Doubt I will do the Monday movie trailer of the week today. Instead, here’s a recent illustration:
You can also view a high resolution version here.
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Pillar Illustration, April 2010
Month: April 2010
Going Out With Style
Through a friend’s posting on Facebook, I discovered this:
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/22/a-last-laugh-from-malcolm-mclaren/
It reads on McLaren’s coffin, “Too Fast To Live Too Young To Die.” Now I have to laugh. Don’t know about you, but age 64 wasn’t that young. Actually, it qualifies for AARP membership. McLaren didn’t have that long of a lifespan, but it wasn’t that short either. Plus, McLaren led a life full accomplishments. Regardless what one may think about this twisted impresario, he was a man of many achievements.
In the New York Times online article, it mentions fashion designer and former McLaren girlfriend Vivienne Westwood. At McLaren’s funeral, Westwood was wearing a headband with the word “Chaos.”
Part of me is snickering at that so-called styling, and a part of me thinks its absolute brilliant. Would have to admit though, when its time for your “Greater Feast” one should leave this earth with style. It’s sheer genius to have a coffin embrazed with a slogan from your personal philosophy. Like you only life once right? So on that same accord, since you only die once, you should go out with with style.
A fine example is the king of Gonzo himself, Hunter S. Thompson. Back in August 2005, his ashes were fired from a cannon during a private ceremony. The cannon was shot from a tower from Thompson’s own design along with red, white and blue fireworks. The tower design itself was in the shape of a double-thumbed fist clutching a peyote button. If that’s not pure Americana, then I don’t know what is.
http://videosift.com/video/Hunter-S-Thompsons-Gonzo-Funeral
Perhaps its time for some candid honesty. When its my time to go, I want to have a funeral to die for. Get it? “To die for”…? Okay, bad joke, but anyway. Certainly wouldn’t mind having an awesome looking coffin to be buried in. One idea is to maybe have a shiny black lacquered coffin encrusted with a rhinestones. Easy on the rhinestones though, don’t want it to look like a Liberace reject. The rhinestones could be set in an Art Deco style pattern. The inside could be padded with silky white or red satin, with rose pedals scattered on top of my body. Oh, and of course I better be dressed in my finest. Like hell I’m going to meet my maker as if I just walked out of Old Navy. I want to be a ‘Dandy In The Underworld‘
That’s just one idea for my burial. I just gave you my Hollywood Babylon theme. Other themes could be Egyptian, Norse, or just have a coffin with Santa Muerte’s likeness painted on top of the lid. Ah, the endless possibilities. Get it? Okay, another bad joke. When it comes to death, I’ve got a ton of them. Whether or not they’re actually funny is besides the point.
Another thing…don’t know if I would want people to cry at my funeral. I don’t even know if people are actually gonna attend my funeral, but whatever. Wouldn’t be nice to turn mourning into a party instead? Have a celebration about the life one lead instead of wiping away tears with a snot filled Kleenex. Doesn’t have to be all wild and decadent, but a few cocktails in my honor would be nice.
Remembering back to when I was a small child, I would sit in my bed terrified of death. (I was a strange child to begin with.) As I grew up in Queens, NY, slowly I became fascinated with various graveyards nearby my neighborhood. After all, Queens is the land of the dead. No wonder I had spent my high school years as a ‘Death Rocker.’ (That’s a ’80s term for Goth, again those who don’t know.) Going back six years, I used to watch television shows like Six Feet Under and Dead Like Me. Guess I’ve accepted the dark cloud that hoovers over me.
However its not like I think about death 24-7. I’m just not as freaked out about the concept of death like I was during my childhood. Death is one of the eternal mysteries, just like love and sex. Besides, I believe that hell is right here on earth. Especially since the majority of us humans seems to be bound by our attachments. Doesn’t matter whether the attachments are material, cardinal desires, illusions. Attachments that bring forth pain if not dealt with properly. I still have a few attachments of my own, but at least I’m working on them.
Kudos does go to Malcolm McLaren. Why? It’s due to the fact that he (or whoever handled his funeral) made it unique, and a final lasting statement.
Oh, and btw, relatives of McLaren are asking for a “minute of mayhem” today as he is buried in London’s Highgate Cemetery.
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/19/a-final-minute-of-mayhem-for-malcolm-mclaren/
Starbrite Sketch, April 2010
Haven’t posted my artwork here in a while. So here’s a quickie piece:
Also posted here: http://michelewitchipoo.deviantart.com/art/Starbrite-161490242
Listing On PaperDragonInk
There’s a listing for my two self-published comics, Psycho Bunny and Babalon Babes. It’s brief, you can check out the site here: http://paperdragonink.com/witchesbrewpress.htm
Quick Interview On SketchMaven
A few months ago, I did an interview for sketchmaven.com. A few questions here and there: http://www.sketchmaven.com/cms.php?&content=Michele_Witchipoo&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=click&utm_campaign=artistprofile
Demoni (Movie Trailer of The Week, April 19th, 2010)
The year 1985 started out like any other year during that decade. Ronald Reagan was sworn in for a second US Presidential term. Along the way Reagan made a book deal for $3 million. Video gamers took their playing to the next level with the Nintendo Entertainment System. The newspaper cartoon Calvin and Hobbes debuted in 1985. On August 31 in Los Angeles, serial killer Richard Ramirez was captured. Microsoft released Windows 1.0. Entertainment wise, LiveAid and Back To The Future was the talk of the town.
During this year, Dario Argento produced and co-wrote the film Demoni. Also internationally known under the title Demons, the film was actually directed by Argento protege Lamberto Bava.
The film trailer for the week, Demoni:
Last Gasp Turns 40
This warms my little black heart…
Death Of A Favorite Villain (Malcolm McLaren)
Whether you loved him or hated him, Malcolm McLaren did have an impact of music still being felt to this day.
McLaren is best known as the controversial, double handed yet charismatic manager behind The Sex Pistols. After a short stint as a manager for the seminal Glam band The New York Dolls, he went back to his naive U.K. and helped create the British Punk movement. Along with his former girlfriend, fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, and a dwindling English political climate, McLaren helped shaped the iconic images associated with early U.K. Punk. Let’s just say the notes he took during his time with the Dolls served him well.
Later on he added Adam & The Ants and Bow Wow Wow on his management list. Controversy followed McLaren yet again, particularly with the lead singer of Bow Wow Wow. Annabella Lwin was only 14 years old when she posed for a band publicity photo based the Manet painting The Luncheon on the Grass (Le déjeuner sur l’herbe). The images teenage dreams are made of.
Speaking of controversial album covers, my own mother was outraged. So thanks to Lwin’s nude posing, along with a Nina Hagen album these records were banned from my own household. Ah, the good old days.
Not to outdone, Malcolm went to New York City yet again, and tapped into the budding Hip Hop movement. Mixing Bronx street life, international music and English art school fashion, the result was the hit song ‘Buffalo Gals’ from the album ‘Duck Rock.’ Other solo ventures Malcolm ensued, such as the hybrid of electronic music and opera in the 1984 single ‘Madame Butterfly.’ Later solo projects, although innovative, were not as successful.
Was not aware of this fact, but supposedly Malcolm McLaren was involved with a film project, using a script by comic book writer Alan Moore. The film itself was never made. Later on, Malcolm went on to be one of the producers in the film adaptation of Fast Food Nation.
Why Malcolm McLaren could be considered a “favorite villain” was due to the fact of his questionable manger practices. During the 1980s, former members of The Sex Pistols took McLaren to court over contract rights. Johnny Lydon, formerly known as Pistols’ lead singer Johnny Rotten won and gained complete control from McLaren (and rightly so). After the Pistols’ breakup, Lydon formed the post punk band Public Image Ltd.
Personally speaking, I saw P.I.L. on concert during the mid-eighties. Not only showing my true age when admitting this; I will also humiliate myself when I tell you about accidentally getting kicked in the head by a ‘slam dancer’ (now known as ‘mosher’) during the show. Johnny Lydon insulted everyone during the entire concert, and the audience retaliated by throwing pennies at him. The pennies was the crowd’s physical way of telling Lydon he was a “sell-out.”
Back to Malcolm. My ex-boyfriend from high school met McLaren during his usher shift at a local NYC art film theater. McLaren had gone to see a movie, and my ex took his ticket stub. According to the ex, McLaren was a nice guy.
A few weeks prior to his death, somehow the song “Buffalo Gals” kept on running through my head. It was a song I had remembered from my pre-teen years. This was when I was growing up in Queens, NY. I was a huge Joan Jett fan during this period, but a friend was trying to get me into Hip-Hop. So she played “Buffalo Gals” for me. However, I was too into Rock music at this time and wasn’t willing to budge. Years later, I realized this tune was way ahead of its time.
I’ll end this with two videos posted on YouTube. One is Adam Ant with a spoken tribute, the other is the promo video for Buffalo Gals.
MoCCA Art Fest 2010 Trades
One of the cooler things about being an exhibitor at comic cons is the chance to trade with other comic book creators.
Here’s three of the trades I did this past weekend during the MoCCA Art Fest 2010 con.
- Simon Snootle and Other Small Stories by Lorin Morgan-Richards.
This gorgeous hand-made book was the first trade made at the MoCCA fest. Los Angles based artist and musician Lorin Morgan-Richards recognized me from Facebook. The more I go through this item, the more I fall in love with it. His music’s pretty neat as well. I’m already a fan.
www.lorinrichards.com
- Ling Master # 3 by E.J. Barnes
E.J. Barnes is a Cambridge, Massachusetts based cartoonist and a regular at small press cons. Plus she’s a really nice lady. Originally met her at a MoCCA Fest back in 2006.
www.ejbarnes.com
- Earaches and Eyesores # 2 by Justin Melkmann
Justin Melkmann is in the popular local NYC punk band World War IX, and a cartoonist.
MoCCA Art Fest 2010 Pics
Being an exhibitor at the MoCCA Art Fest 2010 turned out to be better than what I had expected. Not only did I get to sell Babalon Babes No. 4 (The Astrology issue), but had fun promoting as well. Here’s a few pics from this past weekend.
Here I am. As you can see, my hours at the gym hasn’t done jack for me. (*sigh*)
Xamie Hernandez, one half of the artist extraordinaire team from the Love and Rockets comics. Here he is posing with my boyfriend. Guess where me and Ben found this Stussy shirt. Queens Mall baby! We stumbled upon this shirt by accident at Yellow Rat Bastard, which is no longer at that mall. Ben brought this tee sometime last year. True geek never goes out of style.
All photos, with the exception of Xamie taken by Ben Herman.
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