Bingen area, Klickitat County, Washington
as seen from across the Columbia River
in Hood River, Oregon
as seen from across the Columbia River
in Hood River, Oregon
The Diogenes Club
Friday, September 23, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Same Old Stuff!
A comic so obscure I don't even own a copy, although I do have an image of the cover. This was published August 1981, when I lived in Seattle, and only 10 copies exist. I think the leaves were in legal size and they were loose in a portfolio. And I think it consisted of reprints, anticipating my later Retreads series.
Phone photo 739
Yet another one in my phone photo subseries of disposable floss thingies. This one was found on the west side of Olympia in front of a pizza place.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
James Abbott, McCleary Muralist
There used to be a very interesting artist around this area named James Abbott who delighted in creating historical murals throughout eastern Grays Harbor County in the 1990s. Much of his work remains to this day, although the ravages of time are already starting to show on his handiwork. Such is the condition of outdoor painting.
Two of his most public works in our town can be seen alongside our main grocery store staffed by great people, Gordon's, and on the old Rhode's Grocery building, now a personal storage business.
Art is subjective, and some have called his work "downright spooky" or "creepy," while others have described his art as "fascinating" and "splendid."
Personally, I enjoyed watching him in the act of creating his work more than viewing the result of his labors. He wore a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses and sported a stereotypical artist's goatee, while making his act of painting a public performance. It brought to mind Bob Clampett's Beany and Cecil character, Go Man Van Gogh. He seemed to totally enjoy the attention as he painted the side of Gordon's.
I think I read Mr. Abbott's obituary within the last few years. More sooner than later these building owners across eastern Grays Harbor County (McCleary, Elma, Montesano) will have to decide whether to paint over his work or try to restore it.
Exactly what the TBTG acronym meant after his signature, I can't say for sure, except that I recall it was Christian in nature. Probably "Thanks Be To God."
Several of his images have already appeared in my phone photo series and I'll collect them here. Also some new images. In addition, I'm including three news articles about him from 1991-1998.
James Abbott, McCleary Muralist
Halloween Drawings, 1960s
Being a black cat, Charlie is of course interested in these drawings I unearthed from my closet. They were drawn on large sheets of construction paper and date from the mid-1960s.
Phone photo 734
The stained glass window Henry McCleary had installed in the local Methodist Church was meant to honor the memory of his wife, Ada, shortly after she died. To partially pay for the thing, he supposedly garnished the wages of the workers in his one-man principality. The church was a Wohleb designed structure, the same architect responsible for many of Olympia's public and private landmarks. The window has recently been temporarily removed for restoration, giving the structure an incomplete look these days.During Prohibition the local preacher allowed moonshiners to store their goods in the basement, reasoning that if people were going to drink the stuff they might as well consume quality, safe booze under his watch as protector of the flock. My Dad was responsible for hauling the long retired bell out of the basement and putting it back in the belfry more than a decade ago. I hear it every Sunday morning and although I am not a church going man it makes me feel good to know his contribution to the town is still being heralded even though he is gone.
Faces from the 1960s
Here are some characters I drew in the mid-1960s on giant sheets of construction paper. Why a certain vermin bearing a strong resemblance to a certain rodent we all know is showing up as a background figure in these I cannot say.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Steve Charak's Beatles Lists
My friend Steve Charak and I shared an enjoyment of compiling useless information. We also liked the Beatles and seeing if we could stump each other with questions of trivia.
Here are some lists Steve compiled, I'm betting they are from the early 1990s. In the last list, Steve knew I acquired cover versions of the Fab Four and was wondering if I would ever find cover versions of this particular set. I did. Here they are:
You Know My Name, Look Up the Number
Ballard Beatles (Bruce and Joan Chrislip)
Beatles (Anthology)
Micky Saunders
Greg Stomberg
Inner Light
Beatles (Rarities)
Micky Saunders
Soulful Strings
Dan Susnara
Blue Jay Way
Bentmen
Buddha Pest
Ken Clinger (2 versions)
Mike Grossman (2 versions)
Steve Kahn
Lord Sitar
C. Newman
Poets
Micky Saunders
Bud Shank
Squires of the Subterrain
Flying
Beatles (remastered)
Big City Orchestra
Ken Clinger (6 versions)
Joe Goldmark
Mike Grossman
Residents
Micky Saunders
Bud Shank
Shockabilly
Frank Sidebottom
Russ Stedman
Don't Pass Me By
Beatles (Anthology)
Beatles (Rarities)
Contrello
Georgia Satellites
Micky Saunders (2 versions)
Yes It Is
Beatles (Anthology)
Don Henley
In-Sect
Robert Quine and Jody harris
Peter Sellers
Dan Susnara
And Your Bird Can Sing
Ann Dyer & No Good Time Fairies
Beatles (Anthology)
Ray Carmen
Charles River Valley Boys
Food
Jam
Roger Klug
Laxton's Supreme
R. Stevie Moore
Stars On 45
Joemy Wilson (as I recall, Steve Charak himself told me about this one)
Wretched Pinhead Puppets
No Reply
Banda de los Corazones Solitarios
Beatles (Anthology, 2 versions)
Big Ben Banjo Band
Cavemen
Floyd Domino
David Dziubcyzynski
Hollyridge Strings
Last Words
Leeves
Jeff Olson
RRSO Symphony Orchestra
Stars On 45 (3 versions)
Only a Northern Song
Beatles (Anthology)
Empty Set
Micky Saunders (3 versions)
I'll Follow the Sun
Chet Atkins
David Ball
Brothers Four
Floyd Cramer
Floyd Domino
Hollyridge Strings
Glyn Johns
King's Singers
Koppykats
Kit Walker
In addition, here are the least covered Beatle songs I gathered (by Beatle song I mean one they composed and recorded themselves):
All I've Got to Do
Lester Lanin
George Martin
Another Girl
Lester Lanin
Ask Me Why
Beatles (bootleg)
Rosy Beats
Dig It
Beatles (2 bootlegs)
Laibach
Don't Bother Me
Big Ben Banjo Band
I-Tones
Bob Leaper
Dr. Robert
Mike Grossman
Laxton's Superb
Micky Saunders
Hold Me Tight
Baroque Beatles
Rubber Soul
Treasures
I Need You
Bee Gees
Lester Lanin and his Go-Go Getters
Micky Saunders
I'll Get You
Beatles (Anthology)
Big Ben Banjo Band
Leon Young String Chorale
Long Long Long
Moon Flower
Phish
Micky Saunders
Love You To
Bongwater
Don Randi
Micky Saunders
Tell Me What You See
Mike Grossman
Teenage Fanclub
What Goes On
Charles River Valley Boys
Orphan
Micky Saunders
What You're Doing
Lester Lanin
Micky Saunders
When I Get Home
Micky Saunders
You Like Me Too Much
Waikikis
Matt Groening Greeting Cards
I found a couple of Matt's early greeting cards while cleaning out the studio. In college you could find Matt frequently camped out in the library periodicals area, devouring a stack of magazines.
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