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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... Disgrace 12/08/05 I know this won't happen, but I wonder just how disgraced Harper will be if the Conservatives can't beat the Liberals even with all they've got going for them. We'll never hear from him again. There would be a kind of visceral satisfaction in that, but I do want to see the Liberals fail this time around. They can't survive Gomery, even the fear and disgust that Harper and his agenda inspire in most Canadians isn't enough to justify voting Liberal this time around. I hope that this conflict breaks the zombification spell over a larger percentage of your average Liberal voter and bring them over to either the NDP or the Green party. I could live with the Conservatives having a minority government for a year or so, as long as Harper's in charge. After a few months of Harper as PM Canada will spit the Conservative party out like a rotten piece of fruit. They might do some damage in the meantime, but once they get the boot, they won't be back for a long while, and we'll never see Stephen Harper again. Res Fest Pele 12/1/05 Here's a shot of the painting Gene and I did last Friday at salon Daome for the Res Fest, a showcase for new and experimental film related art stuff. thug life 11/30/05 Let me just say, I think 50 Cent is probably these least charismatic and least talented pop star in the history of pop stars, I mean, this is the guy, who when he was asked what his name meant, replied "change" without the slightest hint of irony. That said, I certainly don't agree with identifying him as the cause of rising violence in Canada. Why can't educated intelligent people recognize the forest for the trees when it comes to this issue? The CBC asked the pointed question: Is this man responsible for the rise of gun violence in Toronto?" - also without a hint of irony. 50 and the industry that spawned him are in the business of capitalizing on a phenomenon that exists outside their sphere of influence. The worst crime they are guilty of is mining tragedy for profit, which is something the news media shouldn't be too quick to criticize. If this was 20 years ago, they'd be blaming Alice Cooper, 50 is just another in a long line of scapegoats for the people and institutions that are truly responsible. It's amazing how easily people are sold on this fiction. I hope that in a few years time people are laughing at 50, the same way we laugh at Alice Cooper's antics today. I also hope that the majority of people are willing to laugh at themselves for ever thinking that such an inconsequential figure ever had anything to do with a very real issue. who knows? 11/23/05 It's difficult to keep up with the changes happening in politics right now, but some predictions are fairly safe, I think. We'll have an election in the next couple of months, probably not over the holidays, as some of the more alarmist news sources are claiming and some politicians are threatening. I think it's a toss up as to who's going to win, we could see Stephen Harper as PM, at least for awhile. I don't think his own party wants him to be PM, but they'll take what they can get till there's another federal election, which will probably be sometime in 2006. boooring. good doggies 11/16/05 Man, things are moving fast and loose right now in Ottawa. I did this cartoon on Sunday, and already it's out of date. It looks like there's going to be a federal election over the holidays, since all the opposition parties have banded together to bring down the government. I don't know how the daily cartoonists do it! Slim Williams 11/14/05 Last night Gene and I were invited to paint a portrait of Slim Williams, Montreal jazz/funk musician who played with everybody, including Funkadelic at one time. We celbrated Slim's 50th and have this to show for it... Year of the Veteran 11/11/05 Wear a poppy, eh? Soft wood, soft head 10/28/05 Martin sure knows how to deal with bullies. Hey! great news about Scooter Libby, chief of staff to Dick Cheney! He's probably going to go to jail for 30 years! Now if they could just figure out how to get Karl Rove, Dick, Bush, etc.... Candela photos 10/27/05 Check out this link to see a group of beautiful photographs that completely capture what it was like at the Candela Art and Music Festival in Puerto Rico this year. These are Dustin Ross' photos, a consummate professional and a nice guy to boot. Dustin Ross' Candela NEXT mural 26/10/05 Here's the result of last Friday's art experiment with Gene, Roadsworth, Labrona, Turf, and Other- a beautiful fun mess that was a lot of fun to make. Pablo, the man responsible for the event and the film "Next", which was screened and celebrated, told me that our party was the biggest and the best of the Fest, over 800 people attended, and lasted till the wee hours. Ryan Larkin showed up and doodled on our canvas, theoretically raising the price of which from -negative 00 to something in the realm of the unaffordable. Congratulations to Pablo for the excellent reception by the hometown base, can't wait to see the DVD.Ryan Larkin bird flu 24/10/05 I hope people get this one... it might be a little vague. It's a beaver wearing a chicken costume! Bird flu in Canada! Scary! NEXT 10/21/05 If you're in Montreal tonight looking for something to do, head down to the Just For Laughs Museum at around 9, my good buddy Pablo Aravena is having a screening of his documentary on street art, entitled NEXT: A Primer on Urban Painting. Afterwards there will be a launch party, complete with music (Sixtoo, Moonstarr, Scott C) and live painting (Gene and I, with Other, Labrona, Turf One and the legendary Roadsworth) as well as dancing and drinking till late. This is all part of the Festival Nouveua Cinema that's happpening right now in MoreReal, so come check out this excellent film and have fun with us. Admission is free. P.S. sorry if anyone's been trying to reach me through this site for the past couple of weeks, I got a new machine and my DSTRBO mail has been unreachable as a result of my computer dumbness. problem will be fixed soonish. Puerto Rico 10/18/05 Heavyweight was invited back to the Candela Art and Music fest for the fourth year this last weekend. Tyler and I attended, painted, Ty dj'd, we drank a lot, stayed up late, watched the sunrise from the Galeria, made some new friends, etc. Don Pablo Rodriguez was an excellent host as always, our friend Pablo Aravena attended and had the chance to show his documentary Next: A Primer on Urban Painting, to great appreciation. Candela is a real crossroads for international artists and musicians, always a good time. Pablo A refers to it as "hipster camp", which is an accurate description as any. I'll keep going back for as long as they'll have me. These are some paintings that Ty and I did there- the big one of the runners we did live the first night, the four smaller ones were an impromptu series that we knocked out on Saturday and Sunday in the gallery above Candela. The portraits are a collaboration with Dustin Ross, a professional photographer who's documented the festival a few times, I think. We selcted a shot of Tchaiko (I hope I'm spelling that right) and one of Ibrahim, two members of our loose posse to be the subjects of our collaboration. Fun times. another one on the weather 10/18/05 I usually do the cartoon on a Sunday, and it goes to print on Thursday, so I have to kind of predict what will be in the news a little bit, or hope that the topic I'm choosing won't be too out of date by Thursday. I left town for Puerto Rico last week on Thursday, so I wasn't around on Sunday. As a result, I had to do this cartoon a full week before it goes to print. If I'm in a situation like that I'll pick something really general, "slice-of-life-ish", like this lame duck. no more cartoons on the weather for awhile, I promise... this one's from 2 weeks ago 10/18/05 so it made sense back then... nina 10/06/05 The other portrait of the legendary Nina Simone, I just found this image again and realized that it's nowhere on this site. Gene and I painted this at one of Uzi's nights at Salon Daome, sometime shortly before February of 04. It was inspired by an old postcard that my special lady Claudia found, beautiful image. Here's our rendition of it- T.O. mural 10/06/05 The wonderful folks at Them.ca invited Heavyweight to pass through the stargate and visit Toronto this past weekend in order to take part in a large outdoor live painting event at the Harbourfront Festival. I went and represented HVW8 solo, but enjoyed painting alongside two incredibly talented art dudes, Thesis and Elicser. The mural was inspired by the UN's 8 millennium goals, one of which is "promote gender equality and empower women", which was the one I chose to visualize, partly because there were no women involved in the mural. As the honorary girl I painted a composition of images I found from a website showing a street protest in Brazil (I think) held by sex workers asking for their human rights to be respected by the cops, the government, and pretty much everybody else. It was a fun experience, despite some scheduling snafus. I wasn't able to participate on the second day. I'll post the whole completed mural once I get the photos... the war on homos 10/06/05 Ratzinger inherited a real zinger- pedophile priests and the administrations that relocate them, and who does he attack? Homos. Not just the gay folks either, but the politicians like our own PM who support the rights of gay people by making things like same-sex marriage legal. The new Pope wants faithful catholics to refuse to vote for politicians who support these kinds of causes. Once again, the Church reveals where it's true faith lies- politics. When the hell are religious people going to realize that just because you play the game one way, not everyone has to play that way. Jesus. I know the logic of this one is a bit weak, Bush isn't a catholic, for one thing, but you get the idea. What's that smell? 9/19/05 Eeewww... I've been walking with this vile shit on my shoe for five years!? Why didn't anybody tell me I stepped in something? Oh, you did? Katrina 9/13/05 I was listening to a show on NPR this weekend that I really enjoy, called This American Life (www.thislife.org) and I was lucky enough to hear some first-hand survivor stories from the aftermath of Katrina. One 18 year old kid who nearly died of dehydration was saying that this is worse than 9/11, because it's no surprise that some people hate America, but after the storm, in the chaos and tragedy that followed, he and his community felt betrayed by their own government. Tens of thousands of Americans, not looters, not refugees, but Americans, died because their own government let them die. People haven't really gotten their heads around this thing yet. It's either criminal negligence or manslaughter, and it's not over yet. This is the story of the decade, not 9/11. trash journalism 9/13/05 Karla Homolka is not news, she's infotainment. zap 9/13/05 once again having some trouble with the server, so bear with me. This is from a couple of weeks ago, pretty obvious. This guy gives fundementalist Christians a bad name... Interesting tid-bit 8/23/05 Marc Ecko, creator of the ubiquitous Ecko clothing brand, is now officially allowed to have his block party, according to a Federal Court district Judge, who ruled in favor of the King of the Rag Trade, and against the Mayor of New York. The mayor didn't want to let Ecko have his party because it celebrates graffiti, and that's a bad thing, according to Bloomberg. according to Wooster Collective, where you can read tonnes of stuff on this topic, including a "transcript" of the trial, and an exceedingly eloquent note from Ecko himself, the Judge in this case practically spanked the city, metaphorically speaking. Here's an image of Ecko posing in the New York Times last week with one of our paintings, which gave me a warm feeling all over...Wooster collective I am a gypsy prince.... 8/23/05 Here's a painting of the legendary Joey Ramone that Gene and I painted at our friend Jonah's Boogiewoogie night at Tokyo Bar last wednesday, august 17. The painting doesn't really do Joey proud, in my opinion, at least my contribution, anyway, so I'm going to do another one until I get it right. Jonah's night was really fun, I haven't been to a party like that in a while. I think it went well for him, too. you should check it out if you're in town, I think it might be weekly. thug life 8/23/05 So some of my friends tell me that hockey's going to be back this season. I guess that's a good thing, I don't really care much for it, but I know that's going to make a lot of people happy, so yay for us. The only thing hockey-related that I've been sort-of following is the Bertuzzi/Moore scandal, and if I know about it, that means you know about it too. In my opinion Todd Bertuzzi should be behind bars. Even if he cried on tv and said he was sorry. Even if he said he was REALLY sorry, with sugar on top, he should still be behind bars. The kind of shit he pulled doesn't make me want to watch hockey more, it makes me want to watch it less. iggy pop 8/19/05 here's what Gene and i painted in Cleveland last weekend... That's Josh Language there in the middle, or should I say Langage...? Intelligent Design 8/16/05 Holy Smokes. Gene and I just got back from a trip to Cleveland, and, while Cleveland is beautiful and full of nice people and a lot more fun than I was expecting, there was some weirdness too. For some reason The crackpot theory of "Intelligent Design" is a huge debate in the States right now, there are more than a dozen states that are considering the theory for regular high-school fare, biology class will never be the same again. It's being debated either at the state legislative or shool-board level, or in Ohio's case, both. There is even a debate over the definition of science itself, and whether it's fair enough, whether it shouldn't allow for the presence of the supernatural in all our lives. It's a Canadian issue too. I don't think there are any provinces considering it at any kind of official level, not even Alberta, but I remember back in 2000, Stockwell Day, then the leader of the Alliance Party of Canada, explaining to school children that Adam and Eve were real people, and that they had dinosaurs as pets. If he had become our Prime Minister, we might be going through the same goofiness the US is right now. Rowwrrr 8/16/05 here's a painting Gene and I did at the SAT here in Montreal on July 30th. We were invited by some friends of ours who were putting on a fundraising party for a charity supporting orphans of AIDS in Africa. It was a good night. our new Governor General 8/11/05 I'm actually really liking Paul Martin's appointment to the antiquated, token position of Governor General. Michaela Jean seems to be a facinating individual, Haitian born, french-speaking documentary filmaker/journalist from Montreal, She at least gets a chance to prove that she's worth a damn. However, it seems pretty obvious to me, perhaps too cynically, that this is just one more flick of the slug's tail, and that it represents nothing more than the Liberal's keen tactics of self-preservation. Martin's a slippery one, but if we get interesting decisions like this as side-effects to his desperate flounderings, all the better. goons 8/04/05 This one is pretty self-explanitory, the IRA claim that they've given up their terrorist methods, in the interest of keeping the peace. Considering that they've been upstaged by an even loonier bunch, who can blame them? I believe that the Northern Irish have a legitimate beef with Britain, but that doesn't justify being violent assholes. Cheers to them, if they've really retired the ol' nailbomb. Runing the marathon of obnoxiousness... 7/28/05 Ralph Klein, that lovable mug from Alberta, sticks his foot in his mouth all the way up to the thigh, for your pleasure and mine. Same sex marriage is now officially legal, federally. Ralph's just going to have to get used to it. smart 7/21/05 My apologies in advance if you're on the mailing list- the site's been weird the last month or so, so there might be multiple posts showing up in your email over the next couple of days. anyway, here's a dated Harper cartoon... Conflicted? 7/15/05 I've been getting a bit of flak for this cartoon on the hour.ca talkback forum. I'm being accused of "capitalizing on the deaths of innocent civilians to push my private political agenda", and worse yet, not knowing anything about how global terrorist networks operate. I have to admit, the message of this cartoon does kind of just hang out there over the abyss, but I kind of like that. It's interesting to see how people interpret something slightly ambiguous, especially concerning a loaded issue like terrorism. I suppose, if I had done a cartoon with Churchill paraphrasing his famous "We'll fight them on the beaches..." line, like every other editorial cartoonist in the world, I wouldn't be targeted with such scorn, but where's the fun in that? Editorial cartoons are editorial, simplified, distilled, abrupt. They are also cartoons, at their best; witty, satirical, clever. Sometimes they trivialize, but occasionally they nail an issue unlike any long-winded article or essay ever could. I try to live up to that potential with every cartoon I draw. I try to get across how I really feel about an issue, with pictures and a small amount of text, if necessary. The London bombings were brutal, tragic, cowardly, yes, of course, naturally. Terrorism sucks. But so does the war in Iraq. These issues are bigger than us, larger than our personal moral or political fashions can encompass, granted. However, to suggest that it's not cowardice to pull out of a stupid, brutal, useless war that never should have started in the first place, or that it's not emasculating to admit that your military is being wasted on the whims of a callous ruling elite, is fair enough. I think we can all agree that if Blair had not joined Bush in his illegal greedy crusade in the Middle East the bombings in London never would have happened. This cartoon expresses that idea, in a nutshell. Hate me for it if you like, but at least admit that there's room for something a little controversial, considering how complicated the issue actually is. Next week I'll do something on puppies and ice cream, I promise. Canadians are so polite... 7/4/05 Festival season is upon us... Ugh. gremlins... 6/29/05 It seems like Bill C-38, the piece of legislation that will make same-sex marriage legal everywhere in this country, (even Alberta) will actually become law, after the politicians take a break from their vacations long enough to vote on it. No one knows how long it will take, but I have a feeling it won't be too drawn out, the good ol' boys will want to be getting back to their mistresses and cocktails after a few days. Naturally, the Conservatives would like to kill this thing, they are the party that would declare puppies illegal and fine the sun for shining if they could. However, Jay Hill, the Conservative House leader, (and new Tory poster boy, apparently,) told the Canadian Press that at best his party could continue the debate until early next week. "At some point in time I think we have to recognize the inevitability of this," he said. Finally, one of them notices the elephant in the room. 6/29/05 It seems like the Conservatives are finally getting the message; Stephen Harper was a terrible choice to lead their party. Have fun dressing Stephen up as various people who get way more respect than he does! As if NDG needed more street cred 06/07/05 I remember when I was still a teenager, the last summer I lived at home, there were billboards in the county with pictures of a white camaro, I think, and giant text from the Ontario Provincial Police asking "have you seen this car?" The county was terrorized, and just about every other hash-smoking skid became a suspect in the mysterious serial-rape and murder case that was unfolding in our backyards. Parents wouldn't let their kids go camping on the May Two-Four (but they did anyway) girls became much less willing to go skinny dipping at the sandbanks, the cops were actually hassling us, rather than just mocking us openly. It was hell. Early in the new year it was revealed that the main suspect was a young guy named Paul Bernardo, who had been turned in by his wife Karla Homolka for beating her with a flashlight. After the police search their home for 71 days and find nothing, her lawyer walks in and finds video tapes actually implicating Homolka in the crimes, and the crown has no real option but to grant her a deal in exchange for the evidence. She got twelve years for helping to rape and kill three teenage girls, including her 15 year old sister. She's going to be out this month, and she's got her eye on the Montreal neighborhood of NDG. I'm glad I live in Mile end. A neutral issue, like so many others, that for some strange reason thoroughly screws the poor. 06/15/05 I'm not against the idea, in principle, of having access to the private medical care you need, if you can afford it. however I don't know much, but I do know that if suddenly there exists a financial incentive for professionals in the medical industry to open private practices, we're inevitably going to see a drain in the public sector. It's the consequences of this decision that I'm afraid of. Call me crazy, but I think that in the long run, this could be a bad thing. Where's the beef 05/30/05 I've got no real beef with the Soveriegntists. I do however, have a beef with holy roller, flat-earth-society, evangelical neo-conservative, private-interest aristocrat wannabe republican plutocrat weasels. The exciting world of Canadian politics 05/24/05 Canadian politics last week was way more interesting than that stupid Star Wars movie. Ding-dong... 05/16/05 The witch is dead Which old witch? The wicked witch Ding-dong the wicked witch is dead Wake up you sleepyhead Rub your eyes, get out of bed ... Well, that might be a little premature. We'll see on Thursday. As much as I loathe Martin and his party, I'm really not looking forward to that King of the Flying Monkeys, Stephen Harper, to be our next Prime Minister. People think it's strange that the leader of the Conservatives would ally himself with the Bloc, an openly seditionist party, considering the Conservative's long-standing tradition of leading the charge to protect Canada from Quebec nationalism. I don't think it's strange at all. Harper isn't interested in protecting Canada, Gilles Duceppe is more of a patriot that Harper is. Duceppe wants independence for his province. That's their business. Canada should be able to survive whatever the spearatists can throw at it, but Harper will chop our country up into a million pieces and sell it off to the highest bidder. The people who should be really angry are the people who remember what the Conservative party used to represent, not the least of which is soveriegnty, a commodity that will be nothing more than a bargaining chip in Harper's hands. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.... The Colour of Rock 05/15/05 Not so long ago my good friend Murad came up with a briliant idea to promote his rock night at Blizzarts- an elaborate flyer in the form of a colouring book. He invited me to try my hand at rendering this concept, and, inspired by a similar book produced in Los Angeles by the name of "the Gangsta Rap Coloring Book", so I have. It contains 14 line drawings of men and women who have inhabited the role of "rock star", in one incarnation or another over the years, including David Bowie, Joey Ramone, Patti Smith, Debbie Harry, Johnny Cash and others. Come on down to Blizzarts, 3956 St. Laurent tomorrow night and put some colour in Robert Smith's cheeks. How can half of England be so dumb? 05/12/05 Congratulations, Mr. Blair. (thanks to my pop for the inspiration on this one...) Electric Art Derby 05/04/05 Heavyweight has been invited to show a piece in the fifth installment of the Electric Art Derby, a local exhibition that has been gaining some prestige over the past few years. Some of our fellow exhibitionists include: The one and only Other, the multitalnted Sixtoo, the mysterious Dixon, and the world famous powerhouse Dave Cooper, the man responsible for this juicy, juicy poster. Vernissage is this Saturday at the Casa del Popolo, 4873 St Laurent. Jam-Can! 05/02/05 Gene and I busted this mural in our friend's soon-to-be-open record shop right here in MoreReal, at 4541 St Laurent. Come check out the unpredictable selections this spring... May the Scam be with you 05/02/05 There is so much further one could go with this, I can almost see the whole story in my head, George Bush as the Emperor, the whole "Seperatist" movement from the new trilogy, Tongue troopers...etc. but I've got to leave it alone. That way madness lies... just a few bad apples.... 04/25/05 my ass. we need this like we need a hole in our heads. 04/18/05 More Gomery shit Mazeltov merengue 04/12/05 My good friend Josh "So-Called" Dolgin put on a great show last weekend, a blow-out to end all blow-outs, at the Main Hall up here in the Mile End, to officially release his "So-Called Seder EP". The record has to be heard to be believed, and the live performance is a cornucopia of sensual treats. But enough about Josh. Gene and I were invited to ply our trade at the show, and as is our habit, we chose a theme that would gel with the overall vibe, in this case, we painted a tribute to one of Josh's heroes, Irving Fields. Fields is still kickin it, playing six nights a week in NYC, which is where Josh tracked him down and invited him to play on an upcoming So-Called recording. Fields made a name for himself in the Lounge scene of the 40's and 50's, and eventually created a whole new kind of music, with his Hebrew/Latin experiments. "I was in Boston playing a hotel, and I played some lovely Jewish melodies, which I put to Latin rhythm ... I made a master, and on my day off went to New York City. Decca heard the master and bought it. And it became successful around the world." Says Irving. Conundrum 04/11/05 To be honest, I haven't been following the plight or the glee of the Liberal or Conservative parties of Canada, I have a certain kind of love for the fact that the Gomery Inquiry is happening at all, but as far as the inevitable speculation as to whether or not this clown show will lead to a snap election, the final destruction of the corrupt Liberals, the rise of Stephen Harper (Darth Vader) or the end of evolution being taught in schools, my suspense wanes. Everyone's cheering to have Paul Martin's (and a dozen or so others, at least) head on a pike, which is not wrong, in and of itself, if it weren't for the fact that mindless mobs are generally more interested in seeing heads on pikes than actual justice being done, I'd be right along with them. The truth is this- If the Gomery Inquiry proves ample reason to "throw the bums out," so be it. Hell knows Canadians deserve a chance to see some punishment meted out to those who've earned it. However, I hope everyone realizes that that means having Stephen Harper as our Prime Minister. Don't think so? How about Gilles Duceppe? Personally, I can put up with a bit of Sleaze, even if it is on an epic scale, it's preferable to our government mutating into a shadow of the Bush administration. With Stephen Harper comes the United States of Canada. you ready for that? Art show 04/11/05 Some local luminaries and I are involved in a show being put on by a local apparel shop called Off The Hook, and a magazine called Mugshot, called the Bail Bond Phone Show. A selection of artists have been invited to paint directly on a number of large, heavy, steel payphones that have been liberated from Bordeaux Prison and will be displayed on the Off The Hook walls on April 23, 2005, from 7 to 10 pm. at 1021 A St. Catherines west, Montreal. with an official after party at The Goods, at Sala Rossa, 4848 St. Larent. I think the show will be up for a month, so come down and check it out. Dj Numark of Jurassic 5 will be there on the ones and twos, there'll be free drinks and giveaways, lots of free copies of Mugshot and artwork by some of the city's more interesting art bandits. Here's the flyer/poster I put together for the show- for more info check: www.offthehook.ca disco acrylic 04/10/05 Here's a painting of the Brothers Johnson that Gene and I painted last week at Salon Daome. good times, as per usual. a bit of balance 04/04/05 Some folks might consider this to be a little harsh, in bad taste maybe, and mean, considering how beloved John Paul 2 was. It is, and I'm sorry if I'm pissing anyone off. However, I've been searching all day for an editorial cartoon that even slightly criticizes his policies, or the footprint he left behind, and I haven't found a single one. So if this cartoon offends you, be comforted that it will be the ONLY ONE. Try this experiment: Google "number aids africa". You'll get endless articles describing that AIDS is the #1 killer in some African countries, that one in three adults are infected in sub-Saharan Africa, that half of the 15 year olds will die of the disease in Zimbabwe, Botswana, and South Africa, that there are 17 million dead and 24 million infected. Doctors Without Borders says that the world hasn't figured out yet that this isn't an African problem, but a World problem. Now google "number catholics africa". You'll get figures describing how the numbers of catholics in Africa have nearly doubled in twenty years- from 50 million to 90 million, and that more than two thirds of catholics worldwide are from the "global south". You might even find an article or two drawing a parallel between these numbers and the rise of AIDS in Africa, but it isn't likely. I'm not saying that the AIDS pandemic is the Pope's fault, there are many factors at work causing this catastrophe, the main problems being lack of money, education, and racism. At the same time, I'm sure some people might be forgiven their frustration when people like the Congo's Kinshasa Archbishop Dominique Bulamatari said: "Using condoms as a means of preventing AIDS can only lead to sexual promiscuity." Pope John Paul the second had always taken a hard line with any form of contraception, and consistently refused to budge, even when more than 75 percent (by conservative estimates) of the faithful in rich western countries don't follow those rules. There is an opportunity now to face reality and make some necessary changes. Sanctity of life? I just don't get it. All Fool's Day 03/28/05 "If a million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing." - Anatole France Jean Charest was a popular politician once, he was young, energetic, and considered to be a true liberal, despite being a disciple of Mulroney’s. He was a “Progressive Conservative” with a heart, he understood young people, being one himself, and was appointed by Mulroney to be the youngest cabinet member in Canadian history, at 28, in 1986, as Minister of State for Youth. People liked him. People liked his hair. But something happened on the way to Montreal… In 2003, because the people of Quebec will always be a little nuts, we voted for him to be the Premier of our province, with a majority government no less, one to compliment to federal version in Ottawa. Without really shocking anyone, the approval rating fell sharply from Autumn 2003 to the spring of 2004, when it fell to 25%. The reason for this was obvious to anyone with a brain, it was even obvious those who voted for him. Charest and his “neoliberal” goons hadn’t even taken off their jackets before they knuckled down and went to work pissing off pretty much everyone who makes less than a few hundred grand a year in this province, especially the unions, environmentalists, parents who rely on daycare, the working poor, natives, and of course, students. Charest’s mandate to thoroughly fuck the poor and marginalized in this province was met with massive resistance, (something that shouldn’t have surprised him- someone who was born here in the 1950s). This has led to a new kind of solidarity amongst the usual suspects as well as a few amateurs. The “J’ai jamais vote pour ca!” (“I never voted for this”, sorry for the lack of accents) movement has taken over. It seems like there’s always some anti-Charest protest going on here, the latest manifestation being a bunch of energetic youngsters getting all up in his face. This month Charest announced a $103 million cut to student loans and bursaries, the kids responded by staging well organized large-scale demonstrations, and by releasing 103 mice into the premier’s office. The students have taken to wearing red patches to display their allegiance, so if you see some severe looking kid wearing one, please, buy him or her lunch why don’t you. witness the resurrection! 03/21/05 Harper is screwing up all over the place, and it's a wonderful sight to see. he's better get on his knees and pray! I always identified with Doubting Thomas growing up. I never understood why everyone though he was such a jerk for wanting proof. craft time 03/17/05 Here are a couple of suitcases I painted up for my friends Jen Glasgow and Jen Hystek who run a shop here in the neighborhood called Local 23. They sell all kind of goodies, mainly clothing, some second hand and some of their own designs, as well as assorted nick nacks and whatsits. They kindly offered that local artists take some of those items home and have a go at them, try to pretty them up some, in order to spread love of craft throughout the land and hike up the price. Local 23 can be found in the fashionable Mile End district of Montreal, at 23 Bernard ouest. by the by, a proper St. Paddys ay greeting to one and all. happy St.Paddy's Day! 03/14/05 This one pretty much speaks for itself... I always miss the St. Patrick's day parade, even though it's the oldest (and Montreal Irish will tell you the best, naturally) parade anywhere, this year it's year 181, older than even Dublin's celebrations. I figure it's more for folks who weren't named after the song Danny Boy, who didn't start drinking whiskey at age 6 (don't tell your mom/grandma/aunt/etc...) and who didn't grow up hearing that the IRA are the only noble army on earth. So enjoy, heathens! four dead in Alberta 03/06/05 Usually I couldn't give a rat's ass about pot politics. I agree that it should be decriminalized, but other than that I just can't get that worked up over it. This is different. Last week four young RCMP officers, younger than me, were ambushed by a psychotic child-molester and murdered. The killer also happened to be guarding a pot grow-op, apparently. This became a big issue at the 2005 Biennial Liberal Convention in Ottawa that ended today, with folks on both sides of the legalization/decriminalization issue working themselves up into a lather seeking to stake political claim to the four dead mounties. One of the more contemptible quotes goes like this, from RCMP Commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli: "Drugs are illegal and they're extremely dangerous and people have to understand that. And when you have people who are promoting the issue of safe drugs or [that] there are harmless drugs, I think that is something that we better understand is not the right way to go. We don't solve anything in society by legalizing things or by pretending they're not harmful to society." Spoken like a true politician in today's world. Ambitious, dogmatic, callous, and barely literate. I'm sure there were plenty of equally insulting quotes from folks on the other side, but I couldn't find any. toots 03/05/05 Here's the image Gene and I painted tonight at the Roadsworth fine fundraiser, One Toots of the Maytals. Gene rocked his ampidextrious two handed style for the masses- it was a sight to see... Roadsworth fundraiser 03/02/05 My friend Peter is having a bit of a fundraiser this friday. Any profits were originally going to go toward his legal fees/fines but he's not sure how that mess is going to get sorted, so now he wants to give everything to The old mision brewery. Salt of the Earth, that guy. Peter is perhaps better known as Roadsworth, the (no longer so) mysterious street painter responsible for making my neighborhood a much more interesting place to live. If you're in town come on down, Gene and I will be painting as well. you can check out more about Roadsworth here. Life has just gone sideways... 02/23/05 Hunter Stockton Thompson took his own life the other day, and that really pissed me off. There aren't that many true freaks left in the world, characters that the rest of us can look to for inspiration, so it sucks when one of the best and brightest decides to cash in like that. Thompson embodied a particular kind of courage and a passion that I've always respected, he burned real bright with it. We can follow that example, use it or lose it, or we can give up and become losers who talk shit and blow lines at the Drake. Well, I guess he figured: if you're going to do something, you might as well do it right. Why people like George Bush never put guns in their mouths, I'll never know. Therapy in Toronto, or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Tha Big Smoke 02/22/05 Not really. Sometimes I love Toronto, but it always tries to kill me. I can only love a place like that so much. JoJo Flores invited Gene and I to come and paint at his night Therapy in T.O. again, which is great, I'm not a huge house music fan, but JoJo puts on a great show. Unfortunately it took place at the Drake Hotel, a place that embodies all the worst qualities of that City. If I never step foot in that place again, it'll be too soon. Anyway, here's a portrait of David Mancuso, one of the pioneers of house, he had a club in NY called The Loft that set the standard for house parties. viva Las Fashion Industry 02/22/05 Here's a shot of a 10 by 6 foot canvas I painted in Las Vegas last weekend, with Ty Gs collaborative design styles. I had four days to paint it, so I took my time, and spent some hours being a wide-eyed and baffled stranger in a world I know very little about. It was the world-famous (apparently) Magic Fashion trade show, an alien planet inhabited by beings that operate on an entirely different plane of existence. It was entertaining, but it made me dizzy, (and a little self concious of my wardrobe.) I had fun though, hanging out with Ty and Damon, and Damian of Cold Water Flat showed up and played the ultimate host once again. Many thanks to Tonic Design for inviting us, and a big What's Up to Adrian, Jamie, and all the other normal folks I ran into. Michael Jackson is a __________. 02/18/05 I haven't really been paying too much attention to this media orgy, but I guess I do have an opinion. I tried really hard to remain objective, not to judge prematurely, let the court of public opinion yadda yadda... but I give up. The guy is guilty as sin and should be locked up. I just hope it isn't going to be O.J. part two. black history month 02/18/05 This is a portrait I did of my friends Thau and Keithy's sparkling baby daughter Kaji. I thought it was an appropriate way for me to acknowledge Black History Month in the paper without being too much of a poser. Happy first Black History Month Kaji! Happy Valentine's Day! 02/06/05 I know it's a little early, but this will be in the Valentine's issue of the Hour. I tried to make the kissing girls look like a couple that got bashed on the corner of Mount Royal and St. Denis right here in Montreal, Joelle Perras and Brook Morrison. The ladies stole a kiss and were hit from behind, a broken nose resulted, and the frightened little boy responsible ran off without a word, of course. "Here we are, we're being strong, but it's scary. When we walk out at night, we look around. We haven't kissed on the street, we haven't been ourselves because we are afraid." Said Perras. Still, they organised a "kiss-in" on that same corner a week later, which apparently was a big success. I wish I could have been there. It sounds like it was pretty hot. Happy Valentine's Day. Watch your back. six more weeks? 01/31/05 groundhog's day is funny. pigs that walk like men! 01/24/05 So this week Stephen Harper, the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada has launched an ad campaign (targeting immigrant communities, mostly) demonizing the Supreme Court's decision to ratify same-sex marriage. There is also the threat that there might be an election called on this issue, but that I have a feeling that that threat is as empty as Harper's demagoguery is absurd. The ad claims that same-sex marriage will inevitably lead to polygamy. I believe that people of faith deserve to have their criticisms heard, there are reasonable arguments to be made against the idea of gay marriage, but plain bigotry and intolerance should be dismissed outright. Harper is a hypocrite and a homophobe. He's a terrible choice for the Right to lead this charge. Good for us. Political Minded 4, Los Angeles 01/19/05 So I just got back from California, where it rained for a few weeks straight and the Californians were running around like their hair was on fire. We caught the tail end of the flooding, but after that, it went right back to being fine summer weather. That place is nuts. Our show last friday night went off, we did the space (called The Space) up right in record time, we had three days to paint the walls, hang canvases, etc. Thanks again to Damian and Jamal of Cold Water Flat, those guys work their asses off for all the right reasons. We couldn't do it without them. Also thanks to Tom, Addison, and Jacob, who trusted us with their film equipment even though we were obviously a shifty bunch of Canadians. Chris H and Damon helped out, beyond the call, and Language from NY lowered his standards out of pure generosity and played a spectacular set for us. Last but not least, Serigraphe Chris and his assistant from NY were once again the stars of the night, throwing themselves against the voracious crowd of custom screen printed t-shirt junkies with no apparent concern for their own safety. It was a massive party, way more people than I expected, the final tally somewhere near 500 souls, from what I'm told, all thanks to Tyler and the Cold Water Flat fellas. free beer and good times. Next I want to do it overseas, London or Tokyo perhaps. I'll keep you posted. the hump 01/19/05 slice of life. it's cold here... Political Minded 4 01/08/05 Here's the flyer--> True camouflage 01/08/05 Heavyweight is prepping for our fourth installment of the Political Minded series, opening at an undisclosed location somewhere in Los Angeles on friday, January 14th. I'm just waitng on the flier from TyG, I'll post it when it comes in. Here's a detail from a wall I painted at the Montreal installation of the series this past summer. pretty high concept for me. Attack of the Mossman 01/08/05 Here is an album cover that Rupert Bottenberg and myself drew for the Legendary Montreal Dub musician/dj/producer/mastermind Mossman, and his collaboration with Vander. I just realized I had never posted this... fine weather friends 01/01/05 Crappy weather to report in MoreReal these days, but I'm not complaining... Happy New Year 01/04/05 I actually drew this cartoon a few days before the disaster in southern Asia, and now it doesn't seem quite as funny. Hopefully, the massive outpouring of support and charity will help the people in the stricken countries, and help the people in the untouched western countries to realize that there are more important things to be concerned with than Paris Hilton's shoes or the War on Terror. "I'm not dead yet, Motherf***er!" 12/20/04 Here's a portrait of (the still very much alive) Richard Pryor that Gene, Tyler and I painted in Cicago on Saturday night at the Live Festival, put on by Deeper Soul Recordings and Blacklist magazine . Osunlade performed with his 5 piece band, Montreal Goods operator Andy Williams spun some wonderful records, and there was some crazy live sculpture happening. Check out Blacklist magazine for an interview we did, it's a nice one. Etch-A-Sketch remix 12/20/04 The super-star ladies of Solid State are re-mounting their very popular dance performance "Etch-A-Sketch" this March. I suggest reserving tickets now, the show will be sold out in under a month, mark my words. Tickets are $18 March 10, 7pm March 12, 8pm March 13, 2pm Saidye Bronfman Centre for the Arts, 5170 Cote St. Catherine, Montreal, (514) 739 2301 Proceeds go to support the Underprivileged Fund of the Youth Institute. we are the children... 12/19/04 The SAQ,The Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ) is the state-owned corporation responsible for the trade of alcoholic beverages where I live. They're also on strike, and have been since before my birthday. I just got back from Chicago and felt like an idiot when I realized I couldn't go to the duty-free on my way BACK. I'm a good lefty and will usually always side with a union against it's bosses, (even if I'm completely ignorant of the cause, as usual) but shit, man. Montreal is in tears this holiday season, sober, sober tears. check the weirdness 12/16/04 Here's the year in review cover for the Hour this week. It was a bizarre experience from start to finish putting this cover together. Luckily, the year was even weirder. Remember: whatever doesn't kill you makes you stranger. it's all in the timing 12/14/04 So The Canadian Supreme Court have decided unanimously that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms affirms the right of homosexual people to marry. For a lot of Canadians, this was a given, an obvious truism that took way too long to be acknowledged. Marriage is a civil right. Gay folks are civilians, citizens of this country. ergo... you get the picture. Congratulations to us for reminding Western society that we are not backsliding towards some kind of genetic devolution, slipping backwards in time towards the dark ages, despite all the bad news we've had to put up with this year. Time is still moving forward! Jose Rizal 12/14/04 Here's a portrait of the legendary Filipino hero Jose Rizal that Gene, Tyler and I painted last week in L.A. for Theresa's 40th birthday, a gift from her man Bod. This is from the Jose Rizal site: Having traveled extensively in Europe, America and Asia, he mastered 22 languages. These include Arabic, Catalan, Chinese, English, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Malayan, Portuguese, Russian, Sanskrit, Spanish, Tagalog, and other native dialects. A versatile genius, he was an architect, artists, businessman, cartoonist, educator, economist, ethnologist, scientific farmer, historian, inventor, journalist, linguist, musician, mythologist, nationalist, naturalist, novelist, opthalmic surgeon, poet, propagandist, psychologist, scientist, sculptor, sociologist, and theologian. catching up 12/14/04 I haven't been able to access the updater for this site for a bit, so here's last week's cartoon. Ottawa, meet George. George, meet Ottawa. 11/23/04 A week from now, the legitimate president of our neighbors to the south will be paying his first visit to our nation's capitol- Toronto. Uh, I mean Ottawa. That would be a nice trick. Tell Bush he's in Ottawa but take him to downtown T.O.- he might like it, it should remind him of his youth. I haven't heard much about what's going to be organized in the O-Dot, but something is going to go down. It's not that cold here yet. josephine baker 11/20/04 This was last week, a portrait of the legendary Josephine Baker, the cabaret artist of the twenties, a revolutionary artist who brought a new kind of dance to Europe. Her stuff blazed trails, and would probably be considered ahead of it's time if she were performing today. This was a great night, lots of good folks running around Jello bar, celebrating Jojo Flores' birthday extravaganza part 1, and a Brass Knuckles Crew reunion to boot. getting all artsy 11/18/04 My girlfriend tells me I have to stop obsessing over Bush. I guess I'll have to. It's not such a big deal that he won, right? right...? what's goin' on 11/15/04 Gene and I painted this portrait of Marvin Gaye the other night at Therapy in Toronto, at the Roxy Blu club, part two of Jojo Flores' birthday extravaganza tour. A Very, very fun night, this is the way to experience Toronto: fast, dirty, and memorable. Rememberance day 11/11/04 gonna get me a poppy... words fail me.... 11/03/04 judgment day 11/01/04 tomorrow... Happy Election Day! oh yeah, and Halloween! 10/24/04 so scary... I hope all my American friends are voting, because we can't... I'm having a party on the second, just because I don't want to be alone and/or sober, no matter what happens... camping in Manhattan 10/22/04 Last week the Heavyweight unit coalesced in Manhattan's Lower East Side, on Orchard street, to camp out in an old leather shop and transform the space into what Tyler refers to as a "Guerilla Gallery". We spent about five days in there, sleeping on air mattresses and barely going outside at all, unless it was to search out some incredibly tasty and unexpectedly cheap eats. This was the third installment of our Political Minded series, and this time it really hit home for us how much folks in the States want to have that conversation, the one about how it's pretty hard not to be politically minded these days. It felt pretty good to put up a bunch of work that got people going on this topic that everyone's thinking about. New York felt pretty charged, you couldn't avoid the conversation, on the street, in the paper, at the bus stop, at the corner grocery.. etc... Once again a thousand thanks to Damian of Cold Water Flats, without whom none of this would have gotten off the drawing board. That guy gets shit done, and he keeps his word. He came up with the idea for this show in March while we were in Miami. I'm ready for round four anytime. The Newlyweds 10/22/04 On the 16, just about a week ago, I was lucky and privileged enough to see two of my oldest friends tie the knot, in our hometown of Bellevegas, of all places. Congratulations, you two, have fun in Italy, and try to smuggle some of that Mediterranean warmth back to the Yukon with you. You're going to need it. I have been Mike's artist since, oh I don't know, a long time. This was the latest request. Now that they're married, Tara automatically inherits me. bukowski 10/19/04 Luc and I painted this last weekend (the night I got back from NY) at a cheesy Adidas party in the east end. Remind me never to do that again. bit of a cheap one 10/19/04 but a good question trying to catch up... 10/19/04 I barely remember why this was funny.. it's been a long couple of weeks. Hector Lavoe 10/6/04 This is a portrait of the legendary, tragic, Puerto Rican Salsa star Hector Lavoe. This is another commissioned piece that Gene and I did live the other night at Salon Daome, killing two birds as it were. The other two Heavyweight boys and myself are gearing up for a trip to New York next week, we're launching the third (but really the fourth) installment of our Political Minded series in some really expensive space in Manhattan, somewhere around Canal street, near where Alife was... or is... I don't know. Nobody tells me nothin. It'll be fun though, our opening is on the 13th. Yep, a bunch of Canadians are going to launch a huge garish art show criticising the Bush regime during it's last days. I hope. If you'd like to know more about it, like where it is, for example, check out HVW8.com . I know I will. my favourite punching bag 10/6/04 Whenever I'm a little unsure of the topic I should explore, I google the Premier of Alberta Ralph Klein, to find out what brilliant bullshit the unrepentant drunk has been serving up lately. He never dissapoints. yay for lefties! 10/01/04 So Lefties all over the world are in a pretty good mood today. Most mainstream media are broadcasting that Kerry beat the living snot out of Bush last night in the debates. This is a very good omen. Check out the cover illustration I did for a pretty cool lefty magazine called Canadian Dimension- they describe themselves as: "An independent forum for debate on a broad range of issues of interest to the left." and even super-icon Noam Chomsky weighs in: "With the world veering from one potential catastrophe to another, in many different domains, it has never been more important to have clear, critical thinking and analysis that is not restricted by dominant ideologies. CD has performed that function very effectively, a contribution of unusual importance." Canadian Dimension brains... 9/26/04 FREE CAT STEVENS! nina 9/21/04 Gene and I painted this portrait of Nina Simone the other day. This is the second painting we've done of Nina, this one is a commissioned peice for a birthday present. I think Tyler's going to add something to it, maybe some text, I'll post it when he has.. sarcasm 9/17/04 I took my time on this one. I like collaborating- Jesse of SolidSender gave me the idea for this one. Just as long as people know that Cheney's comment is supposed to be sarcastic... the flab four (sorry) 9/13/04 I was originally going to have Paul's comment read: So, either "takin care of business", or "if I had a million dollars"... -but even though the joke worked, it felt a little weak. Thanks to Joe and Josh for suggesting a funnier alternative. Canadian politics are sooo funny... dancing girls! 9/07/04 This sunday the all-girl breakdance collective Solid State are having a fundraiser- come check out the sauciness. cul de sac 9/05/04 This one kind of speaks for itself. Thanks to Filippo for the inspiration. chuck 8/30/04 Gene and I painted a younger, slimmer, giant-watch-pendant-wearing Chuck D the other night in Toronto. It was a fun night, the highlight of which was enjoying the privilege of seeing Lady Alma sing again. forgot the pin-stripes 8/30/04 This is from the Globe and Mail today: -"46 per cent of Péquistes (Parti Quebecois members) surveyed said they support former premier Jacques Parizeau's Draconian proposal to initiate independence immediately following the next PQ election victory. A referendum would come later, and then only to ratify the new country's constitution. Mr. Parizeau, a radical in pinstripes, ignited widespread condemnation in the Quebec media with his plan, which could see Quebec start down the path to independence with the support of fewer than 35 per cent of the population. The CROP poll suggests he's actually far closer to the mainstream of his party than many had suspected. " This is the guy who blames the failure of the last separatist referendum on "ethinics and money", (read: immigrants and Jews). Not that I'm shocked that a political party would celebrate a man like him, but according to their website: "Québec nationalism is not ethnic but civic. All citizens residing on Québec territory are Quebeckers. Québec has a Charter of Rights and Freedoms which guarantees equality to all citizens." I respect the separatist movement, but I have no respect for Jaques Parizeau, nor anyone who considers his views to be "mainstream." T.O events 8/25/04 Two thirds of the Heavyweight entity are travelling to Toronto this weekend for a couple of shows. Thursday night, from 7-11 pm at the Launchpad Gallery at 877 Queen west we'll be hanging some work with some local luminaries as well as some international art folk, come hang out with Gene, myself and the rest of the glamour bitches. On Saturday, the Therapy guys are hosting a party at the Palais Royale, 1601 Lakeshore Blvd west. They were kind enough to ask us to join them, so we'll be doing that live painting thing all the kids are talking about these days. check it oot. stealers 8/22/04 Art thieves are kind of romantic, politicians aren't. Waco Olympia 8/20/04 I'm happy to report that there were many gold medals taken home from MacKenzie Lake this year, most notably Brian Walsh's fashion award, knocking Colin down to a silver, and leaving Rob with the Bronze, (if only for just not ever changing his clothes in over eighty hours...) Almost as striking were the lack of any serious injuries, of all the bodily fluids spilled- blood was the loser this year, thankfully. Almost unbelievably, a porch was constructed, earning the entire party a collective gold medal for sheer precociousness, considering the scale of self-abuse. Proper urine tests are still pending. Till next time... slice of life 8/18/04 it's a bit of a cheap one, I know. olympic hype 8/09/04 Not that I have anything against the olympics, but I do take issue with the fact that the entire western world seems to be blinded by sport fever whenever it's that time. It's funny, whenever I'm offering my opinion about the space program, and how as a species we should be putting a more collective effort towards getting out there, there will always be one person who invariably argues that space exploration is a waste of time and resources. They say we should abolish NASA in favour of putting that energy and money towards fixing terrestrial problems like world hunger and war, etc... but you never hear anyone advocating the abolition of the Olympics, or the film industry... The Pope is nuts. 8/01/04 Smart Catholics everywhere must have heaved a heavy sigh of embarrassment the other day, when the Vatican officially denounced feminism for making the point that men and women are equal. According to their spokespeople (read: cross-eyed lunatics), such a push for equality makes "homosexuality and heterosexuality virtually equivalent, in a new model of polymorphous sexuality." As if they have any idea what sexuality is about, polymorphous or otherwise. Shit, all this during Pride, too. But hey, all you God-fearin' ladies out there, don't you worry your pretty little heads over this, because the Vatican also stated that this ruling "in no way hampers a womans access to the heart of Christian life." Ahem- just as long as you know your place, and that dinner should be on the table by six. I was raised Catholic, I have respect for the people in my life that are Catholic, so I'm curious, what are you going to do about this? Wait for the old fart to die? I honestly don't think that'll change anything. If I went to church, I'd make a stink. I don't know how, but I would. This isn't right. Shakey Days 7/29/04 Luc Paradis is having an art show. Here's his artist's statement: Luc is a Montreal drawer and painter, inside and outside. Luc is self-taught, and has been working and showing for the past 5 years, mostly in Montreal, but has participated in group shows in Burlington Vermont, Vancouver, and Toronto. Luc’s latest series has taken him three months to complete, and claims that the pieces represent the truth in his life. He describes the work as plain and simple, incorporating image and text, short messages accompanying iconographic objects and places. Luc describes his process this way: “I alienate myself from the world sometimes, so this is a means for me to open myself up to you (world) and explain myself, it’s easier to explain myself in my work than in words. This is how I feel connected.” Exposition: “Shakey Days” August 12, 8 pm, Café Esperanza / La Salle D’Attente, 5490 St. Laurent, corner of St. Viateur. Come for the art, stay for the party. The Klondike is on fire! 7/29/04 ...and the Yukon is flaming. state-sanctioned sexism, murder, and machismo. 7/19/04 To quote a hilarious cliche: Some of my best friends are Iranian, (or rather, Persian,) but the government in Tehran seem like a bunch of assholes to me. On June 23 of last year Zahra Kazemi, a Canadian Photojournalist of Iranian descent was arrested for doing her job in Iran, and then beaten to death by Islamic regime officials. Contrary to the wishes of her family and repeated formal requests from the Canadian government, she was buried quickly, presumably to hamper any kind of investigation. Shirin Ebadi, a Nobel peace prize winner for her human rights activism and the first woman in Iran to become a Judge offered her services to the family as legal representation, but was barred. Our Ambassador to Iran, Philip Mackinnon was also prevented from entering the courtroom as an observer. The Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister is planning to take the case to the U.N.'s International Court of Justice, so we'll see what happens then. In the mean time, Ebadi has called the process a 'farce', and our Ambassador has said that there can be no justice in Iran behind closed doors. Ralph 7/18/04 Any opportunity to mock Ralph Klein, the Premier of Alberta, makes my job more fun. This is the guy who walked into a homeless shelter on Christmas eve a couple of years ago, stewed to the gills and wearing a $5000 suit, and barked at everyone to get off their lazy asses and 'get a job'. Recently his comments on why the Conservatives didn't do so well in the election reminded me of Jaques Parizeau's comments after the Quebec Separatists lost the referendum in '95. Klein's comments were a little more subtle than Parizeau's, (something of an intellectual miracle) but the intended point was fairly obvious: There are too many immigrants and too much ethnic money swaying the vote out in the lefty eastern provinces. Hail to the King, baby. Somebody get the stick! 7/04/04 I voted for the NDP for exactly this reason. Some (older) people thought it was crazy to vote for 'that group of nuts', considering how much they screwed up when I was too young to remember, but no one in their right mind actually believed that Jack Layton would become Prime Minister, I just wanted to prevent either a Liberal or Conservative majority government. The New Democrats are now essentially the conscience of the Canadian government, which is the best place for them. P.S.- Happy birthday America! Political Minded version 2.0 6/29/04 Tyler, Gene and myself are preparing to show the third installment of the Heavyweight Art Installation's Political Minded series, right here in Montreal. The other two shows, in San Francisco and Los Angeles have both been successes, and loads of fun. This time we're occupying an entire gallery, by not only showing some of the canvases (not to mention prints, posters, and t-shirts) but we're also creating an mural installment directly on the walls of the gallery. This version of the show has been titled (May You Live in) INTERESTING TIMES. Considering what that ancient curse implies, and the political weight of these times we live in, we felt it was appropriate. Here's the flyer- I hope you can all make it. congratulations, now get your ass to the oilfields... 6/27/04 This cartoon is coming out on the day after Bush hands over what passes for national sovereignty in Iraq. For some silly, wild-eyed lefty cynical reason I don't think there will be much celebration, besides what you'll see on Fox, naturally. I just saw Fahrenheit 9/11 today. I think it's Moore's tightest work, and the closest thing to an honest documentary he's ever made. There's not so much Mike Moore in it, which is a good thing. it's also going to change things in the States. I didn't think Bowling for Columbine was really going to make a difference, but I've travelled in America enough to know that it has. This movie is going to freak people out about a hundred times more than that one did. Go see it. more poster crap 6/20/04 This one's for the kids... it could happen 6/15/04 why not? crazier things have happened. Happy Birthday Murad 6/11/04 Luc P and I did some live painting last night at Tokyo again for Murad's birthday celebration, here's the result: Vernissage 6/07/04 Heavyweight is having a bit of a vernissage tonight at Cas del Popolo, 4873 St. Laurent. Come on down. one for the Gipper 6/07/04 I remember when Nixon died I was so struck by how Americans seemed to collectively change their minds overnight about what a sick asshole he was. I think the notions of respecting the dead and respecting the Office are both admirable, and I understand how America holds these qualities to be sacrosanct. I don't understand how these polite customs seem to mutate and become grotesque parodies of themselves when someone so undeserving is celebrated at such a fever pitch post-mortem. Reagan was sick, he had a disease, but he was also sick. He believed that AIDS was God's punishment for fags, and that his generation was the one to usher in Armageddon. He also told children that Ketchup was a vegetable, but I digress. I think it's important to cast someone who's passed away in a favorable light, celebrate their high points, their nobler qualities, but if you exaggerate these aspects to the point of blocking out the realistic ugly side then you're not really paying your respects, you're just mourning an imaginary friend. attack dog 5/30/04 Just an illustration of the intimate relationship between two of the most toxic human beings in our two governments... bored voter 5/23/04 So Paul Martin announced today that June 28 is the day Canadians vote for the party that'll run the country for the next four years. I don't think much will change, The Liberals will stay in power, the Conservatives will gain a little ground, (but not enough to humiliate the Liberals), and the NDP and the Bloc, well, let's not hold our breath. Canadians are funny that way. We'll expose corruption in government, be rightrously outraged at the failure of our leaders, and then vote for them anyway. Oh well, at least most of us vote. coxsone dodd 5/22/04 Gene and I painted this portrait of Coxsone Dodd last night at Salon Daome. Dodd was the legendary reggae producer who started Studio One in Jamaica, he passed away just recently. two birds 5/14/04 I tried something a little different this week. I did a live painting performance for a Saidye Bronfman fundraiser last night, and just for fun decided to take the opportunity to try painting my cartoon. Interesting experiment, but I think I'll stick to what works from now on. symbols 5/13/04 If these guys represent our national pride, we have a shitload of explaining to do. spanking the monkeys 4/24/04 both our countries are going to get a chance to spank our respective leaders this year. Bush, Martin, YOU'RE FIRED. Political Minded II 4/22/04 The Heavyweight boys and I are headed to California for a week and a half on Saturday for our second installment of our ongoing 'Political Minded' series. Here's the info, and what Ty G had to say-- 33 1/3 Books & Gallery Collective with HVW8.com presents Political Minded ll NEW WORKS BY HEAVYWEIGHT ART INSTALLATION Artist Reception: Friday, April 30.04 8 p.m. - 11 p.m. Exhibition runs May 1st through May 31st. Politically inspired music courtesy: Damon Bell (jhramatic sound/HVW8) Sacred (soulchildren) Azul (firecracker LA) 33 1/3 Books & Gallery Collective 1200 N. Alvarado Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90026 213.483.3500 *Brought to you with no corporate money dub lounge 4/19/04 Check out the one and only Mossman (it's his birthday party kind of too...) and friends, on May 15, the new monthly Dub Lounge experience begins anew... The summer is looking warmer and greener, now that Moss is on the job once again. By the way, Moss, what the hell is Ital food? here's the flyer I just did for the man. No longer willing 4/19/04 Spain has pulled out of Iraq. Something Wicked this way comes 4/11/04 Last week a Jewish grade school was fire bombed in my city. Molotov cocktails were thrown through the windows of the library and all the books were destroyed. No one was hurt, but over this passover weekend there were tonnes of cops driving around in my neighborhood, which is home to a large Hassidic population. The police found hate propaganda taped to the walls of the school, claiming that the violence was perpetrated in response to the Israeli assasination of the Hamas leader Sheik Ahmed Yassin. The notes weren't signed, so no one has taken credit for the school bombing, because assholes like this like to fancy themselves courageous rebels while acting like pathetic cowards. I wanted to do this week's cartoon on this event, but I'm not too happy with what I came up with. I wanted to communicate the idea that this is a global problem, that it reaches even cute little Canada. I conside this event to be one of the most disturbing political events to happen in Montreal in a long, long time. I think I got these ideas across, but I still wasn't satisfied when I looked at the finished product. maybe you can tell me which one I should submit for publication, this one or the Paul Martin / Dalai Lama one. The Dalai Lama is on his way... 4/11/04 Our Prime Minister (by default) hasn't decided yet whether it's diplomatically viable for him to receive the Dalai Lama at all. I won't know the Prime Minister's decision till after my publishing deadline, so I kind of covered my ass a little with this one. In my humble opinion, I think this is a perfect opportunity for Paul to show himself to be a true leader, someone who isn't the lapdog of giant corporate interest, (The Chinese embassy has issued a statement threatening our trade with them if Martin agrees to meet the Dalai Lama), and someone who can actually stand up for issues that regular folks actually care about. I'm a cynical bastard, but I try to be optimistic, and I would totally give the PM props if he agrees to hang out with one of the coolest guys on the planet. We'll see. Changing of the (old) guard 4/04/04 Elsie Wayne, the deputy leader of the party formerly known as the Progressive Conservatives (no, really, Americans and others, they actually called themselves that...) announced monday that she won't be running in the next federal election. I for one am pretty stoked about this, considering Wayne represents everything that's obsolete and reprehensible about conservative politics in this country. In May of last year she freaked out in the House of Commons and said she couldn't understand why there was any such thing as a gay pride parade. The baffled old crank screeched: 'Men are up there dressed like women on floats, you don't see us doing that!'...'If they are going to live together, they can go live together and shut up about it!' Referring to the issue of gay marriage. She, uh, doesn't like the idea. I watched this display, and wondered how a 71 year old could contain so much righteous indignation without having a stroke. The newly anointed leader of the New Conservative Party of Canada, the one-and-only Stephen Harper is the intellectual and moral inheritor of Wayne's (and countless others) one-sided politics, the Official Bastard of the Canadian Right. It makes sense. Spring is about renewal, rebirth... out with the old, in with the newly minted inbred. Good Times indeed 4/02/04 What a good night. I want to do it again as soon as possible. It was a fun piece to paint, not too complicated, easy enough to hold the brush in one hand and a complimentary G+T in the other. The photo is a little off, but you get the idea. April Fool\'s Day 4/01/04 April Fool\'s Day 4/01/04 I really wish I had a talent for pranks, but I don't. I can point you towards the homepage of one of my favourite pranksters, though. Also, my friend Bimal sent out his weekly e-zine of esoterica, including a link to the top 100 pranks of all time. Nice stuff. Last night I was able to attend the Montreal Monthly Comix Jam, a wonderful event I regularly miss, despite my love for it. Check it out. Good Times 3/30/04 On April Fool's day Loo P Plowboy and I are going to do it up at Tokyo bar on St. Laurent, in beautiful downtown MoreReal. Hosted by the lovely and talented Murad, Good Times is a night that lives up to it's name. Not that you ever need an excuse, especially these warm spring (fever) days, but I encourage any and all to come on down and shake your ass to musique selections par D.R. One, Steady B and Johnny Jungle. I might even be able to put you on the guest list if you ask nicely. First come, first serve. no shoving. Here's a sketch that we threw together today, we'll see if it actually turns out this way on the canvas. Harper vs. Martin 3/29/04 Ok, so it's not quite as interesting as what's going on in the states, but we have to work with what we've got, as they say in the business. Harper is a blindingly plain politician, but my friend Marty over at the Hour wrote a pretty interesting article on just how frightening he may end up being... if we get too bored and accidentally elect the guy. Unfortunately the link machine seems to be busted right now, so if you'd like to read Marty's article, go to www.hour.ca and click on 'first watch' in the columns column. Kerry vs. Bush 3/21/04 So, this might be a little paranoid, and I'm usually not one to perpetuate silly conspiracy theories, but there's just something so compellingly plausible about this one.... call me crazy, but I wouldn't be surprised if Bin Laden were "captured" on the fourth of July this summer. My friend Nick once told me that he blieved all conspiracy theories "about twelve percent." photos 3/16/04 The photo section on this site is active now. new conservatives 3/16/04 By the end of the week the fascinating and stimulating Conservative Party of Canada will choose their first leader. It's been a tight race, the three main contenders have thrown everything they've had into it, battling bravely for the hearts and minds of Canadian conservatives across the land. Despite the fact that you couldn't find three more dazzling charmers competing for the throne, there can only be one winner. I don't claim to have any magic powers or any crystal balls telling me unequivocally who will take all in this nail-biter of an election, because literally anything could happen, but the brilliant and white-hot Stephen Harper will probably be the leader of the new conservatives, so I hope that this cartoon isn't too premature. WMC 04 3/11/04 here's another wall in that house- a portrait I rocked of the legendary Pete Rock. Gene, Tyler and I had a blast painting this house, experiences like that are pretty rare. Special thanks to Damian from the Fader for taking good care of us the whole time we were in Miami. We owe you one. WMC 04 3/11/04 The best time I had this year in Miami wasn't in South Beach, it was at the Hecho en Casa party on the 8th, at a 'secret Miami house location', somewhere north of town. Free beer, Puerto Rican food, and special brownies all day long, in a little rundown bungalow with a huge back yard. The house is going to be demolished in a couple of months, so we had free reign to paint whatever we wanted on the walls. My friend Pablo was screening a trailer for his documentary NEXT in the backyard, which got a lot of attention. This mural was done totally on the fly, I had last week's copy of the Hour on me, which featured a photo taken by Liam Maloney of a group of Hatian Montrealers chanting for Aristide's resignation. The figure in the mural is an interpretation of one of those dudes. WMC 03 3/11/04 Here's a portrait of Miles Davis we did the other day in South Beach, Miami. It's a commissioned piece for Marc Ecko's collection. It was a fun party, and a good time overall this year. it was the early nineties... 3/10/04 It was a different time then, long hair was cool. ok, so no it wasn't, and neither was painting weird grim reaper creatures (or whatever the hell that thing is,) but what are personal websites good for if they're not used for self-humiliation? This photo is probably from 1992. Thanks for the blast from the past, Eric. south beach 3/04/04 So here we go. Gene, Tyler and I are heading back to Miami for the fifth year in a row tonight. For more info on this event check HVW8.com here's a photo I took of the boys a few years ago while we were down there working hard... Zed TV 3/03/04 So Gene and I just did a shoot with Mossman the other day, for a late-night art show for CBC called Zed TV. No one could tell us when this will actually air, but assuming they ever do tell us, I'll post it here. It was pretty fun, a little stressful, and I'm happy to report that we didn't actually have to meet the host. There's water on Mars 3/02/04 woot. bubbles 2/27/04 Ok, I guess this might be a little too obscure for some, but I'm frigging obsessed with the Trailer Park Boys. It's the funniest Canadiana since the Kids in the Hall, and like that show, it's paid for in part with taxpayer money. Like my friend Mike said: "we could have either had a war in Iraq, or the Trailer Park Boys. Sometimes I do love this country. here's my cartoon for next week. gum blondes 2/27/04 My old friend Jason Kronenwald has a website. Jay has always been one of my favourite artists, so I'm happy to report that this website exposes an excellent slice of his hilarious genius for you and I to enjoy. Check out this portrait he did, he created this by putting chewed gum on wood. Please, for your own sake, go to gumblondes sploogehead 2/27/04 here's an old graf piece that Gene and I did circa 1997. I just found this photo again, and considering some of the more embarrassing experiments I've got up on this site, I figured it would be nice to show one I still kind of like. scapegoats 2/23/04 Yesterday Nader declared that he’s running as an independent. I can’t decide if this is good news or bad. A lot of lefties call Nader the 'angry spoiler' and blame him for Bush being in power, but I don’t agree with this argument. Gore ran an inept campaign in 2000, he didn’t even win his home state- (not to mention the fact that he actually won the election)- The whole idea of strategic voting goes against the idea of democracy, and anyway, Nader’s message is important. He’ll never be president, but a lot of people agree with what he stands for. Besides, with Nader to kick around, the center-right folks might find it easier to vote for a democrat. Kerry (or Edwards) won’t look like such a godless liberal homo standing beside Nader. Damn, I do feel like a hypocrite though. I kind of wish Nader wasn’t running. My friend Keith made a good point: "I think that this is generally a bad thing. It's not because I think that the Nader voters are gonna tip the scales in Bush's favor. I mean, I think that after the 2000 fiasco, most Nader voters who were angry, fence sitting democrats realized that maybe it wasn't the time or place for a protest vote. This year, I think they'll realize that even more so, and steer clear of him altogether. The reality is he's going to get way fewer votes than he did in 2000 running as a Green, and I guess that the Nader votes may still play a role in some 'too close to call' states, but it's hardly going to be like last time." My friend Jesse continues this thread: "That said, even taking a few votes Nader might tip the vote in a state where it’s close. The big question is how close this election is going to be, which we won’t know until the week before the election itself. Bush is going to do everything he can to make Kerry or Edwards look like abortion-loving, bible-hating, gay-marriage having candidates as possible. And since probably 90% of the country is already decided, it comes down to that small margin in the middle. All in all, I’d say that if Nader is successful in getting many votes, it’s a bad thing." Both of these guys are American, and my heart goes out to them. The Presidential candidate they would both probably vote for has just announced that he's running, and we're all talking about how that's not such a great thing. That said, the way things are going here in Canada, I'm finding it easier and easier to identify with their plight. Here's the new cartoon--> three speakers 2/19/04 Here's a canvas that belongs in the Parco Japan section of the painting category. It's a Heavyweight studio peice that I like quite a bit. Simple, but nice. string 'im up by the thumbs... 2/16/04 So, Paul Martin has been PM for about twenty minutes, and there have been TWO meta-scandals concerning financial malfeasance linked not only to the Liberal party, but to Martin himself, personally. I really hope this doesn't just get bored out of existence. Throw the bum out. here's my new cartoon for the HOUR.http://www.hour.ca double-fisted 2/15/04 here's another one that should be in the winterfriends section, a portrait of one of my oldest friends. Clay doesn't belong anywhere but at the extreme ends of any spectrum. musique is for lovers 2/14/04 Gene and I just painted this at Uzi's monthly night at Salon Daome, a fun, cozy spot on Mount Royal. Happy Valentine's Day everyone plowbwoy 2/14/04 here's Luc. This should be in the 'winterfriends' section of the "paintings' section. I'm still working the bugs out. sorry Luc, nothing personal. mom+pop 2/14/04 this is a painting I did of my folks for Christmas. Only about 15 years late--- hopefully I won't be in my forties when I get around to painting my sister... good times 2/11/04 I just helped my very good friend Murad with a flyer (flier?) for his new night: Good Times. if you're in the Montreal area on a Thursday night with ants in your pants, go say hi to the worlds most gracious host, and have your self some of those patented good times. Cult of Jess 2/11/04 I just finished this painting of Chloe Sevingy (and a flock of dead babies) for my friend Jessica. She's a founding member of a cult that I'm interested in becoming an honorary member of. She's also obsessed with Ms. Sevigny. poultry profiling 2/9/04 Here's my latest cartoon for the Hour, thanks to Josh So-Called for the nudge in the right direction Site Launch 2/3/04 Welcome to DSTRBO.com. This site is active as of February 1st, 2004. Big thanks to Jesse of Solid Sender Web design for leading us all through this world with a handshake and a smile. I’m an independent graphic designer based in Montreal Quebec. I’ve been working freelance for more than 10 years. As a founding member of Heavyweight Art Installation I’ve had the good fortune to travel the world doing live painting with various musicians and artists, making a name for myself and building a pretty respectable body of collaborative work. This site is a showcase for my own stuff, but I’ve included select pieces from some of the studio work (Protest and Resist, Parco Japan) I’ve done with Gene and Tyler of HVW8, as well as some photos from a gallery installation completed with more than twenty friends at the Oboro gallery in Montreal, in 2001. (Yobro at the Oboro). Since February 2003 I’ve been working as a freelance political cartoonist for the Montreal weekly paper Hour Magazine, (link) that work is included here in the Cartoon section. If you like my stuff and want to hire me for some kind of creative collaboration, or if you just want to chat, give me a holler. Hutton Cartoon 2/3/04 I needed to get this cartoon off my chest, but I don’t think it’s appropriate for the Hour, it’s more of a self-indulgent exercise in managing my frustration. If you don’t get it, google “hutton inquiry”. South Beach 2/3/04 Back to South Beach. For the fifth year in a row, me and the Heavyweight boys are travelling to Miami for the annual Winter Music Conference, a week long experiment in debauchery and excess. We’ll be there from March 5 till the 9th, frying our brains in the sun and $16 USD gin+tonics. We’ll also get some work done, hopefully. For more information on this weird place and insane event, check out www.HVW8.com.

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