The Ambition Bird

Can't not Know

2008-01-31T17:07:00.000-08:00

I've started a new blog thing. It is here is you are curious:

http://goodyfinch.livejournal.com/

cheers.

I heart u

2007-05-15T11:01:00.000-07:00

I think for the time being I am done with this blog. Which if you have checked it in the last year you figured out b4 me.

I've been adding to the Flickr site though so check me out there. I talk with words better than photos.

Clothes Journal Friday 8-28

2006-09-20T16:47:00.000-07:00

Friday8-28
Originally uploaded by claviger.

I've done a lot more I jutst never get around to scanning them...

What I wore 8/24

2006-08-25T13:57:00.000-07:00

What I wore 8/24
Originally uploaded by claviger.

new project: to sketch what I wear everyday.
Object: to make sure I draw SOMETHING everyday, and practice drawing more kinds of clothes.

This is day 4.
New skirt day! With close-up of corset like lacing.

Campari

2006-08-23T14:10:00.000-07:00

Tell me this isn't totally hot:

Since last session:

* Drinks: A lot of beer last night at Ian's show.
* Read: I've read soo much this summer (and posted sooo little) I will soon do a big long, 'this is what I read' thang.

Big Bend Camping 06

2006-07-24T15:08:00.000-07:00

Big Bend Camping 06
Originally uploaded by claviger.

There are a lot of photos from this years Big Bend trip with Julie and her family. You can clikc this one and it will take you to the rest.

Catherine

2006-06-23T11:49:00.000-07:00

Catherine
Originally uploaded by claviger.

A piece of fan art I did for Leigh Dragoons's awesome webcomic 'By the Wayside"
girlamatic.com/series.php?name=btw&view=current

Since last session:

* Last Drink:
A shared bottle of white over dinned. We then smoked cigars on the fire escape, listened to music and played with Byron all night. We are so ghetto fabulous.

* Read:
The stolen Child, Keith Donahue, : hhhh
A little boy is stolen by a hobgoblin who takes his place. The chapters switch back and forth between the boy now living with the changleings and the goblin now living in the boy's home. A very eeerie and distinct take on the coming of age story.

* Watched:
X-3 h
Dissapointing trash! Why do they still let that guy make movies?

* Listened to:
Thunder Lightning Strike!, The Go team: hhhh
Cheerleader indy pop!

RATING SCALE h Utter shite hh Don't bother hhh Average hhhh nicely done hhhhh farking brilliant

Byron's First Day in the park

2006-06-01T09:36:00.000-07:00

need I say mo'?

then some napping:

Since last session:

* Last Drink:
A glass of Johnny Walker Black and Ice. While with the folks at "the Page" shooting pool.

* Read:
Scott Pilgrim and The infinite Sadness: hhhhh
Bryan Lee O'Maley continues to impress with this third volume of Scott Pilgrim. This stuff is happy juice in graphic novel form.

* Watched:
Lonsome Dove, Larry McMurtry hhhh
I liked the book a bit better, but as far as adaptations go this was a dam good one. Almost flawless casting.

* Listened to:
Fox confessor brings the flood, Neko Case: hhh
I am sure this is good and all, but I cannot seem to get into it.

RATING SCALE h Utter shite hh Don't bother hhh Average hhhh nicely done hhhhh farking brilliant

Childe Roland to the Dark Tower comes

2006-05-23T11:50:00.000-07:00

So deliqeuntent on postings... sorry bout that...

Here are some sub-header drawings for a three page article in the August Issue of Shojo Beat

Since last session:

* Last Drink: Jade Cocktail for JB's and I 9 month last night.

* Read: title: hhhhh
The Dark Tower, Book 7, The Dark Tower, Stephen King
This series is hands down my favorite of Kings work. I usually have a problem with his endings too, but not this one. It was fucking spot on and demented. I am niow obsessed with
http://www.thedarktower.net/

RATING SCALE h Utter shite hh Don't bother hhh Average hhhh nicely done hhhhh farking brilliant

APE 2006

2006-04-12T17:34:00.000-07:00

Ape 2006 was last week. My best con so far. Also good fun to meet many of the GAM folks whose comics I read each week, and share e-mail with but never talk to.

Also got to chill with the lovely Becky Cloonan and meet her new beau. Her comic East Coast Rising just came out form Tokyopop. It is rad.

Close up of the Claviger (and JB's OPEN) part of our table.

Doing a Finch sketch for Leigh Dragoon, the awesome creator of one of my favorite Girl-a-matic comic "By the Wayside"

50 Best Ways to Spend your Summer

2006-03-21T15:53:00.000-08:00

Art for an article of the same name. Done entirely in illustrator.

The white is all text filled in the final.

The Chosen One

2006-02-28T12:41:00.000-08:00

We took the trek down to Bakersfield and picked out our puppy. We had to chose one because others were interested in the pups, annd we had pick of the litter and didn't
want to do it by picture alone. We will drive down to get him up on April 1st when he is 8 weeks old (he needs his momma till then).

Say hello to our pup Byron!

Since last session:

• Last Drinks: A complimentary bottle of wine at the Bakersfield Hotel while watching….

•Watched:
Fantastic Four hh
Not only nonsensical, but boring too. Dr. Doom a stockbroker, what?

• Read:
Danger Girl, J. Scott Campbell. hhh
Bang! pow! kick! punch!
This comic sets out to be an over the top action-packed adventure comic. While it is no great piece of literature it is pretty fun. Of all the image crew I always liked Campbell's stuff the best.
Though sometimes he gets a bit too nooddlley and and a bit too boob-ely.

•Listened to:
Fever and Mirrros, Bright Eyes hhhh
Holly whiny pretentiousness! Not that I don't really like it.

RATING SCALE h Utter shite hh Don't bother hhh Average hhhh nicely done hhhhh farking brilliant

The end of the begining

2006-02-12T21:18:00.000-08:00

I finished drawing and inking chapter 2. Whoooo!
The next few weeks will be letters and grey tones.

Those are the pencils for the cover.

Revenge of the Puppy

2006-02-06T10:13:00.000-08:00

After our pleasant experience with Bandit, JB and I (JB did most of the work) started looking into breeders. She came across one that came highly recommended and who had a pregnant pup. After some discussion we gave a down payment to get pick of the litter.

The doggy gave birth Monday, 3 girls and 2 boys.
Weee.

Just the boys.

And to not become a crazy dog person (yet), here is a skecth I did during brunch. It's just a lamp post.

Since last session:

•Last Drink:
Maker's Mark. Free with a film opening last night.

•Read: Blame Vol. 1-3, Tsutomu Nihei: hhhh
The protagonist makes his way through an endless metal labyrinth that has now engulfed the world.
Creepy art, filled with beautiful decaying cyber punk architecture.

•Watched: The Proposition, Nick Cave: hhhh
An intense Australian Western written and scored by Nick Cave. Brutal and slow paced. A much more internal film then most of this genre.

RATING SCALE h Utter shite hh Don't bother hhh Average hhhh nicely done hhhhh farking brilliant

Bandit

2006-01-24T12:22:00.000-08:00

We met Bandit a few months back when we were in Tahoe for The Great Gribbilin's birthday. He belongs to an equally charming couple that is friends with the Gribblin.
JB did some inspired e-mailing with said person and aranged for us to watch him this past weeked.

We paid him such a deal of attention that the poor guy was entirely tuckered out by the end of the weekend; And he is hyper guy. A totaly adorable shih tzu with one blue eye and one brown. And not one of those foppy long-haired ones. He was all rough and tumble and mostly looked like an ewok.

We are now looking for breeders...

Oh, and Happy Birthday food stuff.

Since last session:

Drinks:
For our "5 months" JB and I went out to a tres' schmancy restaraunt last night. I ordered a bottle of pinot noir but they were out of anything costing under $50. So he showed us the others available. I cringed but then said fuck it and bought an amazing bottle by the Byron wineries.
It just seemed ummm...poetic?

Read:
Jonathan Strange & M. Norrell, Sussanne Clarke hhhhh
It is hard to some up this book as it took five months of my life to get through (months in which I finished maybe 3 other books). It took that long For 2 reasons.

The first, I really wanted to savor and not rush through any of it.

The second it is 800 pages. And of those pages at least 1/3 (probably more) are covered in footnotes that fill out the lush semi-historical word it takes place.

Laced with dry wit and containing much social commentary, setting it far from the “Harry Potter for adults” people are claiming it to be. It reads far more like Austen or Dickens than Rowling.

* Watched:
Underworld: Evoloutions h
Mind you I went assuming it would be kind of bad, but man.

* Listened to:
Anthology Vol. 1 Cowboy Man, Lyle Lovette hhhh
I got this from the library but it is well worth the price of the record. A sort of compilation of best hits. As the name implies most are lonely (and sometimes angst ridden) cowboy ballads, all with a bit of tounge in cheek. Walk through the bootm land. Mmmm.

RATING SCALE h Utter shite hh Don't bother hhh Average hhhh nicely done hhhhh farking brilliant

We Built Another World

2006-01-17T12:46:00.000-08:00

The creation of the second Chapter of Claviger is nearing its end. Two pages to ink four to pencil and then some lettering and tones. The art shifts in it pretty dramatically, more so even then the first, but for the best.

Both Chloe and Finch have been revised a bit and now have a more solid look. Here is a character sketch of Finch I did before starting Chapter Two; he actually looks pretty much like this throughout. Except with a hoody on so I can play with all kinds of fun shadows on his face.

Since last session:

* Drinks: All day wine tasting with Julie and her Parents in Napa. Some superb bottles and a great picnic in one of the vineyards. They know who is who and what is what and it feels like the Disneyland ride version of Nappa. In a good way.

* Read: Dragonhead Vol. 1, Minetaro Mochizuki : hhhh
I "read" the first three volumes of this in Japanese years back, and then tried to get CPM to licnese it. It didn't work but it has finally come out here.
On the way home from a school trip the train carrying all the students crashes. One kid wakes up to find the train in a darkened tunnel with all of his classmates dead. He begins to wander around and figure out how to survive and get out.

It was a bit more creepy before I knew what they were saying bit still quite good.

* Watched: Lost: hhh
Lost, most of season one. I like this show. When it is “on” it is hell of creepy and intriguing when it is not it is a bit slow. I gave it three stars (or little ambulance fellas as it were) but the episodes range from 2-5 mostly around 4’s.

* Listened to: Apologies to the Queen Mary, Wolf Parade: hhhhh
I bought this the night I aw the show. Which was one of the best kick ass rock shows I have seen since Archers of Loaf broke up. The record is as good.

RATING SCALE h Utter shite hh Don't bother hhh Average hhhh nicely done hhhhh farking brilliant

Aught-six, begin!

2006-01-04T11:43:00.000-08:00

I've not posted in forever. Been crazy busy, with the holidays and the move and junk.
For everyone I saw over the holidays it was cool though I wish I had more time. To everyone who I did not get a chance to see, sorry. I hope I will be able to visit again in the spring.

This was the last sketch done in my old apartment (moved in with JB three weeks back).
I was sitting in the bathtub at the time. Most days we would put a laptop on the toilet seat there (to the left of the tub) and watch DVD's from the comfort of steamy water.

Since last session:

* Drinks: The holidays, Who the heck knows. Last night I had a Moretti with a pasta dinner.

* Read: Feast of Crows, George R. R. Martin: hhhhh
The book that was four years in the coming! Pretty slow, as of all the climaxes in the end of book 3 it took a while to build steam. I do so enjoy Martin's world so that was fun.

* Watched: King Kong, Peter Jackson: hhhh
I really went to see dinosaurs and a giant monkey fist fight. I could give a shit about the rest. On that criteria it succeeded well.

* Listened to: Live at Folsom Prison, Johnny Cash : hhhh
After the biopic I was curious to hear the record. JB got it for me for x-mas. It's good!

RATING SCALE h Utter shite hh Don't bother hhh Average hhhh nicely done hhhhh farking brilliant

Windy City

2005-11-14T14:22:00.000-08:00

Last weekend JB and I took a splendid trip to Chicago to visit Strider and his wife.

Here are some sketches:

Plane on the way there.

The kitchen of said Strider Family (drawn while they were making us tasty pancakes).

Mr. Toby, Mrs. Strider's 18 year-old cat, waiting for food.

Mr. Toby sleeping on the couch in the morning.

My poor rendition of Degas' Ballerina (@ the Art Institue).

The Thorne Room, an amazing exhibit of tiny tiny rooms furnished with the utmost detail.

An incredible Latin fusion restraunt we ate in.
I can still taste the tapas, steak and sangria if I close my eyes.

Since last session:

* Read: Bleach Volumes 1-7, Tite Kubo hhhh
If that little kid from the 6th sense not only saw ghosts but also carried around a giant sword to fuck up the meddlesome ones you would have the protagonist from Bleach. Well drawn, with better paced action scenes then the rest of the Shonen Jump comics. I am obsessing over this manga right now and will read the next three volumes by week’s end.

* Watched: Everything is illuminated hhhh
The mood shifts in such a subtle manner that the audience is not even aware of it happening. This is good storytelling and a nice cast to boot. I particular like the use of striking warms versus cool texturing in almost every shot. Makes me wish I had read the book.

* Listened to: Pet Sounds, The beach Boys hhh
I never owned this on CD and decided it was about time. Over and over I have been listening. You all know it’s good.

RATING SCALE h Utter shite hh Don't bother hhh Average hhhh nicely done hhhhh farking brilliant

It seems I am Rob Gordon

2005-10-31T17:50:00.000-08:00

Which John Cusack Are You?

Acrylic in the woods

2005-10-26T14:38:00.000-07:00

Behind my cabin at DeetJen's Big Sur Inn.
First time I used acrylic "on the scene."

Since last session:
Last Drink:
Kirin on tap at Tanpopo with asteaming bowl of vegetable ramen.

Read: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life, Brian O'Malley hhhhh
innocently charming Indy rock and roll comics. Read this!!!!!

Watched: Serenity, Joss Whedon hhhhh
Cowboys, crazed axe wielding space maniacs, kung fu, ridiculous sets, and Joss Whedon dialogue!
One of the best Sci-fi action movies to come out this decade. Very low quotient of retard tingles and schmaltz that has infected many since Independence Day began its trend of hokeiness.

Listened to: Dignity and Shame, Crooked Fingers hhhh
A perfect fall time record. It makes me want to drink pumpkin ale in Hogsmeade with big scarves or some such thing. The Azure Ray ladies are a nice addition.

RATING SCALE h Utter shite hh Don't bother hhh Average hhhh nicely done hhhhh farking brilliant

The Exceptional Sara Johnson…

2005-10-15T11:46:00.000-07:00

…is done.
Last week I spent four days in a secluded inn down in Big Sur.
I wrote pretty much the entire day for all four days stopping for food coffee and to sometimes clean. Sometimes, In this time I completed the final draft of the novel I’ve been writing revising since 2000. 5 drafts this one. Yes it has been that long. I am now preparing queery letters for agents and publishers.

It starts like this:
It was getting dark. Tommy was gonna’ be pissed.

It ends like this:
He sat back down, threw the last of his kigdut into the fire, and wiped his eyes.

Cha!

Claviger goes weekly

2005-10-07T15:06:00.000-07:00

I sent out an e-mail today that said something like this:

Been dreaming of reading a new page of Claviger every week? Well, your wishes have been answered!

Claviger debuts on Girl-A-Matic today in FULL COLOR. And then a New Page available every Friday from here until the story ends.

And I know what you are saying, you already read the mini....but not in FULL COLOR<-I point to this often as it is a lot of extra time on my part that I will not be able to print. But I wanted to give you all (and my umm, adoring public?) a reason to subscribe.

And Besides for supporting comic art and... well, me, when you subscribe you get to read all of the great comics on Girl-A-Matic.
(some notables include Rachel Hartman (of Amy Unbounded), and Lea Harnadez (of Rumble girls fame) and Jason Thompson (whose twice a week story 'The Stiff' is phenomenal).

Go here:
http://girlamatic.com/

Other things of note are that I am heading off for a week long vacation at Deetjens inn located ion Big Sur.

No TV, Cell phone, or anything else as such. Just me with a lot of time to draw and write, and hopefully finish up the final (and 5th) draft of that stinking novel that has been hanging around for years.

Surfwax off my shoulder

2005-10-01T15:48:00.000-07:00

Right, so I know this is supposed to be an art blog thing, but I am hella busy preparing for next weeks Claviger launch.

So, instead here are some photos of me and SF Vizers/buddies learning to surf.

The top 10 rad surfing things:

1: Got to dress like a superhero team.

2: After paddling out for the first time, 1 minute passes and instructor says, “Good turn, you are ready . Hey, and here is a perfect wave…GO!” then pushes me.

3: Frightened and nervous, but able to stand for a few seconds on first wave.

4: Seeing a seal five feet from me! He kept popping his head up and following the surfers around playing with them.

5: JB in a wetsuit. I mean, who hasn’t pretended they were dating some wet-suited chick after playing hours of Tomb raider?

6: Mostly confident surfing on the last two waves of the day.

7: The taste of a cold PBR after 5 hours of tasting only Salt Water

8: Constant cheering of Viz peeps.

9: A giant shaggy dog on the beach named Chewbacca. Really!

10. Not being eaten by a shark.

Since last session:

* Last Drink: Baileys and coffee. Trying to stay awake at Bimbo’s waiting for the New Pornographers to come on. Tasty but costs $7! WTF?

* Read: Preacher, Book 1: Gone to Texas, Ennis and Dillon hhhhh
How did I miss this series when it was new? It is awesome and reminds me of the first time I read Sandman and was all blown away

* Watched: The Corpse Bride, Burton hhhh
Emo goth puppets cajoling through pretty sets. Moved at a better pace than NBX-mas but not nearly as epic.

* Listened to: Twin Cinemas, The New Pornographers hhh
Not as consitent as Electric Version, but pretty good. Most of the mediocre songs sounded great live.

RATING SCALE h Utter shite hh Don't bother hhh Average hhhh nicely done hhhhh farking brilliant

Almost old

2005-09-18T21:06:00.000-07:00

The end of the birthday celebration weekend.
It went quite well.
Hosted the second annual party at my place with a nice turn out. Drank and ate a bunch, had only a minor headache the next day, dinnered, movied, scotched, lunchboxed, sketchbooked, sang poorly, foozballed, mocked, tripped, hoot ha'd and Absinthed (the restaraunt) twice.
What more could you want?

I know i've not posted often of recent. That whole brand new relationship thing. Which is going splendidly. Bye the by. You'd all like her. Really.
And when I am not dancing around with JB, I am cranking on the comic in anticipation of the whole girl-a-matic thang.

(below) Done earlier today. I was quite pleased that I was able to drink coffee (as I was too hungover the day before). Absinthe coffee no less. When I started this sketch, food had not yet arrived, then I finished while waiting for the check. Mmm. Perfect end to a perfect weekend.

Ps. JB look less like a cartoon character in real life. I kept futzing it once I got home and then most of the likeness was gone. Ah, well.

Since last session:

* Last Drink: Glass of Chimay purchased by Mr. Fox. Midnight, of my B-day sitting at the outside tables of Absinthe.

* Read: Sara, J.T. Leroy h
I was told the other book by this "hot" writer is great. They only had this one so I purchased it: whoops. The prose is bland and at times painful. I suppose the story would be wacky and intriguing instead of painful, if one did not spend months with a bunch of drug addled transvestite prostitutes in real life (who were part of the Lulu's wait staff, way back when).

* Watched: Brother's Grimm, Terry Gilliam hh
Entertaining, but the tragedy is in the fact that Gilliam can (and always has) done so much better.

* Listened to: Plans, Death Cab for Cutie: hhhh
Smashing. I think Ben Gibbard fucked over a fair amount of ladies. This record seem like a big explanation (though not apology).
I do have every confidence that my opinion of this record will change in a few weeks (for better or worse is up in the air). Right now I am just pleased as parsnips to hear new Death Cab stuff. My first thoughts are that the slower tunes are far better then the mid-tempo ones, and I morn the lack of anything remotely heavy/fast.

RATING SCALE h Utter shite hh Don't bother hhh Average hhhh nicely done hhhhh farking brilliant

2005-09-11T19:15:00.000-07:00

Girl-a-matic ad campaign.

Big Bend

2005-08-24T22:11:00.000-07:00

A tradition of JB's family (going on 40-some years) is to spend a week each summer at Big Bend, a campground filled with sweet rental cabins. It borders the South Fork of the Eel River.

I was invited along this year, though I missed the first round, I was lucky enough to go on the return visit.

It was one of the more spectacular weekends I've had. The days were filled with the following activities:
Eating/grilling food
Swimming in river (with cliff jumping!)
Playing dominioes
Drinking beer
Munching snacks
Playing voleyball
Reading
Playing Badmitton.
Sketching
Roasting Marshmellows
Drinking Coffee and Scotch (seperatley and together)
Sleeping,
Sitting around a fire pit in the evening (when we weren't eating, drinking or playing domnoes).

Does life get too much better? I mean really.

This was my first sketch of the weekend.
It was the morning after we arrived and I am drinking a cup of coffee prepared by JB's pop. He and I were the only ones up.

Our cabin.
Hard to see but JB is sitting at the table on the left reading the second 'Flight' book.
(The first succeful on the spot water color I've done)

Feeding the previous evening's food scraps to the chickens behind our hut.

Woman sitting next to us on the small gravely beach edging the river. She is putting suntan lotion on her daughter.

JB chilling on a beached tube drinking a Red Stripe. Not too long after we all jumped into the river. Lovely isn't she? Can I brag here that we are dating now?

Since last session:

* Drinks: I've learned to apreciate a wonderful 12-yr-old scotch that JB's pop had on hand for the entire weekend. Johnny Walker by the bye.

* Read: Blood Meridian, Cormac McCArthy hhhhh
On the back page of an old sketchbook I have a list of novels suggested by the International Playgirl and Neo. This was the second to last of Playgirl's choices (Lolita bieng the final)

As for the book: fuck. Terse as Hemmingway, but more dry. Sometimes intentially plodding . Profound, but requires strict attention. Oh, and gorey as hell.

* Watched: Alien vs. Predator hhh
This gets three stars, not because it is a good film, and not better than The Island (which I gave two) but becuase it delivers what it advertises. Some Aliens and Predators fucking each other up. The plot, while not great, does not pull any midcholrian-bullshit and stays within the mythology of the two movies.

* Listened to: Shake the Sheets, Ted Leo and The Pharmacists hhh pop pop catchy kizz, oh what a relief it is.

RATING SCALE h Utter shite hh Don't bother hhh Average hhhh nicely done hhhhh farking brilliant

Claviger news

2005-08-09T21:54:00.000-07:00

Girl-a-matic has just accepted Claviger!
In October they will be unleashing a new group of artists and I shall be one of them. Two pages a week baby!

When the time comes I will tell you all the info and force you to subscribe and support comic artists. But I was pretty excited so I thought I would share. Now I have to draw.

That being said here is the last completed Claviger image I will post here.

As of yesterday I finished page ten. Including this one, I have drawn Chloé 31 time in Chapter two . The last four pages she almost always look on model. About damn time. It's all in the nose. Heh.

Ps. Only the two panels posted were inspired by other paintings. Just saying.

Since last session:
* Drinks: Rum dumped unexpectedly into a jumbo Coke cup while watching a 70MM print of 'The Road Warrior' at the Castro theatre.
• Read: An effort to complete the last and (acording to the writer) best Stephen King story I will read:
Dark Tower, Book Two The Drawing of the Three hhhh The best of the series so far. Creepy and fun as hell.
Dark Tower Book Three The Wastelands hhh Okay, but two set a high standard this does not beat.
Dark Tower Book Four, Wizard and Glass hhhh The story within a story is almost as Drawing of the Three. Very coolly crafted Western tale.
Dark Tower Book Five, Attached to the characters at this point, so it is fun to seem them plunge through thier comic book-like adventures. One of the more interesting things to happen is the fallen priest from Salem's Lot joining the cast.

Only two left. They are the best King stuff I've read rivaled only by Four Seasons. Maybe I am just wierd cause I dunna' like his horror tales as much as his others.

* Watched: In the Realms of the Unreal hhhh Awesome documentary about Henry Darger, the janitor upon whose death a trove of artwork and thousands of pages of fiction were discovered. Equil parts creepy, sad, and inspiring.

RATING SCALE h Utter shite hh Don't bother hhh Average hhhh nicely done hhhhh farking brilliant

Dead people munching

2005-08-01T16:25:00.000-07:00

This art is for an editorial about O-Bon.

My understanding is that it is a sort of Buddhist day of the dead. Relatives who have passed on follow a paper lantern trail to their families home and a place is set for them at the dinner table.

(click click clik)

Since last session:

Last drink:
Beer at Six Flags on Saturday. Budweiser, roller coasters, sun, and some Walrus!

Read: Lots of comics!

Smoke and Guns, Story: Kirsten Baldock Art Fabio: Moon hh
I did not like this as much as I thought I would. Cigarette girls in French maid outfits in matrix like gun fights. Moon's art is sound, and well paced but not very sexy. The problem I think is that Baldock's story is all about sexiness nd without that it is just kind of some stuff that happens.

Dead West, Rick Spears and Rob G. hhhh
Cowboys versus Zombies!! How can you go wrong? No I am not kidding. Cowboays versus Zombies. It is really well done too. What moroe do you need to know? C-o-w-b-o-y-s V-e-r-s-u-s Z-o-m-b-I-e-s.

Rose Charles Vess and Jeff Smith hhh
Vess's art is very pretty and suits the Bone world well, but we already knew all of this went down. Fun to see the old members of the bone casts as teenagers, but I am sick of prequels.

Naruto Volume 6, Masahi Kishimoto hh
When he is on Kishimoto can do ninja battles like no other. When he is off, like the first half of this book, the fights become too elaborate and impossible to follow.
Towards the end when everyone is downed but one chacter, the story gains more focus.

Watched: War of the Worlds, Steven Spielberg hhh
Same plot as the book, though a different story. Does everyone remember the book is just a disaster story? An 'OMG what if aliens existed and they attacked our planet?!' kind of way. This does that well. I had trouble watching Tom Cruise and not thinking he is a crazy carazy man.

Listened to: HiHi PuffyAmy Yumi hh
Cotaining the songs from the Teen Titans, Scooby Doo too, and their own cartoon; I am about 20 years older than their target demographic. This is mostly the work of producer Andy Sturmer (of Jellyfish fame). He leads Ami and Yumi through many different styles of "popular American music." Results: even the few decent tracks end up sounding derivative.

Outdoor Type

2005-07-20T23:41:00.000-07:00

PROLOGUE:
All of the sketches below were created in the Carlson Iceberg Wilderness on a four day backpacking adventure.

They are divided by what seem to be the three largest activities involved in backpacking such as we do.

Camping (setting up camp, sitting around camp, sleeping, watching the fire and pooing).
Eating (constantly snacking on dehydrated goods,jerky, and GORP).
Wandering in the woods (getting lost).

PART I
CAMPING

We set up camp on a mountain's belly button of pebble, gravel, and grass. It was just high enough to dissuade many of the mosquitoes and low enough that climbing down to the lake was not terribly tedious (said lake was still alive with Mozzies).

Above was drawn at the butt crack of dawn.
I was perched on a shelf of rock just above the camp that contained patterns and shapes resembling a human chess board.

All parts of my body were covered (except nose and mouth) to avoid the bugs that were still out in force. Many kept bouncing of my sunglasses.

View of the 'chess board' from camp. It is the only watercolor I did on site. My first in years. Water color is hard.

Steve built most of the fires.
At one point he became obsessed with putting most of a fallen tree into the flame. This was around the time he offered us: the power to bring water to a boil by staring at it for two minutes, if only we would have 'white meat' tattooed on our chest.

Steve and Ian hanging the bear bag on the first night.

Steve: Do you think there is a little Charlie Brown in all of us?
Ian: No.

PART II
WANDERING

First (and only) water source encountered on the trek to the site. Everyone stopped to fill water bottles and dunk their heads.

Our first day hike.
We were only a little lost when Terri and Guy begin checking the map.

Afterwards we were way more lost. I fear I am mostly to blame.

In those wanderings we found this reservoir. It looked very Edward Gorey, with placid grey water and creepy half submerged trees everywhere.
We swam around pushing the steely dead logs that bobbed on its surface. Also, it contained oddly placed warm spots, but that may have been Steve peeing.

Below our camp was Sword Lake (we think).

Steve promised us that we 'would never amount to anything' if we did not go in.
We swam in it much, Guy the most. He will be absurdly successful in all his endeavors.

A long afternoon was spent opposite this bank (above) eating tiny cheeses and reading.
I never bothered putting sunblock on my feet, because this is the only time they were not swathed in hiking books. Whoops (see last drawing).

PART III
Eating

Notice the foil wrapped potatoes in the upper right. They would live in the fire all night and then be cooked in the morning.

Noelle cutting up chunks of salami while talking in a slow deep voice.

Adam was the coffee keeper, key master and gate keeper. Here he is brewing a cup.

Noelle enjoying said coffee, thinking "I loved him, but I was not 'in' love with him."

As the sun rises over our camp we would grow increasingly short on shade.
On the last day we huddled near the lip of the chess board like Gollums running from light.

THE DAY AFTER or REVENGE OF THE SUN

Here are my way sexy feet.

This was done in my bathroom with colored pencil. That'll learn me.

Materials: All images were drawn using 05 pigma pens on a bendable (able to stuff in your pocket) now-ragged sketchbook. The blue washes were done on site with a Sumi water-capsule brush loaded with Dr. Martin's cerulean blue dye and water.
Other color was added later using photoshop and a Wacom tablet (while referring to notes and guides I made at the time).

Since last session:

* Last Drink: PBR. I bet Ice-9 she could not talk about her new beau for two hours. She lost only by thirty seconds. Hence the cheap-o, beer-o.

* Read: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling: hhhhh
Better than book five! This is the first half of the last Potter story. It starts off fast and intense and does not break until half of the cast is covered in blood, bruises, or toast.
For all you Harry nay-sayers go to a book store on the final Potter-eve and watch the crowds of people cheer when the cart of new fiction is rolled from the storeroom.
That is right, cheering for fiction.

* Watched: I was in the woods (that is not a movie, I really was).

* Listened to: The Monochrome Set, I do not know which record. hhhh
It was playing in Noelle's car on the way up. I need have Ian make me a copy it was good.

RATING SCALE h Utter shite hh Don't bother hhh Average hhhh nicely done hhhhh farking brilliant

Sunburned and Sore

2005-07-05T11:08:00.000-07:00

Last night I returned from a four-day backpacking excursion.
Right now I am in a fair amount of pain, but it was "hell of" enjoyable.
I sketched a fair amount and will post them once I scan and clean a bit.

(sorry to all those whose e-mail's I've not responded to in two weeks, I was in Anaheim before backpacking).

To tide you over until then:
Here is the first panel of Claviger Chapter Two

It is based/inspired by this Eilshemius panting.

If you never have, check out some of his work. He is mostly famous for these odd, flying, nudes.

Since last session:
Drinks: I think I am going to pull this after this post. I never really know, and unless it leads to a fun story I don't see the point, yeah?

Read: Where I am calling from Raymond Carver: hhhhh
Brilliance. I am not a fan of short stories as a general rule, but this may be as good as it gets. If you haven't read Carver, do so. At the very least next time you are in a book store pick this collection up and read Distance it will make your knees shiver.

Watched: Kamikaze Girls: hhh
Two cute, wacky, Japanese girls gallivanting in and around Tokyo. One is a sort of Mafia-esque biker, the other a gothic lolita.
Wacky slapstick fun, but the pacing begins to fail towards the movie's end.

Listened to: The Notwists, Neon Golden: hhhh
First heard this in Ice-9's car and begged for more. The internet describes them as melancholy electro pop. I am not sure if that is right, but I guess it is close enough. At times they sound like a ka-smooshed John Cameron Mitchell, Yo Le Tengo, and what? Royksopp maybe? I dunno. It is quite pleasant though.

RATING SCALE h Utter shite hh Don't bother hhh Average hhhh nicely done hhhhh farking brilliant

Polaroids from Mars

2005-06-22T18:18:00.000-07:00

Hard at work on the second Chapter of Claviger.
While most of it takes place in bars, bedrooms, and Brooklyns a few Avalon places are introduced that become pivotal much later.
Hence all this concept stuff. The two sketches following this post were originally to be the dwelling of the Muses, but I decided it needed to be prettier so I scrapped those.

Since last session:

* Drinks: I don’t right know.
It’s been a while since I posted and I’ve been on a bit of a downward swing.
The night before last, after a Spaten Dark a group headed to Lucky 13 where we alternated between Erotic Photo Hunt, pool, and smoking cigars JB had bought us when she was in Mexico. That’s livin’.

* Read: Peanuts the Art of Chalres Schulz Edited and Designed by Chip Kidd: hhhhh Schulz work completely groundbreaking when he began drawing the strip in 1950. As most of his invovations have become common place it is easy to forget. Peanuts belabors that point, but it is one worth knowing. Any fan of sequential art should read this. Kidd's design work, as always, is a pleasure as well.

* Watched: Howl's Moving Castle hhhh The charm in Miyaazaki’s work is his abilty to surprise and delight in a child like fasion. Like some of his other best stuff, Howl's sense of wonder is evocative of and delight as, Carroll's.
* Listened to: Sleater Kinney @ The Great American Music Hall hhh (show, not record)
While I’ve never disliked Sleater Kinney, I've found it a struggle to listen to more than a few songs in one sitting. I was more than content though to listen to them for as long as they played and was still clamoring for a second encore. All that I find grating on their records seemed charming live. I should have gone to a show early.

* Cockney Slang of the day: Didn't Ought = Port (wine) Cause proper ladies ought not to drink and would refuse in such a way when they were offered. The bitches.

RATING SCALE h Utter shite hh Don't bother hhh Average hhhh nicely done hhhhh farking brilliant

Old_Delphi-2

2005-06-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

Old_Delphi-2
Originally uploaded by claviger.

More concept art for second Chapter of Claviger.

Old-delphi

2005-06-19T19:47:00.000-07:00

Old-delphi
Originally uploaded by claviger.

More concept art for second Chapter of Claviger.

Retreat from the Sun

2005-06-05T22:45:00.000-07:00

Book Learnin'
Originally uploaded by claviger.

I bought a skateboard for an Oxford Scholar last week.
I've been riding it to work everyday and it makes me ridiculously happy.
Other things are pretty rough right now, but here's some magazine illustration.

Since last session:
* Drinks: 6. I seem to only drink beer these days. What happened to vodka?

* Read: Transformations hhhhh Anne Sexton.
Retelling of the Grimm fairytales. Maybe my favorite book of poems. Right now it is at least. Each one is perfect,and her preambles to each tale are as delicious (if not more so) as the poems themselves. Also, a fine introduction by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. How could you go wrong?

* Watched: Closer. hhhh I have this thing for movies about selfish people hurting each other and then being miserable. Like Alfie or Igby Goes Down. Sadly, I think it is due to most experinces in my adult life. If you have that thing, you will like this too. If not...

* Listened to: Tullycraft - Disenchanted Hearts Unite, hhhh Tullycraft records should all come with patches and bumper stickers that say 'Hug me,I am listening to Tullycraft.' This record is no exception. Not as immidietely endearing as thier previous works, but there are at least four stand out tracks.

* Cockney Slang of the day: Bill and Ben = Pen

RATING SCALE h Utter shite hh Don't bother hhh Average hhhh nicely done hhhhh farking brilliant

More sketching

2005-05-31T21:48:00.000-07:00

Sketch Crawl Three (my second) was the weekend before this.
My results are below. I tried a new, faster, less meticulous, drawing approach, but I dunna' if it worked.

Since last session:

* Drinks: 18 but I just had my heart punched. So maybe that's okay.

* Read: Flowers and Bees hhhh Vol 1-7, Myocco Anno.

Shojo manga made for boys. The story of a young man doing his best to attract hot chicks and become a stud. He enexorabley fails, but it is fun to watch the man getting his eyebrows waxed, and buy cool pants for the ladies, instead of seeing weepy shojo girls being mistreated. Vol. 7 is the last of the series, the first few volumes are the best. The last two pick back up,

* Watched: Palindromes. h Ugh. The new Tod Solondz film. I cannot tell you if it was good or not because I spent the entire time trying not to vomit. I had not thought anything could make me feel as uncomfortable as Happiness.

* Listened to: Wolf Parade EP, hhhhh What the hell are these guys? Post-Interpol destructed glam rock from Canada???! Shit, all I know is they kick my white ass (that and whatever the Aspirin Kid told me) Their Sub Pop debut is later this year, but get their EP from Cheap thrills if you can.

* Cockney Slang of the day: Currant Cakes=Shakes (often refers to having the DT's)

RATING SCALE h Utter shite hh Don't bother hhh Average hhhh nicely done hhhhh farking brilliant

Embarcadero Station

2005-05-31T21:43:00.000-07:00

Embarcadero
Originally uploaded by claviger.

(from Sketch Crawl three)

Filbert House

2005-05-31T21:42:00.000-07:00

FilbertHouse
Originally uploaded by claviger.

This was house hidden away on the Filbert Steps. It was rad and old and look liked a Wyeth painting.

Ghiradelli Square

2005-05-31T21:41:00.001-07:00

Ghiradelli
Originally uploaded by claviger.

(from Sketch Crawl three)

Jazz Man at Embarcadero

2005-05-31T21:41:00.000-07:00

JazzMan
Originally uploaded by claviger.

(from Sketch Crawl three)

tele-toliet

2005-05-31T21:40:00.000-07:00

tele-toliet
Originally uploaded by claviger.

(from Sketch Crawl three)

telegraph hill

2005-05-31T21:39:00.000-07:00

telegraph hill
Originally uploaded by claviger.

(from Sketch Crawl three)

Return of the Plot

2005-05-24T10:40:00.000-07:00

Here is my five-word, short, non-spoiler Revenge of the Sith review:
Fuck you, I liked it.

Here is the longer one:

George Lucas finally succeeded in creating what’s been his supposed intention for the last twenty years. Namely, create a big-budget, Saturday matinee serial. The kind with swordsmen, cowboys, space ships, evil wizards ,and ham-fisted dialogue all rolled into one. The problem most of us have with this is that the first trilogy has became so much more. They aren’t my movies though, they are his. It just took this long to realize it.

I started drawing because I needed to make new Star Wars adventures. Jedi knights and Sith Lords covered my walls and notebooks. Of course at the time I called them bad Jedi and good Jedi. I also thought ‘the force’ was synonymous with ‘lightsaber’ due to poor wording on my Empire Strikes Back book and record (you will know it is time to turn the page when you hear Artoo-Deeto beep, like this). Hey, I was five.
When I was thirteen I made about a dozen Star Wars home movies on my parents camcorder. Some with toys, some with cardboard sabers and bb guns (I decided I was the smartest person ever when coming up with the idea of loading red party straws into the air-rifle to fire ‘blaster’ shots). The camera I broke three years later filming a climatic ‘Millennium Falcon crashes into Tatooine’ scene.
When I was Seventeen I started my first ‘novel’. It was set in the Star Wars universe and filled with the absurd amount of knowledge gleaned from running Star Wars RPG games for something like 6 years.
That was my Star Wars.

Then I saw the Phantom Menace.
When the opening scrawl inched across the screen Aspirin Kid turned to me and said ‘I am so excited I think blood is going to spray from my fingertips.’ After the movie I remember saying “I do not think I will ever be excited about anything again. Nothing ever lives up to expectations. It all turns into shit.” A gross overstatement, but exactly how I felt at the time: heartbroken.

Attack of the Clones came and went. It was not as excruciating, but even less memorable. I felt George sat down and said, “Hmmm. We need to fill up two hours before we get to the Vader sotry…let ‘s just show Boba Fett a bunch. The kids like Boba Fett.”

And here we are. I went into the theatre thinking simply this. ‘George, just show me something I cannot feel bad about liking. I want to see some Jedi’s knocking stuff over with the force. I want a new space fight (not the RotJ one that was in Phantom, or the ESB one that was in Clowns). And I want to see Anakin fuck some Jedi up. Show me why he is the most evil thing in the galaxy. If you could throw a bunch of A New Hope references that will make the nerd in me slobber all the better (though no more of this Darth Vader sewed all the clothes that the characters wore in the other movies bullshit). I had been so beaten down that’s where I was. I just wanted to live in that universe one last time, and then let it all go. And I got it.

I cannot tell you if it was a good film. On the scale of other movies it probably was, but Star Wars is not other movies. What I got was the realization that this is just a movie and these characters are not mine, and that is okay. We cannot hang on to our childhoods forever. If this is the way this part of mine ends, fine. I’ve grown up, and I can like the movies George is trying to make for himself. I should be making my own stories now instead of telling him why Artoo can’t fly, anyway.

Oh, and those four duels were pretty neat.

What say you my little padawans?

A-B-O's

2005-05-04T11:59:00.000-07:00

A-B-O's
Originally uploaded by claviger.

Needed art for an article in the Shojo magazine.
Couldn't find anything so I drew this.

The joys of art-directing.

Sketch Crawl

2005-04-28T21:35:00.000-07:00

A few months back I went to an art show for Ronnie Del Carmen and Enrico Casarosa. There I learned about the sketch crawl they have. It is like a pub crawl, only drawing: ALL DAY.

The Second World Wide Sketch Crawl was the next day. I met them in Union Square then spent the day wandering with somewhere around 30 artists drawing everything in sight. Wee whooo!

I've meant to post some results for awhile. They are now below.

Since last session:

* Drinks: 3-ish. Just with dinners.

* Read: Cecil Beaton's Diaries, 1922-1933 The Wandering Years: hhhh
First hand account of the life of one of 20th Centuries most celebrated fashion Photographers. A likeable snob's journey of success and a fascinating caricature of the artists and socialites of the twenties and thirties. Beaton spends days with crowds as diverse as Greta Garbo and Fred Astaire to Picasso and Gertrude Stein, to the King and Queen of England. All the while more concerned with what flowers he has purchased for his flat and how fashionably dressed he is.
The only fault of the The Wanderings Years is the lack of any romances of the protagonist. Heartache is mentioned once or twice but never elaborated upon. Perhaps one did not admit to being quite so gay in the 1930's.

* Watched: Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy hh Eh. I recall these books being extremely witty. They either dumbed them down for the screen, or it's cause I was 12 when I read them.

* Listened to: The Unicorns, Who will cut our hair when we are gone? hhhh Just like a pudding pop, this record is sloppy and sweet. The best use of a penny whistle ever.

* Cockney Slang of the day: Oliver Twist= Pissed (drunk)

Far East Gifts

2005-04-28T19:32:00.000-07:00

FarEastGift
Originally uploaded by claviger.

Sketch Crawl, drawing five.
Far East Gifts-Chinatown, San Francisco
(3/26/05)

Coppola's

2005-04-28T19:31:00.001-07:00

Coppalas
Originally uploaded by claviger.

Sketch Crawl, drawing four.
Coppala's-North Beach, San Francisco
(3/26/05)

citylights

2005-04-28T19:30:00.000-07:00

citylights
Originally uploaded by claviger.

Sketch Crawl, drawing three.
Citylights bookstore-Poetry Room, San Francisco
(3/26/05)

Chinatown

2005-04-28T19:29:00.000-07:00

chinatown
Originally uploaded by claviger.

Sketch Crawl, drawing two.
Chinatown, San Francisco
(3/26/05)

Union-bridge

2005-04-28T19:28:00.000-07:00

Union-bridge
Originally uploaded by claviger.

Sketch Crawl, drawing one.
Overpass-near Union Square, San Francisco

APE

2005-04-23T09:08:00.000-07:00

Alternative Press Expo was splendid.
Met all kinds of cool people, and got to spend some quality time with Demo, Reman Mythology, and Wasted Minds who visited for four days. I miss those ladies the second they left. Such a good bunch. It is fun to talk comics and romance.
Reman, and Demo were part of this Flight anthology (see below) affording me the wonderful opportunity to meet many of the creators over dinner and then a game of Cranium. I am awful @ anagrams I realize.

Since last session:

* Drinks: 2, beers. Last night with Workgirl. I fear there are some Workgirl stories coming.

* Read: Flight, Book two.

  The best APE find. 450-full color pages of comics. The stories are moslty sci-fi and supernatrual but there are some more mundane adventures. It's great blah blah, go the Flight website.
 * Watched: Sin City. hhhh not genius, but good. They tried really hard to do something different and I appreciated that.
* Listened to: Roykosopp, Melody A.M. hhh Lately I have been trying to find less agressive sounds to fill the studio. When trying to draw I find most music distracting. This little piece of candy fit the bill nicely. Mellow catchy electronica from some Norwegians. It's got that song that plays when you first turn on a new i-computer.
* Cockney Slang of the day: Red 'n' Yella = Umbrella.

RATING SCALE h Utter shite hh Don't bother hhh all right hhhh nicely done hhhhh farking brilliant

Save a secret for the moon

2005-04-14T06:50:00.000-07:00

Work has been crazy. I had been trying to finish designing the first issue of the Shojo magazine (approvals need to go to Japan this week) and complete the comic for APE.
I would go to work at 8:00-9:00 stay there until around 8:00. Get dinner on the way home and then work on Claviger until 2:00-3:00. That was pretty much all week.
I finished it though. Stapled it 1:00 Friday night, plenty of time to spare.

The book is a reworking of the first issue. It is now 32 pages (instead of 12), the text has been changed and many panels redone. I am much more pleased with it.

Here is the new first chapter page:

Since last session:

* Drinks: 1, a bottle of hot Sake shared with workgirl over some sushi.
* Read: Dress your family in Corduroy. Sedaris hhhh
As good as Naked (which I preferred to Me Talk Pretty One Day). David Sedaris is an unapologetic jerk and paranoid as hell. It is why I love Seinfeld too.
* Watched: Million-Dollar Baby. hhhh I had no desire to see this, but I am glad I did. The acting was spot on. I am glad Morgan Freeman finally one an Oscar for his super-smart Janitor guy he always plays. Sure it’s the same every time; but he does it so well, and makes me want to hug him.
I felt worse after watching Requiem for a Dream, but only a little, take that as a warning.
* Listened to: The Two Ep's, Smoky and Miho hhhh
Spicy salsa Jazz feautring Miho Hitori (of Cibbo Matto/Gorillaz) and Smokey Hormel (Beck/Tom Waits). This record makes me want to make out with someone on a beach. I shake my hips when I am not careful.
* Cockney Slang of the day: Oxford Scholar = Dollar.

An awful phone call

2005-04-02T15:23:00.000-08:00

A former acquaintance called me yesterday and told me that someone I had dated briefly a few summers ago has committed suicide.

She had moved to France to escape her father. It seems he was unable to make it on his own, and followed her out there. My understanding was they did not get on all that well, and I have always suspected some form of abuse when she was younger.
One day her father is waiting for her to meet him for lunch. When she does not show, he returns to "their" apartment to find she has hung herself.

Those were all the details I received as those were all my friend had been told. The girl certainly had issues, but she was a very sweet woman. Unsettling and tragic.

There is so much death in this world.

Since last session:
* Drinks: 3, but I have a nasty hangover. 2 beers and 1 glass of champagne. Perhaps it is mixing the grape and the grain.
* Read: The Gunslinger. hhh The first of King's enormous fantasy epic, as he put is: his version of LOTR. I used to love King when I was younger (didn't everyone?) but I feel I have outgrown much of his work. This (and by' this' I mean all of the Dark Tower books) will be the last of his I will read. All that being said, it was a rad book in a pulp-western kind of way.
* Watched: Aviator. h Awful. Worse even than Gangs of New York. Why do all big directors begin to suck when they get old? The pacing was terrible, almost nothing was resolved and I think characters only interacted with each other in one scene.
* Listened to: Bright Eyes, I'm wide awake it's morning. hhh Fine, but I expected a lot more.
* Cockney Slang of the day: Perry Como =Homosexual. "Everyone knows he's a bit of a Perry"

RATING SCALE h Utter shite hh Don't bother hhh Average hhhh nicely done hhhhh farking brilliant

Concept Art Workshop

2005-03-29T16:13:00.001-08:00

The people at Concept Art had a workshop a few months back.
Go to that link, they explain it better than I can.

It was extremely cool, though. Much like a musical festival of art, with all of these different creators sitting on various stages giving demos or answering questions. Most everyone's sketchbook I saw was amazing.

They always had models posing on the main stage to draw. They were dressed like superhero's and held superb poses.
Here's one of mine:

Noise Pop 2005

2005-03-26T09:47:00.000-08:00

There were so many bands playing in the Bay Area for a week that I missed many. Below were some I saw in or around Noise Pop.

Polysics @ Hotel Utah: Japanese elector/pop/punk. Wearing red jump suits, breast patches, and black visors they hoped around and did erratic Devo-esque dances to electronic computer pops and whiny guitars. Think New Invisibles only more aggressive. And the lead singer yelling very slowly “We are...Poly-sics. From JAP-pannnnn. Koninchiwa" in between songs.

Kings of Convenience @ the great American Music Hall: If Belle and Sebastian are too loud for you this is the way to go. Tender virgin-boy pop from a duo of Swedes. The best crowd I have seen in awhile. During the closing number, when the fuzzy haired, lad with the coke-bottle lenses starting taping around the stage singing, “I would rather dance, I’d rather dance, than talk with you” they erupted in applause and began dancing themselves.

Portastatic @ Bottom of the Hill: Jim Wilbur was substituting for the bassist. Therefore it was half of Superchunk and Mac’s fatter brother. In true chunk fashion all of the song were belted in double time. Most of the crowd were attending for the opener ‘Heavenly States,’ and talked through the set. This one fat guy and myself were jumping monkey-like near the front in time with the performers. I thought it was superb.

Modest Mouse @ The Berkley High Theatre: After they played ‘Float on’ mid way through the set the teenagers behind me started to discuss what shirt color would match their wardrobe better.
Jeremiah has returned and the band kept the drummer they took up in his absence, making for a riotous percussion section and boosting their noise level tremendously. Still, Modest Mouse is not arena rock. It felt awkward. I learned this though: the new songs are better live. The old songs crush the news ones.

Slint @ Great American Music Hall. A superb set from some late 80’s indy rock pioneers. Too metal for my current tastes, but the guitarists was able to weave some incredible screeches and squarks from his ‘ax.’

Since last session:

Drinks: 7
Read: The Vampire Lestat, Rice: hh
• The vampire chronicles are super hero stories. Instead of spider sense, they can read minds. Instead of spandex they wear cloaks. They fly, they punch through walls, they have a healing factor. All the books follow vampires who only feed on “the blood of the evil doer.” So there that is.
•I only read Interview last month, I figured it was about time. Everyone said that this second novel (Lestat)was superior to the first. The opening half was, but the second portion became bogged down dull backstory. All of which (I am assuming) is a set up for book three. Which I suppose I will read, than to hell with all of these vampires.
Watched: The Englishmen who went up a hill but came down a mountain: hh
Bah. Bor-ring and predictable, even with all the cute welsh accents.
Listened to: Muse, Absolution. hhh
Some good bits. Unless you’re a completist, burn yor buddies. Very Ok Computer.
Cockney Slang of the day: Orange and Pear = Swear.

The Rotting Strip

2005-03-20T13:09:00.000-08:00

A few weeks back, ‘Kitten’ noticed a prevalent gas smell in my apartment. I checked the stove, and the heater. All were turned off. Not having a sense of smell I soon forgot about this strangeness.
Three days ago, when passing the apartment adjacent mine (we have a common wall dividing our kitchen and bathroom) there was a large black sticker covering the doorframe.
“Placed by the Chief Health Inspector of San Francisco. The removal of this device is a felony.” The signature of the C.H.I. and a few other blokes were scribbled a crossed.

I have discerned the following from the maintenance fellow:

The thirty-year-old Asian man living next door,who sported the Prada shoes and the Burberry ties had died. Rent had not been paid. After trying to contact him multiple times the landlord called the police to break the door down. There he was. In the apartment. Crack pipes littering the floor around what was left of him.

I say ‘what was left of him’ as I found out just today that he had not died two weeks ago, as previously though, but two months ago. You know, about ten feet from where I sleep, eat, and shower.

Pleasant dreams!

Since last session:

Drinks: 6, wine mostly
Read: South of the Border, West of the Sun By Hurakai Murakami: hhhh Not as epic as Wind-up bird, but very endearing and pleasant to read. A simple tail of true love and how it destroys you.
Watched: Funny Face: hhh The only time Hepburn and Astaire were together on screen. If that is your kind of thing, you will love it.
Listened to: Portastatic, Autumn was a lark. hh A bit of a let down. Not nearly as enticing as Summer of the Shark.
Cockney Slang of the day: Lemon Curd=Turd

Messenger Bot (concept 2)

2005-03-14T19:03:00.000-08:00

concept-one
Originally uploaded by claviger.

Some concept sketches for a little messenger droid that appears in the second chapter of Claviger.

Messenger Bot (concept 1)

2005-03-14T19:02:00.000-08:00

concept-two
Originally uploaded by claviger.

Some concept sketches for a little messenger droid in the second chapter of Claviger.

New drinks for old drunks

2005-02-15T18:47:00.000-08:00

Eric Bachman, Ben Gibbard, Jonathan Richman, and Mark Kozelek played a Tsunami benefit show last week.

Due to an office-packing-party workgirl and I were already drunk by the time we were standing outside the venue. Angry looking scalper dudes charging $60 for the $20 tickets kept giving me nasty looks when I would ask people for extras.
Five minutes before the show started a kid handed me a ticket. Thank you, ticket kid.

Eric played first; A lot of new tunes and a few classic Crooked Fingers, plus some covers. Jonathan Richman was bouncing around interrupting his own songs to talk to the audience.

Mark Kozelek pointed to a group of high schoolers in the front row (it was an all ages show).
"Hey when does the school bus get here. Good thing they added Jonathan to the bill so I am not the oldest person in the room. Bah,all you kids want to here is your Modest Mouse and Interpol. Your Franz-something and your Post Office."
He then played Trucker’s Atlas, Third Planet, and All-night Diner.

Ben was last. He was sporting a really fuzzy beard and had put on a lot of weight. He played both Death Cab and Postal Service tunes (including Photoboth, yayy!), and began with a cover of Web In Front. He was gushing over Eric pretty much his whole set.

Since last session:

Drinks: 12
Read: Demo issue 9 Mixtape: hhhh The best of the Demo series so far. Becky's work is really pretty. You owe it to yourself to read this Words/Brian Wood, Art/Becky Cloonan
Watched: Mulan, Special Edition: h What a piece of crap. If I had rembered how bad it was I would have yanked it from my Queue.
Listened to: Polyphonic Spree. hhh h I am obssesed with that Reach for the Sun song. I dunno why. It just happened.
Cockney Slang of the day: Vera Lynn (Gin)

The Ambition Bird

2005-01-01T08:51:00.000-08:00

So it has come to this
insomnia at 3:15 A.M.,
the clock tolling its engine

like a frog following
a sundial yet having an electric
seizure at the quarter hour.

The business of words keeps me awake.
I am drinking cocoa,
that warm brown mama.

I would like a simple life
yet all night I am laying
poems away in a long box.

It is my immortality box,
my lay-away plan,
my coffin.

All night dark wings
flopping in my heart.
Each an ambition bird.

The bird wants to be dropped
from a high place like Tallahatchie Bridge.

He wants to light a kitchen match
and immolate himself.

He wants to fly into the hand of Michelangelo
anc dome out painted on a ceiling.

He wants to pierce the hornet's nest
and come out with a long godhead.

He wants to take bread and wine
and bring forth a man happily floating in the Caribbean.

He wants to be pressed out like a key
so he can unlock the Magi.

He wants to take leave among strangers
passing out bits of his heart like hors d'oeuvres.

He wants to die changing his clothes
and bolt for the sun like a diamond.

He wants, I want.
Dear God, wouldn't it be
good enough to just drink cocoa?

I must get a new bird
and a new immortality box.
There is folly enough inside this one.

    -Anne Sexton