A bit more...

inked!

And here is the aforementioned image in progress. Actually did most of this ink while guarding a door at a Haybaler basketball game.

Incidental Civil War Research

While looking for reference images for a civil war-related picture I'm working on, curiosity got the best of me and I did some non-picture research.

Part of this curiosity was spurred by the sharp contrast between the kinds of images I found. Some were romantic studio shots of officers and soldiers in uniform, stoic and brave. Others were brutal and frank, showing war dead on the field, or starving prisoners in the infamous Andersonville prison in Georgia.

The bottom line is that the American Civil War was stunning in its horrors and casualties. 620,000 soldiers from both sides perished, along with an untold number of civilians. To this day it is a bone of contention for some individuals and at the same time a model of the horror and brutality of war, surpassed only by World War I in Europe, in which 20 million soldiers and civilians lost their lives.

This conflict is credited in part for the flavor of the American Gothic literature in the late 19th century and beyond, in which authors such as Edgar Allen Poe, William Faulkner, and others who detail dark tales of decay and twisted characters. Faulkner in particular dealt with the south in his narratives and characters.

Not particularly schooled in history, I became curious about the real causes of the war. Many claim it was strictly about slavery, while others claim it was over states rights. Slavery I have no tolerance for, but states rights are something I believe in strongly. I have no room for ambiguity about this and find that on such an important issue in American history (particulary since I teach American Literature) that I must have clarity or be forever wishy-washy.

So I set about getting a quick fix from a decidedly non-scholarly source-Wikipedia. Wikipedia isn't all bad, but it did give me a desire to read a few books on the subject. My friend Dr. Doug Achterman taught me sources like Wikipedia and encyclopedias are good for getting a brief overview of a topic to determine which direction to take research next.

What I found (at Wikipedia) is that both of these things appear to be true--it was about slavery and about states rights-the right to continue slavery. Clearly it was an issue of economic importance to the south, but there is some evidence to suggest that many whites left the South and 90% of immigrants settled in the North. Economics or not, I simply cannot fathom what slavery does to the psyche of the slave and the slave owner--treating another human being as less than cattle.

For a more thorough treatment of this particular subject, read the this entry in the American President's Blog.

I found a site, Old Picture dot com, which has an image in its "Defining Moments" collection of Abraham Lincoln at Antietam in 1862. The text claims that Lincoln made a deal with God to end slavery if granted victory on the battlefield. After this battle, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

In the midst of it all I managed to find some good reference images for uniforms, horse riding, sabers, etc. I began the journey with a fun image of Shorty riding across a battlefield, simply working with ideas and juxtaposing time to create interest. Because I wanted to stay neutral (so I can sell the image), I realized I was in ambiguous territory personally.

As much as I'd like to stay on the sidelines, I suppose I still have to choose what color to use on the uniform of the cavalry rider, who appears to be retreating from cannon fire (and from Shorty).

And I'm now feeling entirely different about the image.

Cartoon Thunder Holiday Goodies

As we round the bend into the holidays, it's worth noting how and where to get Cartoon Thunder stuff for your favorite biker this season. This includes shirts for year-round use as well as Christmas cards for the holidays.

My favorite way is to use the Cartoon Thunder Store, which has recently been remodeled in a location near you--on the internet. The Cartoon Thunder Store carries five different shirts and two Christmas cards. These I have in stock at the home office, ready to package up and ship out to your location, including internationally.

The second way is to use the Cartoon Thunder Zazzle Store. There are a few more Christmas Cards available through Zazzle, including the brand-new Merry MX-Mas card, as well as a shirts and mugs.

For the next few weeks you can find me at the Bear Flag Gallery in San Juan Bautista, in between Daisy's Saloon and Mom and Pop's Saloon, both biker bar destinations.

Finally, you can find me in person at the VFW Craft Faire at the Hollister Vet's on December 6. I'll actually get there a little after noon when I get ouf of detention (no joke), but my lovely wife will be on hand prior to that with all the gear available. If you mention this blog entry, I'll give you a personally signed postcard--as if I'm somebody important. Who knows what it could be worth in a few years; on the other hand, it migh just be a slick-looking bird cage liner, but it's hard to say.

Merry MX-mas

I'd have a hard time believing I'm the first to come up with this twist of phrase, but I'm the first in my head. This card is available from my Zazzle store.

Apparently Zazzle is having a sale right now that really makes the price competitive. Use code HOLIDAYCARDS at checkout to get the discout of 25% off on ten or more cards.

It If it goes well, next year I'll order some from my printer for better profit margin. Maybe by then the economy will be flowing better...

More work in progress--MX Santa

Not going too bad. I was feeling kinda stuck, which just meant I was tired probably. Feeling pretty good about being able to get the focus where I want it through line, color, and value. Still have to color a few more houses, work on the snow, put city lights in the distance, and get some xmas lights strung up on the houses.

Cartoon Thunder Shirt Ad

For the first time in Cartoon Thunder's five plus year history, I've put sales first on the front page, adding a javascript deal that uses different versions of the above ad with different shirts. I also have the front page using some ads for Christmas card sales and have recently redesigned the store to make browsing and shopping easier.

MX Santa in progress

Probably not far from done, really. Just need to work on the snow, the houses, bike details, sky, and I'd like to add some city lights in the distance.

mx santa

Just have to do the color work and send it to the printer. If you want cards of this contact me or look for them in my store soon!

Making Friends at the Rancho-Maze Craft Fair

I've been predicting to my wife that we wouldn't sell squat at this event. Mostly to prepare myself to accept whatever. Maybe I should brighten up a bit.

Last time I was at this event I was supporting my wife's enterprise. It was a busy, crowded, loud event. This year, presumably due to the crummy economy, it was pretty quiet. We did, however, make some money beyond our booth fee.

I also met Daniel Stone of Hollister, an artist of great talent who does a variety of different kinds of works. He had checked out my gear before I arrived (my wife ran the booth while I was in detention) and commented that he likes to draw hot-rods.

I walked over later and introduced myself and checked out some of his work. What he had on hand was some Native American images burned in wood. He also had scanned these same images into Photoshop and done some coloring, to great effect. He also does pinups and hot rods. he was working on a hot rod image while we talked and I could tell immediately he knows what he's doing.

We talked art, technique, business, and more. I already felt I'd made a friend as I really related to him. Turns out I've been living a little more than a block away from him for over five years.

Other stuff Daniel Stone does well include airbrushing and pinstriping. I'm hoping to set him up with some way of getting his work online with a website or a blog, as well as a store at Zazzle or Cafe Press. The man has a lot of talent I hope to learn from and maybe collaborate with.

Thoughts after my vote...

Clearly the message of the day. I won't waste anyone's time with my own personal views on the candidates and the issues important to me this year.

But something interesting happpened to me this morning at my polling place.

I'm not usually too worked up politically, not really psyched up in any way, not intense about anything around the vote. I often feel like the results are really not my problem as long as I do my patriotic duty and actually vote, and vote intelligently. If I don't know the issue, I don't vote on it. This year I voted by absentee ballot and simply went to my polling place to drop it off. I saw one of my neighbors, and the ballot was taken by a young man who works at a business I frequent often.

On my way back to my truck I was suddenly struck by the sheer ability to vote, to not get shot at or bombed around my voting, and to experience only minor annoyance in the weeks prior about some of the absurd positons being held on both sides of some issues.

It choked me up just a little, and I got to my truck a little faster just in case my tough guy exterior was marred by a show of something from inside.

It had nothing to do with issue or candidate, and it came straight out of nowhere. Regardless of what happens today, I'm thankful for the right to participate in how my nation and community operate, even if my vote is a drop in the bucket.