thisblogismyblog

David Carson and the Art of Communication

larzini — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 00:01:13 -0400

I just lost a whole post about this David Carson clip. It was kind of personal and discussed how I ventured into design in order to write. I got distracted along the way because of designers like David Carson. And the writing went away for awhile. I can't recreate that post, so you get this one. I'm not going to apologize. I'm just going to be glad when I move to WordPress and I won't lose a post if I accidentally click "Back" when I'm in preview mode reviewing a post. I'm really pissed, and I'm trying to not let it get to me right now, especially since there was a lot of other work I need to finish up, and instead I wrote this posts , not this one, but the one that's now gone. And now we're all stuck with a lesser, and less personal post.

The shame of it all is that I remembered the title and that this post actually had a point to make.

Get with the Times, New Roman!

larzini — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 08:23:18 -0400

What if fonts were people? I've never posed this question to myself or anyone else, but I'm sure glad the folks at College Humor did. And just like anybody else, they don't seem to agree on anything. And they have trouble agreeing to disagree. And then there's this font called Ransom.

Font Conference @ College Humor

Said The Blue Jay To The Cardinal

larzini — Wed, 21 May 2008 13:01:43 -0400

Today I was pondering a lot of different business/work decisions/ideas through my head on the way to my father's house. And when I arrived there was a blue jay on a wall, with a cardinal about 6 feet away on the grill. The jay was foraging, the cardinal...kinda just hangin'. I was fortunate enough to have a camera with me, but just unfortunate enough to have the cardinal fly off before I could start snapping. Although when I switched the camera to movie mode, the cardinal reappeared for a cameo before darting off again, kind of like what Christopher Walken does in some films.

Not long after, a gaggle of finches (don't know what to call it, but it was quite shy of a flock) came storming by like some sort of multiplayer whilring dervish, you know like binary stars, except with more than two. Must have been a courtship ritual with the young bucks trying to impress a dame. (It's really odd calling a finch a young buck, is it as odd to read?)

They departed as quickly as they arrived kind of like a teenage driver at a tangential relative's family function. The blue jay was completely nonplussed. He kind of looked at 'em like they were a bunch of fools, and went about his business. And yeah, it could have been a she, but I don't know enough about blue jays, except that they supposedly can be pretty nasty, but I believe that's when they perceive danger to their young, and I thing most of us would act the same, pecking on skulls and gouging out eyeballs and that sort of thing.

Anyway I thought this strange coupling may have been a sign that I was on to something with what I was thinking when I arrived, although then again maybe it was just a "Thanks for throwing down some new grass seed at the cemetery today, Son." Or maybe it means I should go ahead to that bird preserve I was thinking about with my son this weekend. You know, once you start thinking too much you tend to ruin everything.

And the thinking never ends. The thing with the blue jays and the eyeballs a few lines back got me thinking about that "slicing up eyeballs" line in "Debaser" by The Pixies. So even though my much imagined mp3 blog, hasn't happened...yet. I'm gonna drop some Pixies on you for a limited time, and if Charles or Kim want me to take it down sooner, I invite them to let me know.

Pixies - Debaser

UPDATE: July, 24, 2008: I now know a little more about birds than I did 2 months ago. My so-called finches were actually sparrows, and apparently I don't have the movie file with the blue jay and the cardinal. Oh well.

Obi-Wan Kenobi Pinewood Derby Appearance Non-Canonical

larzini — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 12:54:20 -0500

STORMTROOPER: Your landspeeder exceeds official Pinewood Derby length by 3/16 of an inch.

OBI-WAN KENOBI: My landspeeder passes the pre-race inspection.

STORMTROOPER: Your landspeeder passes the pre-race inspection.

OBI-WAN KENOBI: I may proceed to the race area.

STORMTROOPER: You may proceed to the race area.

OBI-WAN KENOBI: Move along.

STORMTROOPER: Move along.

Obi-Wan's appearance at the Pinewood Derby occurs between the events of Episode III and Episode IV.

My son and I built this over the course of two and half days for his first Cub Scout Pinewood Derby. I'm forgetting my father-in-law. He helped, too. I should go back and insert him in the first sentence, but this time there's no looking back. I think it was the ancient jedi sage Han Dhenli that summed it up best, "Don't look back...You can never look back." Or maybe it was that guy from the Eagles.

Yes, my son built it, too. It was his idea to do a Star Wars vehicle, and this one seemed like it would be the easiest, given my limited handiwork. He helped with the design, filing, sanding, and painting. And the fruits of our labors earned us the "People's Choice" award, out of roughly 30 cars. This award is voted on by his Cub Scout peers, and he told me didn't even vote for his own car.

No other racer saw this rear view of the car during the course of the race. And it's no fault of their own since they left us in a dust storm much like those on Tatooine. So we're especially proud of that "People's Choice" award, and the ribbon that generously awarded us a tie for 3rd our of the 4 cars in the Tiger Cub division.

I found another Star Wars Pinewood Derby car on the Internets. Nice X-Wing, Marshall Family.

Orignal Linsky Sells for £20

larzini — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 15:38:12 -0500

When I hand my children paints and paintbrushes, I love the things they create, and you might too.

Of course, my kids ain't no Picasso, or Linsky even. Or are they?

An OmniNerd post linked to this Daily Mail article, about a boy and his paintbrush, and his mother, who was the impetus driving her son's art career. She's done an impressive job, as he's already sold a painting and been asked to exhibit in a German gallery.

And he's only two.

Mom took the piss out of the UK art world, but as far as I'm concerned, why should it matter? Seriously. If you like it, buy it and frame it. I've hung up some of my children's work, some in frames, some on the refrigerator.

Next time, I might even pick up a canvas and select a palette that will match one of our rooms, so that the next time they ask to paint, we'll get a La Raia original. Can you imagine how much it would cost to convince an artist to operate under you direction? I know Linsky doesn't work that cheap.

I loved how the mom called her son "an art critic and and a familiar face at major exhibitions". She herself is a freelance art critic, and has bringing the lad along to galleries since he was three months old. If the kid offered an opinion at least once during those visits, then her statement is indisputable.

1977 Style

larzini — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 01:56:15 -0400

JCPenney 1977 catalog photos, and commentary.

Why are there so many pictures of Rainbows?

larzini — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 03:19:34 -0400

Because the kids need cover art for iTunes, that's why.

Right now I'm partial to #98. Yep the thumbnail. Go figure.

The nice thing is you can add a different graphic for each track. Things won't get stale that way. It's late so I won't listen to the whole album right now. But, in case you don't already know, here's where you can get Radiohead - In Rainbows.

I Dig Dug

larzini — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 00:46:52 -0400

I do. Really, I do. Dig Dug also has a kill screen.

See previous post for all about that. Or actually just a little about that. Then you have to click the link. I am conveniently not placing these links in this post, as I 'd like you to scroll down a bit instead. I dig my scroll wheel, too. Don't you?

My real reason for this post was to link to the Dig Dug inspired artwork featured in the thumbnail by Luke Chueh. And if you pronounce his last name in the one variation that's going through my head he's got as many Star Wars references as my second son has in his name. (Not intentional. But my friends have pointed them out to me. And my older son finds it quite cool. And cool has not been replaced by jealous, so that's good.)

And I might as well post a link to more Luke Chueh. Apparently he paints stuff that isn't Dig Dug related as well. And this post ends now, because I was about to put in such a God-awful that I can't even repeat to myself in my head. But involved "balance", and I will describe it no further and leave things cryptic, so the question mark dangles above your head as you scratch it.

Your head, not the question mark. Let the question mark scratch itself, you never asked the damn thing to float there above your head.

Hmmm...where'd this come from?

larzini — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 00:59:27 -0400

I recognize the Andre the Giant sticker from Shepard Fairey, but I'm not sure about the Wide Awake Jake sticker. Looks kinda familiar, yet not sure if I can place it. Click the photo for larger version. Or click here even.

Looking Back, Moving Forward

larzini — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 14:23:07 -0500

What to do in the New Year? How 'bout make good on old blog promises? No one's holding me to them, since no one is reading anyway. So I will hold myself accountable and assume full responsibility like the fine upstanding individual I am.

In a post dated Sept 2, 2006, I listed a few thoughts for blog postings that were floating around my brain. One of which involved Joe Franklin. I had just been in New York for an IRS seminar, and during a 3 hour lunch break, (yeah, 3 hours, so don't call them between 12 and 3 during tax season, I guess) I ventured over to the nearby Museum of Television & Radio. I headed to the library and requested a few videos to watch. The selection room is quite nice. The professional staff looked quite professional and after selecting I moved to the viewing area. the viewing area was a more dingier place, with different sitting areas with smaller screen than the selection computers and some headsets, so as not to disturb the neighbors.

My choices were a Picasso documentary that had originally aired in the late 60's or early 70's on either CBS or NBC, (this is a few months ago people, please.) and the Ramones appearance on the Joe Franklin Show. I found both interesting, but will admit that sitting in a small desk area not unlike my computer setup at home staring at a screen was not how I really intended to spend my bit of spare time in New York City, when I was convinced that I could find the Ramones bit on YouTube (guess what? I can't. Can you? I can't. Can you? I can't.) I was more than a bit antsy, but both pieces of archival footage were interesting.

The Picasso documentary actually featured Pablo creating in real time in both paint and sculpture. I can't imagine a major television network ever doing something like this again. Art only seems to have a home these days on public television. And that is not a dis to public television, it's just unfortunate, because not everybody ventures to that realm of the remote.

The Joe Franklin clip is quite humorous, although Franklin was not familiar with the Ramones' body of work (or the pronunciation, must be seen, actually heard, for any effect, I refuse to phonetically try to recreate, I have faith that the Tubemasters of the Internets will find this footage, and we'll all share someday). But Joey and Marky, the two Ramones in attendance, were familiar with Joe Franklin's Memory Lane (the Joe Franklin link is above, one's enough).

Making good on old promises. I am so proactive in 2007, I even baked cookies already this year.

Head Start with Art

larzini — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 11:54:54 -0500

Fart rhymes with art, too. And that title is so corny that it has a similar aroma. This was meant to be a somewhat cultured post that has quickly degraded into the toilet.

I worked with my son on doing some drawing today. A lot of times we focus on letters, phonics, and a little math. But drawing is just as important, and it's been around longer than the rest as a form of communication. I probably would not talk about such personal things, but when I found a child's interpretation of Starry Night, I knew I was going to post. And that leads to the here and now.

2007 is the year the boys go to the museum, at least the older one.

Doreen Kirchner featured at Galeri Baberton

larzini — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 02:25:04 -0400

The fairer side of Sudden Ensemble makes with the pretty pictures. (Sorry, wg.) Stolen Time features illustrations done on someone else's dime...when that someone is paying you for something else. We can't get the time back that we've worked for someone else, so sometimes we might as well make it our own. I may have even done such a thing at thisblogismyblog. You never can tell. Doreen Kirchner has illustrated, among other things, The Adventure of Royal Trux comic book.

Visit Galeri Baberton. Don't trip over the drunks. And, yes that's what they are. Use "View Image" on your browser and you'll see. The snoring is making me yearn for bed, and question why I'm not there already.

Note to dk: I like the monkey. My niece is in Guatemala and has witnessed spider monkeys in their natural habitat. As far as I know, none have given her a flower yet.

Moraites Makes Noyse

larzini — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 01:03:44 -0400

The Noyse Magazine has recently featured an interview/q&a with my former and probably future co-conspirator Peter Moraites. What do you do with 67,000+ (and counting) views on YouTube? I don't know either. Maybe Pete does.

Renetto knew what to do with it. Kind of.

And since I'm not going to type another post this evening. I Am Sorry Rat Trap. But I'm not actually sorry about anything, and that's the point. Thanks for being here.

YouTube needs Trackback.

Cutest. Picture. Ever.

larzini — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 23:40:47 -0400

Kittens and baby monkeys are friends.

Amazing photograph. Thanks to Hemmy.net for finding this for me. Hemmy found it at CityRag. So, I'd like to thank them even more.

But most of all, great job by *kazzie* for capturing and sharing this moment. Apparently she hung around watching them for over an hour. She's posted a lot of non-monkey/kitten cuddlefest photos as well.

bills. choe. moraites. gta. katamari.

larzini — Thu, 18 May 2006 01:04:54 -0400

I don't much care for bills. I care even less for paying them. i'm kind of paying them now, but not really. i've been looking at the katamari home page and david choe's web site.

Choe's site has a photo collage (it's in that pop-up window which is also the "news" link) which if you scroll down goes into detail about his hobby of setting up the perfect photos in GTA: San Andreas (this link is not to photos by David Choe, obviously). And since this site (thisblogismyblog, my parentheses are getting more annoying than ever, just pray that I don't scan through this one more time) hasn't commented on the Grand Theft franchise for awhile, why not mention it here. The GTA gamers will get some perspective outside of cheat codes and rumours.

I'm a big fan of Choe's art, I've picked up Bruised Fruit and Cursiv. But I'll admit it's been awhile since I flipped through. He pops up here and there in Giant Robot.

And while I'm on the subject of West Coast folks, I'll mention Pete(r) Moraites. And then I'll mention to him this posting. But by then he'd probably have read it. Or maybe not. Anyway...Pete is avisualmucialtitleanimatronillustrvidedirectninja guy. He's mad talented, and he's got something called focus working in his favor in the last few years. Like how Cyclops from the X-Men needs those goggles or fucking lasers just destroy all. I think he's got those goggles implanted in his brain or something.

Yeah...umm...well he's got a DVD release party happening which includes his video and music work (solo and as part of the duo, Salvador Dalek) It's this Saturday May 20th, beginning at 7PM at the Ocean Front Gallery, 801 Ocean Front Walk, Venice Beach, CA 90291. Full details here.

I figured I'd mention Pete's work or web site at some point or another. But not really when I was paying my bills thinking I was going to segway into more of a personal post, and then detouring via David Choe in Pete's direction. But posts have a way of writing themselves.

Oh yeah the Peter Moraites DVD is entitled Spelling Test. I hadn't mentioned that, and it will probably be better for everyone's Googling purposes now that I've told you. And he blogs here.

shannon's arty arty, Undead Metal Mascots, Chiptunes...etc.

larzini — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 00:10:05 -0500

Occasionally people that don't know me read this blog. Occasionally people who do know me read this blog. Occasionally people do wear white after Labor Day.

One of those people is Shannon Palmer. (And I'm sure she wears what she wants, Labor Day be Damned!) Normally I don't have a reason to out a reader. It's not all about blog nepotism. I read her blog. And it's good. She blogs about music, art and other things that are neither and some that are both.

After falling down the rabbit hole I found her blog. It wasn't exactly chasing a white rabbit, but close. Somehow I even landed on her blogroll. If I sound giddy as a schoolgirl, it's because someone reads this. And perhaps the Catholic school uniform and pigtails I'm sporting right now.

Yes, humor and creepiness can co-exist. And if for nothing else except one more reader, this writer will live to blog another day. (I think I actually paraphrased a line from "The Trooper" just there. But then I read the lyrics and think, "No, not really.") Eddie Lives. Guy crossing the street dies.

As a contrarian sidebar, I'm listening to the microradio from micromusic.net. Homefront for a good portion of homegrown 8-bit Gameboy jams.

Doubtful.

larzini — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 02:39:40 -0500

Dear Coudal,

Will we ever see Photoshop Tennis again?

...Sigh...

The archives aren't even there anymore. I haven't looked for awhile but it's got to be a good 3-4 years since Photoshop Tennis has been around.

Baby Shui

larzini — Sun, 26 Feb 2006 07:52:19 -0500

Immediately increase the good feng shui in your home by placing an infant in a bare corner. Babies are much cuter than plants and typically don't collect as much dust as other tchotchkes and knick-knacks. They are not as cost-effective so this solution would best be used for one problem corner. Or, like me, you can select a few corners, and just move the infant from one to the next every hour or so.

This may no longer be a viable solution once the infant begins crawling as the benefit of the enhanced chi will move along with the child, and leave the trouble spots bare once again. Use of duct tape for positioning not recommended.

Hasegawa or Hasagawa?

larzini — Wed, 08 Feb 2006 09:48:36 -0500

I don't know which is correct. And if you're Googling this artist's name, you may not either. So no matter which way you spelled it, you got here didn't you?

I do know the first name is Kenji. And since Van Gogh's Ear Cafe in Union, NJ wasn't completely sure, they kept things on a first name basis at their web site.

Now the Google searches I performed didn't come up with a home page, but they came up with a few Kenji Hasegawas. Unless the DJ and the artist are one in the same (which is entirely possible).

I did come up something at KidRobot though. Nice Munny, Kenji.

I was at Van Gogh's Ear last week when I helped my niece move into her new apartment. Unfortunately, I neglected to grab Kenji's business card. My camera phone was full, and deleting the kids was not an option, so I don't have a pic of his "gasmask" painting. There were a few I really liked. I love the collage feel, and the occasional graffiti fluorishes. His work definitely would have a place at Juxtapoz.

Maybe I'll make it over there again, and see if the work is up for sale.

Molly Crabapple

larzini — Sat, 04 Feb 2006 01:17:34 -0500

I love the name, and I love the illustrations, and by golly she's kinda cute, too.

She's also got a show (Tarts and Flowers) going on in New York this month. (Feb. 8-27, Opening Party Sat, Feb. 11.) You can purchase some of her work online prior to, or I suppose you could go there in person and try to do the same. That might be more fun, and definitely more social. I hear people are much more interactive in person than when online. Or maybe that's just hearsay.

And apparently the show posters should be available online soon as well.

So show Ms. Crabapple some love. I think I'll be buying a poster for my sister. She's waffling on a pair of prints, but with a limited set of 10 she better just make with the syrup, drown those suckers and start chowing down.

Vikings Vindicated on Video

larzini — Thu, 15 Dec 2005 03:00:53 -0500

The video must be Joel Trussell's commentary on all the rock bands coming from Scandinavia in recent times. Or is that old history dating back to 2001?

His video for Jason Forrest's track, "War Photographer" is lots of fun. Vikings, guitars, robots, cowbell, what else do you need?

Joel has some development sketches on his blog as well.

Magazine of the Misfit Toys

larzini — Tue, 25 Oct 2005 01:47:14 -0400

When I tire of my son's Lincoln Logs, Thomas trains, and the other 7 milion items I step on, trip over, sit on, duck from, get run over by, and last but not least, get hit in the head with. I'm glad Hi Fructose is out there, so I know there's toys for me too. These are toys that more often will just sit on a shelf with many collectors, but I'm sure I would let them go toe to toe with the Thomas trains, and the whole fleet of trucks that cause traffic jams in my front hall, just to see if artists and designers can make toys that withstand the punishment that only Tonka and Bruder can dish out.

I've enjoyed the first issue of Hi Fructose. It's a nicely designed/produced magazine, that could suck a reader into a world they didn't know existed and may not have cared. It's definitely something for the Juxtapoz crowd. I can't justify subscribing, but I have a strange fascination for well-crafted magazines, so I'm sure I'll pick this up again.

Particularly of interest is the photography of Brian McCarty. If you're spoiled daughter wanted to hire a photographer for Barbie and Ken's wedding, he probably wouldn't be the one to hire, he'd be busy taking the candids of Skipper shagging a bus boy next to the dumpster, or capturing a drunken Care Bear puking in the parking lot. McCarty has a knack for capturing the real life of toys. He has a gift for reading between the lines on the packaging copy, and goes beyond what the Saturday morning commercials let on.

Oh and he's got Master Shake cavorting with some bikini clad babes.

Toss your old camera...

larzini — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 00:21:14 -0400

...then catch it. And maybe do it again. Lovely pics. Lovely technique. I'd like to get a new digital camera soon anyway, so if things don't go so well, oh well.

I found this picture...

larzini — Tue, 11 Oct 2005 01:24:53 -0400

...and I like it. (I was searching for the cover to Fell #1 at the time.