More stuff soon to come from this year's Comic Con. Now that I've been de-virginized, I'm still a little overwhelmed, my feet are still a little sore, but thankful to have been a part of it all. Through the seas of Storm Troopers and children the biggest deal this year at San Diego's Annual International Comic Con was these giant promotional bags from Warner Bros. I guess a couple hundred were given out each day. They held everyone's stuff and they blocked traffic at every crosswalk. By day 3 this crafty lady made her perfect ode to the Con:


The Storm Troopers got nothing on her. [image from Flickr by gruntzooki.]

Labels: comics, events, random

New band Bat For Lashes has too many interpretations on their name to get clever here so I'll cut to the chase. This UK lass is Natasha Khan and her girl group goes by Bat For Lashes. Her breakthrough single "What's A Girl To Do?" proves she's the next London It Girl on the verge of picking fights with Amy Winehouse and trying to drink Lady Sovereign under the table. Channeling The Ronettes girl group sound with storytelling I also find this single a mix of Charlotte Gainsbourg's breathiness meets the sincerity of Lily Allen with the punky-darkness of The Scanners thrown in. The video is slightly intriguing. Who doesn't love a bicycle tracking shot and Donnie Darko references? Animal masks are feeling overused though. Didn't Sassy magazine do a fashion spread like this 9 years ago?

Bat for Lashes is touring the U.S. right now. Catch her before the hype sends her and her all girl band to more sold out festivals. They'll be at Spaceland this Tuesday night.


Tuesday, Jul. 31 8:30pm
Bat For Lashes
Spaceland
1717 Silver Lake Blvd.
Silver Lake, 90026
$12

Labels: events, music, videos

Stay tuned for all the interesting tid-bits and reviews I pick up this weekend from Comic Con 2007 in San Diego. On the personal schedule so far: face time with Fantagraphics, Beowulf the animated movie screening, Ray Bradbury and Ray Harryhausen panel, Family Guy table read, and meet the Batman66 crew.

Every day I get more excited about something new to do/see there. Right now I'm completely looking forward to the Superbad sneak peek. Michael Cera is becoming quite the comic wunderkind. If you doubted his brilliance as George Michael Bluth on Arrested Development then you must rediscover his boyish charms in his and Clark Duke's hilarious new webisodic series "Clark & Michael". Episode 10 just came out today.

CBS backs the series hoping to cash in on the young Internet audiences who ad-execs don't believe have the attention span to sit through 26 minutes of regular TV programming anymore. No matter the network nor social implications, Cera and Duke have been given any young performer's dream. Consider it Curb Your Enthusiasm Jr. as the boys constantly go through new creative lengths of self-sabotage. Like another comedy-duo phenom, Flight of The Conchords, the boys play up their dorkiness as they go after unattainable women and goals, get shot down, and come home to each other. Insert the long string of awkward, homophobic moments. But that's the appeal of the buddy-buddy comedy genre. After a long day of hitting the gym (in this case, the basement workout room of the boy's Marina del Rey furnished apartment) or taking "lunch meetings", it's nice to know you've still got an ally in the industry. Don't miss the cameos by Arrested Development alumni David Cross and Andy Richter. Judd Apatow fans will also be pleased to see the camaraderie continuing with appearances by Jonah Hill (Cera's Superbad co-star), Martin Starr (aka "Martin Scorsese on coke" from Knocked Up), and John Daley (number one geek from Freaks & Geeks) . Still doubt Cera has what it takes to join the Apatow crew? Check out his video resume, "Impossible is the Opposite of Possible" originally made for an 826LA benefit last year.

Labels: comics, reviews, television, videos

Fluffy bearded and dashing Ryan Gosling ordering soup Sunday night at 101 Diner, Hollywood.
Prompts a dozen hipster girls to place Craigslist missed connection ad this morning.

You: Ryan Gosling.
Me: Mousey haired girl in baby doll dress. Walked by your table about 40 times. I "accidently" brushed your elbow. MFEO?

Labels: celeb sighting

Tonight Chango hosts Anarchy Jordan. He'll unveil from his bag of tricks folk music, political sing-alongs, and incendiary videos mocking everything from global warming to GW. Expect a free exchange of stencil art techniques, anti-war graffiti and a live free or buy trying attitude. A good time is sure to be had by all or at least a healthy debate over your nightly chai lattes.



ANARCHY JORDAN presents YOUR VIOLENT DESIRES
LIVE LIVE LIVE LIVE (you decide how to pronounce it)
with his MUSIC, MOVIES, AND MORE

Friday, Jul. 20th 9:00pm
Chango Coffee House
1600 Echo Park Ave.
Echo Park, 90026

hey young fella, dada is not an art movement.
Be there or be viciously circular.

Labels: events, music, politics, videos

There are two new books I will hole myself up in the house with and read cover to cover this weekend: #1 (obviously) Harry Potter And The Deathly Hollows. #2 The Blot by Tom Neely. Neely is my new graphic novel crush. The Blot is an existential nightmare living in the form of an ink blot that plagues the cartoon protagonist's daily life panel to panel. He simply wakes up to a blot that will not go away. It pesters and festers in everything from food to taking over people's faces. The graphic style is comparable to old timey comic strips of the depression era as well as surrealist Magritte paintings. And since the comic is "silent" (no talking bubbles) one can focus on the subtleties of the narrative and the hand crafted vintage style. The complete graphic novel as well as the serialized versions are now available at Secret Headquarters and they're holding a reception for Tom Neely tomorrow night. Neely is taken but I can still get my book signed.


Friday, Jul. 20th 8:00-10:00pm
The Blot opening reception with author Tom Neely
Secret Headquarters
3817 Sunset Blvd.
Silver Lake, 90026


Also, check out Tom Neely's ode to 1940s propaganda cartoons - his political satire "Brother Can You Spare a Job?".

Labels: books, comics, events, videos

Never one to skip my daily browse of all the trustworthy design blogs, I have to pass on a very cool decorating idea via Apartment Therapy. Amy and John share a 1000 square foot apartment in New York. (Here's the full slideshow). Amy is a salvage artist for This Old House. She writes and creates video tutorials. This handy and handsome entranceway shelf looks to be a pretty straightforward DIY project. The quality and historical interest of the doornobs she chose I think make all the difference. Thumbs up for the YWCA nob. I think a similar effect could be had with mis-matched antique hooks on a re-purposed door or old wood facade. Scrap pieces like that can be found at Silver Lake's own salvage yard. Then bust out the drill and a couple screws. Now if only I had an entryway.


Silver Lake Yards
1085 Manzanita (down the hill behind the Sunset & Manzanita)
Silver Lake, 90026
323.667.2875

Labels: design, DIY

Boy was I excited to get up early on a Sunday, don my Etsy purchases and go out to Felt Club early in hopes of grabbing up a goody bag. Well, me and 500 other Los Angeles crafters had the same idea. By 11:00am - the set time for the doors to open to the pretty little Ukrainian Cultural Center - a line had wrapped around the block. Standing in the hot sun did not look fun.

We all knew it would be packed this year, but the extent of the crowd was intimidating, to say the least. By the time I showed up around 4pm food was sold out, but the crowds had diminished. There was still plenty of merchandise to be had. Charles Phoenix hugged mascot Gluey Gluerson and called the raffle. DJ Lance Rock, never one to disappoint, spinned my favorite poppy re-mixes and I learned that very day he's the new host of possibly the best cartoon show for infants ever, Yo Gabba Gabba.

I was happy to meet Robert from Mahar Drygoods and even happier to learn they had a Mr. Toast affiliation. Mahar Drygoods is a cute online shop that Robert works out of his house in Santa Monica. He aspires to have an actual, versus virtual, storefront one of these days.


I didn't make any major purchases, but was more excited to do a little craft-shopping with as many vendors as possible and sign up on everyone's mailing lists.



This lion t-shirt came home with me from Poketo thanks to their bargain bin. A tip to craft shoppers: always look below their booths for the bargain bin section. Sometimes the cast-offs are more interesting than the "perfect" ones on the tables. The cotton is so soft. I plan to cut off the sleeves and shape the tee into a cosy yet skimpy camisole perfect for layering this summer.



A Happy Bacon magnet by SappyMooseTree now smiles back at me from my fridge. It would have been a crime to leave Felt Club without a creation of felt.

A Lucha Libre stencil kit will encourage me to take up cross-stitching thanks to Handmade Nation who were selling a variety of items for charity.



Fuzzy Balls Apparel had free buttons. My friend and I proudly wore the "I'm Fracking Magical" buttons for the rest of the day. She supports the Battlestar Galactica reference while I post-modernly adore Veronica Mars re-referencing "Frack" in one of her better episodes. Their temporary tattoos were a nice give-away as well.



Fomato stole my heart first with their graphic ghost prints and then with their witty birthday cards. Who wouldn't want a birthday card that reads "I'm celebrating your birthday by going to a dive bar in hopes to go home with a stranger"? There are also informative birthday cards on drinking tea.

I'm still on the lookout for the perfect frilly apron. It's gotta have at least four ruffles and tons of brick-a-brack. I'm probably gonna get crafty and make one.

There were lots of options to solve the small wallet that only holds the vital credit cards, ID, cash & change problem, but not one that was absolutely perfect. The DEVO inspired plastic one from Poketo came close. You can buy it here.



The auditorium lacked good AC or ventilation and word is the Craft Fair will move outdoors in November for their Holiday Expo. They're trying for the LACC courtyard.

Here's the thank you email letter from Felt Club maven Jenny Ryan:

Hello All,

This is just a quick e-mail to thank you all for coming out in droves for today's Felt Club: XL Summer Event. We all had an absolute blast!! Believe me when I say that as great as the press we got was, we still had no idea the crowds were going to end up being so enormous. Clearly we have outgrown our venue! Please know that we are aware of the situation and are hard at work coming up with new and better ways to bring you Felt Club fun in the future.

For everyone who has been asking, we are indeed doing a holiday show on November 18, and rest assured that the venue we're using for that show is MUCH larger, very well ventilated, and just downright fabulous. We'll be able to share more specifics with you on that soon, so please stay tuned! We think you'll be very pleased.

Many, many thanks so all of you who braved the crowds and heat to come support the super-crafty L.A. scene. Heartfelt apologies to those of you who couldn't take it, and we thank you so much for supporting us as we sort out our growing pains in order to continue bringing you the very best handmade awesomeness California has to offer. We're extremely grateful for your interest in what we're doing, you're the best!!

Sincerely,
Jenny Ryan
Felt Club

Labels: design, DIY, fashion, shopping

In case you missed it, like I did - yes, I am in the bastard friend hall of fame - Pedra Furmall painted live at the Roxy last week to The Apex Theory's new song. Everyone was quite impressed. The YouTube sensation is impressive as well. Nice editing guys.

Labels: art, music, videos

Got a polite smile from Dave Allen (aka Naked Trucker aka stoner guidance counselor on Freaks & Geeks) while we both looked at Judy Chicago's vagina at the WACK! Feminist Art Exhibit, MOCA Geffen.

I learned Jorja Fox is considerate and pretty yet casually dressed and so is Sarah Silverman, while drinking on the back patio at Edendale Grill. The latter actress however has no qualms about blazing up a doobie in crowded restaurants.

Labels: celeb sighting

No I am not rallying for celebrity chef Tom Collichio's new restaurant, although I'm sure the opening of Craftsteak this weekend will be fabulous...


What is the hottest ticket in town is FELT CLUB XL this Sunday. The Winter Craft Fair was a huge success for the LA Craft Club that could and their summer one has gained so much attention from the community at large I'm sure it will be even more packed than last time. Show up super early if you wanna get in on the door freebies. Only 250 SWAG bags will be at the door with little freebies from Subversive Cross Stitch and local sponsors including Reform School and Echo Park fave eatery Masa - I think in the form of gift certificates, not pizza slices. But if you do get hungry Auntie Em's Kitchen will supply the noshes. I couldn't be happier about Auntie Em's. Once just my stop for red velvet cupcakes after tennis matches in Eagle Rock now the treats are showing up all over the city. The uber-trendy downtown Edison Bar even has her cupcakes on the menu. If you've never indulged, the perfect cream cheese frosting will make you forget about any disappointing pastry experience you've ever had.

But enough about the sweets, how about the sweet vendors? There's too many to mention. Over 70 from around the country! Craft blogger fave Michelle Caplan will be there with her gorgeous collages. Local illustrators Jordan Crane and Martin Cendreda will most likely be sketching up a storm. Craft Magazine will provide a booth of craft classes. The schedule includes yarn spinning, gocco tutorials, needle felting, charm jewelry design. It's a bonafide craft-nerd paradise. The vintage culture deity himself Charles Phoenix MCs the entire event. That's him hugging Felt Club's mascot Gluey Gluerson. Adorable, no?

Sunday July 15th 11:00am - 7:00pm
Felt Club XL Summer
Ukrainian Cultural Center
4315 Melrose Avenue
LA 90029
$1 Donation at the door
Street parking or $2 lot on Vermont Ave.

Labels: design, DIY, events

The Silver Lake Neighborhood Council (SLNC) is holding its annual issues meeting and election kick-off this upcoming Saturday at the Bellevue Recreation Center. If you've ever been curious to what goes down during these meetings Saturday morning you'll get a good chance to meet the major players around our fair neighborhood, observe the election process, and get to know your neighbors' gripes at the open mic.

I've never been disappointed at these meetings. The turnout is always a batch of concerned citizens and passionate people from all walks of life. The common ground is they walk the sidewalks of Silver Lake with the rest of us. The best aspect of the Council is that it is a sounding board for the neighborhood. All concerns are taken seriously and everyone is encouraged to get their voice heard by attending meetings and voting. I've found that just being bale to observe and be another neighbor in a an empty seat is a good statement to start. So SLNC is luring us more apathetic folks in with a FREE breakfast at 9am.

The Issues meeting begins at 10am. After a presentation regarding Emergency Preparedness, it's an open mic for anyone to step up and let the SLNC Governing Board know what are the important issues that SLNC should be addressing. Then it's all followed by the SLNC Annual Election Kick-Off. You can meet all the candidates and maybe dream of throwing your hat in the race.


Saturday, July 14th
Speak Out Silver Lake! SLNC Annual Issue Meeting and Election Kick-Off
Bellevue Recreation Center
826 Lucile Avenue
9:00 am - Breakfast with the Board
10:00 am - Speak Out Silver Lake! Emergency Preparedness and open mic
11:30 am - SLNC Election Kick-Off

Labels: events, local, politics

The Live Earth concert over the weekend sure got my environmentally conscious pals and I worked up. Maybe we would have been more supportive if the acts were anyone worth wild but John Mayer's poo-face (the face he makes when he hits those cringe-inducing cliche guitar notes) started a rant about how un-environmental a giant concert is. Apart from the obvious waste and litter large stadium shows make, a friend of mine brought up that an Internet streamed concert from around the world would be just as effective, possibly "revolutionary", and a much smaller carbon footprint than planes for the artists and fans to fly to Tokyo, for example. From an environmental design perspective I was really unimpressed by the tire wall for the U.S. show. The "recycled-chic" look got lost when I started to think about the amount of energy needed to transport old tires and then attach them to a giant wall. And it doesn't look any better than Fat Albert and the Junkyard Gang's clubhouse.

Kelly Clarkson gets down with tires [via liveearth.msn.com].


Repetition with re-used or recycled materials is a signature green look - from seat belt purses to crochet plastic bag bags. The best looking example of this I saw today via sub-studio design blog. The Vintage Belt Floor Mat by Branch is awfully pretty. Made completely out of discarded men's leather belts, it makes quite the statement piece for your floor not to mention all the color variation from years of wear and fade would match most decors. And like signature green products it'll put you in credit card debt faster than you can download the Live Earth concert.


Never lacking at the local thrift stores, I'm confident a rip-off version could be made from old belts and a lot of leather glue. Branch's creation in fact is made just like that - belts glued onto "reconstituted leather backing". A bad suede jacket plus your dad's hand-me-downs could equal similar results, or at least a couple trivet trays. You'll need leather shears and strong glue which can be found at fabric or upholstery stores.

Labels: design, DIY, environmental

The hipsters know no bounds to the lengths they will go to prove the LA art and music scene is the place to be. This Thursday kicks off the Indie 103.1 sponsored free summer concerts at the Hammer Museum. More than just a place to schmooze up the cuties and the caterers these events bring out the spirit of a city in the summer - warm nights, free concerts, and courtyard canoodling. This year's lineup each Thursday night features some of LA's favorites and rising indie stars. Inaugurating the night is one of my new faves Great Northern. The boy-girl-boy-girl band evokes the moody melodious rock that's so popular today standing apart with sophisticated lyrics and indie bread simplicity. I play their single "Home" all day long. The breathy vocals, gentle orchestration and rocky drums that chime in at all the right parts equal one great summer anthem. Great Northern shares the bill with Foreign Born, another LA rock band who's gaining quite the UK following. On the walls of the Hammer is Eden's Edge, an exhibit of 15 LA artists' work from the past decade. The work can all be categorized as highly personal, mixed media fantasies.

Thursday, Jul. 8th 8:00-11:00pm
Also I Like to Rock at The Hammer with Foreign Born and Great Northern
Hammer Museum
10899 Wilshire Blvd.
Westwood, 90024
310.443.7000
FREE

Museum Parking $3 after 6:30pm on Thursdays.


Upcoming lineups:

Jul. 12th
The Pity Party & The Little Ones

Jul. 19th
Castledoor & Fields

Jul. 26th
Sea Wolf & Midnight Movies

Labels: art, events, freebies, music

Kristen Fairgrieve makes up the Girly and Christine Vasquez brings the Surly to their unique cosmetic line Surly Girly. Until July 31st they're offering an unbelievable sale. All online orders are $10 each and shipping is free. A friend of mine swears by their lipstick's deep colors and staying power, and especially likes Darkest Sin. I'm loving the pink and black travel bags that can carry your little purchases. Easy application and accessibility are on these ladies minds and so they take into account that the entire line of lip glosses, eye shadows, and liners can coordinate together as well as bring out a girl's cute punky attitude. The website doesn't reflect the prices by feel free to order up and the discount will be taken into account at checkout.

Labels: shopping, www.internet.com