Happy Halloween from Bouncing Around the Blogosphere

Acorn Skull carved with Dremmell Tool by Skull-A-Day blog founder Noah Scalin. Click on pic for more.

Dead Fly Art

Saw this over at Drawn! about 2.5 seconds ago, and I raced right on over to post it. I’ve never seen anything that so strongly grossed me out and made me laugh at the same time. See the orginal post with links to more images here.

Introducing the Bouncing Around the Blogosphere Blog

Hello, my Deep-Fried Friends,

As you know, I’ve been working on this Bouncing Around the Blogosphere feature for some time now. It’s something I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. So much so that I’ve decided to take it into a whole ‘nother realm as a blog of its very own! I’m very excited about this transition, and I hope you’ll check it.  One of the neat things this blog has allowed me to do is to compile an archive of ALL  of my Bouncing Around the Blogosphere e-mails and posts thus far. It’s still in its infancy, and I’m still working on its format and look, but please, bounce on over!

Design Can Change

designcanchange.org

Design Can Change is a network of designers that are committed to doing what is best for the environment including a realistic pledge and a directory that can be navigated through to find an eco-designer in your area. 

“Design Can Change is a non-commercial initiative aimed at bringing together the design community and making system wide change to how our work affects the planet.”

30 Dumb Inventions

Head on over to Life Magazine’s Photo Gallery to check out some dumb inventions from the 1940s – 1960s. The captions are pretty funny – worth the read. Here are a couple of my favorite photos:

 

Rainy Day Cigarette Holder, 1954

Dog Restrainer, 1940

2009 Modern Monsters Book Now Available!

In case anyone is interested, the 2009 Modern Monsters Exhibit book is now available to purchase on blurb.com. Blurb.com is a really easy way to self-publish. High quality repro and available in different formats. Below is a link to purchase book, or you can just preview (be sure to hit “full screen”). Buy one for yer Mother-in-law…she’ll love ya for it!

http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/885087

’70s Playgrounds

I ran into this post via another blog I like to read, and my heart skipped a few beats because somehow, somewhere, I’ve seen that rocketship slide. I don’t know where, and I don’t know how given that I was born in the late ’70s, and the odds of them still being around til I was big enough to play on one, while possible, are still quite slim. 

Could you imagine these today? Parents would see them more as a death trap or, at the very least, a tetanus shot just waiting to happen rather than a fun place to play. Our primary school playground had this giant spider climbing structure made out of metal and concrete similar to the one below. It never failed, every year at least one kid would hurt themselves on it, whether by falling off or tripping over one of the legs. One year, the lucky little booger was my brother. He bashed his head on the midsection somehow and had to get stitches. When the school nurse called to tell my parents that their kid fell off the spider, they knew exactly what she was talking about.

Do you have any interesting stories about how, by today’s standards, you faced certain danger while playing in your own backyard?

Click here to read the entire post.

MODERN MONSTERS Art Exhibit

Howdy Fried Fiends! Just in time for 1 of my fave months of the year…SPOOOOKY October, I’m providing a link for the MODERN MONSTERS 2009 group art exhibit @ BlahBlahgallery.com. I have 4 pieces featured in the show: 1) Octavio Perez (a werewolf from Mexico & possibly an alter ego :P), 2) Zalula the Lovesick Space Monster (self explanatory), 3) Manifestation of Peter Lorre (spontaneous mixed media with a bit of crazy beat poetry thrown in) & 4) Burning with Abe (same style as previously mentioned). I’m in the fellow company of some really well known artists/illustrators, so it’s quite an honor to be a part of the show. Cool, fun stuff—had a blast painting the pieces—the 2 spontaneous mixed media pieces are something I do in conjunction with the tighter pieces I create—just to stay loose when I’m in final detailing stages of the tight pcs. and need to limber up. Took some blood, sweat and tears to hit the deadline—but, that’s all part of the rush and the creative encounter. A book is also being published in conjunction with the show…will let you know when & where it’s available online. 

http://www.blahblahgallery.com/

En-JOOOOOOOOOOOOOY!