Three great calendars from three extremely different pizzerias.
Of all the trends hitting the pizza scene lately, the buzz word of 2012 thus far seems to be calendar. Three of the city’s most varied pizzerias each decided to welcome the new year with their very own custom-made wall calendars. And these aren’t lame calendars either, they’re extremely well designed with as much personality as the pizzerias themselves. Here’s a look at what’s to come in 2012 through the eyes of John’s of Bleecker Street, L’asso and Two Boots.
Each month features a still from a famous New York City movie with one major modification: main characters faces have been replaced with those of the pizzeria staff! There’s even a caption with ever page that ties John’s Pizzeria into the film’s plot. It’s pretty goofy but hilarious, especially if you go there often enough to recognize the staff. A company called Three Room Press has made the calendars for John’s Pizzeria since 2011 and it looks like it’s becoming a tradition.
This caption says: “If only The Warriors had made it back to Coney Island without stopping to eat some John’s of Bleecker Street, they might have had a chance. But on the other hand, what a way to go!"
The L’asso calendar is exactly the opposite of John’s. You can tell by its title, Pizza is My Lover, that this collection of photographs will be more than just food porn. Each month features a different pizza pinup, so you can line your high school locker with them and be a real weirdo! March has a Dante lounging in a fluffy chair, October’s San Danielle (prosciutto) dons bondage wear and the July heat is represented by dough and sauce in the raw. Risque, isn’t it? Here’s one of my favorites…
The Gardino relaxes on the beach for respite from the hot August sun.
All photos are the work of Ashley Macknica and Greg Barris. As with John’s, this is L’asso’s second calendar. According to Barris, "All the pizzas were made in the [L’asso] oven at 192 Mott Street and then brought to the photo studio.” The calendars are free for customers at the new East Village location (107 First Ave) or they can be purchased online or at the Nolita location (192 Mott Street) for $10.
NOTE: Help Ashley and Greg by telling them what kind of pizza calendar you want for next year?
As much as I dig the other two calendars, my prize for Most Wall-Worthy goes to Two Boots. It makes sense because these guys have been celebrating the Earth’s trip around the sun this way since they dished out their first slice in 1987. And this calendar feels exactly like the ones I used to buy in 1987. I remember going to the local bookstore every December to select the imagery that would accompany me through the next twelve months. That decision was pretty big and always reflected whatever I was obsessed with at the moment. (One year was Egyptian pharaohs, one was famous drum kits, etc.) The Two Boots calendar really feels like the calendars of my youth. It’s the size of a record album!
Like L’asso, New York’s Pizza Pioneers since 1987 chose to represent each month with one of their pizzas. Two Boots is known for its unconventional slices named after quirky pop culture icons, but their support for local artists is just as prominent in this project. Twelve artists were commissioned to produce unique visual representations of their favorite Two Boots slices. The bottom of each month has a bio and URL for the corresponding artist. But the Two Boots vibe soaks even deeper into the body of each month, with significant holidays indicated (Andy Kaufman’s birthday, crawfish festival, Louisiana Purchase ratification).
February features the Cleopatra Jones (sweet Italian sausage, roasted pepper, onion, mozzarella), as depicted by artist Seth Tobocman. How awesome is that!?!?! One of my favorite listings this month is “rent one Bill Murray movie get one free” at the Two Boots video store on Ave A in honor of Groundhog day. Sorry I’m posting this after the fact. You wouldn’t have missed it if you had the calendar!
Here’s another great one. What an awesome image by the legendary John Holmstrom (founded of PUNK zine (1975) and created two Ramones album covers).
Just one more, possibly my favorite image from the entire calendar. You can just imagine artist J Carlos Pinto downing several Cajun cheeseburger slices (with tasso, andouille, ground beef, cheddar and mozzarella) to get inspiration for this stunning image.
All three calendars are truly amazing. Ask your local pizzeria why they don’t have their own wall calendar and maybe you’ll inspire them to take on the project. Next thing you know, you’ll have a wall full of amazing pizza images!
