Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Upper Deck Kobe Bryant Lithograph by Shepard Fairey (OBEY Giant)

The Blot can’t believe this one never showed up on OBEYGiant.com, all of Fairey’s projects are typically featured there. I just happened to be checking out the Upper Deck online store to check out the latest All-Star Vinyl figure release and freaked out when I saw UD was releasing two ultra limited Kobe Bryant lithographs created exclusively for Upper Deck by Mr. OBEY Giant himself, Shepard Fairey.

Upper Deck Kobe Bryant Lithograph by Shepard Fairey (OBEY Giant) - KOBE
Upper Deck commissioned Shepard to make these headshot lithographs to commemorate Kobe Bryant’s winning of the 2007-08 NBA MVP award. The two lithographs, entitled KOBE and MVP respectively, are 22'' wide x 28'' high and incorporate the Lakers team colors, purple and gold. Both lithographs are produced on French archival paper and come dual signed by both Kobe Bryant and Shepard Fairey with the MVP lithograph having the additional inscription “07-08 MVP” signed onto it by Bryant. Both lithographs come numbered and are guaranteed authentic by Upper Deck with UD’s official hologram affixed to it.

Upper Deck Kobe Bryant Lithograph by Shepard Fairey (OBEY Giant) - MVP
Kobe Bryant MVP Billboard hung on the side of the Henry Fonda Theater at the intersection of Hollywood and Vine in Los AngelesThe only drawback to these amazing pieces is the price. With both the KOBE and MVP lithos limited to a run of just 50 pieces, the price is much higher than your typical OBEY Giant print. The MVP lithograph is $1,049.99 while the KOBE lithograph is $949.99. Both have the option to come framed for an additional $250. With only 100 of these Upper Deck Kobe Bryant Lithographs by Shepard Fairey in existence, demand will be high for these pieces by Kobe fans, Lakers fans and OBEY fans alike. So if you have the flow available, I would definitely not sleep on these stunning pieces of art. While they do not ship until 8/15/2008, both lithographs are available for purchase now.

KB24.com Logo - Kobe Bryant Crest designed by Shepard FaireyFairey also designed the logo for KB24.com, Kobe’s official website, which is a pretty cool Kobe Bryant Crest. Long time readers of The Blot Says… should know these lithographs combine two of my all time favorite things, the LA Lakers and OBEY. So you can understand why I am so excited to see Fairey’s interpretation of KB24. I don’t know how I’m going to get my hands on one of these awesome lithos, but have no fear, The Blot will figure out a way.

UPDATE: Upper Deck has updated their Upper Deck x Kobe x OBEY Giant store with two new options for those of us interested in a Kobe Bryant lithograph but not looking to spend $1,000 on it. You can now purchase either the KOBE or MVP lithographs signed only by Shepard Fairey for a much more reasonable price of $349.99. Both of the Shepard Fairey only signed lithographs have a limited run of 100.