Run Forever: Hey Day Comics: The Animus No.1

"It was The Best of Times, But All Walls Soon Fall."

This 2011 mini-comic explores a dark and fantastic world, following a lost soul (The Animus) and his music horn. Artist & writer Daniel Elisii dishes up, in this first book, a story where the subjects are deeply rooted in a dreamy-psychedelic and metaphorical landscape similar to comics from Sam Kieth, with a tendency towards mythology and a managed use of archaic English, all illustrated in pen and ink with a simple stylistic flare. To summarize, an original and fantastic find.

Elissi's illustrations take fanciful myths and language and add a hint of schizophrenia, as the protagonist speaks mostly to his horn. A poetic voice going out into the void, similar to The Stranger in the film It Couldn't Happen Here, during the song "Always on My Mind," by the Pet Shop Boys. The dark solid figures and shadowy landscapes juxtaposed to empty spaces seem to play with the exterior of some shadow world, like the spirit worlds depicted in indigenous-American folk lore, but with a noir twist. The Animus seems surrounded and trapped in a fate already drawn out for him and his horn, as he runs through landscapes that tend to become larger, darker and overwhelmingly detailed as the panels progress towards its rhythmic end.

Where can one find this comic? 

     Chicago Comics: http://www.chicagocomics.com/index.php

     Quimby's Comics: http://www.quimbys.com/

     Atomic Books: http://www.atomicbooks.com/index.php/heyday-comics-1.html

      Visit Elisii's virtual presence for this work and more, including shops to find comics and  news at:   
      http://www.insectash.com/

What follows is my response illustration to Elisii's Animus:

The Animus: After a Jam

By David Scheier

The Artists Holiday Shopping Guide

The Peterson Garden Project (PGP): Pop-Up Shop

Where: Chicago, IL. When: from Dec. 6th until tomorrow (Dec. 14th) which is the last day this holiday market will take place. It is filled with locally hand made crafts that should tickle the fancy of anyone. From jewelry and candles to edible goods this cozy shop has got some tip-top items, at reasonable prices. What follows are a few of the vendors.

Hindsight Recreated

By David Scheier

I hate to start with a shameless, yet modest plug. It's the artistically done and health/environmentally conscious project of (Subterranean Art Jive) guest blog writer Miranda Steffens. The candles are scented with non-overwhelming fragrances that vary from coffee, fruits, fresh herbs and undertones of ozone. The shameless plug: I do most of the illustrations for each candle label. An exception is the popular fragrance "Good Vibes" which is illustrated by John Wilmes. Siobhan Scheier, a tattoo artist and graphic illustrator. has also agreed to contribute to Hindsight Recreation's labels.  

Photo by Hilary Yankello
HY Potography

The popular scents have so far been, "AM Rush," a mocha-java scented candle and the fresh smelling, fruity twist of summer: "Good Vibes." All candles are hand made from soy wax, even the glass containers cut from discarded wine and beer bottles. One can purchase these products through the Hindsight Recreated esty account: http://www.etsy.com/shop/HindsightRecreated, but one can smell most of the scents themselves at the 2013 PGP Holiday Market.

Do Bats Eat Cats 

Looking for something to put around your neck, wrist or a celebratory Winter Solstice Tree? Then look no further at the finely crafted jewelry from Do Bats Eat Cats. Each piece is hand crafted and possesses dark and elegant charm -- skulls and Egyptian symbols in twisted, looped, and curled chain-mail. Prices are pretty moderate and many of these items will  be admired by the non-goth one might shop for. The linked Christmas ornaments are some of the coolest items and would even be great to hang on bird feeders, wind chimes and other hanging decorations. Do Bats Eat Cats has a grand selection to choose from, both at the Pop-Up Market and their Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/DoBatsEatCats

A Lovely Reprieve 

If  you're looking for something a bit more classic, yet still intricate, A Lovely Reprieve has a wonderful assortment of jewelery. Unfortunately their Etsy account does not have as much as their table at the pop-up market, however they have a vast assortment of unique trinkets (earrings, bracelets and necklaces) made from metals, fine stones, fresh water pearls, decorative pendants and vintage style cameos. Their table was one of the most impressive, and though all of the jewelry at the pop-up market is for the most part unique and incredibly beautiful, A Lovely Reprieve stands out even compared to some of the more artsy products due to their vividly colored accessories and vintage designs. http://www.etsy.com/shop/ALovelyReprieve

Note: I only mentioned the vendors I purchased from. Some of the most interesting items where Hanging Glass Art by Charlotte Wehr, who had a series of paper dolls made out of glass, suspended almost within the depths of the PGP Learning center, like modest two-dimensional dancers caught in dress rehearsal. At first glance Wehr's work looked like abstract, stain-glass inspired fragments of something larger. A closer inspection reveals these objects to be dolls, their clothing and accessories. Another striking artist had created organically-minimalistic, yet rich necklaces and rings made from wood. The rings seemed more conceptual than functional, still they were intriguing and worth looking at.

According to the markets host, Lindsay, this is the first year PGP has done a pop-up market. It's a great idea and a great way to support and learn about some of the local artists and craft-makers in Chicago. 

PGP Learning Center 4642 N. Francisco Ave
Chicago, IL 60625 

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Orgonite El Paso

For more those that seek art that's beyond functioning as a decorative accessory, Orgonite El Paso has necklaces, rings, pendants, bracelets, and other artistic inventions like robots and dinosaurs made out of gold shavings, crystals, common and uncommon metals mixed together in fiberglass resin. Orgonite El Paso claims his products (based on the controversial research of Wilhelm Reich) rid one of harmful ailments caused by cellular energy from cell phones & their towers, and other mildly radioactive gadgets. Whether one believes his pitch or not about curing energy with Orgone, it doesn't take a child of the new age to find his work creative and artistically thoughtful. His work can be seen in El Paso, TX. art and artisan shows. Some of his wares will be sold at an upcoming art crawl (in El Paso, TX.) from the Guerilla Art Collective this Thursday, December 19th within The San Carlos Building. The event is held from 6pm - 11. His work, info and followers find him via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OrgoniteElPaso

Gather Kindling

This one is for all the word junkies out there. Lit journals are perhaps not the most traditional gift during the winter holidays. However, Gather Kindling's magazine that can fit unfolded in your pocket, or able to trade/mail pages of prose and poetry due to being single printed cards instead of bound pages, is one of the most unique and interesting magazines in print. It is fairly new and celebrates the printed word in an era consumed by digital media. Not to say that books, comics, and magazines read on a Kindle or Ipod are bad, but it's relieving to see printed works not giving up the ghost or obtaining a ghost as is the case with Gather Kindling. This publication is fairly new offering a fresh (re)vision on past mediums the traditional lit mag went, stating to be:  "a print magazine for the digital age." Currently they have five issues and cost only 3 dollars. A great stocking stuffer for any writer, reader, or love of creativity. http://www.gatherkindling.com/

  

Meekling Press

Need more lit-jive for that special someone. Meekling Press, like Gather Kindling, is a punk fiction for a rebellious culture, saying no to the electronic press by creating one of a kind art-books. These are not books on art, they are art pieces. Each book is carefully designed to be a functional and readable book, but also a unique piece of art. Every book is hand made, the labor of these objects is evidenced by the craftsman ship carefulness given to each book of stories or poems. For example: some of their most recent short stories came out on a e-book, via a floppy disk. One can foresee Meekling Press only becoming more inventive, more outrageous, and more popular as time carries them through its currents. If you sign up to their mailing list you receive an occasional post-card every other month or so. Neat-o. Visit their Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/MeeklingPress


That is all for now. The holiday season has just begun. Thus, look for updates to this specific posting for unique DIY artifacts, ideas, and events. Also, look out for a few new posts coming up within the week. 

Best Holiday Wishes, 
     Subterranean Art Jive

Why Not Stover’s Red Raspberry Salsa?

      That’s right, raspberry! Red Raspberry! It’s sitting there in little sample plates next to its cousin, the cherry salsa and a bowl of tortilla chips, during a busy afternoon at the loop Farmers Market in Chicago Il. And you know what? It’s spicy and it's good. Ok, maybe it’s not that spicy, I mean I like habanera and ghost peppers, but for a Midwesterner or someone not raised on the border of Texas and Mexico like me, this might kick some of your taste buds around . . . in a very nice and refreshing way. It’s like a raspberry Molotov cocktail for your tongue. Ka-boom! Flavor is all over the place. The Stover’s sales guy is yelling suggestions to people sampling salsas and looking at organic produce, “Put it on your burgers, sandwiches, steaks.” He’s pacing back and forth eying Miranda[1] and me. “Raspberry salsa!” he reminds us, I’m tasting all the other salsas, and debate on getting a soft drink. His hands are moving without direction or purpose into the air, over his head and grabbing the pillars that hold up his tent. He wants to make sure we leave with a jar today. He repeats himself about putting it on a burger while I take my third taste of this delightful salsa and tell him I’m vegan, he says, “Put it on your tofu.” I think that’s not a bad idea. Miranda suggests getting some to make sandwiches with, only instead of tofu, she says, “Tempeh,” in a tone of voice that suggests she just invented the A-Bomb. And why not? If you like sweet and spicy food like Lorena Picosito[2] on your fruit salad then why not Stover’s Red Raspberry Salsa? I like Lorena Picosito, and Lucas Chamoy all over my jicama and apple chunks--nasty style, with a bit of lime and a shit tasting beer on the side. Heck, add some spice to my beer too. It’s a bit pricier than your standard grocery store salsa, but you’re getting this from the source. It’s all fresh and all natural too. It’s very much worth the six bucks. I know every ingredient without a dictionary on this Farmers Market delicacy. Thus we grab a jar of the simply labeled salsa, some more produce (including a ghost pepper for one dollar) and we head home to make our sandwiches:

·         Two slices of whole grain bread slightly grilled with vegan Earth Balance margarine.

      ·         Several Temphe bacon strips (I like the BBQ ones) fried in a light amount of olive oil.

·         Lettuce, tomato, Daiya Cheese, and a bit of ghost pepper for me, just enough to make my eyes swell up with tears but not trickle out.

The Salsa hardly lasted a week and I really tried. Raspberry Salsa: Awesome product, awesome Salsa!

 

 Visit Their Site for online shopping, products, a very interesting history and Farmer's Market locations.

 

Stover's Farm Market:                                                                                                    http://www.stoversupic.com/index.html/index.php

 

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[1] Miranda is a writer/artist as well as my girlfriend and fellow art adventurer.

[2] Lorena Picosito: This stuff is the bomb! A delicious Mexican candied powder made of sugar, Salt and Chili, it’s spicy and sweet, and will tear up the roof of your mouth if you eat too much in one sitting. It’s great on jicama and melon, other fruits too and it’s great all by itself.

The Greenleaf Band at Goose Island Wriggleyville

Okay, the members are characters that look like they stepped out of an indie comic-book. Imagine an orchestra of peasant shirts and baggy jeans, toss in some nice checkered heels and a black beret and you've got the eclectic look of these musicians. Every member has his/her own look, which reflects the sound, a combo of pop, folk, blue grass, and country styles (or so the band states on their site) that's pumping through the rhythmic veins of Chicago. When they play, no matter with who, they steal the show, the lights, and possibly a few drinks. And what do they sing about, things as simple as "Fiddle Away," which by the way is the title of said song. Let your brain be fiddle-diddled with some free listening on REVERBNATION.

The Band:
Amberlee Sheehan
Arielle Luckmann
Paul Larson

 Jams and Downloads @ REVERBNATION:

http://www.reverbnation.com/thegreenleafband#