
Thanks for falling bye and leaving a comment, they truley do mean a lot to me - Ernie

[Si]

Ernie..

Just so you know, You seem to be replying to members *ranks* rather than their names. If you look at your posts, and see where it has your name in yellow, then look at the other posts the actual members name is above the "rank" of 'Dada God' or 'Fashion Flusher'.
These ranks signify how many posts a member has posted, so a LOT of members have the rank of 'Dada God' not just one person.
Just letting you know

[Ernie Cefalu]

"THANK YOU SO MUCH SI"

Hey man did I get you're name right? As I said before I am truly a "Late Boomer!" I will with everyone's help try and finally start to know what I'm doing on a computer. Your "SICKTHINGSUK Friend - Ernie

[Ernie Cefalu]

"YOU ALL KNOW WHO YOU ARE"

I would like to appolagize to all my fellow
"SICKTHINGS," if I have (up till now) not responded to you're comments correctly. My brother Si has instructed me as to what I was doing right but more imortantly what I was doing wrong... so that will not happen again. - Ernie

[Dragonlady]

I bet it's a great feeling. As an illustrator myself I am always very attentive to such things. I regret the good old days of vinyl when album covers were really something to look at. I suppose it's safe to assume that this one will also come out in vinyl like ACAS did.

And don't worry about confusing things. Even I am sometimes confused by this layout and at the beginning used to confuse names and ranks. And I've been using web forums for 10 years!

[Ernie Cefalu]

"Questions From A True Alice Cooper Fan!"

Happy Mimoral Day Lee,
and thanks for reaching out to me regarding one of my all time favorite subjects... Alice Cooper!
Let me start with your last question first, Yes the full color version of the Medusa Head is an "Original Piece" that we are offering, like all my "Original Signed Art," prints as well as the "Originals!"

The Medusa Head logo illustrated by Joe Garnet, was originally designed for the "Alice At The Palace" Broadway Production. The Medusa Head is only one of three pieces that make up the over all poster. The poster has an awesome Ingrid Hanke (Areosmiths "Toys In The Attic" cover artist) border and some cool lettering that I designed. The actual poster was never produced because the show never happened, The Palace Theatre backed out after they had realized just who Alice Cooper was!

The Medusa Head was the only piece that saw the light of day, in Time Magazine Black & white, full color patches and a one color version on the billion dollar pull out bill in the "Billion Dollar Babies" album. That being said we have for the "first time ever" assembled all the elements and will be offering full color "Prints From The Original" posters, that I would be remiss if I didn't tell you they are AWESOME LOOKING!

I still own the Pacific Eye & Ear name and all the art work for the prints, Alice's Album, Burton Cummings New Album "Above The Ground" our "Drew Struzan Book" featuring over 70 pieces, many which are never seen before corporate pieces, and all other OACA Projects are being worked on by myself and three other Pacific Eye & Ear people.


Thank you so much for your interest and great questions.
Your friend and fellow Alice Cooper fan.- Ernie

[Ernie Cefalu]

"The Great Alice Cooper Questions Continue!"

Happy Mimoral Day Lee, and thanks for reaching out to me regarding one of my all time favorite subjects... Alice Cooper!

On Mon, May 31, 2010 at 5:57 PM, Lee wrote:

>And to you, we all enjoy a good holiday!! Glad to hear you enjoy Alice so much, and thanks for the response ;-)

Same to you Lee, and I am having a great one.

Let me start with your last question first, Yes the full color version of the Medusa Head is an "Original Piece" that we are offering, like all my "Original Signed Art," >prints as well as the "Originals!"

>So how much do you sell the art prints for?

If you go to this link it will show you some samples of the type prints I offer and their price ranges. All my pieces will be based on these first few. I hope that helps

http://sites.google.com/site/originalal ... -cover-art

The Medusa Head logo illustrated by Joe Garnet, was originally designed for the "Alice At The Palace"
Broadway Production. The Medusa Head is only one of three pieces that make up the over all poster.
The poster has an awesome Ingrid Hanke (Areosmiths "Toys In The Attic" cover artist) border and some
cool lettering that I designed. The actual poster was never produced because the show never happened,
The Palace Theatre backed out after they had realized just who Alice Cooper was!


>Such a shame this never happened. Everything I have read about this event, it would have been an earth shattering event. The BDB tour was groundbreaking, but this seemed even more ahead of its time. These days though it seems even the magnitude of the Billion Dollar Babies tour is forgotten. I've only every seen footage of these early tours, but I don't think BDB has ever been rivaled ;-) Rock historians/media should be ashamed of themselves for letting history forget its significance.

I so agree, as the production itself was unbelieveably great! Joe Gannon was directing and we created and built two Medusa Head gear complete with moving snakes and flashing eyes! Alice was to ware one during the performance.

The Medusa Head was the only piece that saw the light of day, in Time Magazine Black & >white, full color patches and a one color version on the billion dollar pull out bill in the "Billion Dollar Babies" album.

>I actually have the patch of the Medusa Head. Such cool imagery. It was used on a Japanese single too - for Teenage Lament '74. I've attached a copy for you to check out...

That's cool, I have several of them myself. I also have something I bet you have never seen, it's three Sterling Silver Medusa Head Belt buckles. We only made fifty and each one was numbered. On the front was Alice and the snakes the back was a vagina with a snake tale laying in it.

The snake's head is raised at the other end, and become's the latch to the belt. They are pieces of art that I had commissioned a sculpter that I went to art school with, to create them.

That being said we have for the "first time ever" assembled all the elements and will
be offering full color "Prints From The Original" posters, that I would be remiss if I didn't tell you
they are AWESOME LOOKING!

>Sounds very cool! Any chance you could give me a sample image of the final poster? I'm not sure if your prints would be in my price range, but I'd definitely be interested in finding out just how much they'd be. Alice must be an artists dream come true... there are just so many pieces to the character of Alice!

What kind of run did you do on the prints? I'd also happily do some kind of feature in the news page on my site advertising the prints if you let me have some of the images to use in order to do that - don't have to be large or anything like that. You might get a little bit of traffic from this ;-)


As for the numbered/signed prints I am working that out as we speak. We are speaking right now to 5 seperate sites the prints will be offered on. As for the digital prints they are not signed or numbered but do come with a "Letter Of Authenticity." I will see what I can supply you with to put on your site, and after viewing your site and reading your Emails, I feel certain that you are truly a fan, as well as a good person.

I still own the Pacific Eye & Ear name and all the art work for the prints, Alice's Album, Burton Cummings
New Album "Above The Ground" our "Drew Struzan Book" featuring over 70 pieces, many which are
never seen before corporate pieces, and all other OACA Projects are being worked on by myself and
three other Pacific Eye & Ear people.


>I saw there was a "The Golden Age Of Custom Album Packaging" Alice Cooper Kindle book on Amazon, which sounded like I need to pick it up. ;-)


I have Eight "Back Stories" on amazon.com but don't buy them because I will send them to you but only if you wish to read them. There are two on Alice, so please let me know and I will send then right along.

>There hasn't been a big buy in for Alice for a long time. The last album release (Along Came A Spider) had some very good/supportive people working for him. This was a first in a long time. It sounds like you guys had a good relationship, and it'll be great to see that relationship revived. I know there isn't as much importance on packaging and sleeve design these days - heck the product is so small in most cases - vinyl is making a return though!! - it'll be nice to have some people who know it's importance once more ;-)

>So how did you get hooked up with the Alice camp originally, was it by coincidence by working for Wilkes & Braun? The first project was School's Out, or did you know the guys before this? Such great packaging, it was carved in a real desk wasn't it? I remember the desk being on tour/show at some point somewhere. Were the panties part of your concept, or were they added later? They've always seemed such an odd item in the mix, but work so well - although a bitch to get in the package when putting it away ;-)

No, I was the Creative Director with Craig Braun in New York and was being sent out to Los Angeles to open his West Coast office. I had already started working on the school desk concept there, knowing his manager was going to be in LA as well. So I designed it, built a working comp, and as soon as I got to LA, made a "cold call" and an appoitment with Shep Gordon Alice's manager by telling him that I had a "KILLER" cover idea for Alices new album "School's Out" and he agreed to meet with me.

All this happened a month and a half before I quit Craig Braun and started Pacific Eye & Ear. But because I had been working for Craig I could not take that
package with me to finish. It stayed with Craig and within two weeks of me leaving Craig formed Wilkes Braun and that only lasted about 6 months and Tom
Wilkes quit!

But Tom and Craig took all the credit for that album Cheech & Chong's "Big Bambu," and Grand Funk Railroad's "E pluris Funk" albums, all of which I designed!


Thank you so much for your interest and great questions. - Ernie

>Thanks for taking the time to respond, perhaps you can keep me updated with your progress as things move forward. Obviously I know you can't let me see your work, but I'd be interested to hear how far along you are and such details as and when you are able/have time. Hearing the progress of a masterpiece of modern day album art would be seriously interesting!!! ;-)


I will do what I am allowed to release, and I will try to make it timely as I am permitted to.

>Take care, Lee