Sex on Planet X

I can't explain it, but I'm on a real Bullwinkle kick. Maybe it's nostalgia. Maybe I finally understand it. I don't know. The fact is, I just can't get enough.

While watching an episode the other day I started looking in the backgrounds because... because, well I don't know. Anyhoo, I happened to notice a book with an interesting title on a bookshelf in one scene.

Now bear in mind, this is 1959 and a children's program. This little hidden gag wouldn't be out of place on the Simpsons or the Family Guy, but it defintiely wasn't the norm in '59.

See for yourself.

Odd, odder, and odder still.

Truly truly odd.

As I was walking back to the office, I was thinking about bringing in some of the photographs I've taken, and framing them in large frames. I thought about the one I shot of the kid leading a group of people in a Christmas carol at the Santa Claus parade a few years ago. And I thought about the shot the I posted in the entry below... and as I looked up from the sidewalk, the subject is standing right there in front of me. He had the hat on... he had the bag slung over his right shoulder and resting on his left hip, and on the middle finger of his right had was a big ass gold ring.

Now I realize that I am only a few blocks from where I shot that image last summer, but I had never seen this man before... or since. That is until now. And odder still is that my last post on here was of this guy.

A happy distraction... and I really needed one today. Maybe I'll post more photos.

Window Shopping in Chinatown

Which way do you think this guy is leaning... blonde? Or blonder?

A luke warm solution...

The new cartridge arrived yesterday for my leaky shower. I installed it (yes I remembered to turn the water off) in about 10 minutes... No drips... no drops... and all the luke warm water anyone could want.

I just don't have it in me to take it apart and adjust the setting so that we can have hot showers. That's a weekend job no doubt.

I wet my pants... Or... How not to fix a leaky tap.

I'm not the handiest man of the house that ever lived, but I figured I could hold my own against any ordinary Joe when it came to minor household repairs. Apparently... not so.

It was pointed out to me a week or two ago that the shower head in our bathroom was leaking. This past weekend I finally got around to taking a look at it. I started with the obvious and pulled off the whole shower head. Water was trickling out in a slow but constant stream. That meant the problem was not with the shower head.

I moved on to the shower knob, a great big faceted piece of finely crafted clear lucite. I had seen these taps removed before. you have to pry the facing off. No problem... had it off in a second.

"This'll be a cinch" I thought to myself.

Next came a couple of plastic and brass gears that regulate how far you can turn the knob. Got those off and the tiny little o-ring as well. I had a little trouble with the brass collar but eventually figured it out too. No obstacle was too big for me to overcome.

The next piece was in there pretty good, but I was confident I could pry it loose as well. I got my screwdriver in and started wedging the piece off. Just as I started to pull it out with my hand I got hit in the face (and chest and legs and crotch) with a firehose-like blast of water.

The moment it hit me I realized I had forgotten one minor detail. I hadn't shut the water off in the house.

Luckily it's an enclosed shower stall, so I shut the door before anything disasterous could happen. I ran down to the basement looking for the shut off. I was reasonably sure I was looking right at it, but I noticed it had a ground wire connected to it. Indecision hit me. I'd already made one mistake, but I wasn't ready to gamble on grabbing hold of some thing that may or may not be electrical in nature while soaking wet. After a little back and forth in my mind, I gambled and grabbed the handle and gave it a not so mighty twist. The water was shut off. Half an hour too late... but off nonetheless.

After finding what I thought was the problem and a quick trip to Home Depot, I fixed the tap. It no longer drips... instead it trickles a steady stream of water.

Drip drip drip... splash!

Hmmmm... maybe a little too primitive

I wanted to see how far I could go with abstracting things down to simpler forms... And who better to do that with, than the modern stone-age caveman we all know and love... Fred Flintstone.

It's just not working for me though. He looks like a child drew him. I do like the tie though, that's really working for me. The rest.. well let's just never speak of it again. Although... you never know I may just have another go at it.

We'll see.

The Dark Knight Returns

This is my take on Batman from Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns" as done in my faux paper cut style. The image I used for reference had Robin in it, but as you can see I have not drawn her yet. Yes I said "her". If you want to know more about the Dark Knight Returns and why Robin is a girl, take a look at this.

Addendum: And because I can't leave well enough alone... I did version where he is lit from behind by the setting sun.

Bear naked... except for the hat and tie.

Am I big fan of Yogi Bear? No.
Am I bored? A little.

I'm getting the drawing bug again. I thought I'd continue on with the faux paper cut studies I did of Superman, Batman and the Flash, which you can find here and here.

I took it a little farther and allowed myself to use curved lines, but only on the background. Once I had the basic illo done, I took the whole thing into Photoshop and really saturated the colours to give the piece a soft backlit look.

The goal is to try and get primitive with the shapes and still capture the essence of the subject. I don't think I got primitive enough, but it's kind of hard when your image is something that has already been ecomomized in design.

Maybe I can get more primitive with Fred and Barney. Pun intended.

NOW MORE ART THAN BEFORE!

I had about 3 minutes on my hands while I waited for my computer to create a monster sized PDF today, so I picked up my newly sharpened pencil and sketched this (I added the colour in Photoshop while I waited for my next train). I bet if I practised I could get really good.

But alas I hate practising. I can't stand doing anything more than once. As a matter fact I have trouble even doing things just once.

Well, my train is a-comin' so I really should...