Saturday, October 30, 2010

There Is Still Time For Larry Marder's World Famous Third Eye Halloween Costume.



Yes, my leguminous friends, it's the 11th hour for Halloween costume procrastinators: But, I, Larry Marder, can come to the rescue for folks that need a simple, yet effective costume for parties this weekend.

I'm not quite sure how many times I've concocted this particular two-phase costume over the years but it's been several times a decade. Because I've moved around so much and drifted in and out of social circles, both personal and professional, over the years, there has always been a fertile new audience for my subtle yet powerful one trick-pony of a costume.

A little bit of History:

It started at Hartford Art School of the University of Hartford.
The Art School had the reputation the best Halloween Bacchanal on campus.
It was legendary really.

This epicness (as they would say nowadays) was based on two things:

First, the quality of the costuming from art students from 1969-1972.

The second was some sort of punch that was mixed up with god-knows-what in it but I'm quite certain its main ingredient was pure grain alcohol This punch had a campus wide notoriety somewhat akin to Four Loko today.

I discovered right away in art school that when it comes to masquerades (and what is now known as cosplay) that I stink.

People always ask me how come I never try to make some sort of Beanworld costume.
Cuz I'm not creative enough in that way.
Personally I have absolutely no idea how one might do that.
Zero.
But I do like minimal costumes.
And this is mine.

Frame from "Ducks Yas Yas" (c) Robert Crumb

Truthfully I'm not quite sure where the idea came from.
Over the years, I've settled on it being influenced by a frame of a Robert Crumb comic called "Ducks Yas Yas."

I really liked the guy with the third eye.
Decided to do one myself.
Minimal but memorable.
And give it a little bit of sequential art punch line.

Stage Directions for
Larry Marder's World Famous
Third Eye Halloween Costume.

Part One.
Affix third eye to your forehead.
Go to the party.
Take the ribbing that is inevitable for having such a lame costume.
"Hey you're a creative guy. That's the best you can do?"
Sheepish smiles and a lot of shrugging are the proper responses.

Part Two.
Let the festivities settle in.
Wait until everyone has seen everyone else's costume.
Then wait more until the fun-seekers are getting appropriately loose (inebriated, medicated, whatever one's poison is).
Wait further still until folks are starting to shed various pieces of their burdensome, uncomfortable costumes and falling out of character and starting to look more and more bleary eyed.

Then you strike!

Go to the bath room and affix Third Eye #2.
Start circulating.
Say nothing.


It generally takes a while but at some point someone will notice that you have switched eyes. There will be a moment of recognition/comprehension as to the absurdity of what you have done.

They will giggle.
They will laugh.
Depending on what some have been up to they might guffaw.

Like Beanworld itself, it's deceptively simple bit of theater but full of meaning.
It works.
It wll be a hit.

Try it sometime.
You have my permission to download my drawings, print 'em out, cut 'em out and use mine.
Or make your own!

Now let's celebrate by grooving to that Halloween anthem of greatness by the Shaggs!0


Friday, October 15, 2010

I'll be pretty busy this weekend for a guy who isn't supposed to be at APE!


I'm not an official guest at APE.
I'm not setting up at my own table.
But I'll be dropping in just the same.

I'll be doing signing and drawing type stuff for CBLDF here and there.
Catch me if you can!

Offers for Crazy Trade Ins and What-The-Big-Fish-Said are open for business!
Unique TFAW Cards will be available for a donation at CBLDF table.

Here are the things I know I'm scheduled to do.

Saturday 10/16 at 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm
CAM Alternative Press Expo Party: Storytime! and Graphic Details
Cartoon Art Museum
655 Mission StreetSan Francisco, CA, 94105

It's a great show and it's not going to be up a whole lot longer
and it's well worth the Look-See!


Also....I have a workshop on Sunday 10/17 at 12 pm (aka noon aka midday)
It's called: Marketing a Comic That's Easier to Read Than to Describe.

Presenting a comic as peculiar as Beanworld to the public is hard today;
imagine how difficult it was more than a quarter of a century ago.

I'll share my story of the strategy I deployed to get myself discovered,
find a publisher, and how I found the right message to break through the clutter
of the mid-80s comic book marketplace.

I'll have some artifacts on hand that hardly anyone has has seen before
plus a whole bunch of stuff quite unseen for a long, long time.

Hear how the lessons I learned then have sustained Beanworld's public image to this very day!



Also on Sunday 10/17 4:45-5:30
CBLDF: The Fight For Intellectual Freedom

More than 50 years after Frederic Wertham's Seduction of the Innocent, comics and other media still come under the attack of censors.
Charles Brownstein, executive director of the CBLDF, is joined by cartoonist Keith Knight
and other panelists for a discussion of current trends in comics censorship and how we all can get involved in protecting intellectual freedom
.

I'm one of the others!

Trade In One Of Yours For One Of Mine!



Am I crazy?
Maybe!
But here's the deal.


Trade-in one of your homemade Beanworld drawings
for a genuine Marder-drawn, signed original sketch of the same character!

Offer open to kids of all ages!

THE DETAILS:Only one trade-in per person allowed.
If your drawing contains more than one character,
you must decide which single character you'd like as your trade-in sketch.
After the drawing exchange you agree that I can post your sketch in the
Leguminous Fan Art Gallery.
And it would be nice if I could get a snapshot of you and your art too!


Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Beanworld on the verge of going APE!





I'm not a guest at APE.
I'm not setting up.
But I'll be dropping in.
I'll be doing signing and drawing type stuff for CBLDF here and there.

Here are the things I know I'm scheduled to do.

Saturday 10/16 at 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm
CAM Alternative Press Expo Party: Storytime! and Graphic Details
Cartoon Art
655 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA,
94105

It's a great show and it's not going to be up a whole lot longer and it's well worth the Look-See!

Also....

I have a workshop on Sunday 10/17 at 12 pm (aka noon aka midday)
It's called: Marketing a Comic That's Easier to Read Than to Describe.
I'll be talking about how I first marketed Beanworld and have continued to for a quarter of a century.
And I still haven't a clue as to how to describe it.
And I'll be talking about how I've managed to market around this dilemma!

Also on Sunday 10/17 4:45-5:30

CBLDF: The Fight For Intellectual Freedom
More than 50 years after Frederic Wertham's Seduction of the Innocent, comics and other media still come under the attack of censors. Charles Brownstein, executive director of the CBLDF, is joined by cartoonist Keith Knight and other panelists for a discussion of current trends in comics censorship and how we all can get involved in protecting intellectual freedom.

I'm one of the others!

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

LIBERTY ANNUAL 2010 is in my hands!



In one of those great slices of life that make my life so much fun--I just happened to be in the CBLDF offices in New York this afternoon when the first cartons of Liberty Annual 2010 arrived.

Am I happy?

Yeah, I'm very happy.

If you are in for New York Comic Con be sure to stop by at the CBLDF/Image Comics/Beat Bash Thursday night.
I'll be there!