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.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

The Return of Stickman #1176



Another straight trade that has entered my life.

“BadAss”
by Ben Thompson
This is the perfect book for making history interesting to juvenile delinquents, with colorful modern descriptions of the roughest, toughest, and beyond-nasty individuals who pounded their way to fame and glory.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

The Return of Stickman #1175



When you are in the habit of doing conventions and book signings, you’re often seated next to other creative professionals who are also hawking their wares. An instant camaraderie is formed, often resulting in the “straight trade,” that is, your book for their book. This week, I’ll feature the straight trades that have entered my life.

“Ruin Your Life” by Jack Cameron
Perhaps a better title for this book is “The How-To Guide for Living an Interesting Life without Dying, Becoming a Drug Addict, or Remaining Permanently behind Bars,” but I can understand why he went for the shorter, more effective title.

Monday, June 28, 2010

The Comic Critic Reviews "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"


Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band did not do well at the box office. Maybe it was because everybody was busy going to see Foul Play, Revenge of the Pink Panther, or Animal House to go and see a whimsical Beatles-themed musical tribute. Who recalls the frequent five-minute parking lot debate held before choosing which movie they would see that night? All I truly remember is that I saw Hooper in the theater (also released in Summer of 1978), but it would be a few years later on cable before I saw Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. And if I had to pick between the two of them again, I think Hooper would still win out. (I have a soft spot for Burt Reynolds.) But if the choices were Buckstone County Prison, Vampire Hookers (again, released in Summer of 1978) and Sgt. Pepper’s, I’m pretty sure I would go with Sgt. Pepper’s, even though I have yet to see either of the others. I would watch it half for nostalgia and half for the enjoyment I received the first time around. Look for those scene-stealing moments by Steve Martin and Billy Preston.

Monday, June 21, 2010

The Comic Critic Reviews "Luther the Geek"


Among the multitude of low-grade horror movies I’ve watched over the years, “Luther the Geek” continues to stand out in my mind. It would have been so easy for the writers, directors, and actors to have gone over the top to make this film very campy, but they decided to play it straight. When your antihero is a whacked-out nut-job whose only dialog is making chicken noises, that’s a very bold step to take. But because they played it straight, this horror flick is one of the most enjoyable for bust-a-gut viewing. Be sure to include it in your next Bad Taste Film Festival.

Monday, June 14, 2010

The Comic Critic Reviews "The Thief of Bagdad"



"The Thief of Bagdad" was thirty years old the first time I saw it on television as a little kid. Both color and blue screen technology were relatively new technologies for the moving picture industry. The studios were bound and determined to get their money’s worth from the cost of the color film, so they painted everything in bright brilliant colors. Where else would you see a sultan’s palace that is bright pink? Sails on boats, the colors of the rainbow? Glorious grand vistas, extravagant fabrics, everywhere it is color, color, color! And the hats! I’d never seen such an array of turbans and fezzes in my entire life. I didn’t realize how much an impact those fezzes had on me until I watched it again a few days ago. A couple of years ago, I started a group in Tacoma called The CLAW. We decided that we would wear fezzes. I hunted the Internet until I found just the right shape and color for our fezzes. I was astonished to see that all of the fezzes in the film were the same shape and color as those that The CLAW uses. And this film did more than have a profound effect on just me. When you watch Disney’s “Aladdin,” you will find a lot of influences, starting with the character of Jaffar. If the actor who plays Jaffar looks familiar, it is because he was also in “Casablanca.” Unfortunately, his amazingly brilliant eyes were captured in color only in this film. Thankfully, they get several close-ups. This whimsical colorful fantasy with all of its strange creatures and characters captured my pre-pubescent heart. I guess it never let go. And it remains one of my all-time top-ten favorites.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

The Comic Critic's First Commercial


When I first started to sell my book I noticed something. I made more sales when I showed the book to someone than when I described the book to someone. That's when I decided I wanted a tool that would allow the viewer experience what holding the book would be like, without actually holding the book. The solution was this wonderful commercial.

I met my friends Adam J. Manley, widely known on YouTube as Adam the Alien, and Joe Izenman about two years ago while participating in Tacoma's Frost Park Chalk Challenge. I've been a big fan of Adam's videos and Joe's music ever since. So when I came up with the idea for this commercial all I did was write a loose script, draw a quick storyboard, and then handed it over to these guys to do with it whatever they wanted. I think the results are fantastic.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

The Return of Stickman #1173


We don't see or hear enough of these stories. I think honest folks do stuff like this every day and we don't hear about it because most decent folks are also modest and usually say, "Don't mention it."

Sunday, June 6, 2010

The Comic Critic Reviews "Bubba Ho-Tep"


I am a big Bruce Campbell fan and he makes a fantastic aging Elvis with cancer of the pecker. Like many B-Movies, Bubba Ho-Tep does not take itself too seriously. But unlike many B-movies the quality of production and acting takes this film from being a mere novelty to something that's far more endearing. Give your brain cells a rest and just enjoy the extra sparkle that places Bubba Ho-Tep into the successful category of truly unique cult B-movies.

Friday, June 4, 2010

The Return of Stickman #1171


I'm not against a person owning a firearm. But, since the only shootings in home improvement stores I've heard about have been self-inflicted, you would think folks would leave their guns at home when buying chalk.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

The Return of Stickman #1169


I don't know why Willy Nelson getting his haircut is bother me so much. I didn't freak like this when he decided to get his ear pierced. Maybe it's because I've always seen him as a crazy cowboy country singer version of Pippi Longstocking.