Del Close Marathon


Art Direction I was comissioned to illustrate and design posters, brochures, banners, badges, and venue signage for both the 19th and 20th annual Del Close Marathon, an improv comedy festival presented by the Upright Citizens Brigade in NYC.

2016 - 2018

DCM20 Poster

DCM20

DCM20

DCM20

DCM20

DCM20 Shirt

DCM20

I wanted the images for the 20th to be disorientating, eerie, but still playful. I started with the concept of laughing one's face off. There are also many allusions to Del Close, like his famous skull, signature frames, otherworldly inclinations, and a reference to an old photo of him as a man with many hats. But mostly the design and llustrations draws on the wacked out nature of comedy particularly the odder, more experimental late night shows among the hundreds that take place in the marathon.

DCM19 Poster

DCM19 Brochure

DCM19

When I was hired for this project, I was given a theme which I executed that ended up being scrapped. After which I was given free reign to come up with a concept. So I thought about the motions and mechanics of improv comedy which led me to thinking about the Rube Goldberg Machine and pinball which are built around the concept of timing, momentum and kinetic energy. All of which play a huge part in a scene.