curiosities

Hello everyone,

I thought I’d use the power of the people and the web in hopes of finding two things.

First up, might anyone out there have one of these?:

This was a promo piece made by Simon & Schuster to help promote my first children’s book, CLOUD BOY. It was a two sided cut out that was supposed to hang from the ceilings of book stores. They were given out to retailers a few years ago, so I think this might be tough to locate, but if you have any or any leads it would be greatly appreciated. 

Next up, does anyone know what this hat is called?:

I’ve been calling it the ‘Jughead hat’ as worn by the character Jughead from the old ARCHIE comics (right). I drew one on my character and would love to learn the correct name so that I can stop calling it ‘the Jughead hat’. I came across this great read on the internet from someone pondering the same thing (maybe whoopee caps or button beanies???), but there was no conclusive answer. Any help would be appreciated!

Lastly, in roughly a week I will be selling two original pieces of SKELETOWN drawings on ebay. I will send out a reminder here before I put them up, along with more details. This is my first time trying this so we’ll see how it goes! Here’s a sneak peek:

Thanks for reading!

~Rhode

I got up this morning, looked out the window and saw that the latest snow storm had sprinkled more magical goodness on the streets. The storm had just started yesterday and overnight had covered the streets twice to transform the town into a winter wonderland. 

I got a crazy idea. It all started with WOOLY WILLY. WOOLY WILLY (below) is a retro game where magnetic shavings can be moved with a magnetic wand to add ‘hair’ to a bald character. I didn’t want it anymore and had thought, days prior, to just strategically place it out on the streets for someone to find and enjoy it-to give WOOLY WILLY a second life. I had thought about just placing it outside, but hadn’t, and WOOLY WILLY was just laying on the floor… Then, I saw the snowscape in the morning and that’s where inspiration struck! The view outside looked like a well-staged Christmas scene. I knew that I had a roll of Christmas wrapping paper still left over from the Holidays, along with tags, ribbon, etc. I thought it would be neat to build little snowmen through the city streets with gifts like WOOLY WILLY, because it’s so much more fun to unwrap something that to just find it-I feel. So it began. 

 A small trip to the store and a couple of bucks later I had, Bunny Paratroopers, Spiderman and Dora bubble-making kits, a movie trivia game, all of which were each around the price of a dollar. The only thing I ’splurged’ on was SCULPTURADES (blue box above $4.99)- the supplemental game piece for the game CRANIUM, where players get a card with a word and then have to try to sculpt what is on the card; for other players to guess. I tried to keep the costs of this mission low and make it more about the experience, but I’m a sucker for things that encourage creativity! On top of those gifts, I added a little inked doodle to the gift batch along with a 98 cent frame.

My roommate was home because his work at the neighborhood school had been cancelled because of the snow. He heard the sound of tape whirring and wrapping paper crinkling coming from my room and asked what I was up to. I told him what I was planning and he wanted to come along. 

photo by Chris Robinson

Originally a solo mission, it helped that he came along because at one point, when I was making a snowman, I was attacked by snowball snipers from a high-rise building and hadn’t even noticed. My roommate saved my life! I guess the kids home from school had some inspiration of their own.

This was the first small snowman set up. It was near our place by this walkway where the trees and the weight of the snow had formed an icy cavernous path. I set up the first little guy there. I was hoping for someone to stumble along and notice the little snowman if they were paying attention, but could just as easily pass it up.

I didn’t have much for decorating other that twigs and pieces from an abandoned, trashed, purple umbrella, which I cut to make scarf pieces out of.

Some snowmen sported a straw hat (my roommate’s idea, after I ran out of head wear!)

Some snowmen even had fashionable bottle cap hats…

And towards the end, some hardly had anything at all. I had ran out of props!

photo by Chris Robinson

photo by Chris Robinson

We had fun doing the mission and I just hope people have fun finding them!

~Rhode

Hello friends!

As you can see with the lack of posts, I’ve been a bit swamped, but hopefully soon I will be able to share some good news about the things that I’m working on… But, first up, as mentioned in the previous post, I printed a small run of new SKELETOWN t-shirts, 33 of them to be exact. There was a bit of a printing problem with the pink on these, which may not be noticeable to anyone else, but because I know what it’s supposed to look like, I’m letting these go for a reduced price of $10 (reg.$18)- while supplies last!

These Photoshopped images will best explain what happened. This is what they were supposed to look like:

But they turned out more like this:

And here’s the sizing and placement:

    

Sizes:

Small Medium Large

   

So if you are interested, you can pick them up here or at skeletown.com. As always, I thank you for your support!

Okay, not too much else to share for now aside from that, but here’s a recent try at doing some watercolors, something I haven’t done in awhile, but hope to do more:

and below, is a quick ‘thank you’ sketch for my friend Daniel of Steamcrow, who recently went above the call of duty and assisted me with some tech support. This is one of his wonderful creations, a vending machine robot, that I destroyed in doodle form!

More soon, thanks for visiting!

~Rhode

Hello all,

It’s been a busy time, but here’s a peek at the goings on:

First, this is a painting (unfinished?) that I recently uncovered while going through my storage. All I know is that it was painted around Halloween time, two years ago, maybe…

Here’s a peek at a pin up I did for an upcoming MONSTER COMMUTE comic collection by my friends over at Steam Crow. Colors provided by the mighty Jenny Hansen!

Most of my time recently has been working on Melvin Beederman #8, the last book in the series. It’s a bittersweet end to a series that I had so much fun working on and I can’t believe it’s over. I just turned the inked pages yesterday to my publisher and I’m going to miss working on this series. I remember when my editor called excited to offer me the book which was submitted by then, first time author, Greg Trine and pulled from the feared “SLUSH PILE”- where manuscripts go to die! Unsolicited manuscripts are piled at the publisher’s waiting to be read. I had always heard rumors of these mysterious manuscript piles where stories float in Limbo or go missing, but here, 8 books later is proof that it is possible to be selected from the pile! There is hope for first time authors! Anyway, here’s a peek of the Melvin Beederman #8 cover without the logos. It’s been a fun ride!

Books are available here!

Here are two miscellaneous doodles:

Finally, available next week, this new Skeletown, two-color T shirt design. Please go to SKELETOWN.COM for updates! Update: The Skeletown Preview book is just about sold out. There are only a handful left!

That’s it for now. More soon…

Thank you for visiting!

-Rhode

There’s a hand-pulled noodle place that my friends and I like to go to and we have become some sort of regulars there. Sometimes there’s a kid that works there, my guess would be he’s around 10 or 11 years old. I feel it’s really because of this kid that he makes us feel like regulars there, because he helps his parents at the restaurant sometimes by taking our order. He ALWAYS remembers what we like to order. He usually will put in the order for us and then goes back to doing what he was doing, which is normally working on his homework or reading. Good kid.

I don’t know why, but I thought that he must do this everyday when he gets home from school and wouldn’t it be cool if we “accidently” left some TOP SECRET documents behind, for some plans for a cool robot or something. Something that maybe he would get a kick finding and reading. I know I would’ve enjoyed that as a kid! I presented the robot documents idea to my friend Jason one day on our way over to the noodle place, and as soon as I told him he said he was in! Jason has helped me with my antics before. When we got to the restaurant that day, the kid placed our order and went right back to burying his face in a huge book that said REPTILES on the cover. That’s when Jason said to me, “It has to be a robot snake!” A few days later I get an email from Jason with the TOP SECRET copy to V.I.P.E.R.R:
_____________________________________________________________________________________

C’fied — Docket# 336710023 ; Test# 223410002

CODE: CHAO CHAO MENG

THIS DOCUMENT IS FOR GOVERNMENT EYES ONLY. EVERYTHING INCLUDED HEREIN IS CLASSIFIED AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS SUCH. ABSOLUTELY NO COPYS, PHOTOGRAPHS OR NOTES ARE TO BE TAKEN OF / FROM THIS TEXT WITHOUT GENERAL T. MAGNUS PERMISSION, APPROVAL AND PRESENCE. ANY PERSONS READING THIS NOT A PART OF SPECIFIC CODE # 2099864892 DO NOT HAVE CLEARANCE AND SHOULD IMMEDIATELY STOP ALL ACTIONS AND READING OF THIS DOCUMENT.
——————————————————-
THIS DOCUMENT CONCERNS THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SPY CELLS PROJECT# 134310002 FROM HERE ON OUT DESIGNATED AS VENTRICLE INTERCEPTION PROSTHESIS EVOLVING RETINA REPTILE (V.I.P.E.R.R.)

Dr. Edgar Scholentsky designed and modified the original prototype. The cells are made of an organic skin harvested from cadavers. They are run by nano-machines and are capable of adaptation to any / all severe environments. V.I.P.E.R.R.s are able to transform size and locution, modifying through speakers, the change of pitch and vocal tones of whomever is speaking from a remote microphone linked up to the device. The V.I.P.E.R.R. is first and foremost a medical and/or war device disguised as a snake / serpent / worm. The V.I.P.E.R.R. can grow in size of 12 feet and shrink microscopically, entering the heart and monitoring the waves and bodily functions of enemies or allies. It is a spy probe which can be ejected from any altitude, dropped onto any surface. Housed in an exoskeleton consisting of modified osteodermal membranes, pre-hatching allows the V.I.P.E.R.R.s to be housed in any condition and under any weight rigors or pressures including air and underwater pressure. Though the V.I.P.E.R.R.s are “alive” in that they are made from re-animated flesh, the robotic nano-machines housed within supply all the commands and needs of the said device.

THEY ARE CONTROLLED BY US AND HAVE NO MIND OF THEIR OWN.
—–
The V.I.P.E.R.R. is a revolutionary and breakthrough device in its evolving shape and eye.
————
[TO SEE UNEXPURGATED / EXPANDED TEXT ON MEDICAL USES AND TEST RESULTS, REFER TO DOCKET / DOSSIER #9177531762]

The V.I.P.E.R.R. was originally designed for medical purposes. After Dr. Edgar Scholentsky discovered he could grow, remotely, the size of the structure he decided to harvest it for both medical and war purposes. When shot or dropped, the V.I.P.E.R.R. is capable of entering a person’s body either by burrowing in the skin, causing no feeling whatsoever or by being inhaled or ingested. Once inside, the retina (eye) of the V.I.P.E.R.R. is able to see and relay back data on the person including vital signs, life-span, medical traits, chemical compounds and brain functions.

The V.I.P.E.R.R. can be worn as a prosthesis as well, changing size to fit and wrap around the waist. Once attached to a person externally, it harbors many security functions:

Immunity against all weather and heightened or super-heightened sounds / frequencies; ///–/// An outer shell which is Bulletproof, Bio-proof, Fireproof, …..
———-
The ventricle interception of the V.I.P.E.R.R. revolves around the facts and numerous tests that in its evolving shape, it can shrink down to microscopic size, entering any organ in order to repair the body / organ from the inside or destroy it.

The V.I.P.E.R.R. uses advanced laser technology and magnetized receptors to extract the metal from the body, rendering the blood and all liquids within the body useless. The patient or recipient literally suffocates on his own bodily fluids as the lungs cave in and the heart pumps out bile. The laser on the tip of the V.I.P.E.R.R., housed next to the camera, emits a light beam capable of cutting through metal surfaces (excluding adamantium and carpith enxcres) and all organic surfaces. Tests show that the laser has a GREEN productivity level capable of cutting through 30 feet of solid rock.

One of the main uses of the laser is for escape. Once inside a body, the V.I.P.E.R.R. can only egress when defecated, vomited or sneezed. It can burrow out of the skin, but this causes discomfort with the patient. However if a patient is dying as the V.I.P.E.R.R. has disposed of it, the liquid within the body, having lost its metal, disrupts the navigable centers of the V.I.P.E.R.R.. The laser turns on, cuts through the flesh / bone / organ and the viper is free to leave in either the same size or larger. Once outside, the navigable ports reactivate.

The V.I.P.E.R.R. is powered entirely by an internal battery which charges and gets the bulk of its energy from the sun, its patient or any heat source.
———
VIDEO / CAMERA / SPY CAPABILITIES:

The V.I.P.E.R.R. comes equipped with a 23.7 megapixel camera capable of taking pictures at any size. The lens contracts with the skin and the mirrors are made of fibers which grow and contract in unison with its evolution / transformation in size.

Video capabilities at this early stage are limited to 20 minutes of recorded data, though the V.I.P.E.R.R. is able to emit and broadcast at secured frequencies a video and/or audio channel.

Due to its ability to evolve / transform size, the V.I.P.E.R.R. is the perfect spy tool. It can fit anywhere and enter any location without a trail behind it or any observation / perception from the outside subject.

FORTHCOMING LIVE FIELD TESTS WILL BE NOTED AND ALL DATA LISTED IN DOCKET / DOSSIER #6194248975

———-END OF CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTATION————
__________________________________________________________________________________

It was great to read and it inspired me to draw this:

Now we wait for the perfect time to “accidently” leave the documents behind after we eat there and for the kid to hopefully find! I’m hoping that this isn’t a mean-spirited thing because it’s not a real thing, but my friend Jason and I both share the thought that we would’ve loved finding something like this as kids. Hopefully, it just fuels his imagination. If anything, it’ll give him something to read.

-Agent Rhode

I just received word that YOUR BRAIN ON LATINO COMICS has hit the shelves! This is an extensive effort by Professor Frederick Luis Aldama, who set out to capture thoughts from many of the Latino creators involved in the field of comic books. It was one of the most thorough investigations anyone has ever done about the inner workings of my comic book, PABLO’S INFERNO. YOUR BRAIN ON LATINO COMICS also has my buddies, Javier Hernandez from EL MUERTO and Rafael Navarro of SONAMBULO, among many other creators. It is available in hardback or paperback and is nicely discounted on the following link that is direct from the publishers. Here’s the cover and an excerpt from my segment:

Link to YOUR BRAIN ON LATINO COMICS

-Rhode

I was invited by a friend to an event today in Brooklyn where there would be free cupcakes and crafts. Cupcakes and crafts?!- I’m there!

Tucked in a labyrinth-of-a-warehouse was a nice-sized space loaded with enough felt, textiles, string, glue, scissors, markers, button-making machines, googley-eyes, and crayons to make a kindergarten class tremble. Oh, and of course, there were cupcakes! It was a lot of fun sitting alongside others who enjoy making things and enjoy eating cupcakes, it was a great formula. This is what I left there with, it isn’t much, but it made me happy.

-Rhode

I recently received an unexpected package from my publisher and was surprised to find that my first children’s book, CLOUD BOY, has been translated into Chinese! It feels surreal flipping through the pages and it brings me great joy thinking that this story might reach more children.

-Rhode

I was kindly invited by Gallery Nucleus to contribute a piece for their upcoming Street Fighter Tribute Show: Jab Strong Fierce. This is the piece I did for the show which opens April 25th. I chose to depict the character of Dhalsim in kid form.

-Rhode

The Mission: Crayon portraits with a short story.

The Goal: Spread Christmas cheer and hopefully raise some money for The Salvation Army.

The tools: Paper, crayons, and type writer.

Location: Broadway, New York City

Recently, while trying to think of a way to do something for a good cause, I came up with the idea about trying to do crayon portraits for people on the street. I also wanted to raise some money without it ever touching our hands and it going directly to a charity. I saw one of those Salvation Army donation bell-ringers on Broadway and I thought up a plan of trying to set up next to them, and encourage people to donate to them. I ran the idea by my friend Jason Jaworski, who I think is a great writer, and he agreed almost immediately to join in. He wanted to contribute by adding a short story to accompany the portraits and an idea was born. Why crayon portraits? Well, I don’t feel confident with doing portraits, so I thought people would be forgiving if they were rendered in crayon, plus it felt more fun!  Inspired by spontaneity, we hit up a 99¢ Store and bought some crayons and two pads of paper, all of which added up to $ 3.21 total. Jason brought his typewriter. We had breakfast, and then were on our way, not knowing what the day would bring. We wondered if anyone would even stop for a portrait, amidst a chaotic Christmas shopping weekend. As soon as we got there, we drew up some signs and scrounged for some tape to stick up the signs and we sat on the sidewalk. We had barely finished setting up when some people stopped to read what we were doing. Our first and most memorable client was this kid

whose family asked us to draw him. He was so excited to get his picture drawn and told us that he was on his way to the F.A.O Schwartz toy store for the first time. He was so excited to tell us about it. Jason used this for his inspiration and wrote up a little tale on his typewriter. The presence of a typewriter surprisingly made a lot of people just stop to listen to the click clacking sounds of it.

This is what jason wrote:

“We rounded the corner and entered F.A.O. Schwartz. There was nothing more magical to me than a kingdom full of toys. Falling asleep later that night, I stared up at my ceiling, wondering about the wonders of the city- the street, the signs and the sidewalk. It would be Christmas soon- everything was at peace. 12/14/2008″

The kid was elated with his crayon portrait/story and so were the parents. He personally thanked us and later returned to thank us again. They donated some money to the Salvation Army bell ringer and were on their way! After this, we were flooded by people. We never suspected the turn out we got as well as the joy and smiles that came with doing such a simple thing. This was no big deal for us to do, I enjoy drawing and Jason loves to write, but people treated it as this huge thing.

We met so many wonderful people and it was great to see their reactions and to hear their stories. The whole experience just felt magical.

There were various tales. We met a couple that it was their last day together before her boyfriend returned to Turkey for a year and said that their portrait together would be a memorable thing for them. Also, a guy who had simply asked to borrow a pen later thanked us by saying that we saved his life, because he had just returned from Iraq and got a call from a job after being without work for months. He got the call on the street and needed to write down the number. I also had the unusual experience of being asked to draw a guy’s wife by description because he was going to pick her up from a trip and wanted to surprise her with the drawing/story. I did my best and about an hour later, he strolled by without her knowing and purposely passed right by us twice, so that we could see his wife. He smiled and winked at us. We thought it was great that he did that and I felt I was close to capturing her except she had fuller lips than I had drawn! There was also a couple that had met on the dance floor and they were so excited when I drew a disco ball in the background of their drawing. We were having a great time and before we knew it, it was night time and we were still going until… the police came! We explained the situation and that it was for a good cause and they were not having any of it. They said it was illegal for us to sit on the ground and have signs taped to the building. We tried stalling in hopes that they would leave and continue, but they waited ’till we took everything down and watched us leave. They stopped us good, but it didn’t matter to us. There was no way they could take away what we felt, what the people felt, experiencing what we did, and we were filled with such joy. Jason said to me that this was the best thing he ever did and after finding out he didn’t have to work the next day, he asked if we could do it again.

We did!

UPDATE: Some more pics from that day:

(she didn’t want her glasses in the drawing- done!)

-Rhode

Special thanks to Mr. Mulgrew who took the photo of us along with our signage.

UPDATE PART 2: Crayon Portraits and Short Stories: SUBWAY EDITION!!!

On the last weekend before Christmas, Jason got the idea of moving our operation into the subway! It was crazy, it was bumpy, the turnaround was quicker, but it was fun! This time since there were no Salvation Army people, we just did the portrait/story for free and told people it was their Christmas gift. Again, lots of smiles, lots of stories, some puzzled looks and some surprises. This time we had Jason’s girlfriend Kate, who helped color the portraits! The pace was quicker here as some folks had to get off at two stops some even one stop away! (those quick drawings didn’t get colored or stories because of the short time). Everyone that got a portrait/story and even some who witnessed everything, had a smile on their face!

-Rhode