Ricky-Roo302's avatar

Ricky-Roo302

Ric Chamberlin
285 Watchers184 Deviations
65K
Pageviews


Y'know, you just never know when you rise out of bed what the day is going to bring.
Case in point:
By way of my site here on DA, a series of E-Mails and several International long distance telephone conversations, I have been contacted by a businessman in Saudi Arabia who expressed  interest in procuring the copyright to one of the more

whimsical bits of cartooning found in my Gallery, KUNG FU CHICKEN . KUNG FU CHICKEN by Ricky-Roo302

 It is his intention to open an overseas  restaurant (chain?) of the same name, with my drawing as the corporate character (ala Ronald McDonald, I suppose...). This man is a true gentleman and it has been a pleasure speaking with him.

Cut to the chase: The deal is done and I hope to be able to continue providing new drawings for this company in terms of t-shirt or menu designs, whatever may be needed for merchandising purposes.

It is all in the beginning stages for now, and perhaps soon  it will come to fruition. I hope I hope I hope.

Take THAT, Mickey Mouse!!!!


Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In


....If the little Warner Brothers Cartoon Bird Tweety  got a Twitter account, then

TWEETY COULD TWEET.

...ah, but what if that tweet Tweety sent was tricky to open? Then,

TWEETY TWEETED A TRICKY TWEET.

...and if the tweet  that Tweety  tweeted  was also tacky, then

TWEETY TWEETED A TRICKY TACKY TWEET.

....and if that  tricky tacky tweet was about a Twix candy bar, then

TWEETY TWEETED A TRICKY TACKY TWIX TWEET.

....and what if that Twix candy bar was twisted? Then....

TWEETY TWEETED A TRICKY TACKY TWISTED TWIX TWEET.

......and if Tweety sent that tricky  tacky tweet to a real  twit, then

TWEETY TWEETED A TRICKY TACKY TWISTED  TWIX TWEET TO A  TOTAL  TWIT.

...and if that Twit was also a Twerp, then

TWEETY TWEETED A TRICKY  TACKY TWISTED TWIX TWEET TO A  TOTALLY  TWERPY TWIT.

.....and if that totally twerpy twit was a cast member of the movie TWILIGHT, then

TWEETY TWEETED A TRICKY TACKY TWISTED TWIX TWEET TO A  TOTALLY TWERPY TWILIGHT TWIT.

........................AND............if Tweety sent that  tweet a second time, well my friends....

TWEETY TWEETED A TRICKY TACKY TWISTED TWIX  TWEET TO A TOTALLY TWERPY TWILIGHT TWIT---TWICE!!!!


...oops----gotta go! I'm late for my lobotomy....Ric C.


Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In


Over the past couple of years, I have given considerable thought as to what the world, specifically, human culture,  would be like if there were no artists, if there was no art. Or perhaps more to the point, where exactly does the artist find him/herself placed on THE LIST OF VITALLY IMPORTANT PEOPLE?

Exactly what initiated such ruminations within me is not altogether clear; perhaps it was simply my endless love and passion and even, at times, awe of the creative imagination and visionary splendor  that we humans are fortunate enough to possess --- that mysterious quality that puts us so far beyond the capabilities of the millions of other species with which we share  our homeworld; or it may have been my becoming aware of the tragic and frankly outrageous degree of funding cuts for the arts in our educational institutions that our government has deemed necessary in order to prolong its own agenda of (mostly) senseless foreign conflicts and domestic political posturing (geez....don't get me started....  I myself have been directly affected by these spending cuts in my profession)--- perhaps that is what accounts for these ramblings. Whatever their origin, these thoughts have been rattling about my skull for no small amount of time and I've at last decided to share them with any who care to comment in hope of  finding fresh perspective. To that end, and knowing full well the potential critique to which I open myself, I offer for your consideration and amusement the following speculations.

Now, before continuing, a clarification  is in order to define exactly what I mean by "art". Therefore let it be understood that the term "art" encompasses a wide variety of genres, including drawing, painting, dance, literature, culinary skills, design, sculpture, film, woodworking, etc.etc. I would thus define the artist as any person who is motivated to deliberately CREATE something for the sole purpose of stimulating the senses of other people. (...those senses being taste, sight, sound, smell, and touch). Stimulating, I should add, not always in a pleasing manner; that is, some art may have the expressed purpose of shocking or offending the viewer. This definition is hardly all-encompassing, but it will do for the purpose of this essay.

So, with those parameters agreed upon, let us consider this premise....

Assuming the role of Devil's Advocate, I would argue that in the most LITERAL sense, ART is completely unnecessary for the continuation of mankind. Esthetics are irrelevant; what humans REQUIRE FOR SURVIVAL  are food and shelter and medicine. The food is not REQUIRED to taste good---it only need be nutritious;  the shelter is not REQUIRED to be luxurious, it only need be a barrier from inclement weather. A ballet will not keep you from starving.  A porcelain sculpture will not  shelter you from a typhoon.  Perhaps the practical irrelevance of ART can best be illustrated by  giving serious consideration to this question: With whom would you rather be shipwrecked ---a Master carpenter with his toolbox or a poet possessing a pen and a ream of paper?

Following  this line of thinking, it seems to me that the world is very much divided into four BASIC types of humans:

1) The builders and  mechanics---those people who construct and repair. They build and operate  the buildings,the machines,  the highways, the waste disposal and electrical systems,  the vehicles. They are ESSENTIAL to the continuation of civilization and society.

2) The executives---office workers, politicians, health providers, law enforcement, judicial workers, those folks whose environment consist of offices, desks, conference rooms, medical facilities and filing cabinets. They handle the business, make and are responsible for the enforcement of laws,  and manage the  paperwork and clerical documentation of society. They are ESSENTIAL to the orderly function of civilization and society.

3) The food providers---the farmers and ranchers, and the people who are in the business of distributing the food that is produced. Of course, they are ESSENTIAL to the continuation of human society.

*...and the fourth group, the artists---those whose  sole purpose is to please the senses...the painters, chefs, writers, composers, musicians, dancers, designers, film makers,  etc.  They are ESSEN-----wait a minute....are they really?

It seems to me that, given a little bit of consideration,  it becomes clear which one of these four groups of people is truly---literally--- expendable in regard to the practical ongoing propagation of civilization.  

So, let us do away with that unnecessary fourth group and consider the consequences.  Let us  imagine a world, a society, a civilization without art; a world of pure practicality and function, where buildings are boxes, windows are all square, food is nutritious but bland, "fashion" is nonexistent---clothing has no style or individuality from person to person, music and pictures and plays are unnecessary and therefore also nonexistent---this is a world of nothing more than a smooth-running comfortable civilization. There would be nothing to look at, nothing to listen to, nothing to initiate fits of uncontrollable laughter, or whimsy or heartbreak or outrage. There would be nothing to PLEASE OUR SENSES. No books with stories, no concertos, no fountains, no architecture, ......all because none of these things is LITERALLY NECESSARY for the establishment of...... a smooth-running, functional society........

........would we not be a society of numb, soul-less,  joyless, miserable people? Would we not be a colony of ants, simply going about the business of building our simple anthill, eating when necessary, serving the requirements of the Queen (government), a society of pure joyless function and propagation?

...and that, I argue,  is why we---the world--- need the artists. It is the aromas and the music and the literature and the artwork and the tastes of the world that make life so pleasurable and joyful and fascinating. It is the stories, movies, dances, and symphonies that make a person glad to be alive, that make this troubled world tolerable and give us hope. That the government funding of the arts should be reduced in any way is,  to me, is an abomination! Making the children of the world aware of the magic and pleasure of the various arts ---dancing, cooking, drawing and painting, photography, etc.----is just as crucial  to their education as teaching them the important skills of readin, 'ritein' and 'rithmatic. The importance of ART in culture can not be overstated because without ART  there IS no culture.

Art is the reason why buildings are not boxes, why food is delicious, why music can compel us to shed tears or bang our heads like idiots. It is our medium for paying tribute, for showing appreciation, for giving thanks.  It is why we are able to visit other galaxies in our minds, or appreciate an intricately designed Grandfather Clock. It compels our imaginations to soar and our hearts to beat more quickly. ART, in the end,  is ABSOLUTELY necessary---in fact, VITAL--- for the continuation of the human race.

......and that is why I believe the "artist" to be separate from other people. That is why I believe artists to be ----not better----but uniquely special, a different type of human who sees the world through "artist's eyes". That creative urge with which the artist in indwelt  is far far removed from the thing that motivates another  person to become a politician or  businessman or athlete or construction worker.  It is that unique compulsion within that urges us, unlike so many others,  not only to marvel at that beautiful sunset, but to  CAPTURE IT!  On canvas. In words. On film. In music.
The artist embraces  the world in a completely different manner than those not artistically inclined. The din of midday traffic is music to the musician, but not to the cab driver.  A cluster of birds sitting on a telephone line become musical notes to a musician, but  not to a plumber.
   The composer Vivaldi  painted his portraits of the four seasons---summer, winter, spring and autumn--- with, of all things,  an orchestra!  Musical representations of CLIMATE!! Only an artist could conceive of such a thing!



My final thought is this: I LOVE lampposts, those glow-topped columns that line the city streets around the world, each with it's own unique regional appearance and design.  And if you really think about it, the basic purpose of a lamppost is to accomplish little more than the illumination of a section of  street. That is all it is LITERALLY required to do. To that end,  what is needed is a sturdy base, a pole, and a lamp. And sure enough, that is exactly the type of lampposts that just happen to line Selief Lane here in Kodiak, as well as my neighborhood of Mozart Circle; they consist of  a base, a pole, another pole extending out over the street, and a lamp. An example of pure function, they are ugly and dreary and soul-less. Contrast those with the lampposts that line the streets of New York or Chicago or practically ANY other city. THOSE lamps are beautiful, with intricate scrolls and columns and wonderfully designed bulb housings. Even the lamps that line the downtown Kodiak shopping area are nicely designed pieces of art that nobody seems to notice except people like me. And the point is, they don't HAVE to have any design at all to perform their function---they COULD be plain and uninteresting and drab....but they're NOT. They are there to please the senses, they are nice to look at, and they make idiots like me smile at my good fortune for not  being born a snail, but rather  for being human and able to appreciate the beautiful design that somebody drew for that lamppost. I heartily encourage you to Google Image "Streetlights" or "Lampposts" and revel in the perfect marriage of art and function. Of course there are endless examples of this to be found in architecture; I just think that lampposts are one of Artistic Mankind's finest moments.

Thanks for "listening".  RSVP's are encouraged and welcome.

---Ric Chamberlin


Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In


...My oh my!!!...it's been nearly SIX MONTHS since I last updated my Journal, so here we go!!....

An Officer of THE LAW was rapping on my door the other day and I thought, "Hmmm...must be selling tickets to the Policeman's Ball."

....well, the reason he REALLY came to my house is none of your damn business, but it got me to thinking---how come the Police don't throw Balls anymore?

...y'see, back in the day, the Police Department would sell tickets to the Annual Policeman's Ball; Officer O'Shaunessey would go door to door inviting everyone in town to attend the Big To-Do, this year being held at the Moose Lodge on the corner of 32nd and Main street. All the town's Policemen will be there dressed in their finest pressed uniforms, with entertainment  provided by retired Police  Captain Andy "Brass Knuckles" Hinkle and his Accordion Band, featuring Andy on accordion, his wife of 43 years Opal on the Autoharp,  and Buster from the filling station playing his snare drum and cymbal. Refreshments of fruit punch and fresh baked cupcakes courtesy of the Ladies Auxiliary---YUM!

...of course, everyone in town bought a ticket whether they were planning to attend or not, because if you didn't...well, let's just say that---- God forbid---should your house or place of business gets  burglarized, the Boys in Blue might not be so quick to respond, being busy with other matters across town....

...but anyway, the point is, How come there is no longer Policeman's Balls?

...I have a theory.

I'm convinced that it is because, times being what they are, with so much violence and commotion and all, Policemen today have to wear bullet-proof vests as standard issue with their uniforms---you are not in uniform if you are not wearing your bullet-proof vest!
Well, did you ever try to dance the Tango in a bullet-proof vest? ..or the Rumba? Believe me, there's NO WAY you can even do an adequate Cha-Cha-Cha in one of those constricting vests! And if you can't even Cha-Cha-Cha, what's the point in throwing a Ball---am I right???

Welp. so much for another great Journal!   See ya again in six months!   --Ric C.


Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In

GEMERALD

2 min read


...I have been asked about the little green gem that is a part of my signature on all line art that I do that has been digitally colored.
That is the "icon" or "signature" of my daughter and it lets you know that it is she who is once again responsible for bringing my dreary ink drawings to vibrant life. I am eternally indebted to her for her colorful contributions to my Gallery, and especially for making the BEARY TAILS strip so alive. On these artistic endeavors we are a team, and what a fortunate father am I to have this relationship with my beautiful little girl.

Kindly have a look at her DA site Gallery where she posts her own unique digitally  rendered characters:

charmer-the-e-d.deviantart.com…


Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
Featured

Coming Soon To A Drive-Thru Near You by Ricky-Roo302, journal

OKAY, NOW CONSIDER THIS... by Ricky-Roo302, journal

Reflections on ART and its Place in the World by Ricky-Roo302, journal

DANCE, COPPER, DANCE by Ricky-Roo302, journal

GEMERALD by Ricky-Roo302, journal