liqddynamite Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 I'm a little late chiming in here, but just wanted to give a huge public congrats to my bro A Man in Japan. I had a front row seat to this journey (had a GREAT time being there btw) and I can assure everyone here, however much work and time you think this took, you need to 10x that number, and I am not exaggerating. This is a really incredible achievement that took an insane amount of dedication and focus to pull off. There are many lithos in that shot that only a few dozen people on the planet will ever see again. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoSoRose Posted December 21, 2018 Author Share Posted December 21, 2018 Its great a poster here has the entire run 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post amaninjapan Posted December 21, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted December 21, 2018 8 hours ago, liqddynamite said: I'm a little late chiming in here, but just wanted to give a huge public congrats to my bro A Man in Japan. I had a front row seat to this journey (had a GREAT time being there btw) and I can assure everyone here, however much work and time you think this took, you need to 10x that number, and I am not exaggerating. This is a really incredible achievement that took an insane amount of dedication and focus to pull off. There are many lithos in that shot that only a few dozen people on the planet will ever see again. Thanks @liqddynamite - Your help has been instrumental to making this collection a reality. It's kinda funny that you mention the time and effort because it took more than I could have ever imagined back when I started. If I knew then what I know now... I actually wonder whether I'd do it all over again - hard to say. The concerts, without a doubt; I loved all the travel and meeting great people and making new friends. But the sacrifices made all in the name of this silly collection... Anyway, it's all done now! A few people have asked me to list my "Top 10" favorite litho designs of the tour, so here they are. This is just a list of my favorite designs - rarity, value, size, print type, print quality has nothing to do with it. 10 - Wellington Maori - Still think this is significantly underrated. It's just beautiful AND a great cultural reference to Maori culture. 9 - Odense - Europe 2018 had several viking-themed designs and this came very early in the leg so I feel like this didn't get the love it deserves. The colors are magnificent and as much as I love the 'classic' Guns N' Roses font, I still think it kicks ass when they choose a different font that just ends up feeling 'just right'. The warm vanilla sky white also wins me over. 8 - Los Angeles Skater - One of the first lithos I ended up purchasing. Those colors are just fucking amazing. Every time I see it, it almost makes me want to pull out a copy of California Games and pretend its the 80s again. 7 - Cincinnati - Clearly a favorite around here. It took me a while to warm up to it but it does pop in real life. I personally would've loved to have seen it with a white border but still a masterpiece. The way that space is speckled with stars is gorgeous and almost makes me think it might have been even cooler if those stars had been foil or glow in the dark. 6 - Foxboro pair - Okay this is two lithos and not one but I think this is a reasonable exception. A really novel idea that was executed perfectly. I've seen some of these multi-poster designs done by other bands and they're never great on as many levels as this. Both designs look amazing on their own and the artist's signature style really works well with the composition. Plus I am a HUGE fan of designs that reference famous works of art. 5 - Zurich - This one just freaks me out every time I look at it, it's that awesome. Like I mentioned, I am a huge fan when poster art references an older composition but combine that with another love of mine (distinct art movements) and you've got yourself a winner in my book. I'm also a big fan of both LIFE and TIME magazine so it made me feel a little warm and fuzzy inside when I saw both their logos had been used. 4 - Philadelphia (2016) - I am a huge fan of punk and this just sorta screamed Sex Pistols to me. And then again, mix in the art reference and it wins me over instantly. I think this was the first litho I ended up buying on Ebay and I'm glad I did because they became very hard to find for a long long time. There's a couple on Ebay now but those are like the only two in the past 18 months or so. 3 - Osaka - My first show of the tour and naturally my first in-person litho purchase. I won't go into too much detail about the concert or else I could be here all day but this design is like the gift that keeps on giving for me. I liked it a lot but didn't LOVE it when I first saw it but the more I had it on display, the more I looked at it, the more I realized how amazing it is. There's so many subtle aspects of it that hit you over time. The red really pops in real life; the ghosts of Duff, Slash and Axl hidden in the smoke and flames; the way the windows are done in such a way that the litho almost look like they're illuminated from behind; the beating heart of the beast being the GNR logo. Just magnificent. 2 - Madrid - I think it's a real shame that many people will never get to see this design in person. The art reference itself is already magnificent and using yellow as a contrast color on a blue sky is just dreamy - but what is hard to see unless you look at it in person is the pseudo painting textures that Arian Buhler has managed to bring to life on a print. He manages to not only create an impasto effect in some areas (making it look like there's thick paint textures) but in others, he makes it genuinely look like the canvas texture is showing through the paint layers. 1 - Kobe - I think this speaks for itself; I think many have said plenty about this design already, including myself. I guess it's possible that my list could change, especially the order of them - but at least for now, I think that's an accurate representation. 6 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alfierose Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 Really pleased you have a full set. Looks awesome 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duffyman Posted December 22, 2018 Share Posted December 22, 2018 looking 4: osaka, kobe, london, vancouver, gdansk, cincinatti. i have a couple lithogrphs 4 trade. shoot me a pm cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCoyGNR Posted December 22, 2018 Share Posted December 22, 2018 If anyone has a Chicago Night 1 and Cincinnati for sale, send them my way. These are the last two lithos I need to complete my set for the shows I attended. I have 20+ so would love to finish the collection. I would even settle for WarPig quality reprints if they exist...Thanks!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mcs953 Posted December 22, 2018 Share Posted December 22, 2018 Along that note, still looking for the Paris buhler if anyone has one for sale or trade on here? This is the final one to complete the collection of the ones I want for my home office. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estrangedtwat Posted December 29, 2018 Share Posted December 29, 2018 Oh man. Lithrograph aficionados, do I have a tale to tell you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dacatzass Posted December 29, 2018 Share Posted December 29, 2018 1 minute ago, estrangedtwat said: Oh man. Lithrograph aficionados, do I have a tale to tell you. I'll bite!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janrichmond Posted December 29, 2018 Share Posted December 29, 2018 10 minutes ago, estrangedtwat said: Oh man. Lithrograph aficionados, do I have a tale to tell you. I'm just a bit nosey...do tell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeman5150 Posted December 29, 2018 Share Posted December 29, 2018 Please do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Holographic Universe Posted December 29, 2018 Share Posted December 29, 2018 32 minutes ago, estrangedtwat said: Oh man. Lithrograph aficionados, do I have a tale to tell you. Cock tease. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dacatzass Posted December 29, 2018 Share Posted December 29, 2018 1 minute ago, The Holographic Universe said: Cock tease. Lol. Maybe he is typing out one hell of a story... I will wait! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post estrangedtwat Posted December 30, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted December 30, 2018 Well, the long and short of it is, I visited amaninjapan over the weekend. Not only is he a scholar and a gentlemen and all around wonderful human being, he owns every single NITL lithograph. He's the real deal, friends. He's the kind of guy that gets tenacious as hell when he gets a bug up his ass, and it all started in January 2017 when GNR came to Japan. Who would have imagined that grabbing a few posters for the very short Japan tour would eventually spiral into an all out obsession to acquire at least one of every single litho, including tracking down details on the artists, inspirations behind the images, untold behind the scenes stories from the artists themselves. "So what? They're just posters." Well, if you think that, then I don't know what to say, cause for those of us with a passion for these things, (and not even strictly GNR; people love rock concerts from all bands) there is just something precious and timeless about a perfect rock poster. Essentially, they're just advertisements. But they morphed into something so much more over the years. They're a time capsule of a moment or event that's going to live on in thousands of people's memories for the rest of their lives. And what the best posters do is tie the band's imagery into the city's and create a piece of art that's so cool it just burns itself into your brain. Were all the NITL lithos that good? Nah, of course not. There were plenty of duds. But there were way way more classics. So the point of all my rambling is, I had the distinct honor to be the first forum member to see "The Vault." And that's exciting as hell, cause according to his research, there may not be another complete set anywhere in the world. Not even in the band's collection. Not even in Bravado's archives. I found that hard to believe, but apparently with all the craziness involved with getting from one place to another and all the crews changing hands and stuff, nobody had the foresight to put aside a complete set. Sure, there might be some that are close, but unless we hear otherwise, the only DOCUMENTED complete set is in Japan. And I got to sit and have a private showing, one by one, in order, of every single lithograph of the Not in This Lifetime tour. Up until now, I'd only seen the THREE I own, even though I'd spent countless hours staring at jpegs. And yes, lithorati.com is an amazing, invaluable resource, but it's just plain incredible to see them in person. I finally got to see the reflective foil details, and several of them have unique textures. Yes, I was even allowed to touch! Of course, the highlights for me were seeing my favorites in person, and they did NOT disappoint. Cincinnati is just gorgeous. London (Ripper) just took my breath away. I think that's the one I stared at the longest. Everything about it is just perfect. The blood red logo and outline, the trail of roses in the corner. I also love Paris and but unfortunately the colors are a bit muted due to the glow in the dark gimmick. I love the "comic book-y" style of the art, along with the Perth Bunyip. So it was naturally a joy to see all my favorites in person. I got to see Kobe. It's not a myth. It's real, and it's fabulous. I swear there's colors and lines that just POP in real life that you simply can't see on a screen. Europe 2017 has so many gems. I particularly liked the sideways Prague litho. The Imola skull was never a favorite of mine, but seeing it in person, I couldn't tear my eyes off it. It has a repulsive, unsettling quality yet it's completely mesmerizing at the same time. I'm a big fan of Hannover, which is fairly simplistic, but again, I really like those comic book style renderings. I also spent some time gazing into the abyss of the infamous Madrid "Dali" style litho. I know it's a fan favorite, and it's has insane demand and value, and I definitely appreciate its rarity, but it's not one of my favorites. Sacrilege, I know! But that's the thing about art...we like what we like. I was very disappointed that one of the worst of them all is my hometown of Cleveland. The design is just OK, but the shitty production just ruined it. Of all the ones to come out "ruined" it would have to be my hometown, wouldn't it? Well....Clevelanders are used to disappointment. American 2017 had some that surprised me. The colors on Sacramento are just lovely. The Gangs of New York triptych is fantastic was fantastic, but by far the one(s) that hit me hardest were the LA Forum trio. The dimensions are different than the standard...they're much longer than the usual litho, and that difference in size, combined with Buhler's impeccable line and color work make these among the most impressive in the entire collection. We were going through them in order, and then turned to the first LA Forum litho, the one of Slash, and I think my jaw just dropped. It looks.....AMAZING. And then you put it next to Duff....and Axl?? Just insane. The long format makes these truly special, as well as the almost muted colors. They printed them really well; it almost feels like you're looking at an original painting. If I had the means, those three might be the first I try to get, but good fucking luck. Getting any one of them was no easy feat...getting all three? I don't know man. As we continued into Europe 2018, I got the sense that the tour really might have been wearing everyone out. There are some good ones, but some of the very worst are Europe 2018. The colors on Mannheim Castle are just gorgeous; Madrid is every bit as lovely and detailed as you imagine....but...Paris 2018, the hunchback, is one of the ugliest fucking things I've ever seen. Goddamn that's an ugly poster. Who the hell ever thought anyone in their right mind would want to commemorate a wonderful concert experience with a shitty drawing of a deformed mongo ringing a bell??? Drawn by the artist Johnny Crap. Well. At least his name is fitting. Thankfully, the inspiration returned for the last few shows of Asia 2018. The Hong Kong skeleton litho is really simple, and not particularly inspired, but I can't help but like the contrast of the white skeletons against the colorful neon. Both Taipei posters are very nice. The Abu Dhabi Formula One litho is SICK. Just insane colors and lettering....that's another one that's just fun to look at. The last two are Hawaii, by Buhler, and they're fine, but nothing could top those three LA Forum posters as a "finale." It's a shame that they couldn't have ended up the last ones chronologically, cause man, they're the visual equivalent of a Bruce Lee punch to the nutsack. I absolutely loved seeing all of the lithos in person, but if I had to choose just one (three) that really blew me away beyond my expectations, it's the LA trio. And then with the Litho exhibition done with, I had a lovely visit with amaninjapan and we explored just a fraction of the awesome sights of his city, which I was visiting for the first time. Absolutely won't be my last though. Out of respect for his anonymity, I won't get into any more specific details, but I will say this: if there's one thing in the world as gorgeous as a complete collection of NITL lithos, it MIGHT be the collection of indescribably hot Japanese women we saw that night. Just........trust me. So, not only is amaninjapan a very intelligent, capable, and all around shrewd individual, he's also a hell of a guy. I'm sure those of you that met him on your travels attending shows will back me up on this. Incredible kind, funny, and generous to a fault. I'm not even exaggerating when I say the guy gave me the shirt off his back! Well, yes I am, cause it wasn't on his back, but DUDE! He gave me some GNR shirts he picked up along the way!! And that's not all!! OK, you're reading this and probably thinking "Jeez, dude, if you love the guy so much why don't you marry him?" Well, just hanging out and seeing the collection would be reason enough to gush so much.....but there's more.... 6 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owenstar Posted December 30, 2018 Share Posted December 30, 2018 Thats an epic tale. I love details as you "visited" each city piece by piece. Great read. Thank you for sharing. Sounds like you guys had a blast. I was hoping to catch a beer with him in Hawaii and pick his brain for a road story or two. Share that in venue memory, as he gave me one of the warmest welcomes to this forum. Sorry about the cleveland litho, though if any city was going to disappoint.....it had to be cleveland! Haha 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estrangedtwat Posted December 30, 2018 Share Posted December 30, 2018 Well like I said.....I already liked the guy.....then this happened: 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amaninjapan Posted December 30, 2018 Share Posted December 30, 2018 Thanks for all the kind words, @estrangedtwat - Most importantly, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself! My section of Japan has much more to offer so please feel free to come by again. Hope you enjoy the shirts - I'm not into the shirts anywhere nearly as much as the lithographs because I consider shirts a 'consumable' and always find it bittersweet that they essentially have a finite lifespan if you 'consume' them the way they are designed (to be worn). I've loved wearing many 'favorite' shirts over the years and always end up sad when they eventually deteriorate into glorified rags. But at the same time, they're designed to be worn - so it's just as sad to have shirts just tucked away in a closet, never to be worn. So wear them with pride and rock out with them while you can! And enjoy the Kobe - you've literally been on this journey with me since day one, were the first person I traded/bought lithos with and been a great friend every step of the way. Can't think of anybody who deserves it more! Just sorry that it ended up being a late Christmas present 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lafemmeonachair Posted December 30, 2018 Share Posted December 30, 2018 I know his collection is amazing but I also wanted to say that @amaninjapan is one coolest and nicest GNR fans I ever met. I've been to several shows and have usually seen the same people but they usually keep to themselves and their own group but @amaninjapan is truly a nice ass friendly dude and makes time fly while you're waiting for pit or Lithios. Rock Man and fuck those LA Manson jabrons! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RageKage Posted December 30, 2018 Share Posted December 30, 2018 5 hours ago, estrangedtwat said: Well like I said.....I already liked the guy.....then this happened: Holy shit dude. Congrats. Amaninjapan really is a great dude. Had the pleasure of sharing the litho journey with him the last two years. Hope we meet again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slash1227 Posted December 30, 2018 Share Posted December 30, 2018 Man I really love the passion support and appreciation this group has towards the GNR litho scene and one another its fukin awesome. I myself have over 30 (which is shit I know) and I am quietly on the uphill trek of a full collection. The forum with all of it's great stories and knowledge has been an instrumental part of that journey for me. So I thank all of you from a silent friend who has been lurking in the shadows for a while. I certainly hope as do most if not all of you the GNR train continues to roll. GnfnR!!! And oh yeah FUCK Warpig.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nycgunner Posted December 30, 2018 Share Posted December 30, 2018 (edited) Great read. I too can vouch that amaninjapan is a gentleman, trustworthy, and the Yoda of GNR lithos. So cool you got to meet and got some nice momentous! With regard to the LA lithos, someone is selling a set on eBay. It’s a nose bleed price (1100) but it’s there! https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F232980087398 Edited December 30, 2018 by nycgunner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estrangedtwat Posted December 30, 2018 Share Posted December 30, 2018 For all three, that's not a bad price, all things considered. Sadly, I can't pull the trigger on it right now, but if anyone is on the fence and has the means, I can assure you that's a far, far more impressive centerpiece to a GNR collection than that Locked n Loaded box for pretty much the same price! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrixAreForKids Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 On 2018-12-30 at 9:25 AM, nycgunner said: Great read. I too can vouch that amaninjapan is a gentleman, trustworthy, and the Yoda of GNR lithos. So cool you got to meet and got some nice momentous! With regard to the LA lithos, someone is selling a set on eBay. It’s a nose bleed price (1100) but it’s there! https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F232980087398 I just sold my GnR’ Seattle for $500. That’s a good deal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nycgunner Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 26 minutes ago, TrixAreForKids said: I just sold my GnR’ Seattle for $500. That’s a good deal! Wow. That’s a lot! Did you sell it on eBay or did someone approach you privately? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordondo02 Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 looking for a litho from the Milwaukee show if anyone is looking to sell one. Let me know your price Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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