30 Years Surviving the Transition Through the Digital Age
ABOUT
History
We opened our doors in 1993 as Gallant Studios in Raleigh, NC. Our initial services were presented as an energetic but broad-based graphic design and illustration firm. Pilling Weck became a great proving ground for the studio by producing large quantities of print and packaging projects and showcasing technical illustration skills. By the late 90s the studio had evolved to the more accomplished niche of providing comprehensive Branding services. This philosophy served as the glue that allowed the studio a solid base for consistently organizing and producing large projects.
ONGOING CLIENTS INCLUDE:
Pilling Weck | CP&L | ESP | Georges & Murray
In 2001, Paul Smith of Acme Communications joined founder Daniel Gallant in his downtown offices to create Foundry Zero. The merger was an effort to embrace the ever-growing technology revolution and to extend the companies ability to deploy its Branding services more effectively over the web. Met with mixed success, Paul left the company a few years later to join Capstrat, but not without creating a solid technology base that, thanks to support staff and a knowledgeable network of specialists, continues today.
ONGOING CLIENTS INCLUDE:
By 2009, Foundry Zero had moved some of it’s focus towards non-profit work as well as continuing to maintain large ongoing accounts such as GXS. The increase in event-oriented design allowed the company to express Brand in ever encompassing media and environments. At the same time cooperation with public relations firm Misner & Associates Public Relations helped create a strong understanding of tackling the tremendous changes in communications and social media.
ONGOING CLIENTS INCLUDE:
GXS | Misner Public Relations | Canine Health Foundation | YWCA GT
The increased focus on event-related brand building reached new heights in 2016 when Foundry Zero was allowed to brand Honeywell’s new user conference “Energize”. This gave us the opportunity to focus on building off of the international company’s own recent rebrand initiatives. In recent years momentum has continued to build with event branding locally for large event brands like Capital City Bikefest and mini events for The Cary Theater. Larger businesses like Honeywell have allowed us to expand our services to play a key role in sculpting their corporate brand.
ONGOING CLIENTS INCLUDE:
Honeywell | Misner Public Relations | Cary Theater | Brock & Scott, PLLC | Phase Dock | DC Bar
DANIEL GALLANT
CREATIVE DIRECTOR & PROJECT MANAGER
Born Canadian, at the age of 10 Daniel moved to Raleigh NC with his family. He’s pretty much been here ever since. After attending East Carolina University, he was recruited by a small agency, Bleu Aura in 1988. After working for other studios, he had developed a tool belt of computer and design related skills that helped him decide to make a go of it on his own. He began Gallant Studios in 1993. In 2001 he merged with Paul Smith and his developer firm Acme Communications to create Foundry Zero. The rest is history.
Illustration & Comics Chronology
1986—My first comics are published in Scream Magazine
1995—Alternating Crimes Publishing (v2) founded. We publish several issues of our comic anthology “Alternating Crimes” before spinning off “Hell Car Comix” with Paul Friedrich
1995—Large series of product and instructions-for-use illustrations commissioned for Pilling Weck’s packaging, catalogs and brochures
1997—Hell Car Comix gets picked up as the primary component of an ongoing marketing package for a large independent music store cooperative
1997—CP&L commissions a large campaign of illustrations and graphics for use throughout marketing and their initial website
2000—“Danny and Chrissy” comic story is published in the annual SPX Anthology
2006—I co-create the humorous comic strip “Concrete Jungle”
2016—Concrete Jungle version 2.0 begins work as working title “We All Rule”
2018—Alternating Crimes Publishing is resurrected as a digital comic publisher and blog site