from the Fulton stop off the G Train

when i was um…researching the image for that quick sketch from the last post
(since this site is dedicated to nothing if not the accurate portrayal of anthropomorphic
animal representations), i googled “sock monkey image” and i was humbled
and honored to discover that the top two search results in the entire virtual universe
linked to a very, very dear friend of mine, the unparalleled monika lidman
(and her very, very popular friend, mr. johnson).

but so far this month, there have been 2 visitors to this website who found it by googling:

“how to move your lips for kissing”

i can’t decide if i’d like it better if these were 2 separate people, or 1 person who did it twice…

What ebay seller wraps their items like this before shipping, you wonder?

Who makes opening the mail feel like walking into your surprise party, you ask?

Why, who else but the Chief! Executor! of! the! Exclamation! Mark! Lynda Barry!!!!

and she even (maybe) sends bonus, unpaid for, 100% free gift items with your purchase —
extra monkeys (maybe) and this incredible comic book excerpt from her new book…

i could dedicate a lot of space to the importance of lynda barry, but fortunately,
the new york times did a little while ago. so i just say: thank! you! lynda! barry!,
for being a major force in my young art life…. and continuing to knock my proverbial
socks off with your drawings and stories in my less young art life…
…for all your cat’s eye glasses, hairy legs and brilliant insights. for all your
hair ribbons and cigarettes. for packing a black and white wallop every week
in your comic with all the
funny!
sad!
true!

…and soon i’ll be getting out the ole plastic mini digital camera on which
this blog relies so heavily. of course, spring signifies the resurrection
of lots of other wintered phenomena, most ceremoniously, the onslaught
of wedding season. the city challenges my preconceived suburban notions
about how weddings are supposed to look. in the eight years that i’ve been
living and working here, i never once thought of the facade of this building
as picturesque (i think this has less to do with any romanticism on my part
and more to do with the rat poison sign), but here is a wedding party in
front of my studio backdropping a makeshift blue sky to the contrary gray day.

i think this will wrap up my andros ruminations, at least until i start editing
video. here is a spectacular slow exposure from the beach in front of the
maritime arts and inspiration center. we camped there under the full april moon.

thanks to richard for letting me use his gorgeous images on today and yesterday’s posts.

also thanks to cal, richard, scout and pete for their wonderful company on the trip.

portrait of pete as the top half of a jellyfish in captivity by the esteemed richard smith

portrait of pete as the bottom half of a jellyfish in its natural environment
also by the esteemed richard smith

note:
there are many more of richard’s images, which capture the humble beauty
of andros (and have been spared my dubious captioning) at his website


disclaimer:
i vaguely remember pete saying something very non-specific
(and there are really so many ways to interpret this, who knows what
he really meant?) along the lines of “don’t put this on the website. then
people will think they can come down here and dress me up.”
although, due to its aforementioned vagueness, this can’t really be
directly translated, it could be roughly understood as “buy me guiness.”

part 1: the ruthless villain

part 2: the compassionate victim