>> CURRENT DESTINATION < Ultimate Gary >
>> CURRENT EARFOOD < Wilco >
>> REACH BEND < emailo >
06/30/03
>> Four more days... unreal.
>> Well, hatred of the "car" homepage last week was pretty much universal. Here's another letter, this one from Mock in Europe:
"Boy, am I glad that car is gone. Just before the weekend there were some construction workers at my house doing some repairs and one of them saw that photo on my screen and was like 'wow, man, that's a great car... is that yours?' enough said." —Mock
>> Speaking of the car, it seems as though Mr. Penxa hasn't been able to cope with his self imposed Diurnal retirement program. He now takes the lead with 16 Diurnals:
"Being Retired blows. I'm back." —Mark Penxa
>> TNT McFetridge is a father! Sarah and Goeff ushered the lovely Frances Lilian McFetridge (beautiful name) into the world late last week. A big congratulations and group hug from Bend.
06/26/03
>> Another two days? Hard to believe.
06/24/03
>> Wow, four days gone by already?
>> It's summer now.
>> Lee missed the easiest putt yesterday. Get it together, man.
06/20/03
>> Contrary to popular belief, yes, the car is mine and yes, I did commission Mark Penxa to paint it after his retirement from the Diurnals (read letter here). Sweet ride, huh? Thanks, Penxa.
>> I messed up another Bend reader's order (from the store which is now gone — taken from me by those more responsible... thank you). Anyhow, I wouldn't have discovered his site if he hadn't written to let me know. Meet Marco Cibola, today's Destination. So maybe it was good that your order was one year late? No? Ok...
>> Have you been following Lee's golf game? It's not going so well.
>> BEND WORD OF THE DAY:
TELEVISLE (coined by Snoop Dog)
06/19/03
>> In regards to the paycheck I mentioned yesterday... it was given to the Bills. You know those guys? I'm sure you do.
>> I traded some art with Rik Catlow. Well, I owe him one... he sent me this smashed can art today. For the curious: the can is a Labatt Blue 12oz.
>> Over the past week we've gotten two really neat little books. The first came from the elusive and legendary, Garry Street Davis, and his many-time collaborator, Rich Jacobs — Magic Marks. It is a collection of macro digital photos of graffiti on the lower east side of Manhattan and the paintings and drawings of Mr. Jacobs. Beautiful details.
The second came just yesterday in a heavy padded envelope from none other than Porous Walker. It is a collected series of works illustrating an itch. You heard right. It's a thick little thing (2.5" x 2.75" and 1" thick), built of old lotto tickets and Braille paper, then handbound. Contributors include, Don Pendleton, Megan Baltimore, Mark Lewman, Andy Mueller, Lee Walton, the Metz and many more. The heavy part of the envelope was the nice old-school magnifying glass that came with Itch. Nice project. This quote also came written on a note inside :
"Thanks for supporting me. I hope to one day get paid for my ideas and art. Thanks," and signed Porous Walker.
Me too, Porous, me too.
>> I mentioned Lee Walton above. Well, he is in the midst of a five month long (or so) golf game, and you can watch it. I love this guy.
>> Lewman sent me this link. Calming.
06/18/03
>> Apologies for missing yesterday, I was spending my paycheck.
>> FOB and many time Diurnal contributor, Andrew Pommier, has a brand new site up. He's real good, people, so go forth and browse... We have, of course added him to Bend Friends link list (scroll down — it's always there). Good job, Andrew.
>> Porous Walker scores his first Diurnal after 53 tries. It's not as easy as you think, people...
>> Evil Monito #15, Love & Hate, is out with a feature on Andy Howell.
>> Stoked, The Rise and Fall of Gator, is currently screening at the Los Angeles Film Festival (Friday, June 20 at 9:45pm at the Director's Guild of America Theater). I haven't seen it , so I will refrain from judgement. I will, however quote from the email sent by the promoters of the film. This is a clip from a Vice Magazine review of Stoked:
"ENTERTAINING AND EDIFYING. AN ELEGY TO SKATERS AND SKATE CULTURE. If you want to see a film that truly sums up skate culture and all it has wrought, the only one worth watching is STOKED."
Skate culture and all it has wrought? Anyone have a copy of the entire review or seen the film itself?
06/16/03
>> Finally : FIENDSTER.
>> Please excuse the forthcoming use of graphic language, but I can think of no other way to descibe it this morning. If you are a Lego fanatic, you are going to shit your pants: Foundry DX. Wow.
>> Don't forget to check the most recent updates here at Bend:
1) The Free Bend font from Emmet Jenkins and Rodger Bridges
2) Tony Larson's "Licorice"
3) The three new Bend Pasties that went up today
06/13/03
>> Sunday is Fathers Day. Happy Fathers Day to all the Friends of Bend who have kids... ejoy them this weekend.
>> This show at BLK/MRKT looks good.
Public Opening: Saturday, June 14th / 2pm-8pm
Show runs June 14th - July 25th
BLK/MRKT Gallery
3780 Wilshire Blvd., Ste 210, LA, CA 90010
>> There's a new piece by Tony Larson up on the B Team pages. Check it out.
06/12/03
>> Was startled awake by a dream last night. A giant hand picked me up from my bed, turned me 180 degrees, then quickly put me down again.
>> How many of you out there get emails from "Somo Bozo"?
I hate that guy. Anyone know where he lives?
06/11/03
>> Observation:
Friendster is owned by Satan. I imagine he is laughing gleefully as he collects emails and various other personal information from all those naive enough to sign on. What he will ultimately do with this knowledge, who is to say, but you can bet The Devil will at least sell the emails many times over to certain world wide web entities. Examples might include enterprises with services or product such as the following: Penis enlargement, breast enlargement, car enlargement, shrunken digital cameras, natural penis stiffeners, limited edition coffee mugs, freedom kits, Russian brides, co-ed dorm web cams, pyramid schemes, etc., etc.
Just an observation.
>> FOB, Shinhead in Tokyo sent over these scans from the recent Relax mag. The tees are for a Relax project called Earth Music and, again, are only available in Japan. Sorry... more exclusive to Japan work. I can't seem to get many people in the US interested. Many thanks go out to Taka Kawachi for all his support in Japan. Thanks Taka.
>> Check out today's Destination (above). The Blow Up out of New York is a creative magazine with real writing and interesting content that you may not have already read about a dozen times.
>> Welcome to new Diurnal Drawing contributor, Dave Bevan. for today's drawing. Dave also sent over some nice photos which may have helped spark a new section for Bend...
>> Good film to rent, Pedro Aldomovar's "Talk To Her."
06/10/03
>> The brand new issue (#39) of Dirt (no relation to the old Dirt mag — this one is a radical mountain bike mag based in the UK) has a story I wrote on the US Supercross series. Turned out nice. Great photos by Paul Bliss. Here's the piece in HTML form. Thanks Mike and Justin.
(fromt left) Ezra Lusk, Larry Ward, Ricky Carmichael and South African, Grant Langston on the start. Look closely at Rick's throttle arm. Wow. Paul Bliss photo.
>> Rick Catlow has a pretty cool thing going in the form of a bulletin, or, message board. If you're into chat on contemporary pop art, illustration and/or almost anything inbetween, Eyeball Martini is worth checking on every so often. Navigation is quick and easy on the eyes. Members seem to be above the usual shit-spewing annonymous message board rif-raf. The Eyeball could be even interesting if the forum where joined by more people (i.e. you maybe?).
06/06/03 (afternoon update)
>> WE HAVE A WINNERS. Two guesses came in after this mornings post and both of them were correct. Leif Bjelland and Jared O. Hughes (write me back boys and supply street addresses so I can send out your packages) both had the answer. But before I tell you all who the Hessian is, I'll mention some other guesses: Phil Esbenshade, Mario Rubalcaba, Sporty Spice (?)... well, it is actually SPIKE JONZE making a cameo appearance in his video for MC 900 Ft Jesus. "If I Only Had a Brain." 1993?
Nathan Sweeney, Leif Bjelland and Jared O. Hughes all win copies of the forthcoming DVD anotholgy of Spike Jonze's work from a new company, The Director's Label (out by late summer — more on that later).
06/06/03
>> Guesses as to who the Aggressive Hessian is :
"Andy Jenkins, circa 1982, after dropping a box of feral miniature poodles at the roadside to perish. the fluffy little buggers wouldn't stop yapping, so you gave the box a swift kick before running like hell. Mom was driving me to the Roller-Rena... I saw the whole thing." —Ryan Schierling
Ah, Ryan... no. —A
"Lew. It's Lew, isn't it? Mark Lewman kicking a box of cranky poodles. " —Ryan Schierling
Well, Ryan, once again... no. —A
"Okay, since it appears as though the mystery person is rocking a "Slash" type hairstyle, I will guess that it's Bob K." —Oak Kelsey
Oak, you are absolutely wrong. —A
That's all you guys got for me? Damn. One email yesterday. One lonely letter amongst 87 others offering to enlarge my privates, get me a college degree and credit. I'd much rather hear from Benders. BTW, a message we received last night from an FOB following the "afternoon update" of 6/04:
"My friend's girlfriend is Vietnamese - did you know that in the Vietnamese community FOB stands for Fresh Off the Boat? And those Asian kids that drive the purple cars with the giant spoilers and blacklights underneath and stuff — they call those FOB cars. My other friend calls them YAM cars for Young Asian Male." —Darin Bendall
(pause)
Ah, fuck it, I like our acronym better.
>> FOB (and fellow dirt biker), Scott the Angry Swede, of Angry Associates sent over this animation link. Terrible song though — the kind that sticks to your brain like gum.
>> Thanks once again to FOB Metzger of Engine System for the mention on the Arkitip Intellegence Report. The Metz has been making some really nice silkcreens lately. Check 'em.
>> FOB, Rick Catlow has a great hand-made board graphic up on his front page.
06/04/03 (afternoon update)
>> This just in from a great old friend, Rodger Bridges. He created a font from the handwritten alphabet that was featured on the Bend cover over the last week. Now it's free to download for any FOB (Friend of Bend). Take it, go on and download BENDfont and BENDfont Slim. Thanks, Bridges.
06/04/03
>> Had just finished the first draft of NOW29 for 6/4/03 when my computer froze up. Lovely. I'll try it again, gawdammit.
(command S)
>> Someone —who shall remain nameless — mentioned to me yesterday that going on about the weather is a sign of old age. Fitting, since today the skies are the consistency of Milk of Magnesia... asshole.
(command S)
>> FOB, Nathan Sweeney, from Wyoming, Michigan, has already guessed who the angry Hessianon on the cover is. Congrats Nathan, but that was too fast. We're going to keep the contest open until two more people guess correctly. (command S) You'll win the same thing Nathan has, but again, I cannot reveal what it is for fear of giving away the Hessian's identity. So keep trying.
>> Brad Staba on Ruby? Jenkins does board graphic?
If I ever speak of myself in 3rd person again, slap me.
>> The limited edition shoe I (first person) did with Fifty24SF and Beams has been showing up in the mags over in Japan — which, by the way, is the only place to get the shoes for the time being. BUT, I'll let you know when the US version becomes available through Upper Playground and Girl Skateboards.
(almost forgot... command S)
06/03/03
>> Beery afternoon... seriously. Foamy sky.
>> Apologies for rhe relapse into lapse... people have been calling me on the phone. Don't call me on the phone. I won't answer, then it makes me all nervous. Anyhow, welcome to the 29th month of the NOW.
>> Why is Luxuro off the air? Larson did manage to contribute this link today: Killing the Buddah.
>> About this week's cover... name the small Hessian with the aggression and I'll send you a prize. Can't say what the prize will be, because it may give the Hessian's ID away. Oops. Was that a hint?.
>> An Interesting post script on an email last week:
ps: Is Mel bend a real person? I mean, I see him in the B team but in his section its art by Andy Jenkins/Mel bend. I mean he did invent this site didnt he? Like his last name is in the name BENDpress, I mean you'd think that he'd put more input into the site than this... like you (Andy) does all the posting and such and emails and such ... or is Mel bend a second personality of you? Have I solved the riddle? I sure hope hes not dead or something and this whole site is to honor him...
>> DESTINATIONS OF PREVIOUS MOMENTS
>> THE NOW (THEN) ARCHIVES
Bend Press
22500 S. Vermont Ave, Torrance, CA 90502 USA
fax 310/783/1920
©2003, Bend Press / Andy Jenkins / All Rights Reserved
All other works copywritten by the individual artists / writers