Showing posts with label people deserving of more respect. Show all posts
Showing posts with label people deserving of more respect. Show all posts

11 November 2015

"There’s only one rule that I know of, babies -- God damn it, you’ve got to be kind."

Kurt Vonnegut has always held a special place in my heart as well as in my head.

His writings, his beliefs, simply his way of being, influenced my younger self profoundly & still hold a great deal of sway in this somewhat older body in which I now find myself. Of course, Vonnegut would claim, & I think rightfully so, that these two identities are interchangeable, occupying the same time-line albeit at different points, but both exist together, now & forever intertwined.
More important than his works & his philosophies though was his place in the literary triumvirate that is one of the foundations of my relationship with my dad. Devouring those books off my dad's bookshelf in my pre-pubescence became a catapult to help us traverse that leap from being father & son to being friends.
As high school reared it ugly head, the oh-so-long (but equally wonderful) times we spent editing my school papers dwindled. Our Scrabble games also slowed a bit (although they picked up with a vengeance whilst I was in college~ when I finally beat him for the first time!).
But Vonnegut has always remained a cornerstone.

For better or worse, he & my father are responsible for the writer I am today, & a good deal of the man I am today as well.

So it was with quite a good deal of joy that I found this portrait I had drawn of Mr. Vonnegut in one of my old sketchbooks. It's unfinished, smudgy pencil & all. It's certainly not an antique per se, but it is somewhat vintage.
I had the pleasure of sharing it with Mr. Vonnegut at a book signing that I went to with my dad. He looked at it quite intently, then looked up at me with that same bemused smile that he wears in the drawing.
That was a good day indeed.

so it goes...
so it goes...
Happy birthday, my friend.


25 November 2012

The Walking Dead Emaciation Proclamation

Zombies, undead & somewhat stinky tho' they may be, deserve the same rights as the rest of us...
Zombie Power!
If yer on Twitter, please reweet, favorite & do whatever Tweeting magic you want to this tweet by my lovely bride.
Do that for this lonely lil' blogger & I will love you lots.

14 September 2009

it's okay if only five folks read this blog if one of 'em is this guy...

When I post (like when I draw), I do so in a vacuum, in my studio, alone~ surrounded by my toys, my drawing table & my spinner rack of comix. I never know what the response will be to any given piece of work I produce, if it will be successful, or indeed if anybody will see/read it at all.
This blog has been fun thus far, still finding my way, finding my voice as it were. Sometimes I despair at the seemingly low number of folks who visit this dark crevice of the inter-webs; not that I don't cherish those who do. All the comments & e-mails I've received have been truly wonderful & have kept me sane, focused & indeed inspired.
But the following deserves special recognition~

"Very cool stuff!
I like what you did with the
wolves--the final version definitely works. I also like the self-portrait, with your (very well-drawn, btw) hands, projecting towards the reader.
But what I like MOST--is the way that you write!
You have a very direct, unpretentious, endearing--and ultimately, very cool--way of expressing yourself in words! Much FUN to read!
I'm only sorry that it took me this long to check out your blog, and find that out.
All the best to you--and thanks again, for the very nice compliments about my work. (But you're no chopped liver yourself, y'know!)
Take care-
Trevor
"

That's Trevor Von Eeden.
Of whom I wrote here.
Whose craft, imagination & talent, both when I was growing up & to this day, imbues me with huge amounts of knowledge & pleasure ~ with his beautiful line-work, thought-provoking layouts, & totally original & utterly wonderful style.
Here's something I scanned from an old Batman annual I have on my spinner~
It's just Batman flicking on a light switch, but it shows that when Trevor Von Eeden drew anything, it wasn't ever just anything at all...

'nuff said.

27 July 2009

ch-chemo it out

So last week the fresh & funky Adam Yauch broke the news that he had just a lil' bit o cancer. Seems he will beat it but the Beasties have to cancel their live groovin' for a bit & the album's gonna' drop a lil' later as well... not to mention the shit MCA must be going thru.
My agnostic prayers are with u, my brother.

& here's a lil' taste of the new album & all the funky-ass goodness to come