Illustration Friday: Superhero

Look at his legs twitch. He may be asleep on the rug in front of the fireplace, but in his dreams he's chasing those jackrabbits he never caught in his youth. Before the leash laws caught up to us out here, before the condos and ticky-tacky houses took over the two meadows just north of us, on our morning and afternoon walks he ran free. He ran with the jackrabbits that were always just out of his reach. We used to see foxes right where the apartments are now. And burrowing owls... I remember a family or two of those funny little birds with their bobbing heads... their holes were paved over with a cul-de-sac. All that has changed in just ten years. Oh, look now... he's barking in little blips. He's having a good one... Super Blackie must be terrorizing the rabbits tonight. Poor old deaf pooch.

Peace to everyone, and stay close to your superheros.

Illustration Friday: 80s

"Yeah, my nephew got that new Nintendo game deal for Christmas. Christmas afternoon everyone took a turn on it. I embarrassed myself. Couldn't get the hang of it," Charlie said. "No aptitude for it, I guess."

Louie shook his head and drained the last of his beer. "Tell me about it. Last video game I could ever play was PacMan. 'Member that one?"

A sheepish smile came over Charlie's face. "Don't remind me of the 80s. I spent half of that decade trying to drink myself to death and the other half repenting. Less said of that time the better."

Charlie threw a tennis ball across the lawn for his dog to retrieve. The dog gave the ball a tired glance and waddled over to his water dish. "Couldn't play that PacMan game either. Hated that crazy music and those weird sound effects." He sighed, then turned to Louie quickly. "Hey, how about a game of pool? Now there's a game."

Louie nodded, "Yeah... timeless."

Peace to you all, and watch out for Blinky, Inky, Clyde, and that other ghost, whatever his name was.

Illustration Friday: Buzz

The alarm sounded at 5:30; not that Harry needed it. His brain had crackled and popped all night under the weight of those last words before she left: "The last ten of these thirty years have been hell."

She took only her toothbrush. She left the rest of those years behind. Left it all with Harry... the twenty-odd pairs of shoes (some odd); the good china and the everyday dinnerware; the toothless cat and the hairless dog. Harry got it all.

She swept it all away with her little brush and took the clothes on her back down the walkway and around the corner, and that was that.

Harry's brain had buzzed all night, and he knew the neighbors would be buzzing before the end of the day, and he hoped Mr. Coffee (she'd left that, too; she'd left all of it) would provide enough buzz to get him through the day.

Peace to all, and keep the buzz respectable.

Illustration Friday: Phoenix

“The phoenix hope, can wing her way through the desert skies, and still defying fortune's spite; revive from ashes and rise.”

-Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra


Yeah, well, I got this Wacom tablet for Christmas, and now I've gotta figure it out. So, while I'm figuring and testing it, I'll try different things out on the IF posts. As with a lot of what I do, I find the most difficult thing is figuring out when to quit... so here's sort of an overdone illustration.

And then, below is the post I didn't get done in time for 'peace' last week. Not at all what I had in mind, but I just couldn't get my original idea to quite come together.

So, peace to everyone this last weekend of '06, and here's to the wish that hope for good things will rise up out of the ashes of this battered year.

Illustration Friday: Help

"The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government, and I'm here to help.'"
- Ronald Reagan

Actually, after I'd already started on the drawing, I heard someone from Mississippi speak and say that the government now was doing a pretty good job down there helping Katrina victims.

Don't know who this guy's s'posed to be... just some bureaucrat.

And now, a BONUS feature!!!

Because I've missed so many weeks... (no excuses, chalk it up to laziness and life in general)... I'm gonna get all caught up in one swell foop. Below please see my post for

CLEARTHANKSGIVINGINVENTIONMIGHTMASK...

Bartholomew could not mask his concern that clear Sunday afternoon after Thanksgiving, when, on a stroll with Myra, his intended, they met Reginald. Was it an invention of his mind or might there have been a twinkle in Myra's eye as Reginald tipped his hat?

Peace to all, and find someone who could use a helping hand... or just a tip of the hat.

Illustration Friday: Smoke

Five firefighters lost their lives battling the Esperanza Fire in Southern California last month:

Pablo Cerda, 23
Daniel Hoover-Najera, 20
Mark Loutzenhiser, 43
Jason McKay, 27
Jess McLean, 27

The blaze was a result of arson, which should be considered an act of terrorism.

Smokey the Bear needs to shed his nice-guy image and start baring his teeth.

Peace to you and deepest respects to the families of the fallen five.

Illlustration Friday: Wind

Thursday night... almost didn't make this week's post. Started doodling and ended up with a wild-haired dude in a trench coat. Put him up on a cliff in the wind. Don't think he's gonna jump, but I really don't know what he's up to. Communicating with, or shouting at, God?

Peace, and may the wind always be at your back.

Illustration Friday: Ghost

I figured the 'ghost' topic was chosen in honor of Halloween, and since I'm not a big fan of Halloween, I thought I'd do something connected to Dia de los Muertos. For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, I grabbed this from www.diadelosmuertos.us (it explains much better than I can):

Dia de los Muertos is celebrated throughout Mexico and the Southwest states, and coincides with the Christian All Souls and All Saints Days. On November 1st and 2nd people remember those who are deceased. November 1st is considered the Dia de los Angelitos—the day to remember children that have died, November 2nd is the traditional Dia de los Muertos (day of the dead). Pictures of the deceased are placed on Dia de los Muertos altars with their favorite food and drink. Candles to light their way home, and soap and water to freshen-up after their long trip back are also often placed on altars. Trinkets they were fond of, symbols they would understand, and gifts are left to communicate to them that they are always in the hearts of those they left behind, and that they are still part of the family even though they aren’t physically with us any longer.

José Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913), a political cartoonist, created many art pieces of calaveras (skeletons, though the literal translation is 'skulls', I believe). This illustration is an homage to one of Posada's pieces, done in modern dress.

This is the 52nd week in a row I've put something up on Illustration Friday. It's been a wonderful experience. From the start people checked in and commented with encouragement and insightful observations. Every week the IF site hosts scores (yea, hundreds) of unique takes on a given topic. I've been inspired by the fresh creativity on a weekly basis, regretting only that time has not allowed me to check every post every week. Sort of a challenge to try to get around to some of the regular commentors before they post a comment to me... something I rarely accomplish. Seems I'm always playing 'catch up.'

Well, gotta go. Blackie needs to go out for his evening constitutional before bedtime. Peace to all, and stay safe.

Illustration Friday: Smitten

As closing time drew near, Reginald realized that Myra was quite possibly the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

Peace to one and all, and drink responsibly.

Illustration Friday: Trouble

On one particularly boring day some 5,000 years ago -- it may have been closer to 5,000,000 years ago, but who's counting? -- First Woman Eve was lolling about under a shady palm. She was bored. Nothing was wrong particularly. Maybe that was the problem... everything was always... well... right. She sighed a sigh, stretched her arms lazily, and surveyed the compound.

Nice enough place, everything she needed was within easy reach... water, fruit and veggies. Being vegan, she and Adam didn't even consider sampling one of the myriad creatures that ambled aimlessly about the place. And there were a bunch of them... sleeping under every rock, hanging or perched in every tree, and sunning in every open spot it seemed. In fact that lughead Adam was out finishing up his one chore... naming the last two or three dozen animals.

When Eve thought of Adam, she sighed again and knit her unblemished brow slightly. The guy was fairly good-looking and was nice enough and all, but, sheesh, he really was dumb as that creature he had named Ox. And boring... he was just plain boring. She stepped over Lion, who was dozing next to Lamb and yawned. The whole place was boring. Nothing ever happened.

That was when something coming down the lane caught her eye. It was Serpent, rolling something along in front of him. She chuckled. He wasn't soft and cuddly like Koala, or strong and fast like Horse, but he was, well... interesting. He always seemed to be up to something. He had discovered that his little hands were prehensile, like Monkey's, the better to investigate things. And just last week, he had taken to walking upright on his hind legs, imitating Adam by stumbling about and tripping over roots. Serpent made Eve laugh.

And here he was again today, but what was it that he had with him? The little guy was toiling so hard... Maybe Eve would give him a hand. As she got closer, she realized what Serpent was pushing. Oh, what had he gotten into this time? He knew better. He must have been exploring the one tree they weren't supposed to go near and had knocked off one of its fruits. The little imp.

Maybe today wasn't going to be as boring as yesterday... and the day before...

Well, dear reader, you can probablly guess what sort of trouble Serpent got Eve into that day... and how Adam stepped right into it himself. And you know the results... pain of childbirth, toiling from dawn to dark, you know, complications of life.

Oh, and Serpent lost his hands and legs.

Peace, everyone, and keep your nose out of trouble today.

Illustration Friday: Quiet

“In cities no one is quiet but many are lonely; in the country, people are quiet but few are lonely”
-Geoffrey Fisher

Peace and quiet to all.

Illustration Friday: Phobia

There are so many phobias from which to choose for this week's topic... where to begin? I went to one of the many lists online... hundreds of things to be afraid of.

One stood out, though: politicophobia, or fear of politics/politicians. That got me thinking a step further... how about the politics of fear? There's been enough said about that in the last few weeks and months as we head into the election season. Does the administration and Fox News scare me? You betcha. It's working, Dubya.

Not letting the Democrats off easy, either, though. They've allowed the Republicans to give them a phobia of the L-word (and, no, I'm not talking about the TV show of the same name). No, God forbid that anyone allow themselves to be labeled 'liberal.' When did it become bad to be a liberal?

And then there is the American voting public at large. Do we have a collective fear of the voting booth? With only 55% of the eligible voting population showing up in the last presidential election, we deserve what we get. Those who can get their 'base' out win.

Even if it's a phobia that gets them out of the house.

Peace to you all, and let's not allow our phobias to get the better of us.

Illustration Friday: Change

Here's to that quick-change artist, Clark Kent (aka: Kal-El, 'Star-Child'). As I was drawing this, I was wondering, how the heck does he tuck that big ol' cape into his pants?

Peace to everyone, and don't change just for the sake of change.

Illustration Friday: Farm

In 1974 Papa and his sisters

Sold the farm, and we went
To live in town.

Great grandpa Claus and Grandpa Chris
Had driven cattle and coddled sheep,
Had threshed grain and sprouted beans

From the 1880s to the 1970s...
Our family was there
On the valley floor...

Through flood and drought, we were there.

My boyhood was there;
My adulthood was elsewhere.
Then I ran with my dogs;
Now I walk with my ghosts.

This afternoon I walked
My dog on a leash in this city.
And I, I feel the tether 'round my own neck.

-Twisselman, 2006

Peace to all, and keep the good memories alive.
Illustration is based on a photo from the Solomon D. Butcher Collection, Neb. State Hist. Soc.

Illustration Friday: Safe

To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket--safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.
-CS Lewis

Peace to all, and give someone special the combination.

Illustration Friday: Run

We've been through some things together
With trunks of memories still to come
We found things to do in stormy weather
Long may you run.

Long may you run.
Long may you run.
Although these changes have come
With your chrome heart shining in the sun
Long may you run.

Well, it was back in Blind River in 1962
When I last saw you alive
But we missed that shift on the long decline
Long may you run.

Long may you run.
Long may you run.
Although these changes have come
With your chrome heart shining in the sun
Long may you run.

Maybe The Beach Boys have got you now
With those waves singing "Caroline No"
Rollin' down that empty ocean road
Gettin' to the surf on time.

Long may you run.
Long may you run.
Although these changes have come
With your chrome heart shining in the sun
Long may you run.

-Neil Young, "Long May You Run," 1976

Yup, Mr. Young wrote that song about his '48 Buick Roadmaster hearse, Mort, which he used as his bandmobile in the early days in Canada. Transmission went out, I think. He subsequently got another hearse, dubbed it Mort 2, drove it to L.A., and the rest is music history.

Peace, all of you, and may your run be long.

Illustration Friday: Match

The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe, to match your nature with Nature.
-Joseph Campbell

Peace to you and your nature.

Illustration Friday: Play (color version)

Yeah, here's last week's colorized.

Peace, all.

Illustration Friday: Play

Well, I haven't gotten any farther than this, sketched out last Saturday. And the week is quickly slipping by. So... in the quest to put something up and not skip a topic, I offer this takeoff on the dogs-playing-poker theme. If I get time, I'll finish it up along with the offering for the next topic.

Last Friday night my wife and I came home from the movies to find our cats, Skweex and Tiger, sitting on the living room floor playing some five-card draw. Imagine our surprise. I mean, Skweex knows Tiger isn't allowed in the house.

Peace, everyone, and never draw to an inside straight.

Illustration Friday: Capture

Someone's got hold of that peace dove again, and they're not gonna let her go. As usual, the 'collateral' damage in war includes children and senior citizens... on all sides (and there seem to be more than just two sides).

Heard a news report yesterday that said, "Americans will feel the pain of this conflict at the gas pump." Yes, actual words. Bodies are being blown apart or stuffed into bags, and we're suffering (?) at the gas nozzle.

I do not forget the families of those in our military. I pray daily that the soldiers will be coming home soon.

Maybe we can find out who's captured that tired and beaten old dove, and get them to unshackle her. Peace to all of you who read this and to all whose lives are being shattered.