Chancellor Reid: Gig Posters, Inspiration, and Creative Process

Printed on French Paper: Reid Chancellor, Gig Posters, and Creative Inspiration

Let us introduce to you an amazing artist, Reid Chancellor, who has been creating screen prints and gig posters for about 10 years now. Diving deeper into their art process and what drew them to French Paper, we got to do an interview. We discussed how much they love and appreciate the art of screen prints and comics and got the inside scoop on what the industry considers the best paper for screen printing!

Melvins Poster on Orange Fizz

Gig Posters; What Are They, and What’s Great About Them?

“A gig poster is at its core an advertisement for a concert. I first found interest in gig posters from the DIY culture of the 80s. Bands would create their own posters/flyers to save money and time. The biggest from that time probably being Black Flag. For me, I love getting to create posters with the bands. My favorite being a poster I did recently for the Violent Femmes. I’ve also been lucky enough to work with Mock Orange, a band from my hometown, a number of times. It is a blast because you get to connect with the band, make advertisements for shows, and develop a professional relationship with the band. It’s been a truly great experience. And gig posters are just fun to make!”

Why Chancellor Uses French Paper for Screen Prints:

“French Paper is pretty much the industry standard for screen printing. Whenever I would look around at my favorite printers and posters, they all seemed to be using French Paper. Especially Speckletone.”

Importance of Paper When It Comes to the Creative Process:

“The paper is sometimes overlooked as a design element. I often plan to use white paper and then remember I have an abundance of a certain color left over. Then it becomes like a game or challenge for me to use the different paper instead. For example, I did a poster for MELVINS and had planned to use white paper but when my design would have required using a lot of orange ink, I switched to printing it on Orange Fizz cardstock instead. Switching to different paper really changed the design and saved me a lot of ink! Colored paper is a great way to establish the base color and force you to be more creative with the design.”

 “Hardcore Anxiety: A Graphic Guide to Punk Rock and Mental Health”.

Inspiration and Favorite Screen Printer:

“Jay Ryan (thebirdmachine studio) was my favorite and still is to this day! His art style and printing techniques are incredible. If you are looking to dive deeper, I recommend watching “Just Like Being There.” Which is a documentary about gig posters and the community. That documentary really sparked my interest in gig posters and the entire process. Other things that inspire me would be things like the lowbrow art movement, Frank Kozik, Mad Magazine, and Wally Wood. I like putting a twist on wholesome imagery or “cutesy” things but also staying away from super grim things or dark ideas.”

Other Fun Projects Done by Chancellor

Chancellor is a huge graphic novel enthusiast. Chancellor published a book back in 2019 called “Hardcore Anxiety: A Graphic Guide to Punk Rock and Mental Health.” It touches base on his journey dealing with mental health and expands on how punk rock was something that helped out. He is proud to be able to share and tell his story. He made the book hoping to inspire others and let them know it’s okay to ask for help, and it’s punk rock to overcome our daily challenges.

Thanks so much for reading, French Fans!

If you are feeling inspired and would love to check out Reid Chancellor, you can find him at: