Cosplay... Is An Art: San Diego Comic Con 2014

via SneakyZebra

The Killers - Mr. Brightside

Music Appreciation

Formed in Las Vegas, Nevada, The Killers released their debut single "Mr. Brightside" in 2003. The song, written by band members Brandon Flowers and Dave Keuning, depicts a man's suspicion of his significant other's infidelity.

The burlesque theme music video, which was released in 2004, starred Flowers, Polish actress Izabella Miko, and Eric Roberts. The music video won an MTV VMA in 2005 for Best New Artist in a Video.



via TheKillersVEVO


Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Brightside

Jessie Mann

Art Appreciation

Jessie Mann is an American abstract expressionist artist. She is best recognized as the young girl who appeared in many symbolic photos by her mother, Sally Mann.

Jessie's art work is heavily influenced by her appreciation of nature. In an interview with the photoblog Subjectify, she states, "The paintings are selfless and abstract. They are more about the nature of reality—organic patterns and light, than about any specific aspect of life or culture. I don’t feel that I am trying to go anywhere when I paint, or that I am trying to bring myself to anything, but rather that I am trying to expose something about where I already am."

You can see more of her work HERE.

Black and White via subjectify

Horizons via alicewellingcmp

Sources:

http://www.jessiemann.com/
http://subjectify.blogspot.com/2008/05/jessie-mann-interview-final-part.html
https://georgewaincmp.wordpress.com/2010/11/28/emmett-jessie-and-virginia/
https://alicewellingcmp.wordpress.com/author/alicewellingcmp/page/2/
http://www.danzigergallery.com/exhibition/jessie-mann-and34self-possessedand34-photographs-by-len-prince
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2006/11/06/jessie-again
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/25/AR2007012500556.html

Bill Owens

Photography Appreciation

Bill Owens is an American documentary photographer known for his photographs of middle-class suburbia life. There is an amazing interview by Doug Lang HERE.

via craigdouglasfmp

Richie via photomcc

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Owens_(photographer)
http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/artists/21445/bill-owens-american-born-1938/
http://138.23.124.165/exhibitions/suburbia/#
http://www.artagogo.com/interview/owensinterview/owensinterview.htm
http://www.gregkucera.com/owens.htm
https://christycookmoduless.wordpress.com/2012/03/22/further-artist-research-5/usa-bill-owens/
https://fansinaflashbulb.wordpress.com/2013/09/29/working-to-break-up-the-break-celebrate-international-coffee-day/
https://craigdouglasfmp.wordpress.com/photographers/bill-owens/
http://loristevenschico.blogspot.com/2010/06/bill-owens-photographer.html
http://cnnphotos.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/20/suburbia-captures-the-american-dream/
http://blog.livebooks.com/2009/08/after-staff-a-closer-look-bill-owens-the-distiller-published-a-book-of-art-photography-once/

Hello Autumn!

via overvanillaskies

Cosplay...Is An Art: San Diego Comic Con 2013

via SneakyZebra

Julie Bell

Art Appreciation

Born in Texas, Julie Bell is best recognized as a former body builder and fantasy model for her husband Boris Vallejo. But Bell is also a very talented illustrator and painter.

You can see more of her beautiful work HERE.

Shadows via artodyssey1

Silver Surfer via mariaxhe

Tempest via mariaxhe

Sources:
http://www.juliebell.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Bell
http://www.imaginistix.com/
http://insideyourart.com/artists/Julie-Bell
http://fantasy.art.passion.free.fr/news.php
http://archivesofkhazad-dum.blogspot.com/2011/05/julie-bell-hobgoblin.html#.VFU27PnF8xE
http://mike-destasio.blogspot.com/2011/01/julie-julie-julie.html
http://artodyssey1.blogspot.com/2013/08/boris-vallejo-and-julie-bell.html
http://mariaxhe.blogspot.com/2009/11/julie-bell_08.html
http://centaurican.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/best-of-the-bunch-6-from-various-media/centaur-by-julie-bell/

Dan Eldon

Photography Appreciation

Recently, our society has seen images that have triggered international response, such as the image of the young Syrian refugee boy whose dead body washed up on the Turkey coast.

I came across a story of an extraordinary human being whose life was taken too early. Dan Eldon was a English-born Kenyan photojournalist and activist who was one of the youngest Reuters photojournalist known for his photographs that covered the war and famine in Somalia. His photographs, which were published in international periodicals, brought attention to Somalia.

On July 12, 1993, he and three colleagues were stoned to death by an angry mob in Mogadishu. What he left behind were his journals filled with collages, photographs, and drawings of his life experiences and his thoughts.

You can learn more about this incredible person HERE.

via thealteredpage

via blakemycoskie

via howtorideagiraffe

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Eldon
http://www.daneldon.org/
http://blakemycoskie.blogspot.com/2011/01/journey-is-destination-being-inspired.html
http://thealteredpage.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-journey-is-inspiration-call-for.html
https://howtorideagiraffe.wordpress.com/inspiration-2/inspiration/

My Old Comic Book Collection

COMIC	NO.	DATE	PRICE	APPROX. VALUE
FLASH	53	Aug-91	$1.00	$9.99
SUPERMAN	82	Oct-93	$2.00	$5.99
WAR OF THE GODS	1	Sep-91	$1.75	$4.99
DAREDEVIL	295	Aug-91	$1.00	$3.00
DAREDEVIL	297	Oct-91	$1.00	$4.00
DEATHLOK VS. DOOM	3	Sep-91	$1.75	$2.00
GHOST RIDER	17	Sep-91	$1.75	$4.00
SLEEPWALKER	3	Aug-91	$1.00	$5.00
SPIDER-MAN	14	Sep-91	$1.75	$5.95
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN	352	Oct-91	$1.00	$2.00
THE INFINITY GAUNTLET	2	Aug-91	$6.00	$8.00
THE INFINITY GAUNTLET	3	Sep-91	$2.50	$4.99
THE INFINITY GAUNTLET	4	Oct-91	$2.50	$6.00
THE INFINITY GAUNTLET	5	Nov-91	$2.50	$20.00
THE INFINITY GAUNTLET	6	Dec-91	$2.50	$5.00
THE INFINITY WAR	3	Aug-92	$2.50	$2.99
THE LETHAL FOES OF SPIDER-MAN	1	Sep-93	$1.75	$2.00
THE SILVER SURFER	60	Dec-91	$1.00	$3.00
THE SILVER SURFER	58	Nov-91	$1.00	$2.00
THE SILVER SURFER	55	Sep-91	$1.00	$10.00
THE SILVER SURFER	57	Oct-91	$1.00	$2.00
WEAPON X	84	Sep-91	$1.25	$5.75
WHAT IF… SPIDERMAN	31	Nov-91	$1.25	$4.50
WOLVERINE	46	Sep-91	$1.75	$5.50
WOLVERINE	45	Sep-91	$1.75	$5.50
X-FORCE	1	Aug-91	$1.50	$4.00
X-MEN	1	Oct-91	$1.50	$15.00
X-MEN ADVETURES	1	Nov-92	$1.25	$19.00

Cosplay...Is An Art: DragonCon 2014

via MLZStudios

Joel Peter Witkin

Photography Appreciation

Welcome to The Freak Show. The place you'd probably hear Nine Inch Nails in the background as you walk through a dark gallery with Joel Peter Witkin's work hanging along the walls. There you would see two decapitated heads kissing or photos of a hermaphrodite Venus.

Joel Peter Witkin is an American photographer best known for his subjects which are either corpses, cadaver pieces, or live individuals who are either malformed or have sexual oddities. The technique used in developing the photos adds to the troubling and disturbing images.

Untitled via stufftoblowyourmind

The Kiss (1982) via mathilda-herve

Venus Preferred to Christ, Paris (1997) via artnet

Sources:

http://v1.zonezero.com/exposiciones/fotografos/witkin2/
http://www.art-forum.org/z_Witkin/gallery.htm
http://www.emptykingdom.com/featured/joel-peter-witkin/
http://mathilda-herve.blogspot.com/2009/12/transgressive-art-why-are-we-as-society.html
http://www.kenweingart.com/blog/interview-joel-peter-witkin/
http://blog.art21.org/2011/10/06/on-view-now-the-curious-case-of-night-scented-stock/witkin_lebaiser/
http://www.ateliervagabond.com/blog/2012/06/29/the-moral-questions-ofwitkins-photographs/#.VUGO8PnF-So
http://newanalogue.blogspot.com/2011/05/joel-peter-witkin.html
http://www.artnet.com/artists/joel-peter-witkin/
http://www.stufftoblowyourmind.com/blog/artatomical-joel-peter-witkins-harvest/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel-Peter_Witkin

Josie and the Pussycats

On September 12, 1970, Josie and the Pussycats premiered on CBS. The 16 episode cartoon series was produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions.

Characters included Josie (the redhead), Valerie (the blonde), and Melody (the first regularly appearing black character in a Saturday morning cartoon show).

Other characters included Alexander Cabot III (a Shaggy-like manager), Alexandra Cabot, Alan (the roadie, who looks likes Fred from Scooby-Doo), and Sebastian the cat.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josie_and_the_Pussycats_(TV_series)
http://www.on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/music/sep12.htm

Bill Biggart: September 11th

Photography Appreciation

On my old blog, I wrote about my September 11th experience. 

As I mentioned before, my girlfriend at the time and I were seriously considering flying to the Big Apple from Buffalo the day before. Had we made the trip, we would have found ourselves deep in the middle of the chaos.

One photographer was deep in the middle of everything. Bill Biggart was an Irish-American freelance photojournalist best known for capturing the events that followed the attack on the World Trade Center. He was killed by falling debris from the World Trade Center North Tower.

Four days later, his remains along with this cameras and flash cards were discovered. His photos were used in the October 2001 issue of Newsweek.

You can read more about his story HERE.

via boonsborohsart

Sources:

http://www.billbiggart.com/911.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Biggart
https://boonsborohsart.wordpress.com/2012/11/13/bill-biggart-an-inspiration/

Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile (Live at the 1999 MTV VMA)

Music Appreciation

I actually remember watching the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards in 1999. Chris Rock was the host, Diana Ross felt Lil' Kim's boob, and The Beastie Boys was presented the first hip-hop award for their music video Intergalactic.

It was also the first time Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails performed on a televised awards show.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_Inch_Nails_live_performances
http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/music/sep09.htm

Cosplay... Is An Art: MegaCon 2014

via InsideTheMagic

Queen Of Outer Space

Film Appreciation

Released on September 7, 1958, Queen of Outer Space starred Hungarian-born American actress and socialite Zsa Zsa Gabor. Directed by Edward Bernds, the movie is about a space crew that find themselves captured on the planet Venus by "long limbed beauties."



via warnerarchive

Source:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_of_Outer_Space
http://www.cinefania.com/movie.php/23611/en

Dino Valls

Art Appreciation

I came across a painting titled Ars Magna by Spanish painter Dino Valls. As the title suggests, the painting is a great art. As explained by Dr. Michael Pearce, the painting is about alchemy and our search for answers as to the creation of the universe.

Dino Valls is a self taught artist, who after completing his degree in medicine and surgery, has devoted his time to painting. You can see more of the allegorist's work HERE.

Mutus Liber (1996) via artodyssey1

Ars Magna (2010) via dafuckzgoinon

Sources:

http://www.dinovalls.com/en/
https://www.facebook.com/dino.valls
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dino_Valls
http://combustus.com/whats-on-dino-valls-mind/
http://artodyssey1.blogspot.com/2009/08/dino-valls-dino-valls-is-spanish.html
http://theoriginalvangoghsearanthology.com/2013/05/23/an-interview-with-dino-valls/
http://artistaday.com/?p=15134
http://artisafeeling.tumblr.com/post/97846677813/dino-valls
http://el-guia-del-laberinto.tumblr.com/post/127340891500/ant%C3%ADfona-dino-valls
http://dafuckzgoinon.tumblr.com/post/126163506839/artist-dino-valls-the-most-immediate-response-i

Bruce Davidson

Photography Appreciation

Influenced by renowned photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, American photographer Bruce Davidson is most recognized for his photos of Harlem life and the Civil Rights Movement. After serving in the U.S. Army, he joined Magnum Photos where he also took pictures of celebrities such as Brad Pitt, Steven Tyler, and Paul Newman.

You can see more of his photos HERE.

Body Builder in Venice CA, Posing for a Woman 

with a Brownie Camera (1964) via fiftycrows

Brad Pitt via filmmakeriq

Time of Change, Two Women at Lunch Counter (1962) via platformphoto.org

Sources:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bruce-Davidson/307519779466
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Davidson_(photographer)
http://www.magnumphotos.com/C.aspx?VP3=CMS3&VF=MAGO31_10_VForm&ERID=24KL53ZTH6
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/arts/design/08kenn.html?_r=2&scp=1&sq=bruce%20davidson&st=cse
http://content.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1975355,00.html
http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2012/10/09/15-lessons-bruce-davidson-can-teach-you-about-street-photography/
https://fiftycrows.wordpress.com/2009/12/21/fiftycrows-fine-print-program-bruce-davidson/
http://filmmakeriq.com/images/brad-pitt-by-bruce-davidson/
http://platformphoto.org/2013/06/07/bruce-davidson-time-of-change-civil-rights-photographs-1961-1965-at-howard-greenberg-gallery/

Jimmy Kimmel responds to #Gamergazers

This is actually pretty funny and hits close to home. Similar to what Jimmy Kimmel stated, I have told my 11 year old son (@RebelFighter123) that watching gamers game is one more added ingredient to becoming antisocial.
"Go outside and play!"

My response to all the very angry #gamergazers @YouTubeGaming https://t.co/04Zi8DuDbg

— Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) September 1, 2015

The Prophecy (1995)

Film Appreciation

I remember watching this movie at the theaters as a freshman in college. At that time, I was very much into the Christian church and even a youth leader. Needlesstosay, this movie scared the shit out of me.

The fantasy horror-thriller was released on September 1, 1995 and it starred Christopher Walken as the archangel Gabriel and Viggo Mortensen as Lucifer.


via NativeTelevision'sChannel


Sources:

http://www.cinefania.com/movie.php/43083/en
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prophecy