Arts in the Family

Friday Roundup

2012-02-24T09:37:00.009-08:00

Doc Ed at Woodridge Elementary with lots of fun stuff to show off to the kids. Thanks for the photo Dr. Jones.

This week saw a lot of painting here at Rancho Ramirez. I've got thirty illustrations so far of pre-production art for the puppet show (which probably covers most forms of puppetry including animatronics) to be produced next year in Dallas.

Doc Ed hit the road this week visiting the kids at Fort Sam Elementary and Woodridge Elementary.

I did a bit of voice over work at the offices of Raining Popcorn Media this morning. They're as busy as ever over there but once things calm down for them we should have a chat about some projects they've had in mind for a while.

Tonight the work week will wrap up with more painting of pre-production art followed by an attempt to finish the Dalek I've been struggling to complete. Have a great weekend! Adios amigos!!

On the Road with Doc Ed

2012-02-23T13:44:00.012-08:00

Yesterday morning started off okay for good ol' Doc Ed. I was schedule to do a presentation at Fort Sam Houston Elementary which is only ten minutes away. As usual, I got directions from Mapquest but I also got some from my contact at the school. Off I went with plenty of time to get there. I got to the base, passed the guardpost, followed my trusty map then proceeded to get terribly lost. I went around again to the guardpost for directions then got lost some more. I stopped to get directions from someone else in the hopes of getting my bearings and still I was lost. The street signs I was looking for were nowhere to be found.

Then, after driving in circles for half an hour, I decided to drive in what I believed to be the general direction of the school. Being lost on a military base is not a good idea because eventually you'll be noticed. That could be good or it could be bad. Luckily, I found the school and breathed a huge sigh of relief. From now on I'll carry a compass, maps and bread crumbs.

From Way Back When: The Three Dog Night- Mama Told Me Not To Come (1970)

2012-02-23T06:13:00.000-08:00

Dalek Dilemma

2012-02-21T22:02:00.000-08:00

I've been tinkering with this Dalek for about a week now while taking a little breather from my work but my schedule has been so busy of late I haven't had the time to finish it. Daleks have a lot of details to paint. Mucho pain in the neck. Looking at it now I can see some areas that are a little off that will now drive me batty until I get a chance to fix them. Alas.

Slapstick Theater- Gilda Radner Live (1980)

2012-02-19T13:23:00.001-08:00

Sunday Morning Matinee: The Red Balloon (1956)

2012-02-19T06:57:00.000-08:00

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

2012-02-18T08:32:00.000-08:00

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore from Moonbot Studios on Vimeo.

From The Sketchbook- Imperial Royal Guard

2012-02-18T06:28:00.000-08:00

Imperial Royal Guard. Acrylic on Paper, 8 1/2" x 11".

Milagro de Monterrery Book Available in Digital Format

2012-02-17T07:47:00.001-08:00

The picture book, The Miracle of Monterrey, the inspirational story of the of the Little League team from Monterrey, Mexico that, in 1957 was the first foreign team to win the championship is now available in digital format for Kindle, iPad/iPhone and Nook. Check it out at Raining Popcorn Media.

Friday Roundup

2012-02-17T07:12:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday to all! It's been pretty crazy here at Rancho Ramirez, as usual. Pammy has been baking fiercely at the Grey Moss Inn because of Valentine's Day and that carried past the big day through the end of this week. We've also been working on a psa script that we hope to shoot in the next week or so. It would be shot outdoors and the weather has been rainy lately which is great because we've got to make up for the serious lack of rain from last year. Once the script is finished we move on to figuring out the shots with storyboards. Fun stuff, man!

I'm still painting the art to be used to pitch the puppet show (puppet covers a huge swathe here) that will be performed in Dallas next year. I can't show any of it to you unfortunately. The final art needs to be completed and sent off by the end of the month. Tick, tock, tick, tock.

I did some shopping for a new costume for Doc Ed. I've been using the two I now have for the last couple of years and they need a vacation. I hope to get something slightly different for his look. We'll see. I'm waiting to see what my supervisors at work have to say once they see what I've selected. I might be wearing the new costume as early as next week. Cool! Costume asides the shows have been going well. I seem to finally be getting into a groove with the Count on the Edwards Aquifer kindergarten show and the Rock Star show too. I've learned how to make it work and flow really well so that it's still educational but also fun and entertaining. It's a balancing act that takes time to perfect. I think I'm proudest of what I've accomplished with the kindergarten show. Talking about the Edwards Aquifer with that grade level is pretty intimidating but I've managed to make it work. Pat myself on the back for that one!

My son and I have a two week break from the stop motion animation class that makes me worry a little. It's not our choice to miss these classes. I think the teacher has some employment obligations that prevent him from being around for two weeks. The class ends in late May meaning we have a lot of work to do once class resumes. Caracoles!!

All in all it's been a good week. Maybe a little stressful but good nonetheless. Have a relaxing weekend. Adios.

On the Road with Doc Ed

2012-02-15T14:07:00.000-08:00

I spent a very fun morning endu-taining the kids as my alter-ego Doc Ed over at Cody Elementary. My next stop is Fort Sam Elementary School. If you'd like to book Doc Ed for your school go to Doc Ed's homepage here . Adios!

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T08:22:00.000-08:00

Banzai Monday

2012-02-13T19:53:00.000-08:00

One of the coolest movies of all time is "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension". It's a movie that should have gotten a sequel but never did. I haven't seen the movie in over twenty five years (yikes!) and a couple of months ago almost bought a vhs copy at a Goodwill but went against my instincts and didn't. Boy, do I regret that. I went back a few days later and of course it was gone. Doh!! I now plan to look for the dvd version with all the added goodies. In the meantime I wanted to share with you a morsel of nerdy goodness.

I've been ionized, but I'm okay now. -- Buckaroo Banzai

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckaroo_Banzai

http://www.banzai-institute.com/

Slapstick Theater- W. C. Fields in The Dentist (1932)

2012-02-12T19:07:00.001-08:00

"Start off every day with a smile and get it over with."- W.C. Fields.

Sunday Morning Matinee: David Copperfield (1969 )

2012-02-12T16:01:00.001-08:00

Sesame Street- How Crayons are Made

2012-02-11T18:41:00.001-08:00

Circus Memories 1994- Guest Clowns Addendum

2012-02-11T13:38:00.000-08:00

I wanted to identify the clown performers in the photo. Starting on the far left, with only his arms, bare leg and yellow shoe visible is Keith Alexander. Next to him in a blue derby is Huel Speight ( who at the time was starting his fifteenth year with Ringling). Behind Huel, wearing a Blue hat and yellow socks is Ray Ray LeClaire. Left of center is Benny Schultz. Next to him is Edge Szumoski. That's me in the red white and blue costume and behind me is Chris Allison. On top facing away in the orange jumpsuit is Max Richardson and facing the camera is Josh Schulman.

FYI: Just a quick note about magnifying the images. If you click directly on the image it appears on a black field but not much bigger. If you click on the white area just outside the image (if at all possible) you'll get a better magnification. Don't ask me, why it just does. Usually.

Circus Memories 1994- Guest Clowns

2012-02-11T09:21:00.000-08:00

Click on the photo for a better look.

The clipping above is from 1994, almost a month into our First of May year on the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus. We joined the show midway through their two-year "Children of the Rainbow" tour. The second leg of the tour is referred to as the "Rodeo Route" presumably because some of the arenas we played were used for rodeos.

By this time we were starting to become pretty familiar with the day to day life of clowns in this particular circus. As part of performing in the shows we sometimes would be tasked with working a "Guest Clown" into come-in, which was the 30 minute, pre-show put on by clown alley that would lead in to the show. Guest clowns could be just about anyone. These guest clowns could be contest winners but often times they were local celebrities such as newspaper reporters as was the case on this occasion.

If you had a guest clown to work with during come-in you'd have to apply his makeup, select his costume from the Guest Clown trunk and give him a crash course in circus clowning. You also had to work him into the routines that you were a part of for come-in. All this usually had to be accomplished in a very short amount of time. An hour seemed to be the average in most cases. Once come-in started the Guest Clown was with you for as long as you were on the floor performing.

The above article details a reporter's Guest Clown experience with Chad Miller and Benny Schultz as his clown guides. At the opening of come-in Clown Alley performed a comedy acrobatic routine after which, upon it's conclusion, we'd break off into different groups to perform our individual gags on the track surrounding the rings. Chad and Benny did a "doctor gag" that, for that afternoon, included an extra doctor.

I haven't looked at the clipping in a long time and smiled at the references to what Benny refers to as clown combat, which is what he called come-in. That's not a term we used and was probably created by Benny and Chad for that particular article. The doctor gag had a blow off where the patient being worked on was actually a car that Chad or Benny would drive away...sometimes. There were times when the patient wouldn't make it and would have to be pushed away.

This particular article was special because photos were taken of our come-in which we couldn't do for ourselves. It shows Benny, Chad and the guest clown in the doctor gag and the end of our comedy acrobatic routine. If I'd been a little smarter I'd have talked to the photographer about getting copies of any other photos he'd taken of come-in. Too bad.

Doc Ed Update

2012-02-09T12:43:00.000-08:00

My alter ego Doc Ed is always going here and there to edu-tain the kiddos. Here are a few upcoming performances.

February 15th....... Ed Cody Elementary
February 23rd...... Woodridge Elementary Science Night
March 31st............ Witte Museum
April 3rd............... Medina County Fair
April 4th .............. Northside Environmental Fair
April 21st.............. Kidfest
May 1st................ Schultz Elementary

From The Sketchbook- Waterfall

2012-02-08T19:26:00.000-08:00

From Way Back When: Teri Garr for L and M (196?)

2012-02-06T21:31:00.000-08:00

Monday. Is It Really Monday?

2012-02-06T20:40:00.000-08:00

Today was not bad as Mondays go. I put an air compressor for my airbrush on layaway. That's right- layaway. That's old school. There are still a few places that do that. I don't think I'd be getting the compressor without it. @#!* the credit card companies! Viva the 70's!!

I'm still drawing presentation art for a puppet show which is going well. They're color studies in pastels which is a fun medium to work in. I can't post any of it now but later, if possible, I will. Now it's time to call it a night. Long day, y'know. Night, night.

Slapstick Theater- The Kid (1921)

2012-02-05T17:33:00.000-08:00

One man and a baby.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kid_(1921_film)

Sunday Morning Matinee: C.C. and Company (1970)

2012-02-05T10:28:00.001-08:00

Friday Roundup

2012-02-03T14:48:00.000-08:00

Hello to all. I feel like I fell off the face of the Earth for not having posted since Monday. My wife and I have had some school teacher problems to deal with this week. Please allow me, if you don't mind, to pass on a little advice to those of you who have children that will soon be entering a school, private or public (We've lived both). If you ever have a teacher tell you they are having problems in class with your child, sometimes it's a good idea to take whatever they say with a healthy dose of skepticism. Listen to your child because your their first and only line of defense.

Now, back to your regularly scheduled blogging.

Our Monday

2012-01-30T20:12:00.000-08:00

Mondays are generally busy days here at Rancho Ramirez. The kids are back in school after a weekend of fun at home. This the day you catch up on all the things you blew off over the weekend because it's the WEEKEND! We're firm believers that the weekend shouldn't be for working unless you have no other choice. We're old school that way and we intend to pass that on to our kids.

So today meant catching up on household chores that you'd rather avoid doing most any day of the week like laundry and washing dishes. But today was also the day I started to work on drawings for puppets that will eventually be made for a puppet show in Dallas. More on that later. And, of course, Pammy and I continue planning for the future. In our line of work it's important to have a few irons in the fire.

But now the day is coming to a close and I'm barely keeping my eyes open while I type this. Tomorrow is another early day here at Rancho Ramirez. Enjoy your week but enjoy your weekend even more.

Slapstick Theater- Nichols and May

2012-01-29T09:29:00.001-08:00

Mike Nichols and Elaine May- Improvisational Comedy Masters.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nichols_and_May

http://comedycollege.publicradio.org/archive/nichols_may.shtml

Sunday Morning Matinee: A Trip to the Moon ( 1902 )

2012-01-29T07:24:00.000-08:00

Georges Melies: cinematic magician.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_M%C3%A9li%C3%A8s

http://www.victorian-cinema.net/melies.htm

http://www.victorian-cinema.net/melies.htm

From Way Back When: Cookie Monster's Sandwich (1970)

2012-01-28T21:50:00.001-08:00

Friday Roundup

2012-01-27T13:49:00.000-08:00

Doc Ed and his pal Karston, the Texas Blind Salamander being goofy for the kids at Knowlton Elementary. My camera is still acting up so pardon the poor picture quality.

This week my kids got to see the costumes they'd be wearing for their dance recital, Pammy and I have a puppet project brewing and Doc Ed presented his Count on the Aquifer for the kindergarten students at Knowlton Elementary.

Oh. I almost forgot to mention my son and I attended our first stop motion animation class earlier this week. Our assignment is to write a two to three minute script then create the storyboards. Next week we'll have our work reviewed and proceed to the next step: character development. Very cool stuff. The goal is to have a finished short film by the end of May which is both exciting and intimidating. This will be a great test in patience for both my son and I. But it's also very exciting.

From Way Back When: NYC Star Trek Convention (1973)

2012-01-26T20:20:00.000-08:00

From the Sketchbook- Buster Keaton

2012-01-25T18:28:00.000-08:00

Buster Keaton as Hamlet from his silent short Daydreams (1922).

January Sky #3

2012-01-23T10:13:00.000-08:00

Slapstick Theater- The Absent- Minded Waiter (1977)

2012-01-22T18:01:00.000-08:00

Sunday Morning Matinee: The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976)

2012-01-22T08:15:00.000-08:00

From the Sketchbook- Scooby Doo Haunted House

2012-01-21T22:01:00.000-08:00

A variation of an illustration from the back of a graham cracker box.

January Sky #2

2012-01-21T07:58:00.000-08:00

From the Sketchbook- Orion Slave Girl

2012-01-20T22:03:00.000-08:00

Yvonne Craig as Marta from Star Trek original series, season three, "Whom Gods Destroy".

January Sky #1

2012-01-20T12:35:00.000-08:00

Don't ask me why but my camera seems to be taking pictures again. Darn, digital gizmo!! Here's a nice shot of a late afternoon sky. That's what I'm talkin' about!

Friday Roundup

2012-01-20T10:19:00.000-08:00

Good ol' Doc in his original costume.

This month has been busy with rehearsals and meetings at the Edwards Aquifer Authority to see how the Doc Ed shows can be improved. So far, so good. I've also got to shop around for a new costume for good ol' Doc. The costumes I've been using for the last three years still look good but it wouldn't hurt to add a twist to the look.

On top of that I'm in the middle of making new props for the new Doc Ed show geared for the kindergarten audiences. Since the audience is pretty young I've got a little more leeway to be playful with the kids as I talk about the Edwards Aquifer in the simplest terms possible. My next kindergarten show is next week so I have to finish all the props no later than mid-week. Very exciting.

One of many beautiful murals painted by the San Anto Cultural Arts mural crews.

Beyond that I've been looking to get back into the visual arts world a little more. Earlier in the week I stopped by the offices of San Anto Cultural Arts. They do a lot of different things for the community on the west side of San Antonio including mural painting. In late 2002 I worked as part of a mural crew for them. I missed painting outdoors on huge walls so it was nice to get back into it. Other opportunities presented themselves soon after and I lost touch with them. Happily, they're still around a going strong. I'm hoping to get a chance to paint for them again this spring if possible. For more info go their site here .

Last year's winning entry for the Tejano Conjunto Festival poster contest.

I'm also going to submit an entry to the Tejano Conjunto Poster contest. The winner receives a cash prize of $1,000. That's good motivation for a father of two. The last time I participated was ten years ago and it's time to try again. I'm just looking to shake things up a bit to see what develops and if anything does I'll be very happy and if nothing happens at least I tried. I've got to be positive, though.

Puppet Theater Memories

2012-01-19T14:59:00.000-08:00

The series of photos in this post show the backstage area of the Le Theatre de Marionette at The North Park Center Mall in Dallas, Texas. I spent a lot of time there. Those two marionettes hanging at my workbench are for a spring variety show at the mall. Those marionettes were beautifully made by a puppeteer whose name I recall right now. The tin man was actually made mostly of tin so when he walked he made a clanking noise. That's an Elvis marionette to the far right of the picture. He performed to "Blue Suede Shoes" and actually had swiveling hip action. It was cool. They were very old and needed a little touching up before we could use them.

Here are some more of the marionettes for the show. There was Judy Garland and Gene Kelly and a couple of Fred Astaire marionettes. The tall puppet on the left was a mouse puppet Tina Gromova owned and wanted to use for the show but I don't think that happened. She would go home to Russia a least once a year always returning with some very cool puppets like the giant mouse.

(left to right) Eliza Doolittle, The Wicked Witch, The Cowardly Lion and the Scarecrow. Of those four we used the Scarecrow for the show.

That's the one and only Tina Gromova doing repair work on what appears to be a very intricate inner workings for a marionette.

Blackout

2012-01-18T09:45:00.000-08:00

Call and write your elected officials today to speak out against SOPA and PIPA.

Night of the Comet Fan Site

2012-01-17T12:50:00.000-08:00

If you are a fan of the film Night of the Comet there's a website you should check out that is dedicated to it. It's called Night of the Comet.Info: The Ultimate Night of the Comet Fan Site. I recently sent some sketches to be posted in their fan art section. The link to the site is here .

From the Sketchbook- Doctor Lazarus

2012-01-16T20:34:00.000-08:00

Slapstick Theater- "Get a Life!" Sketch from Saturday Night Live

2012-01-15T10:11:00.000-08:00

Sunday Morning Matinee: Where's the Bus? (1966)

2012-01-15T09:55:00.000-08:00

http://www.myspace.com/video/johnfprods/teri-garr-in-quot-where-39-s-the-bus-quot-1966/2507966

Cloak and Dagger

2012-01-14T18:09:00.000-08:00

We watched Cloak and Dagger last night. It's been a couple of decades since I last saw it and had forgotten how it had been shot here in San Antonio. It's a good popcorn movie. Dabney Coleman must've had fun playing duel roles as secret agent Jack Flack and military air traffic controller Hal Osborne. He was a pretty busy actor back then. Whatever happened to him?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloak_%26_Dagger_(1984_film)

From Way Back When: Taco Flavor Doritos Commmercial (1977)

2012-01-13T21:17:00.000-08:00

Friday Roundup

2012-01-13T20:36:00.000-08:00

This week saw the debut of Karston, the Salamander puppet for Preschool Doc Ed shows. The show was for an audience of daycare age kids so there were children that were as old as four and some that looked to be maybe a year and half. I was a little uneasy to say the least and my plan was to keep the show as simple and short as possible. There were also many points throughout the show where I got the kids on their feet to be rain or to pretend to be a washing machine. At their age sitting and watching is not an option.

It was going relatively well considering but when I finally brought out the puppet for the last portion of the show it was amazing to see the positive response of all the kids right down to the toddlers. The energy level suddenly shot up in the room and I had their undivided attention. I still have to find the proper voice for Karston because what I did that day was too close to my own. At this point I make a pretty awful ventriloquist but the kids seemed so focused on the puppet it didn't matter how much my lips moved. Karston was real to them.

It reminded me of the Muppets and how they would often talk to kids with their puppets but the children were not bothered by the presence of the puppeteer. As far as the kids were concerned they were speaking to the character and that was it.

I'm working to tighten up the show by reviewing the footage that was taken. It will be a little different the next time I perform it and hopefully a little better. You know, twenty four years ago I never imagined I'd be learning ventriloquism or simply performing for that matter. When I graduated from college with an art degree all I could imagine myself doing was painting or drawing in some way to make a living. It makes me chuckle. Life is so full of surprises.

Sights and Sounds

2012-01-12T18:32:00.000-08:00

I like days like these.

Twinkie Swan Song?

2012-01-11T16:50:00.000-08:00

Just in case you haven't heard yet Hostess, the maker of many junk food delights like Twinkies, is filing for bankruptcy. I have to confess I haven't had a Hostess anything in years but back in the day I couldn't get enough. Memories...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twinkie

http://blog.fooducate.com/2010/06/11/a-visual-of-twinkies-37-ingredients/

http://www.snopes.com/food/ingredient/twinkies.asp

Technical Difficulties

2012-01-11T10:51:00.000-08:00

Hi to all. I've been having some computer issues of late so I've had to hold off on posting but I'm back. I hope your week is going well.

Here's some commentary that's better than a good cup of "joe". Thanks for the link, Rick.

Slapstick Theater- Teri Garr

2012-01-08T19:56:00.001-08:00

Teri Garr- Need I say more.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teri_Garr

Holiday Season Curtain Call

2012-01-08T09:41:00.001-08:00

Rosca de Reyes.

This weekend marks the end of the Christmas season here at Rancho Ramirez with the Dia de los Reyes Magos or Day of the Three Kings,( Balthasar, Melchior and Gaspar), who came to see the baby Jesus and brought him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. It's celebrated all over the world. Our kids set a shoebox they've decorated by their beds with treats for the king and their camels. In the morning the treats are gone and replaced with a gift. The official day is the 6th of January with festivities happening throughout the weekend. Bakeries around town make a special sweet bread called Rosca de Reyes that has a toy hidden inside.

Tomorrow we'll pack up the decorations and begin the countdown to the 2012 holiday season. Tick,tock,tick,tock.

Sunday Morning Matinee: Jim Henson Short Films

2012-01-08T08:38:00.001-08:00

Ripples

Timepiece (1966)

Idea man

Saturday Morning 70's- Isis

2012-01-07T14:09:00.001-08:00

From Way Back When: Ernie and Bert's Debut on Sesame Street (1969)

2012-01-07T08:52:00.000-08:00

From the Sketchbook- Chewbacca

2012-01-06T20:37:00.000-08:00

From Way Back When: Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Commercial with Robbie Benson and Donny Most

2012-01-06T10:15:00.000-08:00

Any idea what year this was from? I remember it from my childhood and I'm guessing it was the early seventies before these two actors hit the big time. I have no idea as to the specific year. Help!

Theater Memories- Cast Member Caricatures

2012-01-06T09:57:00.000-08:00

The "Three Penny Opera" cast and crew from the Theatre Three production in Dallas, Texas.

Every so often whenever I was in a play I took a lot of photos with the express purpose of making a drawing of the cast in caricature that I would at the end of the run give out copies as presents. I'd look for funny things to highlight in the drawing that emphasized some bit of the character or actor being drawn. In the lower left hand side of the drawing above, standing next to the kitty litter box, is the stage manager in a strait jacket. Most folks wouldn't know that the stage manager's job entails a lot of stress. Some of that comes from dealing with minute details of the daily grind before, during and after rehearsal, i.e. having props costumes and actors on the stage when needed.

"World on a String" cast from the Texas State Fair in Dallas.

Drawing the cast for the puppet shows I was a part of had to be the most enjoyable because the cast featured puppets. For the show at the Texas State Fair in Dallas we had a wide variety of characters including a trapeze teddy bear, an operatic dog glow in the dark skeletons ans shirts on a clothesline dueling with foils. Lots of fun to draw.

"Magic Toyshop" huge cast and modest crew.

The best time I had as a puppeteer was working for the holiday puppet show set inside a toymaker's shop. It had everything I loved: comedy, puppets, Christmas and the coolest set ever. Now that I think about it I don't believe I've ever posted any photos of this particular show. Oopsy! Time to dig through my photo albums.

Friday Roundup

2012-01-06T08:50:00.000-08:00

A Texas Blind Salamander- the real thing not the puppet.

My first work week of 2012 wraps up today and it's been good so far. I recently got a this neat little gizmo to add to my hard drive that will allow me to play and burn dvds among other things. When we get it all figured out we should also be able to do some editing and so forth. Pammy and I have been meaning to do some video work so this is a big step in the right direction to achieve that goal. It's not a New Year's goal but one we've had on the top of our list for a very long time. Money has always been the obstacle as the goodies needed to do all we need to do doesn't come cheap. We're getting there, though! Huzzah!!

There was also a meting with the good folks of the Edwards Aquifer Authority to chat about the year and what the plans are as well doing some brainstorming. We have a Texas Blind Salamander puppet now, perhaps not as nice as we would have liked but it's a start and we'll make the best of it. Oh, I've learned that his name selected from all those submitted in the contest is Karston. Very cute.

This afternoon I'll be signing up my son for some stop motion animation classes that he is very excited about and that maybe I can take next year. I've always loved that type of animation and still hope to learn the art someday soon.

Pammy is in the middle of prepping the fine food and beverages for the flamenco show this weekend. She'll breathe a big sigh of relief when it's over. She's got some really tasty dishes planned for it so I hope she has some leftovers this Sunday but I doubt it.

Anywho, I just finished walking the dog and I'm about to put things into high gear here at Rancho Ramirez. I hope you have a great weekend. Adios!

Climate Change

2012-01-04T10:58:00.000-08:00

Mention of climate change in the news has dwindled recently. Climate change is happening and it affects all of us but it's not too late to do our part to help fight it. For more information check out the EPA Students Guide here

From Way Back When: Heaven and Hell (1980)

2012-01-03T09:35:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone! Pammy taking a shot at the blog (Albert mumbles " 'bout time").

When Albert said he was going to post about Dio, I was like " oh yeah! I have to share!" I saw Dio with Black Sabbath live and they did this song among others. What a great show! These guys knew how to put on a show. I was in the 7th row with all my cool friends, all male except my best girl friend (no names please). I believe this concert was responsible for a lot of my hearing loss... ah good times.

I remember as soon as the lights went out, no one said a word. Everyone just stood up on their chairs in silence and stayed up for the entire concert. When the concert was in full swing the weirdest thing happened. A real pretty girl in a sundress and high heels, we had no idea who she was, came to our aisle and hand motioned to the guys to make room for her. I couldn't believe the gawl of this girl and I remember thinking" who's going to win?" Well the guys just looked at her and laughed...like, really laughed. Boy was she mad. I think she actually stomped her high heel.

As an adult I look back at all this devil talk and think how silly. I wondered how rock went from peace and love to Heaven and Hell, Sign of the Southern Cross etc. When I was a kid in California in the sixties, it was hippies and peace and love and anti-war and well...drugs. There was a real dark side to the sixties and early seventies. As a very young child of the sixties I was exposed to this a lot. I am guessing that Black Sabbath-type songs were a kind of reaction to this. And a communication of darker emotions. Of course when I was young I was not so analytical about it. (Said in goofy voice) "Black Sabbath rocks dude!" As I write this, the radio is playing nothing but Dio and Ozzy all in a row. IT'S SO WEIRD! Do blogs reach heaven and hell???

Anyway Thanks for listening everyone! I have had my debut on the blog and it was relatively painless...
Pam (devoted wife, Mother, and Rocker!) Ramirez

Legendary Flower

2012-01-02T13:31:00.000-08:00

The holidays wouldn't be the same for me without the poinsettia or flor de noche buena. We've got a couple growing here at home. They're in large pots but I've seen them at homes on the west side of town where they've grown into huge bushes. It's amazing, almost magical how they go from green to red as the weather gets colder. In Mexican folklore there's a Christmas story featuring the lovely plant. Check it out if you get a chance. Below is the link.

http://www.focusonmexico.com/La-Flor-De-Noche-Buena.html

Theater Memories-One Woman Show

2012-01-02T12:12:00.000-08:00

Pammy performing the finale of her one woman show at Mountainview College 1997.

Slapstick Theater - Cloris Leachman

2012-01-01T12:27:00.000-08:00

Here's a modest sampling of the works of the immensely talented Cloris Leachman.

http://www.cloris.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloris_Leachman

Because every great comedian is also a great actor here's Cloris Leachman in her Oscar winning role for best supporting actress in The Last Picture Show. Thanks to my lovely wife who is also a talented comic and dramatic actress for suggesting inclusion of this clip. Most people never consider actors known for their comic abilities as dramatic actors.

Sunday Morning Matinee: Born of Hope (2009)

2012-01-01T07:58:00.001-08:00

Here's a another Lord of the Rings fan film inspired by Peter Jackson's version. Below is a link to the film's site and a wiki link with some more tidbits on it. Happy New Year!

http://www.bornofhope.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Born_of_Hope

Mr. Gaiman's New Year Wish

2011-12-31T13:55:00.000-08:00

Here's a wonderful New Years wish from the very eloquent Neil Gaiman you should read here.

Doc Ed 2012

2011-12-31T08:03:00.000-08:00

The new year will be busy for good ol' Doc Edwards as he continues his mission to edu-tain kids in south central Texas about the Edwards Aquifer. Here's the schedule for the coming year so far:

Doc Ed at Braun Station Elementary.

January 11th Culebra Kids Play Group
January 27th Knowlton Elementary
February 23rd Carnahan Elementary
March 31st Witte Museum
April 3rd Medina County Fair
April 21st Kidfest
October 6th Hardberger Park's First Saturday Program

For more info on the Doc Ed presentations as well as other fun Doc Ed stuff click here.

From Way Back When: Stevie Nicks- Silent Night

2011-12-30T22:27:00.001-08:00

Since the twelve days of Christmas aren't over here's another Christmas tune. Enjoy.

Friday Roundup

2011-12-30T21:36:00.000-08:00

Pammy had a busy week at work preparing tasty treats for the New Years Eve revelers. On a day off from her hectic schedule we took the kids to see the new Chipmunks movie which turned out to be pretty fun. It was packed for the matinee-priced show that afternoon. There were kids everywhere laughing it up at the antics of Theodore, Simon and Alvin plus the Chipettes. We haven't learned the Chipettes names yet but I'm sure the kids will take care of that for us. My son mentioned ever so subtly how much he'd like to see the movie at home too.

Before the movie started we had about five minutes or more of previews. I've noticed that the volume for them is always louder than what is set for the main feature. I'm not sure why but it was extra louder this and it wasn't just me and my old ears complaining because my son sat there with his hands covering his ears. I plugged my ears with napkins but we finally got hem to adjust the volume. I kept the napkins in my ears. I'm old, man! I think Pammy and I will get a sitter for the next movie so we can check out the new Sherlock Holmes movie. I'll still plug my ears for previews.

Pammy and I have high hopes for the new year. We don't make resolutions but we always try to raise the bar a little for ourselves in some general way. Life is too short to sit in your hands. Gotta keep moving forward and all that jazz. It keeps things interesting. We'll see how it goes. Buenas noches.

From the Sketchbook- Gandalf

2011-12-30T19:29:00.000-08:00

1970's Monster Funtime

2011-12-29T08:05:00.000-08:00

I guess Jaws had made a pretty big impression on me so it made it on the cover of my sketchbook.

What a great cover!!

When I was a wee lad back in the mid-seventies I discovered Famous Monsters of Filmland while browsing through comic books at a phamarcy in San Antonio. It was issue #100 with the face of Boris Karloff as the Frankenstein monster gracing the cover. I was hooked! After having collected a few more I decided to draw the assorted characters found in each issue.

I drew and collected them in a manila folder and titled it "Monsters", in honor of my favorite magazine. This was the time before I they started selling Starlog magazine in my neck of the woods. Most of the images I drew were from FM but I also started collecting newspaper clippings advertising movies playing in Laredo and Nuevo Laredo which was across the river in Mexico. The clippings all seem to date back between 1975 and 1977. I'm surprised I did collect a Star Wars ad.

Above and below are pages one and two of my sketchbook.

Above are a couple of items I clipped. The first is a film I don't recall seeing but the ad looked cool enough to save. The second is a photo of Harry Houdini the legendary magician and escape artist. I was a big fan at the time. I wasn't practicing magic. It was Halloween and they would have a seance to try to contact his spirit as they had been doing since his death on October 31st 1926. That type of thing fascinated me and I was always hoping they'd succeed. I don't know if they still gather for the seance. I'll post more stuff later.

December Sky #12

2011-12-28T16:47:00.000-08:00

From the Sketchbook- Dwarf Husband and Wife

2011-12-28T15:11:00.000-08:00

December Sky #11

2011-12-27T22:39:00.001-08:00

From Way Back When: Joni Mitchell -Both Sides Now (1970)

2011-12-26T20:56:00.000-08:00

The Day After

2011-12-26T12:16:00.001-08:00

Irish Coffee. Mmmmm.

This weekend we spread the Christmas cheer with family and friends. We ate and drank which led to being very merry. Then we opened gifts which led to more eating and drinking goodies made to warm the bones and fend off the chill that ushered in the holiday. All in all it was a pretty good one.

The kids got plenty of toys. Santa made sure not to give them too many noisy ones this year. Kids are walking sound effects machines. I am now the proud owner of a magnifying lamp to assist by tired peepers as I paint or draw. I've been needing one for a long time. Pammy got a book by her favorite t.v. master chef Jacques Pepin. The book came with a dvd as well. Bonus!

But now that it's almost over I'm missing the holiday season already. I miss the whole energy of it all. I miss the excitement and anticipation. I miss the silly things too like the holiday commercials on the radio and t.v. and the all day Christmas music stations playing the same 27 songs over and over again. Let's not forget the holiday specials that have been a part of the season for decades. It just wouldn't be the same without Frosty. Then there are the Nutcrackers and Christmas Carols playing at every theater in town whose ticket sales bring in most of the money they'll make all year.

But what I miss most of all is knowing that most any person I see shopping is there to buy something for someone else. The spirit of giving is never so strong as it is during the holiday season. We've seen our share of that and done our share as well. Sure there's all the commercialism but nothing is ever perfect. It does come pretty close, though. Happy Holidays!

Slapstick Theater- Madeline Kahn

2011-12-25T18:57:00.001-08:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeline_Kahn

Sunday Morning Matinee: Night Before Christmas (1932) and Jack Frost (1934)

2011-12-25T11:06:00.000-08:00

Tom and Jerry - The Night Before Christmas (1941)

2011-12-24T22:14:00.000-08:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Night_Before_Christmas_(1941_film)

Friday Roundup

2011-12-23T21:04:00.001-08:00

The two photos above are a tiny sampling of the goodies Pammy has been baking the last couple of weeks. Just looking at them makes me put on some weight.

Here it is once again: Friday. And not only is it Friday but it is Christmas Eve Eve! The spirit of the season is strong here at Rancho Ramirez. It's cloudy and cold around here as it should be this time of year. It helps puts one in the proper holiday frame of mind. I suspect we'll be making hot chocolate before too long.

My son and daughter have been keeping busy in various ways. My son has been devouring the book Eregon for the last few days and today is just a few pages from the end. Very cool. We've got the second book and he'll no doubt begin reading it even while the first book is still warm. My little girl has been busy making homemade presents of all sorts in secret and setting the wrapped goodies under the tree. She is indeed a jolly ol' elf just like her mom.

Pammy, the jolliest of elves, has been busy baking at work and over at her buddy Diana's house having a merry old time in the process. These are high school friends she's never lost touch with over the years. Talk about a Festivus miracle! I've pretty much lost touch with all my old friends and I often wonder where they are now. Facebook is not an option. Life will just have to bring us together or not.

I've been drawing and painting these last few days before the big day but mostly I've been wrapping gifts and sending out cards. I think it's o.k. if they get to their destination a little after Christmas because for many, including ourselves, the holidays don't end until after the New Year. The show ain't over till the school bell rings.

Well, I'm off to have another cup of "Joe" and see what's going on in the rest of the bloggerhood. Hasta luego.

From the Sketchbook- Mutt

2011-12-23T17:39:00.000-08:00

General Electric/Rankin Bass Rudolph Commercials (1964)

2011-12-23T10:19:00.000-08:00

Happy Festivus!

2011-12-23T08:14:00.001-08:00

Tis the season for aluminum poles, feats of strength and the airing of grievances!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festivus

December Sky #10

2011-12-22T19:31:00.000-08:00

From the Sketchbook- Tusken Raider #2

2011-12-22T18:53:00.000-08:00

Christmas Time Is Here- Vince Guaraldi Trio

2011-12-21T13:41:00.000-08:00

December Sky #9

2011-12-21T12:39:00.000-08:00

More Hobbit Fun

2011-12-21T12:11:00.000-08:00

Apparently there's also a Hobbit blog. I should have known. More fun stuff to enjoy! Click here to go to the Hobbit blog. Enjoy.

The Road Goes Ever On And On...

2011-12-21T11:41:00.000-08:00

Check this out! It's the first trailer for the upcoming film version of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. It looks fantastic and December 14th 2012 can't come soon enough. Thanks to The One Ring.Net for posting it. Check out the official movie site here and go to the One Ring.Net here.

Theater Memories- DCT's Best Christmas Pageant Ever 1996

2011-12-21T08:04:00.000-08:00

Our first year in Dallas was difficult. We had very little money with only enough to make rent and pay bills more or less. We juggled them for a while. But in a very short time, thanks to our dear friend Christy, we had some work clowning at various functions which helped a great deal allowing a little breathing room to do more theater. Toward the end of the second year we had finally started to establish ourselves in the theater community.

The Dallas Children's Theater provided us with the most work in the first few years. During the holidays you can count on seeing most any theater putting on A Christmas Carol, The Nutcracker and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever in which I played the Reverend Hopkins who was supposed to be in his early forties ( I was thirty one. I love theater). It had a pretty big cast consisting mostly of children. The main child characters were the Herdmans who were described as "the worst kids in the history of the whole world."

During one moment in the play the Herdmans focus their destructive attention on the reverand who is a quiet and somewhat meek character. There's was no description for what the Herdmans did to the reverand. He enters the stage after being accosted by them and makes a brief speech. I wanted the reverend to look like he'd been roughed up a bit so I removed one shoe, pulled the sock so that it was barely on my foot,un-tucked my shirt, messed up my hair, undid my necktie and put a "kick me" sign on my back. The director thought the sign was too much but like the rest. When I saw the play a few years later they were still using my bits 'o' comedy. Made me feel good.

The cast was doubled up so we had two sets of all the kids and some of the adults. I, as well as most of the adults were not double cast so I got to be in all the shows which was great. It just made the holidays all the more fun. Pammy and I were far away from our families so it was lonely. We didn't get to travel home much early on because money was tight and our vehicles were not ready for the long drive to San Antonio and Laredo.

All the kids were great. They followed direction well and never missed a cue. Real pros all of them. Karl Schaeffer who was on staff at the theater and was cast as the eldest Herdman kid, took some video backstage and I recently found it. he interviewed some of the cast and then made copies for everyone as a gift. I think only one theater around here has put on that play in the nine years we've been here. It's a bigger than usual cast that includes many children and not a lot of theaters have the experience and patience of working with so many children. It's a good story, perhaps a little corny but very family friendly. Check it out if it's playing in your area. It's a nice change of pace from the usual holiday fare. Below is a condensed look at the t.v. version aired way back in 1983.

December Sky #8

2011-12-20T19:20:00.000-08:00

December Sky #7

2011-12-19T16:51:00.000-08:00

From the Sketchbook- Terrier

2011-12-19T15:01:00.000-08:00

Monday, Monday, Monday

2011-12-19T14:21:00.000-08:00

The holiday break started with colds for the kids and pink eye for my daughter. Man,oh, man! At least they'll be well for the big day this Sunday. I'm not sick yet and hope I don't catch anything. I'm too old for pink eye!

Good news on the puppet front. Our salamander puppet being made by the good folks at the Dallas Puppet Theater is nearer to being finished. We got a peek at it and it looks pretty good!

I'm still working on the Texas history comic book and I hope to start inking sometime before the New Year. I'm pretty happy with the results so far. I think the hardest part hasn't been the drawing but the research and editing down of the text to the most essential facts of this particular historical event while trying to tell both sides of the story as evenly as possible. Texas history covering the Texas Revolution and the events leading up to the Mexican American War are still a pretty touchy subject around here and people like to take sides. For me, in order to tell the story correctly and do it justice, I shouldn't be favoring either side. Just the facts, ma'am.

Slapstick Theater- Happy Days: Guess Who's Coming to Christmas (December 17, 1974)

2011-12-18T12:37:00.001-08:00

Sunday Morning Matinee: Scrooge (1951)

2011-12-18T10:11:00.001-08:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Carol

The Muppet Show- Bernadette Peters

2011-12-17T13:51:00.001-08:00

Here's a little something from the Muppet Show to make you feel like you could do anything.

Circus Sarasota's Bellomania!

2011-12-17T11:48:00.000-08:00

Daredevil clown Bello Nock will be performing with the not for profit Circus Sarasota in February. If you happen to be in the area catch the show. He's the best clown under the big top. He was the featured clown on the Ringling show when Pammy and I toured last and got to know him a bit. He a really nice person and a very funny and entertaining performer. If we get half the chance we'll make a beeline to Sarasota to see him. For more on Circus Sarasota click here