One of the few things Much has done right this year...

...is Video on Trial.
http://www.muchmusic.com/tv/videoontrial/
They took a VH1-style concept, and rocked it. The fact that a couple of the regular guests (Debra Digiovanni and a cutie who's name I can't remember) are pretty cute to me is icing on the cake.

What I bought on Boxing Day...

Y'all know me. I dig Christmas, but it's Boxing Day that I really look forward to. Many thanks to the folks that made it possible to enjoy it this year.

• Stones Throw 101 DVD + CD
• Dead Flowers soundtrack
• Kanye's College Dropout (yeah, I know...I shoulda had it a while back. It was on my friend Krista's iTunes at school, so I'd listen to it that way since we were networked n' shit.)
• Print's Regional Annual (finally! Those motherfuckers fucked up my subscription.)
• Dave Brubeck Quartet's Time Out (I've wanted this for ages.)
• Battle Vixens 6
• Illustration '05 Issue 2 (C.F. Payne is the subject, and there's a cool Leslie Carbaga interview near the end)
• The Speedball® Textbook
• The Mini Zen Gardening Kit from Running Press
• The latest Acme Novelty Library thing. So good.

I done good.

What I got for Christmas...

• A Jobmate hammer
• 150 pc "Household assortment" (for hanging up things)
• a gift certificate to Comics America
• 11.5" metal whisk
• oven mitts
• a scarf
• extra deodorant! (Ultra Clear Degree for Men™)
• much candy, including Reese Trees, Lindt chocolates and Hanukkah gelt
• Mulled cranberry drink mix and hot chocolate from Second Cup (Canada's Starbucks)
• a Bic XGames pen
• Botticelli Bites (Choclate and Peanut Butter flavor)
• Ez Baker Cookie Pan
• Mane n' Tail Hoofmaker® moisturizer
• 2 tea towels
• 2 hand towels
• 1 Betty Crocker® Saucepan
• 1 Betty Crocker® Skillet (it's red!!)
• a travel mug
• Mini Flyers from Running Press
• Nextcare bandages
• a pair of potholders
• salt & pepper shakers
• steak spice!
• crushed chilies!
• Company's Coming!: The Rookie Cook by Jean Paré
• 1 HMV gift certificate
• Pyrex® oval roaster
• Best Ever Three & Four Ingredient Cookbook by Jenny White & Joanna Farrow
• Harmonica Book & Kit
• 2 McNally Robinson gift certificates
• a set of 5 tea towels
• 2 LARGE bath towels

I hope the McMahon family got a bag of dicks for Christmas.

As pointed out by several internet wrestling pundits, Vince McMahon has been cuttin' promos on the fans by himself and via several wrestlers and different times during the year, and tonight he basically told everyone to kiss his ass; he's gonna do what he wants whenever he wants to do it. That same promo put his entire fucking family above the business and set him up for a feud with Shawn Michaels. I liked that shit better when it was him vs. Austin. That was what...99?
This might sound nutty, but I'm hoping for a swift end to the WWE in 2006. Okay, maybe that's drastic, but what's going down right now is just ridiculous. I know we can't go back to the days of territories, but I'm thinking that anything is better than this. Anything.

Winnah!!!

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Illustration Friday: Imagine

The Sinful Mind of Lord Pillsbury, 2005 • graphite, stolen photo and Photoshop®

I wasn't gonna do one this week, but after seeing what my long-time pal Jeope did, I got inspired.
So there you go. I think this is kinda self-explanatory. :D
The nut n' bolt thing is a nod to the work of Coop, plus I like to be somewhat obvious in my motives sometimes.
The stocking'd beauty? I wish I knew her name. She just pops up randomly on TGPs (Thumbnail Gallery Posts) every once in a while. No affiliation to any adult site, no clue to who she is. But she sure is purdy.
Oh yeah...here's the reference for this thing: Connery and some dude.

Illustration Friday: Surprise

The New Brewster's Millions, 2005 • graphite and Photoshop®

The title, of course, is a nod to the late Richard Pryor.
The idea, though, came from reading a lot of Bob Fingerman's work. That guy is a freakin' genius. Reading his work is like a New York travelogue, f'real. Totally gritty. I may have achieved 1/25th of said grit here. Hey, did I give this dude enough of a "holy s**t" face? I'm not sure.

Here's a link to the larger version, which you could use as a desktop if you wanna.

R.I.P Richard Pryor

Anyone that knows how sick Richard was knew this day was coming, but it's sad all the same. Ask a cross-section of today's standup comics, male or female, who influenced them to hit the stage, and I'll bet you that at least 90% will have Pryor on their individual lists.

Hey, props where props is due...Lenny Bruce kicked in the door on using "blue" language on stage, but Rich was a foul-mouthed poet.

As a Radio Broadcasting student doing my work experience at 97.5 FM here in Winnipeg, I had the (sort of) privlage of cleaning out their stacked record library. I was lucky enough to get to keep a few albums, one of which was Pryor's Wanted. Two slabs of non-stop, gut-busting laughs. So fuckin' good. The good folks at Rhino put out a box set with all of his Warner Bros. records, which I recommend you cop.

A New Kusiak!

My ol' friend Josh Kusiak and his lovely wife Sarah have a new addition to their family by the name of Riley, and she's so damn cute! Congrats, you guys!
http://thekusiaks.blogspot.com/2005/11/shes-finally-here.html
The whole story here: http://thekusiaks.blogspot.com/2005/11/baby-story.html

The Photos of ¢h@¢h@¢h@1000

This person/robot is a fellow flickr user who captures the essence of life in Winnipeg like no other. From what I've been able to gather, this being works in the film industry, judging by what I've seen lately. At any rate he/she/it's photos are first rate. Recognize.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/clemoh/

In Praise Of: Tokyo Drifter

Seijun Suzuki, director of Tokyo Drifter.

I loved this movie, but mainly from a visual standpoint. Actually, the story is cool too, but a little campy. Come to think of it, that's part of it's appeal...at any rate, I thought it was dope. It was as colorful as Les Parapluies de Cherbourg, but gritty. There was a hilarious bar brawl in this thing.
Rent this bitch.
IMdb page: Tôkyô nagaremono

Illustration Friday: Free

Radio Free Syracuse, 2005 • graphite, Pentel® Brush Pen & Photoshop®

The title? I had Syracuse's school colors on my mind, hence the colors of this guy's sweater.
The concept? To me, nothing says "free" like freedom of movement. That includes dancing.
The object he's jumping from? I don't know.
The bigger version? Oh, that...right here.

R.I.P Link Wray

The father of the power chord, and possibly Pete Townsend's biggest influence:
Obit at the Statesman
The first time I hear Mr. Wray was in Robert Rodriguez's Roadracers, which is a fine rock n' roll film. Once I clued into who he was, I picked up Rhino's comp Rumble! The Best of Link Wray (which might be the only Link Wray you'll ever need, although Norton Records has put out a number of Swan label collections). Listen to that, and you'll know what rock n' roll is. Not bad for a dude with one lung.
Rest in peace, Link.

Got me a "Design" Inspiration profile!

http://designinspiration.blogspot.com/2005/11/allan-lorde.html
Many thanks to Jeope for telling me about it (he's profiled here) and to Jeff for creating such a cool blog.

Best of Friends Logo in Action

Photos by my man Mr. Wolfe.

Illustration Friday: Strength

Improper Use of Telekinesis, 2005 • graphite and Photoshop®
Larger version here.



Tough Nutt, 2005 • graphite and Photoshop®

Howdy. I decided to do two illustrations on the topic of strength: one mentally-based, and the other physical.
Uh...that's about it. Think I'd elaborate further, but I should be in bed. I'm pretty beat.

On a totally unrelated note...IT'S SNOWING!!!!

R.I.P. Eddie Guerrero

It's been a few hours since I found out, so it's beginning to sink in. I'm incredibly sad about this. Eddie was one of those guys that would be able to battle personal demons, and come back much stronger than before. I remember his first TV match after recovering from his car wreck back in the day, and he fuckin' destroyed whoever he wrestled that night. It was just an awesome display. He gave us many moments to remember. Rest in peace, Latino Heat.

Illustration Friday: Cold/Night

Cold/Night, 2005 • graphite and Photoshop®

This one makes up for last week and covers this week. A quickie, but kinda fun. Anyone that's been coming here over the past three years knows that I f**kin' love winter, and one of the best things about it is listening to music during a snowfall, especially at night. Well, that encompasses both themes! Talk about yer synergy n' stuff.
Feel free to click the illos for larger sizes. Word.

EDIT: What the hell was I thinking? Last week's topic was "broken". Whatever. I guess I can stop patting myself on the back...it's kinda awkward.

Heavy Trash/The Sadies/Fiftymen @ the Pyramid: Nov. 5th, 2005

Best show in recent memory.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/elnegro/sets/1304194/

So I've Got Another Fuckin' Shirt on Threadless...

...whoa. Sorry 'bout the cursing.

I may have fu...screwed this up by putting all these French accents in the name of my shirt. Anyway, I hope y'all like it.

Highlight/Lowlight of This New Music Tuesday

• Highlight: Fatlip's The Lonliest Punk. Fatlip will forever have a piece of my heart for his verse on Pharcyde's "Passin' Me By" and anyone who knows the story behind Pharcyde knows this solo joint has been waiting to drop for a dog's age. I have a good feeling that it's worth the wait.
• Lowlight: The According to Jim TV Soundtrack. I mean really, can you think of anything more worthless? When I half-watched an episode once (it was regular televised background noise at one point in my household), Jim and his "band" had the gall to perform a weak-ass cover of "Have Love, Will Travel". That was the last time I paid any mind to that fuckin' show...fine-ass Courtney Thorne-Smith or not.

Apparently, there's another 2Pac album out there, too. Awesome.

Random Thoughts: October 30th, 2005

• Weight: Currently, I'm 335 pounds. That will change.
• The coolest thing is... a girlfriend that points out other girls that she thinks you'll like, and she's always right. For example, she pointed out on Friday just how fine the head server at Montana's looked in her off-duty attire. She wasn't kidding! Girl was a raven-haired vision in a black tennis skirt and knee-high boots. Sarah rules.
• WWE Sux. Do I really have to elaborate?
• So I bought me an iPod... Yup. I took the plunge. Got me a 60GB Photo (I have no use for the video function). Now I'm waiting for this.
  

The Unitus/El Negro Collab Is Online!

http://www.gigposters.com/posters.php?poster=54511
Couldn't be happier. :D

R.I.P. Rosa Parks

The only thing kids today are gonna know about her is that OutKast lawsuit.
http://www.freep.com/news/latestnews/pm6900_20051024.htm

My shirt's been accepted!

Y'all know what to do now. ;)

Illustration Friday: "Remote" and an unfinished "Fresh"

What the Duck?, 2005 • graphite, Pentel Brush Pen, and Photoshop®

Why is a duck in this thing? Why did the duck swallow the remote? Why is the duck on TV? Why is the duck wearing a Mike Doughty shirt? Hell...why is the duck wearing clothing?
I dunno. Ask the duck.

Truth is, this was the first thing that came to mind, and I decided to run with it. Here's a way bigger version to check out.




Fresh! For 1983, You Suckas!!! (unfinished), 2005 • graphite and Staedtler Pigment Liner

This (and "Remote") are among the first things I put in my Moleskine journal. I decided to get a pack of three instead of investing in an actual sketchbook, because I already have a sketchbook that I'm working in, plus I find the quality of those sketchbooks a tad intimidating.

My exposure to hip-hop culture goes back to '83 and '84, but I never rocked a track suit, wrote rhymes, made mix tapes or hit up trains with motion tags. I'm from the Prairies, man! And hip-hop wasn't universal yet (you're kidding yourself if you don't think it is now). I wish I could dig it up (I know it's around here), but Michael Holman, the man behind the TV show Graffiti Rock and the New York City Breakers wrote a book about hip-hop culture that was available in magazine format. Dude broke it all down way before many folks were even aware of all of the elements that made it up. That was my intro to the culture as a whole (I went back to reading it in '88 when rap exploded.), but just previous to that, I was facinated with b-boying (better known as "breakdancing"...don't let a hardcore b-boy or b-girl hear you say that though). Back then, I could step into a backspin and finish with a freeze. That was my entire steez, but it was fun do. My biggest audience was in the Laura Secord School that summer where I was attending a sort of summer school program (not for grades, for fun). We had the Midnight Breakers over that day (which was dope, because they were in a local Pizza Pop commercial...they were stars!), and after their performance, we were allowed to do our thing. That's when I did my thing. Hearing folks cheer was pretty cool. I've been a ham ever since then. :D
Some bothersome cats tried to diss me afterwards about my limited ability, but I didn't care. I was on Cloud 9 that day.
Ahhh, memories.

Hey...if any of you folks are comin' here via Illustration Friday, check out the previous post about screenprinting. It's very informative.

Lonny Shows the Kids How to Print

My man in MPLS posted a thread at gigposters.com on how he handled our creative collaboration (a poster for Quintron and Miss Pussycat). I can't tell you fow fuckin' stoked I am to see this!
http://www.gigposters.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38618

R.I.P. Alexis Mazurin

I just found out. Unbelieveable. Dude was only 27.
http://vancouver.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=bc_mazurin20051021
He was always a joy to listen to.

I've been a busy boy.

"This Side Up" paintings:

...y'know what's cool? The lady that inspired the first one really likes it. I couldn't be happier!

Submission to Threadless (still pending):


Prelim Sketch and Finished Piece for Successtories (I've got two more to go):



...aaaand, I have an awesome poster collab with Mr. Lonny "Unitus" Jerome comin' out soon which is both long-awaited and much appreciated. Dude fuckin' rocked this thing. I'm totally honored. I'll post it here once it's totally done.

In Burlesque's Studio.

Wanna see Wezz lay down the black on poster number 5 of the Arcade Fire series?
Then go here.
Picture him doin' that about 400 times. Man.

My Chicago Photos...

...are finally online.
http://flickr.com/photos/elnegro/sets/1107936/

Aw yeah.

I have this now. It's as sexy as I said it is. There ya go.

Atmosphere, Blueprint and P.O.S. at the R.E.C

http://www.flickr.com/photos/elnegro/sets/1055732/
Good times, yo.

This Guy Knows a Lotta Rappers!

If you're like me, you know a few emcees.
This dude knows a whole shitload.

Rappers I Know Month

He's also a pretty dope designer. He's hooked up a lot of folks with good visuals.

I (heart) Katja Kassin (NSFW)

This ain't safe for work, yo.

Now that I have my parental advisory sticker (look to the right), I can post the occasional bit of adult material.
The following TGP (thumbnail gallery post) is proof of why I think Katja Kassin is the finest porn star on the planet. Not only that, it also drives home the fact that the world of incredible asses is not just inhabited by the thickest of sistas, thank you very much.

Brought to you by those nasty Bang Bros.

Now I feel dirty. I really should open a separate blog for this kinda thing.

I won't make this a habit.

Random Thoughts: September 24th, 2005

• The current crop 1st and 2nd year Graphic Design students at Red River are fucked. There are currently 60 2nd years and 70 1st year students. Way too fuckin' many. I like to think that me and the other folks that finished the program recently were the last to get a truly good education. Seriously, I feel for these kids, man.
• The 3rd years, however, are sittin' pretty, with their own room and brand-spankin' new G5s to work with. Good for them.
• Shows I'm lookin' forward to: Atmosphere on Oct. 1st (check this review and the comments following. Hilarious. Basically, I'm going to this show because I'm a fan of Blueprint*, one of the openers on this tour), Black Mountain on Oct. 4th, Feist on Oct. 13th, and Heavy Trash on Nov. 5th. That last one is gonna slay.
• In the Hall of Hot Stylized Cartoon Moms, Maddie Fenton ranks high.

* I liked Blueprint's album 1988 better than Pitchfork did.

I can't remember the last time I wanted something so much. (2)

Feast your eyes upon this, unworthy heathens:



Have you ever seen something this beautiful? No, you haven't. Trust me.
What is it, you ask? It's the 4th poster in the Arcade Fire/Burlesque of North America series, done up by Wezz Winship and the Burlesque crew, starring Mr. Aaron "Hands of God" Horkey.
Take a close look, y'all...Winnipeg's date on the tour is at the bottom left.
How can you get one? Don't act like you don't want one, fucker. Hell, you NEED this. Well, if you're gonna attend that Winnipeg (or the Saskatoon) date, you can get it there. If you're like me and don't care for the Arcade Fire (don't get me wrong...I respect 'em), you can buy it from the B of NA folks after the tour is over (I do believe that's October 8th).

This thing is so majestic. I think I'm gonna cry. S'cuse me. *sniff*

I can't remember the last time I wanted something so much.

http://www.thenewyorkerstore.com/books_completenewyorker_middle.asp

Look at that thing. That's 80 years (!) of publishing history right there. Articles, cartoons, ads (!!), everything.

Check the virual tour

That, my friends, is a "must-have" if there ever was one.

Battle Vixens

Girl-on-girl fightin' action, upskirtage, large breasts AND a perfectly executed German suplex. This manga has everything, yo.

On a whim, while lookin' for something a little different, I started reading Battle Vixens the comic book (manga) by Yuji Shiozaki. What can I say...I love it!
The story centers around the super-chesty and tough-as-nails Hakufu and her rough-ass life at Nanyo Acadamy. Everyone at Nanyo (including her blue-balled cousin, Koukin) is a toushi: fighters that have each inherited a Magatama ( a jewel that draws out the full fighting potential of its owner). It gets a tad more complicated after that...I'll leave it to you to find out more n' shit.
What y'all really need to know is this: it's a hoot. The action sequences (there are many) are perfectly rendered and plotted out. I'm in awe of Shiozaki's drawing ability. He's created a manga title that appeals to the fan of action and naughty bits (there are copious upskirts and semi-nekkid to nekkid breasts...yummy.). Go get it, sucka.

Related links:
TOKYOPOP Battle Vixens page • Ikki Tousen (TV adaptation now on DVD) page

Pitchfork Does Right by R.L.

Mark Richardson gives a pretty accurate review of the re-issue of A Ass Pocket of Whiskey:
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/b/burnside_rl/ass-pocket-of-whiskey.shtml
The difference between me n' him, is that I LOVE this fuckin' album.

Illustration Friday: "Depth" and other topics that I wanted to post.

These are all really quick. While I was in Roanoke, I had web access, but no freakin' scanner.
First, this week's topic...

Depth: (this was like, the second thing that came to mind. The first was falling down a hole)



...and now, the other stuff.

Wisdom: (don't let anyone tell you that kids don't posess any wisdom)


Reflection: (this represents the three separate times I could've gotten laid in high school. The heads are reminiscing.)


Bigger Version

Empty:



Bigger Version

Dreams: (I was trying to delicately depict a threesome, the dream of many men. This guy paid for his.)



This is actually two sketches spliced together. Bigger Version

This Just In...

Looks like I might be in a lucha libre-based show!
Here's the first mention of it by Buddy Lee Roth (of the mighty Tijuana Bibles), followed by me, Johnny Crap and Dan Springer voicing our interest, and the acceptance.

Too fuggin' cool.

This Side Up

Y'know that cardboard art show I've been talking about? Well in addition to the 60+ page thread at gigposters.com, there is now an official site:
http://www.squad19.com/cardboard/

Sketch Dump

I drew almost everyday while I was in Roanoke.

So Long, Miz...Hello, Lögberg-Heimskringla.

Yup.
Al'z a "dirt samurai" no more.
Starting tomorrow, I'll be doing graphic design for Winnipeg-based Scandinavian newspaper Lögberg-Heimskringla (yeah, it's a mouthful). I'm really looking foward to this.

Projects, projects, projects...

Man, it's late.
Anyway...I'm writing this, because I want to keep y'all up to date, plus it'll serve as a public get-your-ass-in-gear kind of thing.

1. The Cardboard Show. I mentioned this previously. All of our pieces are due on the 1st of November. We're all responsible for 3 of 'em. Should be fun. Fun, yes...but I must also "bring it". There's a lot of really good motherfuckers in this thing.
2. Successtories. A cool comic/zine thing published by Steve "Cerdo" Tenebrini. My shit's due Oct. 1st. It'll get done.
3. The GP Blackbook Project. This ones a real doozy. In the spirt of 1000 Journals, Scott Blake has decided to get a bunch of the Gigposters.com suckas together to fill a sketchbook, which will then be auctioned off on eBay. The proceeds will then go to GP's headmaster Clayton Hayes, because he fuckin' rules. Who knows when this thing'll head my way. It'll soon be in the capable hands of Elizabeth Daggar.

So yeah...that's what's up. I'm excited...and anxious. Quite naturally, I don't wanna fuck up any of these things.
Well...I've got a job interview in (looks at alarm clock)...6 hours. Peace.

Sam Sugar's Podnography

Y'all know me...I'm a perv. I likes me some porn, dammit.
Which brings me to the topic of this here post: Podnography, hosted by British ex-pat Sam Sugar. His podcast, which I discovered through Fleshbot, appeals not only to my base urges, but it's also a fun, witty, and intelligent good time. Other than CBC Radio 3's weekly podcast, this is one I truly look forward to listening to.
To get acquainted with Podnography, check the first installment here.

Related links:
Podnography • SugarBank • SugarHive • PSP Porn (naughty pics formatted for your Sony PSP)

R.I.P R.L. Burnside

Clarion Ledger story

Like a lot of folks, my introduction to the magic of R.L. was through that badmotherfucker of an album, A Ass Pocket of Whiskey. That combination of a bluesman I had never heard of and my favorite band in the world (the Blues Explosion) is one of the best albums I've heard in my short time on this planet. It isn't a collaboration, it's a collision. That album is the embodiement of the blues to me.

Shortly after that, Mr. Wizard was released. "Over the Hill" and "You Gotta Move" are the most soulful moments on that album, and they get pretty regular rotation on my iTunes (yo...that's about as far away from the Delta as you can get).

After that, several albums followed that needlessly combined R.L.'s country blues with beats. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't (I couldn't keep Wish I Were in Heaven Sitting Down; it dissapointed me greatly. The rawness was missing.). To get a real feel for the man, you gotta pick up those previously-mentioned albums and his early stuff, which Fat Possum has re-issued.

A few years ago, R.L. and his band (Cedric Burnside and Kenny Brown) were scheduled to appear at a riverside concert in St. Boniface (Winnipeg's French neighbourhood). Only Kenny and Cedric made it, as R.L. fell ill. I missed most of their set, but getting to meet Cedric afterwards totally made up for it (that, and watching Alejandro Escovedo later).

I'm really saddened by this. Katrina killed New Orleans and Biloxi, and now we've lost the last of the Mississippi bluesmen. Sometimes, it doesnt pay to get out of bed.

Best Poster I've Seen In a Long Time

http://www.gigposters.com/posters.php?poster=51733
Argue with me if you want. I'll call you a jackass.

So I'm Back...

...and up way too late, downloading naughty stuff.
Hey. It's been three weeks.

Greetings From Roanoke, VA Pt. 5! (In Praise of FHIF)

I just watched 4 back-to-back episodes of Foster's Home of Imaginary Friends. Needless to say, I enjoy it very much. I gotta give much praise to Craig McCracken (creator of The Powerpuff Girls) for creating this hilarious little series, which is not only funny, but very aesthetically pleasing.

That settles it. I gotta get digital cable when I get home. Me and Cartoon Network are inseparable.

Greetings From Roanoke, VA Pt. 4!

• The homesickness is setting in a little.
• I've been living like a monk...no porn, not even Fleshbot since the 12th of this month. I'm wasting away! Okay, not really.
• My aunt and uncle watch Fox News. I won't hold it against them.
• Two more aunts have arrived, so my mom and them are shopping their asses off, leaving me here. It's cool though...I might go to Hardee's later. Monster Thickburger, here I come!
• I've changed my mind about something. Rachael Ray can get it. I don't know why I didn't dig her before. She's got a nice ass. And that mile-wide mouth of hers...man, I betcha she makes a great "oh" face. Wow...that was dirty.

Greetings From Roanoke, VA Pt. 3!

I don't think I mentioned it, but I've become entranced by the OAV (Original Animation Video) entitled Furi Kuri (aka Fooly Cooly or FLCL). I remember seeing the DVDs or videos around (possibly at HMV or Comics America), but I never got into 'em until now, thanks to good ol' Adult Swim. There were only 6 episodes, and I caught the final one last Saturday (uh...Sunday morning, actually). It's fuggin' nuts. The story defies description. I gotta cop me them DVDs when I get back home.

Related links:
Official Gainax FLCL site - Anime News Network Info Page - imdb page - Synch-Point production page

Greetings From Roanoke, VA Pt. 2!

I've been drawing everyday. I haven't felt this good artistically in a long time.
I'm dying to share some of this with you, but it'll have to wait. I wanna do it up nice.
Peace.

Greetings From Roanoke, VA!

Yup, I'm alive. How are you doin'?
Been drawing and reading a lot, and watching way too much Adult Swim. I'm hooked.
S-Cry-Ed is over, so I'm going to bed. Hope y'all are doin' a-ok.

I Love Gettin' Cool Shit In the Mail!

Peep this:



Winged Doll With Looking Glass, 2005 • markers and correction fluid on corrugated cardboard

This kick ass piece comes to me courtesy of Derek aka nervousonion, one of my gigposters.com peoples. Dude, you fuckin' rule.
I'm not sure if I've mentioned it yet, but there's the possibility of a cardboard-based art show happening, and both Derek and I have signed on. I'm crazy stoked for it, especially after getting this.

Oh yeah...I leave for Roanoke tomorrow, so y'all might not hear a whole lot from me for a few weeks. Well, we'll see. Now that I have a kick-ass flickr™ account, I'll be able to share the photos properly once I get my ass back here.

Troy! I ain't ferget ya, dude. I'll put that P & C comp together for you once I get back, plus that Nein poster.

If you look to the right...

...you'll see that I've added my flickr™ photostream to this here blog. Yo, flickr™ is crazy fun.

R.I.P. Peter Jennings

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050808/ap_on_en_tv/obit_jennings
Not a lot of folks knew he was a Canuck. As for me, I had no idea he had lung cancer. I salute you, sir.

Okay, so I'm glad City TV is around.

Not only because fine-ass Adrienne Silver will be doing the weather every weeknight, but because SexTV is back on basic cable! I missed that show so much.

Hello, CityTV...*sigh*

http://www.winnipegsun.com/Business/2005/08/03/1157659-sun.html
I knew it was coming, but I didn't know that fine-ass Bridget Brown was leaving. She was the latest in a long line of MTN/A-Channel hotties that I had a thing for, and I'm sad to see her go. (That list includes Alix Michaels, Kimberly Carroll, and Stephanie Sherlock.) The one realy good thing about this identity change, is that Adrienne Silver is the new weather anchor, which pretty much guarantees that I'll be checking out their 10 o'clock news broadcast...or wheneverthehell it's on.

Her ass is incredible.

A Visit to Adobe

Neat little photo essay.
http://photoshopnews.com/feature-stories/a-visit-to-adobe/

Tara Reid Continues to Try and Shed Her Drunken Bimbo Image

http://www.jaggle.nl/log/item.php?id=13573
*sigh*

Illustration Friday: "Aging"

I Don't Wanna Grow Up, 2005 • graphite, Staedtler Pigment Liner and Photoshop CS2®

It's probably obvious, but this was inspired by both the Peter Pan Broadway tune and the Tom Waits song (from Bone Machine, which I still have to purchase). This dude is vainly hanging on to whatever remnants of his childhood, but realizes he has to rock that suit n' tie so he can bring home the bacon. And he resents it.

Here's the original:



I drew it during a couple of my breaks at my incredibly shitty job.

*sigh*...there I go again. Okay, it's no secret that I hate what I do. To me, the true measure of success is to make a living doing what you really want to do. I'm clearly not at that point. But it's coming...I'm almost sure of it.
I'm told, "hey, it's just a job." True, and it pays pretty well. But what if you think of throwing yourself in front of a truck before heading there? What if it's incredibly thankless? That shit ain't healthy. All I know is, when I get back from Roanoke, the job search is ON.

But, I digress...*ahem*...
I didn't like the face on this dude; it wasn't sour enough. So, I came up with a few more and chose my fave:


A few choices.


Cut n' paste.

As a bonus, here's one of the pieces I came up with for the Blam! show, Geriatric Lad:



Hapless Heroes 1: Geriatric Lad, 2005 • Montana spray paint, gesso, graphite and Staedtler Pigment Liner on canvas board

A'ight? Peace, y'all.

Done Fringin'.

Damn, man. 20 shows. Sarah and I had mad fun. Tomorrow, I think I'll write my capsulated reviews.
Yo...it's raining crazy hard out there. I'm goin' to bed.

But a faint memory.

A certain "artist" no longer exists on my weblog, which is what I know he wants. And that's fine.
Checking out his path of destruction on the internet (ripping off other people's work and a credit card scam...look it up, if you remember his name), I decided that giving this person additional notoriety wasn't in my best interests. And at some point this year, he faked his death on the web. No, I'm not shitting you. I took a hint from that.

He's dead to me.

Out of respect for the dead, I removed every mention of his name on my weblog.

The mere mention of his name by his "allies" on this weblog, even as petty internet small talk, shall be dealt with swiftly.

And if he decides to resurrect himself in some fashion and assault me with the written word using racist overtones, legal action shall be taken.

I'm pretty sure the pseudo-dead are not exempt from litigation.


That is all.

Magnus in the House!

If you look to the right, just underneath Jean Snow, you'll see a link belonging to fellow gigposters.com member Magnus Larsson. Everyone say "hi"!

We Be Fringin'

This is a long-ass montage.



Y'all know me...I love the Winnipeg Fringe Festival. Sarah and I often say it, but it's true: the Fringe is Christmas to us. So far, we're three plays deep, and it's only day two. Tomorrow, we've got 3 on deck, plus my man Steve St. Louis' wedding social at the Barca Club, plus I have to work the next fuckin' morning at 7:30. I'll follow that with a healthy nap and MORE SHOWS. Why do we do it?

For the love, bitch!

'Rasslin Recommendations

I asked Jonathan Leung recently what he would recommend as far as puroresu vids for someone that's been out of the loop for a little bit, and suggested it might make a good column topic. He agreed!
http://www.wrestleline.com/columns/cozy/cozy071405.shtml

Random Thoughts: July 20th, 2005

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Coop's down with Blogger®.

I was totally surprised, really.
http://positiveapeindex.blogspot.com/
I've been a fan of his work for a while, especially becuase he digs big ladies. If you want a good overview of his stuff, I recommend picking up Devil's Advocate (handily designed by the mofos at House Industries). To get a good taste for free, go to coopstuff.com.

Vinyl Pulse

Here's an awesome weblog that I found through gigposters.com:
Vinyl Pulse
It's neato. You love the toys, do you? So do they.

The Place Where Al Dwells, now with "Choose a Topic, Sucka!"

If you look to the right, I now have a menu where you can pick from the different Illustration Fridays that I've participated in. Cool, eh? Props to Mr. Ward Jenkins for telling me about the code.

DVD Title Sketches

Not sure what's gonna come of these here ideas yet. I'll keep y'all informed n' shit. This was also an opportunity to use the new Blogger Images function.