Articulate Matter

Next step, ski lift

2011-11-28T18:27:48Z

Many thanks to Ester for the brilliant idea of cephalopod sledding, which was inspired by this coconut octopus video.

The not so early bird

2011-11-16T17:22:03Z

Try making coffee/tea when you’re half asleep and you don’t have opposable thumbs. No wonder the crows in our neighborhood are so cranky every morning.

Squids within squids within squids…

2011-11-14T16:23:48Z

Watching films by Charlie Kaufman (and Michel Gondry) always makes me a bit dizzy. The latest vertigo inducing viewing was Synecdoche, New York. Most of the characters were infuriating, but the layers in the story required some serious mental chewing.

Poppies

2011-11-11T23:06:52Z

If you’ve been to London (or elsewhere in the Commonwealth) in early November, I’m sure you’ve seen the paper poppies that a lot of people wear. It’s still novel to me but I have to admit I’m fond of the custom. The symbolism seems less jingoistic and more sentimental than flags (which is what I’m used to when it comes to anything military), and I think they’re more effective. Seeing the poppies randomly throughout the days leading up to the 11th kept making me pause and think.

So here are more poppies for remembrance, along with the wishful hope that there will come a day when we don’t need them anymore.

Black box puppets

2011-11-10T16:01:37Z

Change the species and this was the type of puppetry done in the show last week. We wore all black, including black screens over our faces. The puppet bodies were strapped to our torsos, and we manipulated the arms and head. Generally my puppet’s left arm was fastened in place so I could concentrate on moving the head and right hand.

There were a few other puppets (including the crane from Monday and one other human puppet that required three handlers), but this was the main type.

Where have you been?

2011-11-07T14:34:56Z

You haven’t updated this blog in weeks!

To tell the truth, I was off making puppets.

Consider this yet another example of me self-promoting after the fact. :} I spent the month of October helping refurbish old puppets, building new ones, and performing in Love Suicides at Sonezaki, a part of the 2011 London Suspense Puppetry Festival. I was so wrapped up (tied up?) in doing that, I didn’t have the energy to update here.

But now, Japanese cranes meet squid… only in the weird world that I manage to inhabit.

Octopi Wall Street

2011-10-12T11:30:37Z

I try to avoid politics and other potentially divisive subjects in this comic, but in this case I must make my views heard.

Octopodes are not the enemy. They are a part of the 99%, fighting with the majority, and would prefer not to represent the opposition. Please leave behind the anti-cephalopod imagery of the past, embrace your fellow beings, and focus your energies together for a better future!

Badgers and MAS*H

2011-10-10T14:16:12Z

Another vignette inspired by the creature of the month at A Little Bit Bunny and a slip of the tongue as I was expressing satisfaction over my favorite pub grub (bangers, badgers… close enough). As for the rest of it… it made sense in my head.

Safety First

2011-09-28T22:14:02Z

Practicality second.

This bus stop is not in use

2011-09-26T17:10:04Z

San Francisco Muni... by far." />

The mouse probably feels as clumsy as I do when using a smart phone. Tiny buttons combined with normal sized fingers equals a lot of mistyping.

(He is using a phone, in case it’s not clear in the photo. I’d go back and take a better picture, but… I guess someone really liked this sculpture too!)