Chris the librarian is always showing me lots of really interesting stuff at the library. Below is a book that has screenshots from laurel and hardy films.
The screenshots I scanned is from this gag, in which, Hardy somehow gets a paintbrush stuck to his face. Chris and I had a discussion to why we thought this part of the film was hilarious and part of it dealt with the character's mannerisms. Hardy's expressions are usually very extreme and full of anger and Laurel's expressions are dopey and unaware of the conflicts that exist in the story. The balance of these personalities create an illusion that we as viewers can picture these people existing in the real world and as a result we laugh at their mischievous behavior. Take a gander at the shots below.
I love this scene!
If this part of the story does not make sense I think I can explain what happened. Hardy fell down a chute after the sink water splashed into his face. Hardy gets stuck at the end of the chute and Laurel confusingly tries to help Hardy squeeze out. As this is happening a barrel of Shellac? also falls down the chute racing after Hardy.
Chris also showed me a really cool new yorker artist, Charles Addams, or what most people know him as the creator of the addams family. This first one was taken off his website...charlesaddams.com
For all you baltimorians looking at this blog I found two Edgar Allan Poe illustrations mister Charles Addams did.
The below caption says "occasionally."
All the captions say nevermore
The picture above is Chris's favorite.
"You must try not to worry. Dr. Perry is doing everything humanly possible."
I love the composition in this one above.
The caption on the right panel says, "We're not living happily ever after."
I love these horrible marriage drawings Addams draws they are really funny. The caption says, ".... and now, George Pembrook, here is the wife you haven't seen in eighteen years!"
"This is your room, if you should need anything, just scream."
Suicide :)
I don't even want to tell you what the caption says on this one because it's such a bizarre image so just imagine.
"For heavens sake, can't you do anything right!"
I like this last black and white one because it's pleasant, eerie, easy to read, and the hand coming out of the record player is incredible. (I wish I had one!!)
Chris doesn't necessarily like his colored ones. I agree with him that they are definitely not as good as his black and whites, but they're not bad.
I'm not a big fan of this butterfly composition, but I love the concept that an adult man is butterfly hunting and that he is unaware about the humongous, monster butterfly is looming around the corner.
Both Chris and I liked this one.
Weird!
Here are also some caricatures I threw in, I have lots more and I am working in color now.
Below are two more of my friend Mary who works with me at the schools digital library. She's a funny person to chat with.
Below are two pics that she drew of me. The one on the left is this incident that happened to me when I accidently went to a gay bar and the one on the right is me being melted by jesus's laser eyes. (It's a phobia I have whenever I walk into a church)
My dj roomie phil
Chris's friend Spencer
JACOBBBB!!
I kinda made him look like a ancient chinese master of martial arts, idk
Tanya with devil horns
One of my bosses at the MRC, digital library, Devin. She's awesome
And finally my other boss, Audrey. She's awesome too!!!
Anyways thats it for now. Sorry for not updating this blog in awhile, I will post another one soon....
3 comments:
Wow! Ol' Ollie sure had a lot of patience with Stan.
"Now look at the fine mess you've gotten us into."
"Ollie Hardy should have had more sense...
He bought a gee-gee and he jumped the fence...
All for the sake of a couple of pence"
According to biographer David Bellos, when Jacques Tati's masterpiece "Mon Oncle" won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film of 1958,it was the practice of the Academy to grant the visiting award winners to a special treat of their own choosing. He could have chosen a night on the town, but instead he chose to visit the nursing homes where Stan Laurel, Mack Sennett, and Buster Keaton were living. That's respect and integrity!
Keep up the good work Rob. Your caricatures keep getting better and better. It's nice to see that you honor your friends and acquaintances by making such nice drawings of them. Everyone should be flattered.
Oh, and here's a toast to your father for inculcating in you a respect for the great comedians of old.
Wow thanks chris for that comment. It's always a lot of fun joking around with you at the library and those baltimore symphony shows were a blast. Caricaturing at those shows definitely boosted my confidence and made me feel that I could draw in front of strangers. The comment about Jacques Tati meeting Stan Laurel, Mack Sennett, and Buster Keaton really BLEW my mind. I can't believe that's what he chose to do after he won the oscar for best foreign film, whatta' man! Anyways, I have not yet seen "Mon Oncle" and if you get your hands on it anytime soon I will for surely watch it. From what I've seen, Tati's work is hilarious! Also I'm about to head to the bar so I will cheers to my pops there.... as well to my sister, mom, and family/friends of course, might as well if I'm in that drunken spirit.
I read your comment about the essence of cartooning on Krisfatusi's blog and really enjoyed it. It was so much more intelligent and well-thought out than the other comments that were there. Unfortunately I think your ideas are lost on those other bloggers. It deserved a response but everyone was just too wrapped up in their own mental masturbation to make the effort. You should turn that comment into a nice fully-formed paper.
I really think the question he posed was dumb, and poorly worded to boot. I know you like him and I'm not trying to put him down. I just don't think it was an intelligent question. Your response was the best attempt to give the question some sensible context. I really think it's a waste to throw the pearls of your wisdom to the swine of that blog. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to discuss what you wrote in person. I think it should be discussed over and over because it's that important.
I was looking at all of your caricatures again and one thing I now find interesting is the smiles or lack thereof on your subjects. I'm happy to see that the ones you did of me have a nice quiet kind of smile. The one you did of me at Oregon Ridge also has a boyish quality to it. I would like to think that you have drawn me as I truly am, happy and child-like.
All of the Oregon Ridge caricatures you did have smiling faces and looks of content. Could this have been an expression of your own feeling at the time?
Get well soon Rob and come home to Baltimore. We miss you!
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