Check out all the versions of the Ripper

Deanna and Susan Meiselas. Two sweet people.
See you at the Alien video premiere tonight-! Arto is gonna kill it-!

Dog, victim of the suburbs and its cruel jokes.

Bird, victim of feline aggression.

Bird, my cat was faster and proud enough to leave it for me a gift. Or maybe he was paying rent.

Crab, an assemblage of parts I found.

Comorant, Who knows what happened? Pollution? Fisherman violence? Old age?

Pelican, there was a die-off last year and nobody knows why.

Birdie, a car got the best of him. Although this was not near a road, it was at a school. Perhaps some student forgot to take his pills?

Sea Lion, starvation via disease perhaps?
Mix in some eyes pecked out by seagulls to make it nice.

Bird, about to be kicked by some kids. In death there is no dignity.

Some sort of fowl, chomped by a dog? A pack of gulls?

Possum, part of the suburban ecosystem, cannot outrun the speeding car.

Mouse, no Despereaux, his cunning wasn't learned enough to outwit his feline foil.

Hog-Nosed Skunk, moments before Rowley chopped his paw off, a rare breed, hard to spot. Luckily Geoff is a keen observer and is steeped in the knowledge of mustelids.

Kangaroo, missing his head it seems. These brutal humans and their games.

Genesis 9 -
³ Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.
⁴ But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.

Everything that moves you can eat, except stuff with blood? I agree! Thanks God! All Christians should be vegan!

Josh, the consumate thief, looks for ways to break into the unit next door.

Look at all the stuff they have!

The people next door's crap.

What photos do we need?

Deanna has a lot of stuff there.

Arriving at the art fair.

Started the day "Singing" at the DAP booth in the art fair.
I sung all your old faves, from Morrissey to the Charlie Daniels band.

There were photographs and pages from Deformer hung on the walls.

It was a big booth.

I should start carrying around a tattoo gun. That would be perfectly irresponsible.

people looked.

These kids who came to look at art also skateboard.

After the fair Deanna and I headed over to the New Image Art 15th anniversry show.

The crowd was pumping, and full of happy familiar faces.

Marsea was being interviewed. Running a small gallery for 15 years isn't easy.

Chris Johanson and Jo Jackson...

Rule.

Some Rich Jacobs and Phil Frost artwork...

Marsea and Deanna

This guy was there. Always nice to me?

Alex Olson is a man now. His dad was there too. I saw Koston and Mike Carroll there, as well as Ako and Atiba. Pretty epic skater turnout.

This guy again.

Amber and Deanna.

The crowd thinned out, I was just about to do the same.

There were art-school-girls of doom there.

Thrilled at the concept of having cleavage.

Marsea assured me she only had one drink. Congrats Marsea on another blockbuster show!


Bonus Link: Skate-Camp in Afganistan?

Aaron Rose has a very nice show up right now at the Hope Gallery go see it!

After Aaron's show, and after the water was dropped on the crowd from an angry apartment dweller.

Brendan Fowler has some art at the ART LA fair going on today!

Marsea Goldberg and Albert from Netherlands over at New Image Art
They are having a 15 year anniversary show Saturday Night that Deanna and I are both in.

Rich Jacobs was there to set up his stuff...

Grand Stewbian after Aaron's show...

Stijn, moments before heading back to Holland.

Bonus Link: Shep is going off.

So is Deanna!

Ethan Fowler. This must be pretty old. I would guess around 93?

Geoff Rowley, Arizona. 2004 or 05?

Perry Farrell, Los Angeles, 1994.

Mario Rublacaba and Thomas Campbell. He is working on his 3rd surf film, "The Present" right now!

"The Muska" This must be 1994 or 95.

Brian Gaberman, Australia, 2007

Dennis and Matt McGrath, Fountain Valley, 2000.

Liam and Shelley, Fountain Valley, 1998 or 99.

It will be at the NRW-Forum, Dusseldorf this April...

She will be showing her photographs of people with logos and autographs written all over them.
The show will be titled: Scratch My Name On Your Arm.

So if you find yourself in Germany this April, go check the NRW-Forum out!

Brendan Fowler is the only context you get.

It's sad that people have to be reminded to be respectful towards someones grave.

Yet still, people find it "respectful" to kiss the grave with oily lipstick, and write their name name on it, or perhaps do a ghastly drawing...

A shot from further away. Read some Oscar Wilde!

Check out No Age on the PETA website!

You can see my worried look like shes about to poke her eye out with that paint-can opener...

She painted with great concentration.

Speeding up the drying process.

She was pretty stoked.

Baby-sitting can be fun?

Sittard, Netherlands. Small town near the Belgian border.

House of Mirrors. (Probably Holland)

Copenhagen, Denmark. At the famous Tivoli Gardens

Tivoli again.

Young girl at the Boardwalk, Santa Cruz, California.

Pretzel vendor, Montreal, Canada.

Kids with fresh balls of spun sugar, AKA cotton candy, Tivoli.

Orange County fair, Costa Mesa, California

Ring-Toss, Paris, France.

Carnie watching over his ride, Paris.

Princess in carriage during the twice daily Boy Gaurd parade, Tivoli.

Llama, OC fair.

Girls with ice-cream, Brussels, Belgium.

Carnie waiting for the day to end. Tivoli, Copenhagen.

House of Mirrors carnie bangs on the glass to move the kids along, OC fair.

Roller Coaster, Tivoli. The only looped coaster I can get Deanna onto.

Went to see Susan Meiselas speak. She rules so hard.

She was conversing with this woman, and showing slides of her work. She shot war in central America, and carnival strippers in her early years. One tough lady.
Click all these links to learn more. You will be so much happier than if you looked at porn.

Very inspiring. I will go back tomorrow to see Jim Goldberg speak.

What an monumental couple of people standing next to each other! Susan Meiselas and Bruce Davidson!
Yes, Bruce Davidson.

When I stopped by the DAP booth, they asked me to sign some books...

Hey!  I had to show you this picture of my student.  I made him take it with the camera on his phone yesterday.  He was so excited about the shirt he's wearing.  He had asked for it for Christmas and he said it was one of his best presents.  This is the kid Ryan, who I had you draw and sign a picture for.  Out of all the students I've had who know you, he is the one that is most jazzed that you are my cousin (big smile).  He says he dreams of being able to go skateboarding and snowboarding in California one day.  He watches a "beach cam" of Huntington Beach every so often. It's so funny to be from a state that people "dream" about visiting.  You don't realize the allure California has, until you leave it and meet people who have never been there!  I bet that happenes to you a lot when you travel.  Well... enjoy the picture!
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Bonus Link: Deformer makes the Photo-Eye top books of 2008 list-!!!!

These were some shots from this last summer. A dip into the archive if you will...

The beach was packed on the 4th of July.

This sort of crud was going on too.

Looks like someone has sand in their crack...

"YES! I always did want the word 'ARMY' as my butt-stache! Thanks!"

Why is it that God and half-naked women go so well together?

Poaching on Deanna's territory...

Over it.

"Been over it for years."

Scope the New Logan Kincade video number 18 over at Skateboarder Mag.

Josh takes a minute to read a mural about the history of the Mexican people while in East LA checking out some spots.

The fashion was badass!

For some reason

I have been daydreaming

about the HB Park.

"Dia de Los Muertos?"
"No, just dead people."

Grant points out a sweet row of skulls.

Aye Carumba!

Los Angeles is a magical place.

Bonus Link: Don't hump the Bench

SO much excersize, "I gotta get with this excersize thing." thinks Matt B.

Then Jared went over to show some jock what is up when it comes to pull-ups. But in the act of doing it became a jock, and just high-fived the guy afterward. Jared is a husky fellow.

This guy sucked at his job. Perfect for us. We need more shitty security gaurds!

Advertising on every possible inch.
Employee: "What job is this? Security or walking billboard?"
Boss: "It's both, dumbass."

A bunch of kids showed up from downtown LA. They took the metro-link to shred the LBC. Then one kid said, "Will these photos be on the Toy Machine blog?" And I said. "You're damn straight it will be, lemme get your picture for some blog coverage."

"Me too!"

From there the mission denigrated into a child molester / abuser fantasy with all sorts of inappropriate touching, and physical abuse.

Too early!

Here is the backside of Austin's sweet boneless-one

Kevin was right, first sesh of the year was fun.

Cody trips on the epic light brah...

So tomorrow I will post my photos from yesterdays sesh...

Bonus Link: Guy dies floating with balloons.

Grif brought over his foosball table and we played in my garage...

My forward is Jesus Christ, man can that guy score.

Meanwhile, New Years was counting down on the TV, the stupid ball was dropping...

We milled about until the exact moment...

I kissed my honey into the New Year as usual. Always a good start.

An alternate view of the New Years moment.

Amber kissed Stacy...

Then we hit the already foggy streets and started lighting fireworks from a Toy summer tour long ago. There are always so many left over fireworks that they pile up in my garage. So we had a full arsenal of Roman Candles and Bottle Rockets.

Grif lights a roman candle at his face.

We had mini wars while the neighbors looked on in horror...

Lana was getting aggro.

Austin was shooting too. The street got so cloudy with the smoke and the fog you could barely see.

Getting ready for a rocket blast.

Grif is so good at bringing out the wacky in people. Hats off.

When you can't see anything, you could take one to the face. This one was close. Look at my horror.

The fireworks must have scared a local dog into jumping her fence, because this little lady, "Bailey" came running up to us... Allison and Amanda grabbed her and realized she had a bad cut on her leg. Probably from whatever fence she tried to jump. Deanna reads the tags.

She was pretty freaked out, but really mellow at the same time. She didn't try to bite anyone or growl or bark at all.

I tried to put a bandage on the cut. You could see her bone. What an adventure to start New Years for young Bailey!

Allison cradles the puppy like a baby. We ended up putting it back in his owners backyard. And spoke with the guy a few days later, all was OK.

The night wore on, we hung around conversing. Finally got to bed at 5am. Woke up with a headache.

The year is new, WE decide if it is good or bad.

Allison and Amanda checked out books in my library to start the night off.

Stacy looked at pictures on her camera rather than look at books. Kidding. In fact, I think she liked that book.

Sweet Melissa was wondering what it would be like to have the foot of a Transistor Sect while choosing a new book.

I have too many books. I can't read them faster than I buy them, so I need to stop and catch up. I am in the middle of a "book spending freeze." (Unless the book is really good!)

We had some Soy Egg-Nog...

And did a good ol' CHEERS! photo...

Then we ate the pizza that Stacy, Chrissy, and Deanna whipped up... Delicious.

Stacy shot this while I had food in my mouth after grumbling, "No photos, too busy eating."

Then we had a wonderful peach crisp for desert. See Stacy holding it up.
Whoops! I grabbed Stacy for the photo instead of Deanna!

Young Kevin showed up and made me very happy. Although we were about to play the board-game Cranium, wich in the past I thought he enjoyed, but he revealed that in fact he HATES the game. Sorry for the bummer Kevs!

There he is playing! You can see him burning up inside!

Grif was a great addition to cranium.

He was trying to draw a "Lifegaurd" but his team didn't get it. They need time to learn to appreciate L. Kincade.

There was a tray of vegan sweets for all to enjoy...

Inevitably, we went outside and payed homage to the HB park bar.

Petting it, and then ragaling each other with stories of the doomed park that was such a part of our lives.

Christine and Stacy, best buds.

Sweet Melissa and Stacy, best buds too.

The girls warmed themselves by the fire.

Then the alcohol started to kick in and things started getting weird...

The famous sword-dildo was busted out, much to Amber's delight. She had not seen such an ingenius tool, and was very interested in learning more about it.

I gave her a complete run-down of its finer points.

Stay tuned for part 2 tomorrow - as the night takes stranger turns...

Bonus Link: Randy Laybourne has a show coming up and here is a time lapse of his working on it.

When I get all the photos from New Years back, I'll do a mega-post. But for now you get this.