Sunday, August 16, 2009

MATERIAL PRESS

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My very late project for Material Press is finally up on their website. I made a suite of 5 unique drawings and conducted an interview with a very special guest.

See it here

Thursday, August 6, 2009

R.I.P. John Hughes

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As I was making dinner last night, a great scene from Some Kind of Wonderful(1987) popped into my head. It was the scene when Eric Stoltz's character, Keith, crashes the house of the rich snotnose with whom he was competing for the affections of Amanda Jones, played by Leigh Thompson. Just when Keith was about to get his ass whupped, he gets saved by his friends from detention, a bunch of 'punks', who had earlier in the film, been his enemies. They scare the snotnose into submission in front of the whole school, humiliating him. It was a beautiful moment which I wished had replicated itself many times in my youth, when I was made to feel 'lesser' than a person or group. As I toasted my bread, I relished the looks on my opponents faces if I had a bunch of punks to 'have my back'.

The de facto leader of this bunch, Duncan, played by Elias Koteas, bonded with Keith over their mutually appreciated drawing skills (another great moment in the film), enabling their alliance. Koteas played one of the most memorable punk slackers in teen movie history, a perfect comedic compliment to the earnestness of Keith and Amanda.

Who's responsible for these awesome characters existing, not to mention many others, including Ferris Bueller? John Hughes. I hope I didn't kill him last night because I do find it odd that he should die the day after I remember that scene. But then again, maybe he had always permeated my mind. I almost brought Ferris Bueller's Day Off to show my young students in art class last week. Even though John Hughes left filmmaking over 15 years ago, his presence is still in my mind, way more often than I thought.

"We're gonna bring this party up to a nice respectable level. Don't worry, we're not gonna hurt anyone. We're not even gonna touch 'em. We're just gonna make 'em cry a little, just by lookin' at 'em." ——Duncan

Monday, August 3, 2009

Spitters

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One thing I will never understand is spitting, constant and unfettered, on our city streets. What is the point? Is the surfeit of saliva in one's mouth too cumbersome to swallow? Has it been tainted? Must it be ejected?
Perhaps it is an image thing. For instance, the guy who chews on toothpicks or matchsticks has airs of confidence. Do spitters think they put on airs of toughness? They don't. I just looks pointless, like a nervous tic such as fingernail biting. Spitters tend to be repeat offenders. One they start spitting, there seems to be no going back. Spit must be swallowed—period. It does not taste bad or is bad for you. In fact it is a tasty treat to line the throat.
Swallowing spit is an act of recycling. Spitters need more water and thus deplete our delicate natural resources. They must be stopped and forced to wear badges like the Jews did during the War, so we know who they are. We will take their spitoons away and force them to eat dry things all the time to sop up the moisture in their mouths.
Our streets will be clean once and for all. Thanks.