josh pincus is crying

I love baseball. I love watching baseball. I love going to baseball games. I wouldn’t say that I am an expert on the game, as I haven’t really been following it for a long time. I don’t pay attention to intricate or obscure stats. I don’t know the game inside and out and I don’t really care to. I enjoy a hot Sunday in the summer, sitting in the stands, drinking a soda, getting my seat kicked by some kid who is shoving cotton candy and ice cream into his mouth while asking his dad “Which one is Chips Utley?”, and watching a bunch of overpaid cry-babies play a game that seven-year olds play. But, there are certain things I don’t like about baseball.

For some reason, baseball players have been put in the postion of role models. I suppose it’s because everyone loves a hero. Maybe because baseball players command adoration while equipped with little or no class, manners or education. More recently, I suppose, it’s because jerks like Brett Myers can earn five million dollars for throwing a baseball for couple of innings and maybe blow a few saves in the process.

Brett Myers is the poster child for what I don’t like about baseball. Myers was arrested on June 23, 2006 and charged with assaulting his wife Kim Myers on a downtown Boston street. The Phillies received criticism from some media members and women’s organizations for not benching Myers. Myers took a short leave of absence from the team. During a pre-trial hearing on October 5, 2006, Kim Myers indicated that she did not want her husband prosecuted, and despite the prosecutor’s insistence of filing charges, the case was dismissed. The couple has been in marriage counseling since the arrest.

Not content with being a wifebeater, Myers set out to show the fans and the press that he is an asshole, too. Myers’ hot temper landed him in a confrontation with Philadelphia Inquirer beat writer Sam Carchidi, after Myers gave up two home runs, including the go-ahead homer, against the San Diego Padres on August 25, 2007. After Myers made light of the homers, Carchidi asked him if he thought the home run balls he gave up were pop ups. Myers responded by calling Carchidi “a fuckin’ retard”, which was followed by Carchidi sarcastically asking him how to spell “retard”. That set Myers into a profanity-laced verbal fight with Carchidi, while other members of the Phillies and Philadelphia media tried to separate the two. Pat Burrell was one of the people holding back Myers. (I’ll save my Pat Burrell joke for another time.)

I see Myers as a loutish gorilla and I draw ‘em as I see ‘em.

This week’s word on illustrationfriday.com is “momentum”

Pete Townshend, of the Who, became known for his eccentric stage style during the band’s early days, often interrupting concerts with lengthy introductions of songs, swinging his right arm against the guitar strings in his signature windmill-style, often smashing guitars on stage, and often repeatedly throwing his guitars into his amplifiers and speaker cabinets.

Once that arm gained momentum, he advised everyone to stay out of his way on stage.

The challenge for this week at sugarfrostedgoodness.com is “tattoo”

Thanks again to this guy for his inspiration.

The challenge this week on Monday Artday is “what’s for dinner?”

I heard a strange noise.
What was it?
It was… screaming. Some kind of screaming, like a child’s voice.
What did you do?
I went downstairs, outside. I crept up into the barn. I was so scared to look inside, but I had to.
And what did you see, Clarice? What did you see?
Lambs. The lambs were screaming.
They were slaughtering the spring lambs?
And they were screaming.

bon appétit.

The word at illustrationfriday.com this week is “alphabets“.

This just about covers the animal kingdom alphabet.
I gratefully acknowledge this guy for his concept. I was going in a totally different direction.

I did another portrait swap, although I think this will be my last. This one was with a very talented artist from Indiana named Kim. Check out her work at her blog HERE.
Kim did a beautiful drawing of me in her sketchbook.

She sent me a link to her flickr album and let me choose a photo from which to draw her portrait. I chose the photo that shows her expression as “I’m gonna kick your ass!”

At least my portrait swap experience will end on a high note.

This is a story of an innocent portrait swap gone horribly wrong. It started with this portrait I did of Jeannette…. and then (as heard in countless 70s exploitation movies) “some bad shit went down…..”

I received this email on August 17 from someone I’ll refer to as “biteyourowntail”:
From: biteyourowntail
To: joshpincusiscrying@yahoo.com
Sent: Friday, August 17, 2007 11:49:09 AM
Subject: portrait party
Hi,
loved that portrait you did of Jeannette - am also fond of drawing facial hair so would you like a portrait swap?
biteyourowntail

I replied:
sure, i’ll swap. i am on vacation in california right now (and my sketchbook is home). I will be back on august 22. i’ll email you then and we can swap and draw.
Is there a deadline?
JPiC

I emailed her a photo of me when I returned. I also added her name to my weekly email alert list, the one I send when I post a new drawing on my blog. I, then, received this email from her:
From: biteyourowntail
To: joshpincusiscrying@yahoo.com
Sent: Thursday, August 23, 2007 10:14:14 AM
Subject: unsolicited stuff
Hallo Josh
I did not agree to receive updates from you about your blog, or to being placed on a mailing list. I arranged to do a portrait swap with you and that is all.
I can get very pissed off indeed by people who add me to mailing lists without my consent.
Please remove me from your list.
biteyourowntail

I immediately removed her name and replied with this:
I am sorry if I offended you. I will remove your name immediately.
I will, however, still participate in a portrait swap.
Again, I sincerely apologize.
JPiC

Her response:
From: biteyourowntail
To: Josh Pincus
Sent: Thursday, August 23, 2007 11:28:55 AM
Subject: Re: unsolicited stuff
Hallo
apology accepted. I too do still want to do the portrait swap.
Being added to mailing lists etc without being asked (even if asked I would still say no - I like to visit blogs, or other places, when I choose to visit them) is one of my pet hates.
Don’t even get me started on cold callers.
biteyourowntail

I drew her portrait and sent it to her on August 24. I received this response:
That is wonderful. Really great, thank you!
Yours isn’t attached because I’m going to re-draw it. I’m experimenting with paper and I used a different one but I’m not at all happy with the results so I’ll forward it either over the w/e or on Monday.
biteyourowntail

To which I replied:
I look forward to it.
I will not post it to my blog until I have your portrait of me.
You can submit them to “Portrait Party”, as I do not have access. I am not a member.
Thanks!
JPiC

The weekend and Monday passed and I didn’t hear from her or received her drawing of me. On August 29, I sent her the friendly reminder email below:
i hope you haven’t forgotten……..
JPiC

On August 30, I opened my email to find this:
No Josh I haven’t forgotten, unfortunately the tone of your last email - ‘you can post…’ - left me feeling somewhat unwilling to draw you. I don’t enjoy being told what to do.
In fact I can honestly say this has been my least enjoyable portrait swap. I fully understand why Jeannette called you a bully, though I would choose the word arrogant myself - putting me on your mailing list without asking, (yes you apologised, but the fact is you did it) issuing orders…
You’ll get it when I’m ready to do it.
Oh yes - you are as much a member of portrait party as I am - which if you had read Ramu’s notes on the site you would know. It isn’t a team blog.
biteyourowntail

My immediate response:
don’t do me any favors.
you are pretty rude yourself…..
JPiC

The next day I received her drawing, accompanied by this email:
Yes, I can be rude, it does have a lot to do with how people treat me.
Attached - drawing. Had some difficulty - the photo is no good for a portrait so this one from my sketchbook will have to do I’m afraid.
biteyourowntail

Here is the result of the “least enjoyable portrait swap”.
I hope you like it….

The word this week on sugarfrostedgoodness.com is “bugs”

My inspiration for this drawing actually came from…me! When I was in art school (many years ago), I did a series of illustrations for a cocktail recipe book. I selected four mixed drinks, each accompanied by an illustration. I did “Grasshopper” as one of them…. and now, twenty-something years later, the grasshopper shows his face again. Still holding his namesake drink, but this time, also holding his namesake dessert cake.