As one day bleeds right into the next, I thought I’d stop in and say “hi.” hi.
I would now like to present to you, the reader, with my 2020 Working Calendar :
January
February
March¹
March²
March³
March⁴
March⁵
March⁶
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?
?
?
I both finished and started commissions that probably should have been done in March¹. I was not expecting Covid to not only shut down my quaint little burgh, but also my ambition to muster any motivation.
March² was more of the same. Each month of March¹²³⁴⁵⁶ brought something new and horrifying to the table. But I digress.
In moments of mind-numbing ennui, I went down many internet rabbit holes to discover many unknown facts. Whether it was learning about inside rifts of my favorite bands (it’s either money or a pink flamingo)
or finding the X with his future Mrs living in a brand new house on an episode of Cribs And a bathroom I can play baseball in And a king size tub Big enough for ten plus me.
Forgive me. March⁶ has been particularly stressful. I just had a Nickelback flashback.
Anyway, I found this gem:
Things I found en route to finding other things …
Shhhh … she sleeps.
Ok then. Let’s just move on and never speak of this again.
I wanted to still, somehow, stay true to BLUE so although I changed a few things, but only a few, I used #0000FF.
I am currently working on a ruggedly handsome bridge bun named “Thor.” Stay tuned. This one is a pencil and ink work!
I am hoping we may soon see another month besides March and that things unstress a bit. I mean, how can I trade my life for fortune and fame, even cut my hair … and … change my name …
Again. I apologize. It’s been an exceptionally stressful month.
There has been a plague of Biblical proportions! A “pandemic” if you will. For future history books I would like to state that pandemics trigger toilet paper hoarding.
Back, vile creature! And stop squeezing the Charmin.
The Corona virus had everyone in quarantine and we, as a planet, lost (and are still losing) our collective minds. NOTE: Currently, the “19” in Covid-19 stands for the weight I am gaining on a monthly basis. #quarantinelife But I digress … If you want to really get a United States citizen riled up you can say one of two things [depending]:
I ain’t wearing no mask out in public.
I’m not only wearing a mask, I’m getting the vaccine.
The Earth is my witness …
We’ll fight you IRL. Who knew medical masks could incite such violence?
Alas … this is no place for political discourse. I save that for my friend, David Muir. We have intense exchanges on almost a nightly basis. Plus he thinks I’m hilarious!
See?!
As of now, Ohio is “slowly” reopening. Some places are more open than others. How a tattoo parlor can open but not a place of worship is beyond me. Maybe they could combine? Welcome to: St. Inknatius Cathedral of Perpetual Motion Praise the Lord.
St. Inknatius Cathedral of Perpetual Motion Youth Pastor
Why yes, I do have my next ink already picked out, why do you ask? Hey — I never said I made ANY SENSE.
Honestly, how many are going to Hell because of Blue-Eyed Anglo Robert Powell Jesus- themed sacrilegious thoughts?
Not only have we (the entire planet) undergone the mysteries of Coronavirus, there were other exciting events leading up to it! Aside from the usual earthquakes, flooding and rumors of war that get the end-timers excited, Australia caught on fire. As in, THE WHOLE DINGED CONTINENT CAUGHT. ON. FIRE. Over a billion beasts perished.
Let us not forget the locusts that invaded Africa.
Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water, murder hornets.
And in case we might miss one:
I laughed at that frog cruising the turntable for a good ten minutes at 3:30 am one morning. John the Revelator at 33 rpms. It’s the little things, you know?
By the way — I am super behind on commissions.
IN RABBITY NEWS … The RHD2 Virus is making its way across the United States. There are hot pockets in the Southwest and Northwest and if you connect the dots, it is looking a lot like a plague of Biblical proportions. The 2018 MIDWEST BUNFEST was outright cancelled due to Ohio’s first confirmed case in Medina County (Think Cleveland, Ohio). As of yet, this lovely nation does NOT have the vaccine, Filavac, which protects against both RHD1 and RHD2. It is a “killed” vaccine so there is no chance of the recipient getting or spreading the disease. There is a current push to import said vaccine via Cananda. The cost is astounding. And the general consensus is: no virus to speak of, no vaccine.
Rabbit Folk are writing to their state veterinarians and talking to their personal veterinarians to move on this. Now, correct me if I’m wrong — but when was the last time we were told a virus wasn’t near us and we had really nothing to worry about?
Would you like to play a game? No. No, I would NOT. EVER.
I was perusing my email when a familiar “ding” caught my attention. An alert stating that I had requested an email change to one of my shopping app accounts. As you have probably already guessed, I did not. It was WISH. DON’T JUDGE.
Naturally, much of my info, money stuff, addresses, blood types and collected souls were connected to said email. I opened the letter and it so politely showed me the email it wanted. It was basically: ima_hacker @ uvbeenhacked.xyz
Some guy breaking into my WISH app
I kid you not. It was THAT obvious. The cherry on this dessert was this: The email stated that another email was sent to the NEW address and for me to click on CONFIRM. …
Now, I’m no MENSA candidate here – but if you want to ensure that I wanted the change, wouldn’t you send the confirmation link to, oh, I don’t know, THE ORIGINAL EMAIL?
I spent 24 hours calling banks, changing passwords, changing passwords again because I forgot the password I changed it to and I also changed passwords a third time because … well … like I said, no MENSA candidacy here. Oh, and running AntiVirus and Malware detectors a few times.
About to order $300 of Roblox
I was perusing my email when a familiar “ding” caught my attention. An alert stating that I had requested an email change AGAIN to THE SAME shopping app account. This one was Russian. Since I had already changed everything etc etc etc. I just let it sit. I pretend I have a Russian pen-pal and look at said email now and again. DON’T JUDGE.
привет, пенни! Как ваши дела?
Oh, Hai Vladimir! I am fine! Thank you for asking! How are you?
A strange game. The only winning move is not to play.
I am here to shamelessly promote the holiday cards in Sammy’s Place! These are the choices within theREGARDING COMIC. Click the link below the gallery and have fun! There are many card types to choose from as well. SILK cover is the shiny stuff!
Below is the holiday gallery for the OTHER WORKS holiday cards! There is still time! Well, heck, there are also the general “winter” cards as well. All cards are 5×7 and empty inside. Click the link under the OTHER CARDS HOLIDAY gallery to be magically transported there.
And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him.
– John the Revelator
A commission for the Four Riders of the Apocalypse blessed me a few years ago. With rabbits, of course. The story terrified me as a kid. I could not look at stormy skies for the longest time for fear I would see these figures barreling out of the clouds. Yet, it has been one of my all-time favorite commissions.
I have worked it and reworked this piece. Each rider is based on a rabbit from real life.
Illustrating Death has always been a fascinating task for me. This particular rider was based on my own Russette. She used to loaf and slowly but surely, her head would fall back until she tranced out and fell over. It was the weirdest thing.
Why yes, she is asleep.
I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I reworked this piece. To this day I am not 100% happy with it – but I do enjoy it.
The first go of it was a plain black and white design for one color screen print. I tried to also capture some of the menacing Biblical symbols that I was sure was going to come out of the sky when I was 8 years old. But alas – BUNNIES! Then … it happened: I saw some art pieces that utilized the red/black/white theme. This is an ancient, tried and true color scheme. I could not resist.
I say all of this to get to this: Every-so-often something comes through my email that just blows me away. I am honored and humbled by all of my followers … but sometimes my mind is absolutely blown.
I confess I squealed like a girl. In all honesty, when I look at my work on someone’s skin I think …
HOLY CRAP!! WOOOOOOOOOO! I HAVE ARRIVED!
These days I only WISH bunnies would come riding out of the sky. Until that day …
Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Ahhh~ those reticent little creatures called “rabbits.” So demure. So quiet, As rabbitron.com states:
RABBITS ARE QUIET They are good pets for apartments, as no one will ever complain about the noise from your pet.
Is this the face of “Demure”?
As an aside, I have to stop them right there. I’m sure the article goes on to reveal more, but let’s face it … being a human servant to these beasts, I can honestly say that no, no one will complain about the noise (per se) in my building unless it’s about me yalping because I have just experienced a surprise attack of being bitten on the toe. (or other body parts).
She preys upon my vulnerabilities.
“Wear a pair of pants around the house!” They said.
Cloaking Device Deactivated
Or the all-hours-day-and-night of vacuum time combining the clinking of turds with the squealing of the vacuum as that one stinking piece of hay gets stuck sideways and I have to tear the hose apart to fetch the faithful hook (taped coat hanger) to fish out said offending piece of hay.
That satisfying turd sound until …
But I digress.
Civilians “know” that rabbits ARE good pets for apartments. Absolutely. The managers should not even charge extra for them! Rabbits are small, harmless and take up such little space!
The rest of us know that we will NEVER get that deposit back. Well, the joke’s on them! I didn’t want that deposit back anyhow.
Sammy sits proudly upon my deposit check
What happened to the rug to cover up the chewed carpet
But I believe this is a diversionary tactic. This isn’t about the chewed up carpets, baseboards, tile flooring, walls … This is about something far more sinister:
The Lagomorphs’ collective personal vendetta against modern technology. These seemingly innocent lovelies are doing their best to hold humanity back. Oh, yes. You can hide the cords, spray the cords with a bunny-safe deterrent, wrap the cords, cover the cords. I know. I KNOW. But these determined (but adorable) evil geniuses will find a way.
I present to the court: Exhibits A, B, C, D, E, and FFFFF
Death to holiday lights!
Classic Black tape decorates the floor
Full Festive Red adds life to the (now) dim room!
The main light source is housed in its own cage these days
The vacuum is particularly tasty
WHAT. Gah! Dangit. Where’s the tape …
*A special shout-out to the beautiful hand model.
The exhibits above don’t even include all of the USB cords!
The ones that look like this —
and this.
Only six?!
SO. MANY. USB CORDS.
Let us not forget the missing buttons on the television remote.
In fact, I can’t even find the remote. One of them threw the remote. It’s probably stashed with a third of my art supplies that are missing. But what does it matter when your cable looks like this?
FUN FACT:When getting a replacement at the cable company I was asked: Cat or Rabbit?
My GOD. It’s a conspiracy! Or should I say —
CATspiracy!! DUN DUN DUN DUNNNNNNN
[ Well. No. I now find that I should NOT have said that. ]
They SHANT WIN this war! My cords will prevail! (I have next-day shipping).
You know what though? — perhaps all of the above could be used to deter people who impulse buy/buy without researching rabbits! Let us all turn to merriam-webster.com and bow our heads:
Definition of lagomorph. : any of an order (Lagomorpha) of gnawing herbivorous mammals having two pairs of incisors in the upper jaw one behind the other and comprising the rabbits, hares, and pikas.
They have the makings of a horror movie!
Then present this truth:
::DROPS MIC::
PS. I found the remote. It has half a button missing.
I am suffering from existential Ennui. At least, I think I am. Or was. Surely, I will be some time in the near future. Just to be sure, I Googled it. The first hit was an article titled: “How to Tell Whether You’ve Got Angst, Ennui, or Weltschmerz.”
Well … “Why not all three?! I *am* an artist, after all. Weltschmerz – there’s a “Fred and Ethel” joke in there somewhere. Alas. (I give to all of you, a dark self-indulgent sigh).
Late at night, I tend to ruminate around in my head and get trapped in my thoughts. And in that 2:00 am alone-ness by the glow of my phone, I am usually surfing the more bizarre corners of the internet. Also, throw in some Pink Floyd to augment the trip. Everything needs a soundtrack.
Between ponderings of life’s meaninglessness, lack of motivation, and knowing I really should fold that laundry, I often wake the house with cackling laughter. Oddly, the dark humor of others’ presented in sardonic meme-form is some of the funniest brilliance I have found. The irony alone gives me the warm fuzzies.
It sure beats yelling at coworkers and/or openly weeping in a parking lot filled with vaping Karens in yoga pants. No offense if you are a vaping Karen in yoga pants – but COME ON.
Anyway, I thought I would share some of the memes that just did it for me.
Who asked ya?
My song list is titled “SUICIDAL DITTIES”
This one hangs above my desk.
HAHAHAHAHAHA
How would YOU color this?
Breathe.
Me.
Still laughing at this one.
Ok. Well, these are the ones that don’t have any swears. It turns out I severely limited my meme options for this particular blog. Is this a symbolic act of what I do to myself in life? (See what I did there?) I share all of the above to say this:
This week Regarding Comic is chronicling the existential crisis of Lance. It’s ok to laugh. ENJOY!
‘El-ahrairah, your people cannot rule the world, for I will not have it so. All the world will be your enemy, Prince With A Thousand Enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first, they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.’ And El-ahrairah knew then that although he would not be mocked, Frith was still his friend.
Richard Adams ̶ Watership Down
I recently took part in a charity auction called HOPAPALOOZA. Proceeds went to the Ohio House Rabbit Rescue. Each artist was given a large rabbit (a surprise, I know). Then it was up to us to paint it how we saw fit. Of course, I cannot simply jump into a project. I must overthink a project.
The following is my project statement and photos of the journey (and peanut gallery comments).
El-ahrairah fell into pride. Believing himself and his people to be the strongest in the world, he heeded not the warning of Frith. You can probably heap on a bit of vanity as well. He also paid the price for this folly. Frith confronted him and proclaimed that he would not be mocked and cursed El-ahrairah (see opening quote). Frith is, however, still a friend and allowed for methods of escape and preservation.
I easily relate to El-ahraira. Aren’t we all fallen spirits?
Frith
Frith is an Old English word meaning “peace; protection; safety, security.”
Inspector LanceBare-BonedBlack GessoMy assistant masking out linesA lovely earth toned mixOoooooDetailing in my Pajamas
My piece is a stylized El-ahraira : a symbolic examination (and reminder) of what it is to be “human”. Our humanity is symbolized by the Earth-tones and structure of the guiding lines (our need for order and architecture). What may not be recognized in this piece is the black base-coat symbolizing the Black Rabbit of Inlé (our mortality) – and yet it IS visible. It is the very linework of the character as well as the red inner shadow of El-ahrairah’s eyes.
And there he is. My assistant, DeLaney Paige, lent his extraordinary talents in ideas, painting, support and analysis. I say “analysis” because DeLaney explores the heart and soul of a thing. He is genuinely a gifted art teacher in the truest sense of the word. He also makes me laugh which is a BIG plus in my studio. So is singing ToTo’s “AFRICA.”
Where there is light, there must be shadow, where there is shadow there must be light. There is no shadow without light and no light without shadow …
― Haruki Murakami
When I was 17, my interest in symbolism caught fire. It began in a literature class when I studied Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. I ran the gamut of that study from Biblical symbolism to feminine symbolism. I’m not sure how my American Lit teacher felt about it, but I am proud to report that I received the only “A” in the history of that class for that project. ::takes an overachiever bow::
MOBY BUN
In college, I discovered the works of Carl Jung and the concept of the collective unconscious. (The idea that we are all connected through an invisible cosmic web – communicated via symbols).
AT PLAY IN THE COSMIC WEB
This is when I dove head-first down the rabbit hole (so to speak) of feminine symbolism and archetypal journeys. Archetypes are:
In the psychology of Carl Jung, archetypes are the images, patterns, and symbols that rise out of the collective unconscious and appear in dreams, mythology, and fairy tales.
dictionary.com
Jung believed that these symbols originated from when we crawled out of the primordial ooze. It is a beautifully romantic way to explain why so many cultures all over the world (who never had contact and were oceans apart) have the same images and characters and mythologies. To put it simply, we are all connected.
RAGING
Fast forward several years when I felt trapped in my life’s circumstance. We have all been there. If not, you are either young or very blessed. It was a place of frustration, agitation and it was a bit dark. At this same time, Honorable Daughter #1 began bringing rabbits home. She would rescue/steal/accept/smuggle them. She would nurse and care for the sick, groom them, rehome them. To this day she has the heart of a rescuer.
DEFEATED
Lance, Russette and Sammy were the three rabbits that I would not allow to leave. These three are affectionately known as “The Olde Guarde”.
I grew up in a farm community surrounded by all types of animals. My observations, even as a child, taught me that rabbits are animals of prey and behave accordingly. House rabbits, after having all those years of domestication, still behave as such. So there I was feeling trapped and frightened … with rabbits.
The following are basic definitions. They are moreso concepts based in an Aesop Fable (The Dog and the Wolf) sifted through my filters of feminine archetypal insanity (It’s my journey I can do what I want):
THE WILD – Freedom to be your true self. Living in the cover of the forest tapping into who you really are. The subconscious. This self allows you to set boundaries without guilt.
THE DOMESTIC – The comfort of shelter, food and the guides of social norms. In its ideal, it guarantees safety and healthy boundaries. The conscious mind.
Each, however, has its shadow:
THE WILD SHADOW – Hunted, hungry, darkness, fear, lost (yearning for the domestic)
THE DOMESTIC SHADOW – Caged, victimhood, dependent upon others for survival, the collar digging into the skin/complacency (yearning for the wild)
Our goal in living with these archetypes is to bring them together to find balance. In my opinion, in that balance, we find our “home.” It’s a lifelong journey and we all bounce around now and again. and again. and again. and yet again.
I could very well relate to the rabbits as prey animals. I also believe that this projection gave me an exceptionally strong bond to and with them.
The illustrated journey, unbeknownst to me at that time, of making peace with the WILD v DOMESTIC archetype began.
This was the birth of Raging Bunnies.
As I broke away from my situation and managed some self-examination, the bond with my rabbits evolved along with my art. I began to appreciate the rabbits’ gift of bringing laughter, absurdity and healing into my life. Regarding the Secret Life of Rabbits was born at this time. Then the characters in the comic started revealing themselves (and continue to do so).
THE FIRST COMIC
The comic offers humor even in strife. The process is very healing for me. The fact that others are interested in it is humbling. And the longer I do the comic, the more I reveal parts of myself.
Now, I stand in a visible (and quite public) duality. Wild (Raging) and Domestic (The Secret Life)
LilithRegarding The Secret Life Of Rabbits
Rabbits are timeless in their imagery. Not only are they recognized as symbols of fecundity and luck, but they are also symbols of the spirit world and rebirth; the eternal cycle of Life/Death/Life. Mortality and the hope for the eternal is a big theme in my Raging Bunnies artwork. Dark. Serious. Desperately attempting to preserve. It is an existential crisis in action.
Regarding the Secret Life of Rabbits shows the day-to-day, mundane, sometimes vulgar struggles but is always presented with the absurd. It offers a light-hearted look at life. I like that. And I will find something in every situation that makes me laugh (regardless of how inappropriate it may seem).
Together, you see my wild next to my domestic selves. One must always be able to express their wild. One must also realize boundaries are not always a bad thing. Reconciling the two brings peace. Through my work, I am “home.”
Sammy
I was asked to address the loss of Sammy. I have lost all three of my crew in the course of a year. They all lived long (and sometimes overfed) lives. Please know that The Olde Guarde lives on and always will. I even take offense when people refer to any of them in the past tense.
I honestly thought that when I lost Lance I would be devastated. He was my heart. Lance died in my arms and with his last breath I was, absolutely, devastated. Sammy was already in precarious health. He had horrific arthritis and was struggling but we were nursing him and loving him as always. The first night without Lance, he dragged himself over to Lance’s “spot” and just sat and groomed the floor. I witnessed him fade away. As you may, or may not, know – Sammy joined Lance within a month.
What I was not prepared for was how I felt at the time of Sammy’s departure. All of the Olde Guarde took on certain characteristics: Russette is a caretaker. She is curious and ornery but she is loving and slept at my feet. Lance is the wise protector standing guard by my bed and in the halls. Sammy, however – reflected some of my own neurosis and selfishness. It felt like I lost a part of my self.
When Sammy passed, I cradled him in my arms, turned into a corner and just wept; a painful ugly snot-filled cry. I would not let anyone touch him. Eventually, I was able to lay him down (still crying and petting him) for the Vet to take over. The experience was surreal.
Baskets are a womb symbol, a holder of life. They communicate spiritual joy and fulfillment. Baskets even sail saviors down rivers to be scooped up and adopted. Sammy loved his basket so much he ate half of it. This was his favorite spot.
