GAMES YOU CAN'T WIN OR LOSE

One of my favorite aspects of being a collector is reclaiming relics from childhood that somehow got away, especially the obscure ones. One of my latest recoveries is Games You Can't Lose! (1977), a 48-page made-to-be-a-gift booklet, thus the authors were uncredited.  (For the record they are Herbert Kavet, Paul Deboer, and illustrator, Martin Riskin.)  It's one of many transitory titles produced by the American Publishing Company which may be the same outfit that put out a series of jigsaw puzzles-in-a-can, Presto Magix sets, and a vintage Party Survival Kit that I got last year.

My dad bought the book as a gift for a colleague, but upon closer inspection he decided it was a bit too risqué to pass along; a wise move considering his very conservative social circle. So it found a home under a pile of unpaid bills on my father's bureau, but such an eye-catching cover could not go unnoticed by a seven-year-old such as myself, so I took a gander.

Actually, I was completely unaware of the few objectionable bits which include a KKK gag (that the internet has already found) as well as a word my dad had scribbled out beyond recognition in an early attempt to salvage the gift. He had replaced it with "Director of Student Life," presumably the job title of the would-be receiver.

But for me the book didn't need vulgarities to have shock value. The concept alone seemed impossible, defying every children's activity book on my bedroom floor.  The parody factor went beyond Mad Magazine because this was a fully developed product, like a Wacky Packages come to life, forever mocking the stack of Highlights for Kids in my doctors office. The fact that it was designed for sophisticated adults only added to the appeal.

I felt empowered as I breezed through the puzzles, several of which can be seen here...

Years later I was tagging along with my mom on an afternoon of errands that took us to a drug store called Collier's in a neighboring city.  Unlike most of mom's stops, this place had an ample selection of interesting products like party favors, gifts, and even better, gag gifts.  In a cruel twist of fate it wasn't until I was exiting the shop when I noticed this at the top of a spinner rack...

I gasped. The mysterious, mind-expanding publication had a sequel! I pleaded with mom to go back, but she announced that our next lame destination would be closing soon.  I never even got to open the book— until recently when I finally bought it online.

 

  

While the revelation could never match my initial childhood discovery, I took great pleasure in finally quenching my curiosity.  I especially like that a number of the pages have an opposite counterpart in the other book.

Truth is, I didn't have to wait decades to see more from the APC collection. A few years after Games entered my life, A Get Well Book For _____ (1979) showed up in my household. This time my dad was on the receiving end.

It was certainly worthy of its place next to the copy of Games You Can't Lose in the top of my dad's closet.  Though it lacks the "high concept" of the other books, it still has the endearing artwork of Martin "Marty" Riskin.

A recent googling lifted away the shroud of mystery on this prolific artist.  Marty Riskin's web site showcases many of the 250 books he's illustrated, most of which include the words sex, beer, or fart in the title.  Marty is obviously a fixture of the American gag culture, and there's no telling what sort of influence he's had on my own mind and output.  I've made it a point to further explore his work, most recently by way of this second hand copy of Riskin's Believe It Or Don't (1979).

 

 

When I was in junior high I asked my dad if I could adopt his two APC titles into my own book collection.  He handed me the get well book, but informed me that at some point he'd gotten rid of the other one.  I was obviously disappointed, but with hopes of some consolation I asked, "Do you remember the word that you crossed out of Games You Can't Lose?"

"Yeah," he replied. "I think it was 'necrophiliac.'"

And that's how I first learned the meaning of the term 'necrophiliac.'  Thanks Marty.

THE LATEST OF MY FAUX FAMILY PORTRAITS

In 2008 I created my first fictional family colored pencil portraits with the hopes of getting into Gallery 1988's Crazy 4 Cult art show (a process I detailed in this post.) At the time I would never have guessed I'd still be making them five years later, but I recently created a dozen more for a two-man art show at Gallery 1988, Venice Beach which is still going on until June 2nd.  The show got a really nice review on Glasstire, and some great coverage on Huffington Post and Slashfilm! But in an effort to save you a trip to the West Coast I've conveniently posted images of all the artwork just a few inches below this paragraph.  Scroll down (if it isn't too much trouble) and you may take a look at these "love notes" to some of my favorite productions put to film. Make sure to click to see them much bigger.  (Some originals and prints are still available here. My previous portraits can all be seen here.)

Title: The McDunnoughs

Dim: 8"x10"

As you may recall from the film, the McDunnoughs do take a snapshot of their newfound family by way of a cheap, black & white camera on a tripod. I started to simply reproduce that, but in the middle of the process I scrapped the idea because it was a bit too spot on.  Being a huge geek, I like the portraits to gel with the timeline of the film (or series), and I even try to pinpoint when it would have been taken, be it before, during or after the story takes place.  However, in this case I made an exception, this is the way they wished things would have turned out.

Title: The McClanes

Dim: 11"x14"

This is the only time I've done my own interpretation of an "existing" portrait from a film.  It seemed like the thing to do since the photo is a key plot point, and since Die Hard is one of the greatest things my eyes have witnessed.

Title: The Whites

Dim: 11"x14"

I think the concept is at its best when the entire family is at the core of the story.  In the case of Breaking Bad, everything is done in the name of family which ironically, destroys the family.

Title: The Weirs

Dim: 11"x14"

The Weirs from Freaks and Geeks are more real to me than any fictional family I can think of.  Everyone gets fleshed out over the course of the amazing series and their personalities and relationships seem as complex as anyone I've ever met.

Title: The Mayweathers

Dim: 3.5"x4.5" (each)

This treatment seemed appropriate because I don't imagine this father and son spending much time together.  The way I see it, William (the dad) sent the family photographer to Nathanial's school and put the result in the fanciest frame possible.

Title: The Drapers

Dim: 8"x10"

 While researching 1960s portraits I found a number of them with the family posed in this double column arrangement.  Funny how today's forced informal arrangements appear even less natural than this.

  

Title: The Buxtons

Dim: 8"x8"

Years ago I realized that I owned a souvenir wallet very similar to the one the Pee-Wee has in "Big Adventure" so I thought I'd use it as a springboard for this wallet size format.  To give it that extra spilled-wallet-ness I designed two fake business cards for Pee-Wee's favorite establishments.  The Buxton men are among my favorite minor characters ever, I wish they had their own movie.  

"Spearmint or Fruit?"

"Err.. fruit please."

I can't even guesstimate how many time I've quoted those lines.

 

Title: The Buellers

Dim: 11"x14"

This is one that I've intended to do since the very beginning but somehow put it off until now.  This is easily one of the most influential movies of my youth.

Title: The Bluths

Dim: 11"x14"

 "Where is George Senior?" is the official FAQ of this whole project.  Answer: He's in prison or in hiding.  So why not Oscar then?  Because no.

Title: The Fischers

Dim: 5"x 7"

I started to do this piece much larger but it did not seem like something the characters would have in their humble home.  All of Wes Anderson's movies have a such a way with quaintness, they also have a lot of red curtains so I made sure to use those as a backdrop.

Title: The Gopniks

Dim: 11"x14"

This was a commissioned piece and my third visit to the Cohen Brothers' world.  The inspirational film is A Serious Man and as I watched it again for this project it's subtleties really blossomed for me.  The configuration makes more sense after you've seen it.

Title: Mister St. Clair

Dim: 11"x14"

I decided to break the family mold for this one, I figure Corky has enough charisma to be the star attraction (plus his wife never seems to be around.)  I've seen a lot of this type of photo, especially involving dancers, and they always crack me up.  The fairy-like floating self reminds me of the proverbial angel or devil on your shoulder, either that or an "I'd rather be..." fantasy thought bubble. Plus I couldn't resist finally using the casual ladder prop.

Title: The Emersons Revamped

Dim: 11"x14"

From the beginning these portraits have been a matter of the execution trying to live up to the concept.  The results throughout have been hit and miss, and I think my biggest miss was "The Emersons" from Crazy 4 Cult 3.  In 2009 I raced to complete it along with three others in time for the show and the outcome has been nothing short of cringe-inducing.  The Lost Boys is one of my all time favorite films and it deserves so much more than I gave it.  So in an effort to improve upon my artistic crimes, I took an eraser to the original and revamped it. (get it?)
Here's a comparison...

When it comes to likenesses it's amazing what a somewhat misplaced feature or two can do, not to mention some amateurish hard lines.  The "afters" are still far from great, but the process was quite cleansing.  Maybe next year I'll pull it out again and add in Jar-Jar Binks.

(As I said before some originals and prints from this show are available here.)

KIRK DEMARAIS & DAVE MACDOWELL ART SHOW AT GALLERY 1988

 

My first-ever two-man art show opens at Gallery 1988 Venice Beach this Thursday, May 10 from 7-10 PM!  I will be there Thursday night, ready to spend hours expounding on the meaning and significance of my fake family portraits.  I've created a dozen new ones for the show including the two seen here.  (The Gollum-surrounded Dude is the work of fellow artist Dave Macdowell.) Giclée prints of three of my pieces (The Bluths, The Drapers, and The Whites) will also be available.  If you can't make it, everything will be viewable on the gallery's web site the following day, and eventually right here.  Either way, I sure hope you'll be in the mood for looking at things!

MY TRIBUTE TO "THE BEST SHOW" ON WFMU

UPDATE: My piece has sold! (profit will go to WFMU) And you can see all the artwork here.


This Friday, Gallery 1988 Melrose will unveil the second installment of Is This Thing On?, an art show hosted by "Weird Al" Yankovic saluting our favorite funny people, and I'm way excited to be among the artists. My comedians of choice are Tom Scharpling and Jon Wurster of The Best Show on WFMU because about 75% of my weekly laughs come from this three-hour program. Here's my piece...

Click to enlarge

For those unfamiliar I'll quote Patton Oswalt from a recent article in SPIN,
"Trying to explain The Best Show on WFMU to someone who hasn't heard it can be one of the most frustrating tasks on the planet. [...] The simple explanation is this: For three hours each week, a guy named Tom Scharpling gets on the radio, plays some cool records, takes some phone calls, and then his friend, Superchunk and Mountain Goats drummer Jon Wurster, calls up and acts like a jerk."

I thought the duo was a perfect fit for a 1960s-era LP cover in the tradition of Bob Newhart, Paul Lynde or Rowan & Martin because their lives revolve around music and to me their comedy has a classic, timeless quality. Over the years they've built a self-contained mythology of characters, events, and places (i.e. Newbridge). Unlike typical radio teams they rarely depend on the latest happenings of pop culture, on the contrary they often employ hilariously obscure cultural relics and people in their vernacular.

It's performed live (though carefully written) and a single exchange between them can go on for the better part of an hour which lets the laughs gradually build to a frenzy as the absurdity reaches new depths. This breathing room also lends itself to wonderful subtlety, and once you pick up on the rhythms and running gags (which are the inspiration for many of the album's would-be tracks) there's even more mirth to be had.

And that's not even touching on the other two-thirds of the show in which Tom uproariously reflects on life's day-to-day struggles, regales us with tales of his past and toys with the clueless callers in a Bug's Bunny-like fashion.

If it's still unclear... I recommend this show.
You can listen to it live each Tuesday night at 9PM Eastern, or here are the archives, or you can subscribe to the podcast via itunes

Anyway, the "LP cover" poster-print also comes with the original colored pencil art (below) and any profit I might get will go to listener-supported WFMU. So if you're interested call or email Gallery 1988.

MISSILE FIRING TANK FROM HONOR HOUSE

There is a subcategory of comic book mail-aways that could be labeled "Cardboard Vehicles" no that's too boring, how about "Corrugated Fiberboard Dream Machines." Actually I'll stick with the first one. The most often advertised Cardboard Vehicles include the Polaris Submarine, the Jet Rocket Space Ship, and the Missile Firing Tank (a Space Shuttle emerged later on.) Prior to this day, I, nor the internet at large has yet to witness any photographic evidence of the tank, and I think you sense what's about to happen. Yes, thanks to the unbelievable archives of Dan Goodsell of Tic Toc Toys and creator of Mister Toast you are about to witness THE MISSILE FIRING TANK!!...


Dan says "this came from a binder full of samples from the Gibraltar Paper company that made tons of instore cardboard displays from grocery and supermarkets. This was the only non-display item in the binder. On the back in pencil is written S. J. Wegman Company [the outfit behind Honor House] - Corrugated Tank. Most all the stuff in the binder was from the early 60's" (Thanks again Dan!!)

Ta-dah!

SPOOKY OLD IRON-ONS FROM ICEE

Recently cryptozoologist Robert Robinson emailed me pics of these 1970s Halloween iron-ons because 1.he is a nice guy and 2. he knows we have similar interests. But what he didn't know is that he was offering me a precious long-lost detail of my own Halloween history.

Back when I was three and still letting my parents pick out my Halloween costumes, my dad assembled this getup out of a souvenir hat from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, a foil-covered cardboard saber, and a discarded pillowcase bearing...the skull iron-on!


Thinking it was a cereal premium I've gone on several fruitless searches for the relic, but it all made sense after Robert informed me, "The glow in dark iron-ons were avaiable from Icee. My uncle owned a franchise in Arkansas and gave my brother and I a bunch of these."

This makes perfect sense because the local 1-Stop Mart was the destination of countless afternoon strolls with my family, and we bought so many ICEEs there that to me it was known simply as the ICEE store. I also had that place to thank for stacks of plastic super-hero cups that were taller than me. When they changed over to Slush Puppie [sic] drinks I desperately wanted to see that droopy-faced pooch get mauled by the ICEE bear.

Anyway, I'm just glad my dad picked the skull and crossbones because the skeletal hands holding the hourglass might've been a bit grim for a 3-year-old.

EVIL-EYE EVADER

"Beware! This very moment, someone somewhere, may be giving you the Evil-Eye...and YOU don't even know it. For your personal well-being please DO NOT ignore this sincere warning! "

Sorry to shock you like that, but now you know how I felt when I was confronted with this message in an ad from an old issue of Ghost Manor ...


(The scan came from a really cool comic ad blog called Four Color Promises)
The advertisement does a great job of outlining the product's many mystic powers while neglecting to convey what the Evil-Eye Evader actually is, thus a new mail-order mystery begging to be investigated.

Ebay turned up nothing, but Google was quick to serve up a blog post at Mike Sterling's Progressive Ruin that instantly solved the puzzle


To tell you the truth it exceeds my expectations. Seeing how I'm a wee bit jaded when it comes to comic book marketing my best guess was that it would be an incantation printed on cardstock, or something along the lines of those paper prayer rugs you get in the mail. Thus... Customer Satisfaction: Un-hexpected quality.
(I'm so sorry.)

Check out Mike's blog for more photos and info.

By the way, I'M the one who's been giving you the Evil-Eye! Haw-Haw!

BIGFOOT AND GRAY

I've been following the work of Spümcø animator Chris Savino for years now and it's been a long-time dream of his to put together his own show. Four years ago he started documenting progress on a show called Bigfoot and Gray about, yes, Bigfoot and an alien. It's been very interesting to see his creative process unfold, and to see how he's creatively handled the various limitations that any project like this faces.

Well, he's finally got a polished one-minute presentation piece that's definitely worth a look. With the influence of entertainers such as Jay Ward and Sid and Marty Krofft, Chris has captured a bit of magic from the Saturday mornings of yesteryear and I certainly hope that it will eventually find a home on screens across America, nay, the world!

1964 JET ROCKET SPACE SHIP

Image via Neatocoolville.com

Recently, a 1964 Jet Rocket Space Ship by Honor House was offered on ebay for $1500. Like its tank and submarine counterparts, the rocket is made up of cardboard pieces. This is the first time I've seen this particular "checker board" design in real life and it's also the first time I've seen one of these in unused and unassembled. The auction has ended, but I grabbed the photos for posterity.