Weekly Dose of Mark

Monday, April 24, 2023 • 04/24/23

Nori Kimura was helping Stan Brown, and I understand one of the ways to use past tense in a sentence. Well, Nori was helping me, and Stan was shaking his head because I usually pester Nori to answer a question. Stan’s Japanese is pretty good. He can read hiragana and katakana well, but his Kanji knowledge is still below my grade level. We played a game called KitKat roulette, in which several KitKat flavors are in a bag, and you reach in and eat the KitKat with your eyes closed and tried to guess the flavor. Nori thought his taste, Macha. I guessed my flavor, Dark Chocolate. But Stan struggled with his flavor, which turned out to be Cheesecake.

Tuesday was a very full day. I hosted my online drawing group Epic Sketch Time. This time we gave each other tips on drawing birds. Hanh, who has enjoyed attending for the last three weeks, informs us that she will miss the next meeting. She’ll be traveling next week to visit relatives. Bill, Katie, and I are going to miss her. I hope she returns. I want to hear all about her travels. I picked up some take-out sushi for dinner at the Metropolitan Market. I wanted to have something in for Mom and Dad to eat in the car. There would be no place to take them out to dinner as their flight would arrive at 8 pm. All the restaurants would be closed by the time I got them into the car. It was while I was waiting for the luggage that I learned how much they took with them. Stan sent me a text saying I should look for two large bags, two backpacks, two carry-ons, a walker, and a wheelchair. I was a little worried. I only had a sedan. I was glad that I didn’t ask Krista to come along. As it was, poor Mom practically had the wheelchair and walker sitting on her. It was a long drive home, but they hung in there like troopers. It was late when all the bags were brought in. I texted the siblings to confirm arrival, took questionable items from the fridge, added new items to the refrigerator, and had the parents take their pills that I crashed out in the spare room.

I knew all about my folk’s adventurers in Hawaii. My brother Stan was good at sending us photos and updates via text. I could tell my folks were tired because they didn’t go into much detail about their trip on their ride home. They were more curious about how I’d spent my day. I’ll have to grill my father for details about his fishing in Hawaii later. I could hear them unpacking as I drifted off to sleep.

The following day the clinic called me on my cellphone before I got out of bed. I have a simple preventive procedure coming up, and I learned a few days earlier that my insurance required a visit to my primary doctor. When I learned this, I tried to schedule online, but nothing was available until after the deadline. I’d sent a message pleading my case. The call was to let me know that another physician could see me that day. Could I be there by 1:30? I confirmed I could. I went upstairs and began cooking breakfast. I thought my folks would be exhausted, but they got up when I got the eggs going. I was able to sit and eat with Mom. She complained that it was colder than Hawaii. I gave my father a kiss and a hug as I sat his plate down for him, and then I was out the door. I made it home to shower and have lunch before my appointment. Afterward, I went on a walk with my neighbor Pat. I also delivered a client’s completed project to the printer.

Alley News

The weather said it would rain this weekend, and it did, lightly. The rain was also in the evening. And while the ground was damp, it wasn’t so soggy that Krista and I couldn’t do some gardening. The state of the soil lent itself to the dandelion pulling I was doing. I could extract the long roots without snapping them off and risking the weed growing back. I made good progress. Once Krista retired into the house to do some cooking, I chanced the weather and used the weed whacker to know down the grass in the garden. I racked up all the trimming to help with Krista’s allergies. I will have to attack the rest of the yard this next week. The temperature will climb from the low fifties to the high seventies in the next few days. This will be unseasonably warm. That should help to dry out the grass.

My neighbor’s house alarm went off on Sunday. I went over and knocked on their door and pushed their doorbell. It was one that had a camera mounted on it. It must have been connected to their phone. I heard him answer and learned he had just left the house without setting the alarm. Somehow it must have been triggered. He thanked me for my concern and for coming over.

Our neighbor Judy is coming out more now that the weather is getting warmer. She’s mainly taking items to the trash, but I think we will see her sitting outside this week. I look forward to telling her more about my parent’s trip to Hawaii and how they brought the warm weather back with them.

I woke up with a song in my head:

Best Day of My Life by American Authors

April 20

#IDreamt RR invited me to participate in creating a diorama as part of an art project featuring multiple artists.

April 21

#IDreamt I was walking with my late dog, a Great Dane named Yorick. He was playing a game where he kept his left paw touching my right foot as we walked. As long as he did so, I was to touch his head

April 22

IDreamt James Stowe and I had to hide overnight in a department store. He hid behind dog food bags, and I hid on the ground behind large curtains. Stowe was caught. The employees were having a late-night party.

April 23

#IDreamt androids operating as caregivers or Nannies that were confiscated due to criminal activity would be repurposed as police officers.

I listened to a couple of books this week:

“The Charmed Wife” by Olga Grushin

“Before the Coffee Gets Cold” by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

“Love, Lies and Hocus Pocus” by Lydia Sherrer

“The Time Traders” by Andre Norton

“A Man Called Ove” by Fredrik Backman

Movies I watched this week:

 

39. April 15

The Lost Empire (1984) Rating: 2

This T&A movie is terrible. I would give it a one, but it had a robot in it, so it gets a point for that. The film purposefully went for levels of over-the-top nonsense. I watched it on Tubi after hearing my friend Travis Bundy exclaim what a pile of dreck it was. I confessed I’d seen this film before when it was first released on VHS. I’m wondering how long it will take me to forget it all over again.

April 16

Raya and The Last Dragon (2121) Rating: 7

I give extra points to movies that have dogs with names in them. While this movie doesn’t have that, it does have a rolling creature that reminds me of a pill bug. This movie pasts the Bechdel test with flying colors. It’s wonderfully filled with strong female roles that are so natural it never came to mind that it broke boundaries in that regard. So an extra point for that. My wife and I watched this on Disney+. It was designed to be a visually pleasing 3D experience.

April 18

Frozen II (2019) Rating: 6

I was going to give this movie a seven. But then I forgot that I watched it with my wife on Disney+. And so I’m now stuck with realizing it is probably more of a six. I think one of the movie’s highlights is Olaf’s recap of the first film. That’s hardly a spoiler, as you’ve seen the first movie by now, and his retelling is some of the best writing in the film.

April 23

Solace (2015) Rating: 6

Elements of old stories and their themes construct this narrative. There’s a slightly new take on a not-so-new story. I felt that it could have used a dog with a name. My wife and I watched it on Netflix.

April 23

The Invitation (2022) Rating: 5

Elements of old stories and their themes construct this narrative. There’s a slightly new take on a not-so-new story. I felt that it could have used a dog with a name. My wife and I watched it on Netflix.

More next week,

Mark

 

 

Weekly Dose of Mark

Saturday, April 15, 2023• 04/15/23

I sent out a Comic Critic email for the first time in months. I’ve realized I’ve fallen out of the habit of drawing comics daily, and I think I should get back into it. Before, I got more done. Well, at least I got a couple of comics drawn at the end of the week. The movie review was on “Zardoz.” Jane H. wrote about how that film temporarily stopped her lusting for Sean Connery. I’m paraphrasing.

I spent Monday morning and later evening in Downtown Tacoma. In the morning, I went to Freelance Fandango, where I met with Corey, Stan, Nori, and Haley. Corey brought prints for the binder, and Stan brought a Warlock compilation for show and tell. He also got a How to Think When You Draw book for Haley to check out. I brought in Shannon Wheeler’s Too Much Coffee Man compilation. Nori showed us bird photos he’s been taking with his telescopic lens. He would have been out on his kayak or taking more pictures, but it was raining today. This week, the KitKat flavor was Gato Chocolate, a chocolate mouse cake with a hint of strawberry flavor. We compared them to the American flavored Strawberry and Dark Chocolate. The Japanese flavor was once again superior. The Sisters of Pythias held a Ham dinner as a fundraiser in the evening. It was much better than the last Ham dinner they did. I think they took the feedback they overheard and applied it. Krista doesn’t like ham, so it was a treat for me. I went back for seconds. Oddly, small KitKats left over from someone’s Easter celebration were desert.

 

On Tuesday, I left the house at 6:40 am to drive to Seattle Central College to give a presentation titled “Cartooning as Labor.” I’d been invited by Leonard, who knew me from the Graphic Artists Guild. He teaches cartooning. I drove by five car accidents but did manage to arrive at 8am, in time for Leonard to take me to breakfast, where I had Bacon and Egg Tortillas with hashbrowns. I think the students got something out of it; some of them were interested in making cartoons. Others were taking the class for credit. A walkout was scheduled at 10 o’clock, so I left as the building emptied. When I got home, I made sure that Krista and I went for a walk before lunch. I ate a very light lunch.

My Uncle Bill, the twin to my father Jake, will be moving from New Mexico to Washington State next month. He’s moving to be closer to his family. Two of his daughters live in the Puget Sound area. I look forward to seeing more of him.

Speaking of my father, Jake, he and my mother are visiting my brother Stan and his wife, Nancy, in Hawaii. From the photos, he is texting the siblings; they are having fun at the beach.

I got an exciting email from the city of Tacoma. It reads:

Greetings and congratulations, Mark!

You have been selected to create a Traffic Box Wrap design for the City of Tacoma! We received 126 applications, and you are one of 17 artists selected, as a cohort representing a diversity of styles and perspectives, based on the quality exemplified in your past work. Rebecca Solverson will be reaching out to you soon to set up an orientation focused on the technical requirements and assistance in understanding the project and specifications for wrap designs. 

We greatly appreciate the time and effort you put into this submission. In addition to this opportunity, we may reach out to you to create one-off, site-specific wrap designs based on the information you provided about parts of Tacoma you feel especially connected with.

Thank you and let us know if you have any questions!

BK LeMay

I’m very stoked by this news. I’ve wanted to do a Traffic Box Wrap since the city started the program. I’ve applied before but didn’t make the cut. Then there was the pandemic, and then funding was an issue. I had my fingers crossed when I applied. I have an idea of what I’m going to do. It will be something that will be whimsical as people drive by, admired when they are stopped, and enthralled when they find hidden elements on close inspection. It’s going to be groovy!

Alley News

Every trip to Costco has included buying a couple of bags of dirt for the garden. We also picked up some Chicken Manure, which works very well but stinks to high heaven until you get it in the ground. And some would argue even then, there’s a smell. But the vegetables love it. Krista is worried she’s not getting the peas in early enough.

Pat Smith and I spent three hours at Wapato Park on Saturday because there was a Pokemon special event he wanted to take advantage of. I was all for this. The whole goal was to catch as many of one type of Pokemon as possible. So the last week, we’ve been gathering game elements to assist this goal. We plugged in lure modules, lure incense, and lucky eggs for extra points and enjoyed the outdoors. There was less walking than planned. We sat under the protection of roof-covered picnic areas because it was raining part of the time. Why would I do this? Besides my neighbor’s company, I’ve been stuck at level 40 for nearly two years because one of the tasks to get to level 41 was to catch 200 Pokemon in one day. And it never seemed like I had a good enough excuse to blow an afternoon in the park catching Pokemon, at least not on my own. It is with a happy heart that I can announce that I’m finally at Level 41, whatever non-accomplishment that is. It was a fun way to pass the time. But it might be a while before I do that again. If it wasn’t raining, I’m sure Krista would have preferred I mowed the yard and garden. She’s started to drop hints in that direction.

This week’s dreams:

April 8

#IDreamt I was flying to a reunion, but the plane was forced to land due to snow storms. All flights to the destination or out of the airport were then canceled. Discovered Arthur Ross Jr. was stranded with me at Cincinnati Airport.

April 9

#IDreamt Tacoma became an area of study as our dimension would partially phase with a similar dimension. In the other dimension, my friends had a toddler. So they would find ‘their’ kid popping in and out of their lives at odd times.

April 10

 #IDreamt my sister was in charge of a cruise liner’s entertainment. One of her performers for a dinner mystery was AWOL, so she asked me to fill in as an aging, poorly skilled drag queen.

April 11

#IDreamt I was working at a summer camp. The washers and dryers were caked with years of dirt and grime, so I was giving them a scrub.

April 12

#IDreamt Lani Lawrence was helping me buy property in the afterlife. Turns out that burning things like money did arrive for you. She had lots. Newcomer got a discount on land, so we were working on a deal.

April 13

#IDreamt I drew a t-shirt design for a band back in the ’80s that became famous and a pop culture icon. More than half of my income came from its licensing. It’s a shame that I woke up without fame or fortune.

April 14

#IDreamt I lived on the road. I was placing my aged orange cat on a sofa in a strange house to sleep while I rearranged the contents of the back seat of our vehicle.

April 15

#IDreamt four dreams last night. Each is in a different county with different people. All of them were jailbreaks.

I watched some movies this week:

35. April 8

The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot (2018) Rating: 8

When it comes to movies that have both Hitler and Bigfoot in them, this one is at the top . You might expect a film with such a cheezy title to be poorly produced, lacking in talent, and have poorly constructed dialog. But this film dismisses all those expectations. It’s played straight and honestly, just like the main character. The entire movie is all about a person’s character. Plus, if you are a Sam Elliott fan, as I am, you will find it a delightful film to watch. Plus, I give it an extra point for having a dog with a name in it. I watched this movie on Tubi.

36. April 9

Apollo 18 (2011) Rating: 6

I’m not a big fan of found-footage horror films. But I found myself drawn into this festival of shake-shots because it’s set on the moon. After viewing the movie, I found myself thinking of the cold war hysteria science fiction films of the ’50s. I love those old films. I believe that the undercurrent of nostalgia, along with my interest in space exploration, is what drew me to this movie. I watched this movie on Tubi.

37. April 15

Demolition (2015) Rating: 8

This drama involves a unique perspective of how a person has to excavate out of their numbness induced by denial, loss, and grief. What makes this well-sculpted film from a seven to an eight is the songs that are carefully selected for the soundtrack. The songs which aren’t familiar, you are left craving to explore. That sense of desire for exploration reflects the similar personal struggles of the characters in the film in a way that is genius in its subtlety. I watched this movie on a Netflix DVD.

38. April 15

Cocaine Bear (2023) Rating: 7

I’m giving this move an extra point on a title that became a pop-culture hit overnight. It also gets an extra point for having a dog with a name. I don’t think anyone expected this to be Ray Liotta’s final film. Mr. Liotta died in his sleep from a heart attack filming Dangerous Waters in the Dominican Republic. His death scene in this movie was gut-wrenching, and I would give an extra point for it, but it might be considered in bad taste. I watched this with Krista on Peacock. Well, I watched it. Krista gave up on it and busied herself with a game on her iPad.

More next week,

Mark

Unboxing: Stickermule Magnets of Killer Klowns from Outer Space

Weekly Dose of Mark

Friday, April 7th 2023 • 04/07/23

My friend John Markuson grew concerned when he did not see the Weekly Dose of Mark grace his inbox last week. I reassured him that all was well. I missed posting last week because I was too busy with the WA State Toy Show to type anything.

Many years ago, a guy named Steve decided to do a toy show. It was going to be held in Puyallup, so he called it something like the Puyallup Toy and Geek Show. There were not a lot of vendors, but he did fill up half a building. Steven was a natural when it came to organizing a show. He did everything right, and the one-day show was a huge success. The next year he expanded- really expanded. He went from half a small building to a huge building, from one day to three days. He added jump castles, tents, food trucks, military vehicles, and a dozen celebrities for autographs. I thought he over-expanded. But I was there for the first show, and I hopped on board for the second show. And it, too, was a huge success. The show went through a few name changes as it continued to grow. It finally became the WA State Summer Con. A couple of years ago, the toy vendors from at the first show asked him, “Hey! How about a show like the first one? Where it was mainly toys?” So Steve brought back the toy show as a separate thing. It’s smaller, gets a different crowd, and he does it a couple of times a year in other towns. I table at the one held in Puyallup because it’s just over the hill from where I live. And while it’s not as busy as Summer Con, it’s nearly impossible for me not to make a profit.

The WA State Toy Show is a two-day affair. Last Friday, I prepped all of my merchandise, loaded up the car, and then unloaded at the Puyallup Fairgrounds.

My neighbor Pat Smith was going to assist, but he forgot to clear it on his calendar. I called my friend Allen Gladfelter and asked him how he felt about helping me out at a toy show. He laughed, “A Toy Show? Sure! Why not? I’m not doing anything else on Saturday.” Krista was happy. Since the table was all set up, that meant Allen and I could take his car, and Krista would have a car to do some shopping. As a reward for helping me, I bought Allen breakfast at The Meridian Café, which replaced Aunt B’s. The Meridian Café is one of the few restaurants in downtown Puyallup that open before 8 am. Which is a good thing as the Toy Show starts at 9. They do a good breakfast there. I just don’t like the wood bench seats in the booths.

I’m very glad Allen came with me. While I did some final tweaks to the signage on the table, Allen walked around the two buildings, one of which had a second floor. He reported that there was a booth of Star Wars, Hot Wheels, Legos, and action figures. He laughed and announced, “There is a sea of Funko Pops.” I tried to squelch his rants on Funko Pops as Anthony, the guy selling right next to us, had his tables covered with Funko Pops. Things got very busy for me on Saturday. Allen was running most of the transactions, and I pulled merchandise from boxes. This was the first show while I was selling my new set of Atomic Age Alien pins. A couple of my die-hard fans came by and bought the full set. I sold a dozen more over the weekend. I “made table” in the first hours. I offered to buy Allen lunch, but we ate a big breakfast. I’d brought some snakes, and we nibbled on those. Allen and I were placing bets with each other. Who would return to the table? Who would buy something? Allen came out ahead. I thought for sure those emo teenagers would come back. A couple of my other friends were also at the show. Corey Macourek had a table featuring Star Wars backgrounds he made for folks who want to show off their figurines. Mark Brill was there doing Caricatures and selling some of his prints.

I was by myself on Sunday, which wasn’t a problem. Sunday wasn’t as busy as Saturday. But it was busy enough that I could sit and do some drawing. Every time I tried to draw on my tablet, I found myself talking to a friend stopping by or selling an item off the table. I took my time breaking down at the end of the day. Since the show started at 9am, it ended at 4, a little earlier than other shows. It wasn’t raining as I made two easy trips to the car. I could sit down and tally my earnings, which were better than last year. Woo Hoo!

Because it is spring break, Freelance Fandango was filled with teachers this week. I was so happy to hang out with my friends. While there was a lot of chatter and show and tell, I got a little drawing done as well. Mark Brill, Stan Brown, and James Stowe were there. We were all exchanging Weird Elephant prints. They dropped off extras for me to put into the archive I use to refill our binders. There was a discussion about who would want to create posters for some of the movies coming out. There wasn’t too much talk about art events happening in Tacoma. We’ve all had to rely on our solo activities in recent years; discussing or even being active with others is a slow habit to get back into. Sharing those activities can be a lot of fun. I gave a report on the Toy Show. Nori received a lot of compliments on his recent nature photographs. Stan has been regularly drawing monsters on Monster Monday and doing a podcast on his YouTube channel called The Sumo Show, where he and his friend Owen talk about sumo. I’ve been learning many behind-the-scenes facts about the players, the stables in which they live, and the political intrigue within the sumo association. You can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/@StannexStan

Alley News

My neighbor Pat is new to playing Pokemon Go. I think he and I have gone on more walks together in the last few months than in the many years we’ve been neighbors. He asks me questions about the game I’ve never figured out. Ever since the special Pokemon event that Pat and I attended at Wapato Park he’s been itching to be a part of the next one. I’m helping him locate Pokemon Go friends online, which is part of the playing process. But he has yet to actively meet any other players in person. Once he comes out of his shell a little, he’ll be more open to doing so. Most people I played with in the Fern Hill area use an app called Reddit to keep in touch and organize. I don’t use that app, so I never caught on. I relied on someone in that group to call me when something happened. That worked fine until she moved out of state.

The recycling service had to return on Thursday because they should have picked up the containers set out in the alley on Wednesday. Our neighbor Cathy Smith called the city. She is usually very quick about such things.

I had a quick visit with my parents this week. My father had a morning session at a chiropractor, and my mother went to the gym. I got to their house just as my dad returned from Kingston, and a minute later, Mom returned home. We ate a speedy, light lunch of clam chowder before I got Dad in the car to get some cortisone injections into his back. He’s been getting them about every six to nine months, and they have been helping a great deal. Dad asked the other patients in the waiting rooms questions about their upright walkers. He has one but desires a version with armrests. The people we encountered were very proud of their walkers and more than happy to show the unique features to be found on their model. I took photos to show my siblings in case his new interest continued. We made a couple stops back on the way home.

Dad lavished a sushi lunch on me the last time we were out. This time I got him some razor blades, a tank of gas, and a bottle of Makers Mark. I told him it was an early birthday gift. His 93rd birthday is next week. My brother Stan is taking Dad and Mom to Hawaii. While in Hawaii, Stan will take Dad fishing. I hope he catches a whopper. The sibling pitched in on that. I left my folks with some carrot cake Krista made, some Brazil nuts for mom, and some Japanese chocolate-filled cookie treats made for little kids with pictures of pandas playing sports. Then it was home for dinner.

Some of the meals Krista made for me in the last few weeks:

Chicken and Squash Sauce with Pine Nuts.

Katsu Squid Flanks with rice and brocolli.

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce.

A new variation on her Chicken, Carrots, and Noodles dish done with a Sheppard’s pie crust. This one is spicier than the other with a creamier coating.

Pulled Pork, this batch was spicier and sweeter than the last batch.

Salt and Pepper Panko covered cod.

Crispy Spicy Korean Chicken with rice and broccoli.

Songs I’ve woken up with in my head:

“George of the Jungle” by Sheldon Allman and Stan Worth

“Tonight You Belong to Me” by Patience and Prudence

Some of my dreams:

March 27

#IDreamt spirits would stay close to the people that killed them. I found myself following my murderer to prison. The ghosts there debated their purpose as there were no instructions.

March 28

#IDreamt, a large corporation, went to the moon to claim it as its own. They discovered the moon was already inhabited and had more advanced technology. The Lunites kicked the invaders back to Earth.

March 29

#IDreamt I was working as a graphic recorder at an impromptu conference. A hurricane had everyone in the hotel holed up in a conference room. Someone suggested we should pass the time constructively.

March 30

#IDreamt I found a terrific ‘50,s era looking suit at a thrift store. I bought it and, while wearing it, discovered it was a computer capable of time-dimension travel. From there, things got a bit hectic.

March 31

#IDreamt I met a band on tour to talk about storyboards. They were so bombed on pot that I used my phone to video them playing and interacting with fans who were more stoned than them. Made it into a music video.

April 1

#IDreamt that four agencies deal with supernatural events. They are so heavily warded that people who work for them often need to be remembered. Only people who are cursed can perceive them.

April 2

#IDreamt that I was paired with another dreamscape agent to infiltrate a roughy supercomputer. One access point was a hidden door on an elevator. The dream was looping, the computer’s defense system in action.

April 3

#IDreamt I was back in an alternative version of the old West where women were required to pass a literacy test to work in a brothel.

April 4

#IDreamt I was cleaning a river next to a metropolis. This was part of my duty looking for bad guys. I was talking to a raccoon and her pup for ecological advice, but they were city dwellers.

April 5

#IDreamt I was overweight with a beard and spent all my time at a dirt racetrack with a bad crowd. After a racing accident, I turned over a new leaf, left that scene, and changed my appearance.

April 6

#IDreamt, the secret cure to the secret alien virus invasion, had a 73% success rate being distributed in food at Denny’s. Taco Bell was selected as the next distribution site because of its user demographics.

April 7

#IDream I was walking into a lighthouse expo.

I watched some movies in the last couple of weeks:

32. March 29

Penny Serenade (1941) Rating: 6

I rewatched this film to confirm that I saw it before, maybe before I was a teenager, on our old black-and-white television set before cable was even a thing. It’s a soft-touch melodrama tear-jerker with bits of soft-touch humor. Perhaps its soft touch is why I had difficulty remembering if I’d seen it before. I watched it on a Netflix DVD.

33. April 4

Unhuman (2022) Rating: 5

This movie teases the audience with the zombie and young teen drama genres. It does land in the horror genre. When you finish watching it, you will have to decide where in your Venn diagram it falls. I watched it on Amazon Prime.

34. April 5

The Wave (2015) Rating: 6

You have the trope of a man’s marriage being a bit on the edge. But it’s done without a lot of exposition. The trope of an emo teenager, without it being in your face. His colleagues see him as tight, not paranoid about things, not really. These little bits of anxiety build to the moment when things obviously go, well, downhill. It's a fun enough disaster movie to watch.

There is so much I haven’t written about. I had a lot of phone calls with various family members and friends. Krista and I are trying to plan out our summer months for visitors and to visit. But, I must stop writing this missive at some point, fearing I will bore my readers or wear them out.

More next week,

Mark