Art Department Weekly | Issue 79 Vol. 11

ADW art department weekly issue 79 Vol. 11

YOU ARE HERE

YOU MIGHT NOT NEED A SWIMSUIT, BUT YOU DO NEED SUNBLOCK

CoVer

ed letter

3

2

fresh start

fresh start

7

6

battlIng elements

18

beat the heat

LEARN WHICH MOVIES LUIS CAN’T WAIT TO SEE IN A CHILLY THEATER

sand & sun

34

battlIng elements

...

23

sCIenCe of gum

35

8

sand & sun

...

13

hungry for a hungry for a Challenge Challenge

24

...

27

mInI board

mInI board

5

4

Closer to home

14

Closer to home

...

It’s so hard to say good-bye

28

17

It’s so hard to say good-bye

...

33

fIVe thIngs

36

art Department Weekly is published by dinosaur Girly productions, 184 Bay 26th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11214. The entire contents of aDW are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without expressed written consent of the publisher. aDW accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts and/or photographs and assumes no liability for products or services advertised herein. aDW reserves the right to edit, rewrite, refuse or reuse material, is not responsible for errors or omissions and may feature same in other mediums for any and all purporses.

In this issue 3 Editor’s Letter 4 Mini Board 6 Fresh Start

It was time for an escape from cabin fever and homework

8 Sand & Sun

Exploring the beaches of Kings and Nassau counties

14 Closer to Home

How to entertain three kids without a daytrip

18 Battling the Elements

Growing grass, vegetables, and sunflowers

24 Hungry for a Challenge

Kal preprares to be a middle schooler

Kal couldn’t stop making his own tuna creations

28 It’s So Hard to Say Good-Bye We watched Toys ’R’ Us close its doors

34 Beat the Heat

Movie reviews, Luis Vega

35 Science of Gum

Boom loves gum so much he made his own

36 Five Things

A few last favorite photos from summer

Art department weekly Luis Vega Chief content officer Madeline strum Managing Editor Credits Madeline Vega (Cover and pages 3, 6, 8-13, 14-17, 18-23, 24, 25, 28-33, 35, 36), Luis Vega (Of Madeline Vega on Page 13)

Summer, interrupted When we finally posted the 2017 recap in March of 2018, we signed up for access to upload bigger pdfs. We told ourselves we’d commit to a monthly plan because it would motivate us to publish more often. Months went by. I started this issue.

It came together slowly. I think I was pretty close to being finished when our landlord said he was going to sell the house. Our lives became more chaotic and nothing happened with this issue for six months. So at the least, let’s cheer that now that we’ve lost an hour and there is more daylight at the end of the day, we’ll soon see summer 2019.

Our family has never really been into beaches. I grew up in Illinois. The closest shoreline would be on a lake with restricted access. Luis hates the heat and the sand. Kal always loved waves, but Boom was terrified. I took three kids to the beach one time by myself in 2016 because Boom wasn’t going anywhere near the water and Betty could barely walk. By the time June 2018 rolled around, though, I was so tired of the broken and crowded sprinklers near our house, I was ready to pack up all the kids and drive to any beach.

While Sunken Meadow was peaceful and posed almost no threats from nature, the crashing waves at places like Jones Beach were more therapeutic. I couldn’t

hear my kids screaming at each other. I couldn’t hear anything. So much white noise... And I earned a mental badge of honor for not yelling at them and keeping them all alive.

In January 2018, I had put a to-do list on the wall in the play room that included things I needed to do before summer started, like clean out a room full of junk and be ready to have their YouTube channel take off. Instead, I didn’t get around to cleaning until June. We would drop off bags of things to donate on our way to a beach. I took videos, but never edited them. We grew plants, but didn’t follow a lesson plan to be sure everyone learned something.

The main lesson for the summer was that everyone should be nicer to each other and to enjoy this all while it lasted.

Boom had to start wearing a tie and a belt to be ready to go back in his more advanced uniform. Kal had to learn to walk around his school’s neighborhood by himself. Betty might not have been potty trained. I might not have started a media empire. But we took advantage of summer. And now you can finally read all about it.

Year in Review 2017 • Art

(Madeline)

Department Weekly 3

mini boArD high loW FAShion The various takes on the First Lady’s coat seemed like a gross distraction from where everyone’s focus ought to be. Weeks later, though, the idea that perhaps FLOTUS could completely unnerve pOTUS through the media fascinates me like the minor but crucial characters George R. R. Martin creates.

—MV Justin Teodoro/ New York Magazine

ArounD the ’net A Facebook friend shared the video automatically generated to tout how much she connected with the world the previous year.

Elsewhere, Kal has said he can kick himself in the face, but I don’t think he can kick as high as this guy below.

gooD cup, bAD cup Every time I see the cup on the right, I think Taco Bell ran out of paper cups and an employee had to quickly purchase dixie cups from the closest store. The design reminds me more of a dentist’s office than a run for the border.

Meanwhile, in my head it was a big deal to stop and get a Frappuccino one day. To see they spelled my name correctly felt like some extra recognition.

—MV

mIssed opportunItIes

While I gave Starbucks my name and they spelled it correctly (boring?), Taco Bell put their logo on the cup but I don’t see it.

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D

r A e rh

t r yA

ove

#goAlS

b

Maybe one day we will see soccer players crowded around a phone to see an art performance.

“she got the tickets on groupon” -sharon

“no you don’t, you’re 50” -laura

“I remember watching that in the theater and thinking this is a pivotal moment in my life” -chanel

“oh honey, I’m not a scientist” -sharon

“he directs and makes a great lipstick” -tricia

“It’s like the ’90s came and splooged all over there” -luis

“you need an ‘l’ in there, just like that”

the perFect beAch picture

-luis

A link to an article on Facebook making fun of pictures on Instagram is only topped by a parody account making fun of the real pics in my Instagram feed.

—MV

Summer 2018 • Art

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Fresh start looking for an escape outdoors in lawncare, gardens, and beaches

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Summer 2018 • Art

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sand & Sun 8 Art Department Weekly • Summer 2018

A trip to the north shore the first weekend in june followed shortly by a trip to coney island begged the question “Why don’t we do this more often?” where we started

A birthday party at Sunken Meadow state park followed by a play date at Coney Island before the Mermaid Parade

Summer 2018 • Art

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barrier island

These pictures are from Jacob Riis state park in the Rockaways, Jones Beach, Robert Moses state park, and maybe Long Beach.

They all had big waves and nice sand, so the pictures are pretty interchangeable.

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surf’s up

I tried to go early to avoid the sun and people. That didn’t always work. The sun was always intense and sometimes people camped out by us anyway.

That is a picture of Kal near the surf from a day when he had decided to go neck-deep in rough waves. The picure was supposed to be a reminder to help me illustrate the memory later.

Summer 2018 • Art

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the quiet place

The waves at Sunken Meadow don’t really count as waves.

Picture a lake.

The edge of the water moves gently.

There were schools of tiny fish and so many rocks. Kal would walk like a hundred yards out into the water because it was so shallow and calm.

Betty thought she should do the same, but we kept her close (especially at the rougher beaches).

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Summer 2018 • Art

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closer to home not every adventure required a day trip

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Summer 2018 • Art

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We hunted bugs, climbed fake trees, splashed in puddles, tried out sprinklers in other neighborhoods, and generally amused ourselves throughout the heat

sprinklers

Sometimes the drains are clogged.

Sometimes the design is not very wet. Sometimes Boom would rather draw in the shade.

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organics bins and mosquitos

The boys use the kiddie pool as a refill station for water guns while I rip all the clover and broad leaf weeds out of the grass. Boom gives me his tough face after I squash a mosquito on his face. There didn’t seem to be enough rain to sustain all the mosquitos in our backyard.

Summer 2018 • Art

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battling elements two bags of seed, four bags of top soil, and some attention produced a lush lawn if only for a minute

start to finish The lawncare guys ripped up everything not killed by the neighbors’ dog the previous summer. In April we had a mud pit.

Maybe if I’d bought drought resistant seeds, the grass could have handled the fig tree soaking up all the water. Other parts are still grassy.

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Summer 2018 • Art

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the grass grew nicely, but the dog still ran cirlces to wear a path. then came the weeds.

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weeds and water levels The landlord had said in April that I could take on the lawn, but then changed his mind. I had already done all the work to plant seeds and water them twice a day. I tried to tell myself that meant the weeds were the lawncare guys’ problem, but these guys don’t even mown the lawn regularly. So, to prevent them from leaving me with nothing but mud in September, I spent a week ripping out all the clover and other broad leaves before reseeding again. We made a rain gauge to try to figure out how much help we were getting from above.

Summer 2018 • Art

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22 Art Department Weekly • Summer 2018

we planted something big

envIronmentAl relAtIons

The most my kids cared about plants before this summer was limited to what kind of imaginary potions they could mix with the leaves they pulled and shredded on walks home from school. Then I made them pull some weeds and plant some seeds. Then Boom decided Betty should evolve as quickly as all the plants around us. Not really an expectation I had anticipated.

Summer 2018 • Art

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Hungry for a

challenge fresh peas and green beans became snacks while canned fish became a staple of lunchtime.

This is not how we ever ate before

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doCumentIng the eXperIments

Not only did Kal experiment with what to put on top of tuna, he also looked for new things to serve it in. And instead of using only tuna, he branched out to sardines and asked a lot about canned salmon I didn’t feel like deboning. This is a video with what looks like tomato packed sardines, mayonaise, Mrs. dash, lemon juice, and lime juice.

In seArCh of the best pIZZA

The Original Frank pepe pizzeria Napoletana in danbury, CT, didn’t seem that long of a drive after all the trips we’d made to visit beaches.

While the pizza (a shrimp & bacon and an original tomato pie) was worth the distance, we still stopped at the discovery Museum in Bridgeport to round out the day.

Summer 2018 • Art

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Hungry for a challenge some of Kal’s favorite ingredients

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Bbq Fish Sandwich “I like that it’s a fun experience, and I just like cooking in general,” Kal says. “Sandwiches are kind of simple. I recommend it as a first thing to try when learning to make food.” I tried to push him to tell me more about cooking as a combination of science and art, but Kal is more focused on eating and enjoying what he’s going to eat. When Kal cooks, he is not so worried about chemical reactions or creating textures. It’s about fun.

—MV

“With love, any food can become great.”

—Kal

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it’s so hard to say good-bye

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long farewell Between the need to break out of old routines and a curiosity about what would come out of the stock rooms, we kept an eye on what was happening at the stores. People bought bikes and furniture with their old gift cards, but some toys just sat forever on the shelves.

The good times that made us laugh Outweighed the bad I thought we’d get to see forever But forever’s gone away —Boyz II Men

Summer 2018 • Art

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i’ll always be a toys ’r’ u From bikes to trains to video games, it’s the biggest toy store there is To some, Toys ’R’ Us was just a store. To me, it was so much more. Toys ’R’ Us was part of my constant routine.

During the week, I would go to Toys ’R’ Us at least once for a lunch break. It was a place where I could escape from the stress of the office and get creatively inspired while surrounding myself with great packaging, wonderful signage and small pieces of art—all while looking for the latest collectibles. (For a small chunk of time, my main man JP and I would go to TRU before work and wait for the store to open so we could snag the latest Star Wars figures. We even knew the restocking days so we could even better our odds).

On the weekends, I would gather up the kids and head out to my local TRU to be there when they opened the doors. This would give us completely free and unfettered access to the store. I could calmly peruse the aisles while the kids ran and played. All the while, the employees knew my kids and me by name. If one child wasn’t there, employees would ask where they were.

The kids would bring the big toy book to the store during the holidays and make their Santa wishlist. They would eagerly anticipate the next Lego building event, Beyblade Tournament, or Pokemon card giveaway. I never felt like just a customer.

My least favorite day of the summer was when TRU closed their doors for good.

Not only did it feel like part of my childhood was gone, but it robbed me of a favorite lunchstop and weekend destination. Hopefully my little ones remember all the fun times we shared at TRU and remember that we are all Toys ’R’ Us kids.

—LV

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us kid landspeeders

Betty’s favorite thing to do was test out vehicles. Target and Walmart do not have displays like this, so I don’t know where she’ll get her fix in the future.

The boxes for landspeeders and other vehicles didn’t appear until much closer to the end of TRU. It was odd to see what seemed like “so many” on the shelves suddenly one week. The next time we visited, the boxes stretched from the front of the store to all the way to the back, maybe a city block of merchandise.

Summer 2018 • Art

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not whAt I wAs lookIng for

I just needed to use the bathroom on the second to last day the store was open, but I get it. I wouldn’t want to clean the bathroom or be sure there is enough change or even want people to walk the empty spaces.

The way boxes are packed at the factory left the store with hundreds of the same figure.

OpINIONATEd pEOpLE USEd THE INTERNET TO TELL TOYS ’R’ US FANS THERE’S MORE TO dO WITH OUR LIVES.

thIngs we’ve done wIthout tru...

• OpEN OLd TOYS ON VIdEO • OpEN OLd BLINd BAGS ON VIdEO • LOOK FOR NEW TOYS AT TARGET • LOOK FOR NEW TOYS AT WALMART • LOOK FOR NEW TOYS AT GAMESTOp • LOOK FOR NEW TOYS AT BEST BUY • LOOK FOR NEW TOYS AT KOHL’S

beat the heat

No humidity, no sun, no better way to enjoy summer My favorite activity of the summer does not involve the outdoors or the sun at all. It involves sitting in the dark with glorious air-conditioning and delicious buttery popcorn.

The summer movie season is generally rife with big-budget blockbusters. This summer did not disappoint as it saw its fair share of superhero, sci-fi and animated fare (basically the three genres of movies I get excited to watch). While I didn’t go see a ton of movies, here is a quick rundown of the few I did.

The summer movie season seems to start earlier and earlier every year. It got off to a trememndous start with Avengers Infinity War which went on to gross over $1 billion worldwide. On top of that, it was damn good. A very nice cap to the 10 years of the Marvel Studios.

That was followed in May by Deadpool 2 (which was a great second chapter) and Solo (so-so box office put a damper on what I thought was a really fun entry into the Star Wars universe).

The last movie of the summer I watched was The Incredibles 2. The boys and I loved it. It was well worth the 14-year wait. Bob goes through a great character arc as he deals with Helen’s resurgence as a hero while he has to embrace the roll of stay at home dad. Jack-Jack and Edna are both hilarious in their scenes together. A great continuation to the universe Brad Bird built.

All are now available to own at home.

—LV

more about food From left to right, Kal made a drippy tuna salad over canned baby corn; I thought Pringles LOUD sounded so bad, I had to take a picture; I began to rely on roll out doughs as a quick way to make meals for dinner; we played with the donut maker, adding jelly and chocolate powder.

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tIme trIAls BOOM WITH CHERRY 2:34 P.M. - START CHEWING 2:36 P.M. - ATE IT KAL WITH GRApE 2:35 P.M. - START CHEWING 2:38 P.M. - SpAT IN GARBAGE

Science oF gum A clearance item at Target seemed like fun

Boom loves chewing gum. What could go wrong with picking up a science kit on clearance? The Geek & Co. Chewing Gum Lab sounded fancy with its promise of learning about polymers. After we made and tasted the gum, no one was all that interested in conducting experiments. We don’t have a kitchen scale and I couldn’t muster the enthusiasm to get anyone to play with the pieces. Boom still eats it, though.

BOOM WITH GRApE 9:34 A.M. - START CHEWING 9:36 A.M. - GARBAGE

I OFFEREd SOME TO LUIS ANd STARTEd A STOpWATCH. 1 MIN 24 SEC - “CHALKY” 1 MIN 46 SEC - “NO FLAVOR” 3 MIN 30 SEC “FUCKING dISGUSTING”

lIke A pro

The kit included precut wax paper and stickers to wrap each of piece of gum, plus a tin to store the pieces. The book’s example used “Madeline.” Boom’s Transformer Twinferno helped.

ICky stICky

pellets of flavorless gum need to be melted before adding powdered sugar and flavor packets.

I might have had to recylce the bowls we used.

Summer 2018 • Art

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five things more pics from Madeline’s phone

top to bottom

Father’s Day at the Pig Store (as we call it); Betty in love with a smart car; Kal loses his front teeth and 3 inches of hair; Kal runs a mile while his siblings sort of cheer; everyone does laundry.

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