Morty Comix # 2639

Morty Comix # 2639 was drawn on a cinderblock in a basement of a cabin in Butler County, Pennsylvania. This drawing joined others on the wall including work by Mike Hill, Edward Bolman, Spaz, Maximum Traffic, Delaine Derry Green, and the mysterious Borpo Deets.

Mike Hill Covers the Obscuro Bezango Show

Mike Hill of Worker Poet fame also performed a bit of photojournalism for the Rehm/Traffic/Buzzizyk Obscuro Bezango show in Pittsburgh's Future Tenant gallery. But unlike me, Mike uses a real camera and is an accomplished photographer! He has graciously given me permission to select a few of his photos. None of the artists wished to have their faces posted online, so I have to dance around that as I select:

Tom had cleverly hidden the part of the exhibit with my own comix art under that red covering until the last minute. I was touched-- and impressed by his stealth. It didn't make me feel so bad about hiding all those Morty Comix in his house!

That twisted face has scrawled on the reverse side something about the mysterious "Borpo Deets," who I am convinced was the mentor to all three artists in the show.

 

A break during the final stages of setup. My West Coast sensibility was prepared for massive humidity, but it actually was pretty nice the week I was there. Notice the Big Eyed Bean From Venus in the window. It was fun watching folks react to it as they walked by. 

 Opening night. Willis, Wayno, Chrislip

 Willis, Chrislip

 It's the shirt that draws these beautiful women to me

For your readers in the Pittsburgh area, this show is continuing to September 1st

Morty Comix # 2608

The fate of Morty Comix # 2607 is so obscure even I don't know where it landed! But it has to be somewhere in Butler, Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, let's stroll to downtown Butler, where I placed Morty Comix # 2608 in the back cover a sample book in a print shop-- the same print shop that has printed the work of Tom Rehm, Maximum Traffic, Buzz Buzzizyk, and even the mysterious Borpo Deets.

Obscuro Bezango Show 6

The Opening Night.  An astounding thing happened. Five of us from the old City Limits Gazette crowd were there at one time: Left to right, Bruce Chrislip, Tom Rehm, Wayno, Mike Hill. I was the 5th but how can I be in two places at once?

I was too busy schmoozing to take many photos, but I did document the following for you students of Newave Comix.

 Hillary chats up Bruce

Wayno, Chrislip, Hill. This was first time I have actually met Wayno in person, even though we corresponded off and on since the 1980s. He was a wonderful contributor to the Bil Keane Watch in City Limits Gazette and a major part of the spark in that title. He brought me a package of coasters, in part to replace my coffee stained and much loved Scottie's Bar coaster in my studio.

 Mike Hill, Bruce Chrislip

A graphic of the mysteriously vanished Maximum Traffic is on the wall

Bruce braved a four hour drive from Cincinnati to attend this opening. As the historian for our brand of comic art, his presence gave the event a a few more "chops" as they say in West Pennsylvania.

But too soon it was all over and the crowd spilled out to the night streets of Pittsburgh. Buzz Buzzizyk, Maximum Traffic, Tom Rehm, all free spirits inspired by the shadowy Borpo Deets, had their night of being honored.

Obscuro Bezango Show 2

I was invited to Pittsburgh to be part of a mission-- to assist Obscuro Bezango show curator Tom Rehm in setting up the exhibit at the Future Tenant gallery.

It is interesting Pittsburgh International Airport is not named after anyone. I propose they name it Borpo Deets International Airport after the mysterious West Pennsylvania art guru who apparently was a mentor to Tom, Maximum Traffic and Buzz Buzzizyk.

Anyway, I noted that a large T-Rex skeleton greeted me at Borpo Deets International Airport. And somehow, feeling like an old Newave dinosaur as I dove into this project, this seemed appropriate.

Tom took me up to his sanctuary in rural Butler County, where he had an extensive collection of art on display by Traffic, Buzz, Deets, himself, family members and friends. It is an impressive gallery I was honored to visit. Here's a sample:
 

 The ceramic coin kiln!

 A jam by Max Traffic and Mike Hill

They say an unintentional skull can be seen on the left hand side