Martin Stiff
@martinstiff.bsky.social
Designer, writer, illustrator, husband, father, tired.
Reposted by Martin Stiff
NEW
The letter the BBC could send back to Trump
A proposal for a reply to his $1bn claim
By me. Enjoy.
emptycity.substack.com/p/the-letter...
The letter the BBC could send back to Trump
A proposal for a reply to his $1bn claim
By me. Enjoy.
emptycity.substack.com/p/the-letter...
The letter the BBC could send back to Trump
A proposal for a reply to his $1bn claim
emptycity.substack.com
November 12, 2025 at 12:00 PM
NEW
The letter the BBC could send back to Trump
A proposal for a reply to his $1bn claim
By me. Enjoy.
emptycity.substack.com/p/the-letter...
The letter the BBC could send back to Trump
A proposal for a reply to his $1bn claim
By me. Enjoy.
emptycity.substack.com/p/the-letter...
I do not understand why tech-bros are so determined to build bipedal robots. Sure, humanity evolved like that but it doesn’t mean it’s the best design for a robot! Surely something more stable like R2D2 or even BB8 would be preferable? But then, the hubris of a tech-bro knows no bounds, I guess.
November 12, 2025 at 6:47 AM
I do not understand why tech-bros are so determined to build bipedal robots. Sure, humanity evolved like that but it doesn’t mean it’s the best design for a robot! Surely something more stable like R2D2 or even BB8 would be preferable? But then, the hubris of a tech-bro knows no bounds, I guess.
I'm doing another full rewatch of Parks and Rec and let me tell you: Leslie Knope's optimistic politics and enthusiasm for doing good things is a real tonic for the times. And then the episode ends and reality crashes back in.
November 11, 2025 at 5:10 PM
I'm doing another full rewatch of Parks and Rec and let me tell you: Leslie Knope's optimistic politics and enthusiasm for doing good things is a real tonic for the times. And then the episode ends and reality crashes back in.
Ugh, godawful AI Christmas cards for sale in our local post office. Putting artists out of work and destroying the environment for a cheap buck. The true meaning of Christmas…
November 11, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Ugh, godawful AI Christmas cards for sale in our local post office. Putting artists out of work and destroying the environment for a cheap buck. The true meaning of Christmas…
Holy fuck. Holy FUCK Pluribus is good. The first episode might be the best hour of TV all year!
November 9, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Holy fuck. Holy FUCK Pluribus is good. The first episode might be the best hour of TV all year!
Great to see how much people are loving Frankenstein. A few months ago I designed the art and making of book and could see the film was going to be great. Del Toro and his team have absolutely knocked it out of the park. Now go buy the book! amzn.eu/d/5q7zFMy
Frankenstein: Written and Directed by Guillermo del Toro: Amazon.co.uk: Sheila O'Malley: 9781835416433: Books
Buy Frankenstein: Written and Directed by Guillermo del Toro by Sheila O'Malley (ISBN: 9781835416433) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
amzn.eu
November 8, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Great to see how much people are loving Frankenstein. A few months ago I designed the art and making of book and could see the film was going to be great. Del Toro and his team have absolutely knocked it out of the park. Now go buy the book! amzn.eu/d/5q7zFMy
Have my first proper cold since at least May which must be some sort of record for me. I know it’s May because that’s when I started on Methotrexate and you have to skip your dose when you’re ill as it knackers your immune system. Anyway, long story short, I feel like crap.
November 7, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Have my first proper cold since at least May which must be some sort of record for me. I know it’s May because that’s when I started on Methotrexate and you have to skip your dose when you’re ill as it knackers your immune system. Anyway, long story short, I feel like crap.
Why does everyone in that weird Coca-Cola AI ad look like the people in Soundgarden’s Black Hole Sun video.
November 7, 2025 at 9:13 AM
Why does everyone in that weird Coca-Cola AI ad look like the people in Soundgarden’s Black Hole Sun video.
Reposted by Martin Stiff
A magnificent piece of work. Comprehesive, revelatory & shocking. Journalism this good is always rare & precious but never moreso than at times like this. Latter day Lord Haw Haws being plumped, preened & delivered to your doorstep in plain sight by a Nazi-saluting goon
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
Elon Musk is boosting the British right - and this shows how
Elon Musk is boosting the British right - and this shows how
news.sky.com
November 6, 2025 at 9:16 AM
A magnificent piece of work. Comprehesive, revelatory & shocking. Journalism this good is always rare & precious but never moreso than at times like this. Latter day Lord Haw Haws being plumped, preened & delivered to your doorstep in plain sight by a Nazi-saluting goon
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
Somehow she is hogging all of the cushions. Even yours, probably.
November 5, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Somehow she is hogging all of the cushions. Even yours, probably.
It's ok everyone, stand down. I got my Interpol/Bloc Party tickets.
Buying tickets for gigs has become completely impossible. ‘You’ll need a code’, fine, ‘sign up to our app’, sigh - fine, ‘we’ll send a code before the tickets go on sale‘, fine, but I haven’t received a code, and I’ve been logged out of the app and now the app has crashed and I can’t log back in.
November 5, 2025 at 10:11 AM
It's ok everyone, stand down. I got my Interpol/Bloc Party tickets.
Buying tickets for gigs has become completely impossible. ‘You’ll need a code’, fine, ‘sign up to our app’, sigh - fine, ‘we’ll send a code before the tickets go on sale‘, fine, but I haven’t received a code, and I’ve been logged out of the app and now the app has crashed and I can’t log back in.
November 5, 2025 at 8:57 AM
Buying tickets for gigs has become completely impossible. ‘You’ll need a code’, fine, ‘sign up to our app’, sigh - fine, ‘we’ll send a code before the tickets go on sale‘, fine, but I haven’t received a code, and I’ve been logged out of the app and now the app has crashed and I can’t log back in.
Here’s a niche question for any Apple nerds in the audience: my ancient home Mac is running Monterey and sidecar won’t connect to my iPad (on ios26) - the iPad doesn’t even show up in Displays. It works fine on my work Mac (running Sequoia). Are the operating systems too far apart?
November 1, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Here’s a niche question for any Apple nerds in the audience: my ancient home Mac is running Monterey and sidecar won’t connect to my iPad (on ios26) - the iPad doesn’t even show up in Displays. It works fine on my work Mac (running Sequoia). Are the operating systems too far apart?
Enjoyed the first episode of Welcome to Derry - seems like it’ll be a pretty fearless show with some interesting ideas, but my god I’m bored of CG backgrounds. The whole thing felt like Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (ask your parents).
October 28, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Enjoyed the first episode of Welcome to Derry - seems like it’ll be a pretty fearless show with some interesting ideas, but my god I’m bored of CG backgrounds. The whole thing felt like Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (ask your parents).
Just noticed that Lynch’s Wild at Heart is on Prime Video for the first time. It doesn’t get a lot of love but I think it’s my favourite Lynch film, and just about one of my favourite films period. No one has ever been cooler or hotter than Cage and Dern. If you’ve not seen it, do yourself a favour.
October 26, 2025 at 9:59 AM
Just noticed that Lynch’s Wild at Heart is on Prime Video for the first time. It doesn’t get a lot of love but I think it’s my favourite Lynch film, and just about one of my favourite films period. No one has ever been cooler or hotter than Cage and Dern. If you’ve not seen it, do yourself a favour.
Gotta say, I’m not sure whose idea it was but the whole ‘no rain for weeks and then all the rain in two days’ thing isn’t really working for me, thanks.
October 23, 2025 at 6:36 AM
Gotta say, I’m not sure whose idea it was but the whole ‘no rain for weeks and then all the rain in two days’ thing isn’t really working for me, thanks.
Niche query here but can any artists recommend a seriously low-tack masking tape? Everything I have is ripping the top layer of my Bristol board off. I need something completely non-stick. But also sticky.
October 22, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Niche query here but can any artists recommend a seriously low-tack masking tape? Everything I have is ripping the top layer of my Bristol board off. I need something completely non-stick. But also sticky.
Inked up a full comic double page spread, tried to take the masking tape off and it completely ripped the surface of the paper apart. Really enjoying working with brushes and pens but my god digital is easier!
October 21, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Inked up a full comic double page spread, tried to take the masking tape off and it completely ripped the surface of the paper apart. Really enjoying working with brushes and pens but my god digital is easier!
Absolutely LOVED this by @davidmbarnett.bsky.social. A really interesting and clever twist on folk horror tropes. Perfect for the autumn!
October 18, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Absolutely LOVED this by @davidmbarnett.bsky.social. A really interesting and clever twist on folk horror tropes. Perfect for the autumn!
Learned that an anonymous outside expert on submersibles did an interview with the OceanGate Titan investigation, and they released a transcript, with all the names redacted. The first line of his first answer? "I'm sure you're familiar with my film Titanic."
October 17, 2025 at 5:46 AM
Really enjoying my full rewatch of Parks and Rec on U - but I wish they didn’t keep cutting the episodes off before the closing credit joke! Most annoying.
October 16, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Really enjoying my full rewatch of Parks and Rec on U - but I wish they didn’t keep cutting the episodes off before the closing credit joke! Most annoying.
Really looking forward to IT: Welcome To Derry, but if you don't shout 'WIPEOUT!' when the clown laughs over the HBO logo at the beginning of this trailer we are not the same age. www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB-0...
IT: WELCOME TO DERRY Official Red Band Trailer (2025)
YouTube video by KinoCheck.com
www.youtube.com
October 15, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Really looking forward to IT: Welcome To Derry, but if you don't shout 'WIPEOUT!' when the clown laughs over the HBO logo at the beginning of this trailer we are not the same age. www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB-0...
This review reminds me of when I used to design fringe theatre sets in the late 90s. Generally they were good but for one show I only had a weekend (and a cracking hangover). Time Out’s review said the cast were only let down by ‘Martin Stiff’s poorly built set’. www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...
Máret Ánne Sara’s Turbine Hall review – did no one think to ask her for a little bit more?
The Sámi artist may use reindeer skulls and bones, but her spiralling wooden fences are so slight they fail to impose themselves on the venue’s vast space – or the imagination
www.theguardian.com
October 15, 2025 at 9:16 AM
This review reminds me of when I used to design fringe theatre sets in the late 90s. Generally they were good but for one show I only had a weekend (and a cracking hangover). Time Out’s review said the cast were only let down by ‘Martin Stiff’s poorly built set’. www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...
Reposted by Martin Stiff
Take a few minutes to appreciate Drew Struzan creating the original artwork for THE PHANTOM MENACE. Truly a master at work.
October 14, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Take a few minutes to appreciate Drew Struzan creating the original artwork for THE PHANTOM MENACE. Truly a master at work.
Very sad to hear about the passing of the great Drew Struzan. His beautiful film posters defined my childhood and so it was a thrill to chat to him on the phone when I designed a book of his artwork many years ago. Amazing artist and a lovely man.
October 14, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Very sad to hear about the passing of the great Drew Struzan. His beautiful film posters defined my childhood and so it was a thrill to chat to him on the phone when I designed a book of his artwork many years ago. Amazing artist and a lovely man.