2013 Update

What a year.  I'm glad 2012 is done.  Good stuff happened, but overall it was a rough year.  Some of that is carrying over into the new year, but with any luck &/or good strategic fuckery, will be rectified & pushed out of memory before the 1/2 way point hits.

-Going to start, yet another blog, which will probably see much more frequent posts than this one.  A blog dedicated entirely to screen-printing and which will serve as a place to geek out and feature posts about whatever neat thing I'm printing.  This will be linked directly to the FMPC site and basically be an extended "Portfolio" page.  I will link that to this site when I get around to it.

-Made a short film with some friends to coincide with a solo-set that I played on New Years.  It's called, STUNTED CHILD and was basically a continuation and more involved version of the FATHER FIGURE project I did a while back.  Noisy stuff melted together with mostly finished songs.  Even though I reworked two songs from the FF set, this whole thing came out a lot more, for lack of better term, "industrial" feeling.   I pre-recorded drums for the songs, some excess drum noise, noise from a drum machine-ran-through-a-distortion-pedal and a bit of vocals.  Played that through an old mixer live and added the guitar, guitar noise and more vocals live.

The film was shot in about 5 hours, yielding just over an hour of footage and after some time spent on editing ended up being approx. 20 minutes - not too short, not too long.  We worked from a script that had 8 scenes that were written by me, but included input and direction from everyone involved.  It was a blast to shot and just about everything came together nicely and gave me enough footage to work with.

The "Premier" was at Nevin's house along with sets from Autarkeia, Panzram & Old Soul.  It went off well, except for some small glitches in the beginning that threw me off a bit.  Got it together by the end and felt pretty good about it.

Now, my plans are to record the rest of the pieces that weren't pre-recorded and make about 100 copies of the film on DVD, design some boss packaging, a good looking menu & include some extra bonus shit, including, "Sorry, Phil," the stop animation short I made a few years back.  Going to send some around to friends, family & for review...& try to sell a few along the way.

Might try to due the performance again in Tampa &/or Miami, but most likely not.  I dug it, mistakes and all, but I was a bit fried from nerves, before, during and after.  But, it crossed 2 things off my list of things I've wanted to do for a long time now:

1.) Make a Movie
2.) Cover "Dancin' With Manson" by Therapy?  That song has come to be a song that I could possibly label, my favorite song ever.  Quite a damn claim, if you ask me.  HERE is the original track in all it's glory.

Here are some stills shots:

Fort Myers Print Corps HQ

Here it is.  Not much to look at, but it sure is a hell is a lot to me.



Here's kind of a panoramic view from the wash out sink to the inks and junk:















Still real excited about all of this.  Had to up my building skills a bit too.  Had to build a splash guard around the sink and I always wanted one that was back-lit, so I got a couple lights from my old work and mounted them behind some plexiglass.  Then had to run 220 wire from the breaker to the dryer and install some lights over the press...all which scared the shit out of me, because I don't know anything about electricity.  Suprisingly, it wasn't as hard as I thought.  Then in the 2nd to last picture I had to build a light tight screen drying cabinet under the exposure unit, so I did a bunch of stuff that will seem boring when written down, but was really rewarding and fun to build.  I set it up so it has slots for different sized screens and has a box fan in the cabinet to speed up the drying time.  Totally killer!

Also, got this off a dude on craigslist and fucking love it:



It was about halfway painted red with a paint-marker...so it looked like complete shit.  But I took it completely apart, gave it a good cleaning after stripping all the awful marker off of it, straightened the neck and it's ready to go.  It has flat-wound strings and is a short scale bass, so it's really fun and easy to play.  It sounds nasty and gross too.  Love it.

Upheavel

What the hell is happening?  Life has thrown quite a bit at me as of late:

-Jessi and I purchased everything to have a screen printing shop in our garage.  6 color press, conveyor dryer, flash dryer, exposure unit...everything.  We are trying to make a go of it.
-2 days later, Jessi almost dies.  She ends up having emergency surgery for a ruptured ovarian cyst and stays in the hospital just shy of a week.  Dr. said that he's only seen one other rupture that bad in his 18 years of being a surgeon.  She has 1,500 cc's of blood floating around in her stomach.  Sound like I'm bragging?  I assure you that I'm not.
-Got a new job at a print shop in Cape Coral.  Worked one day before Jessi got sick.  Thankfully, my new boss knows Jessi and was completely understanding.

For almost two weeks after we got home from the hospital, Jessi couldn't do much of anything.  It's amazing how fast things, simple things, build up and get out of control.  A house gets unruly quick.  I felt quite a bit overwhelmed having to go to work at a new place, help Jessi do even the most basic things like get up and sit down, tend to the animals and all the domestic shit.  I managed well and had great help from my mom and aunt, Jessi's mom and others who wold come hang out with her while I was at work.

Fast forward about a month.  Jessi and I are back at work full time, but she is still hurting and can't do too much.  She is on "light duty" at work and is having a hard time realizing that it will still be weeks/months before she is back to normal.  Her self-esteem is low and she is having a hard time with the whole thing.  From almost dying to the EMS assholes not taking her seriously to the scar she now has on her stomach, to the pain that has yet to subside all the way, to realizing that she should just sit around for a bit longer - she is depressed.  This is hard to see and I'm trying my best to cheer her up and be there for her.

I don't think I really dealt with any of this yet.  Maybe I never will.  I was scared, of course, but I just did what men do and tried to work through it all.  Assigning myself tasks and keeping myself and my mind busy so I never had to deal with the severity of the situation.  All of those feelings have manifested themselves in different ways, mainly seeming to come out while I sleep.  One of the first nights we were home after being in the hospital, I woke up yelling and screaming 3 times.  Sleeping through the night has become even harder of a task the past month.

Now, things are evening back out slowly.  But I feel like I don't have enough time to get anything done.  My mind races thinking, planning for the screen printing business, how to set up the shop, trying to take everything into consideration when figuring out pricing...

I'm not complaining at all, and in fact, I can't think of a time when I've been this excited and optimistic.  But most other activities have suffered.  I haven't listened to a record in almost a month.  I'm months behind of having the 10th issue of the zine out.  I haven't been able to even think of trying to write for either band, or write on this blog or even answer emails.

I have friday's off and it fucking rules.  My time away from work isn't even close to being enough, but I am broke and can't take time off.  Nor do I want to, working at this new shop is killer. 

Enough is enough.  Time gets away from me.  Am I turning into a weekend warrior?  A week night warrior? 

Can't stop.  Won't stop.

2011 Ft. Myers Zine Workshop & 24 Hour Zine Challenge

 

In November of 2011 I put together a Zine Workshop.  The workshop discussed what a zine is and tips on how to make one.  Immediately following that was a 24 Zine Challenge where participants (and hopefully first time zine makers) would have 24 hours to complete a zine.  I brought in supplies, a typewriter and a bunch of arts and craftsy stuff for folks to use to make their zine at the coffee/ice cream shop (where the workshop was held and is home to anything and everything even remotely alternative in Ft. Myers).

The funnest part about the whole deal was the "Month of Zines" that led up to the event.  I was pretty sure that not a lot of people in town even knew what a zine was.  So I decided that for each week leading up the workshop/challenge, I'd feature a different zine and have copies to read/for sale in the shop.  

So, I made a display with two shelves and a big space for a write-up/synopsis for each zine featured and than made a science fair type display about it.  I love how all of them came out and really had fun doing it.  Here is that month in pictures:

WEEK ONE:

-MIXTAPERS DO IT BETTER ZINE:

"MIXTAPERS DO IT BETTER is put together by Karen Heeringa (known to many as "Karen the Punk") who despite being a Michigan native, has lived in Florida two different times.  Lucky for us, one of those two moves was to our fine city of Ft. Myers.  Karen has put out a handful of different zine, but MIXTAPERS DO IT BETTER is my favorite because it is Karen to a tee!

 It's overflowing with personality & enthusiasm & is written in such a humble & youthful way that it feels like Karen is talking directly to you!  She is amped about mixtapes & wants to tell you about it!  The majority of the zine is personally penned, but also includes submissions by other punk retelling either their first, favorite or worst mixtape stories.

From the layout to the writing to the ideas within, this zine is easily relatable because it is as much about life as it is about mixtapes.  Karen relates music to life & all it's ups and downs.  It's also the perfect example that you don't need anything fancy to make a great zine!"

WEEK TWO:

 

-AMERICA? ZINE:

"AMERICA? Zine is written by long time Gainesville native, Travis.  Besides playing in bands that are staples of every Floridian's punk collection & putting out some killer records, he's a librarian, owns a house & still sees the world through the hopeful-yet-realistic eyes of someone brought up & deeply involved in the DIY punk/hardcore scene.

Each issue is full of observations & stories from the past & present all told the the with & wisdom of a person, still punk, in his 30's.  Intertwined are interviews with various in-front-of & behind-the-scenes type folks, comics & other various writings that capture the miraculous & the mundane perfectly.

AMERICA? is one of the few things that still makes me feel like I used to all the time.  Before bills & work & real-life-stuff weighed me down.  It helps me to remember to notice the beauty in little things...and that punk is so much more than mere politics of music.  I can easily say that it is my favorite zine.  I can also say that it is the most punk zine going today."

WEEK THREE:

ACCEPT THE DARKNESS ZINE:

"ACCEPT THE DARKNESS is put together by one of the new crop of kids from NYC who are turning punk on it's head.  Shiva, who is still in high school, covers DIY hardcore/punk bands with the knowledge & experience of someone twice his age.  He also takes a critical & thoughtful look at punk as a movement & isn't afraid of calling things as he sees them.  He embraces the old, but focuses most of the zine's energy on bands that are making history right now.

 Although you might not be familiar with the bands he covers, A.T.D. is written with an urgency & an enthusiasm that leaps off the page.  Because of that, it's interest extends past the music of the bands talked about.  So much heart is included in all aspects of the zine that it's hard not to share in that excitement.

The Layout, much like the content, is top notch & takes the classic punk zine aesthetic & adds a little something new that sets it apart.  A.T.D. is a zine that keeps other zine-makers of their toes!  It shoves the importance of making something with your own hands right in your face & says, "If you love something, share it with others."  That makes it one of the best music-based zines going today."

WEEK FOUR:

DORIS ZINE:

"DORIS is the long-running chronicle of "lifer" Cindy Crabb.  Sometimes lighthearted, sometimes difficult and heavy, Cindy shares what she's learned about life through taking it in her own hands.  From dealing with loss, depression, transgender issues to going on tour, buying land & learing how to cultivate a life that benefits her and others close to her - DORIS covers it all.

Sure, this is a "Per-Zine" (short for "Personal zine"), but it doesn't get bogged down with narricism or get lost in whimsical, go-nowhere writing.  It is written with a geniune heart.  Wanting to share stories in hopes that readers can either learn something from them, relate to them or just simply enjoy them.  The simple layouts & down to earth writing are a great way to show that anyone can do anything that they really want to...and even if you can't, the importance of trying shouldn't be overlooked.

DORIS explores some of the harder to deal with things life throws our way, but is written with a realistic optimism.  Although Cindy talks about atheism, anarchism, feminism, she is constantly re-evaluating her feelings on these ideas and how they relate to her.  There is no name calling or hardline stances, just someone who believes in the goodness of people and wants to do her part in changing this messed-up world.  All of the writing reads like going on a long walk with a friend and just talking about whatever's on your mind."

The workshop went ok.  I'm not that comfortable speaking in front of folks, so it felt a bit stiff.  But there were about 15 people there and some that I didn't know.  All in all a success, I think.  As for the 24 zine challenge, 5 zines were made!  Which is more than I thought would be made.

From top, left to right:

"Premature Ejaculate - A History of Earth" - by John Fahy - is a hilarious and random re-telling of how we came to be...and also how it all ends.

"Colon Juice - The Meat and Cheese of it" - By Bill Flint - Bill likes cheesy movies and picked two of the most outrageous: Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter & Killer Tongue to review for his first issue.

"Lettuce Cabbage Walnut" - By Aysia Scheerer  - contains personal writings, recipes and has a piece about finding vegetarian options when she was visiting her grandmother in a small village in Japan.

"Stunted Child" - by yours truly - is a re-telling of a bad story that happened to a friend of mine when he was a kid.

"Economicon" - by Nevin Marshall - is a look at the economy and the pros and cons of a recovery and it falling even further down.  A truly interesting way of thinking about a topic that everyone is probably a bit tired of hearing about.

All these zines are were made by my friends and it really made me feel good that they all decided to take a few hours out of their day to make a zine.  Ft. Myers punks rule.  All of these zines are totally different in nature too, which also rules! 

Copies of all these zines are (or were) available for free at Cool Hand Luc's and actually went pretty quick!  And on the same day as the end of the 24 hour challenge, a girl, who had no idea about the zine workshop, brought in copies of her zine to sell at the shop!

The Man of Men

This is Lieutenant aka: "The Man."  He and I were the only males in a household full of 2 female cats, 4 hens & Jessi.  He always had stomach issues and troubles but went down hill really fast.  We took him to the emergency vet who discovered a tumor on his stomach that was real big.  He hated the car, vet and really anything out of his routine, so we made the choice to put him down instead of putting him through a bunch of treatment that probably wouldn't work.

-He was 13.
-He was a runt.
-He was a grump.
-He got his name because he walked with authority wherever went.  More aptly, he stomped.  And was almost a bit bow-legged.
-My mom got him originally when he reached out of his cage and gripped on to her.  She left him with my grandparents when he moved out and got re-married.  He got a really bad case of fleas there and we took him about 2 years ago. 
-He would jump on the bed at night, stomp around then, headbutt us so hard that it would wake us up.  He'd be purring like a lawnmower and wanting us to pet him.
-He was one of the weirdest cats I've ever met.
-He died a few months ago.

Shit still bums me out.  I still expect him to come bounding around into the living room.

RIP Lieutenant.

Tenement boxset

Printed these for Chris D. a bit before christmas.

These were 5" x 5" boxes that are going to fit two tapes inside.  They came assembled so I had to figure out a way to print them.

First I measured the box and made a pallet that would fit snug inside the box and not let it move around.  It's a 3 color print, so instead of using glue/spray adhesive, which might've left a nasty residue, I figured a snug pallet would work best and fastest. 

Then I chose a piece of wood that had a decent surface to it and sanded it to get any imperfections out.

Then it was off to the shop to burn the screens, set them up and make with the printing: 

Here is the bracket that fits the custom pallate onto the press at work:

1.) Burn

 

2.) Set up the boxes.  

These boxes don't have much play in them so rather than fighting with them while printing, I decided to open them all so I could just grab and print, grab and print...

3.) Registering the print.  

3 colors have to be set up so each color falls in exactly the right place.  The pallet I made was designed to fit on the 6 color press at work, so instead of setting up 1 color then printing, setting up the next then printing, I decided to do it all at once.

4.) Print. 

1st color (Royal Blue)

2nd color (Yellow)

3rd color (Black)

More Nerd Shit:

This was printed with waterbased ink on semi gloss boxes and came out pretty damn good.  The yellow I used is REALLY thin and watery and always leaves weird patterns instead of printing smooth.  This wasn't a problem until I printed the black over it.  Since it wasn't smooth, you can see a real faint shadow of the yellow trying to show through the black.  This was fixed about a 1/4 of the way through by adding a bit more off contact.  I always forget that the yellow ink sucks and I set up the art with some trap (under the women's faces) so that's really the only place you notice it.  There's always something!  

Thought I took more pictures of them with all 3 prints on them, but I guess not.  Printed 100 of these.  Can't wait to see the finished product all stuff with the tapes/inserts.

Coffee and Fluoxetine

No work today or yesterday.  It's fine, more so, it's welcome.

I'm still farting around with this blog to see how I like it and want it to read.  Toyed with the idea of pages but didn't really dig it.  Everything is everything from here on out.

Today will consist of records and getting the occasional thing done.  Yesterday it was the back cover for the split with Shoppers...who are on a long ass tour right now.  These records are at the plant and we might be able to get them some in the middle of their tour somewhere.  Hopefully.  Can't wait to see the final product.

Made a bulletin board with a list of things I want to do daily.  There is 5 things listed across with the days of the week listed down.  Completed tasks get a check.  We'll see how long this sticks.  Boring, but it how I do.

Speaking of boring, I save all (or most) of my post office receipts and add them up at the end of the year.  2011 racked up: $331.84 minus a few receipts that were in my pocket so long that most of the print rubbed off of them & a good handful of inevitably lost receipts.  And not counting PO box fees.

The coffee machine is plugged in.
I'm not wearing a belt.
You know how that goes.