Mutant Cyclops Lucky Cat

The familiar ceramic sculpture of the Maneki Neko (招き猫, literally "Beckoning Cat," also known as Money Cat) seen in every sushi restaurant and noodle shop is one of the first folk icons I became acquainted with when I began studying Japanese culture in the '70s. The raised left paw is to bring customers, a raised right paw brings wealth and good luck. Unless it’s the other way around. This cyclopean spin on the traditional image is the product of the Real Head studio in Japan and is overwhelmingly cool! Supposedly only 25 vinyl pieces were produced. Come on! Every home needs one! Thanks to the good folks at Real Head and to SkullBrain for bringing this to light.

Link to Real Head; Link to SkullBrain

Shun the Frumious Bandersnatch

--or ‘The Things One Finds in a Hole.” For the benefit of Cephalophiles everywhere.

The Catcher Was a Spy

I’ve recently completed a set of illustrations for "The Double Life of Moe Berg," a feature documentary movie on Boston Red Sox catcher and Atomic Spy, Moe Berg. “Professor” Berg was a real character, a graduate of Princeton and Harvard who preferred playing baseball to practicing law. He claimed to speak 9 (or was it 13?) languages and was a popular guest on the radio quiz show "Information Please." The illustrations will appear within the context of old newspaper coverage on his exploits and will be intercut with archival photos, rare footage and interviews with Berg’s contemporaries. I’ll update when more is known about the film’s release.

Anthologize Me

I’m honored to have a couple of my comics reprinted in The Best of LCD coming in 2007 from Princeton Architectural Press. The book will feature writing and artwork drawn from 25 strange and fascinating issues of WFMU's in-house zine LCD(Lowest Common Denominator). Thanks to Dave "the Spazz" Abramson for the inclusion. One story, “I, Rebel—The Phil Spector Story” was eerily prophetic, portraying Spector as a “rock ’n’ roll psychopath.” Spector is presently on trial for the gruesome and tragic murder of B-movie starlet Lana Clarkson, a case that continues to develop.

Giant "Blob" Is Largest Thing in Universe

Not 'blog,' it's a GIANT BLOB. You thought I was kidding...well, it's not just kaiju freaks who contemplate the astromonsters waiting out there in the dark. I wonder if I can interest Gargamel into making a vinyl figure of this...

“Japanese astronomers have discovered what they call the largest object in the universe: a colossal structure 200 million light-years wide that resembles a swarm of giant green jellyfish.”

All right, maybe it's not so green.