Forget Compton!!

I always thought that the downest G's lived up in South Central L.A. or in the ghettos of Detroit. While they may have to occasionally dodge a bullet or two, I came across a hood that's even more hardcore than that. These fools ain't dodging bullets, they're dodging LAVA!!! Can you get any downer than that?? They're rolling the dice against mother nature and mother nature is one crazy Beeotch! This is a pic of the Stromboli volcano which is a few miles off the coast of Italy. Yes kids, that's a live, lava-spewing volcano. I've circled the town in the photo below. The town itself is pretty pimped, with a pier and quaint homes with incredible views of the ocean....and of LAVA! Maybe they're just a confident group of folks who love living life on the edge, or maybe they are confident that they've survived on the island for years and years and the lava will never ever get them. All I know, is that I couldn't wait to get the F away from there. I'll take a bullet in the arse over burning up and melting in LAVA any day!

Notting Hill Carnival

This Bank Holiday weekend, the Notting Hill Carnival came to my hood. I wasn't quite prepared for how HUGE this thing is. It's like the equivalent of a Mardi Gras or the Brazilian Carnivale for Britain. It's a celebration of Caribbean culture and they basically close down the entire town of Notting Hill and have a parade with all sorts of extravagant costumes and bands. There are also hundreds of food and merchandise vendors that line all the various streets. The Red Stripe beers are also sold all over the place and you can drink anywhere outside which is unheard of in the states. With all the amazing things going on around the carnival, you would think that my full attention would be focused on the huge extravaganza at hand. Haha! Not so fast there, mi amigo! I completely lost all interest in the carnival and focused on what I think might be the greatest invention of our time. Yes, buddy ol' pals! That's some sort of four-sided outdoor urinal. You would think that it might be a little embarrasing going in broad daylight in front of complete strangers, right? Na-uh-uh!! When you're full of 5 tall boys of Red Stripe, you'll gladly go wherever you can find a drain. The outdoor urinal does away with the unbearable stench of your everyday port-a-pottie and it even feels good to let junior out and catch a nice, cool breeze. These suckers should be standard on every street corner in every city. Them crazy europeans have done it again!!



ps. Thanks for the photo Ron! I'm so gonna get you!!

Welcome to Morocco!

I had the pleasure to visit Marrakech, Morocco for a few days this week. If you've ever wanted to frolick in 115 degree heat with humidity and sand flying everywhere, then Marrakech is the place for you! If you love eating an entire lamb in one sitting, then Marrakech is also the place for you. If you love sweaty swap meets and wanna go to the biggest one (and sweatiest one) on the face of the earth, then Marrakech is definitely the place for you! I'm not the greatest sweltering heat/lamb-eating/swap meet lovin' guy in the world, so I found it a little hard to adapt to. But we did have the fortune to see one of the most outrageous movie sets I've ever seen and a production that was truly 'epic' in every sense of the word. Heck, I even scored a brand spankin' new ride while I was there. In London, I don't have the privilige of having a car so I hijacked a camel back in Marrakech to take back with me. I'm sure I'll attract all kinds of unwanted attention as I cruise through the streets of London on the back of a fat camel but I really don't give a crap! I'm tired of walking. I'm from California dammit ;) Anyhoo, this photo was taken as I reached the coast of northern Morocco. It was a nice, clear day so I could see Spain in the distance. I seriously hope that camels can swim. Otherwise, don't expect another post, like, ever!

I Got a Gig!!

It almost seems as if I just landed in London and already, the office has put me to work. I knew that they were gonna give me projects that were a bit different from my daily duties back in L.A., but I had no idea that they had this in mind. The project involved me, a few buckets of paint, and an ice cream truck. Apparently the city is full of these crazy trucks and it's my job to give 'em a little Disney magic. I'll be the first to admit, them characters ain't no John Quinn or Jeff Shelly's. Heck, I'll even bet that they might be a tad bit off-model. What do you want from me? I never worked on these characters before so whaddya expect? Was Rome built in a day?? But how about that typography huh?? Yeah, that's what I'm talking about! The answer is yes kids, you bet your sweet ass that it was all 100% hand done!! I didn't even bust out a ruler or anything. I'm especially proud of that quote I came up with on the back. In fact, I'm already designing some undies with "Often Licked Never Beaten" plastered across the front....and back. I'll post pics and take orders as soon as I get them printed up!

p.s. I assure you, at some point I promise to post a legitimate entry...once I sober up.

p.s.2. With me gone, the filth factor at the L.A. office must be at an all-time low. Enjoy it while you can!!!

Ah, So That's How That Happens!

I recently got the chance to visit the city of Barcelona, Spain. Already, it's gotta be one of my favorite places ever. From the beautiful beaches, to the amazing architecture, to the fantastic food they call tapas, I really felt at home there. Maybe it's cuz I grew up in San Diego and Barcelona is like San Diego on steroids with a lot more of a history. They also had one of the craziest venues for sports that I've ever been to called Camp Nou, home to FC Barcelona, the world-famous football club. The stadium is massive and it's smack dab in the middle of the city. With all the beautiful things to behold in Barcelona, you'd think I'd post some awesome pics right?? Haha, not so fast mi amigos! While the 14th century fort atop the hill was pretty amazing and had the best view of the city, I was more captivated by what was happening on the dock down below. After watching the film Cars a million times, something always puzzled me. How were all those cars actually "born"?? Well, the answer my friends is circled down below. This was taken at about 8 in the morning. They were still 'doing it' at about 7 at night. In Europe, I guess they're a little less shy and a bit more open than we are in the states. Well, I guess I have a lot to learn. It's gonna be one interesting journey.