As discussed many times in the past, I like me some Mad Men. It’s a few things:

• It’s a show which is about as close as TV has ever come to showing graphic design (though admittedly design and advertising are related but not the same)
• It’s a sophisticated and interesting drama to watch unfold
• I have a soft spot for 60’s culture when it comes to style, music, culture, etc.
• Jon Hamm, *unf*

And with the show back on there’s more cool Mad Men stuff to share!

Mad Men As Muppets

This is just one of the full set that I found on Laughing Squid. They’re all pretty great both for how absurd the images are as well as how amazing the comparisons are. CHECK IT »

Mod Men

Some interesting visual comparisons between how these characters existed in the 60’s versus their current-day technological counterparts. Again, a whole set with interesting comparisons. Also again via Laughing Squid. DO IT »

I’m sure it should come as no surprise that as a big fan of design, I’m a big fan of Mad Men. It is an amazing show. I’ve taken some flak for this in the past, with Gary “Fleen” Tyrell saying about my blog:

It’s heavily focused on a) graphic design and b) Mad Men;

So here’s one big-ass post to gear up for the season opener just 10 days away.

Everything Don Draper Said

Ever read Unlikely Words? It’s a great blog by the one-time Kottke guest blogger (it’s how I found him) Aaron Cohen. He put together a list of everything Don Draper has said in Mad Men. If you think he was eloquent before, taking out the surrounding dialogue starts to treat it more like Garfield Minus Garfield. It works in a totally different way. A sample:

“Don’t get up.”
“Don’t let me interrupt.”
“You’ll have take radio the way it is.”
“During the Depression I saw somebody throw a loaf of bread off the back of a truck. It was more dignified.”
“Campbell, did you tell him who this idiot’s father is?”
“Horace, Sr is connected to Bert Cooper in a million ways and I don’t know if he would like what just happened in there.”
“Well, there you have it.”
“Has anybody been outside, do I need a coat?”

It’s good stuff. There’s all that and more, here.

Some Awesome Mad Men Posters

I needn’t say anything more. LINK »
(Via Kottke.org)

Mad Men Unbuttoned

A site which strives to provide cultural context to Mad Men episodes by showing articles, book covers, excerpts, music, etc. from the time and scenes depicted. Oh and they feature that poster thingy I just linked to above, so there’s that too. LINK »

Mad Men Yourself

Finally, your own Mad Men 60’s style personal character creator. Here’s me, sippin’ coffee and explaining something about girls in underwear. And I’m pretty psyched about it. It’s proabably the coffee. LINK »

Obama Can’t Be Wrong (In This Case)

And of course our own president is looking forward to the new season.

…after finishing the third season he sent the show’s creator, Matt Weiner, a letter. It now hangs outside Weiner’s office, “congratulating me on my and the show’s success,” and to say “he enjoyed Season 3.”

Wonder what TV shows Bush wrote to? Wow, that’s opening up a can of worms, isn’t it? LINK »

Okay, that’s about it! If you’re a fan, feel free to use the comments to discuss your thoughts on the new season. Are you psyched? Are you ready for the awesomeness? I, for one, could not be more excited. And if you’re not caught up, let’s just assume that there’s spoilers in the comments. Catch up already, you’ve had a year.

I haven’t put a forum on the site (do you think I should? would you use it?) so I don’t have a great place to put this except in the post.  As you must know by now, I’m a huge fan of Mad Men and have posted about it as much as I can in the past. In fact I have a small but happy tradition of watching it with my Internet Bro Marty via gChat every Sunday night.

All of this to say that this latest episode “The Gypsy and the Hobo” blew my mind. BLEW. MY. MIND. What a great episode.  So since I have a website and I can do what I want with it, I’m opening up the comments on this post to be a Mad Men discussion thread on the latest episode. Click on the link for my thoughts, keeping in mind they will be spoilers-a-plenty.

So if you saw the episode and/or love the show, post your thoughts on it below.

↓ Read the rest of this entry…

It’s that time of year again.  Time to assemble your 3-piece suits and brush up on your martinis, because Mad Men is starting up for the season on AMC.  Here’s three links to help get you in the mood.

Vanity Fair has an extensive writeup on the show.  If nothing else, the photos are gorge.  Link.

There’s been talk of a Mad Men parody on Sesame Street.  Not sure what the audience is there, but as a huge fan of Mad Men I’m on board.  Anyway, here’s someone’s take on which Muppets might get cast as their Mad Men counterparts.  Link.

Speaking of Mad Men, the main characters did celebrity playlists on iTunes.  Here’s a post on LiveJournal that collects the playlists.  Link.

It has been remarked before that this blog has been a bit of a love fest for Mad Men.  Since season 2 ended, I haven’t had much to say.  NO LONGER.

1. Jon Hamm is on Twitter.  Twitter is now 1000% more handsome (I stole that line but damn if it isn’t true).
2. He starred as Lex Luthor in a recent Funny or Die video.  Worth watching.
3. Oh, and while we’re at it, the creator’s son is 8 years old and loves fashion.  Check out the cutest fashionista ever.  Be sure to click through to the GQ article, which has a great slide show.  Link.

“Yeah, big time!” he said. “I grew up in the ’70s and ’80s so I had Star Wars, and Close Encounters, and Blade Runner and 2001. It was an awesome time for sci-fi.” When Mr. Hamm was asked if he still does anything geeky, his girlfriend, Jennifer Westfeldt, rolled her eyes and affectionately nodded yes. “Oh yeah, I’m a big comic book guy and–” “Video games, video games, video games!” exclaimed Ms. Westfedt.

Jon Hamm, Sci-Fi Geek! | The New York Observer

I’m about to get out of here, but a few quick things before I leave the internet alone for the day.

My Mad Men correspondent Mollie sends me news of a Mad Men Revue:

Lionsgate is working on a plan to book more dates for the “Mad Men” musical revue that played the El Rey Theater in L.A. last month as a benefit for the L.A. chapter of the Recording Academy. The show featured musical numbers from the “Mad Men” early ’60s era and a dash of Rat Pack-esque shtick performed by supporting cast members of the Emmy-winning AMC drama.

I’m there.  Who’s with me?

A wonderful visual guide to the financial crisis (thanks, Carni).

Meanwhile, here’s a great vid my friend Jen sent out about the Philly Hot Dog launcher.

Lightning round!

• An interesting article on “print literacy” and “screen literacy” in the new age of LCD screens everywhere.
• They ran cables for a bridge across a giant gorge with ROCKETS.
• And because it’s thanksgiving, a muffin sent me news of Alton Brown on Pie (mmm pie).

He’s on the cover of GQ, and he’s seen looking at a horse.  As for the interview, he’s a bit of a dude.  Oh, and Obama is in there too.  Link.

It’s the end of the season, so this kinda stuff will calm down soon enough.  Meanwhile, here’s a great interview with Matt Weiner, the show’s creator.  If I had to name the article, it would be “Matt Weiner Takes Up 20 Minutes of Your Work Day”. They try and stay very true to the original interview, providing the reader with as much information as possible:

He speaks quickly and in a stream-of-consciousness kind of way, which I’ve tried to capture in transcribing his answers. I hope that will give you an essence of what it’s like to have a conversation with him. You’ll find that he not only answered the questions completely but he went above and beyond, often exploring tangents that were not part of the original question. You’ll get a lot of bang for your buck in this Q&A, I promise. (Although there is one question that gets a one word answer!)

Link.

Thanks to Systemic Marty for pointing me to the Best Week Ever blog.  Seems this year’s Simpsons Treehouse of Horror will feature a Mad Men parody.  Click the link to see more sccreen shots and get a little more info.  Link.