Walldren’s World

There are numerous schools of thought when it comes to the practice of successful negotiation. However, it may just be easier to hire a large surly man with a spiked club to stand behind you during every meeting. Just a thought.

The heartwarming tale of a marketing campaign launched backwards in time…

This Spring: Believe the the Impossible.

Will Eisner, for whom the industry’s “Eisner Awards” are named, imparts his wisdom on how “comics” work as a cross-medium of words and art to educate and entertain.

Providing great examples of his main points through his own and others’ work, this book really hammers home the key points of storytelling. The editors of this edition did a great job cleaning up and presenting the examples making it a quick and easy-to-digest read.

I felt the last fifth of the book seemed padded, but it was definitely worth the read – and the purchase. I intend to come back to this book again and again as I work on my own storytelling and illustrations.

When I was a youth, I collected stamps. My father gave me a stamp collecting book that was given to him as a boy. I probably have some pretty old stamps as a result.

Before puberty hit and I discovered Dungeons & Dragons, Not Socializing with Girls, and an appreciation of James Cameron movies that I have never been able to rekindle, I used to share the hobby of philately with my Mom’s business upstairs neighbor.

I would pore over her books of stamps from around the world. I recall being particularly fond of the stamps of the Scandinavian countries, Japan, and Egypt in particular.

However, many years have passed and other collections took primacy over this hobby. I still have the stamp book. However, I’m not sure what I should do with it. Should I pass it on to Nathan at the same age that my Dad gave it to me?  Keep it in a memory box?  Decisions, decisions.

Kalooha: Boss-Eyed Tiki God of Double Vision

Not to be confused with the Mexican liqueur of a similar-sounding name, Kalooha is the boss-eyed Tiki God of Double Vision. Known for his frequent appearances at fraternity/sorority parties, Kalooha later makes rare appearances at neurology offices around the world. Drink responsibly!

I think we’ve all worked with someone like the “Time Bomb” (pictured right). They are quiet, keep to themselves (for the most part) and on the rare occasions that one engages them in open discourse one uncovers some scary behaviors.

Whether it’s an unhealthy preoccupation with specific sexual deviations common to another culture, a pipe bomb collection, or a claim to have played Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 online with Afghani insurgents over Xbox Live — these people are disconcerting to say the least.

Christian Slater did an excellent job portraying the Time Bomb in the 2007 film, “He was a Quiet Man“. While his performance was great, the film was not.  After about 35 minutes it falls apart. But his performance was worth watching and quite sympathetic.

So, the next time you pass by your quiet, mousy coworker in your company – be polite.

I am still waiting for this magnificent discovery to be made.

Since Watson & Crick published “The Double Helix” in 1968 it was and still is a controversial work of scientific discovery. Rosalind Franklin’s contributions notwithstanding, I believe there are further models of human genetic code that could make sense.

Barring the actual existence of such a structure, think of the potential of a quadruple helix.  While I am no scientist, I imagine such a structure would allow for distinct genetic redundancies that could prove useful in the coming Waterless Flood.

In my original concept for this picture, I completed Stick Man #1’s sentence.  In this version, released by the studio against my insistence on proper grammar, the word “look” is omitted.

Since this is my blog, however, I have decided to provide director’s commentary on the piece. Enjoy.

Stick Man #1: You know, with that hat those bell-bottoms make you LOOK like a pimp!

Stick Man #2: Ooh! I should go get my cane!

Beauty: In the Eye of the Beholder

Of course, I am not referring to the Dungeons & Dragons creature of the same name.  The quote originated in the 3rd century B.C.E. in Greece, and was re purposed by numerous English dramatists beginning in the 16th century.  The most succinct philosophical use of this phrase originated from David Hume, who wrote in his Essays, Moral and Political:

“Beauty in things exists merely in the mind which contemplates them.”

By now, I am sure you are all well aware that J.J. Thomson (discoverer of the Electron) first formulated the “plum pudding model” theory of the atom. I am sure you also remember that Ernest Rutherford also disproved this model in 1909 with his gold foil experiment.

Were you aware, however, that JJ Thomson first formulated this theory during a time in his life when he suffered from chronic obesity? Apparently, he saw puddings everywhere as is evidenced by this 1902 sketch of a lost daguerreotype recently discovered in my papers.