I have found myself trying out a lot of cell phone cases lately – most of them designed for maximum protection while in some cases at the cost of style and, in other cases, at the cost of weight. So it was a great pleasure to check out Griffin’s limited edition Designer Series case that is made of quality but really designed to be a showpiece. In this case series, they picked some of their favorite artists and let them come up with their own masterpieces. The standout art piece I fell for immediately was Derrick Castle’s “Bandito” design.
About The Artist:
Derrick Castle is an illustrator based in Nashville, Tennessee. In addition to illustrations, Castle also works in the medium of traditional block printing, a primitive form of relief printing where images are created using a hand carved block, usually wood or linoleum. Inspired by the ghosts of Americana, Castle’s work is filled with skulls, animals and lost relics from a tribal America.
“Bandito”:
A limited-edition hard shell for iPhone 5 and iPhone 4 created by artist Derrick Castle.
Case Print: Printing process uses ink-dye sublimation and a heat-cured gallery gloss finish. Choose from a shell for iPhone 5 or iPhone 4, or a silicone-lined, layered shell for iPhone 4.
Part of the Griffin Designer Series. Original art recreated on cases for iPhone, printed locally in small batches. When they’re gone, they’re gone.
Hands On:
Rarely does a product appear better in person than it did in pictures. I debated a long time between which of the Castle works to choose from, “Lincoln” with it’s Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter design came a really close second but I decided “Bandito” with it’s beautiful detail and deep imagery kept bringing my eye back to it. The interior of the case is felt lined to allow it to be easily slipped on and the design which wraps around the side of the case is vividly printed and stands out extremely well. This case will serve its function nicely – keeping your phone from getting scratched up. More importantly, this case is a limited edition work of art that you can proudly show off.
Last Call:
This case is a collectible piece of art that also serves its core function well. It is a great piece to show off with a design process that makes for great conversation. It is so nice that my wife has already chosen it as her new case, so my phone is slipping back into one of the others I have. I wonder if “Lincoln” is still available, though with such great works of art these Griffin Designer series pieces won’t be around for long.
[easyreview title=”Griffin Designer Cell Phone Case Bandito Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”4″ ]
Derrick Castle Case Gallery:
