Been a long time gettting from here to there...

I recently moved the last of my belongings from Motown(Detroit) to a storage bin across the country in showtown(L.A.). I currently live and breath in Las Vegas( moved here 2yrs. ago).
Before the move I left most of my stuff boxed up in my Dad's basement. When I flew into Detroit ,the other week to load the moving truck.
I decided to go through some of my boxes and see if I could downsize anymore.
Turns out I could and so I did!
And what remained of my years of living after being even further condensed; fitted neatly into 8 boxes!
8 fairly , heavy boxes of records ,and art ,and photographs ,and books.
And I as I helped my Dad and brother, Matt load the truck; their stuff filling it well over capacity. I realized that those 8 boxes were in possession of the most memorable moments in my life. Memories of friends I will most likely never see again and loved ones who have passed away. Old pets, and current ones.
Trinkets and to remember moments in my life; all of these memories that helped shape who I am today.
Having a close grasp of your past is probably, the best way to guard yourself from becoming someone who is unrecognizable to your former self in the future.

I think I learned this best from my ,Great Grandma Bacha. She never let the hardships of her life change the nature of her core beliefs.
That of ,family and friends being the most important part of living and how we treat the ones we love.
She also had an amazing recollection; and would often share with me, with a chuckle tales of her life. She didn't keep a box of many trinkets; she was a very clean and orderly woman, but did adorn her walls with photos of family and friends.

Perhaps if she was faced with a cross country move as the one I undertook, she would need only one box.
One big enough to hold the photos of a city of family and friends that adored her.

Here is to hoping to fill a box in such a way- Mikey

Space Oddity

Hey out there in cyberspace!! Coming at ya' with a new scribbling. This is one of those pieces where interpretation is dependent alot on the viewer's film savy. The inspiration for this "Odd" piece was for one of two covers of a news letter to family about Mikey and I's latest adventures in life. Life IS an adventure!! I hope you look foward to seeing some of our (Mikey and I) newest adventures!

Later!,
-MATT

Girl Trouble

New pages!! Yes!!! 4 luscious, juicy black and whites here. I had alot of fun doing these.
I based the girl's likeness after the sultry songstress Eryka Badu and those fabulous wigs.
The cat was an extra.


-MATT

"Diary of the Dead" and stuff

Yesterday, Matt, Joel, and I went to see a sneak-peak of George Romero's "Diary of the Dead". I love George Romero's work and happen to own all of his flicks, but I really doubt this was a straight Romero piece.
The story didn't add to the world that it's creator has spent a good portion of his life making. And listening to the response from the croud around me, seemed only to exist for those who love to see blood and killing. Now some who don't know me, might think I'm a little too sensitive to such stuff. True fact of the matter is though, I am not. I just watched the new Rambo and despite its extreme nature, the film never glorified the acts of violence diplayed but portrayed them as the reality of that world the story took place in. Big difference, to killing as of yet to be zombies , brutally for fun. I get real irritated about this ; mostly because I think this kind of entertainment creates the warped and cruel generation , we see coming up , today!

Keep drawing and having fun doing it!

Remember when every drawing you did was a struggle? Anybody remember that feeling?
Great, Huh?! Youv'e gotten to love these moments. Because youv'e learned that just when you were about to break through to another level in your art they'd come. And the realization of that just made everything at that moment more exciting! A hundred bad drawings to get that break through one hundred and one great one!
Yeah...I'm feeling it! (HEH-HEH)
So here it is, a heads up to my next breakthrogh in the making, drawing 88...89..!! (Ha-Ha)
I can see that wall starting to chip! I'm breaking through!
See ya on the other side, my buds!- Mikey

getting back the drive!

Facing the slumbering steps that comes with time, I shake myself awake. Remembering the endless world breaking energy of my youth , I goad myself on being my own peer pressure. All challenges excepted, come get some!

Vegas is weird!

Tonight, Matt, and I made a quick run to the dollar store for our favorite treat, Arizona Green Tea.

Matt, being a little short on cash , the deal was I would treat ;if he ran in( I wanting to remain behind in the car reading my latest Fantagraphics catalog).

Barely looking up I gave , Matt a $10 and a quick verbal grocery list.

A few pages into the catalog and Matt was back already, "No ice tea." he said.
He showed me the goods he purchased 2 cokes and a chunky bar, leaving them in the bag he dug in his pockets for the change.

Matt counted out the change from my ten dollars , making sure to hold it below eye level of any passerby.

If you live in Las Vegas , for any considerable amount of time you will be approached for money handouts, usually just the motion of a hand toward ones own pocket is enough to catch the attention of the "open hand's".
You see so many open hands , that it becomes second nature just to wave off any approaching stranger with a negative "No."

(real example-"Hey, man can you give me some gas money , man. For my 2008 SUV , it be a gas guzzler,heh-heh." )

That is why when Matt, in the middle of handing over the remainder of the $10; suddenly paused looking past me my initial response was to turn toward the figure at my window shaking my head and repeating my mantra to all "open handers"- "No."

"No." I repeated out loud turning to the figure close at the window.
a cute girl , hair tucked under a white hood, tucked under a white crotchet hat, except for a thick brown braid along her cheek. She carried a white lunch box wrapped in plastic and smiled leaning closer inviting us to roll down the wind she waved.
"No." I repeated smiling as ,Matt waved back ,all while putting the car into reverse.
We backed away and looking back we viewed her in the review mirrors as she headed inside the blinding light of the dollar store.

As we drove home Matt, and I recalled how peculiar that unlike most "open handers" she was dressed in complete angelic white.