Never thought I’d own one. Too spendy. But after Thanksgiving sales rule.
Category: Cool Stuff
Had the pleasure of guesting on the Back Lot 605 podcast this week! They are doing a month-long series on Ivan Reitman in anticipation of the upcoming release of Ghostbusters: Afterlife and this particular episode was on the 1981 Bill Murray/Harold Ramis comedy, Stripes.
If you dig what you heard, check out some other episodes, and if you really dig, give the show some support on Patreon.
Thanks for having me on, fellas!
Newly acquired art from the talented Jin Wicked! Check out her Etsy story here.
I was planning on snatching up a print of her work “FLIGHT” but grabbed one of these first because she only had a few left. Someday it will be mine, though. (Or if I get real lucky I will be able to get the original, but funds are… lacking)
When I finally joined the whole internet nonsense three years ago one of the things that happened is that I found out about writer Gwendolyn Kiste.
Her name would pop-up on Facebook from time to time, always with people I went to school with at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. I quickly deduced (’cause I’m schmaht like that) that she was married to a former schoolmate who, perhaps wisely, has eschewed social media. He was one of the 1400 Bills that were there at the time. Largest concentration in the nation in 1991.
Well, turns out Gwendolyn was a writer. And being a reader, I read some of her stuff and really dug it and let her know and… KAPOW, internet friendship was born. Well, acquaintance anyway. I don’t want to speak for her.
So over the past few years she has been productive as all get out and last year released her first collection of stories, And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe.
Today the final ballot for the 2017 Bram Stoker Awards was announced and in the category of Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection is that book. That is pretty. god. damned. fantastic.
I wish Gwendolyn the best of luck and no matter what happens (you goin’ down, Joe Hill!) she has a reader for life in me.
Get this collection. And her recent book Pretty Marys All in a Row. You won’t regret it.
The last few years I have had woefully little new art in my life so I am rectifying that. And here is some of the stuff I’ve picked up.
First, something I have posted about before but I finally took it in to be framed. A fantastic piece by my art school classmate and across the pond buddy, Jen Dixon. The bulk of Jen’s current work is abstract and this is no exception. “Dragon’s Teeth”
Jen is also now doing online art classes on Skillshare. You should check them out if you are looking to work on your artist skills.
And here is a piece by a citizen of the Hub City, Aberdeen, SD. Nick Fischer’s “Mars Patterns.”
Nick and Nicole Fischer’s work can be found here and both are part of the SD Artworks Coop Gallery in Aberdeen where I acquired this.
More recently I picked up this at Artworks, an encaustic collage by Lois Beckner, “Dead Men Walking.”
Rachel Kahn is a professional illustrator and creator of the fantastic web comic “By Crom!” The premise of the comic being Rachel’s spirit guide through life is a certain mighty barbarian created by Robert E. Howard. I have two risograph illustrations from Rachel, the first one being from “By Crom!” and the second being the a powerful wizard of chronomancy, “URMYXI.”
And finally, a bit of mass produced art that I couldn’t pass up CAUSE IT’S A BIG OL’ OCTOPUS! Cephalopods. They are awesome.
I haven’t been in a position to support art in a while so I am pretty jazzed to have possession of these works. There is so much great stuff out there I hope you grab some art from your local talent pool and from not so local when you can.
I have had a very good week. Hung out with some friends, fired off some Nerf guns, took some pictures that I’m happy with, did a sketch that I’m happy with and something happened that I’m not quite ready to talk about (but soon, dear readers.) And to cap it off, in the mail today I received this:
An original piece of art by Jen Dixon, who has been mentioned here before. I love it and am honored to have it. Jen is having an exhibition of her work starting next week and I hope it is a raging success. She also sent me some post cards of her work.
Thank you, Jen. Thank you.
Check out my buddy Rod’s body airbrushing, art stuff and more!
Click on the image to get there.
Images courtesy of Rod Zirkle.
Rod is one of my dearest friends from way back, but that in no way makes me incapable of objectively being able of to say his stuff is mighty damn good! Check more of his stuff at Imgur.
