The Further Adventures of Bret M. Herholz

Murder By Decree (1979)

2012-01-27T11:33:00.000-08:00

Most people (myself included in the past) think between the times of Basil Rathbone and Jeremy Brett there were no really strong Sherlock Holmes movies or television outings. And that most of the films between those times lazily follow the formula created in the Rathbone/Bruce outings of the stiff and pragmatic Holmes with Meerschaum Pipe clenched firmly between his teeth and the inept and bumbling old duffer Watson who can't get out of his own way to save his life.

However, this is not entirely true. Yes, some of the films of that time did fall into some of those trappings. But that doesn't mean they are bad films. Some of them are quite good.

Which brings me to 1979's Murder By Decree. Which I must confess I do not enjoy as much as the previous Holmes vs. the Ripper offering A Study in Terror. But it is still a great film all the same.

And far more historically accurate with it's facts about the Jack the Ripper case than the previous film.

This time Sherlock Holmes comes in the form of Christopher Plummer. This is not his first outing having previously starred in a one off television movie based on the story The Silver Blaze.

Much like Robert Stephen's take on Holmes, Christopher Plummer gives us an entirely different approach to the character that was established by Basil Rathbone. We see a more emotional Holmes than we have seen in past films. There is more empathy and humanity than we've seen in the character. And it works really well in the context of this film given the gruesome nature of the historical case.

This film is also bloodier and the violence a bit more gristly than the previous Holmes/Ripper offering. Which, given the previous film had been produced in 1965, there was a great deal of things that they simply could not get away with at that time.

But given how violent films have gotten since 1979, the scenes in this film are actually tame by today's standards. I find many of the scenes a lot easier to get through compared to the film adaptation of From Hell.

The ironic thing about that is the fact even though Murder By Decree is using a character from classic literature at the center, it's still actually more historically accurate than the film version of From Hell.

There was a supposed psychic in the case, but it was a man by the name of Robert Lees and not Inspector Abberline as suggested in From Hell.

Although, I did find it slightly disappointing that both version of the Holmes/Ripper movies did omit Inspector Abberline from the narrative. I think it would have been interesting to have both men working side by side. Or at least acknowledging one another in passing.

This brings me to the cast of this movie.

Alongside Christopher Plummer's Holmes is veteren actor James Mason as the ever-faithful Doctor John Watson. Despite being a touch too old for the role, I really enjoyed James Mason's take on Watson.

Again, most people erroniously think that every Watson actor who has played him between Nigel Bruce and David Burke (from the Jeremy Brett series) all play him as the stumbling old fuddy duddy who just gets underfoot when Holmes is trying to solve a case.

I can think of several exceptions to that rule. James Mason is one of those. He plays Watson as a very level-headed man of medicine who is invaluable when Holmes for both his medical knowledge and scientific training.

My next blog post might be on some of the great film and television Watson.

We also have two actors from the previous Holmes/Ripper movie in this film. One of which is Frank Finlay once again marvelously playing the "rat-faced" Inspector Lestrade. I still believe him to be the very best on-screen Lestrade to date. The other is Anthony Quayle who had a role in the previous Ripper movie and returns in this one. This time as Sir Charles Warren.

The cast is rounded off by Donald Sutherland as the alleged psychic Robert Lees and theatre great Sir John Gielgud as the Prime Minister.

It should be mentioned this is not Sir John's first brush with Sherlock Holmes having played the part for radio alongside Ralph Richardson as Watson. The series is worth a listen. Especially for the fact the radio adaptation for The Final Problem stars Orson Welles as Professor Moriarty.

The result is an exceptional film. Not to mention a fairly historically accurate account of the Jack the Ripper murders. As much as I would love to tell you who they deem Springheeled Jack as, I think it would be best if you saw it for yourself.

Much like many of the Sherlock Holmes films I have mentioned, this one deserves more of an audience. I highly recommend you become part of that audience.

A Study in Terror (1965)

2012-01-26T11:28:00.000-08:00

Keeping with my series of blogs highlighting Sherlock Holmes movies you may not have seen I highly recommend checking out the 1965 film A Study in Terror.

It's definitely a film of it's time period. Produced at the height of both the Batman television series and the James Bond film, this version of Sherlock Holmes is heavily influenced by both.

Heck!! Even the poster for the movie states "Here comes the original caped crusader".

Based loosely on the same novel by Ellery Queen, we see Sherlock Holmes face off against a factual murderer in the form of Jack the Ripper. This is the first time I can recall anyone doing a film which would have Holmes solving the Ripper murders. I won't be the last either with the film featuring Holmes facing off against Jack the Ripper.

The next film is 1979's Murder By Decree starring Christopher Plummer as Holmes.

Although, this earlier take on the Ripper murders is less factual than the later film. It's not less enjoyable by any means.

Despite it falling into many of the Sherlock Holmes stereotypes created by the Basil Rathbone films, I found it to be a highly entertaining and enjoyable film.

The late John Neville does a very good job as Sherlock Holmes in this film. And although Donald Houston leans more towards the bumbling Nigel Bruce Watson of the Rathbone films with a touch of Oliver Hardy bashfulness. I do find him much more likable and agreeable than the harrumphing old duffer Bruce created.

Both Neville and Houston add a touch of youth to the roles that had not been seen in the previous attempts at Holmes.

The other two things I really enjoyed about the film was Robert Morley's portrayal as Mycroft Holmes and Frank Finlay as Inspector Lestrade. Both actors look exactly the way the characters are described in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original tales.

Finlay would in fact appear as Lestrade once more in the later Holmes/Ripper movie. To my mind, he is still the best actor to appear as the "ferret-faced" Scotland Yard inspector.

A bit of trivia I love to throw out, both the late Robert Morley and Stephen Fry share a distinction as actors who have both played Oscar Wilde and Mycroft Holmes.

And as I had mentioned, the movie doesn't completely stick to the facts of the case in the way the later Christopher Plummer Holmes film or even Alan Moore's epic Jack the Ripper graphic novel From Hell does.

However, this does not make the film all the less enjoyable for me. Even the Batman/Bond flavored action is not that bad.

Not to mention you get to see a very young Dame Judi Dench in only her third feature film.

Although, it seems someone is selling DVD-R copy of it on Amazon.com, sadly it looks as though this film has not had a proper release on DVD just yet. And it really should.

Add this one to your queue of Sherlock Holmes films you need to check out.

The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976)

2012-01-25T14:34:00.000-08:00

The Seven-Per-Cent Solution was another Sherlock Holmes film when I first saw it I wasn't readily prepared to like. Much like my previous blog about The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, there were certain elements of the casting and direction of the story that I didn't entirely agree with.

The whole idea of an emotionally and mentally weak Holmes due to drug addiction didn't entirely appeal to me. The whole idea that Professor Moriarty was all a fabrication of Holmes's sick mind. And casting Robert Duvall as Dr. Watson just struck me as odd. Even the DVD case mentioned it as "oddball casting".

Even Nicol Williamson didn't fit the classic look of Sherlock Holmes that I prefer with actors like Jeremy Brett and Basil Rathbone.

For me, drawing a harsh opinion about a film without watching it doesn't seem fair. So I decided to sit down and watch it. If I'm going to hate a film I should at least watch it first.

Much like my previous experience with Private Life, I found myself enjoying the film. Once I got into it that is. The pre-movie credits ran a bit longer than I would want. And Robert Duval's British accent during the narration made me squirm slightly.

I should mention I like both Nicol Williamson and Robert Duvall.

However, once I start getting into the film, I actually start enjoying this whole concept of Sherlock Holmes as a flawed hero. Again, not the way I would portray Holmes. But the story itself is very good.

I admit I have not read Nicholas Meyers book. It's on the "to do list".

The whole idea of Watson having Sherlock Holmes consulting Sigmund Freud (portrayed by Alan Arkin) to break him of his addiction to cocaine makes up a great deal of the plot. Him coming to terms with the past as well as his hatred for Professor Moriarty. Who is played surprisingly different by Sir Laurence Olivier. But looking very much the way Sidney Paget drew the character.

Despite my initial misgivings, I found both Williamson portrayal of Holmes and Duvall's Watson to be very enjoyable. My early bristling over his accent slowly go away the further into the movie I get. This is definitely a Watson you should be afraid will knock your teeth down your throat.

I also think this is the first Sherlock Holmes film that introduces Watson's wife Mary who first made her appearance in the story The Sign of Four.

I often wonder if many readers or fans of Holmes realize Watson is a married man.

The movie also involves Holmes in a kidnapping case with international implications centered around Lola Devereaux portrayed by Vanessa Redgrave.

The film also features two actors who go on to appear in the Jeremy Brett series. One in a larger way in the form of Charles Gray who appears as Mycroft Holmes in this film and then later on reprises the role in the Jeremy Brett series. The other in a smaller way with Jeremy Kemp as Baron von Leinsdorf who later appears as Dr Grimesby Roylott in the episode The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist.

I didn't enjoy the film as much as The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes. However, much like that movie I found myself enjoying it by the end and found myself won over by the lead actors performances.

If you haven't seen this movie, I highly recommend you rent it and give it a chance. Even the ending's take on Sherlock Holmes's four year absence after the Final Problem is enjoyable.

I hate January!!

2012-01-21T12:22:00.000-08:00

I could have probably used one of these things on my drive back home from the Art Museum on 290.

I love New England. I love the Springs and Summers. I love apple picking and apple pies. You just don't get the type of foliage you do up here.

But I hate the Winters.

There's not much to look forward to in January. Come to think of it, there's not much to look forward to in February. But at least with February you have that false feeling of a "Light at the end of the tunnel" before it sucker-punches you and dumps another foot of snow on the ground between then and April.

But January is the worst. The buzz of the holidays and New Years are over and now you've entered into the icy heart of Winter. There's no real fun Halloweens, Thanksgivings or Oktoberfest type celebrations to look forward to until the First Day of Spring.

In other words, hibernate! Stay indoors. Read a lot of books. Catch up on movies you've been meaning to watch. Learn to cook a new dish and drink a lot of dark beers. Or if you don't drink beer either red wine or rum and ginger beer are excellent substitutes.

And hope that the wretched groundhog doesn't see his shadow so we don't get another ton of snow dumped on us.

And if he does: COOK THE GROUNDHOG!!

That's probably the best way to get through January. Otherwise you might go mad and start writing blogs about it. Heh heh!!

A little lovin' for Astro Sasquatch in the T&G

2012-01-20T12:21:00.000-08:00

I was very pleased to see my good friend and evil genius Sean Fennel's creation Astro Sasquatch being mentioned in today's T&G Pop Culture Notebook. I was also flattered that my blog might have had something to do with it being mentioned.

However, Sean's video is great on it's own merits.

Click on the link below to check out the article: T&G Pop Culture Notebook

And be sure to visit Sean's Youtube page to check out more of his videos. Including the previous episode of Astro Sasquatch as well as him playing live with his band Sky Blue Mind: Sean's Youtube Page

Elementary! (Or CBS capitalizing on the success of Sherlock)

2012-01-19T08:44:00.000-08:00

The picture above is not from the series. It's from a movie called The Zero Effect which was a modern take on the Sherlock Holmes story A Scandal in Bohemia.

But it looks as though CBS wants in on the success that the BBC has been having with the series Sherlock by creating their own modern-day retelling with a series titled...

...wait for it...

...Elementary.

Although this is not really the first attempt at an American version of Sherlock Holmes. Along with the movie The Zero Effect mentioned above, both the series's Monk and House both take aspects of the character and the stories of Sherlock Holmes.

I mean House even lives on 221B Baker Street for heathen snakes!!

And to ensure the series is a dismal failure, it will take Sherlock Holmes and have him solving crimes in modern-day New York City.

However, if they end up enlisting someone like David Tennant, Eddie Izzard or Christopher Eccleston in the role I might change my opinion of the production.

I had heard a rumor from someone that Robert Downey Jr. might star in the series but I think that is total bullshit. Especially after the rigorous schedule of filming the series Ally McBeal nearly killed him.

Besides, given how much he probably made between Sherlock Holmes and Iron Man I don't think he'll have much interest in breaking his back making a weekly television series.

I really can't think of another American actor off-hand who could really pull off the eccentric qualities of Holmes. At least not in the way that Benedict Cumberbatch has made the part his own on television.

But I fear we're probably going to end up with someone like Ashton Kutcher or Charlie Sheen as Sherlock Holmes.

The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970)

2012-01-19T07:52:00.000-08:00

I'm being completely honest when I say this was a film I really didn't want to like when I watched it for the first time nearly nine or ten years ago. One of the biggest things that bugged me was the fact they cast Christopher Lee as Mycroft.

Not a jab at the great Christopher Lee. As a matter of fact he was really good as Sherlock Holmes in the three productions he appeared in.

But it's one of my pet peeves with many Sherlock Holmes productions is when they cast an actor who is physically similar to Sherlock as Mycroft because the character is supposed to be the polar opposite to Sherlock physically.

My other pet peeve is when they use "Forget everything you know about Sherlock Holmes" because you know it's going to be a stinker.

I think my other worry when I prepared myself to view it is they were going to try and give Holmes some sort of sexual relationship or have him fall in love.

As a purist I feel Holmes is just disinterested in the opposite sex. Any sort of relationship, male or female, would interfere with him being the best at what he does.

In short, he has no time for love.

I was really ready to hate The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes when I originally bought my VHS copy and popped it into the machine. And just the opposite happened. I absolutely fell in love with the film and it is now possibly my favorite Holmes film.

Although Robert Stephens didn't look the part of the traditional Sherlock Holmes, he won me over in his performance.

A bit of a confession bu some of his mannerisms I borrowed when I was adapting William Gillette's play into a graphic novel. Most notably the peculiar way he held his hands not so much on his hips but on his ribcage.

Colin Blakely's performance as Dr. Watson may not be completely the capable man Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote in the novels and short stories. But he isn't the bumbling old duffer the poor old Doc has been maligned with over the years.

In this film, Watson is more of a ladies man and he also makes his objection towards Holmes's addictions to a seven-per-cent solution of cocaine very clear.

Although this is not the first time "the needle" is mentioned in a Holmes film. That distinction goes to the final scene in Basil Rathbone's film The Hound of the Baskervilles. However, I think this may be both the first time both Holmes's recreational use of the drug as well as the name of the drug itself, is made perfectly clear.

I might be wrong. But apart from this film I think Rathbone's Hound is the only other film before this.

I was even won over by Christopher Lee's performance. Despite not having the physical presence of actors like Robert Morley, Charles Grey or most recently Stephen Fry did as Mycroft, I thoroughly enjoyed his interpretation of the character. He and Robert Stephen's spar off each other really well in their scenes together.

It should be mentioned that The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes was not the happiest of memories for the late Robert Stephens. Apparently between the rigorous production and Billy Wilder's insistence that Stephens needs to lose weight to look "thin as a razor" that Stephens himself actually tried to persuade his good friend Jeremy Brett out of accepting the part when he was set to play Holmes himself in the long-running Granada series stating that: "It will ruin your life".

I've enjoyed the film even more since I purchased it on DVD several years back. Having seen it in letterbox format there is so much I have missed in scenes that were cut out because many VHS copies format movies to fit your screen.

And you really do miss out on so much the director originally intended on.

Another shame is the fact that there are a few deleted scenes that were intended for the film. One that still exists on film (although the audio seems to be missing) is the Affair of the Naked Passengers" which Holmes leaves it up to Watson to deduce how a honeymooning couple was murdered on a ocean liner they are returning from Constantinople on.

With disastrous results.

It's too bad these scenes were cut because it would have added to the Four Movement Symphony of adventures Watson felt were too outrageous to publish Billy Wilder intended.

The movie we end up with is two stories from Watson's unpublished archives. The first being Holmes is approached by a famous Russian ballerina, Madame Petrova who wishes to have a child with her. Holmes manages to extricate himself by claiming that Watson is his lover, much to the doctor's embarrassment.

The second and main story Gabrielle Valadon (Geneviève Page) is fished out of the River Thames and brought to Baker Street. She begs Holmes to find her missing engineer husband.

I showed the movie to my wife Syd for the first time last night and she pretty much deduced the storyline with Gabrielle Valadon and the German spies disguised as Trappist Monks and the Loch Ness Monster not even half-way through the movie.

I don't think this should discourage you from watching the movie. There are enough good scenes and genuinely funny lines to make up for any shortcomings.

I highly recommend you check out this film just as long as you do not take it too seriously and just enjoy it. You might find, like myself, you may even like it.

Animation and Influences

2012-01-16T08:14:00.000-08:00

When it comes to classic animation most people are either a Disney or Loony Tunes fan. You either love Disney's animation for the high production values on their beautifully animated epics or you prefer the screwball comedy and the individuality Warner Brothers allowed the directors to have when directing the various Loony Tunes cartoons.

Mind you, I'm not putting down the artists at Disney who produced such great artists as Carl Barks and Walt Kelly. Both of which I would gladly polish their shoes.

But as far as my personal tastes go, I've always been a Loony Tunes fan and as for cartoons produced by Warner Brothers I've always enjoyed the ones created by Chuck Jones and Robert McKimson the most.

But it goes further than that. What made those cartoons so great for me was not only the directors but also Carl Stalling who had a knack of producing memorable scores and a talent for fitting music popular at that time. Writers like Michael Maltese who wrote the scripts. And finally the vocal talents of both Mel Blanc, June Foray and Arthur Q Bryan.

I don't know if most people realize that he and not Blanc did the voice of Elmer Fudd.

Influence is something I try to stress when I am teaching my animation class. Because I know quite a few of the students taking the class have been influenced by a cartoon. Either classic or current.

One of the thing I try to do while explaining the whole concept of influences is how it pertains to animation. I usually start with a current cartoon:

C. H. Greenblatt who created the series Chowder worked on the show SpongeBob SquarePants. The look and feel of SpongeBob has a great deal to owe (in my less than humble opinion) to the series Ren and Stimpy. John Kricfalusi, who created Ren and Stimpy, was very influenced by the look and the feel of the television cartoons of the 1950's and 1960's. He is also very influenced by animator Robert "Bob" Clampett. Both the cartoons he produced in the 1950's and 1960's and the work he did for Warner Brothers in the 1940's.

Bob Clampett's use of "stretch and squash" as well as overly exaggerating the emotions of the characters (i.e. jaw dropping and eyes bugging out) is owed to Tex Avery's cartoons.

So while I try not to discourage the students from drawing SpongeBob, I try to encourage them to find ways to use what has influenced them in the style of SpongeBob's cartoons and how they can use that in their own cartoons.

Womag's End of the Year Comic Issue 2011

2012-01-12T06:55:00.000-08:00

I got the opportunity to take part in Womag's second annual End of the Year Comic Issue. The brainchild of editor Doreen Manning and organized brilliantly by Andy Fish.

I immediately took the Chicken Ordnance story. The idea of a bunch of chickens posed in a Occupy Worcester type of moment amused me.

Click on the link below to check out my comic as well as all the other great artists involved in the issue:

No more Muncheez?

2012-01-11T12:11:00.000-08:00

I was driving through Tatnuck on my way back from Eagle Hill School yesterday and I come to find that Mucheez Pizzeria was no longer there. I'm not sure if they had moved or went out of business but I was very disappointed to see that they gone.

Syd and I enjoyed both our visits as well as the Mac N Cheese Pizza. Sure, I nearly killed myself eating the Donut Burger one night. But for the most part we always had a great time when we went. And as far as I knew, I never got neither food poisoning nor ended up with parasites from eating there.

I'm always sorry when a local business goes under. Especially when I feel they have an opportunity to be something really good. The thing that probably went against them most was size and location. There wasn't a lot of room if you wanted to sit down. And the sidewalk wasn't very good for outdoor seating either.

Well, to the moron who started a page THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST MUNCHEEZ FUCKING PIZZA you finally got your wish. I hope your happy while you repeat your senior year. You don't make yourself look intellectual by cursing profusely.

However, I think you look like a complete jackass for wishing ill on a local business.

I'll miss Muncheez if it is indeed gone.

Laurie R. King's Holmes and Russell Series

2012-01-11T10:49:00.001-08:00

I really cannot say enough about both Laurie R. King's Sherlock Holmes and Mary Russell Series as well as the author herself. The series is a really interesting take on the character of Sherlock Holmes in which he acquires a new partner in the form of a young woman named Mary Russell.

Who later in the series becomes the wife of Sherlock Holmes.

The series itself started way back in 1994 with The Beekeepers Apprentice and continues to just last year with the 11th book in the series The Pirate King.

Much in the same tradition as Conan Doyle's tales, the exploits of Sherlock Holmes in this series are all told from Mary Russell's point of view.

I've gotten a chance to corrospond with Laurie R. King over the years viz letters and the internet and she is an absolute class act. Our conversations have always been cheerful and enthusiastic.

I'm just surprised it has not been adapted into a movie or a television series. Then again Janet Evanovich's first Stephanie Plum novel came out back in 1994 and it's just being adapted for the big screen now.

I should mention the Plum novels are one of Syd's favorite series's.

So, there's hope for seeing perhaps either a small or big screen version of Holmes and Russell.

And unlike Rachel McAdams's annoying and unengaging performance as "the Woman", Mary Russell is a very enjoyable and likable character.

I've actually inquired on several occassions if Laurie would like to adapt her Holmes/Russell series into graphic novels. It's still something I would love to do with her permission and help.

However, if you are not familiar with the series I highly recommend you check it out. It's a very enjoyable and unique take on Sherlock Holmes.

Detective Inspector "Blackguard" Print 11x17

2012-01-08T10:07:00.001-08:00

Based on a panel from my graphic novel The Spaghetti Strand Murder which featured the Detective Inspector in his first (and only to this point) solo story.

11x17 in height and printed on gloss stock. The print will arrive to you personally signed.

Purchase your copy today off of my Etsy shop by clicking on the image below:

The First Doctor(s) 11x17 Color Art

2012-01-07T08:57:00.001-08:00

Based on the First Doctor as portrayed by William Hartnell for the television series and Peter Cushing from the Dalek movies.

Illustrated in Winsor Newton Black India Ink with Crow Quill Pen and colored digitally.

Currently it is available for purchase on E-Bay. Click on the image below to place your bid today.

Projects and other things to look forward to in the current calendar year...

2012-01-06T09:19:00.000-08:00

You might noticed I just finished up fine-tuning my "new look blog" with a brand new banner up above. I found the size of the last one didn't fit so I thought I'd create a brand new one with a favorite image of the Detective Inspector from The Spaghetti Strand Murder.

Well, after a fairly slow first week of 2012 which consisted of putting a few finishing touches on a couple commissioned pieces as well as one of my comics appearing in the now yearly End of the Year Comic Issue of Worcester Magazine (pick it up at your local newsstand or read it online), things will start hotting up again next week with my regular classes coming back from break as well as my December Workshops starting up again at the at the Worcester Art Museum.

I also have a few projects that are either coming out or in the works.

One of which I have mentioned before is The Ninnies by Paul Magrs. Which I have been told by Obverse Books should be coming out early in the year.

This is a project I am very proud to have been a part of since Paul is a writer whose work I have greatly admired for some time now. So, to be able to do a story with him in the grand tradition of Roald Dahl and the Phantom Tollbooth is a great privilege for me.

To be honest, I think is probably my best work to date. Or at least work I have been thoroughly happy with it's results.

More new about the project will be announced on Obverse Books website at: http://obversebooks.co.uk/

There will be a formal announcement on this blog when the book is released.

The second is another children's book I am working on with author N.E. Castle who I had done several author signings at Borders in the past couple of years. I can't really say much about this particular project yet. But it's going to be a lot of fun to do.

More to come about that later.

Astro Sasquatch vs. the Undead Pizza

2012-01-04T06:21:00.000-08:00

I've known my friend Sean Fennell since High School. He was a brilliantly talented musician then and he's just gotten better over the years as his scope of musical influences has widened.

Think of a cross between Frank Zappa and John Kricfalusi if that is at all possible.

Well, about year or so ago he debut his hairy hero for hire Astro Sasquatch who (sort of) faced off against the Giant Walking Eye.

Now one year later he has followed it up with Astro Sasquatch vs. the Undead Pizza. Which was actually an illustration I did for him a while back with a feral pizza on top of some severed heads.

Well, for your viewing pleasure, here's the next installment. You might see a cameo by a certain geeky teenager's prom picture. Heh heh!!

Sylvester's and Local Burger in Noho

2012-01-02T17:27:00.000-08:00

Syd and my "Day after New Years" adventures brought us to Sylvester's in Northampton Massachusetts. After a late night, 8:30 in the morning just seemed like a brutal hour to wake up.

But it was worth it.

If you haven't had breakfast at Sylvester's, you haven't had breakfast. The restaurant is named after Sylvester Graham who was the inventor of the Graham Cracker.

And there it's all about the Benedict. And they have six types to choose from. That morning I had the Eggs Irish. Which has become a favorite of mine since I had it at Charlie's Diner. It's Eggs Benedict but with corn beef hash instead of Canadian bacon.

On our last morning there, I decided to have the Lox Benedict. Which I highly recommend. It's Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon. And it is amazing!!

Syd had herself the California Benedict which she had been eyeballing since our previous morning there and really enjoyed it.
Back to New Years Day, I suggested Syd and I try Local Burger Fries and More. It was a place my buddy Josh had suggested. And let me tell you. This place blows Five Guys Burger and Fries out of the water.

Sorry Andy. But this was a damn good burger ;-)

I was still a little stuffed from our breakfast, so I wasn't feeling up for the Juicy Lucy that morning. Which is apparently crammed with cheese. So, I got the standard cheeseburger. However, there was nothing standard about this cheeseburger. It was incredible.

Immediately when a place asks me "How would you like your burger cooked" my level of expectation is already raised.

Syd had ordered probably one of the most heartiest veggie burgers I have ever seen outside of this place I saw on the show Burger Paradise that specializes in a "cut above the average" veggie burger.

Although, Josh had suggested the onion rings, we just couldn't resist the siren call of the fried pickles.

But next time you're out in Northampton, I highly suggest you hit up Sylvester's for breakfast and Local Burger Fries and More for either lunch or dinner. You will not leave disappointed. Or hungry.

Visit my Etsy Shop

2011-12-29T15:37:00.001-08:00

Over the last couple of months I've been tweaking and updating my Etsy Shop. Mostly I've been selling prints of my art rather than the originals. I should be adding more prints soon, but if you would like to check out what I have currently available for purchase click on the link below:

That Hideous Strength (A Modern Fairy-Tale for Grown-Ups)

2011-12-28T13:56:00.000-08:00

That Hideous Strength is the third and final novel in C.S. Lewis's Space Trilogy which was preceeded by the novels Out of the Silent Planet and Perelandra.

It is also my favorite novel in the series.

I feel as though if C.S. Lewis had lived long enough, he could have written for Doctor Who. As a matter of fact Lewis passed away on 22 November 1963. A day before Doctor Who made it's television debut.

That Hideous Strength has all the trappings of a great Doctor Who episode. Enigmatic figure in the form of Dr. Elwin Ransom. A rather nasty paramilitary group known as N.I.C.E which is in fact which is a front for sinister supernatural forces as well as bits and bobs of Greek Mythology and Arthurian Legend woven into it.

In short, the trappings for the perfect Doctor Who story.

The series on a whole I would highly recommend you pick up. I found them to be very enjoyable on the whole. However, I definitely found That Hideous Strength to be by far my favorite in the series.

I think if you're a fan of Doctor Who you will enjoy it in particular.

New Years in Northampton

2011-12-28T07:57:00.000-08:00

Well, after staying relatively local and nearly getting killed getting a table (even after making reservations earlier in the week) at Bauhinia's Restaurant last year. Syd and I decided we'd spend New Years in Northampton this year.

Some friends of ours were going out there for New Years and asked if we wanted to meet up with the for dinner and drinks afterward. I have mentioned in the past my undying love for the city. I even spent my night out before the wedding there on a mini barhop.

The nice thing is everything is within walking distance. So you don't have to drive halfway across town to enjoy everything.

We decided since it's a bit of a hike for us to drive out there, why not make it into a mini-vacation out of the trip. It seemed ridiculous to drive all the way out there to drive all the way back at midnight. So we booked ourselves in the Howard Johnson for a couple of nights and do a little exploring on New Years day.

This will be our first trip since Newport. It'll be nice to get away and relax before our work schedules swing into high gear again.

Incidentally, I recommend going to Bauhinia Restaurant anytime other than New Years. It's probably one of the best Chinese/Japanese Restaurants in the area. And you really need to sit down and enjoy it's charm when it isn't so crowded.

Superman: Man of Steel (2013)

2011-12-27T06:45:00.000-08:00

Well, this is the second picture I've seen of Henry Cavill's Superman reboot. I really don't know how I feel about the look of it on a whole. However, to be fair, by comparison it does look better than Brandon Routh's costume which looks like someone on the production crew ran out to iParty to buy last minute.Even Cavill looks a bit more like Superman than Routh did. Cavill looks like he could kick your ass.

And it looks like at this point Christopher Nolan and company are going in the right direction with a Superman film than the previous debacle with Superman Returns. If they did a straight-out relaunch of the Superman movies rather than just a continuation of the Christopher Reeves films the movie might have been palatable.

Too many years had past between the last Christopher Reeves film and the Brandon Routh film. The character needed a fresh start and Superman Returns was more of the same.

And from all appearances at this time, it looks like Man of Steel might be that shot in the arm the series needs. Nolan had already done a really great job with the Batman series. So time will tell if he will have the same success with Supes that he did with Bats.

As for the costume. I really don't know. What do you think?

Untitled Batman Reboot (2015)

2011-12-26T11:49:00.000-08:00

The latest (and final) installment of the Christopher Nolan Dark Knight Trilogy hasn't even reached theaters and Warner Brothers is already in the works for the Caped Crusaders relaunch in 2015!!

I've heard from one source it will be in the form of a live action television series.

Some fan sites and messageboards are already speculating the cast. Or who they would cast. As far as who I think should star as Batman. I really don't know who I would cast. I really can't think of an actor offhand who just screams "I'm Batman"!

However, I have mentioned it in the past how I would approach a Batman movie, television series or whatever. As much as I've enjoyed Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, I think the dark storyline and the equally dark costume has been done to death.

They've been using the same theme for the Batman costume since Tim Burton's film all the way back to 1989. I think it's time to go in a new direction with the character and the story.

And NO I am NOT suggesting going back to the Joel Schumacher style movies with flashy disco Batmobiles and Bat Nipples.

However, I wouldn't mind seeing the next Bat costume being a throwback to the Neal Adams Jim Aparo style.

Maybe without the blue mask. But I think the basic design could work for a Batman film going forward. They used something along the lines of the Neal Adams design but obviously more inspired by Alex Ross (but without Batman looking fat).

It worked well for a few Batman films made by a couple independent filmmakers. Most notably the Batman film Dead End.

I also think it's time to move away from the emotionally scarred Bruce Wayne of the last few movies. That's been done to death too. The idea is by the time he has become the Batman he has come to terms with his parents death. He's Batman because that's who he really is. Bruce Wayne is the mask. Batman is who he really sees himself as.

Not saying making the movie Batman-lite. More like Batman meets Indiana Jones.

The Dark Knight Rises

2011-12-25T11:36:00.000-08:00

My buddy and film buff Andy Fish has mentioned in past blog posts "the curse of the three-quel". And there's a lot of truth and wisdom in what he has to say.

A Three-quel is the third movie in the series. A lot of people (including me) have always given the sequel a bad wrap. There have been quite few sequels I've seen that have been a better effort than the original. The Empire Strikes Back and Batman: The Dark Knight have been better efforts than the original. Heck, I even enjoyed the second Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes better than the first one.

Sure there have been a great many corkers in a sequel. But the third movie is the diciest.

However, there have been a few exceptions to the rules. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is one that comes to mind where I found the third movie much more enjoyable than the second. They went back to an enjoyable formula of the first movie without being repetitive.

Superman III or Batman Forever are a prime examples of when a third movie can go horribly, horribly wrong.

The latest and last installment of the Christopher Nolan Batman Trilogy I feel could go either way. It could be a pleasant surprise and a fun roller coaster ride of excitement and action.

But it also has the possibility of being overkill. The introduction of multiple villains might be the movie's undoing. Too much of too much in one film.

Although, I don't mind so much having Catwoman AND an additional key villain. I don't really consider Catwoman completely a villain since even in Batman Returns you don't feel like her motivations are necessarily bad. Most of the recent interpretations I feel she's not out to hurt anyone. Just to get a couple kicks. Illegal kicks, yes. But not the "world domination" motives of the classic baddie.

I did have a problem with both the Riddler and Two Face in the same movie. Because they are both villains that can carry a movie on their own. If done right.

Hell, in the right hands even the Riddler could be turned into a very menacing and psychotic baddie. If the question marked leotard bothers you, he's got the option of the bowler hat and suit.

They also finally got Two Face right in the last movie. Almost. Too short of an appearance. Aaron Eckhart just made me wanting to see more of the character. They could have easily cut his scenes short and saved his first appearance for the next film. He could have easily carried it.

Also the thought of Christian Bale's Batman's voice where I feel like the theater should put up the Closed Captioning whenever he's on the screen makes me uneasy. I don't think he's the worst Batman of all time.

However, Val Kilmer still gets the award of the most unconvincing Batman.

I'm impressed with what I've seen in the trailers of Tom Hardy who is playing Bane in this film. THIS seems more like the Bane from the 1990's Knightfall series. Forget mindless thug you saw in Batman and Robin. This seems more like a Moriarty type Bane. His brains just as deadly as his brawn.

Even in the comics I never really saw Bane as a villain that could carry a movie. But I might be proven wrong.

I like the introduction of Catwoman. However, I'm not terribly sure about Anne Hathaway as Catwoman. I've just found myself annoyed by her in some of the movies I saw. Again, I might be proven wrong.

This movie has a lot going for it. But it has a lot that could end up being it's undoing. We shall see.

The Lion in Winter (1968 film)

2011-12-24T06:05:00.001-08:00

The Lion in Winter starring Peter O'Toole and Katherine Hepburn has to be THE BEST anti-Christmas movie that was ever produced. Now don't get your pantaloons in a knot when I say anti-Christmas. I don't mean anti in the sense that it is opposed to the Christmas season. I mean that it is not like the normal "warm and fuzzy" holiday movies.

Apart from Peter O'Toole's beard, there is nothing "warm and fuzzy" about this movie. Here is possibly the most dysfunctional family in the history of dysfunctional families. Hell, they make the Kardashians look like the Waltons.

Okay, that's stretching it perhaps but you get the idea.

The story is set in Christmastide 1183. Henry Plantagenet's (or Henry II) sons all want to kill him and the feeling is mutal. He has locked his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine Salisbury Tower at Windsor Castle and only brings her out at the Holiday Season.

Eleanor wants her eldest son Richard to succeed Henry on the throne but Henry wishes his youngest son John on the throne because he has arranged for John to marry his own mistress Alais.

Yes you read that right. Prince John was going to marry Henry II's mistress.

Although the movie itself is historically inaccurate. The first Christmas tree wasn't used till 1441 (this movie takes place in 1183) and gift giving was not re-instated till a later date. Christmas gift giving was banned by the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages due to its suspected pagan origins. And none of the dialogue and actions in the film were not historical.

But that doesn't make it a bad film. Both a stellar starring cast and some really great lines make this a great film.

Peter O'Toole as Henry II and Katherine Heburn as Eleanor of Aquitaine shine in this film. The barbs the two throw at one another just keep you glued to your seat. They work so well together that you forget there was a huge age difference existed between the two.

You also get the opportunity to see a very young Sir Anthony Hopkins as Richard (future king of England) and Timothy Dalton as King Philip II of France. Both in their motion picture debuts.

That's what a good film should. The performances are so good that you immediately forget about some of the films technical shortcomings.

If you're sick of the usual Christmas type movies and want to see something different this year. Why not pop A Lion in Winter into the old DVD player. Perhaps it doesn't have the happy ending of the normal Christmas films. However, the ending should leave you amused.

'Tis the season... or so I've been told...

2011-12-24T05:36:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I wonder if department stores should be playing the song I Hate People from the musical Scrooge.

I would never ever say Christmas is my least favorite holiday. However, I think all the crowds, traffic and pressure that goes along with the holidays can definitely dampen the spirits.

And the fact that people immediately associate stress with the Holiday Season tells me "There's something wrong with that". Dreadfully wrong. Shouldn't a holiday be a time of rest and relaxation?

It's hard to have a "Holly Jolly Christmas" when you want to deck the person who just cut you off in line while they talk at a great volume on their cell phone because they figure everyone should be aware of this all important conversation they are having.

And even if you're not standing in line. Traffic on the highway has become so horrific that you're either stuck in traffic two hours longer than you would have ever wanted in several life times and two past lives.

What's worse. I heard there were three really horrific accidents close to where I live just this past Wednesday during the longest night of the year. Two out of three of those were head on accidents. And two out of the three someone involved died.

I don't know if it had anything to do with holiday stress, impatience or road rage. But it does make me sad.

Okay, so here's my wish for the this Holiday Season. We stop focusing on the pressure of getting the ideal gift and just enjoy the time we have with the people we love.

So get off the road tonight. Put your feet up. Get together with good friends and family. And just CHILL OUT!!!

Perhaps we'll appreciate the season much more if we do that.

Blazing Stewardesses (1975)

2011-12-23T11:45:00.000-08:00

Sometimes in life we think about the "What could have been" with a sense of longing and and a far off look in our eyes.

And sometimes we're simply just better off than "What could have been".

In the case of a sex comedy starring the surviving Three Stooges, I think the world dodged a bullet.

Watch the trailer from the film above and you might be inclined to agree with me.
I had mentioned this in passing a couple times on this blog but after Larry Fine's death in 1975 Moe Howard had decided that he was not quite ready to retire the act and hired longtime Stooge foil Emil Sitka to fill the "Middle Stooge" role the same way Joe Besser and later Curly Joe were to fill the "Third Stooge" void of Curly and Shemp earlier on.

Not that either of the "Joe's" were great replacements to begin with and the Stooges probably should have packed up their Nyuck's and called it a career after Shemp died of a heart attack...
...however I digress because the point is moot. The act continued after either Curly or Shemp's untimely deaths and it looked as though it was going to continue further after Larry's death. And I'm not sure if this was Moe's idea or not but one of the vehicles they thought might be a great idea for a Three Stooges film was a sex comedy.
A sex comedy, in my opinion, are usually movies like Frankenstein General Hospital, Stewardess School or The Underground Comedy Movie is thinly veiled soft-core porn that is rarely ever funny. Not to mention the attempt at humor in the film are usually just obnoxious.

Most of the time, if you have a friend who is a completely jerk, this is the film they'll bring over and make you watch. Which then makes you wonder why you remain friends with this person.

Never heard of Frankenstein General Hospital? There's a good reason for that.

X-Rated comedies, much like X-Rated cartoons, are the appendix of the film world. They don't really have much of a function and they can be removed as far as I am concerned.

I say this yet one of my favorite Peter O'Toole films The Ruling Class had an X-Rating. So did the John Neville Sherlock Holmes film A Study in Terror. However, unlike the movies I just mentioned, both films had substance to them and the sex that did appear was very minimal. In the case of the Sherlock Holmes film, it was nonexistent.

And this would have been the fate of the Three Stooges. Their final films in the 1960's with Curly Joe were bad enough. But think how awful it would have been to see a 77 year old Moe Howard whose sight gag would probably consist of him running face first into a woman's cleavage? Or accidentally ripping a woman's panties off. Or perhaps the Stooges walking into a room where a couple is having sex.

With Moe's passing shortly after Larry Fine's the world was spared and this turkey was handed over to the two surviving Ritz Brothers.
As seen above the Ritz Brothers looking like they're appearing in a commercial for Preparation H. Did I mention my late Grandfather hated the Ritz Brothers?

Although, Curly Joe DeRita continued to perform live into the mid-1970s with Mousie Garner and Frank Mitchell as "The New 3 Stooges" this line-up would never make a movie and would ultimately retire in 1979.

Even though the original line-up would die with Moe Howard, I feel as though the Stooges in their purest form would die with Curly and Shemp.
All in all, let's count our lucky stars that The Three Stooges swan song wasn't Blazing Stewardesses.

The real story behind "The Two Darrins" on Bewitched.

2011-12-20T14:14:00.000-08:00

You've probably asked yourself from time to time why did Darrin Stephens suddenly looks so different in later seasons of Bewitched?

And if Samathan Stephens was really that brilliant why didn't she immediately notice?

Well, while I can't answer the second question, I can answer the first question. Darrin Stephens was murdered during Summer Repeats after the Fifth Season of Bewitched by a man who was the direct descendant of Witchfinder General Matthew Hopkins who had been sent to kill Samantha.

Samantha doesn't find out about this until til after the series is canceled in 1972.

I mean what do you think happened? Dick Sargent replaced Dick York due to reoccurring health problems and the producers wanted everyone just to accept that it's just the same Darrin? That's just as silly as believing Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Tony Randall and Jack Klugman were all Oscar Madison and Felix Unger.

A couple more holiday auctions... for the road...

2011-12-20T13:29:00.000-08:00

Here's your chance to win a copy of either Gloomy Presentiments of Thing to Come or Sherlock Holmes: The Painful Predicament of Alice Faulkner. Or both.

And since 'Tis the Season, or so I have been lead to believe, the winning bidder of Gloomy Presentiments will also win not only their copy PERSONALLY inscribed to them by author Susurrus Din and myself, they will also receive THE ORIGNAL COVER ART of the book as well.

Click on one or the other image below to start bidding. Happy Holidays and Happy Bidding!!

More Holiday Art Auctions

2011-12-19T13:16:00.001-08:00

The image above of Willy Wonka and Charlie Bucket is just one of several new pen and ink illustrations on E-Bay. I will be adding more items shortly. Click on the link below and Happy Bidding and Happy Holidays:
Bret's E-Bay Art Auctions

Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows (2011)

2011-12-17T06:30:00.000-08:00

Syd and I decided to make Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows our date night movie last night. Along with some fine dining at the food court.

Although, I am still not won over with Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes. He's a favorite actor of mine. But I'm still not won over. And I found some of the matrix style filming to be a bit on the jarring side. However, I have to confess I found I enjoyed the latest Sherlock Holmes movie a lot more than I expected.

Syd even caught me red handed chuckling at scenes. It's a fair cop.

There was quite a bit of the new movie to like.

Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams) possibly my least favorite character from the last film barely appears in it. So, that was nice. Jude Law, who I felt was the brightest spot in the last film as Dr. Watson, was back in this film. Stephen Fry (seen above) was really born to play Sherlock Holmes's clever (but lazier) older brother Mycroft.

Possibly the biggest pleasant surprise in the new film was Jared "Son of the late Richard" Harris as Professor Moriarty.

I had only seen the junior Harris in one other production and that was a VH1 made for television movie as John Lennon. And it was terrible.

However, I thought he did a really great job as Holmes's "Napoleon of Crime". I enjoyed his performance much better than the "Jim" Moriarty portrayed in the series Sherlock. The only low point of an otherwise brilliant series.

Could have done without the beard. But I kind of wonder if that was a nod to George Zucco in the Basil Rathbone film The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

Although, a bit ramped up for a modern audience and some of the facts are a bit jumbled around, I was impressed with how much information Guy Ritchie and co. added from the canon.

If you go into the film to nitpick it, you won't enjoy it. But if you go in with the open mind simply to be entertained, then you might be pleasantly surprised as I was.

The Nocturnal Dandy 11x17 color print

2011-12-16T13:35:00.000-08:00

Another print I'm debuting for Sunday's show Craftshocker taking place at 34 Suffolk Street in Worcester MA. Right across the street from Vincents. A place I've never been to in the fair Wootropolis.

The scene depicts Sherlock Holmes indulging in a "Three Pipe Problem" in his study at 221B Baker Street. The title came from writer Paul Magrs who wrote a great introduction to my Sherlock Holmes graphic novel.

The print is also available for purchase at Etsy:
The Nocturnal Dandy

All Creatures Great and Small (1978)

2011-12-15T16:32:00.000-08:00

All Creatures Great and Small is one of those television series's I really don't know why I haven't watched sooner. My parents enjoyed the series but I was really too young at the time to really get into it.

It's also another instance where the television series is more remembered than the movie. M.A.S.H is the only other one I can think of.

Syd and I having plowed through Campion, Jeeves and Wooster and currently watching the Cadfael mysteries we decided to give All Creatures Great and Small a try.

I've never seen the film version, but having watched season one, I could not picture anyone other than Christopher Timothy, Robert Hardy and Peter Davison in the roles of James Herriot, Siegfried and Tristan Farnon. And this is saying a lot because I really like Sir Anthony Hopkins (who portrays Siegfried Farnon in the movie) as an actor.

Not to mention, I probably wouldn't believe half the things that happen in the series if my wife didn't work for a veterinary.

I think what adds to the charm of the series is the fact that the stories are loosely based on real cases author James Herriot (which was the pen name for James Alfred Wight)encountered. Which makes scenes like a cow exploding all the funnier.

The series also has a great knack of stirring your emotions with some of the jerks James and his fellow vets have to deal with on the job. I have a feeling if I was in Herriot's place I'd probably lose my job because I would have punched out half of the people in Darrowby and given their horses and cattle lethal inoculations for half the crap they pulled.

But I suppose those sort of trials makes you cheer on James all the more when he succeeds.

Syd and I are already onto season two and we're enjoying it immensely. If you haven't checked out, I highly recommend you give the series a chance.

Holiday Art Auctions

2011-12-14T09:32:00.000-08:00

Two new art auctions just in time for the Holidays.

It's A Lame Christmas Tree, Charlie Brown (with thanks to Andy Fish for the title idea) 9x12 pen and ink

The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe 9x12 pen and ink

The ideal gift for the Charlie Brown or Doctor Who fans in your life. Simply click on the link below and Happy Bidding:
Bret's E-Bay Auctions

Sign up for classes at the Worcester Art Museum

2011-12-14T07:41:00.000-08:00

My class list for December Workshops and Winter Classes is up and running at the Worcester Art Museum.

I'm currently offering The Art of the Cartoon for 8 - 10 Years starting Saturday from 10:00 AM to 12 Noon and Heroes, Villains and Creatures for 5 - 7 Years also on Saturdays from 12:30PM to 2:30PM starting January 14th and running till March 10th.

Spaces for both December Workshops and Winter Classes tend to fill up quickly. You can either stop by the Worcester Art Museum and pick up a brochure. Or simply by clicking on the link below and signing up at the Art Museum website today:
Bret M. Herholz's Class List at WAM

The Turtleboy flies to Etsy

2011-12-12T09:51:00.000-08:00

My latest print is based on the Burnside Fountain which is more commonly (and "affectionately") referred to by the inhabitants of the fair metropolis of Worcester Massachusetts as The Turtleboy.

Suitable for framing, it's perfect for that Turtleboy aficionado in your life. Just click on the link below to order yours today:
Legend of the Turtleboy

New prints on Etsy

2011-12-11T08:54:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I posted anything on Etsy but I have three new color images (seen above) available for purchase.

Click on the link below to visit my store and get all your holiday shopping done in one place and from the comfort of your own home or office:
Bret's Shop at Etsy

The Marx Brothers (2013)

2011-12-09T14:19:00.000-08:00

It looks like the Farrelly brothers have done it again!! After bringing the Three Stooges (with three actors who were not the Three Stooges) to the screen and injecting it with the type of humor you've come to expect from their films like There's Something About Mary and Dumb and Dumber they've set their sites on yet another famous comedy trio.

And the result? COMEDY GOLD!!

Coming to theaters in the Summer of 2013: THE MARX BROTHERS!!

Starring three actors who are the only people who were born to play the brothers!!

Jim Carrey as Groucho Marx

Adam Sandler as Chico Marx

And only one actor has the range, the looks and depth to star as Harpo Marx.

And that actor is JACK BLACK!!

Groucho, Harpo and Chico are looking for their long lost brother Zeppo (played by Seth Rogen) who has been missing for 20 years. They just didn't bother to go look for him until they found out that he is going to be made a business partner in a multi-million dollar company run by wealthy widow Margaret Dumont (played by Cameron Diaz). If the brothers do not find Zeppo, the contract will go to an evil wealthy mogul(played by Will Ferrell).

Margaret Dumonts daughter (played by Jessica Alba) has been madly in love with Zeppo for all these years and proceeds to help the Brothers in finding her lost love.

Hilarity and hijinks ensue as the brothers travel around the world looking for Zeppo before Midnight at the end of the month. The evil wealthy mogul sends his hired goons to try and kill the brothers before they can find Zeppo.

With celebrity appearances in the movie by Justin Beiber, Simon Cowell, Gwen Stefani, Jimmy Fallon, Donald Trump, Lady Gaga, Hulk Hogan, Katy Perry, the cast from Glee, Ron Jeremy, Michael Bublé, Vanilla Ice and all the Kardashian sisters.

Not to mention a hilarious (and I mean HILARIOUS) guest cameo by Snoop Dogg which Groucho mistakes The Dogg Father's weed for his cigars. Since it is rolled up in a cigar.

As well as a scene in which Groucho proceeds to woo the Kardashian sisters while Harpo is dry humping them. Which Groucho quips, "I see you're trying to get to the bottoms of things" at Harpo. While Chico quips something in mock-Italian

Because in all the witty writing and the brilliant quips you've come to expect from the Marx Brothers what their movies have really lacked is women mistaking semen for hair gel, having chocolates switched with laxatives with the results being 15 minutes of shitting on the toilet only to find out it's broken and accidentally mistaking a bull for a cow and proceeding to come in with a bucket filled with what you milked and a "milk mustache".

The Marx Brothers will have all that.

A pivotal moment in the movie is when the Wealthy and Evil Mogul (still played by Will Ferrell) and his goons have Groucho and the brothers cornered after they finally find Zeppo.

With the treat of being killed, Harpo turns around at the would be attackers, lifts up his coat tails, and proceeds to rip the loudest fart imaginable, which sounds distinctly like the horn he carries around, shattering the windows and sending their would-be attackers flying out the window.

After this happens Groucho quips: "Flatulence will get you nowhere my boy". While Chico quips something in mock-Italian

All ends happy. Zeppo gets the girl and the contract. Groucho gets the widow. Chico quips something in mock-Italian. And everything else that happens with a happy ending.

Oh wait!! There is also a HIL-LAR-RI-OUS surprise appearance by the Three Stooges at the end of the film asking for directions from the Brothers and then Harpo finally saying "Who were those guys?" much to the surprise of everyone as the Stooges leave.

If you're already eagerly anticipating The Three Stooges, just you wait till 2013 for the Farrelly to strike gold again with THE MARX BROTHERS!!

Jerry Robinson 1922-2011

2011-12-09T13:46:00.000-08:00

Although, Bob Kane's much debated autobiography Batman and Me published in 1989 would paint himself as the sole creator of the Joker. Then again, Kane also claims in that same book he met Marilyn Monroe and sketched her on the beach with some very dubious looking "sketches". Which look as though they had been done in pen and ink.

However, the real credit behind the creation of the Joker goes to the man you see below. Jerry Robinson.

He also helped create some of Batman's most memorable supporting cast such as Robin the Boy Wonder, Alfred Pennyworth and Harvy "Two-Face" Dent.

You can definitely tell when Jerry Robinson took over penciling duties for Bob Kane in 1943 because the quality of the artwork immediately improved. However, fans wouldn't know this because customary at the time only Bob Kane's signature would appear on the title page.

Robinson was also a crucial supporter of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in their long struggle with DC Comics to win full recognition and compensation as the creators of Superman. Which with the help of other artists and writers won that for them. He went on to Cartoonists & Writers Syndicate/CartoonArts International in 1978 which as of 2010 has more than 550 artists from over 75 countries.

Rest in peace Jerry Robinson and thank you for your contributions in comic art.

What was that old saying? If it ain't broke...

2011-12-08T11:13:00.000-08:00

...which can be said for the Three Stooges. Creating a film about the Stooges with actors trying to look and act like Moe, Larry and Curly just doesn't seem right. Like you're committing one of the Seven Deadly Sins. I suppose this one would fit in somewhere between wrath and lust.

Unless you're physically able to reanimated their corpses (although I don't think there is much left of them nowadays) it just feels like something you shouldn't be doing and those who attempt to try have a special place in hell designated to them next to the rapists and Vince from the Shamwow commericals.

And I'm afraid that's the fate of the Farrelly Brothers for having the audacity of producing this film. However, it could have been much worse.

Jim Carrey was originally going to be Curly.

I have no axes to grind against Will Sasso who they chose for Curley in this movie.

Since the Farrelly duo are generally known for bawdy humor like There's Something About Mary and Dumb and Dumber (two films I couldn't care less about) I imagine this is what would have happened if the surviving Stooges ended up making that X-Rated comedy Blazing Stewardesses.

However, Moe Howard died before that could be realized so that movie ended going to the surviving Ritz Brothers instead. So, the world was spared of both a Three Stooges sex comedy and a post-Larry Fine line-up of the Stooges which would have featured Emil Sitka in the Larry role.

And having suffered through both the Joe Besser and Curly Joe incarnations of the Stooges, it is good they group didn't go out on a film like that.

Isn't it bad enough their last film was The Outlaws Is Coming?

I cannot say I was very impressed with what I saw in the trailer. See my comments about Blazing Stewardesses above. It's bad enough they're even attempting a Three Stooges film in the first place. But the fact a non-entity like Snooki is connected with this film just feels like they've created an EIGHTH Deadly Sin.

Why can't Hollywood think of new ideas rather than rehashing the past in such a crude way? They tried it with King Kong, Planet of the Apes. Hell, they even tried to remake Night at the Opera as Brain Doners starring John Tuturro and it was awful.

Watch the trailer if you dare. And then pop one of the actual Three Stooges shorts into your DVD player so you can purge the image from your mind.

Another successful stART!!

2011-12-04T19:56:00.001-08:00

Photograph viz the T&G website of this year's stART at the Station festival. This year is probably my most successful stART to date!! Not to mention the event seems to get better every year!!

But thank you for everyone who came out to say hello and thank you to everyone involved in putting this year's festivities together!! Syd and I both had a great time and I am looking forward to stART in the Spring.

A couple more "Fuzz Club" photo's

2011-12-04T19:50:00.000-08:00

Although these two images didn't appear in the article, they do appear in the image gallery on Worcester Magazine's website. Steven King (no not that one) who photographed "the bearded few" did a really amazing job.

I'm just thrilled an idea I put forward went through. And it was a lot of fun to boot!!

New Art: The White Rabbit Sends A Little Bill

2011-12-03T11:05:00.001-08:00

In hopes to entice you to come out to this Sunday's stART at the Station taking place at Worcester's Historic Union Station, here's a brand new pen and ink sketch inspired by Sir John Tenniel's original artwork for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

And remember!! I am now accepting CREDIT CARD purchases at all my shows. Visa, Master Card, Discover and American Express are all accepted!!

Worcester Magazine: The Fuzz Club

2011-12-01T06:12:00.001-08:00

Beards! Love 'em or loathe 'em they're still beards. I've always been one of those people who grows them for the Winter and shaves them off in the Spring. I'm also lucky Syd likes me either way.

On a lark I suggested to Worcester Magazine editor Doreen Manning about doing a Beards of Worcester issue. The idea was finding different artists, musicians and so forth from around about the Woo who sported the old face fur.

Wasn't I surprised when she thought the idea was great and I found myself on Monday morning down at Worcester Magazine having my picture taken.

And they thought of a much better title for the issue than I could have imagined.

And the result was an issue that was a lot of fun to be a part of and some really great portraits of artsy folks such as Scott Holloway, Kevin McKeon (dressed in his hot dog costume), Shane Hall and Milo just to name a few.

Newspapers don't always HAVE TO BE posting something depressing. They can be fun too. Besides, this is considered a magazine. So, they're articles can be a bit more diverse and enjoyable than the usual "Welcome Wagon Runs Over Newcomer" type stories.

Much like Womag's End of the Year Comic Issue. More on that later.

The issue hits newsstands around the metropolis today. But if you're not able to pick up a copy, you may also read it online:
Worcester Magazine

Upcoming shows for December

2011-11-30T15:56:00.001-08:00

Today we officially send November packing and move onto December. Which looks like it's going to be a busy month for me.
STARTING THIS WEEK TO BOOT!!

Here's the current list of shows with the possiblity of more to be added:

GLOOMY PRESENTIMENTS: An evening with Susurrus Din & Bret M. Herholz
Friday, December 2 · 8:00pm - 11:00pm
at Annie's Book Stop of Worcester
65 James Street
Worcester, MA

stART at the Station
Sunday December 4, 2011 11am - 5pm
at Worcester's Historic Union Station
2 Washington Square
Worcester, MA

Indie Art Market
Tuesday Dec 06, 2011 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
at Beatnik's Bar
433 Park Avenue
Worcester, MA

CRAFTERSHOCK!!!! Alternative Holiday Craft Fair!!
Sunday, December 18 · 11:00am - 5:00pm
34 Suffolk Street
Worcester MA

Copies of my latest book with Susurrus Din Gloomy Presentiments of Things to Come as well as a brand new print and artwork will be available for purchase at the show.

Hope to see you all there.

ONE TIME AUCTION!! Bid on The Mad Tea Party 11x17 SIGNED color print !!

2011-11-30T11:33:00.001-08:00

This will be the only time you will be able to bid on a print of my illustration The Mad Tea Party AND there's already one bid posted!! Once it sells I will not be posting another.

So, click on the image below to go to the auction and Happy Bidding:

Have a talented child? Sign them up for an art class at WAM!!

2011-11-30T08:40:00.000-08:00

Feel free to pass this flyer along to anyone you know who might be interesting in enrolling their child in a cartooning class this Winter at the Worcester Art Museum. To enroll, you may either stop by the prestigious Worcester Art Museum and pick up a brochure or log onto their website:
Worcester Art Museum

Special CYBER MONDAY auction!!

2011-11-27T18:14:00.001-08:00

FOR ONE DAY ONLY!!

Bid on a new illustration based on the upcoming Doctor Who Christmas Special The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe. As an added bonus the winning bidder will also receive FREE SHIPPING for the item they purchased.

Click on the image below to start bidding tonight:

Coming Soon: The Ninnies

2011-11-27T11:32:00.001-08:00

The cover art I did for a book I illustrated for Doctor Who/Brenda and Effie author Paul Magrs's book The Ninnies.

Paul is an author whose work I have greatly enjoyed over the years. I first got into his writing with the Doctor Who series of original novels.

It bears mentioning that the strongest point of the Virgin and BBC Books that came out based on the show during those lean years when the series was yet to return was the fact that the writers were really good.

Many books based on television series are usually very weak by comparison to the original series. But not the Doctor Who series. And Paul Magrs's work I enjoyed in particular.

So, it's been great over the last few years to be able to artwork based on both his Doctor Who and non-Doctor Who work.

My wife absolutely loved the book and I had a great time illustrating it. To give you a general feel of the book, it's half Roald Dahl, another half Phantom Tollboth, yet another half John Bellairs and 100% fun!!

The book is getting ready to go to the printers so I will let you all know when it hits the shelves.

Doctor Who: the Movie

2011-11-26T09:31:00.000-08:00

David Thewlis as a possible big-screen Doctor? Possibly!!

Well rumor has it that Harry Potter director David Yates has been linked to a big-budget Doctor Who movie. And such names as Hugh Laurie, Gary Oldman, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy and Ewan McGregor have either been linked to the title role or in the case of Hugh Laurie are who many fans have expressed a desire to see in the title role.

As much as I like Hugh Laurie, my choice for the Doctor would actually be Peter O'Toole, Edward Petherbridge or his former Fry and Laurie partner Stephen Fry.

But actually David Yates has a great deal of actors who have worked with him in the Harry Potter series that I think would be great in the title role. David Thewlis (picture above) being on the top of my list. Others being Jim Broadbent (who has expressed an interest in the role for years), Jason Issacs, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans or if they want to go more William Hartnell type Grandfather figure Michael Gambon.

I even think Yates has the right idea of going the route both the Peter Cushing Dalek's films or even the JJ Abrams Star Trek film having the film be it's own entity rather than linked to the series.

In the case of the Star Trek films, I really don't feel fans of the classic would ever simply forget everything they knew about Star Trek and accept the new movie as gospel. Or try and take the route of Superman Returns and have it be a continuation of a series with a different cast.

However by establishing the film being an alternate timeline, it doesn't alienate the old fans by making them accept this is Star Trek now and the classic series doesn't count.

Because that'll never happen.

But by creating this parallel universe, as it were, it allows old fans to still have their series while people who might find the old series a bit too slow might enjoy this high speed version of the show.

It's something I've found with people who have become fans of the new Doctor Who series. They can't get into the old series because it is so slow and stagey and the special effect... well... make the classic Star Trek series look cutting edge.

But the charm of Doctor Who has always been a healthy mix of campiness and strong writing. THAT'S the biggest reason why the classic series lasted from 1963 till 1989. It's inventiveness.

However, I have no intention of turning this into a Star Trek vs. Doctor Who debate. Both series's have lasted due to very devoted fans.

Nevertheless, I feel creating a film (or a series of films) as it's on entity rather than having it linked to the current series is the way to go. I think as long as they keep current aspects of the Doctor Who history while going in a different direction and not writing off the series, I believe it will keep fans relatively happy.

Or at least I'd accept it.

Although, I think it might be fun to bring back Tom Baker as an alternate "older" version of his Doctor.

New print

2011-11-21T06:09:00.001-08:00

This will be one of the new prints available for stART at the Station in December. Visa, Master Card, American Express and Discover are accepted!!

John Neville 1925-2011

2011-11-21T04:43:00.001-08:00

Even though I confess I haven't seen a lot of his films (mostly because he worked a great deal of his career on stage) two of my favorites are A Study in Terror and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.

Both made at two different points in his career. The first one is actually one of my top favorite Sherlock Holmes films which was made when he was younger. And the second one was made much later in his career. Terry Gilliam had actually coaxed him back into films at 60 years old. For the best part of a couple decades, Neville had emigrated to Canada and decided only to do theater work.

I'm glad Gilliam convinced him to do it because the results was one of my favorite movies of all time.

Rest in peace John Neville.

New items available at my Cafe Press Shop

2011-11-19T08:10:00.000-08:00

There are quite a few new products available for purchase including more coffee mugs, shirts, pajama's, prints, puzzles, Snuggie type blanket wraps and a pint glass. I've also added quite a few new products with images from my latest book with Susurrus Din Gloomy Presentiments of Things to Come. One of which being a Gilbert the Ghoul Christmas Stocking just in time for the holidays.

Click on the link below and get all your shopping done in one place this year:
Horrid Collectibles

Winter Classes at WAM

2011-11-18T10:53:00.000-08:00

My classes for the Winter Session are officially up and running on the Worcester Art Museum website. Both classes are going to be taking place on Saturdays. I will be teaching The Art of the Cartoon for 8 - 10 Years in the morning and Heroes, Villains and Creatures for 5 - 7 Years in the afternoon.

There is also time to sign up for my December Workshops as well. Spaces tend to fill up quickly so click on the link below sign up today:

Sneak peek at the Loved One by Evelyn Waugh

2011-11-12T13:35:00.001-08:00

A couple pages lettered and colored from an adaption of Evelyn Waugh's story The Loved One which I have been working on. I'm planning on submitting the project in the next couple of days.

Spider-Man is dead. The... um... spiders have left the bell tower...

2011-11-11T10:00:00.000-08:00

Sixteen or seventeen years ago I might have been writing an angry letter to Marvel Comics outraged by how they killed off one of the most popular characters next to Batman and Superman in comic book history.

Now I just don't care.

I guess there has been so much revisionist history to many of these comic book superheroes that they just don't feel like the same characters I grew up with. I mean, just recently DC just pressed the reboot button and brought all their books back to issue #1 just to make it less confusing for new readers.

But for me it's just not the same Batman, Spider-Man or... um... Green Llama I grew up with.

Besides the fact they always seem to come back after the marketing stunt wears off. Superman came back. So did Batman and the Flash. Hell!! They even brought Jason Todd back.

Book like DC New Frontier and Shazam and the Monster Society of Evil have proven that characters like Spider-Man have more of a future in graphic novels. Which gives writers and artists more of an opportunity (much like a filmmaker) to put their spin on the character. It might not always be successful. But it does give the writer more of an opportunity to explore either different avenues or timelines with these characters.

I suppose it's kind of harsh but for me Spider-Man's fictional death has been met by me with a shrug.

December Workshops at WAM now available

2011-11-11T09:43:00.000-08:00

My December Workshop classes are finally up on the Worcester Art Museum website and available for enrollment. My Winter and Spring offerings should be up on the site very soon.

Classes tend to fill up quick so click on the link below to sign up today:

Amended Nick's Flyer

2011-11-11T07:24:00.000-08:00

This version of the poster has the live music which will be playing during the reading. Hope to see you all there!!

The Wrong Guy (1997)

2011-11-10T08:25:00.001-08:00

The Wrong Guy is Dave Foley's first big post-Kids in the Hall project. I think he either produced it shortly before or during his time on NewsRadio. It's about Nelson Hibbert who finds his boss dead and goes on the run thinking that everyone thinks he murdered his boss. But everyone knows the who really murdered his boss and are after the real murderer while poor inept Nelson tries to make his way to Mexico.

I finally got to see it with my wife after wanting to see it for so many years and I don't think either of us have laughed at a movie this much in a while.

The Wrong Guy also proves how out of touch Hollywood can be about what the public wants to see. Which is the reason we have a glut of really lazy computer animated movies on the market with throwaway plots.

But that's a tale for another time.

I remember seeing an interview with Dave Foley on Late Night with Conan O'Brien back in either 1995 or 1996. It was just after the KITH television series ended and I think around the time their movie Brain Candy came out.

In the interview Dave Foley mentioned that he had filmed a movie called The Wrong Guy which had been shelved by Disney. It should be mentioned that Disney has had a history of shelving projects they felt were unsuitable.

Case in point Tim Burton's Frankenweenie.

But at the time Dave Foley in his usual wry wit stated that the reason the film was shelved was that "Disney cherished the movie too much to want to share it". After seeing a clip from the film which Dave's character tries to jump on a train but falls out the other side, I was horrified that they would shelve this project. Because it looked like it could be really funny.

And then fifteen or sixteen years on I'm horrified all the more watching a really funny film and feeling like it never got the audience it deserved in the theaters.

I would imagine the exec's at Disney had never heard of Kids in the Hall and thought they were a rap group or a boy band. Keep in mind this is the same Disney that signed Insane Clown Posse to a recording contract just because they had the word "clown" in their name.

The scene that left me in stitches is when Dave's character Nelson is in the forest ravenously eating poison berries and then comes by this obviously poisonous toadstool which he very nonchalantly eats only to be heaving his guts out behind at tree in the very next scene.

The supporting cast is great too with David Anthony Higgins of Higgins Boys and Gruber and Malcolm in the Middle fame as probably the worst cop ever and Jennifer Tilly as Nelson's narcoleptic love interest. Even KITH alum Kevin MacDonald makes a cameo.

Don't watch this movie expecting something deep or intellectual. Watch this movie expecting something very simple and silly and have a good laugh. Give this movie a chance. You might be pleasantly surprised.

An Evening with Susurrus Din at Nick's in Worcester November 16th

2011-11-09T08:52:00.000-08:00

Gothic wordsmith Susurrus Din will be reciting selected poems from our latest book Gloomy Presentiments of Things to Come and I will be creating live art (for lack of a better description) at Nick's in Worcester November 16th.

Feel free to print this off and pass along to your friends or post it on your blog, FB page or website. Hope to see you all there:

Upcoming shows

2011-11-09T06:32:00.000-08:00

I should be adding more events soon but here is the list as it stands now. Credit card now accepted for all purchases at my shows:

Wednesday November 16th: Poetry reading with Susurrus Din and live illustartion by Bret Herholz 7:30pm till 1AM at Nick's on 124 Millbury Street, Worcester MA.

Sunday December 4th: stART at the Station 11AM till 5PM at Union Station in Worcester MA

Tuesday December 6th: Indie Art Market 6PM till 9PM at Beatnik's 433 Park Avenue Worcester, MA

Sunday December 18th: CRAFTERSHOCK!!!! Alternative Holiday Craft Fair!! 11AM till 5PM at 34 Suffolk Street Worcester MA

A list of great beards

2011-11-05T13:06:00.000-07:00

I thought after my last two blogs I would lighten the mood a little bit. For those of you who know me every fall I grow a beard. Some of it for warmth and some of it because I love beards. And I am very fortunate to have married someone who likes me with or without a beard.

I have compiled list of some great famous beards that came to mind. I'm sure I missed quite a few but here they are in no particular order...

Orson Welles

W.G. Grace

Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel

Grigori Rasputin

Frank Zappa

Alan Moore

Abraham Lincoln

Jim Henson

Ernest Hemingway

Ulysses S. Grant

John Cleese

Christopher Lee

A-Town Krolikowski

Sir Alec Guinness

Peter Sellers

Edward Gorey

Shel Silverstein

Roger Delgado

Spike Milligan

Graham Chapman

George Harrison

Leon Russell

Jim Morrison

Paul McCartney

John Lennon

Robin Williams

Colonel Sanders

Chuck Jones

Diary of the Black Widow

2011-11-05T08:21:00.000-07:00

Diary of the Black Widow is book I'm still very proud of. It was my first book and it was a milestone for me. Up to that point I had great difficulty sticking with a project. Having previously done short stories for the Undercoverfish Anthology helped me to focus on seeing something through start to finish. So, by the time Black Widow was accepted by Alterna I was able to complete it.

It probably helped too that the original distribution was in 24 page comic book format. So having it broken down into three issues helped make the project seem a bit monumental.

And there's something to be said about working with a deadline.

I realize six or seven years later reading my afterword I might have given people the wrong impression about how I felt about my work. Especially the line I wrote on feeling some of the pages "wasn't my best work" and the impression that might give people reading my book.

Actually what I was thinking and what wrote down were are completely different. But it goes back to what I was taking about yesterday how if you give the impression you don't care about your work how are you going to get other people excited about your work?

The truth is I'll always be hypercritical of my own work and I will forever be looking at what I published and thinking "what I could have done better".

That was half my problem with previous projects and why I never completed one because I was constantly reworking pages to death. And if I were to go with the logic that I should wait until at least I thinks my work is good before inflicting it on innocent readers then I would never get anything published.

I'd just be miserable toad ridiculing other people's artwork in my blog.

My goal was to get a book published. And it's not going to happen by just sitting around and waiting. And it would never get done if I kept on working and reworking those pages.

The second part of this story is there was a lot going on in my life at that time. My Grandmother passed away the year before and my Grandfather was dying at the time I started working on those pages. My teaching schedule was flexible enough at the time to stop by during the day and look over him if he needed anything. While was doing that I worked on the pages at the kitchen table.

It was the same kitchen table I had done a great deal of artwork on as a kid. And while I was working on the last few pages of issue one realized that this would be the last time drew anything at that table at that house. A couple weeks after I completed the pages and sent them out to be lettered my Grandfather had died.

So I submitted those pages. Imperfections and all. Because that was the last artwork I would ever do at my Grandparents house. Within a year or so the house was sold and I would never step foot in it again.

My decision was not a refusal to put in extra effort but those pages represented a very special moment in time for me.

What having Diary of the Black Widow published did for me is gave me the confidence to go forth publishing five more books over the past six years following it's release. I don't care if I'm famous or not. I got to get the story I wanted to tell published.

Don't get me wrong. You want people to enjoy your work and you want to make a living doing what you love. But never make fame an fortune your driving goal. The streets are littered with the casualties of people who made fame more important than anything else.

All in all, Diary of the Black Widow was a starting point. It gave me motivation to get my work out there and do more shows to promote myself. So out of all the books I've had published I'll always have a soft spot for it because it was my first.

Oh, and a word of friendly advice to all you would be critics out there.If you can't tell the difference between amateurish pencil drawings and pen and ink, maybe you should think twice about being an art critic.

Want to promote your work better? START A BLOG!!

2011-11-04T11:28:00.000-07:00

Why should I? I'm not famous. Nobody is going to pay attention to my work so what's the point?

And if you approach your art, writing, films or music with that attitude nobody WILL EVER care about your work.

Besides being famous is NOT the point of having a blog. The point of having a blog is to promote your work. And you're not going to do that by keeping it stuffed away in a box under your bed or just sitting around complaining about people you perceive to have more success than you.

You need to put the blinders on and focus on your own work.

Despite any lacks in self-confidence you may have, the truth if you are ever going to make a name for yourself professionally you need to take that risk and promote your work.

Even if it means being attacked by people online. And it very well may happen. Sadly, it's one of the downfalls of having the world at your fingertips.

The internet has made many of these gutless very brave. It's very easy to attack someone from behind a computer monitor a million miles away. They can gleefully rub their hands together as they string together their scathing retorts from the comforts of home.

And it makes it all the easier to do it anonymously. Sure it's cowardly but that's what you're up against. We've all dealt with it at one point or another.

The truth of the matter is, the more you put your work out there, the more you deal with stuff like that.

But you shouldn't let these people stop you.

You have every right to promote yourself and find an audience for your work. This is where you need to have confidence in your talents to ignore the barbs and put your work out anyways.

There is an audience for everybody. Including your work.

What kind of blog can you start? Well, just about anything. Don't limit yourself. You don't have to feel limited to just promoting your work. Let them get to know the artist. This doesn't mean you have to post your telephone number, e-mail and mailing address. That can be dangerous. What I'm saying is talk about what music you are currently listening to, a favorite hang out where you like to get a burger and beer... or a burger and soda if you're under 21. Talk about favorite movie or even plug a friend's project.

You may even talk about you political or spiritual views on your blog but you need to be careful of that too. Freedom of speech allows people to speak their minds. However, it should be noted many people have ended up on the unemployment line due to badmouthing the place he works on someone posting a very suggestive photo of them drunk at a party on Facebook.

Like I said, you have the freedom to do these things. But just remember they may come at a very high price.

If you have a project you're working on but you don't have publisher why not put it out as a web comic?

My friend Andy Fish did that for his Dracula project and he did an amazing job breaking it down into comic strip form. Another friend of mine A-Town Krolikowski is going to be doing that with a project as well.

In the end you may have enough work to compile into a book which you can either shop around to various publishers or publish it yourself through places like Lulu or Kablam.

But above all, take a chance. You'll never know unless you try. And to quote Spike Milligan: "Don't let the bastards get to you".

Sink Your Teeth Into The Light by Joshua Michael Stewart

2011-11-03T07:59:00.000-07:00

I thought I would take the opportunity in this morning's blog to promote a friend of mine. I've probably known Josh since I was in the Seventh or Eighth Grade. He's just one of those guys I've had an immediate rapport whenever we meet up. We both enjoy old movies from the 1930's and 1940's as well as a very similar outlook when it comes to the arts.

I've also enjoyed illustrating many of Josh's poems over the past eight or nine years. Either single illustrations or sequentially. What I've enjoyed about Josh's poems is they're more like short films than short poems. Each one tells a really great story.

Well, Josh has come out with a brand new book called Sink Your Teeth Into The Light. And I highly encourage everyone out there to preorder their copy today by clicking on the title of this blog. You won't be sorry you did!!

Tidying up the old blog and other annoucements

2011-11-02T14:37:00.000-07:00

I haven't done it in a while but I took the opportunity today to clean up my blog. Straighten a few areas out and condense and neaten a few of the links.

I felt the link section was getting a little too cluttered with the various pictures. So, hopefully this will make navigating my links a little bit easier.

One of the newest additions an ongoing upcoming shows link. I've tried to post shows in the link column in the past but I've found that I would constantly fall behind mentioning any upcoming events. So having an an ongoing events section might make me more studious about keeping up with mentioning these events.

And as you can see in the Upcoming Show link, I am now accepting credit cards at all my shows. I still haven't received the swiper for the Square (probably due to the storm), I CAN enter your credit card numbers manually.

So for those of you who have come to past Beatnik's, Comic Con's and stART on the Street shows and really wanted to buy books, prints and art but didn't physically have the cash to do so. Now you can put it on the card and get all your birthday and holiday shopping out of the way.

I just used it at two of the shows I did in the past couple of days and it worked great!!

As for any new books. Apart from my latest release Gloomy Presentiments of Things to Come, nothing new to be released...

...yet...

...at the moment I'm busily at work coloring pages and getting ready to letter my submission for a graphic novel based on The Loved One by Evelyn Waugh. I am hoping to have everything finished and have a submissions package ready before the middle of the month.

I will keep you all posted as events unfold.

Mulligan Stew

2011-10-31T16:43:00.000-07:00

I'm sure some of you are scratching your heads and wondering what the image above has to do with an improvised dish said to have been prepared by American hobos in camps in the early 1900s?

And some of you have found a corner of your room to curl up into a little ball and shudder because you know EXACTLY what I'm talking about.

The Great Nutriton Turn-On? Really??

Being a pudgy, self-conscious fifth grader growing up in Spencer Massachusetts circa 1986 I went to Maple Street School. One of the thing I remember, other than getting emotionally scarred by my classmates, was by the end of the year they showed us this educational program called Mulligan Stew which was supposed to teach us the benefits of good nutrition and eating healthy

But the only message I got out of it was "You're fat"!

The biggest problem with said program above was that it was horribly out of date by the time we saw it in 1986. But I have a feeling that it was probably fairly out of date when it was being broadcast in 1972. The thing that the Teen Titans series taught us from the 1960's is that adults cannot write for teens. Probably one of the biggest mistakes to do when you are writing for teens is write "hep lingo". Because by the time you are using these "far out" catch-phrases, it's most likely they've gone out of style.

And by the time Mulligan Stew was being all "groovy", albums like The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and Black Sabbath's Paranoid were what kids were listening to at the time. And the hippy music of 1967 that the kids from Mulligan Stew were "playing" was passe.

So you can imagine just how passe it was when my fifth grade class watched it in 1986. Then again, in hindsight the paisley shirts and bell-bottom slacks were probably better than some of the rolled up suit jacket sleeves and neon fashion nightmares that were hip in the 80's.

I got the feeling from many of the teachers that they didn't particularly care to watch it either. I'm certain they had been showing it for ages in the public schools and the school board thought "Well, what's good for 1972 is just as good for 1986".

Unfortunately, I don't think pizza is considered a "health food" anymore. Yes, it has the basic four food groups on it. But that's stretching it a bit, isn't it?

As for the show itself. According to Wikipedia, Mulligan Stew was a children's educational program, sponsored by the 4-H Council and shown both in schools and on television. It was produced by Michigan State University and premiered in 1972 during National 4-H Week in Washington, D.C. Named for the hobo dish (and also for the initials of Michigan State) each of the six half-hour episodes gave school-age children information about nutrition.

Produced by V. "Buddy" Renfro, Mulligan Stew featured a multi-racial group of five kids: Maggie (Sherry Wright), Mike (Steven Einbender), Micki (Mion Hahm), Manny (Benjamin Sands), and Mulligan (Larry Friedman), plus one adult, Wilbur Dooright (played by Barry Michlin, who later had a minor career in movies and TV). The group went on nutritional adventures around the globe, although the series' filming usually stuck close to Lansing, Michigan (the opening sequence was filmed in MSU's football stadium.)

My criticism of the series was more for having to sit through it rather than making fun of the cast involved. I learned my lesson from my blog on the Peril's of Penelope Pit-Stop.

I've found reading many of the comments on Youtube, for some family members of the cast involved this is something they're proud of because it was their Dad, Mother, Aunt or Uncle who were one of the people involved. Besides the fact Sherry Wright who was Maggie in the series passed away. So making light of that would be in really poor taste.

Most of what I wrote was me voicing what I thought at the time watching the series.

But as grating as this series was, at least they stuck to nutrition and they didn't produce a series of sex education episodes with the Mulligan Stew gang.

That would have probably given me nightmares.

Dirty Gerund Poetry Show: A Very Haunted Ruckus is TONIGHT!!

2011-10-31T14:13:00.000-07:00

I'm really not much of a night owl. Usually by 6PM I'm in shut down mode and ready to relax with a nice beer and movie with my wife and bitey cat. Right now we're watching the Brother Cadfael series on DVD and really enjoying it.

However, when my good friend and current collaborator Susurrus Din suggested doing the Dirty Gerund Poetry Show at Ralph's Rock Diner in Worcester I immediately said YES!!

If you haven't had the pleasure of meeting Susurrus Din as of yet, he looks like he stepped out of a Charles Addams cartoon.

And is probably most amiable and the nicest guy you'll ever meet to boot. I met both him and his wife at my solo show at Dark World a couple years back and they were just the nicest couple.

And what better night to take part in this than All Hallows' Eve. Which has pretty much become the Mardi Gras of the holidays. There isn't a better day of the year to give into that suppressed side of you who wanted to be an actor and dress up in something extravagant.

If you were to do it on Thanksgiving or Arbor Day you'd just look weird. But tonight it's permitted.

Everything kicks off at 9:30PM at Ralph's Rock Diner in Worcester which we will be unveiling our new book Gloomy Presentiments of Things to Come. Susurrus reading selected works from our book while I work on a pen and ink illustration live at the show. The piece will be auctioned off at the end of the evening.

And since now I have the capabilities of accepting credit card purchases thanks to my technologically savvier wife getting the new Droid phone, the winning bidder may make their purchase with a credit card.

Even though I have not physically received the Square yet. We can enter everything manually.

Ralph's Diner is located on 148 Grove St. Right in close proximity of the prestigious Worcester Art Museum. So if you're looking for something to do we hope to see you there tonight.

And fancy dress IS encouraged.

Drinking and Drawing is just not my thing...

2011-10-29T11:27:00.000-07:00

I remember the roommate I got stuck with my very first year at SCAD telling me that a Professor of his encourage having at least one drink while working on a project. There are even events called Drink and Draws which encourage artists to draw while getting lubed during the course of the evening.

While I (sort of) admire my fellow artists out there who have the focus to draw while consuming a Pabst Blue Ribbon or two I just cannot do it. Even one beer and my focus starts to falter. I've tried it on several occasions and it's just not a winning combination for me. I usually like having a beer and relaxing. Once I have one, the brain gets fuzzy and I really just want to chill out and relax.

I'm your classic One Beer Wuss. I admit it. I've come to accept it and I'm a better person to do so.

Besides, my partying hard days are happily far behind me.

And this coming Halloween night I will be illustrating while Susurrus Din recites poems out of Gloomy Presentiments of Things to Come. While I'm working I won't be allowing myself a drink to keep a clear head while I draw.

I've also instructed my wife to keep me honest during the proceeding.

So if I happen to refuse your kind offer of buying me a drink at the beginning of the evening, please don't take offense. I just want to remained focused so the piece people bid on looks great.

I will gladly accept your kindness when the piece is finished.

And if you happen to be in the area on All Hallows Eve starting at 9:30PM, stop on down at Ralph's Diner on 148 Grove St in Worcester MA for the Dirty Gerund Poetry Show.

Fancy dress and costumes are highly encouraged.

Dave Sim Cerebus

2011-10-28T08:39:00.000-07:00

Dave Sim Cerebus was one of my favorite series's when I really started getting into comics outside the superhero genre. This had to be going back to probably sometime around 1995/1996. I think I was still going to college at Mount Wachusett but getting ready to head off to finish my college edumacation in Savannah.

Dates and times are starting to get muddled. But it was somewhere within that timeframe. I was young, shaggy, bearded, smoking Lucky Strikes and looking like I just tumbled out of someone's cedar chest with the clothing I was wearing at the time. All the inch of a pretentious young artist. Thinking I had so many ideas but really very little to show for it.

However, that's for another tale.

But getting back to the story we used to have this really great comic shop in Spencer called Last Frontier. I couldn't always drive out to the Mecca which is That's Entertainment so having a place like Last Frontier in town was great. And for a smaller store Scott who ran the place had a pretty good selection of books to choose from.

I had started to get bored with most of the mainstream titles and I happened upon the latest issue of Cerebus. I got into the game a bit late so I really missed out on Sim's grandiose Church and State storyline. However, what I read in the issue I flipped through impressed me greatly.

I started collecting back issues of the current tale Mothers and Daughters as well as the story Reads which was happening at that time. This lead me into getting what are commonly known as the Phonebooks of the past stories.

I imagine the name of these volumes were derrived from the fact that they were literally the size of a phonebook and the gritty quality of the paper they were printed on had the feel of the page of a phonebook.

What impressed me was the artwork. Sim character designs and Gerhards backgrounds just seemed to work really well together. And his association with Gerhard improved Sims artwork greatly from many of the earlier stories. I think the artwork the two produced from High Society on is what really influenced my work down the road. Especially his use of crosshatch.

Sims draws characters very well. And I loved how he incorporated characters from Pop Culture like Groucho Marx and Oscar Wilde into this imaginary world he and Gerhard brought onto the pages of Cerebus. As someone who grew up appreciating the movies of the Marx Brothers, I was thrilled to see characters resembling Groucho and Chico popping up in odd places in the stories.

I began to fall out of love with Cerebus as the later tales like Reads and Guys dragged on. I felt as though he was just "phoning it in" and using the umbrella of "free speech" as a reason to just to be pornographically explicit. But that was just my feeling at the time and I might have been completely wrong. I think people sometimes go about the right of free speech the wrong way around. They seem to think if they constantly drop the "F" Bomb and make their work overly phallic they're making a statement.

And lets not get started about his views on women which would make Sir Arthur Conan Doyle blush.

Personally, I feel people who can find clever ways around being vulgar to be much more intelligent than people who feel the only way to talk is to use every four letter word under the sun.

Groucho Marx made people laugh with just wiggling of his eyebrows and the insinuation of what he was saying rather than just making a dirty joke. But we think it's a dirty joke all because of the delivery.

But you can disagree with me. Free speech remember ;-)

That's all besides the point. At it's height Cerebus both art and writing-wise was a great series. I still use examples of Dave Sim and Gerhard's collaborations in many of my cartooning and comic art classes. To show students what you can do with storytelling and art.

I highly recommend you stop in your local comic shop and check out the Cerebus phonebooks. Church and State I&II, Jaka's Story and Melmoth are highly encouraged.

Soon to be accepting credit cards at shows!!

2011-10-27T10:56:00.001-07:00

For those of you who have asked me in the past "Do you accept credit card" and all I have been able to muster is a very sad shake of the head, well those days are about to end shortly.

I just signed up for THE SQUARE at the beginning of the week. I found out about it from a fellow Alterna Comics author at last year's Boston Comic Con.

From what I was told by said fellow author, it works very similar to Paypal only you don't have as big of a fee taken out for using it.

Even though I am still stuck in the dark ages as far as telephone technology is concerned (I don't text, don't send pictures and barely talk on my phone) Syd just upgraded her phone to the Droid, which supports it. So we're hoping to have the Square mailed to us sometime before the next show. Either Dirty Gerund or Beatnik's.

But I will make the big announcement when it arrives on our doorstep. As far as I know it accepts all band and credit cards. But I'll let you all know for sure which ones it does or doesn't.

Appearing at Dirty Gerund on All Hallows' Eve

2011-10-27T07:43:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to pass along I will be performing live art at the Dirty Gerund Poetry show alongside Susurrus Din (who you might have just seen in the T&G's Things to To column) to promote our book Gloomy Presentiments of Things to Come on Monday night All Hallows' Eve at Ralph's Diner in Worcester MA. Everything gets underway around 9PM and runs till the wee hours of the morn.

Susurrus will be reading selected poems from the book while I perform live art during the night. The finished piece will be auctioned off at the end of the evening.

But if you have nothing to do and a couple minutes to spare stop on by and say hello. Fancy dress is encouraged.

What makes a good Dracula film?

2011-10-24T06:26:00.000-07:00

Continuing from my comments from yesterday's blog post on Francis Ford Coppola's adaptation of the Count, I think what makes the ideal Dracula film is purely subjective. My notion of what the ideal adaptation of Dracula may not be yours. I'm not a professional film critic and I would never pretend to be. What I write in my blog is my opinion and not a review.

My preferences tend to lean towards Christopher Lee's portrayal as the Count. And to be honest as much as I like his Hammer series it's his performance in Jess Franco's film I like the most. The film itself isn't an entirely perfect adaptation. The budget is very low and the film itself can be very plodding in spots. Not to mention both actresses playing Mina and Lucy look like soft-core porn actresses.

Which apparently they were.

However, Christopher Lee shines in the film. His monologue about his heritage to Jonathan Harker at Castle Dracula is one of my favorite moments in the films.

I also happen to like both versions of Nosferatu. Again, the biggest problem someone watching the 1979 version may find is how slow the film is. And it really has more of the feeling of an art film rather than a genuine horror film.

However, there are some genuinely creepy moments in the film just for how bizarre they are. My favorite is when Lucy (who takes the place of Mina in this film) is walking among all the plague victims who are either dancing around or left for dead in caskets.

The scene is how I imagine a Hieronymus Bosch painting would be filmed.

So as you can see, there is really no ideal version of Dracula because they all have their flaws. But still, it doesn't make them bad films. All adaptations have their flaws because we have our own opinions of how the character and the story should be handled. It's just what we do.

But as for what makes an adaptation of Dracula. Like I mentioned yesterday, I feel there should be a mystery to where the character is from. I think it takes something away from how truly frightening the character is by adding a "human element" to him.

And I think having the character be in love with Mina because she's believed to be the reincarnation of his long-lost love doesn't work for me either. In the original tale Mina despises Dracula because he represents all that she fears.

I'm not so bothered with interpreting the drinking of blood with sex or at least the inference of sexual arousal.

But I do think humanizing Dracula by giving him these longing or giving him a human origin is a mistake. What made Lugosi, Lee Schreck and Kinski's performances great is the fact that you have no idea where he came from. He could have been born in the pits of hell for all we know. Inhuman, immortal, merciless, ominous and the embodiment of evil is what makes a great Dracula for me.

What I wouldn't mind seeing at some point is an adaptation that utilizes both the look from Max Schreck's ratlike portrayal of the character perhaps early in the story at Castle Dracula and then have the character look more like Béla Lugosi and Christopher Lee later on as he becomes younger from the blood of his victims.

I suppose just as long as they don't "Twilight" the story of Dracula from what I have heard from a few sources.

Because that would truly be horrific!!

Bram Stoker's Dracula

2011-10-23T12:00:00.000-07:00

Francis Ford Coppola's lavish big budget adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula isn't a completely bad film. It's got a really stellar cast in the likes of Gary Oldman as Count Dracula, Anthony Hopkins as Professor Abraham Van Helsing, Richard E. Grant as Dr. John Seward (someone I still think would be a great Sherlock Holmes) and Cary Elwes as Sir Arthur Holmwood. It's very stylishly done as far the look and feel of the film. And the music they chose reminded me of David Bowie's Berlin albums like Low, Heroes and Lodger. Which I think helped the feel of the film.

The biggest problem for me is not Keanu Reeves as Jonathan Harker butching an attempt at an English accent so badly it makes Dick van Dyke's embarrassing attempts in Mary Poppins sound authentic. But at least Dick Van Dyke gave an effort. It was awful but it was at least an honest effort.

What really kept it from being a really great adaptation is the fact they added this back story how Dracula came to be. And adding that element of love. I think what makes past adaptations of Dracula starring Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee and even the two version of Nosferatu great is the fact there is a mystery to where this creature came from.

Having that element of mystery makes the character more frightening and even adding that element of love to the story ruins it for me. Adding the element of sex to it doesn't bother me as much. But making the character lovelorn was kind of a mistake.

However, do I think it's a bad adaptation. Absolutely not. I think the stylishness of the costumes and the scenes are very good. And the top-notch actors they have in the film make up for the likes of the more deadweight stars they unfortunately chose.

It's definitely either worth renting or buying for $5 at Wal*Mart or Target.

But it's just those unfortunate decisions Coppola (including going with Keanu Reeves rather than going with someone who could actually fake an accent), make that keep it from being a truly great film.

It's worth renting for your Halloween night horror marathon. And despite being not much taller than me, Gary Oldman is a really good Count Dracula.

New England Bloody Roots Music Festival at Ralph's

2011-10-19T14:22:00.000-07:00

Helen Sheldon Beaumont, chair of the Worcester Arts Council as well as the lead singer of Guns of Navarone and Petticoat Junction has invited me to take part in New England Bloody Roots Music Festival which will be taking place this coming Saturday at Ralph's Diner 148 Grove Street in Worcester MA.

Helen has been a huge supporter of my work over the past several years through various shows and events around the metrop so I am more than happy to take part when she sent out the call for artists.

So here's the deal. I will be selling my books, art and prints from 12Noon till 6PM. During that time some of your favorite local musicians and bands will be taking the stage starting at noontime and playing long into the wee hours of the morning.

I will also be taking the opportunity to promote and sell my latest collaboration with local poet Susurrus Din.

So come on down and meet us at Ralph's and get your copy signed!!

Now available!! Gloomy Presentiments Of Things To Come

2011-10-19T07:09:00.000-07:00

Gloomy Presentiments Of Things To Come with poems by Susurrus Din and artwork by myself has gone to the printers!!

Copies of this decidedly chilling tales should be hitting the stores hopefully sometime before end of the week. Which will be just in time to do the Bloody Roots Festival on Saturday.

However, if you cannot wait till then, it is also available for purchase on Lulu.com today by simply clicking on the title of this blog above.

Gloomy Presentiments cover unveiled with a big thanks to Antoine Capitani

2011-10-10T13:07:00.000-07:00

Here's what's going to be the cover for Gloomy Presentiments of Things To Come by by Ryan Coffman aka Susurrus Din to many of the folks around the Woo. The image is inspired by René Magritte's illustration "The Menaced Assassin".

It was actually my student Antoine Capitani at Eagle Hill School out in Hardwicke MA that reintroduced me to Magritte's work. When I saw The Menaced Assassin in the book on Magritte Antoine brought for one of his lessons. I just thought it was an image I would love to use in a project.

And when Ryan's project came up I felt it fit perfectly for the look and feel of the book.

I just glanced through the proofs and the book itself looks great!! It should be off t

Gloomy Presentintiments of Things to Come

2011-10-07T07:58:00.001-07:00

Above is an illustration for the poem Gilbert the Ghoul for a book I've been working on with local poet Ryan Coffman aka Susurrus Din to many of the local crowds of the fair metropolis of Worcester MA for his upcoming book Gloomy Presentintiments of Things to Come which should be heading off to the printers shortly.

The best way I could describe the book as "Edward Lear on acid".

If you haven't had the chance to meet Ryan as of yet, he's a really great guy and his poems are playfully macabre with a sharp wit to them.

I will post more information here once the book hits the shelves. I believe the hope is to have it out in the next couple of weeks. Just in time for the shows I'll be doing between now and December. I shall keep you all posted.

Batman: Under the Red Hood

2011-10-02T12:42:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to see Warner Premiere's direct-to-DVD production of Batman: Under the Red Hood. An adaptation of both A Death in the Family and Under the Hood story arc produced by DC Comics which saw both the death and (seventeen years later) the return of Jason Todd aka Robin Mark II.

I have to say I enjoyed it. Good cast and although there were a few changes to the location and plot elements from the original death of Jason Todd, Bruce Timm and company did a relly great job retelling the tale. Decent cast of voices and very well animated.

For the most part Warner Premiere has done a better job with bringing DC's characters to the small screen than most of the big budget film productions have. They've also stayed away from the Christian Bale "Sounds like he's been gargling a bag full of thumbtacks" Batman voice. They even managed to bag Kevin Conroy for a couple of their productions. And even he sounds as though he's been using a real voice rather than trying to make Batman sound overtly dark.

To me artist like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo got Batman right with making him dark but with hints of humor. As much as I've enjoyed the latest Batman films, I think they're making the character a bit too dark.

And for the most part, I've found the animated version fo Batman more satisfying than the Christian Bale version.

However, seeing the glimpse of the animated version of the "death" of Jason Todd has made me want to see a fully animated version of the story done in the style of Jim Aparo.

I see they dide something similar using Michael Turner's pencil art from the original Superman/Batman comic story for the characters design for the Superman/Batman: Apocolypse movie which it was basted on. I've often voiced that I would love to see an new movie or animation of Batman done in the style of the blue and gray Batman costume of the 1970's and 1980's.

However, I'll just have to be satisfied with the upcoming animated treatment of Batman: Year One.

What's already got my attention that this might be a really great project (besides the fact I like the original Year One storyline to begin with) is the fact they have Bryan Cranston of Malcolm in the Middle and Breaking Bad fame as Lt. Gordon. He's always been a favorite actor of mine and I think he's the perfect choice as the voice of the man who would be Commissioner.

Few more sketches for the road... or Street... whichever you prefer...

2011-09-17T08:10:00.000-07:00

I am still trying to get a few more sketches done before tomorrow but here are a few more that I have done in the past day or so. The last one in particular was actually inspired by fellow Worcester artist Derek Ring for a promo he created for Mr. Smartass's showing of Attack of the 50ft Woman.

Since I was feeling in a somewhat cheeky mood yesterday and wanted to do an image I've never created before, I did a decidedly jazzy and somewhat Steampunk version of the movie...

...with a Worcester touch to it, of course.

My Yearly stART on the Street Blog

2011-09-13T14:03:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty gobsmacked (I think that's probably the best way I can put it) that stART on the Street is nearly upon us once again. It just seemed like this whole year has really gone into hyperdrive or someone hit the Improbability Drive because here we are in September with stART less than FIVE DAYS AWAY!!

Then again, I suppose I've had enough going on this year that made the whole thing fly by.

But here we are. Another year and another stART!! It the show I look forward to most every year as far as the art shows and festivals go in Worcester. And there are quite a few really great shows either taking place or starting up in the area that people should take part in.

But I still have a soft spot for stART. I've been doing the Fall show since they started hosting it on Park Ave in 2006. I think it was 2006 at least. And it seems like every year the people involved in putting stART together always go far beyond what they do the previous year. And every year the show just seems to get better not only with making the show a great deal of fun for the general public.

But also how user friendly and helpful they have been to all the vendors (including myself) who take part in the show every year. If something doesn't work with arrival procedures and set up the year before, they go out of their way to make it as organized and pain-free as possible the following year.

If you're a young artist who is really looking to get his work out to a larger audience I highly encourage you to take part in as many local shows like stART or Indie Art Market at Beatnik's as possible.

I mean, even if it's a Craft Fair at your local Church don't look down your nose at that. It's exposure for your work that as a young artist you can use to your advantage.

Don't get me wrong. Personal websites, Facebook, Twitter and web blogs are all fine and dandy with getting your work out there. It's a marketing tool so use it for all it's worth.

However, the only way you will ever get people to really care and interested in your work they need to get to know the face behind the art. And these shows are your best bet at doing so.

The only way you are going to build a fanbase (at the loss of a better word) is to get out there and become your own advocate. As much as you are an artist you must also consider yourself a small business as well. This way you show there is a pulse behind the art. You are selling both your art and yourself to the people.

And don't sell yourself short. The worst thing you do is give people the impression that you think your work is not that great. At the same time, I suppose don't get an over-inflated ego over your work.

But you can give the impression that you enjoy what you do. Just because a few people may not like your work doesn't mean everyone hates it. The best advice I was ever given as a young artist was by a fellow local artist Don Cadoret who told me "There's an audience for everyone".

And doing a show like stART on the Street is a good way of finding that audience and getting people to know you a bit better. From there you can not only build a fanbase but also build a list of clients who might take an interest in regularly buying your work and maybe contacting you for commissions.

You'll never know until you take a chance.

And as I say every year, if you have one or two bad shows don't write the event off as a waste of time. If you make back on what you spent for the table that's a good... um... stART.

Sorry. Couldn't resist.

Keep trying and don't give up. The only way you're going to be able to make a name for yourself is getting out there and promoting yourself through these events. Many of my fellow artists who happen to work in comics and illustrations like Derek Ring, Alison Cowell, Veronica Fish, Brian Nelson and Bob Noberini have done these shows in the past and have had some very successful shows.

So, if you're new to the event and happen to walk by my table, stop by and chat. I hope to see you all there.

More New Sketches

2011-09-13T13:13:00.000-07:00

I'm going to try and finish up a few more sketches before Sunday but here are the latest batch of pen and ink sketches completed for this year's stART on the Street festival. I always try to include a good number of artwork pertaining to local places and establishments in Worcester.

Although, I do throw in a few of my favorite things as well ;-)

New Sketches

2011-09-09T12:36:00.000-07:00

stART on the Street takes place near the end of the month. Which means I must officially shift into overdrive creating new pen and ink sketches for the show.

These are both reworks of my previous Willy Wonka and Turtleboy sketches since they both sold at Indie Art:

Indie Art Market at Beatnik's TONIGHT!!

2011-09-06T12:05:00.000-07:00

I just finished several new illustrations for both stART on the Street happening later in the month and Indie Art Market which is happening TONIGHT from 6PM till 9PM and a hep and happenin' little place on Park Ave. in the Woo called Beatnik's.

If you have yet to get down to Beatnik's I highly recommend you make the trip. Come on down, get yourself a fresh Wormtown Ale on tap and say hello.

If any of the illustrations happen to sell tonight, I will probably get to work creating new ones just in time for stART!!

My Great Big Delusional Doctor Who Blog...

2011-09-02T11:39:00.000-07:00

Although most of the time I try to restrict my blog posts, to upcoming projects, new artwork, what I might be doing or cooking (or having cooked) for dinner or the occasional ranting about someone who had been nasty to me in traffic or at the register in a store.
Once in a while I like to aid and abet my own personal delusions.

And this is one of those blogs. And you can complain and ridicule me all you like for doing so. But it comes down to one thing. It's my blog and I can write whatever I like. If you don't like it. Don't read it.

Nobody has forced you to read this so go be miserable somewhere else.

Okay! Now that I have done that bit of house cleaning lets get back to my blog.

The people who know me know about my love for a little show called Doctor Who. I don't take the show seriously. I just enjoy it. It's a lot more fun to watch than to argue about on messageboards.

It's one of those shows that can keep evolving with every new actor and every new producer as evident from the 1970's how the tone of the show changed with each of the producers that came onboard from Barry Lett's to Philip Hinchcliffe to Graham Williams.

And you can see what happened when one person ran the show throught the 1980's with John Nathan Turner how it sort of eventually burned itself out. But to be fair to JNT he wanted to leave several times during the 1980's but wasn't allowed.

I think we may see that return to the 1970's where the tone of Doctor Who will change with every producer who takes the helm. We can already see that with the transition of Russell T. Davies to Steven Moffat. And I think it will happen again when Moffat finally decides to leave.

So, that got me thinking quite a bit of how I would run the series. Which would start first with the redesign of the logo. As you can see at the top of this blog.

I've always really liked the logo they used for the BBC Webisode Death Comes to Time and I would love to utilize that design.

It seems as though the RTD series used something similar to the fisheye design but I always loved the diamond logo created for the end of Jon Pertwee's time and thoughout most of Tom Baker's time as the Doctor. So I would love to create something similar to that.

Next up comes who would be the Doctor.

I like Matt Smith and have enjoyed his portrayal. For the most part of this blog I will go on the assumption that he's still playing the Doctor. However, here's my choice of people I would cast if he bowed out before or during the yearly Christmas Special.

Samuel West would be on the top of the list for me.

Ewen Bremner is another one after seeing Death at a Funeral.

And Ian Hart because we really haven't had a Doctor under 5'9" since Paul McGann and I really liked how he played angry in an almost William Hartnell way in the first Harry Potter movie.

Most of the people I've chosen are all over 40 and I wouldn't mind seeing an older actor as the Doctor again. It's really weird to know I am officially older than the Doctor... in an Earth sense ;-)

I envision the Doctor's costume being based on Sir Alec Guiness's character from The Man in the White Suit. The other accessory to the costume would be a Roll-Up Panama hat.

The idea is the Doctor always looks like he's on Holiday because in fact the Doctor is the ultimate tourist. Always traveling.

Up next: redesigning the TARDIS control room and console.

I would actually love to have the control room Mike Tucker proposed for what would have been Season 27 of the show if it had not been cancelled in 1989. I liked this version of the Console which was not being supported by a pillar.

But I would expand upon it adding the look and elements from the original design of the control room. Only much bigger than the series could have ever realized that design from 1963 until 1989.

Next up the new companion. I'm not sure who I would cast but I would have it be an earth girl. Probably early 20's who the Doctor either meets in the Christmas special. If the Doctor happens to regenerate, then it would be in the last episode of the previous series.

Since the Doctor regenerating alone has been done with David Tennant, it would be nice to have the Doctor regenerate in front of a complete stranger. Someone who you really don't realize WILL become the companion until they actually enter the TARDIS.

Either in a regeneration story or not, I'd love there to be an element where the audience THINKS another man or woman will become the new companion the entire episode but it ends up being the person you least expect. However, if the Doctor doesn't meet the companion until the Christmas story, then I'd still go that same route.

As for the feel of the series, I would much rather have the feel of the self-contained stories like in the classic series with perhaps a few small arc's. I haven't really been a fan of the series long arc's they've been doing in the series since 2005. But with that said I have still enjoyed the current series and will keep watching it.

But I do have a little bit of a long game planned. But more on that later and who is involved.

Okay now very importantly: THE WRITERS!!

I would really love to go with writers who have not written for the current series and writers I really love. So here's my list and the baddies I would have return for the new series. Explanation will follow after list.

CHRISTMAS EPISODE: Written by Paul Magrs (which would feature some sort of Christmas baddie, especially since Paul wrote a particularly nasty one for his Brenda and Effie series, the Zygons, Iris Wildthyme and Panda.)

The first real story arc would be adapting the Cat's Cradle books(which were originally intended for the original series) into episodes. Ever since I saw the adaptation of Human Nature for television I've been itching for more of these books to be made into episodes.

Shortly after the Doctor and companion leave Earth at the end of the Christmas episode he finds that the TARDIS console had been damaged. We only realize that because as the Doctor begins to walk away from the console to show his new friend around the TARDIS we zoom in on the pull-down screen which reads some sort of critical warning blinking. But nothing happens until the next episode. Which is somewhat a nod to the original Dalek series where Susan reads that the radiation levels are normal but once they've walked away we see they are anything but normal.

EPISODE ONE: Cat's Cradle: Time's Crucible by Marc Platt
EPISODE TWO: Cat's Cradle: Warhead by Andrew Cartmel
EPISODE THREE: Cat's Cradle: Witchmark (in this episode the new TARDIS Control Room would be introduced. Although it is still repairing itself from the events that have taken place in the Cat's Cradle Arc.
EPISODE FOUR: Paradise in Chains by Rupert Booth and Lee Paterson
If you are unfamilar with the story, a lovely little independent company called Timebase did a series of Doctor Who video's starring a rather nice chap named Rupert Booth as the Doctor. Despite the scathing reviews of Doctor Who Magazine I thought the productions were really well done and I really enjoyed this episode in particular. And I think it would be a nice lead out episode from the Cat's Cradle Arc with the Doctor and his companion finding the still weakened TARDIS has dragged them into another strange little parallel world. And to be honest, I think the companion introduced in this episode would be either good as a one off character or someone who continues her journey's with the Doctor and his other new companion. Watch the original below. I think it's a very clever episode.

EPISODE FIVE: Written by Terrance Dicks. He's someone I have wanted to see return to the series for some time. I've enjoyed his books like Timewyrm Exodus and the Players. Perhaps something with the Ice Warriors or the Players.
EPISODE SIX: Written by Kate Orman and Jon Blum. Either Vampire Science or Time Rift. Or something new by them.
EPISODE SEVEN: Which would be All-Consuming Fire by Andy Lane. The Doctor finally meets Sherlock Holmes. It would be a nice little twist to have a Victorian era Holmes and Watson played by Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman.
EPISODE EIGHT: Written by Bert Coules.
EPISODE NINE: Written by David A. McIntee
EPISODE TEN: I would love to adapt Christopher Bulis's novel Imperial Moon. I would fit in with the ongoing indea throughout the series of the parallel worlds slowly reopening due to what happened to the TARDIS in the Cat's Cradle arc.
EPISODE ELEVEN: Which would be Killing Grounds by Steve Lyons. A small arc of sorts since this features the Cybermen on a planet in the far far far future. I would love to have more elements from David Banks book about the history of the Cybermen used. I also like the Bronze Knights introduced in the story as well as adding this whole element of perhaps a Cyberman civil war which all the factions (including the ones from the parallel world) are fighting.

I would somehow love to use the concepts of both Lance Parkin's story The Infinity Doctor and Marc Platt's Doctor Who Unbound Story Auld Mortality with my own twist to make it fit the current series. It might run like this.
EPISODE TWELVE: The Auld Mortality story by Marc Platt as Part One.
and
EPISODE THIRTEEN: The Infinity Doctor story by Lance Parkin as Part Two.

And this would be my long game of sorts. Everything that has happened over the course of the series leads to now. But I didn't want to do it in a Bad Wolf/Cracks in Time sort of way. I don't want people to realize this until part two of the story arc because I want people to be able to drop in on a story after Cat's Cradle and be able to enjoy it without having to feel like they had to see the previous one.

Even though the Doctor is beaten and weakened in the events of Killing Grounds, we are given every indication that he's okay and nothing's wrong at the end and reassures his companion of this they just talk like they're going off on another adventure.

As PART ONE of the finale begins we don't see the Doctor or hear is voice. We just hear the voice of someone who sounds a lot like the companion urging him to wake-up. As everything comes into focus we come to find the the Doctor is in a room on Gallifrey. And the person who is waking him up isn't the companion but his Granddaughter Susan who is seen in Prydonian gown and funny collar. But we don't see the Doctor. Even though she calls him Grandfather we assume that it's the current Doctor. Until the camera swings itself around and finally reveal the Doctor's face.

But it is not the Doctor. At least not the Doctor we have come to accept in the current series.

It is a version of the First Doctor played by Peter O'Toole.

The Doctor looks outside and reveals he is in the domed cities on Gallifrey.

Gallifrey was never destroyed and the Doctor is still in his first incarnation. Because he never left his home planet. Everything that had happened from 1963 till 2011 was all just a dream. Fantasies written by the Doctor.

Cue intro music.

Throught the episode we see the faces of many Timelords from the Doctor's past make cameo appearance's like Romana, Borusa, The Rani, The Celstrial Toymaker, Cancellor Goth, Hedin, Azmael and the Master. Perhaps once again portrayed by Sir Derek Jacobi but more along the lines of his Professor Yana.

Another thought would be having the Doctor's past selves appear as other Timelords in this version of reality such as Tom Baker as President Borusa, Peter Davison as Hedin, Colin Baker as Azmael and Sylvester McCoy as Chancellor Goth. With his further selves in various Timelords roles. Either Castellans, Cardinals or members of the Cancellory Guard.

Except for his current incarnation. Who appears as only as brief visions to the Doctor.

I want people watching to almost believe this episode to be real for the most part For a great deal of the first episode. Almost right till the middle of it. But as time goes on the Doctor sees flashes of his current incarnation everytime he sees his reflection. But always briefly trying to reach out to him.

The Doctor tries his best to suppress this as nothing more than age and his mind playing tricks on him but the arrival of a young earth girl has complicated everything. The High Council of Timelords is mystified how an human could appear on Gallifrey. They have imprisoned and interrogate her. She demands to see one man.

The Doctor.

When the Doctor sees her he sees brief flashes of their adventures together. He sees a brief glimpse of the two of them in the TARDIS right after their encounter with the Cybermen in Killing Ground. He sees the the shadow of a figure with them. But everything is foggy like a dream.

His companion reveals she somehow was able to escape and find her way here. She says she and the Doctor were heading to Earth when they were attacked. Which the Doctor replies he's never been to Earth. The companion insists that she is trying to save the Doctor. He responds, "You foolish child! Why on earth would I need saving?" which she retorts "Why on earth would you say why on earth since you say you've never been to earth?" It is right at the end that she reveals that this world is not real and he is not really the Doctor.

PART TWO: The "Doctor" is taken aback by this information. She begins to tell him how the Doctor, her Doctor, the REAL Doctor is trapped. Someone is trying to undo his past and has been trapping his previous incarnations one by one. Taking them out of time causing the real Doctor to be unwritten. And somehow this being has created this new version of the First Doctor. Giving the Doctor everything he ever wanted. Gallifrey never destroyed and as the Doctor remembered.

We find out the companion was actually saved by Iris Wildthyme who is in the process of freeing the current Doctor. She somehow found a way to pop the companion into this version of the Doctor's reality in order to somehow get his help.

Since at the moment he is the real Doctor and the real Doctor has been pushed into the depths of his mind. But they must free the Doctor's past selves in order to make the actual Doctor whole again.

A lot of exciting stuff happens when the "Doctor" finally comes face to face with his real self. Even though this "Doctor" is torn because if he helps the companion he will never exist. Gallifrey will be nothing but dust and a memory. But what would be great would be to get the former living Doctors to appear encouring this parallel Doctor by showing him all the wonderful adventures and places he has gone by leaving Gallifrey. That even the destruction of Gallifrey had to happen in order for everything to come to pass.

To add another twist, Gallifrey finds they are being threatened by a race known as the Daleks. Since the Doctor did not travel and did not somehow interfere with the Daleks in various stages of their evolution, the Daleks are more powerful and more cunning than ever. And Gallifrey has no way of defending themselves against this.

At the end of all the real Doctor comes back into reality and comes face to face. The alternate Doctor is saddened because he feels he is nothing but a lie. But the Doctor (the real one) tells him that it's not true and that much like his previous selves this version of him actually exists too in his mind. A great concept created by Paul Cornell for both the New Adventures series and used in the Seventh Doctor audio play Shadow of the Scourge. And this Doctor is possibly a future incarnation of himself. Many possibilities exist in his mind what he may look like or what he might look like.

Out of the shadows, other alternate Doctors emerge in the forms of Peter Cushing's Doctor Who, Mark Gatiss, Rowan Atkinson and Richard E. Grant's Doctor's. Maybe lookalikes in their guise. Especially Peter Cushing who is no longer with us.

I also thought fan Doctors crop up like Nicholas Brigg, Tony Garner and Rupert Booth to name a few.

That's when it is revealed another possible future self. The one behind all this. The Valeyard.

We find out that the Valeyard was one of the abominations that was born during the Time War. He had managed to free himself from the Doctor's current Eighth incarnation. But the way he got to the Timelords was subtle and cunning. He was the one who helped corrupt them with this insane idea to destroy all of creation and become beings of pure thought.

When the Doctor finally uses the Moment, he traps the Valeyard in the TARDIS. The Valeyard can only exist as a shade. Doomed to wander the corridors of the TARDIS unable to do any damage.

During the events of the Cat's Cradle arc, the Valeyard is set free. Still in a weakened state he bides his time, blending himself into the Doctor's own shadow. But only able to follow him in the confines of the TARDIS. Hiding in the darkness when the Doctor leaves.

CUTS TO what we didn't see in the TARDIS where the Valeyard disguised as the Doctor's shadow engulfing him and sucking him into the parallel world he created.

He admits that he had already once unsuccessfully tried to take over the Doctor in the form of the Dreamlord. The Doctor admits despite the different appearance he knew the Valeyard was the Dreamlord.

But with the Doctor still in a weakened state after facing the Cybermen he was able to finally strike and trap the Doctor deep within his own mind. In a fantasy world. With the Doctor pushed into the back of his mind the Valeyard would possess the Doctor's current physical form causing a forced regeneration. From there he would take control of the TARDIS and reshape the universe in his own likeness. Which would consist of freeing Gallifrey from the Timelock and flood the universe with all the creatures that were born from the Time War.

The appearance of the Daleks was his final plan, with the Doctor trapped inside his mind he would finally use this form of "mental attack" to finally destroy him. The Valeyard would take over the Doctor's mind completely as well as the Doctor's physical form. The Doctor as we know him would be dead and the Valeyard would become the Doctor.

The Alternate First Doctor has heard enough and tells the Doctor to concentrate in all of his incarnations. With the Valeyard in a weakened state the alternate Doctor gives up the possiblility of ever becoming real by sacrificing himself in order to trap the Valeyard.

Something very Reichenbach Falls with the two falling deep withing the chasms of the Doctor's mind.

The Doctor and his companion awaken in the TARDIS to find Iris and Panda enjoying Martini's with a bottle of booze sitting on the console. Her TARDIS is parked right outside. Eventually he (begrudgingly) thanks both Iris and Panda who leave and embark on their own adventures leaving the Doctor and his companion alone.

The whole series leads up to the parallel worlds being reopened. Which the Doctor doesn't see as a good or bad thing. Just one of those "Wait and see" sort of things. He doesn't know how much damage the Valeyard's tampering has caused by opening the doors to the parallel dimensions.

The companion then asks: "What about Gallifrey and the Time Lords? You mentioned something about a Timelock (which the Doctor might tell her at some point in a prior tale). Is there a chance..?" which the Doctor immediately says: "No. As much as I would love to see the Timelords of old reinstated it just cannot be. If the Timelock were removed, the all is lost".

The Doctor is saddened by the death of this incarnation. But he happens to look up at his reflection. Either in the translucent central column or in a mirror. He sees the other Doctor briefly who smiles at him. The Doctor smiles and he and his companion set off on more adventures.

Some finishing touches

2011-09-02T07:11:00.001-07:00

This is the last addition to the studio. Although, I am looking for a small desk which I can do a little drawn animation on.

But this was a wedding gift from some family friends. I was surprised how compact it was. It really fits perfectly into the corner of the studio. So now we I can listen to some of my old Jazz records which I got from my Grandfather as well as A Prairie Home Companion on Saturday night since we get really good radio reception up here.

Further additions

2011-08-27T05:49:00.001-07:00

A few updated pictures of the studio's progress. I added a few new pictures to the wall.

Ruben giving the studio his approval.

A painting by my late Grandfather Herholz.

Page one of the Loved One. The first work I've done at my desk in a couple months.

Tour of my Studio

2011-08-23T11:20:00.000-07:00

A quick photo tour of my brand new studio. It won't be much of a tour because it's not a huge space. But it's perfect for my needs. Just need to bring in a few extra supplies and hang a few more pictures on the wall but it's pretty much ready for me to start working on projects in.

I've had this picture of Charlie Chaplin probably since the fifth grade. My studio wouldn't be complete without it.

My good friend and former roommate A-Town Krolikowski wedding gift which he gave me on the night I we all went out to Northampton to tie a few on.

A close-up on the last panel. A-Town envisioning what my wedding night was like.

A gift from my sister Trish. A photo of the Marx Brothers.

A Birthday gift from my wife Sydney.

My studio is finally set up... well... NEARLY set up...

2011-08-23T06:55:00.000-07:00

Well, it took me three months with getting the place straightened up and plowing through the Summer Session at the Worcester Art Museum. But I FINALLY have my studio pretty much set up. Well, pretty much the essentials of getting work done set up.

I need to work on a raised area so doing projects on the dining room table and at the Museum during break was driving me crazy.

So I finally have my drawing desk (which I've had since the seventh grade and looks very much like the one Walt Kelly worked at), my Mac Computer, drawing utensils and bristol boards of various persuasions all set up. I am now proceeding to hang up pictures around the studio.

As much as I would idealistically love to go for the whole John Lennon blank wall to evoke creativity aesthetic I really know it's just not me. I need things hanging on the wall.

One of my brand new pieces is a wedding gift created by my good friend and former roommate A-Town Krolikowski. It's a comic piece involving my wedding night in a way that only A-Town can envision it.

Pictures should be posted very soon. But at least now I can work again.

Spike Milligan as Willy Wonka???

2011-08-07T11:58:00.000-07:00

It's true!! Roald Dahl originally wanted Spike Milligan to play the part of Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. And as much as I like Gene Wilder I really have to go with Dahl on this one. For those of you who are familar with Spike Milligan's work from television, movies and the books he has wrote you should know that Milligan was completely mad. Brilliant and mad. Which would have made him the perfect Willy Wonka.

I'm actually thinking about working on a Willy Wonka sketch using my Spike Milligan as the model for the character. I will be certain to post it on this blog so stay tuned.

The second week of the Summer session at WAM Has Rung Down the Curtain and Joined the Choir Invisible...

2011-08-06T07:18:00.000-07:00

Both my first two sessions for 8 to 10 year olds both ran this year and it looks like at least the first week of the August Workshops will run as well with the second one still up in the air.

I've definitely noticed that this has been kind of a crabbier Summer Session for students and instructors alike. Which I think is because it's been a particularly hotter than average Summer. July especially.

And here I was worried that we would have the type of Summer we had in New England a couple years ago where it was rainy and didn't get past 60 degrees until the last week of August.

THAT has not been a problem this year to say the least. This has been a scorcher and so naturally temperatures never getting below 99 degrees does have a tendency to bring out a bit of crabbiness in everyone.

But it hasn't been a bad Summer at WAM. I've gotten the opportunity to try a new project with the students which I had them do a comic called The Adventures of Turtleboy and Larry.

Think The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack meets Adventuretime type of characters. Turtleboy is a wannabe pirate with his friend who is a flying turtle named Larry. And they travel the world in their ship the SS Boat which is a bathtub.

They had a new sculpture up in the American Art wing with Cupid sitting on top of this turtle. So naturally the first thing I thought of was our famous Turtleboy sculpture near the Worcester Public Library and that's how I came up with that project.

I may try the project next week and see how receptive my 11 to 13 year old students are.

I should mention I was able to use my good friend and fellow cartoonist Brian Nelson's strip Laurel as an example of how to do a one panel gag strip. Sort of like Ziggy or the Far Side type of comic. Brian's comic is hanging on Honee Hess's office door at WAM so I was able to dyop by outside her office and point out what makes a one panel gag strip effective.

I'm kind of amazed how fast the first two sessions have flown by. Oh well. Onto the first week of the August Session...

Adaptation

2011-08-02T11:58:00.001-07:00

About a month or so ago I did an interview which I discussed how I went about adapting William Gillette's play Sherlock Holmes into a graphic novel.

Many of his questions made me stop and think about the whole approach. Especially since now I am hoping to embark on a new adaptation. This time with The Loved One. In the case of Sherlock Holmes, so many people have their own opinions and ideas how the character should look and be approached.

Is it really THAT important to please the reader and remain true to the original character and the original story?

Is a modern retelling of a classic tale blasphemy?

Yes and no. Actually, the last question I probably would have answered in a resounding "YES!! about a couple years ago. But the Benedict Cumberbatch Sherlock series has made me rethink my outlook on the whole idea of a modern retelling.

But in the case of any adaptation of classic literature, I feel the only way a writer or artist will have a successful adaptation is if they have a love or appreciation for the character and story they are adapting.

To put it simply, if you do not appreciate Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, then you really should not be doing an adaptation of it. Your lack of enthusiasm will show in the finished project.

And on a personal note, no more fetishist adaptations of Alice in Wonderland. Please?? It's somewhat creepy.

It also helps to know the character well. Especially in the case of a modern retelling. A good example of this is my buddy Andy Fish's Dracula series. What helps is series to be successful is his appreciation for not only the original tale but also the classic Dracula movies as well as movies from the 1930's, adventure serials and film noir. He has taken all those elements and put them together in his own adaptation. The result is probably the most dynamic and truly frightening Dracula to date while still remaining true to the original story itself.

This is also the reason why people like the series Sherlock. Even though the production team has made an effort to make it a more modern and action-packed version of Sherlock Holmes, their understanding of the character and keeping that spirit intact is what has made the series a success. They have also kept that element of mystery and suspense intact as well.

And made people wait impatiently for it to return.

That's something that the recent Robert Downey Jr. movie has lacked. There's too much excitement and no mystery.

But just remember you can only do so much as far as getting it spot on. Even in the case of my own Sherlock Holmes adaptation while some people thought it was "The best Holmesian graphic novel I've come across in a long time" there were a few that thought "The art looks freakish, all right, and not in a good way".

So you're not going to please everyone with your approach. But whatever approach you wish to take as long as you remain true to the character you can't lose...

...or at least you run less of a risk to lose.

Fake Shemp

2011-08-01T13:51:00.000-07:00

Fake Shemp or simply, "Shemp," is the term for someone who appears in a film under heavy make-up, filmed from the back, or perhaps only showing an arm or a foot.

The term references the comedy trio The Three Stooges. In 1955, Stooge Shemp Howard died suddenly of a heart attack. At the time, the Stooges still had four shorts left to deliver (Rumpus in the Harem, Hot Stuff, Scheming Schemers, and Commotion on the Ocean), by the terms of their annual contract with Columbia Pictures. By this point in the trio's career, budget cuts at Columbia had forced them to make heavy use of stock footage from previously completed shorts anyway, so they were able to complete the films without Shemp. New footage was filmed of the other two Stooges (Moe Howard and Larry Fine) and edited together with stock footage. When continuity required that Shemp appear in these new scenes, they used Shemp's stand-in Joe Palma to be a body double for him, appearing only from behind or with an object obscuring his face. Palma became the original "Fake Shemp," although the term was not officially in use at the time.

First usage of the phrase was by aspiring filmmaker Sam Raimi, a professed Stooges fan, coined the term in his first feature-length movie The Evil Dead. Most of his crew and cast abandoned the project after major delays (mostly due to budget issues) pushed production well beyond the scheduled six weeks. He was forced to use himself, his die-hard friends Bruce Campbell, Rob Tapert, Josh Becker, assistant David Goodman, and brother Ted Raimi as "fake shemps."

When is it time to throw in the towel?

2011-08-01T12:36:00.001-07:00

From time to time I tend to think about this. Especially when I happen to be watching a movie on really the tail end (or very end) of an actor's career. Comedians especially. You just find yourself saying "It's just not the same". The Marx Brothers and the Three Stooges are the best example of "living past their prime". For the Marx Brothers probably their last pure film was Night in Casablanca. Which wasn't a perfect film. But it still had that faint glimmer of their glory days. You can see with their last film "Love Happy" it's just not there anymore. Groucho's not even bothering to put on the old greasepaint mustache and eyebrows.

I suppose to be fair, Love Happy was really a vehicle for Harpo but I believe it became a Marx Brothers film to once again get Chico out of gambling debt. Which was the reason A Night in Casablanca was made.

But even the films following it, it's not the same Groucho anymore. The sharp wit of Duck Soup and Horse Feathers has been replaced by what appears to be a very caustic and cranky old man.

The Stooges are another example of that. After Curly died they were able to continue on with the help of Shemp returning to the group. And even after Shemp died they were able to complete the remaining films with unused footage and a technique of showing another actor from behind which has been referred to by Sam and Ivan Raimi as a "Fake Shemp".

I'll talk about that more in a future blog. It's actually rather fascinating.

But the later films with Joe Besser and later Curly Joe are just unwatchable. And you can see it in their faces. It's just not that same energy and excitement of their earlier films with Curly. And it's almost depressing to watch.

And there was talk about a new line-up of the Stooges after Larry Fine had died which would have starred in... brace yourself... an R-Rated sex comedy!

Moe died before both this incarnation and the movie starring the Three Stooges could be realized. The movie itself, however, ended up being produced as Blazing Stewardesses and starred the surviving Ritz Brothers.

I suppose it's easy for you or I being on the outside looking in to say "Yeah, they're washed up! They shoulda hung up the baggy pants and put away the greasepaint a long time ago".

Then again, I don't know if there are many young actors or actresses in Hollywood nowadays we will be debating this subject years for now. I mean really! Sit down and think about it for a little while. How many young actors and actresses out there can you think of have the staying power of a Carey Grant or a Katherine Hepburn? I'm not even sure if I can count that many on my fingers.

But back to my original point. I think a great deal of this was to do with the fact that many of these acts were really doing the same schtick they were doing when they were young. I think seeing a 70 year old still trying to do the same pratfalls as when he was a 30 or 40 year old just isn't the same.

How do you want to remember Mae West? Trading barbs and double-entendres with WC Fields. Or as the plastic surgery nightmare she would later become?

The only comedian I think really worked well into his later years (not counting George Burns because I think he was always an old man) was Charlie Chaplin. But I think a great deal of that was to do with the fact he was not still playing the Tramp well into his sixties and seventies. And I think he knew when it was the right time to retire that character. It would have been somewhat sad to see this fat little old man with white hair still trying to pull off the floppy shoes and derby while trying to squeeze into his old Tramp costume. Unlike many of the people I mentioned above, Chaplin seemed to age with the characters he played in his later films. Not to mention he seemed to go out of his way to go with parts that were out of character for him.

Even one of his later films Limelight which he played a Tramp-like character he played a performer nearing the end of his life trying to grab that one last shot at old glory.

Which is even more poignant to see him acting this out with his one film rival (or contemporary) Buster Keaton. It's a great scene of these two old school comedians who took somewhat different approaches to their characters.

I suppose I didn't really give much of an answer to the original question. But then again it really wouldn't be an answer as much as my own personal opinion. I suppose it's not so much hanging up the towel but evolving. And as much as I enjoyed the Stooges or Groucho they never really evolved from what they were originally doing when they were younger.

But at the same time, their later years do not ruin those earlier performances. And I suppose that's because despite their decline at the end of their career, they did something that was timeless and memorable.

I kind of wonder how many young comedians can say the same?

My newfound love for Vegemite...

2011-07-28T09:09:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my blog yesterday Sydney and I have discovered Vegemite for the first time while spending a weekend up in Franconia New Hampshire. Yeah of all places. You would think it would be while on holiday in Australia I would discover it. Well, my Dad's aunt was from Australia and three of his cousins spent time in a boarding school in Australia. So, naturally with a From a Land Down Under type upbringing Vegemite would be part of one's diet.

Syd and I had it for breakfast the mornings we spent up there and loved it.

As a matter of fact we became downright addicted to the savory spread. So last Saturday we took a trip up to a place called the Cheese Shop in Concord Massachusetts and bought ourselves a small jar of Vegemite. And she's been having it with her cheese sandwiches for lunch while I've been having it on toast with my breakfast.

We also noticed that the Cheese Shop also sells Marmite. It's British older cousin. Which we may have to try on our next trip up to Concord.

But if you are familiar with the Men Without Hats song and are curious what a "Vegemite Sandwich" tastes like I highly recommend you give it a try. Be warned at first taste it's a bit on the strong side. But it really grows on you.

Not quite dead...

2011-07-25T12:13:00.001-07:00

Well, despite the rumors that my wife's cat murdered me in my bed and ate me to remove the evidence I am as a matter of fact alive and well and happily living in the Worcester area. Which has made my commute to the Art Museum a little quicker.

I've just been very busy and a terrible blogger in the past few months.

Apart from getting accustom to my new surroundings I've been spending the past month or so getting my studio set up as well as getting back into the swing of things as far as working at the Art Museum is concerned. It's good to be back to work there.

Also, I just finished working on a script based on Evelyn Waugh's book (would it be considered a novel or a novella?) The Loved One. So much for it being a 45 page graphic novel. The script ended up clocking in at 165 pages. So, my thought is to break it down into a four part series of 45 page graphic novels.

At the moment I'm in the process of asking the literary agency that represents the Estate of Evelyn Waugh's permission to adapt it into a graphic novel.

I had to fill in a few blanks concerning a couple scenes. Waugh had a tendency to be somewhat vague in his scene description. So as much as I want to remain true to the original text as much as possible. I did have to ad lib a little bit on some dialogue.

Which I've actually got some really great advice from Dr. John Wilson who is in charge of the Evelyn Waugh Society and who has been very kind and very helpful right from the get-go in giving me the information on who I was supposed to contact in obtaining permission to do a graphic novel.

So with the scriptwriting out of the way the other part of my preparation has been doing character sketches for the book. Which is something I have not really done a lot of in the past. But in the case of a project such as this, I wanted to give each character a distinct look.

I've got a few very good ideas and inspirations for the odious Mr. Joyboy.

I'll probably get started on penciling pages after I have my wife and a few friends proof-read my script. She was the one who planted the seed of this project in my head. And she has read the book as well. So she can catch things I may have missed.

Well after surviving a week that felt like something out of Lawrence of Arabia (without the motorcycle crash) things are going good.

Syd and I had a nice little weekend getaway to New Hampshire where we stayed at a house the family owns up in Franconia. It used to be my Dad's Uncle Red and Aunt Patricia's place. We had a relaxing time and enjoyed being away from everything.

And since my Aunt Patricia is originally from Australia, we got to try Vegemite for the first time.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this Australian delicacy, Vegemite is a dark brown Australian food paste made from yeast extract. It is a spread for sandwiches, toast, crumpets and cracker biscuits, and filling for pastries. It is similar to British, New Zealand, and South African Marmite, Australian Promite, and to Swiss Cenovis.

Vegemite is made from used brewers' yeast extract, a by-product of beer manufacturing, and various vegetable and spice additives. It is salty, slightly bitter, and umami or malty – similar to beef bouillon. The texture is smooth, and the product is a paste.

And, on a personal note, it is also DAMN GOOD!

We found a place up in Concord MA called the Cheese Shop that sells Vegemite and we've been enjoying it at breakfast ever since. They also have Marmite there which we might get on our next trip.

And I have become chums with my wife's cat Ruben. And he even helped me with scriptwriting. The picture above is our typical sleep pattern. Ruben tends to like to sit on my head as a hat at nights.

The Love One by Eveyln Waugh

2011-06-27T11:32:00.000-07:00

The Loved One is probably my favorite book by Evelyn Waugh. I enjoyed both Decline and Fall and Vile Bodies. But I really think The Loved One is the best story he wrote. Funny, cynical, witty and macabre to the point of being ghoulish. What is there NOT to love about this book?

The movie version produced in 1965 was not bad with it's star-studded cast of Jonathan Winters, Rod Steiger and Sir John Gielgud not to mention the likes of Milton "Uncle Milty" Berle, Robert Morley, Roddy McDowall, James Coburn and even Liberace in some unlikely cameo roles make a veritable who's who list of movie and television stars popular at that time.

And it has Newton Massachusetts born actor Robert Morse as Dennis Barlow. Those of you who follow the series Man Men (I don't) may now recognize him as Bertram Cooper.

I actually when I look at him in The Loved One, I kind of think Robert Morse resembled Dave Foley from Kids in the Hall a little bit.

While remaining true and many of the scenes and characters Evelyn Waugh's original novel remain intact in one form or another, the movie is amost entirely different from the book having the story based in contemporary 1965 rather than 1948 when the story was written. It also pokes fun at the nuclear and space age the Country was beginning to head into at that time.

Which I don't think Evelyn Waugh even dreamed about when he wrote the book in 1948.

But I still find it to be an enjoyable movie. I especially think Jonathan Winters in dual roles as twin brothers Henry and Wibur Glenworthy is very good. Especially his performance as the Revernd Wilbur Glenworthty. Which I think he does sinister (and completely mad) surprising well.

I decided to introduce it to my wife Sydney after she saw it in my DVD pile. We had both read the book and so she was intriged to see how different the movie version was.

So far she's enjoying it. It's a long movie so we've had to break it down into a few nights watching. But she made an interesting comment before we started watching it.

She said to me, "You know I think you could do a really good adaptation of the Loved One as a graphic novel."

Which I told her was funny because I've really wanted to adapt it as a graphic novel for some time. But with something like Evelyn Waugh's work unlike something like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or Mary Shelly's work is I would have to contact the literary agency that holds the rights to his stories.

However, it is one of those pet projects I would like to do. If I were to do it I think I would opt to do Evelyn Waugh's original story note for note because I tend to prefer to remain true to the authors original story rather than doing my own version of it.

For one thing, I prefer Waugh's more cynical and deliciously dark ending over the one the movie gave us. I don't want to spoil either the book or the movie for anyone by giving it away.

I may contact the literary agent and see how I would go about getting permission. It's not a project I'm really planning anytime soon. But you never know.

Last day of school... for a couple weeks.

2011-06-20T06:54:00.001-07:00

I've been thoroughly enjoying my time at Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School this year. And I'm actually not supposed to be here right now but my good buddy Andy Fish needed me to fill in for his film class and I was very happy to help.

Which reminds me, I have to give Andy back the DVD's he loaned me for the class.

Today is my last day there till next Fall. Since the snow days extended the school year I had to dig through my own collection for a few extra. Today I've decided to go out with a laugh and show the students the Road to Morocco. The "Road Movies" as they have been referred to are not the most brilliant films ever made. But they are fun to watch. The last couple weeks I've been focusing on different types of comedies. I started showing an earlier Charlie Chaplin film with the Kid and a later one with Modern Times so the students could compare and contrast between the films. Even though there were a lot of similaries, there were many differences. And Chaplin was very clever in Modern Times the way he used sound while keeping it technically a silent film.

Although a couple of the students thought The Kid was the worst film of all time!! WHEW!! Tough crowd!! But in their defense, I think a lot of it is to due with the fact I feel a silent film is very hard to follow. Especially since I don't know if many kids have seen a great deal of silent films.

But I have appreciated the way they have stuck with it and despite not completely Mclovin' the films I've shown, they've given them a fair shake.

The week following I showed them the Ladykillers with Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers. Just to show how British Comedy is different from American Comedy. Especially this film which is basically a dark comedy.

Well, after today I have a little downtime before I have to head back to the Art Museum for Summer Classes. Even though I'm not a morning person, I haven't minded getting out of bed early for these classes. I'm getting to do something I really love. And that is watch old movies!!

Uncanny X-Men coming to an end

2011-06-09T08:59:00.001-07:00

Pretty much the series that started Marvel's whole X-Men franchise back in 1963 which spawned such series as X-Factor, X-Force, Generation X and Jim Lee's own title... umm... X-Men is coming to an end at issue 544 this October.

To be honest I'm not surprised and I wouldn't be surprised if more books started to follow suit. I don't follow series. And if I do want to catch up on a particular story arc I just pick up the trade paperback.

I still think graphic novels are the future for comics. Artists and writers get the opportunity to tell more of the story they like. And a great many times like in the case of New Frontier or Shazam and the Monster Society of Evil, these artists and writers are given the opportunity to operate outside the normal continuity of these characters.

Not all these books turn out great but it does give writers that chance to work with the characters the way they want to.

And to be honest, with all the means out there to publish your own book (i.e. Lulu or Ka-Blam) as well as many indie companies who still have opened submissions I think it makes trying to submit your work to a big company less tantilizing.

With that said, if you get the opportunity to work for Marvel or DC go for it!!

Who knows. Maybe the big two are starting to get the feeling that comic book series are finally on the way out and the only way to stay in the game is graphic novels.

Or they're just going to bring Uncanny X-Men back in a years time. Like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Non-Clone Spider-Man, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Wolverine's claws (I think) and... the Marvel Comics Captain Marvel?

Did they bring him back? Or is he still dead?

I don't mind if you ferociously disagree with me. But I think the series style of comic books is dead. However, this might mean more ongoging and serialized graphic novels. We'll have to wait and see.

My Etsy shop is officially opened!!

2011-06-07T12:48:00.000-07:00

Sydney and I basically got most of the stuff for our wedding on Etsy. The wedding bands, cake topper and the flower hair clips Sydney and the bridesmaids wore were all created by people who sell on Etsy.

I printed the wedding invites through Overnightprints.com and the centerpieces we constructed and printed ourselves. Syd also made her own crystal bouquet and the bouquets for the bridesmaids as well as the crystal Boutineers for myself and the groomsmen. But everything else was bought on Etsy.

So, after much thought I decided to start selling some of my work on Etsy. I'm not going to be closing down my E-Bay store. Just think of it as another place you can purchase my work. Click on the link below to check out what I am currently selling:

Back from Newport

2011-06-07T11:09:00.000-07:00

To be honest, it's been so long since I've been on a vacation of any kind that I don't even remember the last time I went on vacation. It might have been back in 1997.

So what better time to go on vacation than when you're on your honeymoon ;-)

Well, Sydney and I just got back from Newport on Sunday night and we've been busy unpacking, giving out souveniers from our trip, getting everything straightened up and getting back to work.

Needless to say, Newport was wonderful. We had such a great time and I think we did everything we possibly could in the stretch of five days. Well, actually six days since we were having such a wonderful time we decided to check in at the Travel Lodge and stay one extra day.

We had decided on Newport because it was a place Syd really loved to go on family vacations as a kid. And I'm really happy she suggested it because I fell in love with the place the moment we drove over the bridge.

We stayed at the Marshall Slocum Inn for the most of our honeymoon. It was a great place and Mark Spring who runs the inn cooks an out of this world breakfast. And our room has a spiral staircase. So how cool is that???

We did all the things tourists usually did but we enjoyed it at our own pace. We visited most if not mansions... I mean... Summer homes. My personal favorite was Chateau Sur Mer which reminded us both of the Addams Family's home.

We also got a chance to go to the beach. It was my first time swimming since 1997. It felt great!! Being down in Newport reminded me how much I love the ocean. As much as I have said otherwise over the years, I think I finally admitted to myself while on my honeymoon how much of a sea body I am.

However, my farmer's tan says other ;-)

Our last day there was spent driving around town in a scooter car.

As you can see, they kind of resemble a cross between a golf cart, a motorcycle and a Volkswagen Beetle. But they are so much fun!! Note the ear-to-ear smile on Syd's face. We also went to the Illustration Museum on our last day too. I don't confess to being a huge fan of Norman Rockwell. I don't hate his work, mind you. But it's never grabbed me.

However, I immediately went for JC Leyendecker's work. Although, I am embarrassed to admit I actualy confused Norman Rockwell's painting of Sampson tearing down the temple for a Frank Frazetta. I said it aloud to Syd and then read the name tag of the painting and felt like a complete ass.

While I was on the trip I also got a chance to finish reading Frankenstein by Mary Shelly during a few of our beach trips and before I went to sleep. It should be mentioned while in Newport, it gave me an idea to direct an independent film based on the novel but film it primarily in Newport around the 1600 or 1700's.

The ghost tour we went on which talked about how they used to hang pirates for made me think of that.

I have a great deal of friends who do independent films. I may have to contact them. But don't be surprised if a script is written in the next couple of weeks.

There are also one or two people I know who would be ideal for the creature. For both their stature and their voices. Not necessarily for their looks. So, don't beat me up ;-)

But we both had a wonderful time on our honeymoon and we're looking forward to our next trip down to Newport.

I also discovered the joy of Del's Frozen Lemonade. It should be noted that I used Del's Lemonade in fellow Worcesterite and super talented artist Derek Ring's favorite Summer drink which consists of Miller High Life and Countrytime Lemonade. I subsituted Del's for Countrytime and I was successful in finding a way that Syd can enjoy drinking beer. More on that mix later.

Frankenstein A.D. 1931 Concept sketch number 2

2011-05-24T06:46:00.000-07:00

At the moment I'm in between reading a biography on Sir Alec Guinness and Mary Shelly's Frankenstein. The latter for a project I'm in the preparing for tentatively titled FRANKENSTEIN A.D. 1931. The project will take Mary Shelly's classic tale of horror and place it in 1931. Since the original tale takes place between Ingolstadt and Geneva and the graphic novel I'm working on is when the Nazi's are rising to power, I tried to illustrate Frankenstein's abomination in a discarded German officer's jacket.

I'm surprised it's taken me this long to read the novel. I'm enjoying it. Especially the parts of the novel with the creature's narration.

At the moment I'm running a few very quick three day auctions with BUY IT NOW options to earn a little extra scratch towards the honeymoon.

Two items have already sold within the last 24 or so hours. But there are still six more illustrations including the Frankenstein concept sketch to bid on. Click on the image above to place your bid today and Happy Bidding!!