This 2-col Pantone Fluoro 805 vs Metallic Purple was originally printed in 1992 for 1993 as a limited run of 100 as a ‘Happy New Year’ communication to our (potential) clients and suppliers. There was an exact reprint of 200 around 2001 for the launch of The Peoples Bureau For Consumer Information website. Mining the archives we uncovered a (small) handful of the prints but it’s impossible to see or say which run they’re from.

The print is the second from a mascot series sent out each new year in the early 90s. The first was DR Spaceman and DR Vampireman was followed by DR Twins (used to promote the first TDR ’solo’ exhibition ’New & Used’ (1993) at Sheffield’s Mappin Gallery) and DR Sissy (adapted from Emigre magazine cover).

Along with DR Spaceman, DR Vampireman is an example of overt piracy on the Hi-tech where we found existing characters we felt spoke for us and where we were at the time.