I’ll tell you something… the Weather Channel isn’t half fucking bad.
In the last decade I’ve only seen it a handful of times, usually while waiting in a lobby somewhere. It has this one show, now, which is called… gosh, I’ve forgotten the name… Anyway, the episode itself was about “invasive species”, which are animals that are not native to an area and are overwhelming their ecosystem.
One of which is… wild hogs! Growing up, I had a number of friends who hunted them for sport. You wouldn’t think of… hogs, as being a problem, but in Texas, they are.
Not long ago a woman was killed by a pack of them, in the early morning hours. Given their numbers, poison is believed to be the ideal method for managing the population. As a means of population control, though, it’s a risk to other species as well, which is why a feeding trough was developed to listen for the sounds of wild hogs, and opens up canisters of oh-so-deadly feed. If something else nears it, like a raccoon, the surface is electrified and the creature in question is quickly dissuaded from investigating further. All of which is possible, btw, through advancements in speech recognition technology.
Speech recognition tech… to kill hogs.
Hogs, specifically.
Who’d a fuckin‘ thought, ya know?
Gary Larson has emerged from the shadows, which took me by complete surprise. There’s an era, long gone now, where I read the comics in the newspaper, and both Calvin and Hobbes, plus the Far Side, were two of my favorites. With regard to the Far Side, I loved the eccentric nature of Gary Larson’s writing style. He invented his own brand of humor, in my eyes.
You see what I mean?
To my knowledge, no one had postulated hypothetical phobias like that. And this was just a one off thing, for him. His toolbag was deep. In one of his books, which delves further into the darkness behind the Far Side, you can glimpse a bit more. He acknowledges that, in the case of some comics, despite being supremely funny, he didn’t even try getting them past his editor to nationwide publication. This was one example:
In the bottom right, you can see his verbal abort.
He had a fairly nonchalant attitude toward his art. He said it wasn’t very good, but he acknowledged that it suited it’s purpose.
Nothing wrong with that.
Although I’ve shown you a lot of artwork on this site, from time to time I need to show you things that will turn you white, and make your gorge rise unbidden.
Ya know… for, like… personal growth, and stuff.
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Ready?
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To be clear, I did not make that… monstrosity.
Yet I deeply admire the soul who did.
The ability to weave form from nightmare is as close to godhood as I can imagine.
That’s some unholy-fucking-shit right there, eh?
EH?
And don’t tell me, as some have, that it’s just a bunch of bugs glued together.
Because it isn’t.
What manner of squeal would you make if you awoke to find it in bed with you, clasped to your forearm?
While you don’t see me cite work from established IPs, there are occasions where I feel a warm pat on the back is warranted, and this is one of those occasions.
Redmond’s only hobby store has had a Gundum on it’s front window for ages now, who’s sitting in a sled and holding a lance, made out of candy cane.
The juxtaposition between Christmas, Japanese Fighting Robots and Jousting… actually worked, somehow. That would have been a weird ask, certainly. He/she pulled it off, though. And, what’s more, I’d wager they did it in a day too. Commendable!
Lastly, I have one more work of art for you today: an old wizard in his study:
The brushstrokes are simple, uncomplicated; and the detailing isn’t over the top, or even very intentional. It’s quiet. Peaceful.
Yet this wizard’s expression… what would you call it?
The word I would use begins with the letter ‘p’.
I updated the good ol’ heap o’ memes, yet again. Enjoy, friend.