Category: absurd

Walter McDougall

December 6th, 2015

Thank you, Monster Brains for posting a HUGE collection of Walter McDougall illustrations (click to enlarge).

McDougall was a prolific newspaper illustrator in the late 1800’s. His work is sublimely imaginative and bizarre, dancing on the border of surrealist children’s fiction…and nightmares. The captions are brilliant.

I confess, I saved all 86 images in the post because I plan to read them like bedtime stories. Each image is a vignette unto itself, often with a single sentence presenting a strange predicament and/or creature.

Somehow, these fragments coagulate into stories when I see them…hazy at first, but overflowing with possibilities.

See the collection of images HERE.
Desktop Goodies 11/27

November 27th, 2015

Did anyone have these toys?

Inbread people…

This is an excellent shop concept because it enables you to shoot the people who disturb your reading without making extra store stops.

“BURST WITH THE TERROR OF A BREAKUP!” You better believe I’ll be turning this into a sympathy greeting card if my friends ever need it…but I hope they don’t.

Ah, I knew it. See you in hell.

This makes me cry like the ASPCA commercials. I want to rescue every one.

Pretty much the greatest photo of all time:

Love this rare art nouveau piece, complete with giant fish.

A bookstore sign in the Netherlands. Amazing…

Time to bundle up for winter! I’m always freezing. I don’t know how I’ve lived without a knit Facehugger in the winter.

I’m never going to be part of Tinder culture…but this would be useful in real life if it were possible.

Gorgeous painting by Megan Buccere.

Great advice!
Happy Thanksgiving

November 26th, 2015

To my American readers…the Fiery Satanic Turkey of Death Cake wishes you happy Thanksgiving.

For those outside the US, here’s a cake that was supposed to be Thanksgiving themed…but I can’t, for the life of me, figure out what it’s supposed to be. This abomination transcends cultural boundaries. Any guesses?
Alvin and the Chipmunks…Goth Style

November 22nd, 2015

Chipmunkson16speed is exactly what it sounds like: Chipmunks, slowed to…well, a perfect Goth album.

Should I be embarrassed that I totally would’ve bought this album in high school or college? (Fine, who am I kidding, I love this…unfortunately, pretty genuinely and unironically…right now in my 30’s.)

You don’t see these tags together every day:

Listen to Chipmunkson16speed!
Halloween Countdown: Vincent the Vegetable Vampire

October 26th, 2015

I urge you to drop everything and watch the inimitable Morgan Freeman in the role of a vegetarian vampire (he starred in The Electric Company 45 years ago). Within 10 seconds, you’ll realize the combination deadpan delivery and exaggerated vaudevillian charm is nearly impossible to describe…but utterly fantastic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c99NfY7S1aA

I’ve actually never seen this show. Has anyone watched it?
Halloween Countdown: Worst Homemade Costumes

October 21st, 2015

This was a random image odyssey that led me to some memorably atrocious child costumes.

ET phone…the police, because someone is obviously about to be killed.

Speaking of…this looks murderous. Is it just me?

Clowns are the best potentially horrific child costumes, because it takes only the slight bit of makeup gone askew to create the look of pure nightmares.

All kid clowns probably look like this by the end of the day though.

Spiderman. Clearly. Or a postmodern conceptual costume in which the child is dressed as a precaution against improper measuring.

Thank you for the nifty label, or I might have hazarded any number of other guesses.

This almost makes me sad. But the child’s unicorn sass makes me feel better.
Halloween Countdown: Desktop Goodies #1

October 11th, 2015

Don’t know the origin of this, but I love the extra written touch.

This kid’s face is not exactly what I’d call “joyful.” At least the trees are happy.

Awesome.

A very intricately done Day of the Dead hanging bat!

This seriously looks like she’s wearing her sister’s skin.

A little macabre for a greeting, no (that pumpkin is crying actual tears while getting murdered). What’s with the gleeful spectators? Is this some kind of Gladiatorial event for squash and…elves?

The source said this is a real Victorian postmortem, but I have trouble believing it’s not doctored. Still…maybe the photographer was just really, REALLY late.

Gorgeous custom Monster High doll!

I wish this item hadn’t been taken down for sale/display. I would’ve done a feature post on the crafter of this fine wooden witch carving.

At first it looks like a strange pose, but my black cat Dr. Morbius does this gravity defying move all the time.

So long kiddies…pleasant dreams…
Desktop Goodies 9/9

September 9th, 2015

McDonald’s Icecapades…how was this not traumatizing for children (or was it)?

This looks like the Codex Gigas.

And then we have the Holy Bible, which apparently has a wider readership than I had suspected…

Seduction for Dummies (*groan*).

Make sure you order a DIET soda with this to save calories.

Puts things in perspective, no?

So true…

A dinosaur’s preferred travel method.

I wish I did!

I couldn’t find an artist for this image anywhere. Any ideas?

Ah, finally a realistic series.

Pants on fire!
Mark Bryan

September 8th, 2015

Mark Bryan describes painting as a process rather like dreaming while awake: a direct link to the subconscious.

Some stirring, tumultuous, apocalyptic images certainly arise…

He very rarely plans his paintings out beforehand (except for the political work) and prefers to see where each one takes him as it goes.

His portfolio also contains numerous war related images. He states:

Although turning inward is my first instinct and love, I can’t always stay inside my head and ignore what’s going on in the world. When the circus turns especially ugly or when a good idea appears, I feel the need and responsibility to make some kind of comment. Humor and satire have been my way to confront serious topics which are often too grim to portray directly.

There is always some satisfaction for me in pointing out the absurdities of human behavior and making fun of the villains of the day. I don’t know if this kind of work has any effect on the situation, but at least it has a therapeutic value for me and others of like mind.

Mark Bryan
The Best Worst Shirt Ever

August 30th, 2015

A loved one introduced me to a term he and a friend coined many years ago: The Wrap Around. Essentially, when something is so incredibly, mind-blowingly bad that it becomes utterly fantastic…it “wraps around” (yes, we’ve all heard “so bad it’s good” but I feel The Wrap Around is a tidier, more effective term for the phenomenon).

The BEST example I’ve seen in ages of something that clearly wraps around is the The Mountain Fall Kitty Tee.

Soak in every detail (right down to the color coordinated scarf). I’ll wait.

………..

…………….

Note: Fall Kitty is 100% irony free and contains 0% self awareness.

It’s perfection in every single way except for the fact that it doesn’t come in my size. I believe it starts in a men’s medium.

I’d venture to say I’d never be caught dead with a man who would NOT wear this shirt.

The Mountain Fall Kitty Tee