Crazy People 1932

Crazy People 1932
Video sent by sirarnold

Still no word on the CBLDF Auction but as soon as I hear...you'll be the first to know!

In the meanwhile, I'm in the mood to share a Boswell Sister clip. This is the Bozzies at the peak of their act.

Connee on the left, Vet in the middle, and Martha on the right playing the piano.

Although they were trained as classical musicians, while growing up in New Orleans in the early 1920's in New Orleans, they were drawn under the influence of the Jazz sounds emerging all around them. "The call of the beat got us." said Connee.

I'll say.

Zoe's Beanish

Zoe drew this for me last summer at Comic-Con and I just found it.

Thanks, Zoe!

Tuesday's Tantalizing Teaser Time!

Our friends at the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund are launching
their Annual Year End Fund Raising auction this week
and I created this piece for it.

Beanworld Action Figure Frame!

It's 7 1/2" x 7 1/2" x 1"
and can be displayed on a table top with its easel stand or hung on the wall.

The matte black frame is decorated with:
2 colors of handcrafted polymer clay Beanworld Action Figures
5 colors of handcrafted colored Chow dots.

The drawing inside the frame is 4 1/2" x 4 1/2"
on light tan Strathmore Series 500 paper
100% cotton fiber paper with traditional laid pattern finish
Colored pencils and marker

Also, a nice selection of Beanworld Orphan drawings will be auctioned. This is the first time that these drawings have been made available to the public without attending a comic book show.

For those of you have been longing for an opportunity to "adopt" one of these drawings--this will be your chance.

The CBLDF has had a financially challenging year in a large part due to the Gordon Lee case in Georgia. This is a heavy duty first amendment battle and CBLDF needs your help in this ongoing struggle.

I've donated some of the fruits of my time and energy and I hope you will do the same by bidding on my drawings and/or the artwork of the other creators who have generously donated art and artifacts to this very worthy cause. I'm proud to join folks like Frank Miller, Jeff Smith, Brian K Vaughan, Brad Meltzer, Robert Kirkman, Mike Mignola, Matt Wagner, Jack Davis,Terry Moore, Frank Cho, and many more in assisting the CBLDF in these challenging times.

As soon CBLDF sends me the details as to when and where-online-to-go-to-bid--I'll pass it along to you immediately!

The Peanut Vendor!

Or how I stumbled across Len Lye!

The other night I was drawing while listening to my favorite online music stream Radio Dismuke. One of the songs that floated by was a snappy rumba tune that I knew I'd heard a gazillion times but was unsure of what the song actually was. It turned out to be The Peanut Vendor (El Manisero) by Debroy Somers And His Band. That sent me immediately to Google to learn more about the song and the artists who performed it.

In my search however...I came across this film clip from 1933. The person who posted it tagged it as "the creepiest puppet film ever made." I'm not sure THAT is true--even though it IS a bit ragged.

The artist who created this wonderful amalgamation of music and puppetry was a fellow named Len Lye--who quite frankly I don't recall hearing anything about in the past. But he is clearly a significant personage in the history of both film art and painting. His original theories regarding art were encapsulated in his philosophy of INH: Individual Happiness Now

"The three words that make up Individual Happiness Now! represent positive, interconnected values that Len Lye believed could form the basis of a human society transcending nationalism, political ideology and religious difference. This exhibition weaves four decades of Lye's work around this theory of art, life, and happiness," wrote Tyler Cann curator of the Len Lye collection, Tyler Cann.

Sure sounds like someone worth following up on!
Any of you folks know anything more about this seemingly fine fellow?
Stumbling across something like this while looking for something else--this is definitely one of my favorite activities on the Internet!

It's Official--Chia Season Opens!

Yes, my friends, once again it is that curious season of the Chia Pet. Between now and the dawn of the new year, the nations airwaves will be flooded with seemingly endless commercials for America's favorite bizarre Holiday Gift--the Chia Pet and it's unique Chia cousins.

This year, Garfield and the characters from Scooby Doo will be joining the regular cast of pottery farm animals! Unfortunately, another year will have to pass without the Amazing Chia Beanworld Action Figure.

Well...there is always next year!