Art Department Weekly - Feb 2013

ADW

art department whenever February 2013

open letter reflections career picking week away PLus: five things leftovers wild calling

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“Please may I have some YouTube?”

-kal

“I have issues” -kim

picture it i loved this Mercedes benz ad. it doesn’t make me want to buy a car, but it definitely expresses the difference between those lists about the hemispheres.

“It’s just like Andy Warhol said: In the future, everyone will be sick of Kris Jenner” -Joel

“Momomomomom” -ryne

“Something about Budweiser and giant horses” -greg

“He’s the kind of guy watching porn with a belt around his neck”

off the WAll if i could run this bigger, you might be able to really appreciate the work that went into this piece. what looks like crazily-twisted pieces of metal jutting out of the wall actually forms a story when lights are shined on it just right.

for reAl

the only online community that seems to be more in search of support than “Moms” is “wedding photographers.” they are everywhere with workshops and photoshop actions and just general bitching. i thought this was a clever ploy to remind brides that you need to do something with all those photos you purchased. (especially because i am totally guilty of asking for a disc and then never speaking to my photog again.) what if a floppy disk were the only way to view your grandparents’ wedding?

-whitney

“It’s in my contract” -snacktime

“Wait, so a pop singer lip-syncing is now considered headline news? THE WORLD HAS LOST ITS MIND -andy

S c i om r

c rne co aLL neW X-men

Why thiS iSSue this is my third attempt today to write this letter. “My” being Madeline. (luis is away in new orleans.) so, in case you are wondering why you are listening to me ramble for 12 pages, here are a few reasons.

1. i had the content. after the past two issues, there seemed to still be an abundance of motivational and artsy content that just didn’t make the cut.

2. i think i have an audience. there were a lot of things i want to say, but who’s listening? so let me just get it out on paper, and maybe this will find its way in front of the people who need to hear it.

3. i need a distraction. i am waiting to hear whether or not a pitch of mine was accepted and playing with thomas the tank engine is not so consuming an activity that i can stop thinking about the pitch. the first time i was pregnant, all i heard was “what do you do?” when people would say “when are you due?” that’s my life in a nutshell. i have no idea what i am doing, so i constantly feel the need to try to explain how i got to this point at every opportunity. like right now. you’re supposed to find one thing that makes you happy and do it well. not 12

things and be mediocre while sponging off society. if you ask scrappy doo what she wants to be when she grows up, she will say something like, “a dancer/singer/ drawer.” i am officially the worst influence ever on her life. she’s not the only person i know who seems to be lacking clear or realistic goals. at every turn, there is a meme about how we should all pursue our passions. but what if you can’t make money off your passion? what if you are terrible at the thing that sets your world on fire? can you learn to get better at it? or maybe should we just acknowledge that the world does not need another cupcake store, another baby clothing designer, another party planner? this issue is our chance to ponder...

—Madeline

created for the amusement of those who work in publishing (or maybe any sort of graphic design), art department weekly (or the dubbs) has been running strong for much longer than anyone might have expected. adw is distributed as often as possible in print with a circulation ranging between 25 and 100 copies. contributions are accepted through wednesday for each closing issue. adw is a dinosaur girly production, 1468 w 8th street, brookyn, ny 11204 to request a copy or submit content, please contact dubbsubs@yahoo.com

after researching all the reasons why time travel is not possible—everything from the paradoxes in fiction to the theory of relativity—i’m not sure if i want to punch Marvel in its collective face or slap it on the back. brian Michael bendis has sent beast back in time to fetch the very young original x-men and bring them to the future to stop present day scott summers from destroying the world. the art is absolutely stunning, so i find it hard to look away. and bendis is an amazing writer, so he has made the premise believable. but i still find it completley stupid that one set of past/present mutants didn’t get closer to immediately killing beast. i don’t think ice Man saying, “ah!” every time he sees —Madeline himself is enough.

leftover content

Here is a page full of stuff that I don’t think we’ve run before. hopefully it makes you feel better about how you spend your day. —Madeline

it’s true

Seriously?

Dear Kniffin family, I found a link to your professional site (kniffin.smugmug.com) through Model Mayhem. I am in awe that you are able to shoot fashion, children’s sports, race cars, and family portraits—especially when both of you appear to be in so many of the family portraits. Will you set the timer on my camera for me and then Photoshop the background to be more pleasant?

Although, I’m not sure after seeing your early-Hustler-inspired shoots I want you anywhere near my children.

Everyone should visit your portfolio. (But probably not at work.)

Best wishes for continued success!

—Dubbs Kniffin’s vertical crop with new blue sky; original carved “fuck” and gray sky; Kniffin’s new sunset

Good reason

art for art’s sake I like that Kurt is telling people to create for the reward that it brings you internally—not for profit and fame. Psst... Take note Kniffin family. Maybe you can just keep your Photoshop skills to yourself and still feel good.

Nobody tells this to people who are beginners. I wish someone had told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase; they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this.

We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know that it’s normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you finish one piece. It’s only by going through a volume of work that you will close the gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met.

It’s gonna take a while. It’s normal to take a while. You just gotta fight your way through. —Ira Glass

the call of the wild I love reality competitions like Project Runway. I love to see other people go through the agony of coming up with an idea, executing it, and dealing with feedback. And then having to get up the next day and do it all over again. When you’re at home, it’s so easy to say that so-and-so shouldn’t be doing this (e.g. designing, singing, modeling), but what do you say when so-and-so is someone you know? Worse yet, what if so-and-so is you?

What does a calling sound like?

Luckily, multiple sources concur with Mr. Glass. You have to get through a lot of work before you can meet your own expectations. So, if you are questioning your talent, breathe, maybe you just need more time. Until you get there, the Dubbs has a few other thoughts for you on the following pages.

how to pick a Not the most comprehensive of surveys, but we’re not in the business of career advice.

Follow your suggested job here to the expanded answers on the next spread. —Madeline

Do you like school?

start

yes

no

Do you prefer studying or socializing? studying

socializing

Do you perform?

How are your grades?

yes

no

Do you have a hobby?

(Maybe another hobby?) yes

great

average

good enough

Do you think you’re creative? yes

no

All the time? yes

no

no

When you perform*, people...

ask for more

say nothing

offer feedback

famous

artist

bourgeois

With your boundless talent and lack of boundaries, you are sure to have many fans. You might not be able to pay the bills (hang on to some original work to hock), but everyone will know your name.

The ability to accept criticism and meet deadlines will turn your talent into money. As long as you stick with it. And hunt down those gigs.

Maybe you should hold onto your barista job for just a bit longer...

You don’t have issues with going to class and passing tests? You don’t have to be a penniless artist! You could be a doctor or banker or lawyer who happens to also draw really well. Make your parents proud.

A cAreer no

start over.

What are the promotion possibilities? good

maybe

Are you good at sports? yes

yes

bad

not really

Do you listen?

S o p ur

p

Maybe learn to like school.

Could it earn you money?

inm Sttr A t er eS en

Do you have a job? yes

y l t ic ent

no

Are you open to making a sex tape?

no yes

no

DAy job

reflect

while it may be that no one weaves a basket like you, it is also true that no one is going to pay your rent but you. if you have a job, don’t be so quick to crap on it. see the next spread for further explanation.

Maybe you have not yet figured out what it is that you ought to be doing. or, better yet, what it is you ought not do. are people maybe just being polite? are you maybe in denial? see the next spread for more.

if you’re going to complain that the lines get confusing, that’s fine. well, it’s not fine that you’re going to complain. it’s fine that they get confusing because even if they were all perfectly separated and perfectly clear, you would still interpret the results to your liking. that’s life. so, i’m saving you the self-doubt. you can doubt my design instead. you’re welcome. if you’re not going to complain, thank you. you’re too kind. i wish there were a magic formula for picking a career. Maybe there is—i just don’t know it. we get this version, the questions i would ask.

My own anxiety has taken me some place else. when i wrote this, everything kept coming back to “how do other people react to what you are doing?” and, for myself, i don’t know. in general, i assume people are being polite. in reaction to the top cow talent hunt submissions—comic book writing and art pitches—the company president described the group of delusional people by saying that just because you can recognize something as what you intended it to be, that does not make it good. just because your mom or your grandma knows that you drew a car, it doesn’t mean you should draw. so what’s the point of this? i mean, if you are reading ADW, you have a job already. the whole issue was designed to trick certain very young and very old people who do not read these sidebars into asking themselves the questions on this chart. it’s more like, everyone— everyone—who faces rejections as part of their job has to wonder at some point, “what am i doing?” My hope is that we can all figure out that, yes, we are in fact good at what we do. otherwise we wouldn’t have the job.

) t S mo

(Al

S u mo

fA

there were two clear messages in my childhood: “do what makes you happy— even if it’s flipping burgers” and “what are you going to do—work at Mcdonald’s?” fortunately for irony’s sake, both of those messages came from my mother. fame has always been the bottom line of success for her. it’s one thing to rehearse your acceptance speech for the oscars when you need motivation, but it shouldn’t be how you spend the majority of your time as a writer. as much fun as visualization is, it does not pay the bills. no one gets to start out as mid’90s stephen King or postbulls Michael jordan. isn’t that why these 19-yearold atheletes are so annoying? everyone is placing huge bets on a career that might have no longevity. what if johnny football has one freak accident? the brand is done. the same thought— freak accidents—apply to artists as well. Shark Tank investors are hesitant of jewelry designers for good reason: who will take over if you get hurt? j.K. rowling spent so much time on a simulation game for Harry Potter. why? longevity.

So bourGeoiS if you have are reading ADW, you probably never seriously aspired to have a job where you punched the clock just so you could pay the bills. let’s ignore the jobs that do not require any skills. we’ll focus on the middle class jobs that might be enough to make someone sit through physics or econ classes. whenever i watch the weather channel, i always wonder what would have happened if my parents had ever had cable. i mean, i really loved talking about weather systems and types of clouds and global warming. if my mom had known back then that i could been famous, would she have had a different outlook on my attempts to get into the illinois Math & science academy? i

mean, it would have made for a much more spirited essay if i had thought i could solve global warming. when i sat down to apply to the school, i was pretty psyched out by the idea that science and math are boring, that it would mean i was not creative. no teachers in public school were saying, “you have to be really fucking creative to design the shit they put in science fiction. you have to be even more creative to make it work in real life.”

Math and science is creative. there are no boring jobs, only boring people. hence, if you only want to be an artist because you’re worried that you’re boring, maybe you should figure out why that worries you first.

pAiD ArtiSt as stated earlier, i am creating this issue to distract myself and work through some anxieties. i entered a competition where the guy judging it is overwhelmingly impressed with what he’s seen. i think he’s forgotten what it’s like to work with newbies. recently, i began following writers and artists on twitter. everyone at every level seems to have insecurities about their work. people who have written best sellers are asking the masses for advice on how to better organize research. people who have won awards for their coloring say things like, “do you ever look at what you’re doing and just think, bad!” so, even pros need a lot of reassurance. sometimes these professionals post links to essays on what it’s like to have their jobs. the main theme is that it always sounds like fun until it’s your job—writing, drawing, baking cupcakes. once, an artist posted a link to a story about why so few people make it. and we all already know why—it’s hard.

PeoPLe fLake out and don’t meet deadLines. they become overWheLmed When faced With a reaL task for a reaL cLient. which

is what worries me about the judge being so impressed. yes, 800 out of 1,100 entries could be great, but 800 out of 1,100 people should not be professional artists. Maybe 11 out of 1,100. and even then, only 5 out of those 11 are going to be willing to make requested changes. you cannot be a paid artist until you are willing to give other people what they

want. if you are incredibly cool, then that means you are creating things people do not even realize they want—but they want it as soon as they see what you created. if you are the typical freelancer, though, you are filling a need someone else has already expressed. and you cannot expect to be hired again unless you are willing to compromise. so, do you want to be a paid artist? then you need to be ready to compromise. of course, if you are already working in the art department or somewhere close by, then you don’t really have to ask yourself the above question. you are a paid artist. pat yourself on the back for being one of the few people who is not flaking out and instead is perfectly capable of being creative on deadline.

day job Sometimes it’s best not to quit while you are ahead. If you have a day job that pays your bills and allows you time you to do other things that feed your soul, then maybe you should keep your day job.

Don’t have a day job? Here is a list of jobs that were once held by artists: Vacuum cleaner salesman Spotlight operator Grocery bagger Substitute teacher Paper boy Librarian

let’s reflect If this were a real magazine, I would have interviewed all kinds of real people who know what they are talking about.

Instead it’s just me and my whackedout survey.

I’ll suppose that you are reading this story because you landed on the “Reflect” box. The direct line is coming from the “Could it earn you money?”/ ”Not really” combo. The bigger question, though, is Is this what I should be doing?

How do people respond when you show them your work? Do

people want to wear the clothes you design? Do they want to hear you sing something more? Do ask to eat more of your cooking? I grew up with a writer who would get irate when people only said, “I like it,” as a review.

What’s the problem with lukewarm reactions? Well, other

than artists want to think their work affects the audience as deeply as it affected the creator, it’s hard to get psyched up to keep working when the reviews are “It’s nice.” No one wants to invest in “It’s nice.”

What’s bad about a polite review? You have to wonder why

someone is being polite. What are they holding back? Probably not an unbri-

dled passion for your work. Did they hate it? Or did it really just evoke no feelings whatsoever?

Do people have to feel something for your work? If someone

says she is quitting her job to stay home to make cakes or greeting cards, you’re probably thinking those better be some good fucking cakes. What if they’re not?

They don’t need to be the best greeting cards in order for her to sell any. But what about in order to make a living?

If no one buys what you are making, should you keep doing it? I have no answer. You have to have

customers. I know a writer who never works on her writing and spends all her time pounding the pavement. I never contact any art directors, and totally meant to spend my time developing a photographic style. So, I guess the question really is How much time should I spend on the craft and how much time should I spend looking for clients? And then, if

you never go looking for clients, is it because you don’t believe you are ready or you don’t believe you are good enough? Do you believe

you will ever be good enough? Do you maybe know that your art should just remain a hobby?

TelePrompTer Debt collector Homemaker Receptionist Test marketer Model scout Postmaster

why Not I read a lot. I read even more now that I can access library books at all hours of the day on the iPad. I can read in the dark.

Reading keeps Boom asleep. I love reading. I discovered I hate chick lit.

Boom sleeps good and hard to wonders such as Too Big to Fail and How to Teach Your Dog Relativity. Non-fiction is amazing for bedtime. But then I decided to give Emily’s Reasons Why Not a try because... why not? I remembered the ads for that TV show. But I also remember that show getting canceled.

After one episode. If I had known sooner than a minute ago that the New York Times blamed the “unappealing nature of the main character” for the demise of the show, I would not have started this book. The main character is unappealing.

Emily enters therapy to be sure she does not end up a spinster. Rather than work through her massive issues, the therapist wants her to list reasons to break up with guys. Each chapter is a different guy.

Except the one where her dog dies. Then it’s simply an email about how she will spend the day before putting the dog down. Her dog spends like a year dying of cancer and all she can talk about is some stupid boyfriend. Emily climbs the corporate ladder, buys her dream house, and starts a company, but all she can talk about is dating. Fuck. Really? Dating is all you can talk about? You can’t even stop to be sad about the dog? —Madeline

open letter to Ms. Collins Dear Suzanne, I used to hate the

Hunger Games books, but not so much anymore. While I understand you did not release these books free of input from editors and publishers, I find it easiest to address only you. (Which I guess it kind of unfortunate, considering that I listened to the third installment instead of reading it,

and that was pretty unbearable. There are production credits at the end of the story to emphasize how someone else should take all the credit for half the things I hated about that experience, but I’m addressing this to you.)

About halfway through the second book, I really hated your series. I had very little interest in ever reading the third book, but then my stepdaughter said she couldn’t finish the third book, and suddenly I had to know how bad things got.

The whole series starts with Katniss in the woods, saying treasonous things about the government. We all know she is headed into the arena because the book jacket tells us that. So, all I can wonder is how on earth this poor, not-so-well-educated girl is going to overthrow the government and make

everything right. Like, seriously. How? I mean, it has to all have a happy ending if this is going to become a big successful movie series. Doesn’t it?

But Katniss runs away from every opportunity to think about the big picture.

Katniss is worried about surviving, not killing Peeta and surviving. She gets mad when people expect more of her. She spends entirely too much time wondering which guy she ought to like.

Then, long after deciding that Katniss is kind of lacking as a main character, I decided your series was kind of brilliant. I never lack for an opportunity to point to the news and say, “Like in the Hunger Games.” I like to think it’s easier to wrap one’s mind around the enormity of what it’s like to be a rebel in Syria if you care about the people in District 11. —Madeline

ADW

art department whenever oscars 2013

zero dark thirty navah’s picks mike’s picks Heroes?

PLus: oscar ballot

o r e Z rk DA rty nAvAh’S pickS thi Maya is a cia operative whose first experience is in the interrogation of prisoners following the al Qaeda attacks against the u.s. on september 11, 2001. this has been her one and only focus since she was recruited in high school. she is a reluctant participant in extreme torture applied to the detainees, but believes that the truth may only be obtained through such tactics. for several years, she is single-minded in her pursuit of leads to uncover the whereabouts of al Qaeda’s leader, osama bin laden. her delicate features and soft personality ironically make her the perfect person for the job. finally, in 2011, it appears that her work will pay off, and a u.s. navy seal team is sent to kill or capture bin laden. though Zero Dark Thirty deals with incredibly politicized topics, its only bias is toward the devoted cia agents who were willing to do absolutely anything to find their man. but only Maya is confident bin laden is where she says he is. saying goodbye to friends and family along the way leaves Maya unsure and wondering if it was all worth it at the end. a-

—erica

well, as everyone obviously knows, it is the most wonderful time of the year. i, personally, am looking forward to putting on my best dress, my Maxim oscar crown, and hunkering down sunday for the wonderful oscar pre-show, red carpet, then of course, the actual award show. i, myself, tend to begin watching the festivities around 4 p.m. on e!. the oscar ceremony is special, but this year the nominations are really top-notch, so i would like to discuss some of my most biased opinions and predictions for this year’s show. of course i’m only going to touch on the main categories, because as much as i love this award show, i definitely am not entirely focused when the ‘best makeup and hair styling’ category is being presented. best Picture: LES MISERABLES

unfortunately, i think this one is going to be a big upset. the oscars tends to favor outlandish musicals and also period pieces, so i think this year the oscar will be incorrectly awarded to Les Miserables. if it was up to me, this award would hands’ down go to Argo or Zero Dark Thirty. Zero Dark Thirty has been really over-looked this award season, which i find to be very unfortunate. actor in a Leading roLe: hugh Jackman, LES MISERABLES

this award will go to hugh jackman for many of the same reasons i believe Les Miserables will win best picture. i think hugh jackman is incredibly talented, but this award should absolutely be going to bradley cooper for Silver Linings Playbook. his performance was without a doubt the best of the year. i would see that movie a thousand times over just for his subtle comedic and also incredibly sad depiction of his character. actress in a Leading roLe: Jennifer LaWrence, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

this award will go to jennifer lawrence for Silver Linings Playbook. it would be a well-deserved award. her acting was really phenomenal in the film, and she also gives very fun and witty speeches, which are always welcome at long, drawn out ceremonies. i think the award is more deserved by jessica chastain for Zero Dark Thirty. she encompassed her character, Maya, and i have never seen a movie be so strongly carried by one character since Castaway. she has been unjustifiably snubbed this season. actor in a suPPorting roLe: ??

i will admit, this award has me a little stumped. i believe the award will go to

tommy lee jones for Lincoln, but christoph waltz could just as easily take this one for Django Unchained. i don’t feel one way or the other on this, though i found tommy lee jones’ stoney attitude at the globes to be quite a turnoff. actress in a suPPorting roLe: anne hathaWay, LES MISERABLES

this is an easy one… unfortunately. anne hathaway is no doubt a talented actress but she has been giving increasingly long and insipid speeches this awards season. she was boo’d at the bafta’s so she is going to have to have a less rehearsed, more low-key speech to win her fans back this time. i think all of america wishes she was snubbed this time around. directing: steven sPieLberg?

LINCOLN

this is where the major snub of the year is. everyone seems to be in agreement that this category should be going to ben affleck for Argo. unfortunately, ben was majorly snubbed by the academy for unknown reasons. he has swept at every single awards show, yet wasn’t even nominated for the oscar. i can only give a really rough guess for this category, and that steven spielberg will win. i predict some form of shout out to ben affleck in the speech by whomever takes this award home. well, that covers the main categories for this year’s academy awards. i can’t wait to see who will walk away with an oscar, who will wear what. one of my favorite parts of this special night is to see how uncomfortable the red carpet interviews will be. i think everyone is excited for seth Macfarlane to host for the first time, and hope he adds a little flair to this year’s telecast. happy oscars!!!

—navah

mike’S pickS

let me begin by stating that i am not a supporter of having nine nominees for best picture. there are so many nominees for best picture that i, Mike posillico, am nominated for best picture, but i digress... for the sake of time and space we will be focusing on the “big five,” which are: best picture, best director, best actor, best actress, and best sound Mixing... okay, all right, i get it, instead of best sound Mixing let’s go with best original screenplay/best adapted screenplay!

best Picture: ARGO

although i don’t agree with it, i’m 97 percent sure this will go to Argo as opposed to Zero Dark Thirty. Argo will win because it’s about hollywood saving the world, and hollywood loves patting itself on the back. conversely, Lincoln will get shut out because it’s ultimately about how the greatest american who ever lived was killed by an actor. regardless, Zero Dark Thirty was very well crafted, presented a plethora of new information and held my attention for the entire 160 minutes. another real contender is Silver Linings Playbook, which i heard was a departure for robert de niro, who apparently decided to remember how to once again be the amazing actor we all loved from Heat. best director & best adaPted screenPLay: david o. russeLL, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

according to my second cousin tina, who is in her 80s and a lifelong film buff (plus she would often receive letters from the chairman of the board, Mr. francis sinatra, as they were old friends [from back in the day!]), david o. russell is dead-lock for best director, and since he also adapted the story he’s going to double down with best adapted screenplay as well. it is her assertion that Silver Linings Playbook will become only the fourth film in the history of the academy to win the “big five” (a feat comparable to the triple crown) joining the exclusive ranks of It Happened One Night, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Silence of the Lambs. i am inclined to believe her mostly because she has never forgotten my birthday. best actor: danieL day-LeWis, LINCOLN

i’m going to be honest, i haven’t seen daniel day-lewis’ performance of lincoln

and i am basing this pick purely on gut instinct. the man is quite simply an out-of-his-mind method acting machine. if he played lincoln on set for three months that means his poor wife and kids are probably still waking up to abraham lincoln even now. rumor has it he’s forced rebecca Miller to change her first name to Mary-todd, emancipated his cleaning woman and is in the process of suing red square toy company for continuing to sell lincoln logs without his consent. if he loses to the star of The Hangover trilogy, he might quit acting and retreat to the lowly life of a cobbler for a second time. best actress: Jessica chastain, ZERO DARK THIRTY

this one is going to be a close race between jessica chastain and jennifer lawrence. both actresses delivered stellar performances, but jennifer lawrence has youth on her side, which traditionally spells oscar as the academy loves to rain accolades on new talent. then again, the academy also seems to have a long standing love affair with redheads, as evidenced by amy adams’ four nominations (including this year’s for The Master). it’s going to be a close race, but since the death of osama bin laden re-elected our president, there’s no reason why it can’t score jessica a gold statue as well. best originaL screenPLay: Quentin tarantino, dJango unchained

Django Unchained was a lot of things to a lot of people, but one thing it was more than anything else was “original.” if django should fail in this endeavor, i would really like to see the oscar go to wes anderson and roman coppola for penning one of the most romantic films released in a long time, Moonrise Kingdom.

—Mike posillico

t A h W out Ab he t eS? o r e h three of the top 10 grossing movies of 2012 were comic book adaptations: Marvel’s The Avengers, Dark Knight Rises and Amazing SpiderMan. yet all they could muster between the three of them was the Avengers’ nomination for best visual effects. where was christopher nolan’s directing or best picture nod? (peter jackson secured both for Return of the King as a reward for the final part of his trilogy.) having earned almost $1.1 billion in the u.s. alone, nolan’s dark Knight trilogy was a huge commercial success. it’s also cited as the main reason the oscars went to 9 films for best picture (when Dark Knight was snubbed). i have a hard time believing there were 9 better films than the final piece to this amazing story. it was the perfect ending to nolan’s batman story. one that should have been recognized with at least a few —luis nominations.

ADW

the week away

Super Bowl week is always tough. This year especially so. I’m always amazed how over a period of days an extremely raw space becomes a huge signature event. Here are a few pics which help show the transformation of the space, as well as the bromance between Colin and myself. —Luis

five things the random things on our minds this week

Trains

If we’re not watching amateur CGI shorts on YouTube, Kal is asking for the last toy he saw reviewed. It’s all trains, all the time. If you wake him up suddenly, he says something like, “And the jet engine was pushing them!” A reference to trains...

Harbowl

I’ve never cared about any of these pre-Super Bowl press conferences before.

And now I’ve watched two.

Cat Food

I have to go buy cat food. And just in case I’m not thinking about it, there are two fat furry bodies that keep reminding me they need a bowl filled.

T-Mobile Norovirus

Really I’m just more freaked out by the amount of dog poop I keep rolling through with the stroller and how much we seem to need to come into contact with those poop-covered wheels.

Oh, I hate you, T-mobile. I can’t believe you’re all such giant douche bags.