The Home of the Creative Mind

Welcome to PooBahSpiel, the online voice and home of the creative mind of Mark Monlux, Illustrator Extraordinaire. Prepare yourself for an endless regaling of art directly from the hand of this stellar artist. And brace yourself against his mighty wind of pontification. Updates are kinda weekly and show daily sketches, current projects, and other really nifty stuff.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

The Return of Stickman #1147


This doesn't seem to me to be a project that a student would come up with. I smells more like a teacher's idea, a teacher looking for some corporate sponsorship.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

The Return of Stickman #1145


While the TV news reported in length on the little ducklings' rescue, it was the departing comment that elsewhere in Sammamish a coyote pup was also rescued from a drain. But it didn't get as much airtime because they didn't have anyone shooting video of it for them.

Monday, April 26, 2010

The Return of Stickman #1144


Sorry to disappoint you folks but I didn't have time to do a movie review this week. I was busy participating in Mouths & Mics: Poetry in the 253 honoring the new Poet Laureate of Tacoma. I also manned a table for the CLAW at Wayzgoose. I hope that you can be happy with Stickman until I get a new review drawn.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Thursday, April 22, 2010

The Return of Stickman #1142


I'm very glad that I was reminded that today was the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. Like so many others, I've taken this day for granted.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

The Return of Stickman #1141



KFC is really thinking outside the box by creating a sandwich that used chicken instead of bread. A real artery killer.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

The Comic Critic reviews Psycho


I thought about doing a strip without words, using only iconic pictures from Psycho. Well, there would have been one word, “Mother.” Instead, I decided to concentrate on what made this film great at the time and that still makes it great today. Hardboiled crime fiction was the rage at not only the box office, but on the radio as well. It saturated the marketplace so completely that when Hitchcock stood the movie on its ear by abruptly killing one story line (the hardboiled genre) and switching to another story line (the horror genre), the shock had quite an effect. It changed our expectations. This heightened sense of unease would lock the scenes that followed into our memories forever, and cause a few people to keep their shotguns in the shower.

Friday, April 16, 2010

The Return of Stickman #1138


FYI: The cat weighed ten pounds going in and came out weighing only three. No name was given for the cat in the story. That is very odd. All I can think is that the cat didn't have a name or its name was something terrible, like Hitler.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

The Return of Stickman #1136


Only 40% of cats carry this germ. And even fewer people react strongly to it. But every now and then you get a perfect storm and the next thing you know you have a couple of balloons under your arms and you're wondering if you got the plague. Not that I ever caught it, mind you.

Monday, April 12, 2010

The Return of Stickman #1135


I can't help but think that if your government is telling you that your cat is attacking people, you might consider that slim chance that Tiger is stepping onto the wild side.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

The Comic Critic Reviews "Black Narcissus"


My good friend, Polly Law, lists Black Narcissus as one of her all-time favorite films. I remember seeing it on television when I was in my preteens. The questions I had then I still have now: “Why don’t we get to see more of the Old General?” and “Why didn’t that actor go and get those long legs of his tanned before starting this role?” and “What is up with that hat?” Watching the film as an adult, I enjoyed all the same key moments I did when I was a kid. But while I find the film greatly enchanting, I am still left wanting it to go on longer, even after all this time has passed since my last viewing. Still, I might give it another viewing …say in about another 30 years.

Polly Law
says: Black Narcissus has it all- a dense script rich with subtext, deep characters, gorgeous visuals, lots of sexual tension, and a guy with long legs riding a very short pony.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

The Comic Critic Reviews "Tortilla Soup"


I’m a big fan of foreign films. Never a fan of dubbing, I’ve always loved listening to the words the actors originally spoke. Yeah, it’s true you have to read subtitles quickly. And there is an art to the subtitle. Size, color, and frequency are all important. While I will endure or even enjoy subtitles, there are lots of people who just won’t bother with them. For the U.S. market, a lot of foreign films have been remade with all new actors and settings to go with the all new language. Some become big hits like “Three Men and a Baby;” others fly under the wire like “Shall We Dance?”. This one, “Tortilla Soup,” hits the middle ground and does okay. And I just can’t help but think that the soundtrack helped.

Friday, April 2, 2010

The Return of Stickman #1133


I hope you enjoyed this week's failed crime wave. There is something that police officers see daily that the honest Joe on the street doesn't mull over too often; Those who are dumb enough to commit crime are, well, dumb.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

The Return of Stickman #1132


Yikes! I nearly forgot to post this up today. Speaking of forgetting about things, I wonder if the city council will forget about this woman again. This is the second report of her doing this in two years. Though last time I do believe she wore pasties.