INSERT ELEVEN. SEPTEMBER 2023.
Jennifer (3). Chapter excerpt from the upcoming novel.
As I looked around, between the trees, I noticed tiny particles dancing elegantly in the atmosphere, irradiated by the warm glow of a sun I could not see. The air was crisp and fresh, unlike any other day I had ever known. In the sky, I saw Jupiter, so beautiful, with his ever-watching red eye. It was early morning, yet I saw the stars—even a comet.
When I looked upon the land before me, I saw Luna running around in huge circles, like the crazy dog she always was. In the distance, I saw a small house made of bricks, unlike any other I had ever seen. I heard laughter coming from that house—the laughter of a voice I somehow knew yet could not put a face to, and I knew I was loved.
When I looked down, after looking once again at Jupiter’s eye, I noticed my hair was past my belly button. It was long and black, as I have always wanted it to be. For the very first time, I felt complete—the way I was meant to be. A tear dropped from my eye in happiness I had never felt before.
The warm embrace of that morning will always be my Tuesday morning, the day the sun rose so softly, never to set until I slept, where I hope I will dream of Luna and mom laughing at my silly jokes. I feel love, and I love you so much. Whoever you are, I promise I will hold your hand for all eternity.
Andrew Godfrey.
INSERT TEN. AUGUST 2023.
As I listened to my favorite song, Tunnels To God by Primitive Man/Full Of Hell, I found myself lost in thought. Thoughts of my favorite films, typefaces, Loki (my dog of thirteen years, who sadly passed away), and this particular year in high school, where I spent most of my time staring at hard rock and heavy metal album covers, always listening to new sounds. That final year in high school, I became entrenched in illustration, designing typefaces, and screen printing t-shirts and posters for local heavy metal acts. I would spend countless hours designing and preparing artwork for the silk screens, purchasing materials and inks to create detailed pieces of art by hand. Often, the nights were spent listening to Ozzy Osborne, Megadeth, Bolt Thrower, and Terrorizer. Within a few years, I had transferred my taste in music from the top 40 artists such as Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, and Whitesnake to a territory most of my friends did not initially relate to.
One night I completed a series of t-shirts for a local Christian metal band, and upon finishing, I used the remainder of the ink to screen print a few Holy Terror t-shirts for Jason, Michael, and myself. It was a great night.
That final year in high school moved swiftly, studying design, photography, English, sociology, and history. Since art class was not design-friendly, focusing more on sewing and weaving, I worked hard on classes I preferred.
Of great inspiration was a teacher named Ed Roelink, who taught the design and photography classes. Marker pen illustration, Rotring pen illustration, air brush illustration, poster design, typeface design, screen printing, and photography would fuel my days and nights. Mr. Roelink was an outstanding teacher.
As the final year of high school ended, I graduated, but I did not go to the graduation dance or ceremony; instead, I was already working as an interior designer and decorator for an older friend. Sadly, upon completion of the work, a drunk driver crashed his car into the house, coming to a halt in the living room. Luckily, nobody was hurt.
As the final moments of Tunnels To God played out, I enjoyed remembering that year—the conversations about music, politics, the universe, and what the future could bring.
As the next track on my playlist, Suspirium by Thom Yorke, began playing, the melancholic track had me thinking of a warm embrace while dancing slowly with my wife, Jennifer, in the kitchen while cooking dinner. That Sunday in August of 2023 will forever be etched in my memory as a good day.
Andrew Godfrey.
INSERT NINE. JULY 2023.
Vermin Womb, Retaliation (Closed Casket Activities, 2022).
As far as heavy music is concerned, Vermin Womb’s Retaliation surpasses any other previous grindcore release to-date. For anyone who is not familiar with Ethan McCarthy’s other projects, such as Primitive Man, whose unrelenting, caustic sound is as devastating as being torn apart by a black hole, Vermin Womb is described perfectly on their Instagram account as ‘Grindcore From Hell’. The vocals are even heavier, more dense, and more impactful than anything previously recorded by Primitive Man, which is something that requires listening to be believed.
After many years of silence following Decline (Throatruiner Records, 2016), Vermin Womb returns with an album even more devastating than imaginable. Vice.com described the 2016 release Decline with the title ‘Vermin Womb’s Decline Will Probably Kill Us All’, however, anyone who survived listening to Decline will surely know Retaliation will not kill you but may hold you in the gravitational field of a neutron star, awaiting a fate far worse than death.
From the first track, Ceumbling World Without Joy, Retaliation sets off a nuclear blast of grindcore that is vicious, unrelenting, and unparalleled in the world of metal. By the time you reach the third track, Denvoid, Ethan McCarthy’s unearthly vocal style, matched with the ferocious speed of the band, immerses you in not only a world without joy but a universe fuelled by hatred.
Further tracks such as Boiled World, Art District Without Artists, and Real Trauma (Bomb First) have such weight that it feels as if the entire Milky Way galaxy is already being pulled into The Great Attractor. The only pause between the insurmountable heaviness of the grindcore is Ambulance, which is a wall of pure noisecore lasting two minutes and eleven seconds, before Vermin Womb launches back into grindcore mode for the final two tracks.
Having a run-time of merely seventeen-plus minutes, the sonic barrage that is Vermin Womb’s Retaliation delivers enough time to inflict the most brutal devastation imaginable on the entire universe, and any other universe if it may exist.
Retaliation is nothing short of the magnificent destructive force that grindcore is meant to be. For fans of the heaviest music possible.
Andrew Godfrey.
INSERT EIGHT. JULY 2023.
The Oliva Master Blends 3 in Churchill is an outstanding cigar, to say the least. From ignition, this cigar showcases flavors of roast coffee, earth, sweet spice, and mild pepper with a creamy texture. Within the first third, the flavors transition delightfully, adding an element of salted dark chocolate that comes together with the initial flavors elegantly. Throughout the second third, the Nicaraguan ligero and Connecticut broadleaf wrapper provide a sensational mix of subtle sweetness with a rich, earthy, full-bodied finish. The final third delivers all the aforementioned flavors, which linger on the palate, allowing the fine salted dark chocolate presence to come forth. The Oliva Master Blends 3 lasts on the tastebuds for hours, undeniably becoming tastier after finishing. It is most certainly a well-crafted masterpiece that will be remembered. Most definitely, worthy of purchasing by the box.
Many thanks to Oliva (olivacigar.com) for creating this work of art and to Atlantic Cigar Company (atlanticcigar.com) for supplying their customers with outstanding products at amazing prices, along with customer service that is second-to-none.
Andrew Godfrey.
INSERT SEVEN. JULY 2023.
The rectangle in landscape format appeals to humans more than any other geometric shape known to man. The quadrilateral parallelogram that is a rectangle has been revered by artists and architects throughout the existence of mankind. This shape is ever-present in modern-day society in all forms of architecture, art, televisions, flags, books, magazines, packaging, and smart phones.
Over 150,000,000 years ago, our ancestors looked up and scanned their environment in a left-to-right sweeping motion, creating a rectangular viewing area. Over time, this shape has been written into our DNA as a thing of beauty as we sought to find safety from predators and food for survival.
Fast-forward to today, and we still use the rectangle in all forms of communication. Leonardo DaVinci claimed that the perfect, most pleasing rectangular shape was created using the golden ratio, or devine proportion, of 1.618. However, this exact proportional measurement has been proven to not be the most perfect, pleasing parallelogram, as many rectangular shapes are appealing, as showcased in the shapes within buildings, houses, windows, books, magazines, and films—of which most are shot in widescreen (16.9 ratio). This is the exact format in which televisions and computer monitors are created today.
Those of us who still read books or magazines take in information easily in the rectangular format. An unopened book or magazine is in vertical format; however, when opened, it is a horizontal format in which we explore the contents (in most cultures and languages) from left to right. It is the same for smart phones and devices where we watch YouTube content or social media.
As long as humans have two eyes, we will view everything in a landscape rectangular format, relate to it, and create using this shape.
Andrew Godfrey.
INSERT SIX. JULY 2023.
On Friday, June 30, 2023, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled in favor of Lorrie Smith to deny non-heterosexual couples graphic design work. As Lorrie sees it, same-sex couples requesting graphic design work for wedding websites from her violates her rights granted under the First Amendment as a Christian woman and a Christian graphic designer. The case points to wedding website graphic design work requested by a man (currently unnamed) who, as he stated, has never requested a wedding website design and has been married to a woman for fifteen years.
The legal team behind the Colorado Supreme Court win in favor of Lorrie Smith, called Alliance Defending Freedom, may have secured the freedom of right-wing Christians to uphold their right to, in fact, discriminate against anything and anyone they do not believe is right before God; however, does this company defend freedom? Perhaps a better name for Alliance Defending Freedom could be ‘Alliance Defending Only Right-Wing Christian Freedom’.
The majority of graphic designers are good people who do not discriminate and furthermore, work wholeheartedly to create art for a wide range of clients, despite any relevance whatsoever to the clients’ sexual preferences, lack of sexual preference (asexual), or gender identity.
Obviously, I am a graphic designer, and I have worked for a wide variety of clients. These clients have been Christian, Jewish, male, female, transgender, heterosexual, homosexual, and asexual, all with different requirements pertaining to the business of graphic design. Furthermore, I have taught many students of different faiths, gender identities, and sexual preferences. In my thirty-plus years of working and lecturing in the field of graphic design, I have never denied a client their right to compelling graphic design and have never discriminated against any student who has differing beliefs in faith than I have or is of a different sexuality. Having written this, however, I would still not work on behalf of fascist or communist companies that I believe corrupt democracy or seek to harm humans in any way. In a certain sense, it is the right of Lorrie Smith to stand by her beliefs, just as it is mine to never create fascist or communist propaganda. Still, the legal repercussions of the decision made by the Colorado Supreme Court could have far-reaching repercussions in many areas of business, such as the propagation of religious and racial persecution. Only time will tell the full extent of how this decision may affect the laws and the very people these laws affect.
I will clearly state that in no way am I discriminating against anyone of any faith or belief system, as there are over 2,500 deities currently worshipped across the globe. That would potentially see me lose 2,499 clients. Now, that certainly is not good for business.
In any case, if any client wants a more creative and talented graphic designer than Lorrie Smith, there are many available.
Andrew Godfrey.
INSERT FIVE. JUNE 2023.
My wife, Jennifer, has set up a GoFundMe page in the hope of keeping me by her side as she suffers from progressive multiple sklerosis and a miningeal brain tumor. Every day she suffers in a great deal of pain. Her only wish is to keep me by her side and grant me the ability to work in the United States, which will help her with medical costs, thus relieving some of her pain and anxiety associated with her illnesses.
Jennifer has been taken advantage of, with her previous attorney taking her money and leaving her without hope over a one-year period.
Any assistance towards her cause is greatly appreciated. Sincerest thanks to anyone who helps in this dire situation. Many blessings to all who help.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/dying-woman-needs-help/widget/large
Andrew Godfrey.
INSERT FOUR. JUNE 2023.
I have been an avid film fanatic since my childhood, finding great entertainment in films such as the first three Star Wars films, Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom, Ghostbusters, Tron, The Black Hole, The Party, and every James Bond film starring Sean Connery. Television shows such as Doctor Who, Buck Rogers In The 25th Century, Miami Vice, Tales Of The Golden Monkey, and Automan kept me entertained even further on a daily and weekly basis.
For the most part, now, I find great joy in watching arthouse films such as Saint Maud, Men, Hereditary, Under The Skin, A Ghost Story, Infinity Pool, and First Reformed, as the storytelling and acting are unique, artistic, and explore many aspects of the human mind while having diverse subjects within the genre of arthouse film. Concurrently, I enjoy television shows such as The Handmaid’s Tale, Andor, and The Dick Van Dyke Show. Furthermore, I eagerly await the first live-action installment in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, spearheaded by Henry Cavill.
Film has always been, and still is, a constant source of inspiration. Whether any human being has a favorite genre of film or finds passion in documentaries is entirely up to the particular tastes of the viewer. Film fiction is exciting as it takes us to places that undeniably are not real, unless, of course films are based on real-life events (take the absurdity of Cocaine Bear as an example).
Whether a film or film franchise is successful or not does not matter as long as we have cinema to enjoy. Films are created for art, entertainment, education, and even the sole purpose of making money. If any person is not interested in a certain film, a film genre, or dislikes certain actors, it is their ability to simply not watch films that are not of interest to them.
When I watched the film Splash for the first time, I was enamored by Daryl Hannah, however, I did realize that mermaids are not real. It would be absurd to believe that a creature that is half human and half fish could actually exist, just as Darth Vader does not exist (as much as I would like it to be possible). So, at what point in time did certain people become offended that the live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid starring a black girl become so important? This is, after all, a creature that is pure fantasy. Mermaids do not exist and have never existed. Surely, any young person who is interested in mermaids would not be offended by a black mermaid, unless they were already indoctrinated with racism. If there are humans of varying colors, why couldn’t a mermaid be of any color? Aquaman was played by a Hawaiian man when the original comic depicted a white, blonde man, just as the original Black Adam was a white anti-hero that simply wore black. But somehow, the depiction of these two characters on screen, who were vastly different from the original comic book characters, did not stir up any controversy.
2023 sees a crisis in the minds of many based on the skin color of fictional characters. If a film is poorly written and acted, one can choose not to watch it after viewing a trailer or simply walk out of a theater if it is not enjoyed. While one person may enjoy a certain film, others will not. This is certainly the case with Ari Aster’s latest film, Beau Is Afraid. While some consider it art, others dislike the film immensely. Certainly, the film lost money at the box office for A24, but is it a career-killer for Ari Aster? This is something only time will tell. Personally, I would prefer to watch art in film that has the potential to create thought and emotion rather than an extended depiction of the same concept drawn out over ten films (Fast X, for example). When it comes to debating one film being of more importance to another, however, it is a useless point to pursue, as everyone is different and all types of people enjoy different things. This is what keeps cinema varied, interesting, and at the forefront of all artistic mediums.
I eagerly await the final season of Andor to witness what Luthen Rael (played by Stellan Skarsgård) is willing to do in order to create a rebellion against The Galactic Empire. In the meantime, the charisma of Dick Van Dyke and the elegant Mary Tyler Moore will keep me entertained while I continue checking if Betelgeuse is ever going supernova.
Andrew Godfrey.
INSERT THREE. JUNE 2023.
Music is defined as being ‘the art of ordering tones or sounds in succession, combination, and temporal relationships to form a composition having continuity’, but this very definition is highly debatable as the individual's perception of ‘what is music?’ is as dependent on how we personally define beauty in any form. Just as one individual will find the art of Vincent Van Gogh appealing, another will find the art of Jackson Pollock far more appealing. The paintwork is undeniably different between these two aforementioned artists, just as the sound of K-Pop is to grindcore.
While K-Pop is a scene (not merely a musical genre) that is most often mass-produced, written by many, then choreographed and welcomed by millions as music with a main focus on love, it has not been around anywhere near as long as rock and heavy metal—which have had incredible success throughout the globe over several decades and are, in fact, often written by one or a few band members, covering a vast range of topics from love, rebellion, political ideologies, horror, or even pure noise without any lyrics whatsoever.
During the 1980s, the world saw a rise in the prominence of hard rock and heavy metal music, with bands such as Def Leppard, Guns ‘N’ Roses, Skid Row, Mötley Crüe, and Metallica having number-one hits on music charts worldwide. Despite the fact that mainstream pop was (and still is) undeniably successful, the spirit of rebellion captured within the sound of heavy metal took the world by storm, and even bands such as Iron Maiden, who never had one top ten hit song, pulled in as many as 300,000 people in 1985 at the Rock in Rio concert. This concert may have had several artists headlining, but they were all heavy metal musicians. To-date, the fourth highest grossing concert tour of all-time is Guns ‘N’ Roses ‘Not In This Lifetime’ tour between 2016 and 2019, accumulating an annual gross of $584,200,000 despite the fact that the band had not had a solid hit album since Use Your Illusion I and II n 1991, which sold 7,000,000 copies each. Even though this was a success, the genre was dying in popularity in the 1990s thanks to the rise of the grunge music scene (which was still hard rock). However massive the best-known and remembered grunge band of all-time, Nirvana, was, selling 30,000,000 copies of Nevermind worldwide, it only solidifies the fact that hard rock and heavy metal sell. Today, Guns ‘N’ Roses Appetite For Destruction has also sold over 30,000,000 copies worldwide.
During the 1980s, heavy metal created its own sub-genres such as death metal and grindcore with bands such as Possessed (formed in 1981), Death, and Bolt Thrower (death metal bands), and Napalm Death (formed in 1981), Terrorizer, and Carcass (grindcore bands). While rhythm and technicality played a part in the sound of certain death metal bands, with grindcore, the music was more about speed, with tracks as short as three seconds. Today, the death metal genre has seen the rise of the sub-genre of brutal technical death metal, with bands such as Aborted (formed in 1995) and Archspire (formed in 2007) who focus on both technicality and speed, with Archspire tracks hitting speeds as fast as 400 BPM. The grindcore genre has created many sub-genres, such as goregrind (started by Carcass in 1985), cybergrind, porngrind, and crustgrind (to name a few), with bands such as Napalm Death (formed in 1981), Pig Destroyer, Bas Rotten, and Cephalic Carnage creating speed-driven and sometimes highly technical visions within the genre. Many of the artists within these genres of extreme metal have solid album sales, a huge following, and certainly sell-out concerts. It seems these particular genres of heavy metal will not disappear any time soon. In fact, the extreme spectrum of heavy metal has outlived the vast majority of the top ten heavy metal artists that were prevalent in the 1980s.
When it comes to the ‘anatomy of music', the very structure of anything musical comes into question, especially within the genres of ambient, dark ambient, and noisecore. While pioneers were experimenting with sound as early as 1913 (Luigi Russolo) in the field of noisecore and 1917 (Erik Satie) in the field of ambient music, the genre of ambient music can be traced back as far as nineteenth-century France. The term ‘dark ambient’ was coined in the 1990s by Roger Karmanik, and artists such as Raison D’être (formed in 1991) and Lull (1992) pioneered the genre. The work of dark ambient artists such as Alex Fidler, creator of Usurper (@usurper_kvlt on Instagram), who mysteriously vanished from the scene some years ago, and Otto Van Kleist, creator of El Prêtro Maniaco (releasing only one album, Recueil), took the genre to the bleakest areas imaginable. Even Otto Van Kleist himself stated, "The sound I created is far too dark for me to continue with or even listen to." Even without repeating beats or structure, the very concept of ‘what is music?' will forever be debated and cannot be defined.
As they say, ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’, and this proverb will stand true for each individual until the end of our existence. Whether mass-produced, mass-marketed, choreographed, written by many or few, utilizing musical instruments in an innovative, creative way, or not, there is no doubt that music can be both exciting, relaxing, and even healing.
Side note: If visiting @usurper_kvlt on Instagram, please be informed that there are images of self-harm and talk of suicide. I do not, in any way, endorse self-harm, suicide, or violence. If you are having thoughts of self-harm or suicide, please reach out to someone who may help in any way and/or call 988 within the United States. Outside of the United States, a number should be available to call in your particular country. Loneliness and depression are serious epidemics in modern-day society and should be taken seriously. I personally encourage anyone in a situation of loneliness or depression to reach out to another human who could possibly help, and I encourage anyone who bears witness to another human in these circumstances to reach out and help in any way possible. Always remember that we are all humans and should treat each other with compassion.
Andrew Godfrey.
INSERT TWO. JUNE 2023.
Knowledge of the five forms of linguistic registers is equally important in typography as it is in everyday speech and writing. Just as we learn and understand the correct use of grammar, syntax, and tone (emphasis on certain words), these patterns of speech and writing affect the typographic hierarchy in layout. However, this does not mean one cannot break the rules when it comes to placing emphasis on certain pieces of type. For example, a magazine layout will usually contain a title, introductory copy, body copy, and sometimes a pull quote. Placing emphasis on the title and the introductory copy will give the reader an ‘easy way in’ to the article, and the pull quote will provide a slice of information from the body copy that can be as important as the title itself. However, in layout design, sometimes it can be interesting if the pull quote is larger than the title, and even highlighted text from the body copy can engage the reader further. Not withstanding this, a pull quote does not necessarily need to be an entire line from the body copy, for even a few words that are selected and made larger that, in fact, do not make sense in their entirety can confound the reader into searching through the body copy for the entire sentence and its pertinence within an article.
While the use of ‘formal’ register is most often used in speeches, talks, or lectures, and often times in articles written about historical events, artists, celebrities, et cetera, which give the listener or reader a solid sense of knowledge about the subject matter, this does not mean that, at times, one cannot implement the use of other types of registers such as ‘casual’ or ‘intimate' as breaking out from the use of only one form of register can engage the listener or reader by breaking free of one constrained standard, which can, at times, make things boring. This often happens with interviews and most certainly does with creative writing and novelization. A conversational or printed interview can never be constrained within one register, as one cannot know the final outcome of an interview, and it is most certainly interesting when an interview contains more personal information than simple answers to simple or complex questions. More often than not, one question can lead to another unscripted question, throwing a level of depth into the conversation that is always a delight to the participant who shares in the information.
Syntax (the arrangement in which we place words and phrases) plays a huge role in the meaning of any sentence, as simply changing the placement of a single word can alter the intended outcome of what is being said, while tone (emphasis) on certain words or phrases drastically changes the impact of everything spoken or written. For example, using a soft-spoken voice while delivering a sentence but placing emphasis on a certain word has a major impact on the perception of what is said. The same applies to the written word, where in literature we see words italicized, giving a defining importance to thought and speech.
When applied to typography, all of these elements affect the structure of design, from editorial to packaging design. If the hierarchy of typography on a product we see on the shelves in a supermarket or any retail store does not function well, that product will not get recognition, leaving a brand without sales. This most definitely comes into play with branding, as we recognize logos or logotypes easily, and people are drawn to a brand they know to be trustworthy, true, or fashionable. If a food or beverage product did not have a hierarchy of information, we would not know what it was. Such is the power of the emphasis placed on any element within any design.
In a social setting, when used correctly with facial expression and body language, it can be the difference between getting a certain job or not, or even making a friend or losing one. In debating, all of these factors play an important role in winning or losing, if you have historical evidence and facts behind you.
Typography is the extension of speech and therefore should be explored and utilized with as much enjoyment as we do in conversations with people we like. The more one knows about their language and the use of it, the better the possibilities are of utilizing it within design, as typography is the basis for all written communication.
Andrew Godfrey.
INSERT ONE. JUNE 2023.
Life, as we know it, only exists on Earth. While scientists and researchers throughout the world have discovered as many as 300,000,000 potential inhabitable planets in our own Milky Way galaxy, this must be presented with the fact that billions of dead stars and entire solar systems exist where the possibility of life on worlds sustained by stars like our own sun developed and destroyed life-sustaining planets prior to going supernova, leaving all other planets in their solar system to be sucked into a gravity pit or be flung out into the cold, dark emptiness of space.
The fact is, on this planet, there have been five extinction-level events prior to our existence, and there will surely be more. Whether humanity can stop its own destruction and reach other possibly inhabitable worlds depends on our own abilities or inabilities to not destroy one another, and even if the possibility of self-destruction can be averted, certain things outside our ability to survive, such as a world-ending asteroid strike, pole shift, or solar wind, could take us all. Even with this all in mind, the Earth itself will still be destroyed by its own star and returned to interstellar dust—all life will be extinguished, and everything that has or ever will exist on this planet (including this written piece, all my design work, and everything I will ever create) will have no meaning to anyone or anything. Pieces that can never be put back together.
It is certain, taking into account cosmology, astrophysics, archeological history, and theodicy (the very question that if, in fact, God is all good and all powerful), why does suffering and death exist on such a massive scale—not only in the span of our short lifetimes, but everything that existed before us, everything that can (and most likely will) exist after us, to the entire universe, its inevitable death after the age of entropy where time itself will cease to exist? Still, the truth remains—nothing that has been created can be uncreated. If something exists in some form or another, it will always exist in some form. So, as many modern astrophysicists believe, once the universe does crunch in on itself, all of that ‘stuff’ will be recycled and spewed out into the dark emptiness of space to be reborn again from whatever singularity everything was sucked into. An endless cycle of birth and death for everything in this material universe, the only universe we actually know exists.
Just like the universe, this planet, humanity, and even diseases, God itself must be an enigma of contrast between what we (as humans with a moral compass) believe to be good and evil. If we are born, thrive, suffer, love, hate, give life, and even take life, then surely God does the same, but on a far grander scale. Setting religion aside, let us contemplate facts, the very reality we live in, and the history we know to be true amalgamated with science, physics, and faith in something outside ourselves—which for most of us is a reason to sleep well at night and not fear death—that certain unknowingness of something we cannot see past as we being living organic creatures do not exist beyond. Whether we debate the existence of the soul for all of eternity, the creativity of the human mind wants something better than all of ‘this’, and if there is nothing beyond all of ‘this’, simply eternal sleep, then it should be of no concern as a good night's sleep feels momentary. Non-existence is equally as beautiful as the concept of existence in the afterlife with those we love.
With so much to think about—philosophy, faith (or lack of faith), creativity, and existence itself in all of its absurdity—take time to look around and find solace in a human or creature you can connect with. Enjoy creativity in what you think is beautiful, whether it be film, painting, design, or music. Even if it’s watching your cat play with a piece of string for three hours. If you have found love and it has found you, embrace every living moment where you find comfort in someone else’s eyes. Learn from the past, live in the moment, but prepare for the future. Above being remembered for hundreds, dozens, or even a few years as being successful or famous, accept that love is a power greater than gravity and something that can never be forgotten, just as we remember our parents, loved ones, or pets who have passed from this universe. For those of us where dementia falls upon us when we fade, losing our memories, our final moments surrounded by our favorite songs, then silence—never fear the night and the silent sleep it brings. Hopefully, above all else, you will be loved.
I hope that in my final moments of existence in this universe I will remember scenes of my wife, Loki, perhaps the cat we wish to call Reggie, scenes from arthouse films I adore, and sounds of my favorite brutal technical death metal, grindcore, and dark ambient musicians, alongside a stream of typography in my favorite typefaces set into mathematically placed grids with tight kerning, excessive word spacing, and tight leading.
Andrew Godfrey.
As always, for Jennifer.
Jennifer (3). Chapter excerpt from the upcoming novel.
As I looked around, between the trees, I noticed tiny particles dancing elegantly in the atmosphere, irradiated by the warm glow of a sun I could not see. The air was crisp and fresh, unlike any other day I had ever known. In the sky, I saw Jupiter, so beautiful, with his ever-watching red eye. It was early morning, yet I saw the stars—even a comet.
When I looked upon the land before me, I saw Luna running around in huge circles, like the crazy dog she always was. In the distance, I saw a small house made of bricks, unlike any other I had ever seen. I heard laughter coming from that house—the laughter of a voice I somehow knew yet could not put a face to, and I knew I was loved.
When I looked down, after looking once again at Jupiter’s eye, I noticed my hair was past my belly button. It was long and black, as I have always wanted it to be. For the very first time, I felt complete—the way I was meant to be. A tear dropped from my eye in happiness I had never felt before.
The warm embrace of that morning will always be my Tuesday morning, the day the sun rose so softly, never to set until I slept, where I hope I will dream of Luna and mom laughing at my silly jokes. I feel love, and I love you so much. Whoever you are, I promise I will hold your hand for all eternity.
Andrew Godfrey.
INSERT TEN. AUGUST 2023.
As I listened to my favorite song, Tunnels To God by Primitive Man/Full Of Hell, I found myself lost in thought. Thoughts of my favorite films, typefaces, Loki (my dog of thirteen years, who sadly passed away), and this particular year in high school, where I spent most of my time staring at hard rock and heavy metal album covers, always listening to new sounds. That final year in high school, I became entrenched in illustration, designing typefaces, and screen printing t-shirts and posters for local heavy metal acts. I would spend countless hours designing and preparing artwork for the silk screens, purchasing materials and inks to create detailed pieces of art by hand. Often, the nights were spent listening to Ozzy Osborne, Megadeth, Bolt Thrower, and Terrorizer. Within a few years, I had transferred my taste in music from the top 40 artists such as Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, and Whitesnake to a territory most of my friends did not initially relate to.
One night I completed a series of t-shirts for a local Christian metal band, and upon finishing, I used the remainder of the ink to screen print a few Holy Terror t-shirts for Jason, Michael, and myself. It was a great night.
That final year in high school moved swiftly, studying design, photography, English, sociology, and history. Since art class was not design-friendly, focusing more on sewing and weaving, I worked hard on classes I preferred.
Of great inspiration was a teacher named Ed Roelink, who taught the design and photography classes. Marker pen illustration, Rotring pen illustration, air brush illustration, poster design, typeface design, screen printing, and photography would fuel my days and nights. Mr. Roelink was an outstanding teacher.
As the final year of high school ended, I graduated, but I did not go to the graduation dance or ceremony; instead, I was already working as an interior designer and decorator for an older friend. Sadly, upon completion of the work, a drunk driver crashed his car into the house, coming to a halt in the living room. Luckily, nobody was hurt.
As the final moments of Tunnels To God played out, I enjoyed remembering that year—the conversations about music, politics, the universe, and what the future could bring.
As the next track on my playlist, Suspirium by Thom Yorke, began playing, the melancholic track had me thinking of a warm embrace while dancing slowly with my wife, Jennifer, in the kitchen while cooking dinner. That Sunday in August of 2023 will forever be etched in my memory as a good day.
Andrew Godfrey.
INSERT NINE. JULY 2023.
Vermin Womb, Retaliation (Closed Casket Activities, 2022).
As far as heavy music is concerned, Vermin Womb’s Retaliation surpasses any other previous grindcore release to-date. For anyone who is not familiar with Ethan McCarthy’s other projects, such as Primitive Man, whose unrelenting, caustic sound is as devastating as being torn apart by a black hole, Vermin Womb is described perfectly on their Instagram account as ‘Grindcore From Hell’. The vocals are even heavier, more dense, and more impactful than anything previously recorded by Primitive Man, which is something that requires listening to be believed.
After many years of silence following Decline (Throatruiner Records, 2016), Vermin Womb returns with an album even more devastating than imaginable. Vice.com described the 2016 release Decline with the title ‘Vermin Womb’s Decline Will Probably Kill Us All’, however, anyone who survived listening to Decline will surely know Retaliation will not kill you but may hold you in the gravitational field of a neutron star, awaiting a fate far worse than death.
From the first track, Ceumbling World Without Joy, Retaliation sets off a nuclear blast of grindcore that is vicious, unrelenting, and unparalleled in the world of metal. By the time you reach the third track, Denvoid, Ethan McCarthy’s unearthly vocal style, matched with the ferocious speed of the band, immerses you in not only a world without joy but a universe fuelled by hatred.
Further tracks such as Boiled World, Art District Without Artists, and Real Trauma (Bomb First) have such weight that it feels as if the entire Milky Way galaxy is already being pulled into The Great Attractor. The only pause between the insurmountable heaviness of the grindcore is Ambulance, which is a wall of pure noisecore lasting two minutes and eleven seconds, before Vermin Womb launches back into grindcore mode for the final two tracks.
Having a run-time of merely seventeen-plus minutes, the sonic barrage that is Vermin Womb’s Retaliation delivers enough time to inflict the most brutal devastation imaginable on the entire universe, and any other universe if it may exist.
Retaliation is nothing short of the magnificent destructive force that grindcore is meant to be. For fans of the heaviest music possible.
Andrew Godfrey.
INSERT EIGHT. JULY 2023.
The Oliva Master Blends 3 in Churchill is an outstanding cigar, to say the least. From ignition, this cigar showcases flavors of roast coffee, earth, sweet spice, and mild pepper with a creamy texture. Within the first third, the flavors transition delightfully, adding an element of salted dark chocolate that comes together with the initial flavors elegantly. Throughout the second third, the Nicaraguan ligero and Connecticut broadleaf wrapper provide a sensational mix of subtle sweetness with a rich, earthy, full-bodied finish. The final third delivers all the aforementioned flavors, which linger on the palate, allowing the fine salted dark chocolate presence to come forth. The Oliva Master Blends 3 lasts on the tastebuds for hours, undeniably becoming tastier after finishing. It is most certainly a well-crafted masterpiece that will be remembered. Most definitely, worthy of purchasing by the box.
Many thanks to Oliva (olivacigar.com) for creating this work of art and to Atlantic Cigar Company (atlanticcigar.com) for supplying their customers with outstanding products at amazing prices, along with customer service that is second-to-none.
Andrew Godfrey.
INSERT SEVEN. JULY 2023.
The rectangle in landscape format appeals to humans more than any other geometric shape known to man. The quadrilateral parallelogram that is a rectangle has been revered by artists and architects throughout the existence of mankind. This shape is ever-present in modern-day society in all forms of architecture, art, televisions, flags, books, magazines, packaging, and smart phones.
Over 150,000,000 years ago, our ancestors looked up and scanned their environment in a left-to-right sweeping motion, creating a rectangular viewing area. Over time, this shape has been written into our DNA as a thing of beauty as we sought to find safety from predators and food for survival.
Fast-forward to today, and we still use the rectangle in all forms of communication. Leonardo DaVinci claimed that the perfect, most pleasing rectangular shape was created using the golden ratio, or devine proportion, of 1.618. However, this exact proportional measurement has been proven to not be the most perfect, pleasing parallelogram, as many rectangular shapes are appealing, as showcased in the shapes within buildings, houses, windows, books, magazines, and films—of which most are shot in widescreen (16.9 ratio). This is the exact format in which televisions and computer monitors are created today.
Those of us who still read books or magazines take in information easily in the rectangular format. An unopened book or magazine is in vertical format; however, when opened, it is a horizontal format in which we explore the contents (in most cultures and languages) from left to right. It is the same for smart phones and devices where we watch YouTube content or social media.
As long as humans have two eyes, we will view everything in a landscape rectangular format, relate to it, and create using this shape.
Andrew Godfrey.
INSERT SIX. JULY 2023.
On Friday, June 30, 2023, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled in favor of Lorrie Smith to deny non-heterosexual couples graphic design work. As Lorrie sees it, same-sex couples requesting graphic design work for wedding websites from her violates her rights granted under the First Amendment as a Christian woman and a Christian graphic designer. The case points to wedding website graphic design work requested by a man (currently unnamed) who, as he stated, has never requested a wedding website design and has been married to a woman for fifteen years.
The legal team behind the Colorado Supreme Court win in favor of Lorrie Smith, called Alliance Defending Freedom, may have secured the freedom of right-wing Christians to uphold their right to, in fact, discriminate against anything and anyone they do not believe is right before God; however, does this company defend freedom? Perhaps a better name for Alliance Defending Freedom could be ‘Alliance Defending Only Right-Wing Christian Freedom’.
The majority of graphic designers are good people who do not discriminate and furthermore, work wholeheartedly to create art for a wide range of clients, despite any relevance whatsoever to the clients’ sexual preferences, lack of sexual preference (asexual), or gender identity.
Obviously, I am a graphic designer, and I have worked for a wide variety of clients. These clients have been Christian, Jewish, male, female, transgender, heterosexual, homosexual, and asexual, all with different requirements pertaining to the business of graphic design. Furthermore, I have taught many students of different faiths, gender identities, and sexual preferences. In my thirty-plus years of working and lecturing in the field of graphic design, I have never denied a client their right to compelling graphic design and have never discriminated against any student who has differing beliefs in faith than I have or is of a different sexuality. Having written this, however, I would still not work on behalf of fascist or communist companies that I believe corrupt democracy or seek to harm humans in any way. In a certain sense, it is the right of Lorrie Smith to stand by her beliefs, just as it is mine to never create fascist or communist propaganda. Still, the legal repercussions of the decision made by the Colorado Supreme Court could have far-reaching repercussions in many areas of business, such as the propagation of religious and racial persecution. Only time will tell the full extent of how this decision may affect the laws and the very people these laws affect.
I will clearly state that in no way am I discriminating against anyone of any faith or belief system, as there are over 2,500 deities currently worshipped across the globe. That would potentially see me lose 2,499 clients. Now, that certainly is not good for business.
In any case, if any client wants a more creative and talented graphic designer than Lorrie Smith, there are many available.
Andrew Godfrey.
INSERT FIVE. JUNE 2023.
My wife, Jennifer, has set up a GoFundMe page in the hope of keeping me by her side as she suffers from progressive multiple sklerosis and a miningeal brain tumor. Every day she suffers in a great deal of pain. Her only wish is to keep me by her side and grant me the ability to work in the United States, which will help her with medical costs, thus relieving some of her pain and anxiety associated with her illnesses.
Jennifer has been taken advantage of, with her previous attorney taking her money and leaving her without hope over a one-year period.
Any assistance towards her cause is greatly appreciated. Sincerest thanks to anyone who helps in this dire situation. Many blessings to all who help.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/dying-woman-needs-help/widget/large
Andrew Godfrey.
INSERT FOUR. JUNE 2023.
I have been an avid film fanatic since my childhood, finding great entertainment in films such as the first three Star Wars films, Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom, Ghostbusters, Tron, The Black Hole, The Party, and every James Bond film starring Sean Connery. Television shows such as Doctor Who, Buck Rogers In The 25th Century, Miami Vice, Tales Of The Golden Monkey, and Automan kept me entertained even further on a daily and weekly basis.
For the most part, now, I find great joy in watching arthouse films such as Saint Maud, Men, Hereditary, Under The Skin, A Ghost Story, Infinity Pool, and First Reformed, as the storytelling and acting are unique, artistic, and explore many aspects of the human mind while having diverse subjects within the genre of arthouse film. Concurrently, I enjoy television shows such as The Handmaid’s Tale, Andor, and The Dick Van Dyke Show. Furthermore, I eagerly await the first live-action installment in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, spearheaded by Henry Cavill.
Film has always been, and still is, a constant source of inspiration. Whether any human being has a favorite genre of film or finds passion in documentaries is entirely up to the particular tastes of the viewer. Film fiction is exciting as it takes us to places that undeniably are not real, unless, of course films are based on real-life events (take the absurdity of Cocaine Bear as an example).
Whether a film or film franchise is successful or not does not matter as long as we have cinema to enjoy. Films are created for art, entertainment, education, and even the sole purpose of making money. If any person is not interested in a certain film, a film genre, or dislikes certain actors, it is their ability to simply not watch films that are not of interest to them.
When I watched the film Splash for the first time, I was enamored by Daryl Hannah, however, I did realize that mermaids are not real. It would be absurd to believe that a creature that is half human and half fish could actually exist, just as Darth Vader does not exist (as much as I would like it to be possible). So, at what point in time did certain people become offended that the live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid starring a black girl become so important? This is, after all, a creature that is pure fantasy. Mermaids do not exist and have never existed. Surely, any young person who is interested in mermaids would not be offended by a black mermaid, unless they were already indoctrinated with racism. If there are humans of varying colors, why couldn’t a mermaid be of any color? Aquaman was played by a Hawaiian man when the original comic depicted a white, blonde man, just as the original Black Adam was a white anti-hero that simply wore black. But somehow, the depiction of these two characters on screen, who were vastly different from the original comic book characters, did not stir up any controversy.
2023 sees a crisis in the minds of many based on the skin color of fictional characters. If a film is poorly written and acted, one can choose not to watch it after viewing a trailer or simply walk out of a theater if it is not enjoyed. While one person may enjoy a certain film, others will not. This is certainly the case with Ari Aster’s latest film, Beau Is Afraid. While some consider it art, others dislike the film immensely. Certainly, the film lost money at the box office for A24, but is it a career-killer for Ari Aster? This is something only time will tell. Personally, I would prefer to watch art in film that has the potential to create thought and emotion rather than an extended depiction of the same concept drawn out over ten films (Fast X, for example). When it comes to debating one film being of more importance to another, however, it is a useless point to pursue, as everyone is different and all types of people enjoy different things. This is what keeps cinema varied, interesting, and at the forefront of all artistic mediums.
I eagerly await the final season of Andor to witness what Luthen Rael (played by Stellan Skarsgård) is willing to do in order to create a rebellion against The Galactic Empire. In the meantime, the charisma of Dick Van Dyke and the elegant Mary Tyler Moore will keep me entertained while I continue checking if Betelgeuse is ever going supernova.
Andrew Godfrey.
INSERT THREE. JUNE 2023.
Music is defined as being ‘the art of ordering tones or sounds in succession, combination, and temporal relationships to form a composition having continuity’, but this very definition is highly debatable as the individual's perception of ‘what is music?’ is as dependent on how we personally define beauty in any form. Just as one individual will find the art of Vincent Van Gogh appealing, another will find the art of Jackson Pollock far more appealing. The paintwork is undeniably different between these two aforementioned artists, just as the sound of K-Pop is to grindcore.
While K-Pop is a scene (not merely a musical genre) that is most often mass-produced, written by many, then choreographed and welcomed by millions as music with a main focus on love, it has not been around anywhere near as long as rock and heavy metal—which have had incredible success throughout the globe over several decades and are, in fact, often written by one or a few band members, covering a vast range of topics from love, rebellion, political ideologies, horror, or even pure noise without any lyrics whatsoever.
During the 1980s, the world saw a rise in the prominence of hard rock and heavy metal music, with bands such as Def Leppard, Guns ‘N’ Roses, Skid Row, Mötley Crüe, and Metallica having number-one hits on music charts worldwide. Despite the fact that mainstream pop was (and still is) undeniably successful, the spirit of rebellion captured within the sound of heavy metal took the world by storm, and even bands such as Iron Maiden, who never had one top ten hit song, pulled in as many as 300,000 people in 1985 at the Rock in Rio concert. This concert may have had several artists headlining, but they were all heavy metal musicians. To-date, the fourth highest grossing concert tour of all-time is Guns ‘N’ Roses ‘Not In This Lifetime’ tour between 2016 and 2019, accumulating an annual gross of $584,200,000 despite the fact that the band had not had a solid hit album since Use Your Illusion I and II n 1991, which sold 7,000,000 copies each. Even though this was a success, the genre was dying in popularity in the 1990s thanks to the rise of the grunge music scene (which was still hard rock). However massive the best-known and remembered grunge band of all-time, Nirvana, was, selling 30,000,000 copies of Nevermind worldwide, it only solidifies the fact that hard rock and heavy metal sell. Today, Guns ‘N’ Roses Appetite For Destruction has also sold over 30,000,000 copies worldwide.
During the 1980s, heavy metal created its own sub-genres such as death metal and grindcore with bands such as Possessed (formed in 1981), Death, and Bolt Thrower (death metal bands), and Napalm Death (formed in 1981), Terrorizer, and Carcass (grindcore bands). While rhythm and technicality played a part in the sound of certain death metal bands, with grindcore, the music was more about speed, with tracks as short as three seconds. Today, the death metal genre has seen the rise of the sub-genre of brutal technical death metal, with bands such as Aborted (formed in 1995) and Archspire (formed in 2007) who focus on both technicality and speed, with Archspire tracks hitting speeds as fast as 400 BPM. The grindcore genre has created many sub-genres, such as goregrind (started by Carcass in 1985), cybergrind, porngrind, and crustgrind (to name a few), with bands such as Napalm Death (formed in 1981), Pig Destroyer, Bas Rotten, and Cephalic Carnage creating speed-driven and sometimes highly technical visions within the genre. Many of the artists within these genres of extreme metal have solid album sales, a huge following, and certainly sell-out concerts. It seems these particular genres of heavy metal will not disappear any time soon. In fact, the extreme spectrum of heavy metal has outlived the vast majority of the top ten heavy metal artists that were prevalent in the 1980s.
When it comes to the ‘anatomy of music', the very structure of anything musical comes into question, especially within the genres of ambient, dark ambient, and noisecore. While pioneers were experimenting with sound as early as 1913 (Luigi Russolo) in the field of noisecore and 1917 (Erik Satie) in the field of ambient music, the genre of ambient music can be traced back as far as nineteenth-century France. The term ‘dark ambient’ was coined in the 1990s by Roger Karmanik, and artists such as Raison D’être (formed in 1991) and Lull (1992) pioneered the genre. The work of dark ambient artists such as Alex Fidler, creator of Usurper (@usurper_kvlt on Instagram), who mysteriously vanished from the scene some years ago, and Otto Van Kleist, creator of El Prêtro Maniaco (releasing only one album, Recueil), took the genre to the bleakest areas imaginable. Even Otto Van Kleist himself stated, "The sound I created is far too dark for me to continue with or even listen to." Even without repeating beats or structure, the very concept of ‘what is music?' will forever be debated and cannot be defined.
As they say, ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’, and this proverb will stand true for each individual until the end of our existence. Whether mass-produced, mass-marketed, choreographed, written by many or few, utilizing musical instruments in an innovative, creative way, or not, there is no doubt that music can be both exciting, relaxing, and even healing.
Side note: If visiting @usurper_kvlt on Instagram, please be informed that there are images of self-harm and talk of suicide. I do not, in any way, endorse self-harm, suicide, or violence. If you are having thoughts of self-harm or suicide, please reach out to someone who may help in any way and/or call 988 within the United States. Outside of the United States, a number should be available to call in your particular country. Loneliness and depression are serious epidemics in modern-day society and should be taken seriously. I personally encourage anyone in a situation of loneliness or depression to reach out to another human who could possibly help, and I encourage anyone who bears witness to another human in these circumstances to reach out and help in any way possible. Always remember that we are all humans and should treat each other with compassion.
Andrew Godfrey.
INSERT TWO. JUNE 2023.
Knowledge of the five forms of linguistic registers is equally important in typography as it is in everyday speech and writing. Just as we learn and understand the correct use of grammar, syntax, and tone (emphasis on certain words), these patterns of speech and writing affect the typographic hierarchy in layout. However, this does not mean one cannot break the rules when it comes to placing emphasis on certain pieces of type. For example, a magazine layout will usually contain a title, introductory copy, body copy, and sometimes a pull quote. Placing emphasis on the title and the introductory copy will give the reader an ‘easy way in’ to the article, and the pull quote will provide a slice of information from the body copy that can be as important as the title itself. However, in layout design, sometimes it can be interesting if the pull quote is larger than the title, and even highlighted text from the body copy can engage the reader further. Not withstanding this, a pull quote does not necessarily need to be an entire line from the body copy, for even a few words that are selected and made larger that, in fact, do not make sense in their entirety can confound the reader into searching through the body copy for the entire sentence and its pertinence within an article.
While the use of ‘formal’ register is most often used in speeches, talks, or lectures, and often times in articles written about historical events, artists, celebrities, et cetera, which give the listener or reader a solid sense of knowledge about the subject matter, this does not mean that, at times, one cannot implement the use of other types of registers such as ‘casual’ or ‘intimate' as breaking out from the use of only one form of register can engage the listener or reader by breaking free of one constrained standard, which can, at times, make things boring. This often happens with interviews and most certainly does with creative writing and novelization. A conversational or printed interview can never be constrained within one register, as one cannot know the final outcome of an interview, and it is most certainly interesting when an interview contains more personal information than simple answers to simple or complex questions. More often than not, one question can lead to another unscripted question, throwing a level of depth into the conversation that is always a delight to the participant who shares in the information.
Syntax (the arrangement in which we place words and phrases) plays a huge role in the meaning of any sentence, as simply changing the placement of a single word can alter the intended outcome of what is being said, while tone (emphasis) on certain words or phrases drastically changes the impact of everything spoken or written. For example, using a soft-spoken voice while delivering a sentence but placing emphasis on a certain word has a major impact on the perception of what is said. The same applies to the written word, where in literature we see words italicized, giving a defining importance to thought and speech.
When applied to typography, all of these elements affect the structure of design, from editorial to packaging design. If the hierarchy of typography on a product we see on the shelves in a supermarket or any retail store does not function well, that product will not get recognition, leaving a brand without sales. This most definitely comes into play with branding, as we recognize logos or logotypes easily, and people are drawn to a brand they know to be trustworthy, true, or fashionable. If a food or beverage product did not have a hierarchy of information, we would not know what it was. Such is the power of the emphasis placed on any element within any design.
In a social setting, when used correctly with facial expression and body language, it can be the difference between getting a certain job or not, or even making a friend or losing one. In debating, all of these factors play an important role in winning or losing, if you have historical evidence and facts behind you.
Typography is the extension of speech and therefore should be explored and utilized with as much enjoyment as we do in conversations with people we like. The more one knows about their language and the use of it, the better the possibilities are of utilizing it within design, as typography is the basis for all written communication.
Andrew Godfrey.
INSERT ONE. JUNE 2023.
Life, as we know it, only exists on Earth. While scientists and researchers throughout the world have discovered as many as 300,000,000 potential inhabitable planets in our own Milky Way galaxy, this must be presented with the fact that billions of dead stars and entire solar systems exist where the possibility of life on worlds sustained by stars like our own sun developed and destroyed life-sustaining planets prior to going supernova, leaving all other planets in their solar system to be sucked into a gravity pit or be flung out into the cold, dark emptiness of space.
The fact is, on this planet, there have been five extinction-level events prior to our existence, and there will surely be more. Whether humanity can stop its own destruction and reach other possibly inhabitable worlds depends on our own abilities or inabilities to not destroy one another, and even if the possibility of self-destruction can be averted, certain things outside our ability to survive, such as a world-ending asteroid strike, pole shift, or solar wind, could take us all. Even with this all in mind, the Earth itself will still be destroyed by its own star and returned to interstellar dust—all life will be extinguished, and everything that has or ever will exist on this planet (including this written piece, all my design work, and everything I will ever create) will have no meaning to anyone or anything. Pieces that can never be put back together.
It is certain, taking into account cosmology, astrophysics, archeological history, and theodicy (the very question that if, in fact, God is all good and all powerful), why does suffering and death exist on such a massive scale—not only in the span of our short lifetimes, but everything that existed before us, everything that can (and most likely will) exist after us, to the entire universe, its inevitable death after the age of entropy where time itself will cease to exist? Still, the truth remains—nothing that has been created can be uncreated. If something exists in some form or another, it will always exist in some form. So, as many modern astrophysicists believe, once the universe does crunch in on itself, all of that ‘stuff’ will be recycled and spewed out into the dark emptiness of space to be reborn again from whatever singularity everything was sucked into. An endless cycle of birth and death for everything in this material universe, the only universe we actually know exists.
Just like the universe, this planet, humanity, and even diseases, God itself must be an enigma of contrast between what we (as humans with a moral compass) believe to be good and evil. If we are born, thrive, suffer, love, hate, give life, and even take life, then surely God does the same, but on a far grander scale. Setting religion aside, let us contemplate facts, the very reality we live in, and the history we know to be true amalgamated with science, physics, and faith in something outside ourselves—which for most of us is a reason to sleep well at night and not fear death—that certain unknowingness of something we cannot see past as we being living organic creatures do not exist beyond. Whether we debate the existence of the soul for all of eternity, the creativity of the human mind wants something better than all of ‘this’, and if there is nothing beyond all of ‘this’, simply eternal sleep, then it should be of no concern as a good night's sleep feels momentary. Non-existence is equally as beautiful as the concept of existence in the afterlife with those we love.
With so much to think about—philosophy, faith (or lack of faith), creativity, and existence itself in all of its absurdity—take time to look around and find solace in a human or creature you can connect with. Enjoy creativity in what you think is beautiful, whether it be film, painting, design, or music. Even if it’s watching your cat play with a piece of string for three hours. If you have found love and it has found you, embrace every living moment where you find comfort in someone else’s eyes. Learn from the past, live in the moment, but prepare for the future. Above being remembered for hundreds, dozens, or even a few years as being successful or famous, accept that love is a power greater than gravity and something that can never be forgotten, just as we remember our parents, loved ones, or pets who have passed from this universe. For those of us where dementia falls upon us when we fade, losing our memories, our final moments surrounded by our favorite songs, then silence—never fear the night and the silent sleep it brings. Hopefully, above all else, you will be loved.
I hope that in my final moments of existence in this universe I will remember scenes of my wife, Loki, perhaps the cat we wish to call Reggie, scenes from arthouse films I adore, and sounds of my favorite brutal technical death metal, grindcore, and dark ambient musicians, alongside a stream of typography in my favorite typefaces set into mathematically placed grids with tight kerning, excessive word spacing, and tight leading.
Andrew Godfrey.
As always, for Jennifer.