A crisis hotline person told me they receive calls from artists involved with Disney all the time.
***
I was sketching in a waiting room, and the man next to me asked me if I
worked for Disney (as everyone asked artists in the mid 1990s). I told
him I had done proposal artwork for them, but that was it. He said he
worked as a lawyer there.
I said, "They have more lawyers there than artists now."
He replied: "Yeah; to keep the rest of them out of jail."
Friday, August 7, 2015
Thursday, August 6, 2015
FIRST DRAFT: MY NOVEL PREVIEW #1: CARNAL BARGAIN
Titled "That's Show Biz", it centers on the crew at The Candl Club, a cafe/strip club on Manhattan's Lower East Side in the mid-late 1950s.
After a show, stripper Sugar Red goes backstage. She encounters Wheezy Gibson, a comic (and casual lover):
Red cleaned her pancake makeup off properly in the ladies’ room. Then, realizing she might or might not be returning for a while, she walked into her dressing room to gather a few items to bring home. To her dismay, lying on the couch was Wheezy. He smoked a cigar, had a beatific expression, and a huge exposed erection.
Red sighed and put her hands on her hips. “Alright, Wheezy, what is this??”
“Come on, Red, it’s not as if you’ve never seen it before.”
“I’ve seen it, I’ve sucked it, I’ve fucked it. But why is it out at this moment?”
Wheezy got up from the couch and ambled towards Sugar Red, his cock out and bobbing in front of him. “Oh, come on, Red. For the moment, I’m bereft of feminine company. Then I thought of you and this came up.” Wheezy grinned smugly and shrugged. “I figured we might pick up where we left off.”
Sugar Red was insulted. “So you think you can just come back and get it? Pig.”
“Cunt.”
“Out." Red jerked her thumb at the door.
Wheezy looked as self satisfied as ever. “Come on, baby. I’ll make it worth your while…”
Red eyed him resentfully. She opened her mouth to say something, then changed her mind, tilted her head and said something else. “This time you’ll pay through your fat nose, runt.”
“Of course, m’lady. Only the best for my whores.”
Red shut her eyes. “Well, I’ll see you tonight.”
Wheezy stepped forward, vaguely menacing. “Oh, no, babe. Papa wants a little action now to seal the bargain.”
Red looked in his eyes sternly. “Then Papa pay now; that’s the way I bargain.”
Wheezy took on that smug little smile, reached in his wallet, withdrew some cash and waved it in Red’s face. He snatched it away when Red reached for it. “I oughta make you bark”, he said. Red was ready to object, but Wheezy slipped the money into her hand.
COPYRIGHT 2015 BY MILTON KNIGHT
After a show, stripper Sugar Red goes backstage. She encounters Wheezy Gibson, a comic (and casual lover):
Red cleaned her pancake makeup off properly in the ladies’ room. Then, realizing she might or might not be returning for a while, she walked into her dressing room to gather a few items to bring home. To her dismay, lying on the couch was Wheezy. He smoked a cigar, had a beatific expression, and a huge exposed erection.
Red sighed and put her hands on her hips. “Alright, Wheezy, what is this??”
“Come on, Red, it’s not as if you’ve never seen it before.”
“I’ve seen it, I’ve sucked it, I’ve fucked it. But why is it out at this moment?”
Wheezy got up from the couch and ambled towards Sugar Red, his cock out and bobbing in front of him. “Oh, come on, Red. For the moment, I’m bereft of feminine company. Then I thought of you and this came up.” Wheezy grinned smugly and shrugged. “I figured we might pick up where we left off.”
Sugar Red was insulted. “So you think you can just come back and get it? Pig.”
“Cunt.”
“Out." Red jerked her thumb at the door.
Wheezy looked as self satisfied as ever. “Come on, baby. I’ll make it worth your while…”
Red eyed him resentfully. She opened her mouth to say something, then changed her mind, tilted her head and said something else. “This time you’ll pay through your fat nose, runt.”
“Of course, m’lady. Only the best for my whores.”
Red shut her eyes. “Well, I’ll see you tonight.”
Wheezy stepped forward, vaguely menacing. “Oh, no, babe. Papa wants a little action now to seal the bargain.”
Red looked in his eyes sternly. “Then Papa pay now; that’s the way I bargain.”
Wheezy took on that smug little smile, reached in his wallet, withdrew some cash and waved it in Red’s face. He snatched it away when Red reached for it. “I oughta make you bark”, he said. Red was ready to object, but Wheezy slipped the money into her hand.
COPYRIGHT 2015 BY MILTON KNIGHT
Sunday, August 2, 2015
THOUGHT
On another blog, someone posted an image of a news headline asking the question: WHY ARE MILLENNIALS STILL LIVING WITH THEIR PARENTS?
Someone answered:
Because the baby boomers destroyed the economy through deregulation & replaced all labor laws with a pic of Reagan.
Me: Better young people know it now than learn it later. Studying 100 year old animation has nothing to do with real life, PERIOD.
Someone answered:
Because the baby boomers destroyed the economy through deregulation & replaced all labor laws with a pic of Reagan.
Me: Better young people know it now than learn it later. Studying 100 year old animation has nothing to do with real life, PERIOD.
Thursday, July 30, 2015
I'VE WRITTEN A NOVEL!
Just completed: The first draft of my first novel. 50,003 words, 176
pages.I've written texts all my life, and have always been complimented
on them, but they were always short and usually rants. (Howard Post
told me, "Man, you can write, but you write about SHEE-IT!") This is the
most "sustained" fiction I've ever written. Why? Because I wanted to do
something new with my time, and communicate in a way that didn't
involve drawing a line. I haven't read it all the way through yet, and I
don't know what my verdict will be. But I've done it! IT'S MINE, GODDAM
IT, IT'S MINE!!
Monday, July 20, 2015
TERRYTOON TIME!
Three of my favorites, all posted on Devon Baxter's chronological You Tube page, Terry Toons.
THE GLASS SLIPPER. I hadn't watched it in a good long while. It's very funny, and has a somewhat sophisticated touch for a Terrytoon. Amazingly, no gags ripped from other Cinderella cartoons.
ALL ABOUT DOGS. One of the best Terry spot gag cartoons. Rivals the other studios in a difficult genre.
MAGPIE MADNESS. To me, it's the best "plotline" Heckle & Jeckle ever had.
THE GLASS SLIPPER. I hadn't watched it in a good long while. It's very funny, and has a somewhat sophisticated touch for a Terrytoon. Amazingly, no gags ripped from other Cinderella cartoons.
ALL ABOUT DOGS. One of the best Terry spot gag cartoons. Rivals the other studios in a difficult genre.
MAGPIE MADNESS. To me, it's the best "plotline" Heckle & Jeckle ever had.
Monday, June 29, 2015
WAKE UP!!
Let's not just get caught up in the magic of gay marriage, people. The
South Carolina Massacre just happened, and there are many more issues
still to be addressed.
Sunday, June 28, 2015
SEX APPEAL!
Snappy Polish jazz theme.
The song as introduced by a popular film actor in a bewitching drag act.
The song as introduced by a popular film actor in a bewitching drag act.
Friday, June 19, 2015
THE EVIL OPPRESSORS
Hey, all of you who whine about your "politically correct" times; are you happy now? Got freedom?
Thursday, June 18, 2015
I MISS HOWIE POST!! (November 2, 1926 – May 21, 2010)
The following are excerpts from a Facebook thread which I started about the renowned comics artist, then answered some questions..)
He was a hero since my childhood.
(Throughout his career, his work was loose, loopy & fun, and really brought life to the Harvey comics they were usually starved of.)
I finally met him working for Marvel/Star. It's clear to me that no one will take his place, as an artist or as a friend.
Howard was a kind of old school gentleman who simply doesn't happen in American life anymore. We could talk about art & music (and fishing and women) to a degree that puzzles most cartoonists today who see Bugs Bunny as their goal in life. (He admired the WB cartoons as being the best comedy scripts, and more than once cited Foghorn Leghorn's quote about "keeping my feathers numbered" as a favorite.)
This is one of the films Howard directed. It's very much his sense humor: gentle, whimsical, and even a touch of love.
Not long before the end, Howard expressed a feeling that cartoonists were mostly "cartoon geeks" and "archivists" today, and I miss his style of seeing life in what's left of "the industry".
ANTHRO from the 1960s was his proudest achievement.
He was very into Matisse, Picasso (whose later work he called "old man porn") and Chagall. He admired, and possibly envied, the daily action cartoonists like Alex Raymond. He recommended several books to me which I've bought & haven't read; ANGELA'S ASHES was one.
Music-wise, he was very much into Errol Garner. A song he liked very much: "Little Old Lady" by Hoagy Carmichael.
He saw Ben Franklin as a hero.
(Howard will always be one of mine!-MK)
Here, from Steven Thompson's blog, is a wide gallery of Howard's work, focusing on the rarely seen earlier work from DC and Harvey!
http://fourcolorshadows.blogspot.com/search?q=howie+post
Friday, June 5, 2015
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
SO-CALLED COMEDY TONIGHT
I went to a comedy open mic tonight, and it wasn't pleasant. There were no "jokes", but "Experiences". Along with the "I do/don't get laid" anecdotes, and "funny" bursts of profanity when the jokes weren't working, all of the "comics" relied on race at some point. "I'm a white chick", "I was in the inner city", "black people scare me", etc. Just "open mic" cliches. I really don't need to go have a night of (theoretic) laughter and have to listen to a (white) kid take five minutes to tell me an anecdote about how the cops let him off clean, concluding with "And the moral is...White privilege still exists" as if it was some heavy, enlightened profundity. No one was humorous, everyone was bombing, I left early even though a couple of comics I DO like were going to come eventually. I may be off comedy for a while.
Anyway, I really liked (maybe even loved) OLD YELLER earlier today. Yes, my first time seeing it.
MK.
Anyway, I really liked (maybe even loved) OLD YELLER earlier today. Yes, my first time seeing it.
MK.
Monday, June 1, 2015
I'VE GOT YOUR BACK
It's refreshing to draw non-cartoons; almost recreation.
I had to kill a couple of hours today, so I stopped at the coffee house to draw people's...backs! I used to try to capture facial likenesses in my quick jottings, but (for now) that slows me up. I'm aiming for a general impression; physique, posture, pose, while my subjects stand at the counter. Backs differ. Clothing folds form designs of their own. A rear view can actually convey personality.
My thin Sharpie wore out during my session, causing me to miss a couple of good opportunities.. Fortunately, I learned the cafe has a jar of pens for artists & writers. From now on, I'll be using a ball-point! Inspired, I bought a small notebook on the way back, and plan (as always advised in manuals) to carry it in my pocket all the time.
BTW, this is my 300th blog post! Thanks to those who've stuck with it!
COPYRIGHT 2015 BY MILTON KNIGHT
I had to kill a couple of hours today, so I stopped at the coffee house to draw people's...backs! I used to try to capture facial likenesses in my quick jottings, but (for now) that slows me up. I'm aiming for a general impression; physique, posture, pose, while my subjects stand at the counter. Backs differ. Clothing folds form designs of their own. A rear view can actually convey personality.
My thin Sharpie wore out during my session, causing me to miss a couple of good opportunities.. Fortunately, I learned the cafe has a jar of pens for artists & writers. From now on, I'll be using a ball-point! Inspired, I bought a small notebook on the way back, and plan (as always advised in manuals) to carry it in my pocket all the time.
BTW, this is my 300th blog post! Thanks to those who've stuck with it!
COPYRIGHT 2015 BY MILTON KNIGHT
Friday, May 22, 2015
PAINTING AND COLOR
I had a gallery owner tell me to stick to "my heritage" in my paintings.
My "heritage" is American. There are definite expectations as to the
work a black artist is to do to be accepted. Needless to say, I hate the
bastards.
POST SCRIPTS: A Facebook friend shared this post, and someone remarked that to say one's heritage is "American" is "too bland and pussy". To which I said: " My interests and loves are international. As America is. I feel no closer to "Black" culture than any other. I grew up with blacks unwilling to look outside their own neighborhoods. And hostile to those who did. That is a way of staying "safe". I call that "pussy"."
"Many black people think that because a popular entertainment has a black "face" that it is black "culture". News: They're all by the same producers. SHAFT is no more a "black" film than MAJOR DAD."
"I'd be more interested in doing a graphic novel about Van Gogh than about Frederick Douglass. But there are folks (black and white) who'd have a hard time with that aspiration."
POST SCRIPTS: A Facebook friend shared this post, and someone remarked that to say one's heritage is "American" is "too bland and pussy". To which I said: " My interests and loves are international. As America is. I feel no closer to "Black" culture than any other. I grew up with blacks unwilling to look outside their own neighborhoods. And hostile to those who did. That is a way of staying "safe". I call that "pussy"."
"Many black people think that because a popular entertainment has a black "face" that it is black "culture". News: They're all by the same producers. SHAFT is no more a "black" film than MAJOR DAD."
"I'd be more interested in doing a graphic novel about Van Gogh than about Frederick Douglass. But there are folks (black and white) who'd have a hard time with that aspiration."
Thursday, May 21, 2015
A GEEZER'S ADVICE
You kids are lucky. You don't have to buy old prints or postcards now.
Or fill your rooms with books. It's all right here. Be smart with the
money you save.
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Monday, May 11, 2015
DEBASING THE "WRISTS"
Makes me boil when someone says such-and-such an actor was ON "Futurama" or IN "Frozen". They were VOICES, Godamnit!!
More Later, MK.
More Later, MK.
Friday, May 8, 2015
GASTON LACHAISE
My previous complaint: "Another artist paints, and it's a "celebration of womanhood". I paint and am just a lech."
Bursting forth, the work of an artist I love, and, to an extent, choose as a model, Gaston Lachaise. Celebrated as "greatest American sculptor of his time." (Images from pinterest.com.)
Bursting forth, the work of an artist I love, and, to an extent, choose as a model, Gaston Lachaise. Celebrated as "greatest American sculptor of his time." (Images from pinterest.com.)
FINE ART?
Another artist paints, and it's a "celebration of womanhood". I paint and am just a lech. I'm getting angry, people.
P.S.: A Facebook friend commented on this post, and I'll restate my thought here...
It is thoroughly true that race is a major part of the issue. It dictates what an artist can and cannot do to expect support in the fine art "world"-MK.
COPYRIGHT 2015 BY MILTON KNIGHT
P.S.: A Facebook friend commented on this post, and I'll restate my thought here...
It is thoroughly true that race is a major part of the issue. It dictates what an artist can and cannot do to expect support in the fine art "world"-MK.
COPYRIGHT 2015 BY MILTON KNIGHT
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