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save yourself (from Illustration Friday)

Teasingly warm, almost feels like spring today. Just a few encrusted snow banks hanging around, trying to look grim. And with the end of winter comes the final death of Illustration Friday Night, a site that was very cool for that brief time when just the right community of talent came together, but then started to melt under the slow-burning heat of popularity and, by natural extension, hackery and vulgarity. Steve made the call today. All props to him for the slog and the success and the knowing when to go. For those of you who want to throw some dirt on the grave, the final theme is closure.

* * * * *

Still, Illustration Friday Night was only ever the bastard child of Illustration Friday, and just because it hanged itself somewhere in adolescence (I'm thinking the garage might be nice, but in the basement over the ping pong table is pretty cool, too) doesn't mean the original daddy monster should stop marching blindly onward in its Leviathan-of-Kitsch manner we've all come to love/abominate (last week it had over 700 entries, for Christ's sake). This week's theme is save, so I went all out and drew the same kind of Jesus that we had in our house as a kid (my mom used to push us out the door to go to church and/or Sunday School while she stayed at home).

* * * * *

Yesterday I put together a spring compilation for C ...
Your Heart Is an Empty Room, Death Cab for Cutie
Breathe Me, Sia
I Will Follow You Into the Dark, Death Cab for Cutie
The Man Who Sold the World, David Bowie
Over and Over Again (Lost and Found), Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Jonathon Fisk, Spoon
Connection, Elastica
Hips Don't Lie, Shakira
Stayin' Alive, Bee Gees
Work It, Missy Elliot
Beasts of England, Rejected Youth
... and as you can see, she likes the candy. But I always try to mix in some vitamins too, and as long as I don't label anything, she'll ask about the good stuff despite herself. (The cd is called, by the way, "My Husband Rocks").
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Comments

  1. Steve12:52 pm

    She's lucky to have a husband like you Mr Berger. But I'm guessing she knows that already.

    ReplyDelete
  2. imwithsully11:46 am

    It's good to see that IFN has decided not to jump the shark like Illustration Friday has. While IF has totally jumped the shark, it's still a bit addicting to find the word of the week each friday.

    The illustration of Jesus is a great choice. For the innocent, it will make them feel warm and fuzzy. For the rest, they will see what you really meant. I'm babbling now...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ms Dragonfly6:26 pm

    i haven't gotten started illustration friday yet! oh my! lol :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous6:40 pm

    w/sully: for you

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous10:57 pm

    ooh i love death cab and bowie and sia!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Susan Schwake8:51 am

    fine little playlist, except of course you got self indulgent, nostalgic or BOTH with the beegees.
    gee....
    but loving these new paintings.
    oh dear... IFN. sigh.
    just when it was getting good.
    not that i have had time to actually do a thing (including your podcast mixdown) for a month.
    bear with me.
    susan

    ReplyDelete

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