Workweak

Karloff the Zombot

2010-08-24T02:10:00.006+09:00

This tall lad is Karloff. He's another figure for my crew of custom Zombots. The original Zombot figure was produced by Threea Toys as a chase figure for their Boiler Zomb figure. Both the Boiler Zomb and Zombot figures are part of Threea's Adventure Kartel line. I have a Boiler Zomb (click here to see a custom boiler that I built for him), but the Zombot figure is pretty hard to find (only 10 were made of the original colorway).

The materials for this figure were fairly similar to the last custom Zombot I made. I used a 1/6 figure, duct tape, and a random plumbing piece that I found (I believe it is some sort of air vent).

For more info on Ashley Wood, Zombot, 3A, or Adventure Kartel, go to www.threeaonline.com

I'm currently gathering materials to make a robot head to go with my Heavy Tomorrow King figure. I'm going to try and put that all together before I head to school in a couple of weeks.

Zombot Exterminator (Pest Control)

2010-08-18T23:12:00.006+09:00

Here's my take on the Zombot from Ashley Wood/Threea Toys' Adventure Kartel line. The back story on the Zombot is still up in the air (the story is told through mini-comic posters that come with the figures), but I thought it would be cool to make a pest control Zombot Exterminator.

His body is a generic 1/6 figure that I picked up at my local comic/toy shop. His suit is a 1970s GI Joe jumpsuit, and his head is an old vent cap from our oil pipe (and here I thought oil heating wasn't beneficial at all).

For more info on Ashley Wood, 3A, or Adventure Kartel, go to www.threeaonline.com

Next up...a big ol' robot head to go with my Tomorrow King.

Zombsquare (Baiting the Undead)

2010-07-22T09:35:00.006+09:00

I've been getting more and more into 3D art recently. Most of that inspiration has come from building accessories to go with my Ashley Wood/3A figures. Trying to match the detail and weathering on 3A's robots is quite a challenge, and sort of a trial by fire for someone who has never made a custom figure (or painted rust). I utilized a number of techniques that I had never used before. I did not test them out before-hand. I just went at it, and was pleasantly surprised with the results.

My square stands roughly 9" tall, and can be seen with the 12" Tommy Mission figure standing on him in the last picture. His frame was made of cardboard, masking tape, and bristol paper. Some other pieces that were used in his construction were: a capacitor (for his little antenna thinger), a power converter (vent/power pack), pieces of a door knob and a clock (for the gear assembly on his left side).

I'm not sure what I will work on next, but some ideas I have had are a giant bot head for my tomorrow king figure, a custom built zombot, or maybe a custom robot from 3A's WWR line. I whole heartedly recommend that you check out 3A's toy line. They are making total works of art in action figure form.

For more info on Ashley Wood, 3A, or World War Robot (WWR), go to www.threeaonline.com

Sunny Day Coffin Building

2010-07-15T02:07:00.004+09:00

Over the past few days, I've been working on a coffin to go along with my Les Mort 13 figure (released by HowtoWork Toys, and designed by Ashley Wood). People seemed to like the Boiler that I made for my Boiler Zomb figure (another Ashley Wood toy), so I thought I'd post these as well. The coffin was constructed from cardboard, old shingles, hemp twine, and a ton of wood glue. Next up is either going to be a giant bot head for my tomorrow king, or a custom wwr square. We'll see what happens.

Rainy Day Boiler Building

2010-07-12T08:42:00.004+09:00

I'm not sure how many of you are fans of Ashley Wood, but my collection of his comics, action figures, and art is slowly growing. I picked up one of his Boiler Zombs a while back, and I decided to make him a home. I ended up using a cardboard mailing tube, some loose copper pieces, and a bunch of other stuff that I had... laying around the house. A few hours later...my Boiler Zomb had a home.

A number of things

2010-04-09T20:29:00.003+09:00

It's been a pretty awesome week.

-Sunday was Sarah and my 7 year anniversary.
-I sold a bunch of art
-I got accepted to MassArt
-Boston Comicon is tomorrow. I'll get to meet Mike Mignola, Jim Lee, Ben Templesmith, Eric Powell, and a ton of other awesome folks.

Woot!

Current Listening:
-Burning Witch "Crippled Lucifer"
-Rale "Whispering Gallery"
-Bruce Banner "I've Had it with Humanity"

Busy, Busy, Busy...the Return!

2010-02-08T22:08:00.004+09:00

Still busy as hell.
If you're interested at all, here's what's been chewing up my time :
-Did all the Street Team art for Paul/Give Praise Records.
-Finished up my art school application (finally took that plunge).
-I'm 75% finished with the cover art for the first OHLM cd/lp.
-Put together the cover for the new issue of Blame it on the Computer.
-Completed another Sandman Mystery Theater track. The track is called "Step Quietly", and it's an audio collage of the Apollo 11 launch, the Jonestown "death tape", some old palmolive commercials, and a few other random sources. Swing by the SMT myspace to check it out.
-Saw Avatar 3D. I'm not going to lie, I like flashy visuals and Science Fiction. I was entertained. Don't see it if you feel like being a movie critic, though. I'm just sayin'. The best part of the movie was that the theater was off their game and started the movie like 10 minutes late. They gave us all coupons to see a free movie, and Sarah and me are going to see an encore performance of A Prarie Home Companion "Live" tomorrow night. Score.
-I'm suppoed to do some art for Steve vs The Volcano when I'm done with the OHLM cover. So woot to that.
-Still reading an insane amount of comics. A few titles I've been trying to catch up on are: Swamp Thing (Alan Moore's epic take on the series), Green Lantern (Rebirth through the current business), lots and lots of Batman (what else is new), 100 Bullets, and Astonishing X-Men.

Current Listening:
-Miles Davis "The Complete In a Silent Way Sessions"
-Electric Wizard "Dopethrone"
-Barn Owl (entire discography)
-Grouper "Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill"

"This one is for all the young wizards!"

2010-01-26T03:05:00.004+09:00

This show kicked serious ass. Bloodhorse were 100% better than the last time I saw them.

How were Doomriders and Megasus?
They were Doomriders and Megasus...they killed it.

I also scored one of these sick ass posters.
That's always a plus.

On a total side note, I've been posting all my new art over on my art blog. I'm just sayin'.

Current Listening:
-Godflesh - "Streetcleaner"
-Megasus - s/t
-Blood Ceremony - s/t
-Sunn O))) - "Domkirke"

Behold the Doomsludgebeast

2010-01-20T22:36:00.004+09:00

Yamaha G100 II
Acoustic Control Corporation 140
2 Crate 4x12" cabs

The damned thing is taller than I am.

Sandman Mystery Theater

2010-01-15T23:53:00.002+09:00

I finally got around to recording a couple tracks for my new music project, Sandman Mystery Theater.

The 2 track Stygian Demo is up for listening/downloading purposes over at the SMT myspace. Check it out if you're into Noise/Drone/Sound Collage and stuff like that.

Swing by these places to listen to the demo:
Myspace
Facebook
Last.fm

Busy, Busy, Busy...

2009-12-23T22:26:00.002+09:00

I haven't posted here as regularly now that I'm posting my art at davemahanart.blogspot.com.

Still, here's what I've been up to:
-Pumping out collages, trying to improve some new techniques that I've been working with over the last month or so.
-Doing ALL the artwork for the Give Praise records 2010 re-vamp. I'm also going to be doing all the art for Paul's Give Praise street team. I have to thank Paul for giving me the kick in the pants I needed to get me drawing again.
-Applying to art school.
-Reading a shitload of comics. Man...comics are great.

It looks like 2010 will be a busier year than 2009.

Current Listening:
-Bolt Thrower (entire discography)
-Kylesa "Static Tensions"
-Black Sabbath "s/t" - "Sabotage" in chronological order (just because)
-Laudanum "The Coronation"

Two blogs enter...

2009-12-03T05:28:00.003+09:00

I started a second blog to act as the primary means to display new works.
From here on out, I'll show my art at davemahanart.blogspot.com.

All other nonsense (music recommendations, pictures/tales from my misadventures, and all other non "art related" material) will still be found here.

Good night, and good luck.

Current Listening:
-M83 "Dead Cities..."
-Nadja "Radiance of Shadows"
-DJ Shadow "Entroducing"

"Where did you get that blank expression on your face?"

2009-11-17T22:43:00.002+09:00

"Stress Builds Character" (November 2009)
Mixed Media on Bristol

Current Listening:
-Dystopia "Human=Garbage"
-Blank Stare "s/t LP"
-Mind Eraser "Conscious/Unconscious"
-Khanate "Clean Hands Go Foul"

Miller Time

2009-11-11T01:40:00.007+09:00

Sarah and I went out to Wisconsin to visit the Pettits.

Fun times:
-Kohler design center (Julie brought us to see toilets...)
-Lake Michigan
-The Palo Popcorn factory (they wouldn't give us a tour)
-Haunted House
-Miller brewery tour
-Milwaukee Zoo
-The Little Farmer

Current Listening:
-The rumbling of my stomach. It's time for a burrito or maybe some pizza, but not a bagel.

"I'm gonna sit right here until I die..."

2009-11-06T22:40:00.002+09:00

"Big River" (November 2009)
Mixed Media on Bristol

Current Listening:
-Johnny Cash "Story Songs of the Trains and Rivers"
-Demons "Evocation"
-Dragons of Zynth "s/t"
-The Estranged "s/t ep"

Q: Do Spirits Return? A: We Are Devo!

2009-10-26T22:16:00.006+09:00

Art by Richard Williams

Video Collage by Harley Gardner

The Life and Times of Sebastian Half

Cube2the3rd

Video art by Ocean Silver

Codeine Schoolboy's set-up

Art by Richard Williams

My submissions

Art by Jeremiah Lupinski

Codeine Schoolboy

Big Collage's first event went off without a hitch.
Everyone seemed to have a good time, the music was great, and I met some cool folks.

The next event is in the works, and it will happen some time in February.

Superspreader

2009-10-23T22:21:00.002+09:00

"David...have you heard of swine flu in the world?"
-Kumamoto City Board of Health (roughly 6 months ago)

So...the Batman related humor above has nothing to do with the fact that I'm really sick right now, but I'm really sick right now.

I don't think I have the pig disease, but everyone else does.
Maybe I do?!?!

Either way, I'm back at work now after taking three days off, and I hope I'm not extremely contagious.
I'd hate to be the kid that gave everyone the plague.

On a totally "not this thing" note...BIG COLLAGE's first event is tomorrow night. Anybody who's on the cape should swing on by.

(Coughs multiple times)Woot?!?!

Sick in bed required watching:

-Jurassic Park
-Smokey and the Bandit
-Dracula (Gary Oldman stylee)
-Justice League:Secret Origins (cartoon series)
-Hellraiser
-Like 6 hours of Futurama (Thank God for DVR)

"What questions do you have for the dead?"

2009-10-13T21:58:00.002+09:00

"The Seance" (October 2009)
Mixed Media on Bristol

My third, and final piece for the BIG COLLAGE event on October 24th. Click here for all the info.

Current Listening:
-Miles Davis "Filles de Killimanjaro"
-Nekromantix "Curse of the Coffin"
-Emperor "In the Nightside Eclipse"

Witching Hour

2009-10-09T21:58:00.002+09:00

Man, do I love October.

Current Listening:
-Elder "s/t"
-Nachtmystium "Assassins of Black Meddle: Vol 1"
-Boris "Heavy Rocks"

Operator Dead...Post Abandoned

2009-10-02T22:21:00.002+09:00

"Mystifying Oracle" (September 2009)
Mixed Media on Bristol

Here's another piece for BIG COLLAGE's first event: "Do Spirits Return".
Check the previous post for all the information.

Current Litening:
-Electric Wizard "Dopethrone"
-The Vicious "Alienated"
-Poison Control "The Violent Years" ep
-Fennesz "June"

BIG COLLAGE's first event

2009-09-23T23:03:00.002+09:00

Here's the poster for BIG COLLAGE's first event.
It's like a month away and I'm psyched as hell.

Also, I had my first figure drawing class last night, so I'm psyched about that too.

Finally, I'm going to get some big ridiculous tattoo tomorrow. I'm probably the most psyched about that.

Woot!

Current Listening:
-Nachtmystium "Assassins of Black Meddle: volume 1"
-Imperial Leather "Something Out of Nothing"
-The Kings of Nuthin' "Old Habits Die Hard"

Return to Forever

2009-09-21T22:16:00.002+09:00

"The Turn of the Screw" (September 2009)
Mixed Media on Bristol

One of the pieces that I will be showing on October 24th during BIG COLLAGE's first event titled "Do Spirits Return". It will be at the Cape Cod Cultural Center.

I'll have more info up about BIG COLLAGE sometime soon.

Current Listening:
-Electric Wizard "Dopethrone"
-Man or Astroman "EEVIAC"
-Tombs "Winter Hours"
-Eagle Twin "The Unkindness of Crows"

More Choices...

2009-08-30T00:55:00.004+09:00

Cover "A" (the original version)

Cover "B"

Cover "C"

Cover "D"

After receiving some feedback on my previous post, I realized that the text was a little confusing. Even though this is kind of what I was going for, I think the idea was confusing in the wrong way. So, I've worked up a few different versions that share the same theme.

-Cover "A" is the one from my previous post. The two "title" layers were a little too close together. I wanted the cover to have some of the confusion that appears in the story, but I think this was a little too much.

-Cover "B" has the two title layers a little farther apart. I like the idea of them touching each other, but maybe this will be a little clearer to read.

Cover "C"...I'm not too crazy about. I just wanted to include it as part of my thought process. I like the idea of a deteriorated second layer, but I don't think I went about it the right way. Like I said, I'm not too crazy about it.

Cover "D" is the one that I'm liking the most. It has the elements that I like about the original, but I think it will be a little easier to read.

So, if you have any feedback, feel free to let me know. I'm not going to be a crybaby if people don't like it. In fact I'd much rather know now than when I go to put this whole thing together.

"That's When I Reached for my Revolver"

2009-08-29T12:50:00.003+09:00

The cover to "The Slip", a graphic novel that I'm currently working on.

Here's something I worked up while trying to get reacquainted with Photoshop. My choice for the bg color is still up in the air, but the layout is probably going to stay the same.

Now I just have to get my nose to the grindstone and finish up the inside.

On a completely unrelated note, I finally joined the attention hungry masses on facebook. Swing by and add me if you feel the uncontrollable urge www.facebook.com/davemahanart

Current Listening:
-Neurosis "Given to the Rising"
-Mammal "Lonesome Drifter"
-Mammoth Grinder "Rage and Ruin"

A Trip to the Moon

2009-08-27T22:36:00.001+09:00

"Exit Music" (August 2009)
Mixed Media on Watercolor Paper

Current Listening:
-Eagle Twin "The Unkindness of Crows"
-Riceboy Sleeps "Riceboy Sleeps
-Xela "The Illuminated"

New Dawn Fades

2009-08-21T22:41:00.003+09:00

"Still" (August 2009)
Acrylic, Spray Paint, and Ink on Bristol

According to dictionary.com, the word "still" has a lot of definitions. These are the ones that I had in mind while painting this:

-remaining in place or at rest; motionless; stationary: to stand still.
-free from sound or noise, as a place or persons; silent: to keep still about a matter.
-subdued or low in sound; hushed: a still, small voice.
-free from turbulence or commotion; peaceful; tranquil; calm: the still air.
-without waves or perceptible current; not flowing, as water.

Plus, I was listening to Joy Division.

Current Listening:
-Joy Division "Still"
-Leviathan "Tenth Sub-Level of Suicide"
-His Hero is Gone "Monuments to Thieves"

The Return of "The Return of the Fly"

2009-08-15T01:19:00.003+09:00

"A Sound of Thunder" (August 2009)
Collage on Watercolor Paper

Please ignore the previous post I made for this piece.
The image shown above is a much more accurate representation of the original art.

Current Listening:
-Doomriders "Live on the Pipeline"
-Dragons of Zynth "Coronation Thieves"
-Satan's Pilgrims "Creature Feature"

Matt Make Fire

2009-08-08T01:18:00.008+09:00

I went out to Walpole last night to take some shots for Matt's website.
The site's currently under construction, but when it's finished, it will be at www.bostonlampworking.com

Return of the Fly

2009-08-07T22:46:00.003+09:00

"A Sound of Thunder" (August 2009)
Collage on Watercolor Paper.

Current Listening:
-CCR "Chronicle"
-Doomriders "Black Thunder"
-Charles Mingus "The Black Saint and Sinner Lady"

So Long and Thanks for all the Taiyaki Fish

2009-07-27T12:12:00.003+09:00

(Left to right) Me, Blue Robot, and Yuki

Sarah and I have been insanely busy over these past couple of weeks. We've sent 4 or 5 boxes of clothes, books, and toys, back to the States. We've also been adhering to a very strict cleaning regiment to make sure that our apartment's next inhabitant is nice and happy in his shiny little apartment. Somewhere in between all that, we've managed to fit in a few fun adventures.

We climbed an active volcano, saw a monkey show, went to a children's museum, kind of experienced a solar eclipse, and ate all kinds of delicious Japanese food (but mostly desserts).

Now, I'm sitting here, getting ready to leave Kumamoto in a couple of hours. I'll spend tonight in a hotel in Fukuoka (all on my own...like a big boy), and then I'll get up bright and early to start my 29 hour trip back to Boston.

I'm not going to type some cheesy message about all the great people I've met, or about all the delicious food I've had the chance to eat, I'm not even going to say anything about the castle. All I'm going to say is that I'm kind of sad right now to be leaving Kumamoto. Anything other sentiments, or weird stories about this crazy country will have to be told in person.

So, the next time you see me, ask me about the time I saw a monkey use a samurai sword.

I'll tell you all about it.

Sayonara for now,

Dave-san.

Is it...Man or Astroman?

2009-07-26T14:55:00.002+09:00

"Destroy Puny Earthlings" (July 2009)

Pens, Markers, and Colored Pencils on Bristol

Current Listening:

-Famous Monsters "In the Night"
-Man or Astroman? "Destroy All Astromen"
-Satan's Pilgrims "Creature Feature"

-Toxic Holocaust "An Overdose of Death"

The Haunting of Hogwarts

2009-07-17T08:18:00.003+09:00

I really liked the movie rendition of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (or Harry Potter and the Mysterious Prince as it's called in Japan). It reminded me of a lot of great old horror/noir movies (The Haunting, The Innocents, etc...), and it was totally different from all the previous films. Nice work David Yates, nice work.

Go see it, and try to act surprised at the end.

Current Listening:
-Willits & Sakamoto "Ocean Fire"
-Tim Hecker "Haunt Me, Haunt Me, Doi it Again
-Nadja "Radiance of Shadows"

"From Nothing to Nothing"

2009-07-14T08:59:00.005+09:00

"Step 1"

I've spent the last year or so bouncing between Japan and the US. I'll come home in two weeks for good, and I'm bringing home a few hundred photos of Japan with me. Last night, I sat down and went through a lot of my photos from my first trip to Japan (Setember '08-November '08), and I was shocked by how many of them I had already forgotten. I'd hate to think that almost a year of memories will be filed away and forgotten as soon as people stop asking me "So...how was Japan?"

I've also started to look at my recent art, and I'd like to start putting more of my own touch in my mixed media work. It's fun to cut images out of magazines and make new pictures, but it's much more satisfying to start from scratch and produce an image all your own. I decided to combine these two elements along with my recent interest in screen printing, and start a new project: "From Nothing to Nothing."

"FNtN" will share a lot of themes and techniques with most of my recent work, along with a lot of techniques that I left at home with my arsenal of art supplies (ie: spray paint, krink, and countless piles of reference images). For now, I've uploaded a handful of images that I took here in Japan, so that you can see the "first steps" in bringing this new project to life. All images were taken in and around Kumamoto, Fukuoka, and Nagasaki.

On a total side note, I've finished the storyboarding process for my first comic/graphic novel. It's called "The Slip" and it will hopefully be out sometime before Ragnarok.

Stay classy

-Dave

Current Listening:

-Throbbing Gristle "20 Jazz Funk Greats"

-Rocket From the Crypt "Hot Charity/Cut and Play"

-Cursed "II"

"If the Lord Don't Get Me, Then the Devil Will"

2009-07-06T20:39:00.004+09:00

"American Nightmare" (July 2009)

Pens, Pencils, Markers, Acrylic, and Pin-Up Sticker on Watercolor Paper

This was fun as hell to make.

Current Listening:
-Black Shape of Nexus "Microbarome Meetings"

-APLACETOBURYSTRANGERS "s/t"

-Black Horse "The Black Arts of Black Horse"

-The Misfits "Legacy of Brutality"

"How Do We Turn on the Dolphins?"

2009-07-06T09:15:00.009+09:00

"Epic Weekend"

Crunch time is here my friends.

I'm leaving Japan in 3 weeks, and there's still a lot of things that I haven't had a chance to do yet. Luckily, this weekend was supremely adventurous and I got to check a few things off my "things to do in Japan list". Due to the epic and busy nature of this weekend, I'm going to try and run down the list of events and not ramble too much.

Friday Night:

-Sarah, Jacy and I went to an Izakaya (Japanese restaurant), loaded up on snacks, and took advantage of the Nomihodai special (all you can drink, $10.00 for 2 hours).

-Took a stroll down to Karaoke Kan for a couple hours of belting out the classics

-Saw a couple of Kumamoto Guardian Angels (this must be the easiest assignment for their group. Kumamoto City is hardly Compton).

-Ended the night at "Good Time Charlie's" (see this post for more on Charlie)

Saturday:

-Got picked up by Sarah's friend Shizuko and her mother at 10 AM for our trip to Mt. Aso.

-Stopped to eat some Kawara Soba (Green Soba noodles served on a sizzling roof tile). Sarah and I agree, this was the best meal we've had in Japan.

-Made another pit stop for some pudding at a cool little shop. It reminded me a lot of something you would see back home in New England.

-Finally arrived at Mt. Aso to find that our car was smoking just as much as the volcano. We would need to arrange another ride home.

-Car troubles aside, Aso was incredible. The conditions on Saturday were perfect, and we were allowed to go to the highest viewing area. Inside the Caldera, there was emerald-colored water boiling at 2200 degrees (that's f not c).

-We called Shuziko's father ("Papa") and he swooped in to bring us to our next location. Apparently, their car had been fixed two days before and he blamed me for breaking it. He kept patting me on the shoulder and saying "Lucky boy. Lucky boy." Papa was awesome.

-We arrive at the "Saru-Mawashi Monkey Theater". This is where a kind of mood shift occurs. The theater has a cage full of monkeys that you can feed (and in turn make them all fight over the food). There's also a trained monkey act where the monkeys use stilts, draw swords, and do all kinds of monkey-stuff. I'm not really used to this kind of thing, and I'm a total softie when it comes to seeing animals put in awkward positions (unless we're talking about putting a t-shirt on Sarah's cat, Timmy. There's nothing wrong with that). In the long run, I gave them my money and had my picture taken with one of the monkeys. I'd be a total hypocrite if I complained too much about how the animals were treated. Maybe I was just blinded by the fact that I finally got to shake hands with a monkey (no longer on my list of "top 5 things ot do before I die"). Either way, it was a fitting way to end the day.

-After the monkey show, we went to some little train station that looked like something out of Spirited Away and caught a train back to the City.

Sunday:

-Cleaned the hell out of the apartment and ate pizza.

Current Listening:

-The Black Lips "Good Bad Not Evil"

-Deerhunter "Cryptograms"

-Tim Hecker "Haunt Me, Haunt Me, Do it Again"

-The Ghastly Ones "Unearthed"

"Ape Man Ape!"

2009-07-03T16:52:00.002+09:00

"Electric" (July 2009)

Copic Multiliner and Marker on Bristol

The full title is "Electric Soda Ape from Beyond Planet Venus (avec TV)." But I guess "Electric" works too.

I'm pretty sure that if I was one of those Harry Potter wizards, my patronus would be a giant ape wearing a "SODA" t-shirt and holding a tv. Then again, with my luck, I'd probably get something like a 3-legged turtle.

Current Listening:

-Satan't Pilgrims "Creature Feature"

-Rob Zombie's Halloween Hootenanny (This is a seriously killer comp that all surf fans should own)

-Boris "Pink"

-Blacktusk "Passage Through Purgatory"

Sow what you have Reaped...Something like that

2009-07-01T16:00:00.006+09:00

This past Saturday, Sarah and I went to a rice planting activity in Yoshino. There were fresh plums, Nagashi Somen (it's kind of like a "noodle luge"...but more on that later), and two muddy rice fields waiting for us to hop in to. The folks in Yoshino are great, and they host some great events. Sarah and I went to a rice harvesting/orange picking event when we first came to Japan almost a year ago. It seems pretty fitting that my last cultural event here took place in those same fields.

So before I get all introspective and sad about leaving Japan in a month, I'll tell you all about Nagashi Somen.

Nagashi Somen is the best thing to happen to a cookout since potato salad. It involves a 30 foot long bamboo tube, a garden hose, and lots and lots of noodles. People line up on either side of the bamboo tube and catch the noodles as they are sent down in a stream of water (imagine a noodle water-slide). You grab whatever noodles you can get between your chopsticks, and dip them in a little cup of sauce. It's so simple, and yet so perfect. Here's a little visual aide...

I"m glad I got to have one day of playing outside in the sun before the rainy season decided to kick it up a notch (it's been raining for like 3 days now). The rain doesn't bother me though. It gives me an excuse to draw.

On a completely unrelated note, I experienced my first earthquake last week. It was only a little baby one and barely worth mentioning, but still...the ground shook, man.

Current Listening:

-Godspeed You Black Emperor "Slow Riot"

-Graveyard "s/t"

-Atlas Sound "Let the Blind..."

"Only Me and the Ghosts are Home"

2009-06-30T13:33:00.003+09:00

"The Medium" (June 2009)

Mixed Media on Watercolor Paper

The rainy season here is no joke.

It's the perfect kind of day to sit inside, read Hellboy, listen to creepy music, and paint ghosts. Then again, what kind of day isn't perfect for all that.

Oh well, enjoy the new piece.

Ghost Music:

-O'Death "Head Home"

-Dark, Dark, Dark "The Snow Magic"

-The Old Scratch Revival Singers "Oh Didn't He Ramble"

-Tom Waits "Bone Machine"

-Tim Hecker "Haunt Me, Haunt Me, Do it Again"

Theme for a Death Rider

2009-06-29T09:00:00.005+09:00

"Ghost Town" (June 2009)

Pens, Pencils, and Paint in Watercolor Sketchbook

Yesterday was one of those eerie gray days where you walk around for an hour and see more ravens than people. Add some slow, droning, industrial music, and a sky that looks like it's going to explode into some crazy thunder storm at any minute (which it did) and you've got yourself a ghost town.

After my walk, I came home and spent most of the afternoon missing my Ashley Wood comics and watching movies with Sarah (Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning and Hellboy). This picture was the result of all that business.

Current Listening:

-Mammal "Lonesome Drifter"

-Swans "Swans Are Dead"

-Throbbing Gristle "20 Jazz Funk Greats"

-Earth "Hex: Or Printing in the Infernal Method"

Oceanic

2009-06-26T09:56:00.002+09:00

"The Sinking Belle" (June 2009)

Markers, Pens, and Ink on Bristol

Current Listening:

-Sunn O)))/Boris "Altar:

-Teeth of the Sea "Orphaned by the Ocean"

-Neurosis "Given to the Rising"

"I Miss Video Games..."

2009-06-21T15:39:00.001+09:00

I went to Honmyoji Temple today to take some reference pics for a new project I'm working on. While I was leaving the main entrance, I saw this poor little dried-up fellow on the walkway.

Something about seeing a dead lizard with no tail, at a shrine, while listening to epic music (Dark Castle) made me really want to play Shadow of the Colossus.

Anyways, I just got a new watercolor sketchbook, and I'm currently banging out new pieces at an alarming rate. I'll post some new drawings over the next couple of days.

Current Listening:
-Lawrence English "Kiri No Oto"
-Behold! The Monolith "Behold! The Monolith"
-Dark Castle "Spirited Migration"

Sweet Valencia Oranges

2009-06-17T16:18:00.003+09:00

"Old Fashioned" and "Slow and Low" (June 2009)

Mixed Media on Cardboard

Current Listening:

-Weedeater "God Luck and Good Speed"

-Throbbing Gristle "The Second Annual Report"

-Tom Waits "Orphans"

Death by Unga Bunga

2009-06-14T11:37:00.004+09:00

"X Marks the Spot" (June 2009)

Copic Markers, Pens, and Sharpie on Bristol

All action/adventure graverobbers should have neck tattoos, and all people with neck tattoos should be action/adventure graverobbers.

Current Listening:

-Swans "Soundtracks for the Blind"

-The Mummies "Death by Unga Bunga"

-The Ghastly Ones "Unearthed"

-The Famous Monsters "Around the World in 80 Bikinis"

-Satan's Pilgrims "Creature Feature"

"Fingers Always Turn to Branches in the Moonlight"

2009-06-09T10:19:00.005+09:00

"Seeds" (June 2009)

Pens and Sharpie on Bristol

When I was growing up (insert nostalgic music here), my neighbor had one of the killerest weeping willow trees I've ever seen. It looked like it could come to life at any minute and lay waste to the Greater Boston area.

I'm much older now, and I still think that there's nothing cooler than a tree that looks like a monster.

On a totally unrelated side note...I've been going to Honmyoji Temple and climbing the stairs over and over again until I feel serious cardiac destruction coming on. Every time I go there I see at least 1 mukade (crazy Japanese poisonous centipedes). Next time I go, I'm definitely bringing my camera so that you can join in the bug related terror.

If you're really chomping at the bit to see one... just google it you turkey.

The end.

Current Listening:

-Many Mansions "Holy Mountain Life Adventure Club"

-Disappearer "The Clearing"

-Tombs "Winter Hours"

-Kylesa "Static Tensions"

-Trees "Lights Bane"

"Milk was a Bad Choice"

2009-06-05T13:00:00.002+09:00

Jesus...it's starting to get hot here in Kumamoto

I'm a total wuss when it comes to the dynamic duo of heat & humidity. I walked downtown today and they had the mist sprayers going in full force in the Shimotori, but it didn't do all that much. It wont be long before they start blasting the outdoor air conditioning (God Bless the Japanese).

Here's to a long summer of video games and ice cold genki drinks...indoors.

Current Listening:

-Weedeater "God Luck and Good Speed"

-The Ventures "...In Space"

-Annihilation Time "III"

"His Time There So Long..."

2009-06-04T09:08:00.005+09:00

"From Sinking" (June 2009)

Pens and Sharpie on Bristol

Another black and white drawing done in the wee hours of the morning.

Current inspiration:

-The Savage Sword of Conan vol. 1

-ISIS "Oceanic"

-Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind

More New Stuffs...

2009-05-29T07:47:00.002+09:00

"Snake Oil" and "Sabotage" (May 2009)

Mixed Media on Canvas

Current Listening:

-Baroness "First"

-Atlas Sound "Let the Blind..."

-Disappearer "The Clearing"

-Sunn O))) "Void"

Feedback Zombies Are Go!

2009-05-27T22:33:00.005+09:00

"Feedbacker" (May 2009)

Pens on Bristol

Maximum Volume Yields Maximum Results.

Current Listening:

-Boris "Feedbacker"

-Tombs "Winter Hours"

-Pentemple O)))

-Graveyard "Graveyard"

-Wolf Eyes "Hell Made Man"

New Stuffs...

2009-05-26T11:42:00.002+09:00

"Can't Hardly Stand It" and "Isolation" (May 2009)

Mixed Media on Cardboard

Current Listening:

-Wolf Eyes "Black Wings Over the Sand"

-Jandek "Ready for the House"

-Ghoul "Maniaxe"

How I Will Miss You Vol. 1: "The Cheese Things"

2009-05-23T17:01:00.007+09:00

I've decided to spend the rest of my time in Japan recording all the mundane things that I'll probably forget a week after I leave. Today, I present "the cheese things". I have no idea what they're actually called, but I think "the cheese things" gets the point across.

They taste like Kraft Easy Mac with a pixie stick mixed in, and I love them.

Oh "the cheese things", how I will miss you.

Current Listening:
-Throbbing Gristle "20 Jazz Funk Greats"
-Boris "Smile"
-Hank Williams "The Complete Hank Williams" 10 disc box set

Give Praise

2009-05-21T07:37:00.006+09:00

"Give Praise Records Summer '09 Catalog" cover art (May 2009)

Copic Multi-liner pens on Bristol

Here's a drawing I did for Paul's record label. This thing will be chock full of all kinds of goodies for your summer listening pleasure.

Swing by http://www.givepraiserecords.com/ and buy a ton of stuff.

Current Listening:

-Mammoth Grinder "Rage and Ruin"

-Weedeater "God Luck and Good Speed"

-Mind Eraser "Conscious/Unconscious"

-Sunn O))) - Monoliths and Dimensions

Rays of the Sun/To the Shrinebuilder

2009-05-19T10:46:00.003+09:00

"Elder" (May 2009)

Pigmagraphic Pens on Bristol

I'm working up some black and white drawings for a series of "one of a kind" prints. The line art will be screened onto watercolor paper and then each one will be colored in by hand using various mediums (watercolor, markers, illustration ink, etc...). There are a couple of older pieces that I'm going to try and make into prints as well. If all goes according to plan, I'll have these bad boys done in late July/early August when I return to the States.

Recent Inspiration:

-"The Savage Sword of Conan vol. 1"

-OM "Conference of the Birds"

-Freemasons wiki

"Now think about your dad..."

2009-05-14T12:15:00.003+09:00

http://www.awkwardfamilyphotos.com/

"What's your dad like?"

Current Watching:

-Tim and Eric's Awesome Show

2 new for you...

2009-05-14T08:28:00.005+09:00

"Gnaw" and "Clean Hands Go Foul" (May 2009)

Mixed Media on Cardboard

"Clean Hands Go Foul" contains some information from a nice little packet I received from the Kumamoto City Health Center. Apparently I'm on some kind of "Double Secret Quarantine" until the 17th (which is also Sarah's birthday, conspiracy or coincidence? You decide). They have somebody calling me every few days to see how I"m feeling, and I have to fill out this little checklist with my daily temperature and whether or not I have any kind of gross symptoms.

It's a good thing that I'm in tip-top shape, or you all might be seeing me sooner than you originally planned for.

Current Listening:

-The Melvins "Houdini"

-Khanate "Clean Hands Go Foul"

-Trash Talk "Walking Disease"

-Gnaw Their Tongues (entire discography)

-Big Business "Here Come the Waterworks"

I Survived the Narita Quarantine Station...

2009-05-09T19:29:00.004+09:00

...and all I got was this lousy paper.

Here are some random shots from my trip home and the journey back to Japan.

1. My "A-OK" document that I needed to show at immigration to prove that I wasn't sick.

2. Waiting for the Quarantine Officers to come around and make sure we were all healthy enough to enter Japan. Let me tell you, the last thing you want after sitting on a 14 hour flight is to be told that you have to sit for another hour while people in surgical masks take your picture and ask you a bunch of questions about muccus. The next person who so much as uses the words "swine" and "flu" in the same sentence around me is getting a punch in the neck.

3.The mural I painted in Matt & Steve's glassblowing studio. My hardwork was rewarded with pizza and a bottle of Wild Turke (score). There are still a couple of things I would like to add to it, but it will have to wait for 3 months.
4. Losing to Michelle at motorcylce arcade racing.

5. Mad Sin live at the Middle East.

6. Dog sitting.

Some Recent Listening:

-Graveyard "Graveyard"

-GSMF "Powerbomb Anthems"

-Swans "Soundtracks for the Blind"

-Witch "Paralyzed"

More Music for Airports

2009-04-13T14:01:00.008+09:00

I'm starting my whole packing/planning routine for my flight home in 2 days. Wish me luck on my epic journey to the West (although technically I'm flying east...hmmm).

I won't have the inernet while I'm in the States, so don't expect a whole lot to happen here on workweak.blogspot.com. My phone will be active though, so feel free to drop me a line if you want to do anything (record hunting, drinking, jive talking, going to shows, etc...) while I'm home.

I'll be back in Japan in about 3 or 4 weeks.
Take care of yourselves until then.

Music to fly around the world to:
-Jesu "Conqueror"
-Lawrence English "Kiri No Oto"
-ISIS "Oceanic"
-Hildur Gudnadottir "Without Sinking"
-Zola Jesus "Tsar Bomba"
-Lost in Translation Soundtrack
-and plenty of Brian Eno

Temple Picnic

2009-04-11T21:58:00.003+09:00

Today was a picnic day.

A handful of us walked up the many, many stairs to Honmyoji Temple and sat ourselves down atop a hill in the Temple complex.

Many an onigiri were eaten.

Current Listening:
-Black Moth Super Rainbow "Don't You Want to Be in a Cult?"
-My Bloody Valentine "Loveless"
-Nadja "Radiance of Shadows"
-Many Mansions "Holy Mountain Life Adventure Club"

"The Pig-Lord is my Shepherd...I am a Bug"

2009-04-10T13:39:00.005+09:00

"The Flock" (April 2009)

Pens, Markers, and Colored Pencils on Watercolor Paper

I'm kind of driving myself nuts with the project I'm working on at the moment (the one I mentioned in yesterday's post). I decided that I'm going to put it on the backburner until I get back to the States. What does this mean? This means that today I got to sit back, listen to some Black Moth Super Rainbow, and draw a Pig-Jesus.

Yes...a Pig-Jesus

I had forgot how much fun it can be to draw something and have a sense of humor about it. I used to love drawing flash art, superheroes, robots, and monsters because I never really worried a whole lot about what the end result would be. Most of the pieces that I've drawn recently end up getting scrapped by the time they're 75% completed. I've been really worried about portfolio pieces, and in the process have cut down the number of drawings I actually finish. What a bummer.

Maybe this will be one of those new starts that I'm always looking for in my art.

Maybe this will usher in a whole slew of anthropomorphic-deity illustrations.

Maybe I'll actually stick to my pledge of "draw something every day" that I always make.

Then again, maybe not.

In all probability, this drawing won't be important on any level. If nothing else, I'll get a kick out of it every time I look at it. I guess that's more important than all that other crap (cue sappy music).

Current Listening:

-Black Moth Super Rainbow "Dandelion Gum"

-Zola Jesus "Tsar Bomba EP"

-Kill Bill vol. 1 Soundtrack

-M83 "Before the Dawn Heals Us"

-Leviathan "The 10th Sublevel of Suicide" (I had to listen to something kind of depressing to balance out all the other stuff.)

-Belong "Tour CD"

Endless Drone

2009-04-09T15:29:00.005+09:00

Cover to Robedoor's Endlessly Blazing LP

So, over the past couple of weeks, I've been slowly making progress on a new project. It's going to be made up of a bunch of seperate elements that I draw, cut out, and then place together to give it a kind of diorama look (I did this before on Blackout). The bottom layer is a 12" x 16" sheet of watercolor paper covered in stippling (that's why it's taken me 2 weeks to finish the background). I have a ways to go on this one and I'm curious as to whether or not I'll be able to finish it before heading back to the States in a week. We'll see what happens.

On a side note, while backing up my music collection on a big 'ol stack of mp3 cds, I've discovered that I have a "substantial" amount of Robedoor releases. I don't have everything, but my music OCD/ADD is compelling me to find everything that I don't already have. If you happen to have anything by them that I don't already own, please drop me a line.

Here's what I have so far:

-Arabia

-Bowers (Live Raw)

-Children of the Grave

-Christ's Vipers

-Closer to the Cliff

-Devourer

-Endlessly Blazing

-Faded Crusade/Pitiless Messiah

-Failed grails

-Fog Shrouded Marsh

-Free Buried

-Greater Heresy

-Grendel Glare

-Grey Gates

-Grim Kingdom

-Hauntings split Cassette

-Hidden Ascension

-Hopeless Transformation

-Hunted Gathering (with Pocahaunted)

-Inner Puke

-Mouth of Prayer (with Pocahaunted)

-Oak Cult

-Pained Seer

-Plays Berkly (with Pocahaunted)

-Rancor Keeper

-Ritual Heirs

-Roughs 2

-Shapeshifter Slave

-Shining Smoke

-Shrine to the Possessor

-Silver Bridge/Hooded Communion (split with Leslie Keffer)

-Sloths in Thrones

-Stoner Reaper

-Tomahawk Wraiths

-Totem Hole

-Unsummoning

-Volume Oblivion

-Wretched Yeti

-Yellow Swans split 7"

I plan on listening to as much of these guys as possible while working on this project. I figure it will either give me some serious inspiration, or melt my brain.

C'est la vie.

Current Listening:

-An ungodly amount of Robedoor

Anniversary

2009-04-07T14:27:00.002+09:00

This past Saturday, Sarah and I celebrated our 6th anniversary in Fukuoka.

The anniversary activities included:
-Hanging out in Canal City
-Seeing The Watchmen
-Dining at Curry Honpo (baked curry=yes)
-Hanging out at an internet cafe and watching City Slickers 2
-Stopping at the Studio Ghibli store for a couple of souveneirs (see soot-sprite above)
-Witnessing a performance by "James" (a Japanese clown, not the band James)

After all that, we came home and watched Tropic Thunder. It's one of the funniest big-studio movies I've seen in a long time. Go rent it.

Current Listening:
-Elder "Elder"
-Dragons of Zynth "Coronation Thieves"
-Black Sabbath "Master of Reality"
-Lee Perry & The Upsetters "Super Ape"

The Unknown

2009-03-30T10:16:00.002+09:00

I wish that I could tell you what this guy was up to, but I really have no clue.

What I do know is that Sarah, Hannah and I were sitting at the "waterball" (A giant stone ball that sits atop a fountain) telling bad jokes and minding our own business, when this fella came up and struck his pose. He shouted something to one of his friends who was dressed in a similar manner, and another guy who was holding a camera. So I took a covert picture.

For all I know, this guy is some Japanese tv superstar (we don't have cable). If anybody out there knows what the hell this is all about, please enlighten me.

Current Listening:
-Kylesa "Kylesa"
-Nadja "Corrasion"
-LSD March "Empty Rubious Red"
-M83 "Before the Dawn Heals us"

Friday

2009-03-28T17:43:00.008+09:00

Fun & Games at Round One

Dino-King 3 (Dinosaur themed Pachinko)

Prize

Cherry Blossoms

Japanese Whisky

Curent Listening:

-The Rolling Stones "Hot Rocks"

-Mammal "Lonesome Drifter"

-Vincent Gallo "When"

Today's Listening...

2009-03-26T16:16:00.003+09:00

Great music to draw to.

Today's Listening...

2009-03-25T10:40:00.004+09:00

I'm also listening to the Glacial Reign LP, but I'll be damned if I can find a good pic of the cover.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2009-03-24T13:09:00.008+09:00

"The Modern Prometheus", "The Ritz", "Fade", and "Funeral"

(March 2009)

Mixed Media on Cardboard

few new pieces for ya.

I finally finished a drawing that I've been working on for the past week or so (I'll post that as soon as I get a good shot of it). I was so excited to be done that I busted out some new collages.

Current Listening:

-Lawrence English "Kiri No Oto"

-Aesop Rock "Labor Days"

-Harvey Milk "Special Wishes"

-Isis "Oceanic"

-Earth "Hibernaculum"

Sakura

2009-03-23T15:13:00.007+09:00

Cherry Blossom season is in full effect.

Warm Weather Listening:
-Fennesz "Endless Summer"
-The Fleshtones "Hexbreaker"
-Friends of Dean Martinez "Atardecer"
-Gorillaz "Demon Days"
-John Coltrane "A Love Supreme"
-Grouper "Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill"

Equinox

2009-03-21T14:16:00.005+09:00

How I spent the vernal Equinox:
-Saw a crazy Goya exhibit at the Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art (nothing says "first day of spring" like Saturn Devouring His Son).
-Drank some Slovakian booze at the International Center
-Ate Corn/Mayo pizza

Current Listening:
-Bad Brains "Rock for Light" (Original Vinyl Mix!)
-The Books "The Lemon of Pink"
-Om "Conference of the Birds"
-Boris "Pink"
-Crystal Castles "Crystal Castles"

"Free Facepainting"

2009-03-19T12:25:00.004+09:00

Sarah with her inspirational Face Painting advertisement

This past weekend, Sarah and I took part in a facepainting activity put on by a local junior high school. We were there from 10-3 painting flags on the faces of the people lucky enough to be strolling down the Sunroad on a Saturday afternoon.

Most people wanted a Japanese flag, but Germany and New Zealand were close seconds. Other folks elected for Canada, Cuba, England, and yes even the good 'ol USA.

Sarah's host mother swung by and took us all out to lunch at Ringer Hut. I have no idea what I ate, but it was gooey and delicious.

Current Listening:
-Khanate "Clean Hands Go Foul"
-The Ghastly Ones "A Haunting We Will Go-Go"
-Fennesz "Venice"
-The Trouble "Nobody Laughs Anymore"
-Earth "Hex, or Printing in the Infernal Method"

Today's Listening...

2009-03-15T14:38:00.005+09:00

Listening to some serious Coliseum today, especially Goddamage

Today's Listening...

2009-03-09T14:33:00.004+09:00

Yes, it's that Vincent Gallo.

If anybody sees this on vinyl for less then $400.00 please let me know.

A Couple of New Pieces

2009-03-08T13:41:00.002+09:00

"Multiple Choice" and "Bedtime Black Cloudmasses" (March 2009)

Mixed Media on Cardboard

Current Listening:

-Aethenor

-DJ Shadow "Entroducing"

-Hellshock

-28 Days Later soundtrack

-His Hero is Gone "Monuments to Thieves"

Today's Listening...

2009-03-06T19:05:00.002+09:00

In no particular order.

"Harness the Power of Dinosaurs"

2009-03-04T10:07:00.005+09:00

Dinosaurs + Giant Weapons = Epic

Dino-Riders Rest in Peace.

ELECTRONIC SHEEP a-d

2009-02-27T13:00:00.008+09:00

"ELECTRONIC SHEEP a-d" (January/February 2009)

Mixed Media on Cardboard

a. the working man

b. the family

c. the plans

d. the waltz

Current Listening:

-Jonny Greenwood "Bodysong"

-Miles Davis "In a Silent Way"

-Sun "I'll Be the Same"

-Fennesz "Field Recordings 1995-2002"

-Mammal "Lonesome Drifter"

-Radiohead "OK Computer"

Every Planet We Reach is Dead

2009-02-21T16:32:00.011+09:00

Sarah's out with the girls today, so I'm spending my Saturday at home watching 2001: A Space Odyssey and playing with some new art supplies. Don't be surprised if I post some ridiculous psychedelic space art within the next couple of days.

Music to listen to while exploring the cosmos:
-Earth "The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull"
-Brian Eno "Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks"
-Burning Star Core "Challenger"
-Friends of Dean Martinez "Atardecer"
-Boris "Flood"
-Stars of the Lid "Avec Laudenum"
-Pink Floyd "Dark Side of the Moon"
-and plenty of Electric Wizard (remember...there's always room for more Electric Wizard)

The Void

2009-02-19T09:19:00.005+09:00

"The Void" (February 2009)

Markers and Pens on Drawing Paper

Current listening:

-Lots and lots of Electric Wizard, especially "Witchcult Today"

-Leviathan

-Cursed "3"

-Sunn O))) "Black 1"

The Life and Times of a Chocolate Gorilla

2009-02-17T11:01:00.005+09:00

Valentine's Day 2009:
-Hung out with Sarah all day
-Went out for "breakfast" at Joyfull. Meal consisted of pizza (toppings were: tomatoes, asparagus, potatoes, corn, mayo, cheese, and sauce) and tofu salad.
-Received Chocolate Tiger, Chocolate Orangutang, Chocolate Hippo, Chocolate Giant Panda, Chocolate Baby Gorilla, and Chocolate Crocodile
-Ate most of said Chocolate animals (Sarah made me promise not to eat the Crocodile and Baby Gorilla while she was around).
-Went to see "Lars and the Real Girl" (good flick).

A thoroughly enjoyable day.

Current listening:
-Neil Young
-Turbonegro
-Khanate
-Big Black
-Harvey Milk
-Belong

Suizenji Park

2009-02-10T08:22:00.007+09:00

(I'll start this post of by acknowledging the fact that I have been neglecting my blog now that I'm back in Japan. I promise to go out and try to have some more wild adventures to tell you about. Deal? OK, now back to the real business...)

After having a strange and trying week, Sarah and I decided that our beautiful Saturday afternoon would be best spent at Suizenji park. Now, for those of you who don't happen to know what Suizenji park is, it is a garden and tea retreat that was built in the early 1600s (you can click here to read a little more about it). There are all kinds of sights to see and it's a pretty popular tourist destination if you're visiting Kumamoto. To be honest, I'm a little surprised that it wasn't really crowded on such a beautiful day, maybe they were giving away free corn-dogs at the castle or something.

Current listening:

-Lawrence English

-Boris

-Electric Wizard

-John Coltrane

-The Jesus and Mary Chain

Rosa Kidney

2009-02-01T14:12:00.003+09:00

"Rosa Kidney" (February 2009)

"Rosa Kidney wore a mask,

Before she went to bed.

The ghosts would never recognize,

They'd float right by instead."

-The Old Scratch Revival Singers

"When the Fog Finally Cleared, I Saw a Face in the Sand"

2009-01-26T10:45:00.003+09:00

"The Cyclops" (January 2009)

Now I Am Become Death, The Destroyer of Worlds

2009-01-19T09:13:00.005+09:00

"Now I Am Become Death, The Destroyer of Worlds" (January 2009)

Collage and Spray Paint on Bristol

"We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried. Most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita; Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty, and to impress him, takes on his multi-armed form and says, 'Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.' I suppose we all thought that, one way or another."

-J. Robert Oppenheimer on witnessing the first test of the atomic bomb

Music for Airports part 2: Die Harder

2009-01-18T05:53:00.004+09:00

I'm back in Japan and ready for round 2 of my far-east adventures.

But first things first...

While trying to make my way back to the States, I ran into a couple minor setbacks.

To make a long story short, let's just say that I got to Fukuoka airport just in time to see it close and was politely asked to go somewhere else until they opened again at 5:30 AM. I didn't have much money to speak of (never mind enough for a hotel) so I set up shop on a bench outside the airport for 6 hours.

Nothing too spectacular happened. In fact the whole area turned into a ghost town as soon as the clock struck 12.

At 4 AM I got a little restless and decided to wander around. Here are some shots I took while looking for an all night convenience store.

Music for Airports

2008-12-03T08:02:00.003+09:00

This will be my last post for a little while.

Tonight, I start my journey back to Boston with a train ride to Fukuoka, followed by 6-7 hours of sitting and waiting for my first flight. After that, I'll have 22 hours of flying and layovers to look forward to. Altogether, I'm looking at 30 or so hours of traveling before I get back home.

I'm not going to get all sappy on you guys or anything, but I'd much rather stay here with Sarah (that's all I'm going to say about that).

Anyways, I'll be in the States for a month or so, and I'd like to hang out and talk as much jive with you folks as possible. I won't have the internet, so you'll have to call me on my cell if you want to get in touch with me.

After that, I'll head back to Japan for a good stretch (maybe 6 months, we'll see what happens), and you can bet good money that I'll be posting all kinds of useless crap that I either find amusing or apalling (maybe both?).

Until then, go outside and have some fun...and buy the new Fennesz cd "Black Sea", the few songs I've heard so far are brilliant.

Fear and Loathing in Fukuoka City

2008-12-02T00:34:00.009+09:00

I had a great birthday weekend with Sarah in Fukuoka.

We went to some swanky onsen, a pretty awesome marine park, and saw a great M.C. Escher exhibit at the Fukuoka Prefectural Museum of Art.

Here are a few pics from the trip.

If you would like to see more pics of Fukuoka, just swing by my flickr site.

Spirit Journey Formation Anniversary

2008-11-28T00:06:00.003+09:00

Well, I'm officially 24.

If I could give myself a gift, it would be a megalodon.

Influences 5 - Mike Mignola

2008-11-26T13:39:00.007+09:00

My favorite comic-book artist/writer is without a doubt, Mike Mignola.

I'm not going to explain why.
I'm just going to post a few pieces of his art and let that be that.

As soon as I get home, I'm going to listen to records and read Hellboy until my eyes fall out.

"Amnesiac"

2008-11-25T09:35:00.002+09:00

"Amnesiac" (2008)

Mixed Media on Cardboard

I can't seem to get a good shot of this one.

Maybe someone with a high-quality scanner would be able to help me out.

Last Night

2008-11-23T12:57:00.005+09:00

Here are a few random shots from last night's trip to Round One

Hobbit Who Has Invaded at Midnight

2008-11-22T15:22:00.006+09:00

As my time in Japan is slowly coming to an end, I have to stop and look at the treasures I've scored during my stay:
-Several killer records, including a bootleg copy of Joy Division's "Warsaw".
-Some creepy old postcards and photographs from my an antique bookstore.
-and last but certainly not least, a copy of UMA 300, which Sarah bought for me at a 7-11 (which the Japanese refer to as "7 and holdings").

The full title of UMA 300 is Unidentified Mysterious Animal image 300 of the World (try saying that 10 times fast). UMA 300 is a collection of animals and other anomolies which may or may not be stunning examples of monsters, aliens, and extinct creatures. There's even a unicorn.

Now, I've never been much of a conspiracy theorist, true believer, or anything of the sort. Something about the idea of a unicorn slipping under humanity's radar for hundreds of years only to be discovered by a hunter in China, well, it's just total crap. The reason why I think UMA 300 is one of the greatest hidden treasures in Japan, is the total destruction of the English language that occurs in the titles of the pictures.

Some of my favorite mystery creatures are:
-Holy Mother who Show up Photograph
-Flying Warm in Mexico (apparently this is some type of worm)
-Marman who is called Jake (I believe this is supposed to be a Merman)
-The Christ on Street Tree
-Peeped Alien
-Ant of Strange
-Advance Force Creature
-New Kind of Medusa
-Four Pairs of Ducks (Actually a duck with 4 feet)
-An Alien Substance in the Shrimp
-The Goat of the Head of Bulldog
-John Paul in the Fire (A picture of a flame that is shaped like Pope John Paul)
-A Flight Thing Chased to a Copter
-and my personal favorite A Spiritual Tortoise

I'd like to take a moment to give this message a sort of disclaimer.
If you are a Japanese person, and you have enough knowledge of the English language to even try to come up with a title such as "The Mummy of the Ogre", I have nothing but total respect for you. I've been here for a couple of months and I've only recently mastered the art of telling somebody "I don't need a bag". I would never dream of making fun of your skill with a totally foreign language. I'm only laughing at the fact that somewhere, a Japanese person may be screaming in fright at a "Hobbit Who Has Invaded at Midnight".

The next time you and I happen to meet, ask me to see the book.
I plan on keeping this thing with me wherever I go.

"Rise"

2008-11-21T12:50:00.003+09:00

"Rise" (November 2008)

Mixed Media on Cardboard

"Cold Turkey"

2008-11-21T12:48:00.001+09:00

"Cold Turkey" (November 2008)

Mixed Media on Cardboard

How to Keep Warm in Southern Japan vol.1

2008-11-21T08:56:00.005+09:00

I'm going to give you a momentary break from all these art posts/halfassed record reviews to actually talk about the current state of Kumamoto City.

It's cold. I mean it's real cold.

Now I know all you New Englanders will be thumbing your noses and saying "well it can't possibly be as cold as it is here. Nowhere is as cold as where I am." In reality, you may be right. Except for one thing. Your house/apartment probably has heat. Mine doesn't.

Somewhere in the past hundred years or so, when central heating was the new coolest thing since sliced bread, Japan looked at it and said "No". I don't know why, but they did. Now it's almost impossible to find a house/apartment with central heating.

So what do Japanese people do to stay warm? They use a space heater and a kotatsu.

For those of you who don't know what a kotatsu is, it's like a coffee table with a heating element underneath it. You have a special blanket that goes on it so you can sit with your legs under it while you eat dinner and keep your little toes warm. Apparently, nobody ever told Japan that sitting on the floor on a cold day is just stupid. Plus, it limits all the heat to a little 2' x 2' area of the room while the rest of you is freezing. Pure Genius.

Then you have Japan's other great solution to the heating dilemma, a space heater. I'm not going to go into great detail about how a space heater works and tell you about why it's so dangerous. Let's just say that having a space heater is kind of like having a fire in the middle of your room waiting to happen, and it is NOT the kind of thing you want to have turned on while you sleep two feet away from it.

Having ruled out Japan's 2 major sources of heat in the winter, I'm going to share a couple secrets that may help you out on a cold Japanese night. They involve a rice-cooker and a pot of boiling water.

Let's start with the rice-cooker. In case you're not in the know, a rice cooker is kind of like a smaller version of a crock pot (hi mom). It's name is misleading though, you can cook anything you want in it, and it'll come out hot and delicious. There are all kinds of recipes online for casseroles, cakes, and soups that you can easily make in your rice cooker. I've even seen an eggs recipe (if you're really lazy). What recipe did we go with? We went with good old fashioned mac and cheese. We all know there's nothing (and if you're a vegetarian in Japan, I mean nothing) like homemade mac and cheese on a cold night. The ingredients are simple, and it only takes about 20-30 minutes to make in the rice cooker. This leaves just enough time for our next solution. Get mildly drunk.

Now I'm not condoning drowning your sorrows with a bottle of Wild Turkey or anything. But we all know that when you're cold, it's time to drink. I know that it doesn't really keep you warm and that it's all in your head, but I don't care. Last night, when Sarah and I were drinking warm sake in the living room, you couldn't tell us that we weren't warm (you couldn't tell us that we weren't a little drunk either). Plus, when you're drinking warm sake, you can pretend like you're experimenting with foreign cultures and being all intellectual, unless of course you're like us and you were watching South Park while drinking it.

Now, I know there are some people out there who say that drinking sake and eating mac and cheese every night will lead to alcoholism and high cholestorol. If one of those people should happen to read this blog, I would like to remind them that George W Bush, one of the greatest philosophers of our time, once said "if it feels good, do it".

That's good enough for me.

Birdwatching

2008-11-20T20:46:00.001+09:00

"Birdwatching" (November 2008)

Mixed Media on Cardboard

"That's it Sir, You're Leaving."

2008-11-20T00:33:00.004+09:00

"OK" (November 2008)

Mixed Media on Cardboard

Clean Modern Comfortable

2008-11-19T12:05:00.003+09:00

"UV Protection" (November 2008)

Mixed Media on Cardboard

"We've All Gone to Sleep"

2008-11-18T15:42:00.008+09:00

Grouper "Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill"

Pay no attention to the album title.

This record is a thing of beauty.

It's perfect music to listen to when you're really bummed out.

If you're interested, click here to hear some of this masterpiece.

I highly recommend it.

Rap Tapes

2008-11-18T08:43:00.004+09:00

"Rap Tapes" (November 2008)

Mixed Media on Cardboard

Somebody I know once told me that their favorite two-word combination was "Rap Tapes".

Pepper Sauce

2008-11-17T12:09:00.003+09:00

"Tabasco" (November 2008)

Mixed Media on Cardboard

Sunday

2008-11-16T15:06:00.007+09:00

There was a pretty cool festival happening right down the street from our apartent this morning.

They had food, Sake, and baggo (I beat Sarah 3-0 and got a cookie).

There were also a couple of performances. The first one had a group of school children all singing and dancing in unison (except for one kid on the end who just didn't get it...fail). After that, there was a group of elderly Japanese women that performed a dance (there was one old lady throwing the group off this time too).

So, in conclusion:

-There's always one person who throws off the group

-Sake on a Sunday morning = good

-I'm a baggo genius

"Swallow and Chew, Eat You Alive..."

2008-11-15T12:38:00.006+09:00

"Mosquito Song" (August 2008)

I was listening to Mosquito Song by Queens of the Stone Age and I remembered this collage I made before I came here.

I've found all kinds of crazy stuff to make collages out of, but I can't find decent tools to use. I don't know why, but you can't find a decent xacto knife in Japan, and I'll be damned If I can get my hands on some rubber cement. (-10 points for Japan)

On the upside, I did find out that the wine shop near us sells Guiness and Hoegarden. (+20 points for Japan)

Hey look at that, Japan's up by 10 points. Who wouldda thunk it?