Flyers Artist Collective: A ‘Dream Come True’ For Local Illustrator
When Paul Granese found out about the offer from the Philadelphia Flyers, he jumped at the chance for a “bucket list illustration project.” The long-time professional designer and fan of…
When Paul Granese found out about the offer from the Philadelphia Flyers, he jumped at the chance for a “bucket list illustration project.”
The long-time professional designer and fan of the Orange & Black created the giveaway t-shirt for the first of three Flyers Artist Collective promotions during the 2025-26 season.
“This was the first time working with a professional sports team, and it just happened to be my favorite team of all time.”
Flyers Artist Collective
Fans will receive the promotional t-shirt exclusively as part of an available ticket package for the matchup against the Buffalo Sabres at 7:30pm on Wednesday, December 3 at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
The Flyers will continue the promotion for home games on January 10 against the Tampa Bay Lightning and March 11 against the Washington Capitals.
Granese based his design on an iconic Bruce Springsteen album cover. Any reference to the Boss will catch the attention of Philadelphians who enjoy a trip to the Jersey Shore.
“The Flyers sent over the cover from Greetings from Asbury Park, the album cover, and basically asked me to do a play on that. Instead of saying Greetings From Asbury Park, have it say Philadelphia Flyers, and inside the letters, instead of scenery, have the Flyers’ players.”
-Paul Granese
Granese often shapes his artwork in vintage styles based on older postcard designs and even visits antique stores for inspiration.
He meshed the concepts with the image the Flyers had in mind for their promotion. It includes illustrations of nine Flyers, including Matvei Michkov and captains Sean Couturier, Travis Sanheim, and Travis Konecny.
“Basically, I just asked for a list of players they’d like included in that. It was kind of up to me to juxtapose the players in each letter in a way that made sense. After that, it was all about finding the right reference images to include. After that, I just sketched the composition. The design is 100% hand drawn, except for the Flyers logo. It was pretty challenging to fit nine players into those letters, but I think it worked out great.”
-Paul Granese
A Lifelong ‘4-for-4 Guy’
Granese fell in love with the Flyers while Eric Lindros emerged as an NHL star in the 1990s. He even hung a poster of Lindros on his wall during the “Legion of Doom” era during his childhood.
Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images“I’m a 4-for-4 guy, but the Flyers have always been my favorite team. Growing up, my dad was a huge Flyers fan, so I had the Lindros poster on the wall and all the merch that we could get. It made it even more special being a huge fan of the team.”
-Paul Granese
The Germantown native spoke about attending Phantoms games at the old Philadelphia Spectrum as a kid. He’s continued his fandom into adulthood, pointing out Claude Giroux’s overtime game-winner in the 2019 Stadium Series as one of his best recent memories.
He’s spent 17 years as an illustrator and designer. and his path includes experiences with high-profile artists like Alice in Chains, the Foo Fighters, and Weezer. However, he still referred to the Flyers Artist Collective as a “dream come true.”
Grab tickets to Wednesday’s Flyers-Sabres game to take advantage of your exclusive opportunity for the first Flyers Artist Collective giveaway.
