Alexander Flores

Your Dallas Cowboys Commemorative Poster

​We all knew it when we saw it, with 14 seconds to go in the first half and the Dallas Cowboys down 21-0 to the New York Giants: That Sunday Night Football shot of owner and general manager Jerry Jones, his head buried in his hands, would become the defining shot of an 8-8 season that felt much, m ... More >>

The Dallas Observer 2011 MasterMind Awards

The winners of our second annual art awards delve into the past and personal loss to bring new visions to Dallas

Poster of the Week: Saturday's Dallas Observer Music Awards Showcase in Deep Ellum. Duh.

​ C'mon, y'all. What'd you think we'd pick? Designed by our own art director, Alexander Flores, with an assist from local graphic novel illustrator, Kristian Donaldson, who drew for us this fictitious band we've calling The She-Devils behind the scenes, the poster has all the pertinent info (bands ... More >>

Your Map(s) to Fried Heaven at the State Fair

Original Map Via State Fair Of Texas; With Art By Alexander FloresCLICK TO EMBIGGEN​If you're going to the State Fair of Texas, it's a given that you have to try the fried bubble gum and fried salsa and definitely obviously the fried buffalo chicken in a flapjack on a stick, plus all the other ... More >>

Dallas' Best Food Needs You: A Plea For Ater Input

Alexander Flores​Earlier this month we teased the launch of our big ol' issue: Best of Dallas. Since the Rapture is rapidly approaching, we wanted your feedback on how to improve our Readers Picks' categories. We asked which food nerd categories you liked, and which needed to be thrown to the curb ... More >>

Best Of Dallas 2011: Help Us Dish Up Some of Dallas' Best Food

Alexander Flores​Yes, we're already there again. Even now, in these Venus temperatures, we're gearing up for our big ol' issue: Best Of Dallas. If the Rapture goes on as predicted, we're looking at one of the last, great Best Of's ever. So, naturally, we want your feedback. After the jump, y ... More >>

On July 1, See RoboCop In Front of Omni Consumer Products HQ, Dallas City Hall

Poster by Alexander Flores​Finally, a dream comes true.For far too long now we've talked about screening RoboCop somewhere in downtown, preferably outside, definitely near one of the myriad landmarks featured in the film set in "Detroit" but shot entirely in Dallas in the summer and early fall of ... More >>

How Banksy Forced Hal Samples to Finish Doc About Homeless Man Living Outside L.A.

Tachowa Covington and his former home in a still from Hal Samples's in-progress Something From Nothing. The whole trailer's after the jump.​Over the years photographer Hal Samples has shown me bits and pieces of his in-progress documentary about Tachowa Covington, who turned an abandoned water tan ... More >>

Angela Hunt, Friendly Neighborhood Council Member, Was Very Happy to Meet Stan Lee

Photos by Alexander FloresAngela Hunt makes hers Marvel with a Stan Lee signature at Dallas Comic Con Sunday.​By the time we got to Dallas Comic Con Saturday 'round 2:30, there was still a line snaking around the Irving Convention Center. Ben Stevens, the show's co-organizer, guesstimated that som ... More >>

Tomorrow, ACL Announces Its 2011 Lineup. Today, We Share Our Best Guess On The Bill.

​Tomorrow, we've been promised, the folks behind the Austin City Limits Music Festival will unveil the lineup of bands playing their 2011 offering, which, this year, for its 10th anniversary, will take place in Austin's Zilker Park on the third weekend of September.And credit where it's due: The o ... More >>

Listomania: Six Album Covers Inspired by Lady Gaga's Born This Way

Alexander FloresTina Fey's daughter still has it. Though Lady Gaga is not her Godmother. ​If Lady Gaga's nude butt didn't illuminate the tone of "Born This Way," then the surrealist image of her face and arms fused with a hellish-motorcycle will brighten it to near-sun levels. This image, wh ... More >>

In Anticipation of Record Store Day, A By-The-Numbers Look at Dallas-Area Record Stores

​Record Store Day -- you know, the day when everyone puts down their laptops, logs off of Amazon or iTunes (or, uh, MediaFire), and heads off to support their local brick-and-mortar record store -- is fast approaching. Just two days off now, even. In this week's paper, Daniel Hopkins purveys your ... More >>

The Arts District, Time-Lapsed and Tilt-Shifted

Keith Loutit achieved quite a bit of renown a few years back for his time-lapsed tilt-shift shorts, in which he made the very big (Sydney Harbor, the Roman Forum, Shanghai's Nanpu Bridge) appear very, very small. Local filmmaker Fabián Aguirre pays homage to Loutit with this three-minute short, For ... More >>

Wherein Heritage Invites the Dork Knights Over to See Frank Miller's Original Dark Knight

A close-up look at the Frank Miller Dark Knight going on sale in May for the very first time​From time to time, Heritage Auction Galleries' public relations director Noah Fleisher extends us the invite to walk across Oak Lawn Ave. to sneak a peek at some of the latest items on the auction block. I ... More >>

My First Time: An Art Director's Tale of Attending Rock Poster Convention Flatstock

All photos by Alexander FloresFor more photos from Flatstock 29, check out Alex's two-part slideshow here and here.​Greetings citizens: I don't usually do this, but at the request of our intrepid music editor, I'm compelled to give an account of my virginal visit to the phenomenon that is known as ... More >>

South-By-Bingo Music: Found Front Row Texter, St. Paddy's Revelers

Illustration by Noah Patrick Pfarr; Design by Alexander FloresBe on the lookout for immodest Bestwurst eating.​ We're so close. You may have noticed yesterday was St. Patrick's Day. 'Round one in the morning, there were enough drunk St. Paddy's day fans wandering downtown Austin to fill a st ... More >>

The Best Of SXSW Music Wednesday: Folk Beards, Nite Jewel and Nudity

Nick RalloAnd the award for Best Folk Beard goes too...​People drunk. After day one-ish of SXSW Music, it's a new term. People drunk is the dulled sensation, the open-mouth brain shock of trying to figure out which great band to catch in a completely huge crowd. Looking at yesterday's schedule ... More >>

South-By-Bingo Music Edition: Animal Hats and Uber-Street Performer Found

Illustration by Noah Patrick Pfarr; Design by Alexander FloresGot two spaces. See the original SXSW bingo card here.​Last week, we had our Art Director Alexander Flores and illustrator Noah Patrick Pfarr create a bingo card based on what we'd likely see at SXSW.Turns out our predictions are fairly ... More >>

Presenting: SXSW Bingo 2011!

Illustration by Noah Patrick Pfarr; Design by Alexander FloresThere is no free space because SXSW is so damn expensive. Click here to embiggen.​And so we come to it at last: South by Southwest 2011. Surely, the great music festival of our time. But one does not simply walk into SXSW. Nay, there ex ... More >>

And Presenting: SXSW Bingo 2011, Interactive Version!

Illustration by Noah Patrick Pfarr; Design by Alexander Flores. Written by Bill Jensen, Keith Plocek, Nick Lucchesi and Alex FloresClick to embiggen. See more in SXSW Bingo: Music Edition​It's happening right now. South-by-Southwest 2011 started up in Austin. And, as we pointed out earlier, one do ... More >>

Super Bowl Visitors and Taco Lovers: A Dallas Tacos Trail

Created by Alexander FloresMake the jump for the Taco Trail​ This certainly isn't the week to jog the Katy Trail (Fountain Place is frozen, man!), so instead, Jose Ralat Maldonado -- who has traversed the taco scene for City of Ate -- and the rest of us implore you to eat. Eat as much as you ... More >>

Last Night: The Get Up Kids, Steel Train, River City Extension at The Loft

The Get Up Kids, Steel Train, River City Extension The Loft January 23, 2011  Better than: polishing your multi-colored Hot Water Music vinyl records.  Alexander FloresThe Get Up Kids​Aren't you glad when a reunion tour isn't a fluke? Fifteen months ago, The Get Up Kids triumphantly retu ... More >>

Attention McDonald's: Five New Burgers for Japan McDonald's "Big America 3"

McDonald's via Wall Street Journal​Last week, Japan McDonald's debuted their Big America 2 campaign that featured four Hulk-fist sized, America-themed burgers. The four burgers, named Idaho, Manhattan, Miami, and Texas 2, clock in at more than 500 calories each, and range from nearly tasty-looking ... More >>

Picture Show: The Most Memorable Fans of 2010

Roger CaldwellFrom the Fans of Iron Maiden: check out the full slideshow. ​While we're not going to go so far as to nominate a Person of the Year (boo, Zuckerberg, boo), we feel a picture show of the most memorable fans of the year would be appropriate. Thanks to our many photographers in the ... More >>

Picture Show: The 20 Best Concert Photos of 2010

Danny FulgencioGlen Farris at Spune 2K10 Fest ​Between NX35, SXSW and ACL, we probably have enough concert photos to create some sort of concert photos city (Concert Photoia, if you will) in this year of 2010. But wait. Wait! There's more. Much more, as it turns out. Locally and nationally, there ... More >>

Why Texas Is More Awesome Than Your State

Created by Alexander Flores​That's right, we have both. We're talking to you other states. While In-N-Out is making its reverse manifest destiny across the United States, Five Guys has laid stake in North Plano and North Dallas. Let's also remember that Fat Burger is headed this way like a sta ... More >>

Before White Rock Lake's Centennial Celebration Jam in June, 100 Days of Festivities

​White Rock Lake celebrates its 100th birthday next year -- why, matter of fact, here's historian Watermelon Kid's commemorative tee, offered "tongue-in-cheek," of course. And the city's got 100 days of events -- from regattas and runs to festivals and fashion shows -- planned to mark the occasion ... More >>

Album Corn Dogs: Because They Make Everything Better.

Created by Alexander Flores​You remember Album Tacos, right? Of course you do--it was the Internet meme where photoshoppers inserted glorious tacos (in forms abstract and literal) into album covers. What the hell would you do in life without these genius memes? Anyway, we thought we'd throw--th ... More >>

More Details On Next Weekend's DOMAXXII Showcase. Plus: Set Times For All Of The Stages!

​A couple weeks back, we announced the initial, tentative lineup for this year's Dallas Observer Music Awards showcase, which will run from 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 17, until the wee hours of Sunday, July 18, at six venues--not to mention an outdoor stage--in Deep Ellum. We really couldn't be more ... More >>

Picture Show: The Fans of Vans Warped Tour

Alexander FloresWearing this shirt's an easy way to pick a fight with the guy standing behind you.​On Saturday, at the Superpages.com Center in Dallas, Warped Tour brought its particular brand of headbang rock to rain-soaked Dallas. Bands included Andrew W.K., Motion City Soundtrack, Sum 41, Maxwe ... More >>

Over the Weekend: The Vans Warped Tour at Superpages.com Center

Van's Warped TourSuperpages.com CenterJuly 3rd, 2010Better than: last year's Warped date. Alexander FloresWe already showed you the fans. Now check Alex's slideshow of Andrew WK and the rest of Warped's bands.​Thank you, Hurricane Alex. Were it not for your rain and wind, the thousands of folks at ... More >>

Top 10 Foods Not Traditionally Prepared With Pot...Yet

Alexander Flores​In honor of today's holiday (don't act like you don't know what it is, unless the boss is around) City of Ate presents a list of Ten Foods Not Traditionally Prepared With Pot That Maybe Ought To Be. The Internet is full of recipes for the old standbys of brownies or tea made with ... More >>

Guess Where Dirk's Eating

Alexander FloresHe's so tall, y'all.​He just delivered one of the most efficient playoff performances in NBA history. He's got a lot of tape to watch. He's got a zeppelin-sized hankering for some Mexican food. And he really, really wants to hang out with his friends from the Dallas Observer.Can yo ... More >>

Opening Day Ballpark Brouhaha

Alexander Flores​Nothing spells out Americana more than baseball, unless you are adding outdoor grilling, hotdogs and cold beer to the mix. Combine all these together with the opening day of baseball and you might very well have the makings of an arrestable offense.This is what made the late morni ... More >>

A Guide to Finding Your Perfect Dallas Yogurt Shop

Now that Pinkberry's opened its new West Village location, the Dallas frozen yogurt invasion may finally be complete.Alongside Uptown competitors OrangeCup, Red Mango and The Yogurt Shop Formerly Known as Yogilicious, how many more yogurt shops can one neighborhood support?All these options can make ... More >>

Because, Look, Everything Looks Better When Covered in Snow, Especially Dallas

Patrick MichelsLooking across Main Street Garden this morning​This weather update from Unfair Park HQ: Yes it's still snowing. Walking through downtown this morning was like taking a stroll around Minneapolis: steaming, snow-caked trucks kicking up road slush and huddled smokers hiding under umbre ... More >>

And The Winner Is...

​Who knew our two demented artist types--Patrick Michels (of Pairing Off art fame) and Alexander Flores--also had a talent for shameless money-grubbing...by which I mean marketing.This week they designed a line of blog-related apparel. My favorite item? The Dude Food trucker's hat.Great prize ide ... More >>

Legendary Dallas Illustrator Jack Unruh Would Prefer You Not Buy His Convention Center Piece. Sorry, But We Just Might.

​I'm a big fan of illustrator Jack Unruh's -- you probably are too if you've seen his work in, oh, Entertainment Weekly, GQ, Sports Illustrated, Rolling Stone, Time or ... look, you name it. The man ain't in the Society of Illustrators' Hall of Fame for nothing. He's a good. So, funny thing: I was ... More >>

A Syllogism For All Sizes

​So, let's see ... we've got those Victory Park shirts. That Leppert poster. Maybe a Schutze tee or two. Guess it's time to open up an Unfair Park store, now that our very own Alexander Flores has taken our Friend Heywood U. Buzzoff's suggestion and turned Angela Hunt's "hell of a syllogism" into ... More >>

Now, Victory Is Theirs, as Hillwood Officially Hands Over Victory Park to Germans

Alexander FloresAround the same time the folks at the Hard Rock Cafe were showing local media the new Victory Park digs, Hillwood was handing over the development's keys to US Treuhand -- the German investors who, back in March, warned that Ross Perot Jr.'s company was in danger of defaulting on a $ ... More >>

Oh, Right -- Tomorrow's the Election

Dallas Observer art director Alexander Flores was out and about last night -- at the Target on Northwest Highway and Skillman Street, if you must know -- and spotted this message scribbled on the window of a Land Rover Discovery. (Which reminds me: Time to wash off the "Seniors '86!" note on the bac ... More >>

The Man with the Golden ... Um ... Um.

Fine, so Ed Young's get-to-screwing sermon may be nothing more than a genius PR stunt. But the accompanying artwork on Fellowship Church's Web site is pretty fab. "Like Saul Bass and Paula Scher had a baby," says our art director, the great Alexander Flores. "Doesn't exactly say 'Seven Days of S ... More >>

Scenes from the Protest

The View from the Village; Also, Provisionally Voting, Provisionally

What's the Good Word, Mayor Tom?

In Memory of a Great Guy and a Great Photographer, Tom Jenkins

So, Yeah, That Deep Ellum Town Hall Meeting. You Didn't Miss Much.

Now, the Best of Dallas Observer

Naughty Dallas, Indeed

Obama Rally: Still Room Left