He THOUGHT He Was An Artist! (Memoirs From Back At The Drawing Board): The Scrap Paper Gallery

When I was a teenager, I wanted to be an artist almost as much as I wanted to be a writer. I kept writing, and I got better at it; I didn't really stick with the art to the extent that would have been necessary, so those skills never improved. 

Doesn't mean I stopped.

Back in this post, I mentioned my ongoing predilection for scribbling random little drawings on scrap paper. That post was about my li'l dashed-off portrait of Joey Ramone. You remember that one, right?

Of course you do! So let's join our Joey with a few other gems from my Scrap Paper Gallery.

The truth is I scratch out so many of these things, pretty much every day, and the vast majority of them are immediately consigned to the recycling bin. The SUPERCATE! picture is a portrait of a coworker, and it has survived years, maybe even longer. As you can see, it's tacked on a bulletin board at work. It's one of my rare color works, though we've remixed a black and white version for contrast. Um...no pun intended. 

Nor accomplished.

Batman is my favorite scribbling sketch subject. To wit:

The original Captain Marvel has turned up in a couple of scrap paper renderings:

And Superman made a holiday appearance, decked out in a Santa Claus hat and beard:

I also imagined Groucho Marx as a power pop musician:

But sometimes I just start drawing someone of no previously-fixed identity:

With that last one, I like how it shows the influence of comics artist Jim Aparo. And yeah, I do know I couldn't draw like the late, great Aparo on my best day. 

But it's fun to try!

After a busy night saving the world, even heroes crave TACOS!!

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider supporting this blog by becoming a patron on Patreon, or by visiting CC's Tip Jar. Additional products and projects are listed here.

Carl's new book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones is now available, courtesy of the good folks at Rare Bird Books. Gabba Gabba YAY!! https://rarebirdlit.com/gabba-gabba-hey-a-conversation-with-the-ramones-by-carl-cafarelli/

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, and on the web at http://sparksyracuse.org/ You can read about our history here.

I'm on Twitter @CafarelliCarl

He THOUGHT He Was An Artist! (Memoirs From Back At The Drawing Board): The Picture Of JOEY RAMONE

When I was a teenager, I wanted to be an artist almost as much as I wanted to be a writer. I kept writing, and I got better at it; I didn't really stick with the art to the extent that would have been necessary, so those skills never improved. 

Doesn't mean I stopped.

This portrait of Joey Ramone is just a doodle I did at work. Scribbled sketches on scrap paper represent the primary medium for my artwork. If I ever have a showing at a gallery, I'm gonna need a lot of really, really, really small frames.

I'd say the publication of my book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones has put the Ramones in my mind, but c'mon! The Ramones are ALWAYS in my mind! That's why I wrote the book in the first place!

I've been doing Gabba Gabba Hey! book release parties, in-stores, and book signings. As yet, I haven't tried to render a quick-draw Joey alongside my autograph in anyone's copy of my book. I may think I'm an artist, but I also know I'm not an artist, and I'm reluctant to risk ruining someone's (presumably) cherished copy of Gabba Gabba Hey!

But I dunno. Maybe? Perhaps I'll risk it if someone wants me to do that at my book-signing in New York on June 29th. New York City really has it all. 

IN-PERSON EVENT! On June 29, I will be making an in-store appearance at GENERATION RECORDS, 210 Thompson Street in NYC on behalf of my  new book GABBA GABBA HEY! A CONVERSATION WITH THE RAMONES. The book contains my 1994 interviews with Joey, Johnny, Marky, and C.J., which were cited by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as essential reading. I'll be at Generation to chat with fellow Ramones fans, talk about the book, the interviews, and how the music of the Ramones impacted my life. If you are in the New York area on June 29th, I would love to see you at Generation Records. Hey-ho, let's GO! 

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider supporting this blog by becoming a patron on Patreon, or by visiting CC's Tip Jar. Additional products and projects are listed here.

Carl's new book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones is now available, courtesy of the good folks at Rare Bird Books. Gabba Gabba YAY!! https://rarebirdlit.com/gabba-gabba-hey-a-conversation-with-the-ramones-by-carl-cafarelli/

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, and on the web at http://sparksyracuse.org/ You can read about our history here.

I'm on Twitter @CafarelliCarl

POP-A-LOOZA: UNFINISHED AND ABANDONED! Memories Of The Snowman

Each week, the pop culture website Pop-A-Looza shares some posts from my vast 'n' captivating Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do) archives. The latest shared post is a continuation of a post from last week, with further words about my aborted comics creation The Snowman, and my abandoned efforts to become a comic book artist: Memories Of The Snowman.

This was written as a sequel to Pop-A-Looza's presentation of The Snowman, the first and only page I wrote and drew for an unfinished notion of a comic book story. I've since discovered a few of my scribbled early '70s rendition of the character. I don't believe superstar comics artist Neal Adams was ever concerned with competition from the likes of me.

Perhaps The Snowman wasn't destined for greatness. But earlier this year, I returned to a preposterous childhood creation called Rain-Hat Sam. I didn't attempt to draw our waterlogged Sam, but I did write a pretty good new prose short story about his final adventure. Earlier this week, that story was purchased by AHOY Comics for publication as a one-off in a future issue of one of AHOY's titles. If the preposterous Rain-Hat Sam can be realized, maybe it's time to revisit The Snowman.

Whether I follow through with that notion, or leave it in its native Unfinished And Abandoned state, The Snowman's real-life back story is a chronicle of my history of trying to learn how to create. And that story is the latest Boppin' Pop-A-Looza.

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider supporting this blog by becoming a patron on Patreon, or by visiting CC's Tip Jar. Additional products and projects are listed here.

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, and on the web at http://sparksyracuse.org/ You can read about our history here.

I'm on Twitter @CafarelliCarl

POP-A-LOOZA: UNFINISHED AND ABANDONED! The Snowman

Each week, the pop culture website Pop-A-Looza shares some posts from my vast 'n' captivating Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do) archives. The latest shared post is a look back at the one page I did for a proposed comic book feature to be called The Snowman.

The Snowman was a vague concept that never fully gelled. Its original inspiration came from ads in the back of Vampirella magazine. Wait, let's pause for a picture of the lovely Vampi.

Awesome. Anyway, my love of 1930s and '40s pulps and movie serials was fueled in part by ads in Vampirella, including one ad for something supposed to be like a serial supervillain's mask. I swiped that mask to create The Snowman, first as an attempt at a pulp novel (written in cursive in a spiral notebook early in my high school years, probably circa '74 or '75, and palpably influenced by cliffhanger serials and The Shadow pulps). Actually the aborted Snowman novel may have been preceded by a Snowman comic book story, written and penciled for my freshman Spanish class (with captions and word balloons en español). Similar time frame, either way. Much later, I used an entirely different version of The Snowman as a potential Batman villain in the journal for my 1979 Fantasy And Science-Fiction class, when I was a senior in college.

The 1979 version of The Snowman. The EVIL One!

Back to today's shared post. Although this undated single page of The Snowman was originally posted in my Unfinished And Abandoned series, it's also a good fit for He THOUGHT He Was An Artist! (Memoirs From Back At The Drawing Board). I still scribble little drawings--the illo at the top of this post was done a few days ago, when I realized I needed a new picture of The Snowman--but I have long since given up any notion of being an artist. 

And that's okay. I'm never going to stop doodling, but I'm a better writer than I am an artist. As I kick around the notion of self-publishing a collection of my short stories, I've toyed with the idea of doing the cover myself. I probably won't do that. I'd prefer that the book, y'know...sell.

I had a slightly more realistic shot at becoming an artist than I ever had at becoming a musician. It is possible that I could have honed my drawing skills with a little more dedication and a little more encouragement. My eighth-grade art teacher was a kind and positive mentor; my ninth-grade art teacher was not. I eventually put aside dreams of professional pencil-and-ink work, and concentrated on my words. (That story is told as part of a memoir of my childhood superhero creation Jack Mystery.)

Jack Mystery in the '80s

Other entries in He THOUGHT He Was An Artist! have revisited a pair of eleventh-grade high school art projects (done for a different teacher), Agent 690: Man Of Action! and Hero. Both are stronger on enthusiasm than they are on execution. My artwork did improve--a lot, I think--after I graduated from college. My sketches in the '80s showed some potential, but I was not prepared to pursue it. There were bills to pay, beers to drink, records to hear, and writing to do. The artwork couldn't be a priority. 

That's on me. Can't blame my ninth-grade art teacher for that. And really, I'm not putting myself down when I say that maybe he was right; I don't think my artwork could ever have become ready for prime time. But I still do it, for myself. It's still fun. And it's still mine.

One of these days, I'm going to do a deeper dive into my '80s sketchbook. Today, we look back on a single page--the only page--of an unfinished and abandoned comic book project. The Snowman serves as the latest Boppin' Pop-A-Looza.

Writing? Drawing? Saving the world? All this stuff makes ya hungry.

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider supporting this blog by becoming a patron on Patreon, or by visiting CC's Tip Jar. Additional products and projects are listed here.

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, and on the web at http://sparksyracuse.org/ You can read about our history here.

I'm on Twitter @CafarelliCarl

POP-A-LOOZA: FAKE BANDS (created by me)

 

Each week, the pop culture website Pop-A-Looza shares some posts from my vast 'n' captivating Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do) archives. The latest shared post is a review of imaginary musicians I've concocted for various attempts at fiction: "FAKE BANDS! Professional [and also amateur] Liar Creates Rock 'n' Roll Groups."

Music also plays a part in my most recent short story, "Pop Friction." "Pop Friction" is about a woman named Spillane, who grows tired of her gritty life in film noir and longs to be in a musical instead; her thug boyfriend Stooge objects, and hijinks ensue. I wrote the story very quickly in mid-August and submitted it to the good folks at AHOY Comics for their consideration. I'm happy with the piece, and I hope it will find a home at AHOY.

Assembling the fake bands piece sent me scurrying back to my 1980s sketchbook (and additional doodles in my old notebooks) for illustrations. I knew from the time I was 13 or so that I wanted to be a writer, but I also used to want to be an artist, too. My writing skills developed to a greater degree than my drawing skills ever did. I've told a little bit of my history as a frustrated artist in "The Jack Mystery Story," and I've done two posts so far in my series He THOUGHT He Was An Artist! (Tales From Back At The Drawing Board): Agent 690, Man Of Action and Hero. I would like to return to that series some time, and dive more deeply into my old artwork. 

But in the mean time, we draw a straight line back to my writing, and some of the fictional musicmakers that gigged only in my imagination. "FAKE BANDS!" is the latest Boppin' Pop-A-Looza.

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You can support this blog by becoming a patron on Patreon: Fund me, baby! 

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, and on the web at http://sparksyracuse.org/ You can read about our history here.

The many fine This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio compilation albums are still available, each full of that rockin' pop sound you crave. A portion of all sales benefit our perpetually cash-strapped community radio project:

Volume 1: download
Volume 2: CD or download
Volume 3: download
Volume 4: CD or download
Waterloo Sunset--Benefit For This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio:  CD or download

I'm on Twitter @CafarelliCarl.

FAKE BANDS! Professional (and also amateur) Liar Creates Rock 'n' Roll Groups

For someone who can't sing, write songs, produce records, or play any instruments, I've created a fair number of musical acts. I'm not talking about fantasy air guitar combos--though I have a bunch of those, too--but fictional musicians I've used or intended to use in stuff I write. Yeah, I'm a regular Raybert (and only Monkees fans will get that reference). Here are a few of the musicmakers I've created: 

GUITARS VS. RAYGUNS

After decades of nonfiction freelancing, my first fiction sale was my short story "Guitars Vs. Rayguns," purchased and published by the good folks at AHOY Comics. The story namechecks a number of real-life acts, from Chuck Berry to the Ramones, but the planet-hopping group at the center of it all is never identified. Well, folks, they call themselves Guitars Vs. Rayguns. Obviously. This was intended as a one-off story, until an AHOY fan wrote a letter to the editor wishing for more. So, I'm working on it. I've had no discussions with AHOY about this yet, and I may never get around to writing it. Keep watching the skies.

COPPER 

Other than (presumed) shared reference points, my character of Copper has nothing to do with this Jaime Hernandez illustration from the great Love And Rockets comics.

Copper is a 17-year-old punk bassist in the mid 1980s, and she's the star of my most recent short story sale, "Chaos At The Copperhead Club."  That story has been purchased but not yet published by AHOY, and is in the same shared continuity as my previous stories "The Last Ride Of The Copperhead Kid," "The Copperhead Strikes!," and "The Copperhead Affair." Copper's band is not named in the story, so let's name 'em now: please welcome to the stage Copper and the Pit Vipers!

THE DUST BUNNYS

Fabricated power pop group the Dust Bunnys kicked bassist Jenny Woo out of the band--and through the window of a high-rise building--at the start of Eternity Man!, my proposed rock 'n' roll time travel superhero novel. Don't worry! She's one of the stars of the novel, so it's no spoiler to say that she's immediately saved by Eternity Man himself. I wrote the first five chapters of Eternity Man! before setting it aside. It's not necessarily abandoned, as I often sketch out ideas, leave them alone, and then return to them weeks, months, or years later. Hell, Eternity Man!'s fourth chapter includes my first public mention of the Copperhead Kid, long before I wrote and sold "The Last Ride Of The Copperhead Kid." Some ideas have an expiration date; some do not.

In that first chapter of Eternity Man!, our Jenny mentions previous stints in some other fictional combos: Elegant Cream Vehicle, the Lemming Pipers, Attica's Finch, and Warriors of Romance. A friend of mine came up with the name "Elegant Cream Vehicle," and I came up with the others. 

Elegant Cream Vehicle and Daddy's Soul Donut (a name also suggested by a friend, taken from an episode of The Simpsons) turned up (alongside Archie's Band, who were from  Queens, not Riverdale) in this trifle. And Warriors of Romance well predate Eternity Man! What was the action-packed, pulse-pounding origin of Warriors of Romance? Face Front, True Believer:

WARRIORS OF ROMANCE

In the '80s, when I was scrambling to try to write professionally, one of my many, many stillborn concepts was Marvel Girl, intended as a new character with a familiar name. Marvel Comics' original Marvel Girl had been Jean Grey, a founding member of the uncanny X-Men; Jean had been upgraded to a new identity as Phoenix, so I figured Marvel might need a new Marvel Girl to retain its trademark. Helpful? That's me! I also tried to concoct a new Supergirl for DC Comics for the same reason. Neither notion even got as far as a draft proposal, both existing only as figures in my sketch book.

Marvel Girl would have been Debbie McCullagh, aka Debbie Mack, drummer for a struggling psychedelic group called (you guessed it) Warriors of Romance. Memory suggests I intended her to have Superman level powers, but with the powers only manifesting either as needed or sporadically (a notion possibly inspired by the Hulk or the original SHAZAM!-shouting Captain Marvel). The idea was not thought through, and was never executed. 'Nuff said.

WILLINGTON BLUE, SKIP KELLER

Willington Blue and Skip Keller were characters in my unsold short story "Home Of The Hits" (formerly "Hitcore"). I had high hopes for this one, and I was surprised that it was rejected. The story references a previous group that included auteur Blue, and songwriter/record label contractor Keller is mentioned as having been in a boy band, but neither act is named.  

THE SHAMBLES

Yeah, I'm aware that there is a terrific real-life recording act called the Shambles, but I hope Bart Mendoza will forgive me for coming up with the same name independently in 1979. My set o' Shambles was concocted for a lackluster entry in the journal I kept for a college class called Fantasy And Science Fiction. It was terrible. The actual Shambles are much, much better.

BEN ARNOLD AND THE TURNCOATS

Aw, this one never had any chance in hell of happening, but I wish it did. Ben Arnold and the Turncoats were the mid '60s American rock 'n' roll group at the heart of The Beat And The Sting, my idea for a comic book mini-series based on the 1966 TV version of The Green Hornet. I particularly like Kato's line that the Turncoats' hit "You Won't Get Me" is derivative of the Kinks, and Britt Reid's preference for being more of an Al Hirt man. I posted a blurb for the idea, and the first few script pages, but it doesn't make sense for me to continue it as fanfic. Another challenge for the Green Hornet? Sadly, not this time.

AND THE REST!

Those are the ones I've used in...something. There are others attached to projects too embryonic to discuss here: the Frantiks, the Ragtags, the Limey Fruits, Butterscotch Peacemongers, the Terry Legend, the Broken Things, Rock Lobster, and Bright Lights. Those all require more rehearsal and woodshedding before they hit the stage. If they ever hit the stage.

And a-one, and a-two...!

TIP THE BLOGGER: CC's Tip Jar!

You can support this blog by becoming a patron on Patreon: Fund me, baby! 

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, and on the web at http://sparksyracuse.org/ You can read about our history here.

The many fine This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio compilation albums are still available, each full of that rockin' pop sound you crave. A portion of all sales benefit our perpetually cash-strapped community radio project:

Volume 1: download
Volume 2: CD or download
Volume 3: download
Volume 4: CD or download
Waterloo Sunset--Benefit For This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio:  CD or download

I'm on Twitter @CafarelliCarl.