Personal Genius

On Not Voting

2012-01-17T16:30:00.001-05:00

I've always been a big proponent of voting.It's always been "Look, some people died for this, the least we can do is roll out of bed once in a while and have an opinion about things." But, the way things are now, I don't see myself voting in the next presidential election. There is a complete lack of viable candidates from the right (Mitt Romney is a weak liar, Newt Gingrich is an offensive human being, Ron Paul may be certifiably insane, Rick Santorum is a hate-spewing closet case...) and I'm so disappointed in Barack Obama that it's hard to see straight. Remember all that "Change" and "Yes we can!" rhetoric? Turns out that's all it ever was. It's occurred to me sometime ago, that political change is a fantasy. Socially, we change and politics (eventually,and often begrudgingly) have no choice but to reflect popular opinion. For all Obama has done that seems like change, it has been below the minimum of us progressing as a society. The bulk of what he's done is assist Wall St and willingly kowtow to whoever yells the loudest. He's shown himself as weak-willed and easily corrupted (at best) and coniving at worst. And while repealing DOMA is awesome, allowing NDAA is unforgivable.

I recently spoke with a friend about the current economic climate and the erosion of the middle-class. How, in a Hoover-style approach, those of us who have already been struggling are expected to tighten our belts and suffer a little longer, lest the rich elite start to sense what being only moderately wealthy feels like. How those at the top see poor people with cellphones and use it as a sign to keep pushing, horrified that poor people have the nerve to possess anything at all. "How can they do that to people?" he said (I paraphrase) "How can they be OK with watching their own people suffer, wanting more while it recreates a pre-industrial wealth/poverty gap, with nothing in-between? Meanwhile, the middle- and lower-class allow themselves to be convinced that there's some fictitious welfare mother trying to take their hard earned money and actually elect the people who literally want to take their money?"

The simplistic answer, as it usually is, is fear.

Further into the conversation, a similar question arose in regards to Penn States protecting a child rapist. How the outrage amongst football fans wasn't about the abuse charges, or the cover up, but the firing of Sandusky - their legendary coach. Or how the exact same thing happens within religious institutions (most famously, but not only, in the Catholic church) all the damn time. Why do the higher-ups allow the suffering of their followers? And why do the followers (seem to) approve of or support the abuse?

For an authoritarian system to work, you need two kinds of people: You need the leader, or governing class who are either deluded enough to believe their own hype or, more often, are fully aware they have no right to rule but still want control anyway. And you need the subordinates, who have to believe in and rely upon the authority of rulers.

Be it a government or a religious institution (football being somewhere in-between), the arrangement is always the same. The heads are in charge and have always been in charge. They wouldn't know what to do if they weren't the richest and most powerful. Any feeling of the loss of power (or even worse, a feeling of equality) causes them to lash out at whoever they can blame. This is why religious conservatives get louder as the gay civil rights movement gets closer to a feeling of real citizenry. They don't really fear that marriage or the family will be tarnished. They just like their privlege. They are used to having it all and how dare you want some for yourself. They are deathly afraid of losing what they've always known. They have no idea what it feels like to be oppressed, but they heard from all those protestors that it really sucks!

Likewise, the followers are afraid of losing what they'be always known. Like an ex-convict emerging from a long prison stint, too much sudden freedom can be terrifying. Many find comfort in being told what to do, or, at the very least, believing that all the "big picture stuff" is being handled, allowing them to be reasonably content and self-concerned. They want to protect the governing class and the rich elite, because they've been trained to think that they'll be cared for in kind.

But just like Dorothy, many of us have looked behind the curtain of leaders and religion and heroes to find frailty and flaw. Or sometimes nothing at all. And it leaves us lost. Atheists and anarchists aren't any smarter or better off, because no one has any real answers. When I first paid attention to the OWS movement, I was critical of its lack of focus or any singular solution. But how can we ask a group of people who are essentially a collective scream of frustration to do any better than our president?

I don't plan on voting because I've lost the faith. Politics don't change. People can. So I am trying to put what's left of my faith back in people.

Fingers crossed.
Read more: http://www.blogdoctor.me/2007/02/expandable-post-summaries.html#ixzz1YgpX7mbE

Bring Your Etch-a-Sketch to Work and Play Your Ukulele

2011-11-09T16:08:00.000-05:00

I know I’ve written about Amanda Palmer before, but since she’s only gotten more amazing, it seems another, longer, love letter is due.

It revolves around this song, that was heard for the first time by a crowd at Occupy Wall Street last month:

When I first listened to it, I tweeted that this song is everything that is right with the world. And I still mean it. The song’s not really about playing the ukulele. Well it is, and it isn’t. I considered posting the lyrics here, but jeezum crow, there are a lot. Just look them up (you’re on the Internet, after all) - or, better yet, donate to get the track & get the lyrics with it!

Here are a few snippets:  

“So play your favorite cover song,
especially if the words are wrong,
cause even if your grades are bad,
it doesn't mean you're failing.
Do your homework with a fork,
and eat your Froot Loops in the dark,
and bring your Etch-a-Sketch to work and play your ukulele.
Ukulele small and fierceful,
ukulele brave and peaceful,
you can play the ukulele too, it is painfully simple.
Play your ukulele badly, play your ukulele loudly...”

“...Quit the bitching on your blog,
and stop pretending art is hard.
Just limit yourself to three chords.
Do not practice daily!
You'll minimize some stranger’s sadness
with a piece of wood and plastic,
holy fuck, it's so fantastic playing ukulele!”

The song is about creating. As I’ve stated here before (and in real life, ad naseum) aesthetics are an essential part of being human. Expression is necessary for true happiness and fulfillment. Sharing with others breeds intimacy and understanding.  And no, art is not hard. “Good” art is hard, but does it really matter if what you’re doing is good enough to hang in a museum or sell a hundred thousand copies of? Not really, so long as it makes you happy. This is a thing I keep trying to remind myself of - the “do not practice daily” is a wonderful joke on the traditional “disciplined career artist”. Most likely, you’re not going to be able to dedicate every waking moment to your craft. But...dude, calm down. It reminds me of a great scene in Six Feet Under when Claire sees her old college professor. When he asks how it’s going she says “Oh,I haven’t even picked up a camera in months.” He replies “Fuck art, how are you?”

Amanda Palmer is a perfect role model for the Millennial generation. We’re a frustrated, overstimulated, too-smart-for-our-own-good group of young adult children. We work hard and we’re not getting what we were promised out of life, but we’re finding ways to be ok with that, so long as we can pay our rent and eat well enough and still have time to go out with our friends on the weekend. We’re self-made people, we’re making it work with little instruction. We’re blazing new territories with the aid of technology so far beyond what any previous generation could have conceived that our minds should be blown each and every day - yet it we just go with the flow.

It’s so easy to get downtrodden by the current economical climate, the lack of jobs, the political hoopla the state of the world, and so easy to get distracted by the sparkly, dizzying everything-and-nothing-ness of the web. Yet we keep creating. (And the web does help this process when we let it.) We always need to keep creating. Even if no one else will ever see, or the only people who do are lovers and friends and family. And since those are already the best people you know, that really ain’t so bad.

Read more: http://www.blogdoctor.me/2007/02/expandable-post-summaries.html#ixzz1YgpX7mbE

Food, Water, Shelter, Air, Love and Art

2011-11-03T12:31:00.001-04:00

Ever  since I left fine art school and slowly started thinking of myself as  an illustrator I’ve had to reconsider what “art” is. It’s the eternal  question of the creative elite, innit? “What is art?” I think, much like  Deep Thought stated, we’re trying to get an answer by asking the wrong  question.

Really, what isn’t art?

The  idea of segregating some creative things is pompous and pointless.  Usually this is done as a way to separate “art” versus “craft” - and  thus to make craft more lowly. (Though, any decent “high art” should  also be well-crafted. So they’re not really separate at all.) But I’ve  stopped believing in artistic hierarchies. I’ve also stopped believing  in “-isms” but that’s slightly beside the point. 

Art  is just an intellectualized manifestation of aesthetic. We like things  that are visually appealing. They stimulate the brain, give us emotional  reactions and, ultimately, make us happier. Even when the imagery stirs  up upsetting emotions, we’re happier and better off for the experience.  Aesthetic is everywhere. It’s in art (be it “high” or “low”) it’s in  design, it’s in construction, it’s in people and animals and nature. It  sometimes happens by accident. It’s often so fleeting that  it’s only  there for one second, and can only be seen by one set of eyes. Some  aesthetics aren’t visual at all. Music and food and fabrics and scents -  everything you see and smell and hear and taste and touch can be  aesthetic and, if you’re very very lucky, a good chunk of it is.

What  I’m saying isn’t any kind of mind-blowing realization that no one’s  ever conceived before. In fact, it’s down-right essential. Art isn’t for  the rich or the well-educated. Aesthetic is a human requirement. Food,  water, shelter, air, love and pretty stuff. That’s how it goes. 

Don’t  get me wrong, I do like me some academic art. I just don’t enjoy things  being intentionally created to alienate people who don’t have a  specified learning to comprehend it. I don’t make art with the  dismissive mindset of “Oh, you wouldn’t understand.” Art should say “Oh,  do you not understand? Here, let me show you...”

Then again, I’m an  illustrator.

In Defense of Watercolor

2011-11-01T21:22:00.000-04:00

When I tell people what my typical medium is, they often respond with awe. “Wow, watercolor’s so hard to use.” While I can see why people might think that...it’s not. Really any material is hard to work with when you don’t understand it and no one’s taught you. It’s harder still when you try to make it do things that it can’t do, or has absolutely no interest in doing. (Yes, I like to personify my materials. And anything else that I want to hug, or, conversely, gives me guff.) Oil paint is hard if you don’t learn how to clean your brushes, if you try to make it function like a tempera or acrylic paint. (It’s very hard if you don’t know to keep your workspace ventilated.)

No one taught me how to use watercolor. When I was in college, there was the old school mentality floating about that watercolor is a medium for sketching and not for finished work. So there was no course for it until I was already a senior. I had already taught myself. And again, I’m not trying to make myself sound brilliant - it’s really not hard. Especially since I struggled for a long time with painting. Many people would consider watercolor a painting medium, like oils, while I consider it a drawing medium, like inks. And when you get down to the technical aspects of it, it doesn’t behave like painting. Painting has an element of 3-dimensionality to it, unless you work in a glazing technique. The way you layer paint matters for shapes to be believable in space. The way you think about dimension and depth is completely different in drawing than in painting. But watercolor is "flat" no matter how you layer it. And in the way that I use it, I feel a much more direct cause/effect with watercolor than I do with oil painting. I’ve always felt that painting is somehow one space removed from the artist, whereas drawing is an extension of the self. But this may just be my prejudice of more of a drawer than a painter. None of this is not to say that painting is better worse than drawing. Simply different.

Again, it’s important to remember what watercolor and what it is not. 

Watercolor is:

Water-based

 Yes, duh. But this is important. A water-based medium is going to essentially behave like water. The more water you add, the more difficult it become to predict and control. Maybe you want it to be more free & random. Or maybe you don’t. But whatever happens, don’t blame water for acting like water. Blame yourself for not thinking and having plenty of cotton rags around. Because of this fact it is also:

Prone to bleeding & irregular marks and -

Easy to lose control of.

Transluscent

     Watercolor is not thick, dense or opaque. If you want something opaque, you’re thinking of gouache. (The answer to the age old riddle “What’s a watercolor, but not a watercolor?”)

Difficult (but not impossible) to “correct”

     Since it’s translucent, you can often “correct” a misstep in watercolor, so long as you’re covering with a dark color, or doing many layers on top of your mistake. If you’re working with a really sturdy paper, you can sometimes add more water and pick some of the color off the page, or move it around with a brush.(Sometime you can kind of dig it out by adding more water & using a dry brush. But I wouldn't recommend it out of the gate.) But if you overdo it, sturdy or not, you’ll tear awhole in the sheet. Bear in mine, that once color touches the page, it won’t get white again. Unless you implement one of two methods of “cheating”. The first is mixing watercolor & gouache so as to make the pigment semi-opaque. This can also help make the tone more “even” and consistant. The second method involves using masking fluid (liquid latex), but this would need to be applied to clean paper and then painted over. The result is that the dried latex can be peeled away, revealing a clean section under a painted section.

Reworkable - So long as you account for the last bullet and the next two

Instant

     This is sort of what I meant when I say that watercolor is more “direct” than some other mediums. You can touch a pencil to paper and it doesn’t always leave a mark, or one that’s noticeable. A dot of paint doesn’t mean no takesies-backsies. But a dot of watercolor can bleed and upset nearby patches of pigment.

Fast-drying(ish)

 This truth about watercolor is somewhat complicated. Fast drying means you have to work fast if you want to take advantage of of the 3 aforementioned malleable aspects. You have to work smart, especially when covering large areas with a mixed color (if you run out halfway through and have to remix, you might not get the result you want). But sometimes fast drying isn’t fast enough. How fast does water dry, really? How quickly does large pools of water dry from a sheet of paper? I find that something like acrylic dries too quickly and loses it’s ability to be reworkable and fluid. Many people would complain that oil paint dries too slowly. But watercolor is somewhere inbetween. Since you’re working with wet stuff, you have to be strategic in the order you’re working the page. If you just colored a section red, you can’t color the section immediately beside it green. Well, you can, if you want them to create a brown mess where they meet. If you work in a spiraling pattern (or, in a calculated, seemingly sporadic pattern) you can keep wet sections separate and usually the first one you did will be dry by  the time you’ve circled back to it.

But this is all my interpretation. Watercolor is an extremely versatile medium and can be used different ways to very different result. But it will always look like watercolor. It will always be somewhat tonally inconsistent, somewhat translucent, somewhat raggedy around the edges. Just accept it for what it is. If you don’t like it, switch to something else like a gouache or a diluted acrylic.

If anyone is curious, I only like to use hotpress papers. My favorite brand is Stonehedge, because it’s durable, affordable, has a nice texture and color and is sold as a pad in addition to sheets (which are much rarer than coldpress). I don’t have a strict watercolor or gouache brand preference, but I seem to have a lot of Grumbacher . I prefer tubes over cakes. I use a butchers tray as my palette. And in all my wet medium work, I predominantly use round brushes, which are always synthetic.

That’s all I gotta say about that.

Why Does Anyone Like Peter Pan?

2011-10-16T11:45:00.005-04:00

I should start by saying this post is apropos of absolutely nothing, except the fact that I tend to get random songs stuck in my head. Sometimes it will be a song that I haven't even heard in about a decade. Sometimes I'll just have a line that will loop around for days on end, which can only have hope of being quelled by hearing the original or learning all the lyrics or oversaturating myself with it until my brain gets bored and gives up.

Unfortunately, the song to most recently haunt me is the "Pow Wow Song" (actually called "Ugg-a-Wugg" *shudder*) from the Peter Pan musical. Where it did come from? And why?? Obviously, I wanted to be rid of it as soon as possible. So I looked up the lyrics which also sent me to a video of the song from the Mary Martin production. I am including it after the cut for your reference. Consider yourself warned, click at your own risk.

I'm sure we can agree on at least two things here:
1) It's mildly to moderately racist. But that's going to be the least of my complaints.
2) That is one of the most annoying, least melodically pleasurable songs ever.

The more I've been thinking about it, the more I've come to the conclusion that Peter Pan is conceptually one of the worst musicals of all time.

Just for context, I was a stage crew geek in high school. (Also art & music nerd) It's just about all I did and probably learned more from that than my formal education. But we took our work very seriously and put on the best shows we possible could - considering the musicals during my stint were Grease, Peter Pan and Oliver! But I'll try to keep focus. We had an excellent Captain Hook, but that was mostly because the actor (whose name I readily know, but will omit out of respect) was outstanding. Other than that, all I remember was a lot of yelling & that the bedroom bay windows almost fell on me during a tech rehearsal.

Anyway, all technical attributes - musical theory, acting, production, etc - aside, musicals are basically story versus songs. If both work, it's more or less good, if either fails the other has to work harder to pick up the slack to make it good. (In the instance of Grease, I can't decide which is failing harder) In Peter Pan you have the story of a boy who won't grow up and takes a trio of privileged English kids away to a fairy tale land of no consequence, where pixies live or die based on our faith alone. Then they realize they'd miss their parents too much if they stayed and go home, the end. Sure, ok, why not? The songs...let's just say they don't even get past "tolerable". You know how I said all I remember is yelling? Obviously the cast of Peter Pan is largely children and most of the songs done with the ensemble is just LOUD. (Kids singing forte = YELLING) And songs like "I"ve Got to Crow" is literally just noise by the end. Seriously, does someone find this cute?

And then we get to the largest problem. Peter Pan is a show about a 12-year-old boy, written to be portrayed and sung by an adult woman, even though rest of the cast is predominantly children. I guess the assumption is that Pan is a super femmey and/or androgynous boy (which I have no qualms against, mine you) who would be completely indistinguishable from an adult woman. Turns out this isn't true, through. Most productions don't even try to hide the true sex of it's starring actress, via binding, etc. There's never a moment where the magic of the show transcends reality and allows the audience to be convinced that the actress is actually a prepubescent boy.

So what's even the point? The lead role requires no real acting or singing ability and isn't even passable cross-dressing. I'm convinced the only reason people like it is out of a sense of tradition and obligation. Just like the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. And at least they have Rockettes. Kicklines, yo. Kicklines.

Translating Art ( or: Capital "A" Artist)

2011-10-01T22:12:00.000-04:00

This past week, I talked to someone about drawing for the first time in probably a year. I went on and on about light and balance, line variation, creating believable 3D space in a 2D plane (specifically creating the space between objects that overlap), why watercolor isn't as tricky a medium as some people like to think, and why it's (watercolor, that is) actually more like drawing than like painting. I kept apologizing for being boring, but apparently, to non-artists that kind of crap can be fascinating, as are most things if you've never had to think about them before. And really, it is kind of fascinating.

There's the part of the artist that's all about viewing the world in this romantic light, seeing the beauty and bliss of it all (or in some cases - the tragedy and heartache. Which is still romantic). Or getting lost in the majesty (/terror?)of pure, uninhibited imagination. Then there's the part where you have to take that visceral response and break it down in a cold and calculated way, so that you can maybe help someone else see it the way you did. It's translating languages.

The inside of my brain, let me show you it!

It reminded me of when I was first getting really into oil painting in college and I asked my professor if he had ever been watching a movie and in a certain framed close-up of an actor's face thought about how he'd actually lay down the paint, step by step, in order to remake that exact image, how he'd match the color, etc. And he said "Of course. That's called being a painter."

It's really the first time I felt like an Artist (capital "A", yes) in a while. For the longest time, I was just making pictures. I need to spend more time appreciating this thing that I do. For the joy of it. And sometimes, the pain.

I Am Troy Davis

2011-09-22T10:08:00.001-04:00

I must admit, I had never heard the name Troy Davis before a week ago. Which is a shame, as he & his family have literally been fighting for his life for over 20 years. Last night, on September 21st (World Peace Day) at 11:08pm, EST, Troy Davis was killed by the state of Georgia after a 4 hour delay and 4 previous stays of execution. I had never heard his name before a week ago but now Troy Davis is forever burnt into the collective subconsciousness of the world.

I don't have enough information to claim that he was an innocent man. At 19 years old, Troy Davis was accused of shooting and killing Mark MacPhail on August 19, 1989 when he came to the aid of a homeless that was being assaulted. Details of the night are sketchy at best, as is evidence that points to Davis. In the original trial, there were 9 eye witnesses, but over time, 7 of them have recanted and some claimed to have been coerced into their previous statements. There murder weapon was never recovered. Perhaps Troy Davis was at the scene, assaulting a man. He may have done a whole host of terrible things that night. Who knows? But did he murder Mark MacPhail? Sadly, no one knows that either. But that overwhelming doubt didn't stop the state of Georgia from ending his life.

There had been 4 separate death warrants signed, 4 stays of execution, yet appeal after appeal was rejected. What's going on here? Last night, the Davis family, and the whole world who was watching, waiting for 4 agonizing hours to hear of his fate. The execution was originally scheduled for 7pm. Supporters saw the delay as a good sign - the state supreme court was looking over the facts. They were doubting, they were scrutinizing. Though apparently, something convinced them that the only obvious choice was the end a man's life. That night. It had to be done.
On the other side of the coin, that same night, another man was killed by his state. But it wasn't a man that anyone wanted to hold a candle for. At 6pm, CT in Texas, Lawrence Brewer was executed by the state for the slaying of James Byrd Jr. in Jasper, Texas, in 1998. The hate crime was infamous for its brutality - Byrd was dragged from the back of a pick-up truck, sadly alive for the majority of the ordeal. Brewer's guilt was unwavering, and admitted. He refused a final statement. However, Byrd's son, Ross had protested this punishment, stating “You can’t fight murder with murder. Life in prison would have been fine. I know he can’t hurt my daddy anymore. I wish the state would take in mind that this isn’t what we want.”

Most people aren't sad to see a white supremacist die. In fact, most would likely celebrate. It's so easy to support Troy Davis, presumed innocent by the public, and condemn Lawrence Brewer, a man we'd all rather do without. The irony is that many people see Davis's conviction as overtly racist, whereas Brewer's crime clearly was. There several major concerns with this entire situation

We can't say for sure, one way or another if Davis is innocent. I'm not about to claim that he is. The point is that we don't know, and that lingering uncertainty should sit in the stomach of all Americans like a hunk of coal. The phrase "I am Troy Davis" is not just a unifying cry (albeit and effective one), but a reminder. If his case really did come down to mistaken identity...how many of us resemble someone else? How easily could the same thing happen to any one of us? The terrifying answer is: All too easily.

Even in the face of clear, undeniable guilt, what good does killing do? Is the world safer without Brewer? Are the MacPhails sleeping better after the death of Davis? Will anything be solved or improved? Was anything accomplished? Or did the world suddenly seem a little darker, colder and crueler? All capital punishment does is carve our mistakes in stone. If we ever were to discover that Troy Davis was innocent, through the confession of someone else or some new science, what has been done, can not be undone. We have and will always now have legally murdered Troy Davis. You can say it was the state of Georgia, that it was our inaffective criminal justice system...but by proxy it was all of us. Even our president was too cowardly to say anything on the matter, regardless of the fact that he has no power over the state. America has killed another man.

There is no middle ground with the death penalty. There is no grey. And, within a faulty system, innocent people die. Just think of how many innocent people are incarcerated, how many have been exonerated thanks to new forensic technologies. What if those people had been killed before we could discover the truth? (Actually, some have been) Many people can feel comfortable killing a guilty person, as if murdering a murderer satisfies the universe. But if the only way we could end the lives of 10 killers is by taking one with them who did nothing to deserve it...what kind of degenerate can be ok with that? Even those that are pro capital punishment must have a hard time. It's easy to have a stance when you're talking ideology, but if I show you a photo, a video...if you shake someone's hand and I tell you "This man! This man here who is flesh and blood and love and hate and air and life. This man is who we are killing today. And his name is Troy." - how can you still feel the same?

I would like you to meet a friend of mine. His name is Troy Davis and we are going to kill him tonight.

Regardless of guilt or innocence in the eye of the courts, we are we to say who should live and who should die? It's fair to say we live in a country that has certain rules and if you break them you should be punished. Ok, fine. If punishment means being removed from the rest of society and having certain privileges revoked, that sounds like a fair price to pay. You broke the rules of society, now you are removed from it. But we are looking to remove criminals from life. Not society, but the mortal plan. Why should anyone have that right? - And yet we gave it to ourselves.

The death penalty is archaic and deranged. We are a country of progress, of change, of reason. We admire the bold and daring as well as the gentle and thoughtful. Yet the whole world was watching while we killed 2 men in the same evening. Please don't let this be the face of the United States, or of the human race. Please remind the world that we are more than this, that we are better than this. Let's please not make this mistake again.

Please take a moment to sign this pledge with Amnesty International.

Of course, I can't help but be reminded of this song:




the big day has come
the bell is sounding
i run my hands through my hair one last time
outside the prison walls 
the town is gathering
people are trading crime for crime

everyone needs to see the prisoner
they need to make it even easier
they see me as a symbol, and not a human being
that way they can kill me
say it's not murder, it's a metaphor
we are killing off our own failure 
and starting clean

standing in the gallows
everyone turned my way
i hear a voice ask me 
if i've got any last words to say
and i'm looking out over the field of familiar eyes
somewhere in a woman's arms a baby cries

i think guilt and innocence 
they are a matter of degree
what might be justice to you 
might not be justice to me
i went too far, i'm sorry
i guess now i'm going home
so let any amongst you cast the first stone
now we've got all these complicated machines
so no one person ever has to have blood on their hands
we've got complex organizations
and if everyone just does their job
no one person has to understand

you might be the wrong color
you might be too poor
justice isn't something just anyone can afford
you might not pull the trigger 
you might be out in the car
and you might get a lethal injection
'cause we take a metaphor that far

the big day has come
the bell is sounding
i run my hands through my hair one last time
outside the prison walls 
the town has gathered
people are trading crime for crime
people are trading crime for crime
people are still trading crime for crime

I had never heard his name before a week ago but now Troy Davis is forever burnt into the collective subconsciousness of the world.

Marriage Equality Is The Only Right Choice

2011-06-17T11:32:00.000-04:00

There are few instances wherein an opinion can actually be incorrect. But this is one of them. There's no solid legal or ethical reason to oppose same sex marriage. None. Especially as Governor Cuomo's recently propsed bill even includes a clause that would protect religious institutions, allowing them to retain the right to not marry gay people there if the choose. Yet I was horrified to realize that my state senator, Marty Golden, intends to vote against this bill. We need only one more GOP supporter to pass this thing, after Senator Roy McDonald's rousing (and sure to be historical) "Do the right thing" speech.

Gay couples work. They vote. They pay taxes. They're in every way citizens like the rest of us. So why do some people fight so hard to deny them rights? Because they've conveniently interpreted ancient religious texts with a hateful mindset? (Though, as a former Catholic, I can pretty safely say that Jesus valued love and tolerance over all things. I can't speak for other religions, but Christian bigots haven't even gotten their own faith right.) It's one thing if you hate homosexuals. If they make you uneasy because they're mere existance causes you to reexamine yourself...then that's your sad stance that you have every right to retain. But don't mix faith, hate and politics. This is not a redefinition of marriage. Marriage has always meant union. (Try looking it up.) This is a correction of our own oversight. Gay marriage does nothing to straight marriage, which has been on the decline for decades anyway. Divorce rates skyrockets and more and more young people (myself included) have chosen to opt out all together. Many people have decided against marriage specifically because they don't want to participate in a system that only recognizes certain kinds of love. I personally have no interest in marriage, but that's a choice I'm free to make. I'd like everyone to be free to make that choice for themselves.

And as we've seen, so many conservatives against gay rights have been discovered as being gay themselves, or some other sexual secret. To paraphrase Dan Savage - When will we finally get to the point where we hear this bigoted rambling and ask "So what are you hiding?"

And in case anyone's forgotten, we're in a serious recession. What better way to create new revenue than to give the right to marry to the group with the largest disposable income? Gay couples are literally clamoring to have weddings - the extravagent wedding they've always dreamed of. Since same sex love is no less flawed than any other kind, the burst in marriages will likely turn into half of those couples getting divorced. Divorces are expensive too. Don't we need to be branching out industries and creating new jobs right now?

Anyone opposed to gay marriage really needs to look at themselves to ask why. How does giving rights to people who deserve them lessen your own? Do you really have so much hatred inside you that you can't stand gays being made equal? Do you really want yourself, your beliefs and your government defined by bigotry and exclusion? Or can we actually be...you know, American about it? Pretty sure we're supposed to believe in freedom for all people.

Or have I just been lied to my entire life?

If you're a New Yorker, please call your state senator RIGHT NOW & urge them to vote for Marriage Equality.

Illustration Friday: Shadows

2011-06-08T20:43:00.000-04:00

How NOT to Approach an Artist

2011-06-03T16:50:00.000-04:00

[For your edification, a real life example from early May:]

"Subject: Hey

I need an illustrator for my childrens book. Can u send ur best lion and princesses along with prices."

[/END]
(No, really. That's the whole thing.)

This email suggests several possible presumptions, all equally alarming-

I have drawings laying about for every possible human/animal combination so I can just have them prepared in case the time comes when they're relevant .

I will work on spec for a project that I know absolutely nothing about, by a writer I know absolutely nothing about since he refused to even introduce himself. (I only know to say "he" because of the name on the email address.)

AND

Artists are not professional people who deserve the same respect as any other professional people.

AND

Spelling and grammar are for chumps anyways.

I thought about emailing him to find out more, maybe politely explain to him the proper way to commission creative people, but I figured we would both just end up angry and frustrated in the end. And I assumed that whatever price I named would be considered too high, so all the effort would have been for nothing. It's not like I'm so overcome with requests that I have more work than I can take on. But I think it's important to have some kind of standards and demand a certain level of respect for yourself and your craft. Too few people are willing to just offer it, as already shown above.

Illustration Friday: Asleep

2011-06-02T23:03:00.000-04:00

From my sketchbook. Getting this one in under the wire.
(Click for full-size image.)

Letter to a Spider

2011-06-01T11:50:00.000-04:00

Dear Spider,

I don't mean to be rude, but are you the large brown one that I saw above the kitchen window last week, or the black one that James shooed out of the bed a few nights ago? Not really sure what the proper way to address you is, but I don't want to offend. The thing is, twice this week I've woken up to spider bites on my body. One was on my leg, today's is on my arm. The leg one didn't bother me so much but this new one is on the underside of my arm and it stings every time is brushes up against anything or I flex the muscle. Which is, basically, every time I move my right arm. And I do so a lot, you know? It's my right arm!

Now, I suppose I can't prove these are spider bites. But two little side-by-side fang marks would lead any reasonably intelligent person to a similar conclusion. It's either from a spider or the tiniest, laziest vampire in the world. But regardless of which of these spiders you are, this is really not cool. Either James or myself saw you and decided to just let you be. I guess it's pretty absurd to want credit for not having crushed the life out of you. I don't murder people every day and I don't think I deserve special award. Truth is though, a lot of people would have killed you, for no other crime than having been a spider in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

But I do like you, spider. (Or I did, before you
started attacking me in my sleep for no apparent reason.) There are a lot of annoying, pesky bugs that bite me repeatedly, in broad daylight or crawl across my shoulders like they own the place. They draw blood and spread disease. And even them, I'd rather not harm. By some wonderful coincidence you eat those bugs and thusly absolve me of any guilt while you dispatch of the bastards. In return, I let spiders live and build elaborate structures in my home, unnoticed and unmolested, provided they do so in a location that's generally out of the way. Wall and ceiling corners, behind and under furniture, inside or around light fixtures - these are all fair game.

But now, spider, you're rescinding on the deal. Not cool! Sure, maybe I don't deserve a medel for not destroying you, but the fact of the matter is I could. I'm way bigger and (for only that reason) way stronger and far enough removed emotionally that it wouldn't affect the rest of my day whatsoever to slap you with a rolled up copy of Time Out New York. Ignoring the fact that you're just being impolite, you're being downright stupid from a survivalist standpoint. I'm not going to go downstairs and punch my landlady in the face while she's napping, (imagine if my landlady was also 50 feet tall and this analogy works better) so...could you, like, STOP BITING ME?

Thank you in advance for your compliance.

Yours Sincerely,
Danyell

No, I Will Not Be Your Friend

2011-05-29T15:02:00.000-04:00

So this happens sometimes:

A new message in my Foursquare or Facebook account says someone wants to be my friend. Only it turns out it's some dude I don't know. Not only do I not know him, I've never even heard of him. He leaves no message offering any kind of assistance regarding whether or not we've met, or, if we haven't met, what made him decide we should meet. He often has no profile photo, or the one he has is not of himself. Or it's shot from 50 feet away! His profile is private or "friends only" telling me not where he lives, where he works or...you know, whether or not he likes to murder women to make a suit of their skins.

Thanks Corbis Images &
AwkwardStockPhotos.com

So, let me get this straight, straight-dude-I-don't-know (and at this point, will most likely never know): For whatever reason, you decided to connect with me, so I can share my private information with you, but you won't even give me the tiniest bit of information about yourself? Or even bother to introduce yourself like you would do in public? And I say straight dude because I have yet to see this behavior in anyone else. This doesn't surprise me considering the amount of given privilege required to presume that simply expressing interest in a woman, regardless of how minute the effort involved, is enough to make her open up to you completely (please feel free to interpret that phrase in as many multitudes of entendres as you like).

Now many of you are probably thinking "Oh jeez, she's not going to make social networking into a whole big feminist thing now is she?!" Yes, she is. Or at least a little one. Look, it's bad enough that some guys honestly think that just buying a girl a drink in a bar or club, catcalling her on the sidewalk or brashly shouting "Hey, give me your number!" will earn him a trip into her pants. As if it would be so hard to say "hi", ask her first name, give her yours and spend a few minutes trying to engage with her as a human being before pouncing on her like a zoo tiger on a raw steak. Online social networking makes it even easier for creeps to be, well, creepy. Why bother with lewd gestures and leering when you can click a button. Yes, it may say "Add As Friend", but it probably should read "SEX NOW PLZ!".

This isn't really new, and I know women it happens to with much greater frequency and intensity. (And I'm so, so sorry) However, it's relatively new to me, as, let's face it, I'm not the kind of girl who usually illicites an uncontrollably lustful reaction from men. (I'm not being self deprecating. I'd honestly prefer it to stay that way.) But seeing as how the internet allows you to reach more people than ever imagined, even I can find (i.e. be found by) the exact right creeps who would specifically enjoy making me uncomfortable. Um,...yay? Thanks, internet.

Oh, How I Hate the MTA

2011-05-26T12:07:00.000-04:00

Every other week I can't take the D train (the only subway in my neighborhood) to work. That is to say, whether or not I can find reliable transit service from the borough of Brooklyn into Manhattan is constantly in flux, often with no prior notice. I literally arrived at the station one morning at 9:50 to be told that uptown trains were ceasing at 10am...and MTA workers were only just then looking for red tape with which to block off the Manhattan-bound entrance.

When this happens, I have 2 options: I can ride the D towards Coney Island and change to another train at the end of the line. Or I can wait for the bus to take me to the F train which runs along the same avenue for a quarter of the way into the city. Both of these options makes me a good 20-60 minutes late if I don't know to plan ahead.

A common occurrence now is for the train to stop uptown service between the hours of 10am and 3pm on a weekday. Now, all of you artists, creative, retail, start-up or otherwise uniquely employed individuals must be with me in calling shenanigans on this. Most people I know don't work a 9-5 schedule, which is clearly to whom the MTA is trying to cater. I understand that track work must be done sometime, but I thought that's why service is impossible late at night and weekends. But if the train doesn't run most of the work day, all night or on the weekends...then the train ain't hardly running, is it?

I know everyone has their complaints about the MTA - as well they should. The MTA is the largest, most frequently used (i.e. necessary for daily life) public transit systems in the world. Yet it is amongst the most poorly run. Is it because certain politicians, running for controversial third terms made promises regarding commuter issues that they couldn't possibly keep? Is it because New York City puts the least amount of funding percentage-wise into public transit than any other city? Is it because the MTA is a horrendously run, decomposing company that doesn't know how to manage employees, prioritize site repairs or balance a budget anymore than it knows how to make the buses and trains run on a schedule? (i.e., they can't do any of those things) Is it because the MTA will lose a million dollars easier than most of us lose our keys? Is it because, like most institutions, where you live and what income you make are directly proportional to what sort of service you receive? (Answers: yes, yes, yes, yes and YES.)

I'm not saying that the MTA and the City of New York both don't give a crap about Brooklyn. I'm saying they don't give a crap about all but the wealthiest areas of Brooklyn. I can't speak for other boroughs, but think about the wealth status in your neighborhood, it's level of gentrification, average number of people with advance degrees, density with which "cute" restaurants and niche shops are packed together. Think about your proximity to Manhattan. Was your last subway repair a 2 year ordeal of inconsistant service, shut downs and sardine-packed shuttled buses? Or did they just install a countdown clock of when the next L train will arrive? I guess the trade off to paying less in rent is being stuck at home most of the spring.

I know it seems tired to be impotently whining around train service. I mean, we're a bustling metropolis, not everything will always work properly. But when reliability, safety and general cleanliness keeps going further and further down, while fare rates go up and up...something is seriously wrong. And you know what? There's literally nothing we can do! Too many of us need to commute distances too far to walk or bike. And what's the other option? Buying a car? If I could afford to do that I wouldn't live in middle-nowhere-Brooklyn in the first place, would I? (The fact that I an terrified of and suck at driving not-withstanding)

We're constantly being treated worse than farm animals and expected to be grateful for the opportunity to pay for our own mistreatment. And all we can do is learn to get used to it. THE END.

Sketchbook Girls

2011-05-24T14:17:00.003-04:00

I've been adding a lot of sketchbook drawings to my Tumblr blog (sometimes it's all I have time to do) and recently doodled a bunch of girls. I put them up as separate entries, so I thought it might be nice to include all of them here. - Plus a bonus one that was not included before!

I also recently created a Facebook fan page for my illustrations. Won't you please "like" it? (If you do, in fact, like it?)

We Should Be Grateful to Our Dogs

2011-05-23T14:05:00.001-04:00

I love dogs - everything about them. Even when they bark or misbehave or smell bad or roll around in their own filth. Dogs just have a joyous sincerity about them. But even considering their cute widdle faces, we need to feel grateful everyday that dogs don't just rip our throats out and eat our food. Or us, for that matter.

Domestic dogs must struggle with this everyday. Every command you give must be met with the thought train of "Well, I could sit. Or I could rip her throat out. Ah, well, I guess I'll just sit." I'm not sure if the desire to sit, rather than kill, is an act of love or an act of laziness. But every once in a while you'll hear on the news of a dog, often a pit bull, attacking someone. People say that this is because pit bulls have a higher predisposition to insanity. But what if pit bulls are just not as lazy as some other breeds?

Obedience and docility are, obviously, intended goals in breeding. For some reason or another, at some point in history, someone looked at a wolf (probably while it was tearing through a deer carcass) and said "If only I could find a way to get that wolf to snuggle up in my lap. That'd be AWESOME!" I wouldn't be surprised if the history of dog breeding chock full of maulings. So many maulings...

The beginnings of such breeding is pretty straight forward - take the animal you prefer and select the ones with the most favorable attributes. (Generally we're talking cute factor + gentle demeanor. But as time goes on selection is more specific for different purposes. Sense of smell, physical strength, intellect, etc.) Breed the "best" males and females that fit your standards. Sort through the litter to find the best looking, most docile puppies. Kill the rest. (For more insight, listen to this episode of Radiolab, in the act "New Nice". Also check out Dogs: Decoded)

For the most part, this has been successful yielding amazing (and sometimes disturbing) results. But some foibles emerged. The French Bulldog, for example, with it's stubby legs and barrel chest, is a design nightmare. Its pelvis is so narrow that it can only safely give birth via cesarean section. WHUT? French bulldogs, along with dachshunds with their long torso and even stubbier legs have to be...*ahem* assisted in breeding. (Please don't make me say that any plainer.) I'm saying that they're built so weird that they can't even fuck on their own.

PLAYIN GOD...UR DOIN IT RONG!

These developments, cute though they may be, should literally be seen as crimes against nature. You've created a breed that can't continue to flourish without you! (Don't even get me started on mules.) I suppose that's sort of the point. We've assumed that if we breed dogs to be completely dependent on us, emotional, physically and even reproductively, then they simply can't tear our throats out. It would be illogical on their part. What we've conveniently ignored, however, is that dogs are carnivores and no amount of docile rearing is gonna change that fact. We've also conveniently ignored the fact that dogs aren't human, regardless of how much they've become accustomed to us and responded to our human needs and demands. Since they're not actually human, they're not bound by logic.

Carnivore + lack of logic or consequence = potential mauling.

Add to that equation the fact that some people make it really really hard to not want to rip their throats out. Every time I see a posh Manhattanite ineptly dragging a stubborn dog on a leash because the dog simply wants to smell things, or see someone taunting a dog with food they're not allowed to have, I think "You are so lucky..." Those dogs are using every ounce of will they have in them.

But one day that will may give out.

So be nice to your dogs.

It Was A Very Happy Birthday

2011-05-16T13:10:00.000-04:00

People will try to tell you that as an adult, it's impossible to get what you want for your birthday. The general consensus seems to be that each year after you turn 18 is a bigger and bigger let down, leaving your depressed and mourning your approaching personal holiday rather than looking forward to its arrival.

Don't let this guy be you!

Luckily, for me at least, this turned out to not be the case. All I wanted (and really, all I ever want) is to be surrounded by people I love and feel a little bit special. This past weekend encompassed the best birthday I can remember. Even though I couldn't be around all of my favorite people in the world (distance and travel issues being the major factor) I had the privilege of being around most of them, feeling loved, and having an amazingly fun time. What's more is that many of my friends met each other for the first time and ended up melding together so perfectly you could barely tell the difference.

If I were to give you the fool-proof solution to having a great birthday it would in these two parts:

1- Surround yourself with high quality people.
This is really more a tip for life in general, but if you fail at this then your birthday will be the big tip-off. If you have friends that constantly forget your big day (despite having known you for years and being told by Facebook exactly when it is), ditch out on your party, buy you a present that might as well be from an office Christmas party under $5 gift grab-bag, act like jack-asses in mixed company...you need new friends. A good friend might still forget sometimes or have a sudden scheduling conflict, but they'll usually find a way to make it up to you. And typically, a friend who is otherwise really awesome would be forgiven one of these transgressions because they're usually great on a regular basis.

But just remember that friends should be valued on quality and not quantity. I'd always rather spend an evening with 5 people I adore, who get me, that I always laugh with, rather than 50 people I could take or leave. Be selective with who you spend your time with. Life is short and you are awesome. Don't waste your days with mediocre company.

2- Flat out ask for what you want.
Again, a tip that's helpful on a general basis. So let your birthday be practice. If you're waiting for your best friend to throw you a perfect surprise party or for your boyfriend to magically guess the perfect gift you're hoping for - don't hold your breath. Plan the party you want, invite exactly who you want, and if you want gifts - say so. Sure, it may not be as surprising, but you'll stand a less likely chance of being disappointed. And if you simple want your favorite people to attend a shindig you're throwing and they find that to be too much trouble than perhaps you need to revisit tip # 1.

Thanks again to everyone that helped make my birthday special. I am so fortunate, words can't contain. I just want to cuddle you all. ALL THE TIMES.

An Unpopular Opinion

2011-05-02T22:21:00.021-04:00

Note: The original version of this entry was lost due to a syncing problem with the Blogger Android app. Apologizes for an errors or comments that were lost.

Most of the world rejoiced yesterday, after news spread that Osama Bin Laden had been killed. Americans revelled in what was being touted as "our victory". Many saw it as the final vindication of the various occupations we had (have) in the Middle East and the justification For September 11th. Many called it proof of American core values, our pride, our strength and our commitment to liberty. Many others called it "justice". The citizens of the world poured out into the streets to celebrate evil's defeat. But I could not celebrate. To be honest, I initially made jokes, as I do. Humor is my way of processing everything, especially things that live in the greys of the spectrum of morality and confront me with complicated emotions. Immediately following my more immature (however necessary) reaction, I felt distressed. The world united not to celebrate peace or life or love - but death. Public Enemy #1 wasn't brought into custody, given a trial, made to look into the eyes of the families of his victims, made to pay for his crimes. He was executed. And we cheered.

And we cheered.

I'm not saying that Bin Laden wasn't a wicked man, or even that he didn't deserve it. But I am forced to ask what our reaction says about us. What that says to our children. I know that vengeance feels right. In the right light, revenge and justice can almost look the same. I did not lose a friend or family member on September 11th. While I'm grateful for this fact and empathize with those who had, I'd like to think that I would feel the same way regardless. However, it's likely not true. I would like to also believe that civilization is founded on reason and logic, which are sound and solid, and not emotion, which is frail, pliable and easy to manipulate, I figure this is also not likely true. Though that is how it should be. I feel about this, just as I do about capital punishment. If the families of victims had a license to kill, would the families of their future victims have the same right? "An eye for an eye, leaves the whole world blind." Justice based on retaliation has no end. Speaking of which...

We have not killed the boogeyman, my friends. The death of Bin Laden doesn't end hate or terrorism. It will, after proper gestation, more likely give it rebirth. We taken an evil, conniving, vicious man - and turned him into a martyr, a hero, for his followers. If our deployed troops have represented the fury and grief of mourning US citizens, what do you think the fury and grief of those mourning the face of terror will resemble? If you, for even a second think that a dead leader will make dedicated disciples, who have already pledges themselves willing to die for their cause, cower in fear then you're naive. If you think war and violence and terror and carnage will wash away with the blood of one man, then you're a fool.

I am glad if the citizens of the USA and allies slept well on Sunday night. I sure didn't.

(And not to get all conspiracy theory on everyone, but please turn this over in your head: Obama's approval has been at and all time low. On the 26th, the oft-mocked Terror Alert color coded system was deemed no longer necessary. On May 1st, May Day, terrorism's poster boy was announced dead... and buried at sea.)

Illustration Friday: Bottled

2011-04-14T15:54:00.000-04:00

This is also on my Tumblr which, let's face it, is a better way to follow me at this point for arts and such. But random rantings will probably still be here.

Just sayin'.

Click the image to purchase on Etsy. Cheers!

Bunnies Suggest That There is No God

2011-04-13T13:46:00.000-04:00

Like any good little agnostic, I'm constantly keeping a tally of arguments and observances for and against the existence of God. I'm not trying to be obnoxious or self-righteous, nor do I think I'll ever come up with a definitive result on the subject. But in trying to find the best possible explanation for life as I know it, the most logical and fair way I can do it is to keep score.

Now, God (and by "God", I'm referring to the Judeo-Christian concept with which I was raised. But also the "God-the-creator" and really any idea of a singular, all powerful deity that has yet to be defined) has some pretty decent marks in his favor. Gravity, the Fibonacci system, orgasms, the color spectrum, babies laughing, shocking coincidences that appear to be fate or destiny...

But that really ain't nothing compared to war, famine, child abuse, sexual violence, reality TV...

And some more common, everyday things too. For example, bunnies.

BUNNIES!!!1!

Yes, bunnies are the cutest, fluffiest things ever. You might say that such a lovable creature is truly the handiwork of God Almighty, for He breathes goodness and joy into the world and creates something from nothing, and light from darkness. But are you at all familiar with the rabbit digestive system? Rabbits are herbivores with a diet high in fiber from which they draw very little nutrition. At least, at a first go. Several times a day, a rabbit produces and excretes cecotropes, which are compact little pellets of nutrients that in order to get the full benefit of, must be consumed a second time. That is to say, bunnies have a physiological requirement to eat their own crap.

...

WTF?!

What kind of loving, caring god would make the cutest, fluffiest thing ever and decide to make it function that way? What was the brainstorming session like? Does God just have a really bizarre sense of humor? Or did he just get lazy? So the bunny is a clear strike against God. There's no way an interactive, all-knowing, all-powerful, Lord of the Cosmos could have allowed this to happen. Not even from the hands-off, "Intelligent-Design" creator God that's so popular these days. That still implies that the intention for the rabbit was always to have it eat its own crap.

To be fair though, this is also not a very strong argument in favor of evolution either. That means that this seriously flawed biology was really the best the bunny could do. Out of every possible mutation and survival-based development, this was the best-case-scenario for rabbits to win at life. Eating crap.

In any case, you see how this game gets depressing really fast. And I don't want to play anymore.

Illustration Friday: Layer

2011-02-22T23:49:00.001-05:00

Haven't done one of these in a while. :)

The Fob Watch

2011-01-24T15:20:00.000-05:00

 "Martha, this watch...is me."

Here's another bit of nerding for you Doctor Who fans. FYI, Human Nature/Family of Blood is one of the greatest episodes ever. Especially if you like crying. A lot. 

India ink on paper. (Yes, this one is an all pen drawing.) 

Buy it on Etsy.

Two recent fan art illos

2011-01-13T13:18:00.000-05:00

The girls of Death Proof

Marty McFly

I wish this was actually a kid's Christmas book...

2010-12-31T10:24:00.000-05:00

A drawing from my sketchbook. Did you not see the Doctor Who Christmas special? Well why not?! I had fun doing this one and though it's be a nice drawing to end the year with. But I have other stuff coming soon. Like, real soon. Oh, the drawings I do!

Happy 2011, everyone. Cheers!

Happy Holidays: 2010

2010-12-23T01:06:00.000-05:00

Comic about the dangers of reclining chairs

2010-12-12T00:37:00.001-05:00

A comic from my sketchbook about work that I've been meaning to do for a while (and it's all true):

Is the Animation Show By Don Hertzfeldt the best piece of cartoon buffonery you have ever seen? If not what is?

2010-12-06T15:30:00.001-05:00

Don Hertzfeldt actually isn't the sole creator of the Animation Show (though he has made intro and intermission pieces). It was co-founded by him and Mike Judge and it showcases the work of many amazing animators. It's been going on for sometime, so it's hard to say which is "best". As far as the work of Don Hertzfeldt in general (e.g. Rejected, Billy's Balloon) I'm not sure whether to call it buffoonery or brilliance. Alls I know is that I laugh a lot when I watch them. :)

Ask me anything

Amanda Palmer Fan Art

2010-11-26T20:59:00.001-05:00

It took  me a while to finish this one...but I'm really happy with it! It's Amanda Palmer (of Dresden Doll fame, in case you didn't know), inspired by the song Astronaut from her solo album "Who Killed Amanda Palmer". When I first heard this song, I played it on an infinite loop for days. DAYS.

Oh, and you can buy this drawing.

Oh, and you can hear this song.

Both the album version:

And a live version, with the outfit that inspired the one in this drawing:

See the whole show!

2010-11-18T01:39:00.000-05:00

I know it took way too long, but now you can see the entire exhibition of "Feels Like Home" on my site - PersonalGenius.net 

Work are for sale, so if you see anything you like feel free to drop me a line. And new fan art coming soon as well as a new holiday promo card for next month!

Doctor Who Fan Art!

2010-11-11T09:56:00.000-05:00

You might recall I did this Doctor Who fan art illo back in February. But now everything's different! Why? Because now it's for sale at my Etsy shop! Yay!

Chris Hardwick Fan Art Illustration

2010-11-06T13:28:00.000-04:00

This totally awesome illo is for sale on at my Etsy shop!

Sketchbook: People on trains

2010-11-03T19:39:00.000-04:00

Dexter Fan Art Illustration

2010-10-30T13:20:00.000-04:00

I just listed this Dexter fan art illo on my Etsy page. I wanted to make sure I show you all to share something spooky before Halloween! :) I actually have a few more nerdy fan drawings in various stages of completion (some of them being mere zygotes of the brain!) and will try to post them regularly. I'm having a lot of fun with these, I hope you enjoy them too!

Whateverrrr!

2010-10-27T02:06:00.000-04:00

More sketchbook art. This one was a lot of fun to draw:

And yes, I'm fully aware that you can't make any of those consonants with your tongue hanging out. But, shut up. I love the expression on her face. Man, teenagers are such jerks. Amirite??

I'm working on some fan art stuff. It's slow going and I have more ideas than I have time. But I'll hopefully start showing off (and selling) some new stuff by the end of the week.

Hey! Art! Remember? I do that!

2010-10-22T22:57:00.001-04:00

I promised you all some arts. But the arts to which I was referring isn't (aren't?) done yet. But I have been sketching and there's a lot of stuff in my book I've been meaning to share. So here is the most recent - Fall Fashion Hipsters! Yeah!

By the way, my site has been updated...sorta. Hire an Illustrator now offers white label portfolio forwarding. So my new illo stuff is on my site. As it should be! There's a few drawings from my recent show there - soon to be all as soon as I can get myself to edit the digital images. But YAY!

Life is good and I am happy.

2010-10-03T18:11:00.001-04:00

Again, so long since I've written.

This is for 2 main reasons - 1. I've been busy with lots of good stuff. 2. It's seems so tedious to write actual blog posts when Tumblr makes it so friggin' easy! Twitter too.

Anyway, I'm now working two simultaneous internships that are awesome and I'm learning a whole lot. I'm finally about to send out my cards from Kickstarter (and then actually get back to making art again!!). I've also been singing with an a capella group.  I really like the people involved and it's incredible how much singing lifts my spirits and gets me going. It's true for when I'm belting out Fiona Apple songs while I wash the dishes, and truer still when I'm doing it with 3 other dorks that are talented and lovely. I'm spending a lot of good time with good people. Making new friends. Learning, growing, loving.

I guess I'm trying to say...life is good and I am happy.

(New art soon. Probably.)

Ani DiFranco is usually relevant

2010-08-24T02:10:00.001-04:00

My last post reminded me of this song:

"...when you grow up surrounded by willful ignorance 

you have to believe that mercy has its own country

and that it's round and borderless..."

Also this one:

"I'm wondering what it will take

for my country to rise

first we admit our mistakes

and then we open our eyes

or nature succumbs to one last dumb decision

and America the beautiful

is just one big subdivision"

Sorry, but there are several Ani songs per topic I could passionately discuss.

Sad, sad, sad

2010-08-23T20:57:00.000-04:00

Stuff like this makes me so sick to my stomach that I can barely even find the words to describe it. But I'll give it a try anyway:

Let's get the facts straight - 1. There is no mosque, it's a community center. 2. It's not actually at Ground Zero. It's in the same neighborhood, but that's hardly next door. 3. Islam is no more violent of a religion than Christianity. Take that as you will. 4. Assuming someone is a terrorist because they have darker skin than you is racism. It's that simple. 5. Muslims living in the US still have the same rights they did before September 11th. They're still citizens, they're still human beings. 6. Most real estate in that neighborhood have been abandoned and left to rot for 9 years. Wouldn't it be nice for someone to do something with it? 7. There are mosques and Muslim-based faith centers all over New York City. None of them are producing terrorists either.

People...we've got to get it together. You can't take the actions of a small group of extremists and attach it to people who happen to practice the same religion (or should I say similar? I'm sure we're discussing different sects of Islam here) or come from the same section of the planet or have a similar skin tone. That is prejudice and racism. These protesters say they stand for freedom, meanwhile they want to impede the rights of people because they're uncomfortable- because their underdeveloped lizard brains can't make simple distinctions. 

And it's not just this issue that angers my blood. It's fools in favor of banning gay marriage, who support Arizona's immigration law...who insist that the president was born in another country even with clear evidence that they're wrong. (Or should I say they assume he was born in Africa because he's black?) Why are there always people trying to draw lines between us, create issues where none should exist and spread hatred? 

It is not a "slap in the face" (as some have said) to build this center. The real insult was that it took so long to decide what to do about the smoldering wreckage in the middle of our city. It was using 9/11 as a fling-about-phrase to create xenophobia. It was an insult to use a tragedy as fuel for a greed-driven war. And it's an insult to good Americans for these people to count themselves amongst us while trying to oppress a minority group, just because they refuse to educate themselves.

Or to state it better, take it away, Mr. Olbermann

I think "social" means that human beings are involved...

2010-08-23T13:51:00.001-04:00

Right now I'm laughing at Craig's List ads who want someone to set up accounts on social networking sites that will then, after paying a person for the one-time-only job, will run on "auto pilot". I think someone is misunderstanding the purpose & meaning of "social networking" and I don't think it's me. I also think it's kind of really strictly stated in the phrase "social networking"- perhaps it's a bit on the nose for some people? Unless they're just looking for spammer robots. So really the job listings are for someone to "ruin social media for everyone else".

And who could, in good conscious, be a part of that sort of thing?

Dear Everyone

2010-07-23T14:43:00.000-04:00

Thank you, thank you, thank you again to everyone! Thank you for your pledges & support and thank you to those who actually attended the reception last night. I was overwhelmed with the turn out and how much everyone seemed to be so sincerely into my drawings. I've worked so hard over the last few months and it's a strange and magical feeling to have it all come together for one moment. For those of you not able to attend, I know some people took pictures and I'll hopefully get some up here soon. Then you can can look at them and sip some wine (or sparkling lemonade, like I did) and eat cheese and pretend like you were there! And remember, the work will be up at Fringe (248 Broome St., NY) through September 2oth. So please swing by if you can and see what you helped make happen!

Thanks so much to Amy for having faith in my skills to fill her salon with work she hadn't seen a glimpse of until the day of the opening.

Extra special thanks to James & Matt. Really, this show could not have happened without you.

Humbly,
Danyell

omgomgomgomg

2010-07-21T01:07:00.000-04:00

Just two days left now!

Are you coming? Say you'll come!

I'm hanging the work tomorrow, so let my panicing commence!

(I promise, after this week I'll post about something else...)

Finally, my show is in 3 weeks!

2010-07-05T19:46:00.000-04:00

I've been talking about it for months. But now, you're invited!!!

Hurry up those pledges!

2010-06-04T19:15:00.000-04:00

Almost no time left for my Kickstarter project! The pledge-drive closes tonight at 12:01- and then the magical internet faeries charge your credit card and give me the monies. But thank you so much to anyone who has donated. And there will be a special surprise for whoever is the LAST pledger between me posting this and the closing. It is a surprise so special & secret that even I don't know what it is yet!

I know I haven't posted much in the blog lately, but if you follow me on Tumblr or Twitter, you'll see I'm quite active and so very not dead!

Printers Were Sent From Hell

2010-05-20T16:43:00.000-04:00

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/printers

This comic is not only hilarious, but 100% accurate. Case-in-point, I have a wonderful Brother printer that is supposed to be wireless and fancy, but has refused to acknowledge my router since I moved 6 months ago. Maybe they're just fighting, but I don't know. Either way, it's not being much of a sibling. I've been too lazy to spend the day & 1/2 required to get it working again. Bah!

Mail Me Something Update

2010-05-05T11:23:00.002-04:00

I had mentioned my involvement in Art House Coop's Mail Me Something Project. Apparently the show is not yet up & running if anyone was interested. The staff is currently on a national exhibition tour of their sketchbook library, which is awesome. You can check the visiting hours on their site to see when the show is opening.

Or you can just wait until I post it here. Either way, all good.

Tuesday

2010-05-04T23:42:00.003-04:00

I intended to put up some stuff from my sketchbook. But my cable modem is close to dying so the fact that I'm even online now is somewhat remarkable. Plus, I just came home from an awesome networking party by the Freelancers Union. PLUS, I have to serve jury duty in the morning. Wow.

But I will get some stuff up soon. I've been doing a lot of drawing, both in the studio and out in the world (though, mostly during my lunch break at work!) If you haven't yet checked out my Kickstarter page, please do: http://kck.st/9aAZkY It's an all or nothing kind of deal, so please spread the word!

Last item: I neglected to mention it, but Hire An Illustrator redid their site recently. It's easier to navigate and easier for me to update my profile, which is right here http://hireanillustrator.com/i/danielle-thillet

'Night all!

I (Apparently) Don't Understand Fashion Pt. 3: Fannypacks?

2010-04-28T21:21:00.006-04:00

I haven't done one of these in some time. Then again, there wasn't such a serious need to write one until now.

This one goes along with the notion that you should never be too sure about what you think you "know". What I mean is, if you were to have asked me a few weeks ago what I KNEW would never ever be fashionable or cool, one answer was clear:

Fannypacks.

I mean, look at that beast! These things are clunky, awkward, draw attention to weird areas of your body in unflattering ways, strictly utilitarian and completely unsexy.

So you can imagine my surprise when I started seeing these things pop up all over Brooklyn. First I saw a girl with a fannypack book bag. I haven't been able to find an image online, but I swear she was carrying school books in it. Yes, around her waist. (I hear that's good for your lower back, right?) But then I saw a lady with a Louis Vuitton fannypack on the subway.

Yeah, seriously. I bet Rihanna looks bummed here because she feels so stupid.

Now, I don't know much about designer bags in general. I think most of them are too bulky and the actual logos are ugly (ignoring the fact that they cost more than my rent). But if you take the normal monstrosities I see some women carrying and cram it into a tiny pouch and strap it to their waist...I don't see how that's stylish. It's a "What were they thinking?" moment. My theory is that "they" (i.e. fashion) ran out of things. Anything that could ever be done in the way of clothing & accessories has been done. There were only two options left: make a trend out of something that should and could otherwise never be trendy or actually come up with a new idea.

And there you have it.

Help out this poor artist on Kickstarter!

2010-04-27T23:21:00.000-04:00

Mail Me Something

2010-04-18T18:48:00.003-04:00

I have a postcard drawing on display right now at the Art House Coop in Red Hook, BK, as part of the Mail Me Something project along with over 300 other artists! WHOA! And the art will eventually be made into a super awesome book. You can preorder it on the site. So, you should probably go do that right now!

"For You, With Love"

They have a lot of other great stuff as well, including a sketchbook library. I'll surely being doing more with them in the future. Maybe if you go, I'll see you there and we can go to Uncle Louie G's for an Italian ice! Eh?

P.S. - The is the most link-heavy post I've had in a while. But they're addictive!

Illustration Friday: Dip

2010-04-08T21:20:00.004-04:00

Street sign reads: "Ridiculously Sudden Dip Ahead"
And brother, they ain't lyin'

Done in my sketch book again. Hence all the grey edges.
This also reveals my secret shame...that I suck at drawing bikes!

Illustration Friday: Rescue

2010-04-01T19:10:00.004-04:00

I can't say I agree with her methods, but sometimes justice must be brutal & swift! That being said, her sentiment reflects my own. My mom told me that when I was little I used to cry when people stepped on ants and said "Don't hurt them, they're my friends!" Dang, I was either very empathetic or terribly lonely. Anyway, the ants are grateful for their rescue and will surely sing their heroine's praises in their anty hymns for generations to come. Or something. Short though those generations may be...

Er...hmm.

I did this in my sketchbook at lunch, so yay me for being productive! Speaking of which, I have a 4 day weekend coming up wherein I'll be drawing my butt off for my previously mentioned solo show. And if you aren't already, you should follow me on Twitter, because there will be a bit of awesomeness going on. Not a lot, just a bit.

**edit. -It comes to my attention that not everyone "gets" this drawing. The little boy was poised to burn the ants with the magnifying glass in his hand.
So, there you have it.

Why have we lost a planet and what can we do to cope with its lack of presence? It has left a big space in...in space, you know?

2010-03-22T18:50:00.001-04:00

I think it turned out that Pluto was just a liar and was pretending to be a planet to be cool. What we should really be doing is focusing our efforts on collecting all the world's used aluminum foil to create a replacement. We will call it Planet Shiny. I estimate it can be done by 2015 if we get to work right now!

Ask me anything

Yeah, it feels like that sometimes...

2010-03-18T10:43:00.002-04:00

Done the other day in my new sketchbook.
John Q. Public can be a real meanie-pants sometimes.

Spring 2010

2010-03-18T00:07:00.003-04:00

It's recently come to my attention that I haven't really blog blogged in sometime. It seems I was most consistent back during the presidential election. But then certain instances made me too depressed to care about politics for sometime.

So what's been going on with me, you might ask? The truth is that things haven't been too exciting for sometime. I told you I moved during the fall, I'm sure you didn't need me to inform you that it snowed a whole lot recently and that takes us to now, spring(ish) 2010. Really what's "going on with me" is that I'm working, trying to make ends meet in this difficult economy, not getting enough sleep and trying to make time for my art. Isn't that all of us, eh?

But I've been focusing a lot on a solo show that will be happening for me sometime in the early summer. I won't say too much because the dates are tentative and the works are still being created. This is actually what's been taking much of my time. (And maybe some of this too.) I do have some projects and possibilities floating around and I will pass this exciting information onto you as they become physically tangible and/or exist as a fixed point in the time/space continuum. In the meantime, I will try to get reacquainted with my old friend Blogger, so long as you promise to keep reading.

Deal?

P.S. I'm also hanging out with my other friend Etsy again, so be sure to visit her as well when you can.

If you could go only to one restaurant for the next five years, which would it be?

2010-03-14T20:20:00.002-04:00

That would probably be Red Bamboo (vegan asian/soul food fusion- WHAT. They're in Manhattan and BK). But bear in mind that I'm not much of a foodie and this would mean that after the 5 years, I would never eat there again. It is possible to have too much of a good thing.

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/PersonalGenius

Doctor Who Regeneration

2010-02-27T23:00:00.004-05:00

I started working on this some time ago, but it kept getting pushed aside. Anywho, as any of your other nerds would recognize, it's a fan art piece chronicling the passing of the 10th Doctor, David Tennant to the 11th, Matt Smith. That kid's got a lot of pressure on him, but I'm really looking forward to the launch of the new series.

I'm pretty happy with the way this one turned out. :)

Illustration Friday: Focused

2010-02-03T23:23:00.003-05:00

"You wouldn't think it was so cute if you knew how often she did this..."

Just a quick sketch, colored in Photoshop with a water media brush. Dunno why I've never tried that before, actually. I really love the kid's expression. Cheers!

Illustration Friday: Renewal

2010-01-07T22:47:00.002-05:00

I've heard rumors that some people have been known to actually feel renewed after a night's sleep. This has never happened to me that I'm aware of! 0_o

I know I'm posting this late. Though I finished it last night, I got side tracked. I was thankfully reminded that Communication Arts Illustration Annual entries are due tomorrow. So I made sure to get mine done tonight. I hope all of you did too. I'm just confused as to why it's happening 3 months earlier than usual...
Anyway, I didn't want to miss posting this week because it's the first IF of 2010! The FUTURE!

Illustration Friday: Undone

2009-12-21T23:55:00.003-05:00

...Watch me unravel, I'll soon be naked/
Lying on the floor, lying on the floor/I've come undone...
-The Sweater Song by Weezer

India ink on watercolor postcard. I'll probably have this up in my Etsy shop by the end of the week, if anyone is interested. :)

Porterlance Books

2009-12-20T11:54:00.003-05:00

I'm now part of the illustrator pool at the vanity press, Porterlance Books along with some other very talented artists. Check out the sample images for the story A Stranger at Christmas.

Season's Greetings

2009-12-20T00:36:00.004-05:00

Hoping everyone has a happy and healthy holiday season!

Illustration Friday: Hatch

2009-12-17T23:55:00.002-05:00

Illustration Friday: Entangled

2009-11-30T23:33:00.003-05:00

Illustration Friday: Blur

2009-11-11T23:46:00.002-05:00

I haven't done IF in so long, so I gave myself a kick in the pants to start again. I figure, if I don't have time to do a fully completed one, I can at least do a sketch, right? For this one in particular, being on the subway actually helped it.

Fly away, little doggy- Now on MySoti

2009-11-04T16:37:00.002-05:00

I now have a shirt for sale at MySoti. You may remember voting for it on Threadless sometime ago. And while you're there, you can vote to help get my design featured.

Expect to see more soon! Cheers!

Fall Update

2009-10-08T01:19:00.003-04:00

Wow! Hey there, it's been a while. But a lot has been going on. First off, I've moved. Still in BK, but slightly eastward into a bigger, nicer and cheaper place. It's a trifecta! The downside is that James & I have way too much stuff (like, crazy amounts of crap) so packing consumed me and unpacking is proving even more difficult- obviously. It will take some time before I'm able to get back into the studio and do some real work, though I'm itching to do so.

I'm teaching art a few times a week at an afterschool program. I also have some projects in the works. I'm doing the penciling for a mini comic, that I hope to sell in some local shops on consignment. Also, I've been published twice more. Check out the latest issues of 42 & Make/Shift mags to see what I've been up to. Or just buy a copy to support a couple of great indie mags in a time when print could really use it.

I hope to post up some art soon again!

Summer Job

2009-07-18T13:24:00.003-04:00

I know I haven't been posting a lot lately, or doing a lot of work in general. Though blogger did inform me that this entry will make 101! Basically I've been working at a summer arts camp on Long Island, along with being a bus monitor to and from. It's a lot of traveling, a lot of loud kids and it leaves me very tired. But it is really great and I love it. I've worked there before and if you're going to have a summer job, it might as well be a good one.

One of the first kids we pick up is about 6 or 7 and she always rides her wooden scooter to the bus stop. She gets dropped off by her mom who is a sweet lady with a light German accent, always wears cotton dresses and rides the scooter back home again.

It is the cutest thing ever. Here's a quick sketch I did on the bus one morning:

Hope everyone's having a good summer!

Illustration Friday: Hollow

2009-07-15T22:10:00.005-04:00

She suddenly felt bad that she couldn't feel anything.

(Also for sale at my Etsy shop.)

Illustration Friday: Drifting

2009-06-23T21:13:00.002-04:00

Myself at 100

2009-06-23T20:29:00.004-04:00

Illustrator & comic artist Phil McAndrew is having a contest on his Live Journal to draw yourself at age 100. I submitted mine via e-mail but wanted to share anyway. Because I haven't change a whole lot since I was a kid (personality-wise as well as having a baby face), I assume that this trend will continue into my elder years:

...Except that I'll be less physically able to do anything. I figure my back and arches will eventually give out, I'll lose at least a few teeth (though not many. We have famously strong gums & teeth in my family) and my hair will surely go all white as I've had a few strays since I was 16. I hope to still be dancing away, just at a very limited capacity. The obligatory pot belly is my favorite part.

And yes, I DO plan to make it to 100. Imma be the awesomest old lady ever! ^___^

Illustration Friday: Unfold

2009-06-18T21:12:00.003-04:00

Playing with my new markers again. I was a little busy this week, out of town for a few days. So this is another quick one just to have fun.

Also, the new issue of Paracinema, featuring an interior illo by Yours Truly is available for purchase online now or at select cooler retailers near you. And I'll be doing work for the feminist mag Make/Shift, so stay tuned, kiddies!

Illustration Friday: Adapt

2009-06-01T12:24:00.006-04:00

I had fun with this one. Mostly I just wanted an excuse to use the new markers I just got.

This is also for sale at my Etsy shop!

Illustration Friday: Contagious

2009-05-21T16:13:00.004-04:00

My response to the paranoid reaction to this season's scary-super-sickness of choice (haven't you noticed that there's always at least ONE?). You'll never be able to protect yourself from every illness or make everything completely sterile.

Just take normal precautions and seek help as soon as you don't feel well. M'kay?

Illustration Friday: Hierarchy

2009-05-06T19:44:00.002-04:00

"Yes, but is it art?"

I always hate that a lot of people create a hierarchy of art. That "fine art" is at the top and stuff like illustration, comics, ads, etc. are at the bottom. Considered "low art". I don't think the question is whether or not it's "art", but whether or not it's "good". Because trust me, the fine art world has just as much junk as the "commercial art" world. And can't I be a part of both? I just like ART!

This is also for sale at my Etsy shop!

Standards

2009-04-30T23:04:00.002-04:00

So, I don't have an illustration friday for this week. I did do one, but it wasn't up to my standards and I knew I wouldn't have time to do another one. I looked at it and said "This does not represent our best work." I'd rather not put one up in that case.

Next week though...

Another Threadless Design!

2009-04-23T17:17:00.001-04:00

Yes, I have another threadless submission for your voting pleasure!

Illustration Friday: Impossibility

2009-04-21T20:42:00.005-04:00

I had perhaps too many ideas for this topic. Also, I've been trying to experiment with different techniques for black & white/greyscale tones. I may have gone a bit overboard with this one, but I still think it turned out rather well. This is also for sale at my Etsy shop.

Illustration Friday: Fleeting

2009-04-15T22:50:00.002-04:00

I took this out of context, but it was the first good idea I had. I'm working on making this into a Threadless submission. But I knew it wouldn't be done on Friday, so you get the sketch.

I have a other designs on Threadless right now. How many depends on what day you're reading this. So if you have a moment to check it out, please vote for mine!

Vote for my new Threadless design!

2009-04-09T14:38:00.004-04:00

Hey, I have another design on Threadless! This one is 100% original, so please vote it up. It's most important to vote within the first 24-48 hours. Also, I have more to come after this, so stay tuned!

** Updated: this one just added! Adapted from my IF drawing.

And this third one just got approved this afternoon! Vote away, my comrades!

Illustration Friday: Talisman

2009-04-08T22:24:00.004-04:00

Illustration Friday: Poise

2009-04-01T15:38:00.004-04:00

You may recall that I already did a piece called "Poise" as an ironic response to the IF: Wise. So I had to one-up it, obviously.

If this drawing seems pretty ridiculous, then it's working. (I mean, could you expect any more from this lady?) I think the idea of poise as it relates to femininity, girls' finishing schools and whatnot is rather absurd anyway. And so is fashion from Europe in the mid 18th century (though super fun to draw!). Though the willingness of some women to make themselves extremely, often dangerously uncomfortable in the name of fashion hasn't really decreased - it's just no longer mandated.

EXTERMINATE!

2009-03-28T15:24:00.003-04:00

This bit of silliness was inspired by this article from earlier this month. Plus, I think Daleks are amazing.

Yes, I'm a big nerd. So what of it?

Illustration Friday: Subtract

2009-03-26T15:44:00.003-04:00

My Illustration in 42 Magazine

2009-03-24T00:47:00.002-04:00

I'm really happy to announce that I have an illustration in the inaugural issue of 42 Magazine; a publication about living a meaningful life.

My article accompanies the article "Crafting on the Cheap" in the column by Carin Huber.

The issue is available for purchase on their site and at select retailers.

Woo hoo!

Illustration Friday: Legendary

2009-03-18T22:32:00.004-04:00

Legend has it, that if you leave the caps off of your paint tubes overnight, the ghost of Frida Kahlo emerges and torments you for being so wasteful.

And also for fun.

The best part about this is that it gave me an excuse to get two new pens. Faber-Castell brush tip pens rule. ^_^

Illustration Friday: Intricate

2009-03-12T20:28:00.005-04:00

I tried to make a very intricate pattern for this quilt. But doing this much with all the folds drove me crazy as it was. And I love patterns, and drawings with patterns in them, but I hate actually drawing patterns. But I think it's good to occasionally challenge oneself.

This is also for sale in my Etsy shop!

Illustration Friday: Breezy

2009-03-04T19:11:00.002-05:00

A simple one this time. I used a sepia color ink and I like the way it makes it look subtle.

Anyway, watercolor on postcard. And it's for sale at my Etsy shop!

My Illustration in Paracinema

2009-03-02T23:39:00.003-05:00

I am very happy to announce that I have an illustration in the current issue of Paracinema, a magazine of in depth analysis of indie, "B", cult, underground, etc. films. Oddly enough, it's actually for James's article called "Rethinking the Remake".

It is available for order on their website & at some finer indie bookstores near you!

Yeah!

Waste-of-money-mobile

2009-03-02T13:12:00.003-05:00

While out and about today (which I didn't enjoy, but the rent was due & stuff needed to be mailed, so what are you gonna do?) I saw a Metrocard truck. As in, an ice cream truck that sells commuter fare. Or if you'd rather, bookmobile. (It had a little window in any case.)

I've never seen one before and am sort of confounded by it. They won't put card vending machines above ground by bus stops. They won't fire employees who punch in for overtime hours that they don't work. They'll cut much needed trains and demand the government give them money as they keep increasing fares without increasing the quality of their service...

but they'll waste money on a Metrocard ice cream truck/ bookmobile that may or may not actually park anywhere long enough for people to buy from it.

I guess I just don't understand business...

Illustration Friday: Instinct

2009-02-26T18:40:00.004-05:00

She suddenly had the confusing and uncontrollable urge to nest.

Don't ask me. I don't know what it means either.

No One at the NY Post Knows Anything About History

2009-02-19T12:25:00.003-05:00

I have to comment on this cartoon that recently ran in the NY Post. A lot of people are offended by it's racist implications, but others are defending it saying that the implications are unintentional.

I wanted to repost the comment I left on Feministing:

Look...

I guess I can kind of (maybe, sorta) see how this cartoon MIGHT not have been intended to be racist. There has been a crazy giant chimp in the papers lately. There is the idea of stupid things being written "by monkeys" (& people never seem to be able to separate monkeys & chimps for some reason). BUT that would mean that neither the artist who penned this NOR the editor who let it go to press both had ANY IDEA that there was anyway this could be presented in a racial context.

That's like suggesting that only after the backlash did they say: "Oh wait, our president is Black?" "Oh wait, there's a history of black people being compared to monkeys/chimps/apes, etc?" "Oh, do Black people not much CARE for being compared to primates?"

It COULD be POSSIBLE that they were 100% unaware of this comparison or that they didn't see how connected the two would be when you place them RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER. But even if you assume any of that is true, what you're left with are two of the most ignorant, most blinded by privilege, most isolated people I've ever heard of within the mass-produced media. And that actually makes me even more sad. Because how did they get those jobs when the rest of us are on unemployment?

Honestly, I've said things before that I realized a heartbeat later "Oh shit, I hope that didn't sound racist, because I totally didn't mean it that way!" or had someone point out that what I said was offensive. We all make oversights or speak without thinking. But do you know how much work goes into a single cartoon?? How many original ideas did the artist reject? How much time sketching, revamping & rethinking happened before the first stroke of finalizing ink touched paper? Was there never a moment's doubt? And then sending it off to the paper...how many hands did it pass through? And no one saw a problem? No one thought "You know, this may get some backlash..."

And I'm not saying that having something that's shocking, offensive, "edge-y" or what have you means you SHOULDN'T print it. That's part of what art does. Some things SHOULD get under our skin, make us angry, make us write angry letters. It's actually good to know that times being what they are, people are still shock-able. All of that can be a great thing, a gift even. (Although, even if that was the intention, this cartoon fails 100% at being clever or insightful) But then don't be surprised if some of the backlash is negative. Don't act like you had no idea. Because either you're bigoted & completely intended the multiple meanings or you had NO idea & you're a fucking idiot. I don't know which people would rather be...

That being said, I was immediately horrified at this cartoon. Not only does it invoke so much racist history (specifically the history of cartoons, caricatures & vaudevillian-type impersonation) but it is so unnecessarily violent. Seriously...wtf?

What irritates me even more is when people say "Oh who cares, it's just a cartoon!" As an artist, I don't think there is any such thing as "just a cartoon". Sure, it's not a very good cartoon. But art is such a significant part of culture that the best & worst of it represents the best & worst things about our culture. A good political cartoon adds wit & insight with political ideology & artful rendering. Whereas this particular one has a bloody chimp with not-so-subtle racial implications in regards to our first Black/biracial president.

Just sayin'.

Illustration Friday: Celebrate

2009-02-19T12:16:00.006-05:00

Dancin', dancin', daaanciiiin'! (to the tune of Dancing Machine by The Jackson 5)

I haven't done anything in the way of self-portraiture in a while. So I thought I'd have fun with this one. What can I say? I like dancin'!

Illustration Friday: Time

2009-02-12T17:16:00.003-05:00

With the theme of "Time", I figured no one knows more than the Doctor.

I've become pretty obsessed with the "new" Doctor Who - which is obvious in the fact that I haven't done fan art since high school. It's actually a recent obsession, so thank you, Netflix.

I did this in a chibi manga style just out of time constraints, rather than something more like I usually do. I finished the other project I needed to do - so I was able to spend 2 days on the coloring and the layered background. I took a bunch of characters from different stages in the story line. Captain Jack is hanging onto the side of the T.A.R.D.I.S. from the Utopia episode. Inside is the 10th Doctor, as portrayed by David Tennant (who I think everyone will really miss when Matt Smith Takes over). He is grabbing hold of Martha Jones in bascially what was her costume for the first 6 or so episodes she was in. She is linked to Donna Noble (in her wedding dress from her first appearance) through the fob watch from Human Nature/Family of Blood 2-part episode (which is one of my favorite stories). Rose Tyler & Mickey Smith are transparent, stuck in a parallel universe, but trying to break through!

-Ok! Enough of that nerding!

I did the drawing & ink by hand, scanned it, colored in Photoshop. The background is a photo of space I pulled offline and a series of color gradients at different transparency levels. I was trying to give it equal levels of reality & cartoony. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out and I had fun doing it, which is what really matters.

Myvu? Really?

2009-02-07T07:15:00.003-05:00

Walking through the subway yesterday evening, I saw a lot of ads for this ridiculousness:

Yes, Myvu are video glasses that you can wear with your iPod, so you don't ever have to go anywhere, or look in any direction without constantly being bombarded by video media.

Oh, huzzah!

Long past are the days when I've been riding the subway, saw an attractive person and thought "If only that person could also have a layer of TV over their face. Now that is something worth looking at! Anything less would be stupid!" You can also replace the attractive person on a subway with "sunset at the park", "live performance in a stadium", "laughing baby at a family reunion" or "my partner in bed". Why look at anything when you can also be watching TV while looking at it!

Or remember the stone-age days of watching videos on a TV portable device, and having to bend your neck to see. And didn't you think, "Wow, is there anyway this could hurt my neck less, but my eyes more??" Yes, there is a way, my friend!

All snarky sarcasm aside, this reminds me of the Nintendo Virtual Boy - which seemed like a super-cool-idea-from-the-future...until it started causing temporary blindness in hundreds of cases. I'm pretty sure I remember something out eye-bleeding as well. They recalled those faster than you can say "exploding airbrush pens". But I'm sure since Myvu isn't just stark, black & red graphics with flashing lights, there's probably a good chance you won't go blind wearing them. There is, however, a chance that a lot of stupid people will wear these, walk around, fall off train platforms, into direct traffic, off piers...some would call that natural selection and I probably wouldn't disagree.

But haven't tencho-phillic future-based movies taught us anything? The more crap attached to your head, the more out of touch you are with reality, the more corporate media becomes your reality, and the easier you will be mind controlled by The Man. Just sayin'...

I mean, Blue Tooth headsets are one thing. Those just make you look like an idiot.

Illustration Friday: Flawed

2009-02-05T21:29:00.004-05:00

You try telling a 12-year-old girl that she isn't flawed.

Just a sketch this week. I visited my family last weekend, then got sick. And stayed sick for several days. I'm working on another illo for a magazine. And Comic Con is this weekend. Soooo, just a sketch. But I did like how it looks.

Yeah!

Same old?

2009-02-03T13:17:00.003-05:00

I'm pretty shocked and unnerved by the fact that it seems like no one really cares about the fact that the U.S. is continuing to bomb Pakistan. Or at least, no one is criticizing the president for it. Yes, in his first month in office, he has made some wonderful advancements. But he did also order drone strikes, which did end up killing a few innocent adults and children. I feel like if he were any other person, we'd already be filling the streets before the White House.

I understand that Pakistan is known to be harboring Taliban extremists, that Afghanistan & Pakistan is where we should have actually been, instead of Iraq in the "war on terror" and that U.S. citizens in Pakistan have been kidnapped and killed.

But the fact that the bulk of this information comes from international news sources. I feel like Obama will end the unpopular war, but then start a new one, because everyone is distracted by trying to find the merit in his economic stimulus plan.

He may represent a symbolic historic moment. But let's not forget that Obama is still a politician. And you can really only trust a politician as far as you can keep them from the launch codes. Do we really want to start a new administration, what many deem to be the dawn of a new hope, with the same aggressive tactics of the former? Haven't we learned that bombing a nation harboring rogue enemies doesn't actually drive them out? Sure, you may happen to kill a few here and there, but you also kill regular people, members of government, potential allies and so forth. Doesn't bombing where they're living, be it their mother country or just their sanctuary, tend to make them lash out ever more violently? Where's the change? Where's the open mind & open ears? Where's the diplomacy? And most of all...can we talk about it first?

Illustration Friday: Climbing

2009-01-29T17:19:00.004-05:00

Not every climb is a treacherous one.
Sometimes you just need to be willing to take a step up.

Just a sketch this time - done with pen & some colored pencil on cardboard. I was pretty busy this week, working on an illo for a magazine. More on that when it comes out.

Illustration Friday: Pale

2009-01-22T19:20:00.003-05:00

A mid 18th century European Aristocratic girl- when being pale was still the hippest thing.

Believe it or not, this was supposed to be a "simple drawing". But then I had to keep changing the dress to make it historically accurate. The first version was from memory alone and therefore had too many period mixtures in it.

President Obama

2009-01-21T11:34:00.002-05:00

I know I haven't written anything for a while...

I just watched Obama's inauguration speech. It was pretty fantastic. I'm glad he finally made it a point to mention that the economy can't keep rewarding the greedy and wealthy when this nation was founded by the sweat and labor of the poor. No one ever mentions that fact.

"Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labour, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and travelled across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and ploughed the hard earth..."

I'm glad to hear him mention that we are a mixture of religious and non-religious people and that our compiled heritage is a unique gift. I'm pleased to hear him promise to turn our efforts towards suffering, poor nations. And that to acknowledge our privilege and the price at which it comes in regards to other countries and our impact on the environment.

I'm also in awe of how many people stood out in the cold all morning for this.

Most of all- I'M SO EXCITED THAT GEORGE W. BUSH ISN'T PRESIDENT ANYMORE!!!
I was sure that he would elect himself President-for-Life and eventually kill us all.

So, Obama: Day 1...let's see what you can do. The whole world's watching, and things can only improve.

Illustration Friday: Contained

2009-01-13T20:03:00.005-05:00

This is another one that's been sitting in my sketchbook for a while. Also, I've been thinking a lot about the song "Jet Ski" by Bikini Kill this week. ("Ain't got no candy for you!) This one is watercolor.

And while working on this, I got another, equally good but totally different idea:

She put all of her words, her thoughts, her dreams in a jar...hoping to one day let them out...

This one is (obviously) colored pencil, which I haven't done in a while. Watercolor just tends to be so much faster & easier, especially when covering large grounds. But I love the feeling of just drawingdrawingdrawing. If I have time to finish I might do a third. I still have ideas, which I do eventually, regardless of time as it relates to I.F.