Chloe Lan: Buzzer illustrator interview!

Chloe Lan and her illustration for the January/February Buzzer!

Let’s keep going with the fine tradition of interviewing our Buzzer illustrators! Here is the delightful Chloe Lan, who drew the cover of the latest issue (she describes it as a “Transformer-type of lineup” of our services, as you’ll see :)

Tell us a bit about yourself and your art!

I’ve always been curious about anything fun and creative since I was a kid. I enjoy playing, trying, and creating things I haven’t seen before. That’s why imagination significantly outweighs reality when it comes to the content of my work.
I enjoyed the challenge of adapting to Canada when I arrived from Taiwan at the age of 13. I discovered the power of images and icons to bridge gaps that language could not when I started making friends with my drawings as I first arrived in a school that was completely foreign to me.
I love working on projects that allows me to communicate to the public with sincerity and imagination. Inspired by my mentor, Craig Redmond, I want to listen to the public and create works that will be heard. I want my work to take me to places.

Read more »

The January Buzzer is now out!

The January 2010 Buzzer is now on all buses, SeaBus, SkyTrain, and West Coast Express!

Since the Olympics are on and everyone at TransLink will be out in the field, this issue is actually going to be on the system throughout January and February.

It’s filled with Olympic travel information, including resources to help you “know before you go,” handy phone numbers, info about fares, and fun facts about transit.

We’ve also filled the community events section with free events happening during the Olympics, which we found at CityCaucus.com’s free 2010 events listings!

Again, we’re proud to have a cover from a local illustrator: this time it’s Chloe Lan. Great job, Chloe!

And as always, if you can’t get the Buzzer on the system, you can always read it in PDF form on our website. Visit our Buzzer PDF archives, which now stretch back to January 2000. (Here’s the direct link to the January issue PDF.)

Remember to enter the FareCard contest too! You can win a free FareCard in every issue of the Buzzer: read the issue, then email in your info and the answer to the trivia question by Monday, March 1 at 9 a.m. — we’ll pick a winner from all the correct answers.

Enjoy the latest Buzzer as always! Comments are welcome below.

The December Buzzer is now out!

The December 2009 Buzzer is now on all buses, SeaBus, SkyTrain, and West Coast Express!

In this issue, we’ve got a list of the December service changes and holiday service, plus we’re asking what you would like to see in the Buzzer. Tell us: we really want to get it in!

We’ve also got a great story about B.K. Singh, one of our operators who also acts in his spare time! Check out his acting resume: he’s been in Punjabi soaps, has a part in the new movie 2012, and he’s been featured in a Coast Capital Savings commercial!

Again, we’re proud to have a cover from illustrator Jane Koo, who did the September cover as well! We credited her wrong on the September cover, so we’re finally recognizing her properly. (Awesome job as usual, Jane!)

And as always, if you can’t get the Buzzer on the system, you can always read it in PDF form on our website. Visit our Buzzer PDF archives, which now stretch back to January 2000. (Here’s the direct link to the December issue PDF.)

Remember to enter the FareCard contest too! You can win a free FareCard in every issue of the Buzzer: read the issue, then email in your info and the answer to the trivia question by Monday, January 4 at 9 a.m. — we’ll pick a winner from all the correct answers.

Enjoy the latest Buzzer as always! Comments are welcome below.

Justin Chen: Buzzer illustrator interview!

Justin Chen and his illustration. (Justin said he needs a haircut, so an illustrated self-portrait will have to suffice!)

Continuing the fine tradition of interviews with the Buzzer cover illustrators, here is Justin Chen, who drew the November cover this year. (He’s posted about the cover on his blog today too!)

Tell us a bit about yourself and your art!

My “actual” illustration career is actually quite brief; I’ve started taking in assignments after my graduation from School of Architecture at McGill in 2008. But I’ve been drawing ever since I can remember. My style is a fusion of everything I enjoy; children’s story book, cinema, architecture and fiction.

Read more »

The November Buzzer is now out!

The November 2009 Buzzer is now on all buses, SeaBus, SkyTrain, and West Coast Express!

In this issue, we’re talking about winter weather, with some handy hints on how to prepare for travel in snow or other poor weather conditions. There’s also info about what we do to get our system ready for bad weather. Plus there’s tips to make sure your driver can see you in the dark nights of fall and winter!

There are also a few stories that you may have seen on the blog already: the arrival of the new SeaBus, the Buzzer blog’s first birthday, the transportation plan for 2010 approved by the Mayors’ Council, and SkyTrain maintenance in New Westminster and the Dunsmuir Tunnel.

Again, we’re proud to have a cover from another Canadian illustrator, Justin Chen. Well done, Justin!

As always, if you can’t get the Buzzer on the system, you can always read it in PDF form on our website. Visit our Buzzer PDF archives, which now stretch back to January 2000. Yes, I’m getting them uploaded! (Here’s the direct link to the November issue PDF.)

Remember to enter the FareCard contest too! You can win a free FareCard in every issue of the Buzzer: read the issue, then email in your info and the answer to the trivia question by Monday, November 30 at 9 a.m. — we’ll pick a winner from all the correct answers.

Enjoy the latest Buzzer as always! Comments are welcome below.

Michael Gilbert: Buzzer illustrator interview!

Michael Gilbert and his October Buzzer cover illustration!

Since the last Buzzer illustrator interview went so well, I put together an interview with Michael Gilbert, the man behind the October Buzzer cover. Here he is!

Tell us a bit about yourself and your art!

My name is Michael and I make a living by drawing silly pictures all day. It’s true, people can make a living that way!

How did you come up with the October Buzzer cover?

When I first started working on the Buzzer cover illustration, the concept was simple: to showcase the topic of ride sharing. Ride sharing is essentially carpooling (Something I do all the time). I think the idea came to me while I was carpooling, probably in a car with too many people…

Read more »

The October Buzzer is now out!

The October 2009 Buzzer is now on all buses, SeaBus, SkyTrain, and West Coast Express!

In this issue, we’re talking all about TransLink Ride-Share Week, which is offering prizes if you sign up at www.ride-share.com, the free ride-matching service from nonprofit Jack Bell Ride-Share.

We also have the details of the October maintenance work in the Dunsmuir Tunnel — it’s a continuation of earlier work started in July.

There’s also info and a diagram of the Richmond-Brighouse bus loop, which will have some bus bays moved and buses reassigned on Oct. 12.

Plus there’s the schedule of Go Card mobile photo sessions, a history item about Nancy Greene, and articles on Walk To School Week and the Bus Stop Hop!

We are also again proud to have a cover from another Canadian illustrator, Michael Gilbert. Nice work, Mike! I’ll have an interview up with him soon, since the one with Jane Koo turned out so nicely!

As always, if you can’t get the Buzzer on the system, you can always read it in PDF form on our website. Visit our Buzzer PDF archives, which stretch back to the heady days of June 2006. (Here’s the direct link to the September issue PDF.)

Remember to enter the FareCard contest too! You can win a free FareCard in every issue of the Buzzer: read the issue, then email in your info and the answer to the trivia question by Wednesday, November 4 at 9 a.m. — we’ll pick a winner from all the correct answers.

Enjoy the latest Buzzer as always! Comments are welcome below.

Jane Koo: Buzzer illustrator interview!

Jane Koo, illustrator of the September Buzzer cover!

As you may know, Jane Koo is the illustrator behind the September 2009 Buzzer cover—even though it says “Michael Gilbert” on the actual Buzzer (Michael Gilbert is our October illustrator!)

So to make sure Jane gets a proper moment in the spotlight, I asked if she would do an interview with us about her illustration and her connections with transit. Here she is!

1. Tell us a bit about yourself and your art!

Hello! My name is Jane and I am a designer/illustrator, living here in Vancouver.

2. How did you come up with the September Buzzer cover? Can you talk a bit about the other concepts?

I like drawing playful things. I also enjoy working with type, especially the handdrawn ones, so it seemed like a good idea to play with this month’s headline, “September Bus Service Changes,” to create a playful image. I had other (sort of silly) ideas about flying buses (with wings, of course!) above heavy traffic (and disgruntled drivers). Another one was of a bus and a Canada Line train high-fiving, to show the buses and the new Canada Line working together.

Read more »

The September Buzzer is now out!

The September 2009 Buzzer is now on all buses, SeaBus, SkyTrain, and West Coast Express!

In this issue, we’ve got all the details of the September 7 bus service changes, which feature some major route adjustments owing to service integration with the Canada Line.

We’ve also put in all the details of the Commercial-Broadway Station renaming.

The list of changes are so big we didn’t really have room for any other info! The “Back Issues” history item will return next month when things aren’t so busy.

We are again proud to have a cover from a Canadian illustrator, Jane Koo. Yes, the cover says “Michael Gilbert” on it, but that’s a mistake: it’s JANE KOO! (Michael is next month’s illustrator!)

Jane’s illustration is wonderful and I will be doing a little interview with her soon, both to highlight her work and to make sure everybody knows she did the cover :)

As always, if you can’t get the Buzzer on the system, you can always read it in PDF form on our website. Visit our Buzzer PDF archives, which stretch back to the heady days of June 2006. (Here’s the direct link to the September issue PDF.)

Remember to enter the FareCard contest too! Win a free FareCard in every issue of the Buzzer: read the issue, then email in your info and the answer to the trivia question by Monday, September 28 at 9 a.m. to win!

Enjoy the latest Buzzer as always! Comments are welcome below.

A tribute to Bob Banks in the Globe and Mail today

Bob Banks, on a visit to the TransLink offices last year.

Bob Banks, who illustrated the Buzzer from 1954-1976, passed away this year, and Tom Hawthorn has a wonderful tribute to Bob in the Globe and Mail today.

The Buzzer blog also posted a farewell to Bob in May. As well, Drew Snider put together this farewell video on the TransLinkInfo Youtube stream.

Bob, you’re fondly remembered!

The August Buzzer is now out!

The August 2009 Buzzer is now on all buses, SeaBus, SkyTrain, and West Coast Express!

In this issue, we’ve got info about the Canada Line service launching Monday August 17, plus a list of the Canada Line bus service changes taking place on Monday, Sept 7.

There’s a GoCard reminder and info about Metro Vancouver’s new recycling locator. And Back Issues section talks about fares from 1940.

Again, we are proud to have a cover from Canadian illustrator Kate McLaren. It’s a beautiful illustration — thanks so much Kate!

As always, if you can’t get the Buzzer on the system, you can always read it in PDF form on our website. Visit our Buzzer PDF archives, which stretch back to the heady days of June 2006. (Here’s the direct link to the August issue PDF.)

Remember to enter the FareCard contest too! Win a free FareCard in every issue of the Buzzer: read the issue, then email in your info and the answer to the trivia question by Monday, August 31 at 9 a.m. to win!

Enjoy the latest Buzzer as always! Comments are welcome below.

The Buzzer gets a lovely letter

Letter sent by James Lawrence to the Buzzer -- click to read a larger version.

Mr. James W. Lawrence sent in this letter last week, and after I called to thank him, he agreed to let me share it with all of you.

It’s lovely to hear that the Buzzer was of help throughout the years!

The story of a Buzzer cover illustration (and more)

Woo — I’m happy to point out that Raymond Biesinger, a great friend and talented artist, has spotlighted the Buzzer in his new illustration blog, the Daily Sentry. Check out the post here!

Raymond is the mystery illustrator behind our November 2008 issue cover above—his name wasn’t included as it was initially an experimental collaboration.

Since then, as Raymond’s post mentions, I’ve been able to work out a budget and commission illustrations for all the 2009 Buzzers. (Local illustrators: e-mail me your portfolio if you’re interested!)

By the way, this is a sneak peek of Raymond’s blog — it doesn’t officially launch until September :) And if you’re curious, here’s Raymond’s portfolio.

The July Buzzer is out today!

The July 2009 Buzzer is now on all buses, SeaBus, SkyTrain, and West Coast Express!

In this issue, we’ve got a list of summer getaways you can take without a car — and almost all were suggested by you guys in this post.

(I’m also thinking we could do more lists of summer getaways or just fun local destinations online, so if you have suggestions, please fire them over to me.)

The Buzzer also lists special transit service for the HSBC Celebration of Light and Caribbean Days in North Vancouver, plus the holiday service for B.C. Day (yay holidays!), and the downtown Dunsmuir Tunnel SkyTrain work.

And our little Back Issues section talks about Langley joining the B.C. Transit service region in 1988 — can you believe it’s been over 20 years now?

Again, it is the Buzzer’s great pleasure to have a cover drawn by a Canadian illustrator: this time, it’s the wonderful Aurelie Grand.

As always, if you can’t get the Buzzer on the system, you can always read it in PDF form on our website. Visit our Buzzer PDF archives, which stretch back to the heady days of June 2006. (Here’s the direct link to the July issue PDF.)

Remember to enter the FareCard contest too! Win a free FareCard in every issue of the Buzzer: read the issue, then email in your info and the answer to the trivia question by Monday, August 10 at 9 a.m. to win! (And argh, the date for the next Buzzer issue in the contest section got moved: the next issue is Aug 7 now, not Aug 14. Le sigh x 2.)

Anyway, enjoy the latest Buzzer as always! Comments are welcome below!

The June Buzzer is out today!

The June 2009 Buzzer is now on all buses, SeaBus, SkyTrain, and West Coast Express!

In this issue we talk about the Golden Ears Bridge opening and celebration, the launch of the #595 bus route across the bridge, as well as the debut of the Central Valley Greenway on June 27.

We’ve also got details of the June bus service changes (it’s a small one this time), Bike Month, and the Design for Diversity event at Oakridge celebrating the end of Canada Line construction.

Again, it is our pleasure from another lovely Canadian illustrator, Genevieve Simms. Wonderful work, Genevieve!

As always, if you can’t get the Buzzer on the system, you can always read it in PDF form on our website. Visit our Buzzer PDF archives, which stretch back to the heady days of June 2006. (Here’s the direct link to the June issue PDF.)

Please don’t forget to enter the FareCard contest too: you can win a free FareCard in every issue of the Buzzer. Read the issue, then answer the question right by Monday, July 6 at 9 a.m. to win! (The date for the next Buzzer issue in the contest section is wrong btw: the next issue is July 10, not Jan 16. Le sigh.)

Enjoy the latest Buzzer! Comments are welcome below!