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The Unstoppable Force and the Immovable annoying object 05/08/08 Despite all his travails of late, Barack Obama is pretty much a shoe-in for the Democratic nomination. Time to pull out, Hillary. bleep you, Harper. 05/07/08 State sponsored censorship- alarmist lefty exaggeration, or business as usual in Ottawa? There's an amendment to Bill C-10 before the Senate that has already been been passed by the House of Commons, that would allow the Heritage Minister to deny tax credits for Canadian productions. Even if federal agencies such as Telefilm and the Canadian Television Fund have invested in the production, if they feel the material is "offensive or not in the public interest", it gets denied. I thought we celebrated artistic freedom and the creative process in Canada. I thought we lived in the kind of society that agreed we would be our brother's keeper, and not leave that responsibilty to just one Big Brother. The argument shouldn't be about 'protecting our children' (parents already do that) or some vague sentiment about the good old days when everyone was polite and gentle (yeah right). The only relevant argument is whether or not this is censorship. If it is censorship, it doesn't belong here. We don't need it. We don't believe as a society that the state should have the right to tell us what is moral, or right, or good, or good for us. We tell the state what is good, and ask it to carry out our wishes in the form of laws and regulations that are our creation. This bill would do vandalism to our way of life. As David Cronenberg said: "It sounds like something they do in Beijing." Torch protest 05/07/08 A few weeks ago this was big news, we'll see if it makes it back into the news cycle again. Hopefully this time the coverage might be a bit more balanced. Sex appeal 04/05/08 Ol' Stephen Harper is going to have to crank up the charm if he wants a majority government. Look out ladies! Beijing 2008 04/04/08 This has been the nature and the content of the discussion over China's various human rights abuses of late. Sometimes, I'm not so proud of the media in this country. Lowest approval rating in History 04/03/08 Damn, that must be humiliating, even for him. Also a bit old... 04/03/08 Kosovo 04/03/08 Couple of weeks old... Spike and Chester 04/02/08 Not sure if this one might be just for the old folks.... do kids still watch Looney Toons? friendly email 04/01/08 Not a real email. April Fools 04/01/08 I'm back to posting after a two month hiatus. News and Information 02/12/08 What's going on in Kenya? Who cares? What's Britney up to? Manley 02/12/08 This one's a couple of weeks old. It doesn't look like we'll be pulling out of Afghanistan in 2009. What a surprise. Well, hopefully this "troop surge" will guarantee us victory over terrorism once and for all, and then all the troops can come home. Interesting year to come 02/12/08 Canadian politics are going to seem even duller by comparison than ever. Greatest Hits 01/23/08 HVW8 is having an art show in San Francisco on February 7th. It's a retrospective of the last ten years, so it should be a good time for us. Come by if you're in the area! Here's the poster and info: The New Guy 01/22/08 I'm curious about Obama. Of all the candidates on either side, he's the only one that seems like a real statesman, and not someone with an axe to grind. Edwards doesn't seem to have an axe to grind either, but that's because he's made of papier-mâché. I read Obama's book, the Audacity of Hope, and it made him seem reasonable. A little too reasonable. It's almost suspicious. Too bad he probably won't win. Oscar Peterson 01/22/08 Legendary Montreal jazz pianist Oscar Peterson passed away on Christmas Day. The City Series 01/06/08 Here's a painting I did of a young James Brown for the Adidas City Series in Atlanta on December 15th with Black Spade, Ty G, Daz-I-Kue and Karl Injex. Thanks to Cognito of frolab.com for the photography and the support. The City Series 01/06/08 Here's a painting I did of the legendary Philadelphia producers Gamble+Huff for the Adidas City Series in that city on December 14th with Black Spade, Ty G, and Rich Medina. The painting isn't quite finished in this shot, but you get the picture. Thanks to Cognito of frolab.com for the photography and the support. Predictions 01/04/08 Some ideas for the New Year- A Dirty Shame 12/19/07 Who better to represent the wholesomeness and frivolity of the holiday season than John Waters? Here's a cover I did for the Hour year-in-review issue. What Canada wants for Xmas 12/19/07 And maybe a quick withdrawal from Afghanistan... Conrad Con 12/18/07 Conrad Black is going to jail, for six and a half years! I wonder if this would have happened if he hadn't given up his Canadian citizenship? Snowzilla! 12/18/07 It just keeps coming down... Atrtistes Contre La Faim 11/29/07 Here's a painting I did at the Artistes Contre la Faim (Artists against hunger) event last week. It was fun, not something I'm not that familiar with, and lots of different kind of music I don't necessarily see that often. I donated the piece to a slient auction and it sold, so I feel like I did something worthwhile. Now I can go be bad and it's ok. 11/27/07 One possibility This is one way this whole thing could go, smuggle Schreiber out of the country before he has a chance to appear before the Commons. You just know that Harper would love to shut this guy up. This whole scandal has been going on since the early '90s, but the only reason we're hearing about it now is because Harper thought it was good politics to cozy up with Mulroney. I guess that was a bit of a flub. Poor Harper. Finish HIm! 11/27/07 Battle of the Scandals. There's a lot to be done with this topic, and I'm sure I'll have more to say on it. Canadian politics is never really 'fascinating', but it definitely gets pretty amusing sometimes. Real Money 11/27/07 Anyone who's ever worked in the service industry in a tourist town will recognize this all-too common and irritating phrase. It's nice to think that Canadians now have the opportunity for some well-earned revenge. Roberto Roena 11/10/07 Here's a portrait of the legendary Puerto Rican Salsa guy Robert Roena that I painted with Gene Pendon last month in Old San Juan for the annual Candela Arts and Music Festival. Musharraf 11/10/07 we haven't seen the last of him! Bully for us 11/10/07 Even though Quebec is known for it's progressive social policies and liberal attitudes is certain areas, the whole reasonable accomodation fiasco reminds me that for many people here, it might as well still be the 18th century. This is nothing new, but right now it feels like for whatever reason all the rednecks and frothing-at-the-mouth racist lunatics are super-charged. I hope it passes soon. More grist for the mill 11/04/07 I was absolutely amazed at how much hate mail this one got on the hour website: http://www.hour.ca/columns/dstrbocartoon.aspx?iIDArticle=13296 It's too bad that this happens to be the one cartoon with a damn typo in it. Here's what I wrote in response: It's strange that so many people automatically take this as an anti-troop cartoon. I've always been pro-soldier, many of my cartoons have illustrated the tough position the Canadian Armed Forces find themselves in these days- stuck in a conflict that has very little public support, doing their duty for a government that can't reasonably explain why they are there. But, it's not up to the soldier to ask these questions, is it? No, that's our job. With this cartoon, I'd finally gotten fed up with Harper's unwavering support for a continued conflict. He's now asking that the deadline for withdrawal be pushed back to 2011. This cartoon, like every other cartoon I've done on this topic, is pro-Armed Forces, anti-government. I don't agree with the war. I think there are reasonable tasks for our country and our Armed Forces to engage in with regards to terrorism and tyranny, but attempting to shoot all the terrorists and tyrants one at a time in a full-spectrum theater of war is not one of these endeavors. Our resources do not allow for it, and our assets and potential are clearly meant for a different strategy. I believe that our current government is exploiting the Armed Forces for political gain. I think Canadians are being killed for no other purpose than to further our government's relationship with the American government's foreign agenda in the Middle East. I believe that the line that both of these governments are trying to sell- that we're there to free the oppressed Afghanis, is PR, the worst kind of propaganda. This is not the soldier's doing, nor his or her fault. It's our government's, and by extension, ours. I imagine that a lot of folks will disagree with me. Fair enough. I'm accused of being anti-troop, and not understanding my "freedom". I think free speech is a responsibility and a right, and unlike the soldier, I have a forum to speak against a conflict I consider to be unjust. Blind loyalty and hero-worship get us nowhere. Lame Politics 11/04/07 There's a lot of this going around these days... Beware the Drug monster! 11/04/07 Harper's pretty good with the sleight-of-hand, eh? Looking Around 10/06/07 Mark Slutsky and I are having an art show next Thursday, you should come! Here's what Mark wrote: LOOKING AROUND Is kind of a sequel to Dan's bestselling show LOOKING UP which graced the walls of General 54 earlier this year. Paintings and photos inspired by and of the neighbourhood we live in and its environs, with a focus on weird and disappearing and otherwise awesome stuff. Here are the crucial deets: GENERAL 54 PRESENTS LOOKING AROUND NEW PAINTINGS BY DAN BULLER NEW PHOTOS BY MARK SLUTSKY OCT.8 - NOV. 24 GENERAL 54 54 ST-VIATEUR W. www.general54.com So of course we are totally having a vernissage. That's Thursday Oct 11 and hopefully one and all will be recovered from the bacchanal that is Pop Montreal. There will be sweet and wonderful things to eat courtesy of sponsor COCOA LOCALE and sweet and wonderful music for your ears courtesy of DJs POONTZ and MOSSMAN. Come early! Stay late! Mark Slutsky is a Montreal-based writer, filmmaker, photographer and DJ. He is a core member of independent film studio Automatic Vaudeville Studios (www.autovaud.com) and a film and food critic for the Montreal Mirror. Looking Around is his first real art show besides a couple of installations he collaborated on a really long time ago for some one-night only things that totally don't count. Slutsky's pictures are taken with a digital SLR and manipulated digitally, combining multiple different exposures of the same scene to create a super-detailed "high dynamic range" effect. Exit Strategy 10/05/07 You know its true. Crazy Asshole 10/05/07 This guy is a real nut! Arctic tug-of-war! 10/01/07 Global warming is going to turn the arctic into prime real-estate! But wait, I thought the US administration didn't believe in global warming! What a mix-up! A ways off 10/01/07 I'm getting really tired of the official line on this topic. Doing some catch-up 10/01/07 from awhile back Agents Provocateurs in Canada 08/30/07 Last week the Sûreté du Québec, the Quebec provincial police force tried to incite a riot at a peaceful protest in Montebello, Quebec, during the SPP (Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America) summit. Luckily, these days Big Brother is under surveillance in the People's Republic of Youtube. The police denied the accusation that they had undercover agents in the crowd, but once a video started circulating on the net starring three burly men clearly not members of the so-called "Black Bloc" ( hardcore anarchist protesters) the police had no choice but admit that there was an undercover presence. The video begins with an elderly union leader confronting the men for threatening the police line with rocks in their hands, while the rest of the (legitimate and peaceful) protesters look on in confusion. The undercovers refuse to drop their rocks, but start backing towards the police line (the same one they were about to start hurling rocks at) for protection. The rest of the crown realizes whats happening and start yelling "POLICE" at them. At that point they dive behind the police line and are "arrested". It looked like a close call. The most significant detail of this whole debacle shouldn't be that a police force is capable pf transforming itself into a private militia serving the interests of a few elites, (that should be well known to anyone who knows anything about history) but that this happened here, in Canada, and that the story has been reported more or less fairly in the mainstream press. I'm amazed and delighted that the CBC refused to believe the official line from the SQ spokesman, that the undercovers were "There to prevent violence". I think it shows a certain maturity on our part as a country. Now I just hope this story doesn't completely die. Protesters and the media are going to be much more vigilant from now on, and it will be much more difficult for the police to pull these kinds of shennanigans in the future, mainly because everyone involved now knows that the public is ready to believe it. War/Shame index 08/30/07 This one isn't visually interesting, but I wanted to illustrate how the longer we stay in Afghanistan the less patience we have with the official reasons for being there. The argument that we had a duty to the UN and NATO is starting to wear really thin. Darwin's witnesses 08/29/07 I did this cartoon before I found out that there's an Australian dude who went to Salt Lake City and actually did this. http://youtube.com/watch?v=wawSlr0Mvsk Mad Cow 08/29/07 this one's lame armed guards. 08/29/07 Cultural assimilation proceeding apace. Dub Lounge 07/25/07 Here's a flyer i did for the legendary Mossman's Dub Lounge, ten years strong. This one was really, really fun. Prehistoric animals 07/25/07 Here are a couple of paintings I did for the show Aeroquatica at the Kop Shop earlier this month... Harry Potter Recovery Program 07/22/07 I admit, I'm a sucker for Harry Potter. I've read some of the books, and I thought the last movie was pretty great. However- I'm not a sucker for the hype. I think it's ridiculous that so many (grown) people are climbing over eachother to get their hands on this kid's book. I'll wait for the audio version. Conrad Stocks 07/21/07 Well, Conrad Black actually got convicted of a few things. I wonder if he'll do any time? I'm sure that if he does get some kind of prison sentence he'll be denying the fact that he's going to prison at all right up till the bars shut behind him. Get out of jail free 07/21/07 A bunch of 'loony left' bloggers were predicting that Bush would pardon Scooter Libby while more reasoned (or so they thought) voices were dismissing the idea. Even though that's not technically what happened, the end result is practically the same. Libby's sentence has been commuted, which will probably be one of the emblematic details of this administrations' corruption in years to come.. Native blockade 07/21/07 this one's a bit crappy... War Parade 07/21/07 About a month ago there was a military parade out east, celebrating the mission in Afghanistan and honouring the Canadian armed forces. I have no problem with honouring the armed forces, but I do have a problem with the idea of celebrating a mission that no one understands, no one can explain, with no end in sight, and with any rational analysis seems to be making a bad situation worse. Not to mention that the mission is causing the deaths of more and more people every day, including those same armed forces members we're supposed to be 'honouring'. At around the same time this parade happened there was an airstrike in Afghanistan that killed 25 civilians, including three infants. It's unlikely that those babies were secretly insurgents disguised as innocent bystanders, but according to a lot of popular press on stories like this, that's what we're supposed to believe. funny money 07/20/07 Loonie's doing alright, eh? Eight Wonder 07/20/07 Why are we at war again? To spread Canadian values? Backlog 07/20/07 I'm really begind on the old uploads- so there might be a lot in the next bit. Here's a cartoon that's so out of date I don't even remember drawing it... Looking Up 06/04/07 I'm having a little art show on Thursday at General 54, 54 St. Viateur west, at 7pm. Stephen Legari and Sixtoo are going to be djing, even though that's not on the flyer... Here's the little press release for it: Dan Buller is an independent graphic designer and painter based in Montreal. He is perhaps best known for work under the name Dstrbo, the moniker he uses as a founding member of the Heavyweight Art Installation and as an editorial cartoonist for the Montreal weekly paper Hour Magazine. This exhibits marks something of a departure for Buller. For most of his career he’s been known primarily as a “figure guy... faces, people, portraits”. Instead, “Looking Up” is a series of painted “people-free” illustrations of his neighbourhood in Mile End. He says these are “studies” on the visual equivalent to “background noise”: telephone poles with bits of buildings poking out; everyday scenes that convey a kind of “simplicity” or emotion when framed or singled out.   “Looking Up” runs at General 54 from June 5th – July 15th   General 54 is a boutique and galerie in Montreal’s Mile End district. We specialize in one-of-a-kind vintage finds and unique locally-made clothing and accessories created by designers in Montreal and beyond. www.general54.com For more info: General 54: 514-271-2129 Burning Spear 06/03/07 My friend Bonnie took a photo of Winston Rodney as Burning Spear, and gave me permission to paint it. I did this at Sporties LA in west hollywood last Wednesday. Thanks to Ty and the Gravis folks. Welcome to Facespace 06/03/07 Political views: Christian Religious views: Conservative. Falwell Hell 05/27/07 Jerry Falwell, that ultra far-right Christian evangelical who coined the phrase "Moral Majority", and who stated, amongst other things, that lesbians and the ACLU were responsible for 9-11, is now dead, and probably not in heaven. ineptitude 05/17/07 The RCMP are experiencing some hard times these days. More and more info about the Air India bombing in 1987 is coming out, and none of it is casting the Mounties in a favourable light. Paris (will be) burning 05/11/07 Here's my vision of the future. Honestly, I couldn't care less if Paris Hilton goes to jail or not, but it made the cartoon funnier. There's nothing really funny about the inheritor of Le Pen's ideology and support base winning the French presidency. More violent civil unrest this summer, I'd bet money. Gore spank 05/11/07 I agree that we should save the world, and I have no problem watching our current government get a firm scolding, but why do the celebrities championing the eco-movement have to be such irritating, sanctimonious blowhards? Amelia Earhart piece 04/29/07 Here's that Amelia painting I did for the General 54 show. Spring Shock 04/29/07 Talking about the weather is usually pretty dull, but when the temperature fluctuates from below zero to hot summer overnight, it gets interesting. Amelia Earhart stencils 04/22/07 Here are the stencil pieces I did (with Claudia's help) for the Airshow at the General 54 last week. I'll post the big one once I get a shot of it. sexy Parliament 04/22/07 Ahhh, this one's crap. Vernissage at General 54 04/18/04 Come on Thursday to the General 54- Here's what the ladies had to say: Just a little reminder that our Birthday Party slash Vernissage is happening this Thursday April 19th. There'll be birthday cake, birthday drinks, and fantastic art by Jeremy Gordaneer, Corri-Lynn Tetz, Serigraphie Cinqunquatre, Luc Paradis, Alexis Walker, and Dan Buller (aka Dstrbo). To mark the occasion everything in the store will be 10% off, for one night only! The event starts at 7pm but should be going for most of the night so please drop by anytime. But here's a little tip that we are spreading to those involved in the store: The sushi will arrive early and doesn't usually stick around long! Hope to see you there! 54 St. Viateur O Other Dstrbo 04/17/04 here's a painting that Derek started in Berlin and I finished in Montreal for Derek's show. Leonard 04/13/07 Last night I was invited to take part in the Playwrights Workshop's annual Art for Art's Sake fundraiser. A bunch of great work was auctioned off, including this portrait of Leonard Cohen I painted during the auction. The photo I used was taken by prolific Montreal photographer Ron Diamond. Imminent election 04/13/07 Harper keeps saying that he's not planning an election, but it sure seems like there's some campaigning going on. skewed 04/13/07 This one's pretty self-explanitory. Other show 03/30/07 Derek Other is having a show tomorrow night, Saturday March 31, at the Kopshop, 111 Roy in the fashionable Plateau district of Montreal. The show is up till May 4, but come on down tomorrow and meet the man in person. Lord Black of Crossharbour gets served! 03/30/07 Hopefully. Who knows, it's always a toss-up with rich white guys accused (read: guilty as sin) of corporate crime and whether or not they're actually going to get locked up. Usually they don't, but we can dream. Wrath of Khan 03/25/07 I painted at the 25th anniversary for Burton snowboards at Mt. Sutton a couple of weeks ago during the U.S. snowboarding Open, and here's what I did. The theme of the party was "where were you in 82", but as one kid put it, "My dad was 15 in 82." A lot of the people at the party had no idea what a "Khan" was. Brickthrower 03/24/07 The news always seems to show the worst side of any protest, but they're helped by the one or two stupid assholes who always seem to find in necessary to throw a brick through some little shop's window. I guess according to them, a little mom+pop corner store is part of the evil capitalist state that must be "smashed". Ignacio's kids 03/23/07 A guy we met in Puerto Rico asked us to paint his kids- here's what we came up with... ATM Monster 03/19/07 Banks are recording obcene profits every year, and yet when NDP leader Jack Layton brings up the idea that maybe they could tone down their ATM user fees they start whining about how the machines need 'maintenance'. I guess the repair workers employed by the banks are the wealthiest blue collar workers in the world. Whack! 03/19/07 Quebec provincial politics are sooo facinating. Not really, but it's a neck and neck race so far between the Liberals (confident liars), the Parti Québécois (desperate soveriegntists), and the ADQ (authoritarian assholes). I think a lot of the rednecks here (both in the rural areas and the cities) are fleeing the PQ to the ADQ because their manhood might be threatened if they vote for a party led by a homosexual. Oh well, if they vote in Dumont and his ADQ brownshirts they'll get the government they deserve, and I'll spend more time elsewhere. Got some catching up to do 03/13/07 Justin and his brother (especially his brother) are media darlings, like their father. I just hope they've inherited more than a love for the spotlight. Ryan 03/13/07 Ryan Larkin passed away on Valentine's day this year.. he was a young prodigy of animation and illustration in Montreal in the 1960's.. His NFB short "Walking" was nominated for an Oscar in 1969. He fell on hard times in his later years, and living on the street, drugs and booze eventually killed him. Berlin 03/03/07 First spraypaint graffiti piece in years and years, fun, scary, and a little awkward. This is no one in particular, just an old photo Derek's friend found in Prague. Berlin 03/03/07 Hanging out with Derek Other in Berlin a couple of weeks ago, getting back to some elemental art fun, just what the doctor ordered. the brand new iProd. 02/16/07 Here's a goofy one. Useless Wooden Toys 02/16/07 Recently I was invited to take part in a group show called Useless Wooden Toys by local luminary Oli Van Roost. Here's a statement from his site: We developed this show to raise money for cancer research and care. To really make this show a success we need bids on the clocks. Follow the link on the site to go bid on your favorite clock. http://www.uselessartshow.com Fantasy Island 02/15/07 Here's a cheeky cover illustration I did for the Hour last week. Avert your eyes Mom! Dirty! 02/15/07 This is a little old, from two weeks ago. I can't remember why this was relevant... The (ongoing) Maher Arar Scandal 01/30/07 This is from www.democracynow.org: Arar is the Canadian citizen who was seized by U.S. officials during a stopover flight in New York in 2002. He was secretly sent to Syria as part of the Bush administration's extraordinary rendition program. In Syria, Arar was held for almost a year in a grave-like cell. He was repeatedly tortured. He was released without ever being charged with a crime. Last year, the Canadian government determined Maher Arar was innocent but the Bush administration has never apologized for its actions. On Thursday Attorney General Alberto Gonzales refused to state why the U.S. detained him and why he was sent to Syria instead of his home in Canada. The attorney general was questioned by Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy – the new chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Sen. Patrick Leahy: "We knew damn well if he went to Canada, he wouldn't be tortured. He’d be held; he’d be investigated. We also knew damn well if he went to Syria, he would be tortured. And it's beneath the dignity of this country, a country that has always been a beacon of human rights, to send somebody to another country to be tortured." CONDO$ 01/29/07 Montreal is getting gentrified. Slower that everywhere else in the western world, at least ten years behind Toronto, (and one hour ahead), but it's happening. Shape of things to come... 01/27/07 Like Stephen Colbert said: The best thing about having an iphone is calling your friends on it to tell them that you have one and they don't. Not so relevant anymore... 01/27/07 this one's from just before the New Year. JB for President 01/04/07 Of all the newsworthy things that happened this holiday season, this was the only one I really wanted to comment on, for the first image of 2007. from the Holidays 01/04/07 so much happened, so little to report.... hour cover 12/18/06 Here's my 2006 year in review cover for the Hour- Freakout! Once And For All 12/17/06 This issue is now dead. Thank God. Throwing down the Gauntlet 12/17/06 This is from a few weeks ago. No one thoght Dion would take the Liberal leadership, but I'm glad he did. He seems like a reluctant politician, which is the only kind I can really stand. Ignatieff seemed too slick, and Rae seemed too desperate. Besides, Dion named his dog Kyoto. He can't be all that bad. It's nice to have someone in Parliament who makes Harper look even worse, as if that were even possible. Nyah Nyah Nationhood 12/01/06 Oh Whatever. No one changed the constitution. Quebec is as much a Nation now as it was after the referendum in 1995. The politicians are just playing games, this doesn't actually change anything. What it is accomplishing is getting everybody riled up again, which is fun, I guess. hopefully this will be over soon 12/01/06 In the Hour Magazine talkback forum, in the DSTRBO section of the online paper, poster "Jack Shaftoe" had this to say: "Everyone heard about the Neo-Montrealer comment that came from the Mayor's office....right? Was it really that obscure? Reading some of these posts, I think a lot of people actually never heard about the furor created over an email from one of Tremblay's staffers in which he referred to "Neo Montrealers" making all the fuss over the street name change. The crazy thing is that this didn't get more traction in the English press, and hardly any at all in the French press. "Neo Montrealer" is offensive on so many levels, whether you're a new immigrant, someone of an ethnic background who's family has been here for multiple generations, as the Greeks, Portugese, and Jews have been, or even if you're a student from Toronto who stayed after graduation and decided to make a home here, the implication is that your opinion isn't as relevant. That kind of thing should be crushed under a big rock, and if there is any fairness in Montreal politics it should kill this issue once and for all." Zombie$ in New York! 11/14/06 Here are a couple of shots of the show Gene, Tyler and I did last week in Soho (click on the picture to see a couple of the murals) at the Triple Five Soul store there. Every time I go to NY I want to live there, but I'm always so relieved to be home. doggy door 11/14/06 Poor Stephen Harper. He's alienated a great majority of the Canadian people with his sucking up to the Republican regime south of the border, but they have their own wounds to lick after last weeks election results. That's what you get for shitting where you eat, Steve. Mission Accomplished 11/13/06 At least for now. I was lucky enough to witness the mid-term elections in New York as the Democrats took Congress and the Senate last week. Folks down there know how to celebrate a significant political shift for the better, let me tell ya. playing catch-up 11/13/06 This is a few weeks old now. I was in the States when I heard that Bush had signed into law the wall that will be built along the Mexican border. It seems like not a lot of Canadians heaard about it, though. sammy 11/13/06 Here's a shot of the painting Gene and I did in Old San Juan Puerto Rico a few weeks ago for the fifth annual Candela Music and Art festival, put on by Don Pablo Rodriguez. Sammy Marrero is a legendary Puerto Rican singer who performed at the same festival. To see what it was like check out Dustin Ross' website for some beautiful shots: http://www.theferaleye.org The Non-Conformist 10/26/06 This one's a little out of date, but I still think it's funny. A while ago Conservative back-bencher Garth Turner was kicked out of the party. A lot of folks thought the punishment didn't fit the "crime", since all he was really guilty of was having some opinions of his own that didn't perfectly line up with Harper's definition of what a Conservative is supposed to think- namely, supporting same-sex marriage. Oh well, now he's an independent, and I think there are going to be more joining him before too long. then and now, now and soon. 10/24/06 This one's fairly obvious. Some people have interpreted it to mean that I don't believe that a military option is ever necessary. Not true, I was simply trying to send the message that one of the things the "War on Terror" probably will have with the VietNam War is that even though the latter war had support while it was raging, once it was over and the dust settled, we realized as a culture what a mistake it was. I think this will happen again. Kim Jong gets Ill... 10/10/06 ...With the nuclear weapons capability. What happens if the World Police decides Kim Jong needs to be "taken out"? Too bad all their soldiers are in Iraq fighting the Terrorismists. Isn't Kim Jong Il one of the founding members of the Brotherhood of Evil? Why don't the World Police have a contingency plan for something like this? Could this be the end? Tune in next week... Something a little lighter.... 10/02/06 Hooray for the Liberal leadership race. Canadian politics can still be dull and inconsequential! Yay!! Sound-Bite Man 10/02/06 This one's a little nonsensical, I was just puking up a lot of accumulated Harper frustration in one go. Having Hamid Karzai come here and tell us what our country's sacrifice means to him was one of the most jarring examples of the depths that this goverment will go to in order to perpetuate it's foreign agenda. That went beyond just political theatre or propaganda, it bordered on bat-shit insane. Harper and his minions can froth at the mouth as much as they like about how Canada's "prestige" is raised in the rest of the world because of what we're doing in Afghanistan, or even more incredible- how we're ultimately protecting ourselves by making war there, but it doesn't make it true, and it won't make us any less humiliated in the future, when most Canadians won't admit that they ever supported the mission in Kandahar. How many regular Americans who thought Vietnam was "the right thing to do" then still believe that today? Do any of them still think that their sacrifice was worth it? Chong 09/21/06 So Tommy Chong is from Calgary.Ty and I painted this mural at the HiFi club in Calgary last week. Bukowski 09/21/06 Here's a portrait of Charled Bukowski that I painted in Calgary last week. Tyler provided the background. We decided to paint Bukowski for our friend Leigh, or He-Leigh, who's dating Tyler's sister, who is also named Leigh, or She-Leigh. He-Leigh is a real big fan. General 54 09/21/06 Here's a shot of a mural of Amelia Earhart I painted for the ladies of the General 54, a clothing shop at 54 St. Viateur, in the lovely Mile End district of Montreal. There's a vernissage there tonight, so come on down and check out the art, the fashions, the mural, and the pageantry. This shouldn't happen here. 09/19/06 Last week I was in Calgary, and on the news I saw Montrealers running for their lives. I just got back last night, so I haven't even been here to really be a part of what the city is feeling. Folks in Calgary were concerned, but it wasn't really being talked about that much. I knew people here weren't talking about much else, and it felt a little weird. I know that a lot of people are going to blame video games, music, movies, and "Goth Culture", as if there is such a thing, but I hope Canadians, and Montrealers in particular can think past the lazy, stereotypical, and all too convenient targets of blame and actually process this without turning it into another political shit-throwing contest. Instead of arguing about gun legislation, or policing the internet, or putting metal detectors in schools, or censoring behavior we don't like, maybe we could try to figure out how and why this kid went nuts. Not as a way to justify what happend, or apologize for it, but in order to arm ourselves with real information in the hopes of preventing a similar event. I think a lot of kids entertain rage fantasies, I would wager pretty much all of the young men, anyway, but they don't all shoot people. Instead of blaming Marylin Manson (again), maybe we could be a little smarter, and ask ourselves how we are complicit, as a community. Misbehaving Pope 09/19/06 Bad Pope. Osheagers 09/07/06 Last weekend Gene and I painted live on both days of the first Osheaga festival, a big event for Montreal. Formatted on the successful Coachella festival in California, Osheaga was well organized and fun, with very little visible corporate presence and the best catering tent I've ever seen. I got to see Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr., two of my favourite bands from when I was a youngster. took me back. Gene and I were in the Art Tent, which was alright, we painted Armand Vaillancourt, a well-known local sculptor and character, and Mark Mothersbaugh, the singer from Devo. Both guys were also exibiting work in the tent, so we figured it would be fitting. I hope we do it again next year... Magic 09/06/06 Last week I spent a week in Las Vegas with Tyler and our friend Vito, doing live painting at the gargantuan trade show for the fashion industry called Magic. It was my second Magic experience, and it was pretty fun, but also a bit overwhelming. So much is so tacky, I tried to tune it out, but all the money money, dolla bill cash money style shit got to me after awhile. That, and the hard plastic, shiny neon multi-coloured shoes. keep an eye out, I warned you. Anyway, here's a series of paintings that Tyler and I did over four days, one each day. Sorry for the multiple posts... 09/05/06 Trying to catch up. This year I decided not to mark the anniversary of 9/11. (this cartoon get's published on Thursday) craptastic 09/05/06 I had about a half an hour to do this one when I was in Vegas last week, and it shows. woops 09/05/06 This one is from a couple of weeks ago. I'm pretty behind... Viva la Cristobal Godhead 08/25/06 Here's a portrait I did of my good friend Cristobal for the show at Le Kop Shop a while back. protest stencil 08/25/06 Here's what I did for that party at the Nest a while back. Honk if You're Mourning... 08/15/06 I've been noticing a lot of silent, tasteful acts of protest around town from the Lebanese population, guys in depanneurs hanging flags, taxi drivers with newspaper clippings, etc. Let's hope the cease-fire holds. droppings 08/15/06 Here's last week's cartoon- pretty self explanitory. We Paint/ Bombing for Peace 08/11/06 Two art shows for the price of one! Same time, almost same place, Gene and I are painting at the Nest at around 6pm, there's BBQ and music, no charge, as well as other art stuff happening, and about two blocks away Le Kop Shop is also having an art show, in which I have a piece and a t-shirt for sale, (even though the painting is a little messed up, old varnish can bite me, aarrrgh.) So I'm going to be running back and forth all night, trying to soak in as much of the good art and good vibes as possible. This is all part of the Under Pressure Graffiti Festival, but don't let that fool you, there's more than just graf happening here. Also, tonight at Sub V there's a show called Circus in which I have a little piece, but that show is really about everyone else. There are about thirty artists represented, and most of the work is pretty great. That's at 5666 Sherbrooke, and it's up for about a month. What Else? Part 2 08/06/06 Here's the one Gene and I did here for the second part of that show, here in Montreal. This one features Grace Jones, KRS 1 and Big Daddy Kane. Dance Sport Roolz 08/06/06 The first ever Outgames just ended here in Montreal, and the city is brimming with homos! I haven't seen any of the events, but I've hearing some great things. Some of the merchants in the village are a little pissed about the way things worked out for them, but other than that, I think this event was a total success. So here's the comic- there's no big message here, Montreal is a huge hockey town, and I just thought this would be a funny image. Who fell out of the ugly tree? 07/28/06 And hit every branch on the way down? This is one of those issues that'll get you yelled at no matter what position you take. I've been accused of being completely on one side of the argument or the other, just for trying to be objective. That's the thing about these topics, people tend to think a balanced view is impossible, that everything is mutually exclusive. I'm still trying to figure out the details, I don't know enough about the intricacies of the situation in the middle-east, but I'm sure that when both sides are targeting civilians there isn't a whole lot of honour to go around. What Else? 07/22/06 Here's a canvas that Gene and I did last weekend for the 'What Else?' (part one) party in Toronto, at a yuppie meat market downtown with K-os, Lil Jaz and Justin Peroff DJing. It was a pretty fun party. We asked the DJs if they had any ideas for what they'd like to see on the canvas, and they suggested a bunch of musical icons- we selected Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and Bob Dylan out of the list for this one. Let it burn? 07/19/06 This is a pretty tame one, compared to what's actually going on over there. I think people are still just realizing the severity of what's going on. There are 30,000 Canadians trapped in Lebanon right now. Heavyweight Store 07/18/06 Here's a shot of a mural that Gene and I did a few weeks ago on the back wall of the new HVW8 Shop in Los Angeles, specifically at 661 Spaulding, Just east of Fairfax off Melrose, in Hollywood. The store will have it's grand opening sometime in August, and will display artwork and merchandise. If you ever find yourself in that neck of the woods pop in and say hi to Tyler and Addison. Stevie 07/12/06 Here's a shot of a portrait of Stevie Wonder that Gene and I did a couple of weeks ago. Jay Dee tribute 07/09/06 Turf One and I painted this tribute piece to Jay Dee, or J Dillla, a legendary hip hop producer from Detroit who died just recently of Lupus, at the ripe old age of 32. We painted it at Academy club, here in Montreal, during a ?uestlove set (of the Roots). As far as I know, the proceeds from the party, and the painting, if we sell it, are going to Jay Dee's mom, who still has some of her boy's hospital bills to pay. Prince 07/09/06 Here's a shot of a painting of Prince that Gene and I did at the Heavyweight 8 year anniversary a while back. finally, some not-terrible news... 06/26/06 In a 5-3 split, the US Supreme Court struck a blow for the cause of sanity last thursday, by declaring that Bush had overstepped his authority in ordering military war crimes trials for Guantanamo Bay detainees. This is significant. It's one of those rare times that Bush and his administration are forced to face the ugly truth that just because they say they have absolute power, doesn't meean they actually have absolute power. Let's hope this is the beginning of a trend... Thanks to Tyler for the collaboration on this one. Fest, Fester, Festing. 07/06/06 It's that time of year here... Summer Wear 06/26/06 This cartoon came out last week, and it still hasn't really been accurate. I thought for sure the 30+ Celsius weather would have started by now, not that I'm complaining. For those that don't know, every sunday on Mount Royal, here in Montreal, a social phenomenon known as the TamTams takes place, where, amongst other sorts, hundreds of hippies and mediaeval role-players congregate to chill out, and bash eachother over the head with duct-tape swords, respectively. Bring the kids! World Cup, Decapitation, etc... 06/26/06 I've recieved a few criticisms of this cartoon, people are offended by it, but tellingly, on behalf of FIFA, the World Cup, and the sport of soccer, not on behalf of our Prime Minister's right to have his head continue to be connected to the rest of his body. The same suspected terrorists that were arrested about a month ago trying to buy insane amounts of fertilizer allegedly threatened to decapitate our PM. I figured this was fair game, but I guess soccer fans thought it was a little too graphic. I hereby apologize to anyone who's moral sensibilities as a soccer fan have been offended by this cartoonish depiction of violence. I promise not to publish drawings of soccer balls as bouncing disembodied heads of political leaders ever again. Cute and Evil 06/19/06 Here's the result of the Panik Mekanik show- The sculpture of my little guy with the rotating head (there's a motor in his belly that rotates his head at 1 and a half rotations a minute) and the glowing red eyes (red LED's in his head with a lithium battery) and the canvas that goes with him (click on the image for the wider shot). He's about 9 inches tall. I'm going to see about putting a little quicktime video up on here of him doing his thing. Mordecai 06/13/06 Here's a portrait I did of Mordecai Richler, one of my favorite authors, while painting at this really crazy black-tie dinner for the CCA, Canadian Center for Architecture ($600 dollars a plate! we got a box lunch...) beside Roadsworth, Other, Labrona, Turf and Tchug, arranged by Pablo Aravena, of NEXT fame. The wall was 88 feet by 8 feet, so that gives you an idea how big Mordecai's loveable mug is. The Mayor liked it. After the dinner the volunteers dismantled the wall, it had been set up with 1 foot by 1 foot masonite panels on velcro, so that the dinner guests could take home a little souvenir from "one of Montreal's best graffiti artists". We neglected to burst their bubble by telling them that we're all in our thirties, all professional artists, and without a criminal record among us. It would have ruined their fun. Homegrown 06/13/06 This one's a little late... Some folks were confused as to why I would bring up racism as a topic while tackling this story, I guess they don't think it's important enough while our Prime Minister is allegedly being threatened with decapitation. Personally, I think it's just as relevant, if not more. Panik Mekanik 06/07/06 So yesterday, on 06/06/06, I finished the most evil sculpture of one of my little guys, a flesh and blood (sort of) version of the dead baby (it's not a real dead baby, it's just a drawing). My friend Harvey basically did all the work, made a mold of my clay prototype, fitted it with moving parts, etc, and breathed life into an otherwise lifeless shell. We are proud parents! Come on down to the Sub V gallery in NDG on Friday, June 9, 7pm, 5666 Sherbrooke W. Montréal, to check out our pride and joy, as well as the little runts produced by 14 other weirdos. It should be fun! no smoking 06/01/06 So as of yesterday Quebec is a non-smoking province. That's A-OK with me, I'm a smoker, but I'd all for limitations being put on my addiction. Smoking is the most indefensible thing there is, so bring it on, I say. Make it either totally illegal or charge $50 bucks a pack, maybe then I'll quit. Peace 05/31/06 Damned if you do... I keep hearing the argument that Canada isn't a Peace-Keeping nation, but I wonder. I'm getting more and more frustrated with this, I have a sneaking suspicion that these petty quarrels are distracting us from understanding the real purpose of the war we're fighting over. Whether or not we're a peace keeping, or a peace making nation, maybe we should ask who's benefitting from this war? Stephen Harper seems to be smiling a lot more these days, and I can't help but wonder if it's because everyone's too busy arguing to keep an eye on what he's up to. support slipping 05/21/06 A bit of a reason the be proud of living here right now: civilization 05/21/06 A few weeks ago a teacher in Roxboro reprimanded a Grade 2 boy for using a fork and spoon to eat his lunch, instead of a fork and knife. The teacher called this traditional filipino method "disgusting", told him that "You're in Canada now, learn to eat like a Canadian" and separated him from the other students. At the very least, this teacher should lose his job, since he's obviously ill-equipped to handle the responsibility of any kind of authority. This is exactly the kind of thing that keeps Canada/Quebec in the backward, folkloric stone age. Maybe the teacher, and the school board (unless they actually do something about it) should be sent back to school to learn the true meaning of what it means to be Canadian. Flak 05/05/06 I've been getting some flak for this one- some folks find it offensive that I've turned the death of Canadian soldiers into a 'joke'. I wasn't really going for yuks with this one, I tend to lean more towards satire rather than slapstick. Sometimes I succeed, and the cartoons inspire some thought, other times I fall short, and folks don't get it. If this cartoon is in bad taste, that's too bad, the whole situation is in bad taste. A couple of months ago I wrote that this would be a grim summer, that we would be tallying our dead and shaking our heads. Maybe it would be in better 'taste' if I ignored the fact that I and many others were right so far. Heavy Love 04/28/06 Saturday night Tyler, Gene and myself will celebrate 8 years of the Heavyweight experience. It's been a long strange trip, and it's ongoing. Andy and Scott have graciously offered their monthly night, The Goods, as a venue for our anniversary. Come on down and share the love. Pie in the Sky 04/27/06 Thought it was about time I did something on Harper''s government completely ignoring the whole oil crisis thing. Billy's Art Show! 04/25/06 My good friend and local art maven/comix connoisseur/rabble rouser/hellenic hellraiser is having an art show, which is also a fundraiser, so that he can make it out west for a residency he's been invited to and richly deserves. Come on out and support one of Montreal's hardest working doodlers. Support the Troops 04/20/06 It's amazing to me that anyone in this country could listen to Harper, MacKay, or anyone paraphrase Bush's tried and true, tit-for-tat "argument" about supporting the troops without laughing (or crying). You know- the one suggesting that any debate over how, where, and why our troops are deployed will somehow "hurt" them (I thought our troops were made of sterner stuff), or the psychedelic circular logic surrounding the "fight the terrorists on their own turf, so we don't have to fight them here" theory. Not to mention the implicit slur if you argue against this policy, you know, if you don't support the war, you don't support the troops, you're unpatriotic, and, basically, you're a pussy. I strongly believe that this mess we're making in Afghanistan will make us a target, we don't have to go on search and destroy missions, we don't have to put our troops in harm's way because our leaders think it'll make the cool kids south of the border like us more. I support the troops, but I don't support this half-baked bullshit we're involved with in Kandahar. Debate is the least we can do. Brothers in Arms 04/13/06 Here's a cover illustration I did for the Ottawa Xpress this week. I'm pretty happy with it... Leak at the Top 04/13/06 I don't know why, but people look at this image and think that Bush is vomiting. That's not what I intended, he's supposed to be a little cherubic statue on a fountain- that's water splashing down. It's an illustration of Bush being named in Scooter Libby's trial, This is from the New York Times: President Bush authorized Vice President Dick Cheney in July 2003 to permit Mr. Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis Libby Jr., to leak key portions of a classified prewar intelligence estimate on Iraq, according to Mr. Libby's grand jury testimony. See? He's the leak. Get it? passport profiling 04/09/06 get your passport... Starship Solo 04/07/06 My partner in art-crime Gene Pendon, AKA Gene Starship of HVW8, is showing some new solo work tonight at Salon Daome, 141 Mont Royal east. it's a vernissage, so show up early (free wine) show starts at 7:30. The work will be amazing. An Other Book 04/05/06 That's right, local vagabond artist king of the railcar scrawl Other made a book. Sixtoo put some music in it, in the form of a campact disc, and it's being released to the world tonight at Esperanza. I've seen some of the work, and it's absolutely beautiful, of course. I can't wait to get my hands on one. He and fellow artist Labrona are also going to be selling limited edition prints and paintings and such as well. Come on down. spring fever 04/05/06 A bit of a light one this week, but fairly accurate at least around these parts. Of course, it did snow yesterday... Top Secret 03/23/06 This one is a little vague, but that's the trouble with doing these things weekly- there are some good stories out there in the news, like the three Christian guys that were just released in Iraq, for example. they were supposed to be executed around Christmas, their families have had no news whether they were alive or dead since then, now they're home. Maybe I'll do that one next week. Jazz Man 03/22/06 Gene and I painted this last week on Friday, for Pablo's movie NEXT at the Cinema du Parc theatre. It was a little weird, but in a good way. People coming out of other movies were a little confused to see us painting in the lobby, but most folks were pretty interested. We painted this Jazz guy because we were hoping to kill two birds with one stone, and use it for another thing we were working on, but no such luck. The piece is nice though. Betty Friedan 03/21/06 Betty Friedan, the woman that many people claim kick-started the feminist movement with her book "The Feminine Mystique" in 1963, died in early February of this year. Gene and I painted this portrait of her a couple of weekends ago at Salon Daome. Stay the Course 03/16/06 I know it's simplistic and easy to compare Harper to Bush, but he's been doing such a bang-up job of it lately, I just couldn't help singing along. He surprised the troops in Afghanistan early this week with a "top-secret" visit, and exploited the photo-op to announce that he is refusing to hear any debate on the topic of our military presence there. He claims that the main purpose of his visit was to raise the morale of the troops, but strangely absent from the media event were any favourable comments from star-struck soldiers. Where have we seen this tactic used before? The thing that frightens me is the marked increase in rhetorical catch-phrases like "we won't cut-and-run", "perseverance and resolve" and "long haul." Too often politicians employ these feel-good fast food morsels to replace actual information, they look good saying it, but "it" doesn't actually mean anything. He's not saying anything! This is not a discussion! Sheesh. Where have we heard this kind of thing before? The fact is that in a democracy, debate is always good. The fact that our democratically elected leader is so afraid of debate on this topic should tell us something. There's a lot of noise emanating from this issue right now, but most of it is static. A Canadian soldier shot a civilian yesterday. What happened? We don't know. Was it justified? No one knows. It's time to make some sense out of this noise, and put our "leader" in his place, otherwise, we know what to expect. NEXT on the big screen 03/15/06 Here's a bunch of info on my friend Pablo's movie that's finally going to be seen on the big screen. If you haven't seen it yet, or even if you have, this is an opportunity you don't want to miss. Gene and I are going to be doing some live painting at the theatre on Friday, and afterward we're probably going to keep the celebrations going in some way, so come on down and check it oot. --------------- The worldwide graffiti documentary "NEXT: A Primer on Urban Painting" by Pablo Aravena gets a 2-week run at the Cinema du Parc in Montreal. Original English Version Cinema du Parc 3575 Avenue du Parc 514.281.1900 www.cinemaduparc.com Opens March 17 with LIVE PAINTING SESSION BY GENE PENDON AND DAN BULLER FROM HVW8 at Cinema du Parc from 8:00PM -10:00PM www.hvw8.com SHOWTIMES March 17- March 23 5:20 PM - 9:15 PM March 24 - March 30 3:15 PM - 9:15 PM AFTER PARTY Saturday March 18 2006 @BOA 5301 St. Laurent 514.270.3262 With DJ Scott C on the wheels of steel. 11 PM onward Come chill with the NEXTness WWW.NEXTTHEMOVIE.COM Business As Usual 03/14/06 Last year my friend Joe Hiscott asked me to help him with some illustration/animation for an experimental short film he was working on. I had a bunch of fun working on it, and now it's time to see it on the big screen. It's called Business As Usual, and it's great. see it at the Musee D'Art Contemporain on Tuesday, March 14, at 21h30. This from the Business as Usual one-sheet: "Vision. Leadership. Expertise. Monster. Who the hell is running things anyway? Is he man or beast, machine or god? Toronto, New York, London, Tokyo- BUSINESS AS USUAL invites you along for a psychotic ride through the financial power capitals of the world. Witness the omnipresent executive citizen as he (it) imitates you with his bizarre rituals of behavioral dysfunction." come on down and check it out. Hockey, Winter, Maple Syrup, the Canada Arm, Politeness, and 03/10/06 Peacekeeping. Lester B. Pearson was Prime Minister of Canada from 63 to 68. Before that, he was a diplomat and a statesman who "invented" the Canadian model for international peacekeping at the U.N. He won a Nobel Peace prize for it in 1957. This is from the Toronto Star: "Canada's first week heading a multinational task force in southern Afghanistan provided a troubling wakeup call. A road accident killed two soldiers. A suicide attacker drove his Toyota into an armoured vehicle and blew it up, seriously wounding another. Perhaps most chilling, Capt. Trevor Greene was attacked with an axe as he sat with villagers hoping to build bridges." Some folks are trying to make the argument that we've been in Afghanistan for four years, so what's the big deal? Why are we talking about this now? Why are people calling for a Parlimentary debate on whether or not we should be there? and even crazier- why do we assume that our role as a nation in the world should be as a peacekeeping force? Excuse me? First of all, it's a big deal, because the mission in Kandahar is as different from the statebuilding excercise that we've been involved in since 9/11 as can be. Kandahar is a "full spectrum theatre", a fancy term that basically means that we're there to kill and be killed. This is Canada at war, something we haven't done since Korea in the 50's, so yeah, it's a big deal. Secondly, Harper and McKay et al arguing that it's somehow "innappropriate" to have a debate about this is absurd on it's face, but also slightly Orwellian, and extremely Bushian. It seems we've now inherited the third-grade circular logic of our southern neighbours: Fight the War on Terrror, fight the "enemy" (Canada has an enemy now) on his own turf so we don't have to fight him here, and of course, support the troops. Third, speaking for myself, I don't believe in The War On Terror, or "the Long War" as the Republicans are now calling it. I think it's dangerous, irresponsible, and retarded to invent an enemy, provoke him, bomb the shit out of him, and then stand back and say that that's the best way to prevent him from attacking us. Lastly, the best way to support the troops is to respect their lives and their purpose by only dispatching them to conflicts that are absolutely necessary, which this mission in Kandahar most certainly is not, unless you value PR and photo-ops and placating the American Administration to be worth our soldier's lives and by extention- our credibility as a nation worthy of respect. Lester B. Pearson is rolling in his grave, and pretty soon he's going to have plenty of company. This is going to be a grim summer, tallying our dead and shaking our heads as the stories of mutilated corpses flying back on Hercules aircraft get pushed off the front page by Sports and Entertainment. We need to remember which country we live in, and why. Other Shoe Drops 03/03/06 Just when you thought things couldn't get any crazier in the Middle East... Stick it up your Emerson 03/01/06 Emerson is great fuel for editorial cartoonists, the story is pretty old now, but it ran for a long while, and I took advantage. David Emerson ran and was elected in B.C. as a Liberal. His campaign was relatively media-worthy, he was quoted saying that the Conservatives were "heartless" and "angry", that the party was full of bigots bent on destroying Canada's social programs. His most news-worthy quote was his "I'm going to be Stephen Harper's worst enemy" however, since what he did next was so surprising. About a week after Harper's Conservatives were elected, Emerson crossed the floor and joined them. He was enticed by a top cabinet position, and probably felt that was more important than principles or promises to his constituents. Speaking of which, Harper and his government have wasted no time in providing his critics with a faily spectacular example of the hypocricy we were all expecting. I'm just surprised it happened so soon. Angelique 02/18/06 Here's a cover illustration I did for the hour this week silly wabbit 02/16/06 dang, I keep screwing up the date order. It's month, day, year. anyway, Cheney shot a guy. not a political issue, really, but as Jon Stewart has expressed in many different ways over the past week, oddly satisfying. I think it was probably just an ordinary hunting accident, a particularly stupid one, but then... who's really surprised? Love thy neighbour 06/02/06 Some folks in the neighborhood were the victims of a strange accident last week- an appliance repair shop on the ground floor of their building literally exploded, and the building collapsed. Everyone is ok, but they lost everything. I actually used to live in that building a few years ago, so it's kind of close to home for me. There's a benefit tonight for the people who are in need of some support, and I hope folks can make it down to Blizzarts and pitch in a bit. Holy Crap! 06/02/06 Did you hear that four people died in protests over this today? At that Iran has broken off all ties with Denmark? This is insane. Talk about not being able to take a joke! When this story first broke, I was actually totally on the side of the people who were taking offence. Before the argument devolved into the self-righteous finger pointing vs. religious sacrilege debate over free-speech, I thought the main point was that the cartoon itself was idiotic, and pretty darn racist. A friend of mine made the point that religions by nature should be above such pettiness, and Islam in particular should ignore childish taunts from the west, since it’s such a put-upon religion in the first place, and that anyone who takes this kind of insult personally isn’t very secure in their own beliefs to begin with. I agreed, but argued that the people defending the ‘statement’ should also get off their high horses and recognize a frigging retarded cartoon when they see one. That said, I’m now officially flabbergasted by this whole event, and while my fair-minded liberal sensibilities are still intact, I think the people burning embassies and killing each other over this thing are officially the stupidest people on Earth. self evident 02/03/06 pretty obvious. Personally, I'm hoping Belinda gets it. fundraiser for art guys 01/27/06 A couple of good friends of mine are going to Peru to exibit some of their work, and the poor fellas are a little short on funds. Good music, good times, I hope folks can make it out tonight and support. Change and Whatever 01/24/06 So, this is really not so bad. Some people are running around like their hair is on fire, but the Conservative Storm troopers haven't started dragging people off to the camps yet. Just like a year and a half ago, we got the parliament that I wanted, pretty much. That's not to say that I wanted Harper to be Prime Minister, but I think it's much better for all of us to have him out in the open where we can keep an eye on him. In a way, the Tories have less authority now than they had as the opposition- they don't have the spectacular lever of Liberal Corruption to pull every time they want something, and the other parties are all very well proportioned. Harper's going to go after some modest public policy and economic reform, his government will do some stuff that I won't agree with, but they'll get some things done that need to get done too, they aren't completely evil. That said, if they give in to their natural bloodlust and go after anything too hard-right they'll be tranquilized quicker than you can say 'same sex'. This election was testament to the Liberal's resilience and the NDP's legitimacy more than it was to the Conservative's victory. There are a lot of sulky Tories out there today. They were expecting a majority, if that had been the case, some of our fears would be justified. The Liberals have a very, very strong opposition, and with Martin (in a very classy move) stepping down, they can become a progressive party again. I really wanted more seats for the NDP, so I'm pleased. This is the argument I always have with my dad; he thinks I'm crazy for voting NDP, but the truth is I don't want them in charge, I want them to be the conscience of Parliament, which is exactly where they are now. Jack Layton is pretty popular here as far as politicians go, and now everyone has to take him seriously, especially the Tories. He'll be able to form a coalition easily with either the Liberals (or the Bloc) whenever the NDP needs to. Some people are complaining that such an evenly distributed parliament and a weak majority (of whatever party) is evidence that parliamentary democracy doesn't work, that this proves that people can't be lead, but I disagree. I think that Canadian politics are more interesting now than they have been in decades. People have short memories- I remember Mulroney's Tories in the eighties, it was awful, corrupt, right wing, embarrassing, and then in 93 the Tories were absolutely decimated, reduced to ashes. They went from having a majority to having three seats in Parliament, and the Bloc (a seditionist party) became the official opposition! Canadians were freaked out then, not now. That was an aberration that I think was healed last night. The Tories will always be one of the major parties here, that's just the way it is. There's nothing wrong with having a Conservative government, as long as the progressives have a strong legitimate voice. We have that now. Heil Harper! (just kidding) Over a barrel 01/18/06 Here's an illustration I did for the Ottawa X-Press, sister paper to the Montreal Hour. MLK 01/18/06 Monday was Martin Luther King jr. Day, so Gene and I painted his portrait at Salon Daome the other night. just pray for a minority 01/18/06 Well, it looks like the fix is in. Harper is going to be our next PM. I know I've said it might be a good thing for Harper to win a minority government, to break the Liberal spell and also to prove to the so-called "small c" conservatives that Harper is anything but a moderate, but I can't help but feel the fear. Even if we do have another election in a year or so, a year of Canada under the thumb of an ultra-right wingnut like Harper doesn't fill me with hope. I guess this probably won't be the year I get a grant either. I just hope that Canadians really have been duped, and that this isn't indicative of a shift towards hard-right values in this country. We can see how great that's worked out south of the border. Wish us luck. playground politics 01/09/06 The Green party hasn't been in the news much, the coverage of the upcoming election and political theatre surrounding it, including the imminent debate, has been and will be pretty Green-free. Unfortunate, that. I'm not sure I agree with everything that they stand for, but they are a legitimate party and this election would be more interesting, and more fair if they were included. Maybe next time. Happy New Year! 01/05/06 05 was a rough one, but this year looks good so far! King Tubby 12/22/05 Here's a portrait of the legendary King Tubby that Gene and I painted tonight at Salon Daome, for a pre-holiday fiesta hosted by Mossman and Deadbeat. Fun times. happy holidays eh? 12/21/05 Right after New Years this whole campaign silliness is going to get nasty. Enjoy! party 12/19/05 come on down- should be fun Year in review Cover 12/18/05 for Hour magazine this year. 300 million reasons 12/18/05 I still wonder if the Liberals are going to be able to slither their way out of this one...