Morty Comix # 2633

Morty Comix # 2633 was left at a public area on the shore of the Fetid Lake of Doom, Olympia/Tumwater, Washington as another invasive species. As you can see the Legislative Building looms in the background.

Finding a place to stash this comic was not easy. At first I tried to put it behind a giant warning sign but didn't like that spot.

Then finally I crammed it into a slot behind the LAKE CLOSED ... sign where I figured it would be more shielded from the elements.

The FLOD has nutria and caimans swimming around in it, but it was the tiny New Zealand Mud Snail that "closed" the Lake. OK, in the first place, this lake was an estuary until the Post-War era, when humans dammed it up, creating this fetid polluted pool of slime that you see above. Now I ask you, just who is the real "invasive" species here? And who is to say New Zealand Mud Snails are not part of nature's plan?

How to Clean Your Driveway the Cartoonist Way

It should go without saying this method was inspired by Rube Goldberg:

Here is how I clean my driveway. First, I wait until we get a lot of rain, more than usual. Then, when the middle of the carport develops a leak right over my car, Nadine, I know the the time has arrived for action.

A look at the carport roof reveals a body of water that could support some fairly good sized fish. Or a caiman.

But instead of calling the Board of Geographic Names to give this body of water an official designation, I reach in and pull the dead leaves away from the sole drainage outlet.

 Gallons of water cascade out with such force that the poor old gutter pipes can't handle it

So as a result my driveway gets a big wash, cleansing it of those cherry, plum and hawthorn blossoms.

The end.

Postcard - Olympia, Washington

"Olympia, Washington. The State Capitol buildings may be seen at right center. Mt. Rainier stands as a sentinel in the distance."

1969? The present day WSDOT building looks like it is still being put together. Plus the Capitol Park Apts. have not been torn down yet.

On the left, Budd Inlet ends at the "Isthmus," while the northern portion of the Fetid Lake of Doom takes center stage. The steam plant, otherwise known as the caiman wintering area, can be seen on the shore at the right, conveniently next to the railroad tracks for regional distribution.

Postcard - Olympia, Washington

 

"State Capitol Group, Olympia, Washington. Capitol lake at right."

Some small details in this photo, particularly in the area of the Maple Park Apartments, make me conclude this photo was taken in the early to mid-1960s.

Notice the steam plant on the shore of the Fetid Lake of Doom in the lower right hand corner-- winter quarters for the caimans that now inhabit the lake. Sure, they're telling you to stay out due to some little snail. Yeah. Right.

Phone photo 1945

Fetid Lake of Doom, handy railroad for distribution of reptile eggs, steam plant where the caimans stay warm in the cold months, and the Legislative Building. It's all a little too cozy and obvious, I'd say.

Phone photo 1941

Warning sign by the Fetid Lake of Doom, claiming that this body of water is infested with New Zealand Mud Snails. However, we know this is just a cover. The authorities really want to protect the citizens from caimans, which abound in the Lake during the warm months, but officials are afraid of causing widespread panic if the truth came out. Hence, this little fairy tale to keep people away.

Phone photo 1528

Boat used for capturing caimans in the Fetid Lake of Doom, moored in Tumwater, Washington

Phone photo 1316

Phone photo 1199

Meeting Notes, Late 2011

Phone photo 1039

Phone photo 917

A refugee from the FLOD.

T-shirts

Actually I've covered the story of the OlyBlog t-shirt earlier this year. But it belongs in the gallery of t-shirts anyway.



Michael Dowers made this t-shirt in the 1980s (I think) using the Starhead Comix logo I drew.



From the 2002 AIE Summer Program, including Bezango WA 985 on stage! The images are from the comic series.

A page from Cranium Frenzy # 3 which was captioned "Three seconds in the life of Rindo Bloch" inspired this play by my brother, Bryan, and the original image was used in the t-shirt.

Cast member Jeff Kingsbury went on to be elected to the Olympia City Council for one term and his name became an Oly household word-- and not exactly in way anyone would choose.












I first drew the image for Woofer the Psychic Dog (co-written by Bryan) back in 1986 and it just keeps living on whether it is performed in New York or Olympia. To publicize the 1988 Oly premiere I created a long banner which spanned 4th Ave. about where the Danger Room is today.

Assorted Thoughts on Insanity : Ephemeral Comix, 1980-1982, pages 181-191

It seems like a long time ago when I started posting this book. April really is the cruellest month, breeding massive monographic comix out of the dead land. But now this book is finished and we can move on.

Here we see Dreamer regarding this work in the hardcopy form with a lazy disinterest.