I’ve mentioned before that I’m a huge fan of the art direction of Team Fortress 2. I’m a fan of the game, too, but it runs like a slide show on my computer. I took a few screenshots while playing on my buddy’s computer a week ago.

Enjoying a “sandvich.”

My friend, the creative and talented Andrew, A.C. to some, wrote up a terrific narrative based on this strange drawing from a few weeks back.

“Nope, no more bullshitting around for me!”

That was the line that almost forced me to turn my head around. Most times sitting in a diner you can’t help but overhear snippets of conversations or animated curses from the tables around you. Most of us don’t actively listen, but a certain turn of phrase or detail usually ends up being way too intriguing to ignore. So we sit there. Spooning eggs in our mouths and supping at our cups of coffee, all the while waiting to hear the next line in the ultra-real reality show unfolding in our presence.

“I’ve gone the bullshit route and it don’t go no where, so guess what?—I’m done with it!”

As casually as I could, I dropped my chin slightly and did a quasi-fake-yawn-stretch while looking over my right shoulder. Any other day this herky-jerky move would have elicited questions from young children, “Mom, what’s wrong with that man?” or concern from adults, “I think that guy is epileptic.” But on this day all eyes were directly and indirectly held captive by the man declaring his emancipation from bullshit.

I was glad I turned when I did. The BS Guy (which is what he affectionately became known as to the diner staff) was already standing up and briskly walking in my direction towards the door. He had an unnoticed, unlit cigarette in his mouth that complimented his unbuckled trousers. Not only was the man done with bullshit, but his arms and legs also appeared to have had enough with gravity, he pistoned them up and down with a determination only seen in NFL running backs.

“HA HA. Best day of my life!”

I didn’t hear this line said, so much as I felt it. As he passed by I could now clearly see his face. The BS Guy was in his mid-forties with a wiry build that, depending on the person, either meant a hard life or health conscious one. Smart money put this guy in the first camp. He wore an ill-fitting shirt and tie that would be considered “ironic” on a younger man and loosened pants from an undetermined time period. As quickly as my brain sucked in every detail and processed it, he was gone. No time to reevaluate or improve on the information my senses gathered. I was left with eggs, coffee, and questions.

More than anything that’s stayed with me about that incident is the extreme joy on the BS Guy’s face. It was a manic happiness that I think can only be found on the insane. Sometimes I think about what was the final click in the BS Guy’s head that made him stand up that day, or even what he considered “bullshitting around” was, but I guess maybe if I knew that then he wouldn’t be as fascinating, he’d be just like us; with his own problems and his own breaking points.

I can’t say specifically where this image came from, so I’m exceedingly grateful to AC for providing some context. The man in this drawing is one of those guys who acts fed-up in public places as a shtick, gets the attention, and wanders off to the applause in his own head. With his pants unbuckled.

Reading something inspired by my drawing is the greatest thrill for me. And that AC can write! Looking forward to more, bud.

The Popeye Cartoon Brotherly Love illustrates Obama’s American Promise nomination acceptance speech nicely.

That’s the promise of America, the idea that we are responsible for ourselves, but that we also rise or fall as one nation …

… the fundamental belief that I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sister’s keeper.

It is that promise that has always set this country apart – that through hard work and sacrifice, each of us can pursue our individual dreams …

… but still come together as one American family, to ensure that the next generation can pursue their dreams as well.

We measure the strength of our economy not by the number of billionaires we have or the profits of the Fortune 500, but by whether someone with a good idea can take a risk and start a new business …

… or whether the waitress who lives on tips can take a day off to look after a sick kid without losing her job – an economy that honors the dignity of work.

As President, I will tap our natural gas reserves, invest in clean coal technology, and find ways to safely harness nuclear power. I’ll help our auto companies re-tool, so that the fuel-efficient cars of the future are built right here in America. I’ll make it easier for the American people to afford these new cars.

And I’ll invest 150 billion dollars over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy – wind power and solar power and the next generation of biofuels; an investment that will lead to new industries and five million new jobs that pay well and can’t ever be outsourced.

Now is the time to finally meet our moral obligation to provide every child a world-class education, because it will take nothing less to compete in the global economy.

Michelle and I are only here tonight because we were given a chance at an education. And I will not settle for an America where some kids don’t have that chance. I’ll invest in early childhood education … And we will keep our promise to every young American – if you commit to serving your community or your country, we will make sure you can afford a college education.

Now is the time to finally keep the promise of affordable, accessible health care for every single American.

I will also renew the tough, direct diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and curb Russian aggression.

I will never hesitate to defend this nation…

…but I will only send our troops into harm’s way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home.

It is that American spirit – that American promise – that pushes us forward even when the path is uncertain; that binds us together in spite of our differences; that makes us fix our eye not on what is seen, but what is unseen, that better place around the bend.

America, our work will not be easy. The challenges we face require tough choices, and Democrats as well as Republicans will need to cast off the worn-out ideas and politics of the past. For part of what has been lost these past eight years can’t just be measured by lost wages or bigger trade deficits.

What has also been lost is our sense of common purpose – our sense of higher purpose. And that’s what we have to restore.

Take a look at those beautiful images again, those lush black and white backgrounds, those hand-inked cells and those awesomely grotesque drawings.

If it merits the effort, I’ll put pictures to McCain’s acceptance speech next week. My guess is that it will be pretty easy to find another Popeye cartoon to back his sentiment.

Popeye and associated characters © King Features Syndicate, Inc. Hearst Holdings, Inc.

Sara’s the recipient of a Cincinnati Entertainment Award for her role as Izzy in Rabbit Hole for the Ensemble Theater of Cincinnati!

- Proud Brother

I’m flattered! By happenstance, a friend found a copy of my drawing on deviantArt last night.

The original:

Being copied doesn’t bother me. It can be a sincere compliment. I copied lots of artists when I was a young lad. Most artists do. It’s a great way to learn techniques.

The artist says he just recently started drawing and is looking for tips and tricks.

1. Signing it was somewhat questionable. If for some reason you want to publicly display your copy, you want to make sure you give credit to the original artist. Especially the starving ones.
2. Draw from life. Personal observation makes for personal expression in drawing. Personal expression is what being an artist is all about. Go to a place with lots of people and draw ‘em.

I’m not currently playing a MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online game, World of Warcraft as an example) and I don’t see any on the horizon that grab me. I have several pals who play, but don’t play together. They each have their separate worlds and goals.

There was a sweet spot for MMOs for me back in 1999 with Everquest and then later in 2004 when Warcraft first came out. It was sweet because my pals and I banded together to play. It was brief, but those memories are fond, the chuckles, hearty. What a kick it was to try to bring very different-minded friends together to try to accomplish things in the game! It was doomed to fail, but it was a highly entertaining failure. I think we all felt that way.