The current challenge on Monday Artday is “mad tea party”.
This could have been avoided if they would have just let Alice have a cup of tea.
Just one lousy cup of tea.
IF: breezy
The challenge word this week on Illustration Friday is “breezy”.
Even with the advancements in technology, pinpoint accuracy in monitoring devices and sophisticated prediction equipment, TV weathermen still don’t know what the hell they are talking about.
Comments
IMT: moon and IF: launch
The following is a transcript of a recently discovered recording of a conversation from the command module of Apollo 11 on July 19, 1969.
Michael Collins: Well, here we are, heading to the moon. Man, this is cool!
Neil Armstrong: It sure is, Mike.
Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin: Hey, Mike…. um, you missed the meeting we had just before lift-off, didn’t you?
Michael Collins: Meeting? I wasn’t told about a meeting. I had orders to report right to the launch pad and that you guys would be a little late. There was a meeting? What did you talk about?
Neil Armstrong: We discussed the procedure for tomorrow’s moon landing.
Michael Collins: Oh yeah, baby! The moon landing! I can’t wait! The first three men on the moon! Oh, YEAH!
Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin: Uh, Mike…. Mike….. I don’t know how to say this, so I’ll just say it.
Michael Collins: Say what?
Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin: Well, Neil and I are walking on the moon. And since you’re the “Command Module Pilot”, you’re staying in the capsule.
Michael Collins: I’m WHAT ??? Staying in the capsule??? Are you fucking kidding me?? I didn’t travel 238,000 miles to sit in the fucking capsule so you two assholes can get all the glory!
Neil Armstrong: First of all, Mike, haven’t you noticed that your spacesuit isn’t the same as mine and Buzz’s? Yours doesn’t have nozzles for external breathing tanks. Didn’t that make you wonder a little? You step outside the command module and you are a deadman! Besides, this was planned a long time ago. The plan was that me and Buzz are walking on the moon and you’re driving around the block a few times and picking us up later. Got it?
Michael Collins: Got it? Got it? NO, Neil, I don’t fucking “Got it?” My family will be watching TV tomorrow! What am I supposed to tell THEM? I told all the guys in aerospace training that I would wave to them from the moon. Aw, Jesus Christ, Neil.
Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin: C’mon Mike, you’ll still be in the history books. You’ll still be remembered.
Michael Collins: But, Buzz, I was gonna…
Neil Armstrong (interrupting): You’re not walking on the fucking moon, Michael! End of story!
(A door slams and several minutes of silence pass.)
Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin: That Collins. Jeez.
Neil Armstrong: Yeah, what a douchebag.
(To steve d: I don’t give a shit what you believe. There was a moon landing in 1969. I was it on TV, so it must be true!)
Comments
Monday Artday: portrait of the artist as an eight-year old
I was eight years old in 1969. I wore cool green and blue plaid bell-bottom pants. I watched The Brady Bunch on Friday nights. I watched The Banana Splits on Saturday mornings. I went to third grade at Watson T. Comly Elementary School. I remember being worried that my older brother might have to go to fight in the war in Viet Nam. (When the US involvement in Viet Nam essentially ended, my brother was 15.)
In 1969, when I was eight years old, something else happened.
Sure, I had the 45rpm singles of “Sugar Sugar” by cartoon idols The Archies and “Aquarius” by smooth soul song stylists The Fifth Dimension. I even had the original Broadway recording of the musical “Hair“. I knew every lyric, even if I didn’t know what they were singing about. (I’m sure my parents were proud to have their eight-year old running around the house singing “Sodomy“.)
But, one day, on a shopping trip with my mom to Northeast Philadelphia’s Roosevelt Mall, I browsed the “Rock” section of Sam Goody. I spotted an album that stood out from all of the psychedelic themed covers. It screamed for my attention. It practically glowed. It was plain and square and white. Under the tautly-stretched cellophane, its cover was embossed with two words “The”, followed by “Beatles”.
I was mesmerized. Was this the same “The Beatles” that cheerfully wailed about wanting to hold my hand on those old, scratched swirly-labeled Capitol 45s that my Uncle Sidney gleaned from an old jukebox when I was five? Those four fresh-faced moptops weren’t pictured anywhere on the album cover. For Christ’s sake, nothing was pictured on the album cover. I dug deep into my pants pocket and extracted a wad of birthday money. I snatched the double record from the rack and excitedly tucked it under my arm. I marched to the cashier and made the coolest purchase of my eight years on earth.
Comments
Monday Artday: movie quote part 3
One more in a series of illustrations based on movie quotes, the current challenge on Monday Artday.
“Drainage! Drainage, you boy. Drained dry. I’m so sorry. Here, if you have a milkshake, and I have a milkshake, and I have a straw. There it is, that’s a straw, you see? You watching?. And my straw reaches across the room, and starts to drink your milkshake. I… drink… your… milkshake! ”
Daniel Planiview (Daniel Day-Lewis) in There Will Be Blood
Comments
Monday Artday: movie quote part 2
The Monday Artday current challenge is “movie quote”.
A lot of my illustrations are based on movie quotes. Here is another…
“You know… for kids.”
Norville Barnes (Tim Robbins) in The Hudsucker Proxy
Comments
IMT: silver
The inspirational word on Inspire Me Thursday is “silver”.
Long before Bob Denver, Fred Gwynne and Barry Williams were typecast in an acting role, there was Clayton Moore.
Moore’s big break came in 1949, when George Trendle spotted him in “Ghost of Zorro”. As producer of the radio show and creator of “The Lone Ranger” character, Trendle was about to launch the masked man in the new medium of television. Moore was cast on sight.
Moore trained his voice to sound like the radio version of The Lone Ranger, which had been on the air since 1933. Accompanied by the strains of Rossini’s “William Tell Overture”, announcer Fred Foy gave the Lone Ranger his famous introduction: “A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty “Hi Ho Silver!” The Lone Ranger. “Hi Ho Silver, away!” With his faithful Indian companion Tonto, the daring and resourceful masked rider of the plains, led the fight for law and order in the early west. Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear. The Lone Ranger rides again!”
Moore and his co-star Jay Silverheels, in the role of Tonto, made history in the first Western written specifically for television. The Lone Ranger soon became the highest-rated program on the fledgling ABC network and its first true “hit,” earning an Emmy nomination in 1950. After completion of two Lone Ranger feature films, Moore embarked on what became 40 years of personal appearances, TV guest spots, and classic commercials as the legendary masked man. Silverheels even joined him for occasional appearances during the early 1960s.
In 1979, the owner of the Lone Ranger character, producer Jack Wrather, obtained a court order prohibiting Moore from making appearances as The Lone Ranger. Wrather anticipated making a new film version of the story, and did not want the value of the character being undercut by Moore’s appearances This move proved to be a public relations disaster. Moore continued to make appearances by changing his costume slightly and replacing the mask with wraparound sunglasses. Moore then counter-sued Wrather. Moore eventually won the suit, and was able to resume his appearances in costume, which he continued to do until shortly before his death in 1999.
In keeping with the nature of the character, Moore chose to protect the Lone Ranger’s identity at all times and is perhaps the only actor whose face is largely unknown to the public.
Comments
IF: instinct
The illustrationfriday.com challenge word this week is “instinct”.
This technologically advanced mysterious predator hunts, not by instinct, but by GPS.
Comments
Monday Artday: movie quote
The challenge on Monday Artday is “movie quote”. If you are a regular reader of my blog, then you know that a lot of my illustrations are based on movie quotes. I love movies, so I had a difficult time deciding which one to illustrate.
“Everything… every single thing that took place in that courtroom, but I mean everything… says he’s guilty. What d’ya think? I’m an idiot or somethin’? Why don’t cha take that stuff about the old man; the old man who lived there and heard every thing? Or this business about the knife! What, ’cause we found one exactly like it? The old man saw him. Right there on the stairs. What’s the difference how many seconds it was? Every single thing. The knife falling through a hole in his pocket… you can’t prove he didn’t get to the door! Sure, you can take all the time hobblin’ around the room, but you can’t prove it! And what about this business with the El? And the movies! There’s a phony deal if I ever heard one. I betcha five thousand dollars I’d remember the movies I saw! I’m tellin’ ya: every thing that’s gone on has been twisted… and turned. This business with the glasses. How do you know she didn’t have ’em on? This woman testified in open court! And what about hearin’ the kid yell… huh? I’m tellin’ ya, I’ve got all the facts here… ”
Juror #3 (Lee J. Cobb) in 12 Angry Men
Maybe this out-of-context quote will inspire you to seek out this riveting, beautifully acted, Hollywood classic.
Comments
IF: celebrate
This week’s challenge word on Illustration Friday is “celebrate”.
Wake Nicodemus! by Henry Clay Work
Nicodemus, the slave, was of African birth,
And was bought for a bagful of gold,
He was reckon’d as part of the salt of the earth,
But he died years ago very old.
‘Twas his last sad request, so we laid him away
In the trunk of an old hollow tree.
“Wake me up!” was his charge, “at the first break of day,
Wake me up for the great Jubilee!”
The “Good Time coming’ is almost here!
It was long, long, long on the way!
Now, run and tell Elijah to hurry up Pomp,
And meet us at the gum-tree down in the swamp,
To wake Nicodemus today.
He was known as a prophet – at least was as wise –
For he told of the battles to come;
And he trembled with dread when he roll’d up his eyes,
And we heeded the shake of his thumb,
Though he clothed us with fear, yet the garments he wore
Were in patches at elbow and knee,
And he still wears the suit that he used to of yore,
As he sleeps in the old hollow tree.
Nicodemus was never the sport of the lash,
Though the bullet has oft crossed his path.
There were none of his masters so brave or so rash,
As to face such a man in his wrath,
Yet his great heart with kindness was filled to the brim,
He obeyed who was born to command,
But he long’d for the morning which then was so dim –
The morning which now is at hand.
‘Twas a long weary night – we were almost in fear,
That the future was more than he knew,
‘Twas a long weary night – but the morning is near,
And the words of our prophet are true.
There are signs in the sky that the darkness is gone –
There are tokens in endless array,
When the storm which had seemingly banished the dawn,
Only hastens the advent of day.
“Wake Nicodemus” was written in 1864 as an abolitionist anthem and a call for freedom. The character of Nicodemus asks those around him to “Wake me up for the great Jubiliee” – the time of celebration when all slaves are free. By allowing the listener to enter into Nicodemus’ life – to know him and sympathize with him – the case for abolition is made more compelling. Nicodemus is characterized as a prophet: wise and impressive, almost supernatural. As he looks forward to the time to celebrate, the listener longs for that day, too.
Click HERE to hear the Tim Curry’s unusual version of “Wake Nicodemus” from his album “Read My Lips”.