Battle Royale with Cheeze

Chris Jericho

2012-02-01T19:43:00.001-08:00

"Welcome to Raw IS Jericho!"
Chris is hands down one of my top five favorite wrestlers of all time.
When he made his debut on then WWF in 1999, wrestling would never be the same agaaaaaain!
One of the best debuts ever.
Enjoy!

Here is a little clip of his debut from way back when...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32OPyEAraU4

The Destroyer

2012-01-11T19:06:00.000-08:00

Dick Beyer, The Destroyer. He worked in Japan for years.
Great mug on this guy. His growling voice matched perfectly.
Enjoy!

Hogan vs. Andre

2011-12-27T08:01:00.000-08:00

Wrestlemania III. Second best match on the card.
Enjoy!

Magnum T.A.

2011-12-21T19:46:00.000-08:00

One of my faves from the early 80's. Magnum was the man.
His career was cut short due to a bad car crash.

It has begun!

2011-12-13T19:19:00.000-08:00

Just finished my semester of teaching. Much more free time! *cough*

This is the first piece of what I am guessing is a very long (one year) project for me.

What is it? A book. I am spending 2012 working on a personal love letter to pro-wrestling.

I grew up with it. My Great-Grandparents learned to speak English watching it.

When my brother and I get together, it is all we talk about. My little 4-year old girl wants to be a pro-wrestler.

What could be better than to create an art book celebrating this crazy world.

I will post what I can. A lot of stuff I am going to save for the book. I have around 200 wrestlers from the 70's to present day on my list.

Busy, busy, busy.

So here we go!

The first entry...

Enjoy!

Just A Little Peek...

2011-11-18T17:17:00.000-08:00

Well, I have been planning a big illustration project for a while.
Tons of knowledge. Tons of research. A studio full of it. What is the project?
Pro-Wrestling.
I will post some other stuff along the way. (killing to draw Walter White from Breaking Bad)
But for the most part I will be swimming in wrestling.
Here is a little peek.

A Texas Tornado

2011-10-23T13:44:00.000-07:00

Changed things up a bit around here...
Today we have Kerry Von Erich. One of the greats from the legendary Von Erich family.
They are legends in the world of Pro Wrestling.
Huge fan of these guys growing up. The Iron Claw!
Enjoy!

Been A Long Time...

2011-10-08T21:13:00.000-07:00

WOW!
Sorry for the non-postings! I'm not dead or quitting. I have just been slammed with work lately. Back at it now. Promise.
Here is a little ditty that I did as a "how-to" in a college art class that I am teaching. (hint for the non-postings) Teaching makes me feel old. Real old. Anyway...
Danny Trejo is his name. You may know him as "Machete".
I'm already working on the next drawing...
See you soon.
Enjoy!

Straight Outta Compton!

2011-08-16T19:59:00.000-07:00

Back today with the late great Eazy-E. It's hard to work on this stuff without blasting N.W.A..
My kids could learn some new vocabulary. I save N.W.A. for the car or late nights.
We don't need a call from school.
Looking at pictures of Eazy, Dre, & Cube from those days makes me feel old. They look like little kids.
Hard little kids.
Enjoy!

A Children's Storyteller

2011-08-07T18:46:00.000-07:00

Today we have the one and only, Slick Rick.
I have played "A Children's Story" about a million times while working on this one.
My oldest daughter (6) has quite the dance routine for that song.
La Di Da Di...
Until next time.
Enjoy!

"Just A Friend"

2011-07-31T20:59:00.000-07:00

A little something different today. I've been thinking about working on a series of 80's Hip Hop. Which leads us to Biz Markie. What a mug.
Enjoy!

"Just A Good Old Boy"

2011-07-12T21:30:00.000-07:00

Back from a well deserved vacation. What could be better than laying around doing nothing on the beach for a week? Laid back. Speaking of laid back, today we have a little Waylon Jennings action.
Love me some Waylon.
This one is for my buddy Charlie.
Enjoy!

SINBAD!?!

2011-06-28T06:50:00.000-07:00

Really!
Okay, so I was asked to do a drawing of Sinbad for a birthday present. A few years ago... I bumped into Sinbad in Las Vegas. He seemed like he was 30ft tall. Really tall dude. True story. Anyway, while I'm not a huge fan of Sinbad's comedy, I have to admit... this was a blast to draw. So I guess Sinbad did crack me up.
Once. ha-ha
Happy Birthday Dan!
Enjoy!

Camelot!

2011-06-20T18:31:00.000-07:00

Back today with a little bit of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. King Arthur, along with the coconut clomping Patsy, grace the post. What's not to love about Monty Python? Needs to be a theme. Hmmmm...
Anyway this was a Birthday present for my friend Karen. Happy Birthday!
Enjoy!

"Knuckle Sammich for A Dirty Nazi"

2011-06-07T20:56:00.000-07:00

Been a while since the last post. Busy times.
Thought I would post a little action scene... Indiana Jones taking on the big bald German.
I love all of the Indy films. Thought it would be proper to create a little Nazi butt-kicking.
Always loved when Indy is getting his ass handed to him only to comeback in the end.
I can already hear the theme music.
You know, while I was working on this, I realized that this is the second "Comeback" piece that I have done recently. The first being the Andre vs. Hulk Hogan.
Hmmmm...
Oh well., off to create some birthday presents for some pals.
Until next time... Enjoy!

Goodbye to Greatness

2011-05-25T20:28:00.000-07:00

When most people hear that I am a huge wrestling fan, an instant smart-ass smirk appears on their face. It is usually followed by "You know that wrestling is fake, right?"
For the record, yes I know it is.
I then tell the person the story of why I love it. I tell them how my brother and I lived and breathed the stuff when we were growing up. They were our superheroes. We wanted to be them.
Hulk Hogan, Ricky Steamboat, Ultimate Warrior, Ric Flair and Randy Savage (tons more).
We raced home from every Sunday church to watch wrestling. We stayed up late when a "Saturday Night's Main Event" was on.
So much fun, so many great memories with my brother.

Last Friday, I lost a hero.
Randy "Macho Man" Savage had been killed in a car accident.
I watched a video tribute that the WWE had put together for him. It was fantastic.
Suddenly, a million memories came flooding back. Times with my brother and our friends
growing up. As I watched the tribute, I was smiling ear to ear. Somewhere, my buddy Tom
has a video we made with me dressed and imitating Savage. Ha!
So... today we have the man himself with his lovely Elizabeth.

Thank you Randy Savage.

"Whatcha Gonna Do, Brother?!"

2011-05-17T20:12:00.000-07:00

When my brother and I were kids, we lived pro-wrestling . Hell, who am I kidding. We still do.

We saw every WWF/WWE show that came through our area. We still talk about wrestling constantly.

When we see each other, (he lives in San Francisco) we always start wrestling or "fighting" with each other.

Laugh riot, good times.

He became a father for the first time not to long ago. His son, my nephew, was born very premature.

Very premature.

Glad to say, my new nephew Jackson, fought back and "Hulked Up" and just came home from the hospital after 77 days of tubes, pokes and monitors. He is strong and healthy.

So...today we have Hulk Hogan vs. Andre The Giant from the legendary Wrestlemania III title match. Thought it would be great to show Hulk Hogan ready to "Hulk Up" and fight back (and win) against the

Unstoppable force of Andre.

This drawing is for Jackson.

I love you and I can't wait to meet you.

-Uncle Steve

Just A Little Bit Batty

2011-05-01T18:47:00.000-07:00

Today we have Rutger Hauer from another of my favorite films, Blade Runner. Hauer played the creepy and crazy replicant, Roy Batty.
Enjoy!

Justice Is Served!

2011-04-17T21:12:00.000-07:00

Sheriff Buford T. Justice. Jackie Gleason at his best.
Smokey and the Bandit is one of my favorite movies ever.
Enjoy you tick turds!

"Here Come The Rooster"

2011-04-05T21:14:00.000-07:00

Today is a post for my best pal, Warren. He has always asked me to whip up Rooster Cogburn from True Grit. Well here you are sir. Happy late Birthday.

Warren, you sir, have true grit. Please don't use this to line the catbox.

"You're Going to Need A Bigger Boat"

2011-03-21T20:37:00.000-07:00

Holy cow! A long time since I have posted. Busy, busy, busy.
Well... today we have Roy Scheider aka Chief Brody from Jaws. Another of my favorite movies.
Enjoy!

"Chap with wings there. Five Rounds Rapid."

2011-03-01T20:12:00.000-08:00

If you know me, you have at some point, heard me talk wildly about my two favorite things.
Pro Wrestling and Doctor Who.
This post is about the latter. Last week, Nicholas Courtney passed away. He will always be known to any Doctor Who fan as, Brigadier Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart. Or Just simply, The Brigadier.
A great character. The Doctor's greatest companion.
Bums me out.

Kneel Before Zod!

2011-02-23T19:48:00.000-08:00

Back today with General Zod from Superman II.
What army did this guy lead?
Ahh, that movie. Superman throws it all away for Margot Kidder.
...cough...

Release The Kraken!

2011-02-13T11:33:00.000-08:00

Perseus comes today along with the head of Madusa. I love the original Clash of the Titans movie.
A Harryhausen monster-fest. I still haven't seen the new version.
Enjoy!

Why So Serious?!

2011-02-04T20:10:00.000-08:00

So I was looking at my ever growing lists of stuff to draw... and it is getting massive. Crazy massive. Insane massive. Insane, which bring us to today's post.
Heath Ledger's Joker. The Dark Knight. Love it.

"The Warriors Did It!"

2011-02-02T18:08:00.000-08:00

One last Warriors post before I jump to something new. Today is the creepy little Luther. He was the leader of the rival gang, The Rogues.

Baseball Season!

2011-01-19T19:52:00.000-08:00

Back at the Warriors this week. Today is a goon from the rival gang, "Baseball Furies".
Enjoy.

A "Boss" Birthday!

2011-01-13T21:20:00.000-08:00

Today is a bit of an interruption in the BRwCZ theme business. My buddy Zach celebrates a birthday today. So to celebrate this good man's birthday we have the "Boss" himself, Bruce Springsteen.
Happy Birthday Zach.
Now back to our regularly scheduled theme...

Swan Song

2011-01-11T19:08:00.000-08:00

Today we have Swan, the leader of the Warriors.
Those Warriors are good...real good.

"Warriors, Come Out to Play-e-yay!"

2011-01-04T20:42:00.000-08:00

Well, Here we are in 2011. I had told myself that I would shy away from monthly themes here on the blog for awhile. Yeah, that lasted long. While I was on vacation most the month of December, I caught up on a ton of movies and such. After I was fully rested, I had some different ideas for themes this year.
This year each month will be a focus on some of my all time favorite movies. Most are pretty nerdy.
This month it's The Warriors. Today we have a Warrior member, "Cochise". Got some good stuff planned this year.
Here are a few hints for 2011... zombies, bullwhips, Snake, Bruce the shark, replicants.
Until then... Can you dig it?!
Enjoy!

Bruiser Brody

2010-12-09T20:45:00.000-08:00

Today, another wrestler. Some knew him as Frank Goodish. Some, as King Kong Brody. He was Bruiser Brody. He was a legend in the St. Louis area and one of the great pioneers of "hardcore" or "brawling" style of wrestling.
Brody was murdered in a Puerto Rican locker room by a fellow wrestler in 1988.

"Bulldog" Bob Brown

2010-11-30T20:21:00.000-08:00

Today we have the late great "Bulldog" Bob Brown. As a kid, I grew up in the St. Louis area. I watched the local television show, "Wrestling at the Chase" (Chase Park Plaza) non-stop. Bob Brown was a heavy staple of the show. I loved to watch the old ladies yell and curse him. Bulldog died in Kansas City around '97.

"The Nature Boy" Ric Flair

2010-11-14T12:50:00.000-08:00

Back with a change. I thought I would slightly clean up the blog a bit. Also, the monthly themes are gone. I feel like bouncing around for awhile. A lotta stuff I'm wanting to draw.
Which bring us to today's post...
The greatest wrestling superstar of all time, Ric Flair!
Hope you enjoy.
Wooooooooo!

The Eleventh Hour

2010-11-03T19:24:00.000-07:00

Wow! It has been forever. I have had a ton on my plate as of late. Traveling, family wedding, work. Hardly a moment to sit and relax or draw. It has been about a year that I have been running a monthly theme here on the blog. Lately I have felt the need to change this blog up a bit.
So... that's what I'm gonna do. Until then, just to tide you over, we have Doctor Who. The Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) to be more precise. I thought this post would be appropriate right before a big blog "regeneration".
See you soon.
GERONIMO!

Dummy

2010-10-21T20:15:00.000-07:00

A quick post before I head out for L.A.
So here we have Willie with his ventriloquist Cliff Robertson. Or is it the other way around? Hmm?
Mwahh-hahaha!
Enjoy!

To Serve Man

2010-10-17T14:20:00.000-07:00

Today another of my favorite episodes. Strangely, this marks the second time that I have drawn Richard Kiel. Here is as the alien, Kanamit. He was also "Jaws" from the Bond movies.
Hmm.
Enjoy!

Time Enough At Last

2010-10-11T20:38:00.000-07:00

Today is Burgess Meredith as Mr. Henry Bemis. One of my favorite episodes. I wish I had the time enough to keep up with posts. Yeesh.
Enjoy!

Nightmare at 20,000 Feet

2010-10-05T20:54:00.000-07:00

Today one of the classics. I wanted to show Shatner as the calm before the storm.
Don't turn around Billy!
Found this stupid SNL sketch spoof as well...
Enjoy!
http://www.hulu.com/watch/134734/saturday-night-live-nightmare-at-20000-feet

The Signpost Up Ahead...

2010-10-01T19:03:00.000-07:00

A new theme start today for October. I was going to continue with the Horror theme again this year. Decided to switch it up a bit. I plan on really messing around with some different ways of working this month.
So today lets get started... imagine if you will Rod Serling.
Next stop, The Twilight Zone.

May Day

2010-09-27T19:12:00.000-07:00

My insane schedule continues...Here we are at the last Bond post.
Today is Grace Jones as the steroid junkie, May Day. She could lift men above her head with no sweat. May Day came to kill Bond, but ended up loving him...cough...
Max Zorin should have given her more cowbell.
Enjoy!

Oddjob

2010-09-20T20:15:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the pause in posting. The crazy schedule is at it again. (along with the allergy attacks) Today we have the man with the killer bowler hat. Oddjob. He was another of my favorites from Bond. His name also sums up my week.
Yeesh.

Jaws

2010-09-13T19:08:00.000-07:00

Today we have one of my favorite Bond villains, Jaws. He did turn into a good guy in the end. It was love that tamed the beast.

Ridiculous.

Dr. No

2010-09-09T20:41:00.000-07:00

The first cut is the deepest. Well, in Bond villains it's Dr. No. He has the honor of the being Bond's first.
Enjoy!

Tee Hee

2010-09-06T20:52:00.000-07:00

Back after a little holiday break. Today we have Tee Hee Johnson from "Live and Let Die". He was one of the colorful henchmen of Mr. Big. His arm was bitten off by a crocodile named Albert. (Replaced with a metal claw) Tee Hee got his nickname from his constant giggling.

Enjoy!

Ernst Starvo Blofeld

2010-09-01T20:46:00.000-07:00

Well, before I get into my new theme for September, I must thank my pal Jon Rollins. He sent me the idea for the Bond villains. Thanks Jon! Great idea.
So here we are. First off, this isn't meant to be a "greatest villains of all time" collection. I draw what I think makes for a good illustration. So there may be some obscure villains that pop up this month.
Not obscure...
Today we have Blofeld. (not Dr. Evil)
Blofeld was played by a ton of actors, my favorite was Donald Pleasence.
Love him.
Enjoy!

"The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase

2010-08-30T21:13:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a week! I am totally slammed with work and real life. The end of the month is here and I must move on to another theme here in a few days. But... before I do, one last wrestling heel. Ted DiBiase. He was awesome. His promos that featured him screwing with an audience member for cash... priceless.
"Remember, everybody has a price."
Enjoy!

Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

2010-08-25T20:31:00.000-07:00

The greatest wrestling manager ever. Period. When he was on the mic with his partner Gorilla Monsoon, look out. No one will ever top him. So take that you humanoids.
Enjoy this "weasel".

The Iron Sheik

2010-08-21T21:08:00.000-07:00

"Iran number one! USA... hack-pthoo!"
The Iron Sheik today. He could be wrestling's greatest villain ever. All I know, his recent antics and interviews via the Youtube have me laughing my ass off.
Sheiky Baby, you are number one.
Enjoy!

Andre the Giant

2010-08-16T21:16:00.000-07:00

Today is the largest professional wrestler ever. 7'4" and weighing between 475 and 540 pounds: Andre the Giant.
His match with Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania III was stuff of legend. The match took place at the Pontiac Silverdome in 1987. Hulk-a-maniacs went wild when Hogan body slammed Andre.
All 93,173 of them.
Enjoy!

"King" Harley Race

2010-08-14T19:21:00.000-07:00

A true wrestling legend and Kansas City icon. I knew and cheered for Harley Race long before he entered the WWE ring.

He came into the WWE as "Handsome" Harley Race. Quickly he became "King" at the King of the Ring tournament. With Bobby Heenan at his side who could stop him?

I'll tell you... a bleach blonde jabroni named Hogan.

The Honky Tonk Man

2010-08-11T20:15:00.000-07:00

Today is the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time... The Honky Tonk Man! The HTM is quite possibly my favorite wrestler ever. The best heel in wrestling next to Bobby Heenan. He held the IC title for a record of 14 months. Together with Col. Jimmy Hart, pure gold.
Enjoy!

"Ravashing" Rick Rude

2010-08-07T20:24:00.000-07:00

Today is the great "Ravashing" Rick Rude. I loved to hate when he would step out to the ring and start slamming the "fat, out-of-shape, inner city sweat hogs". Then he would pull a lady from ringside and plant one on her. He was a great bad guy.
Here's to you Rick Rude. Thanks for the great matches.
You will be missed.

King Kong Bundy

2010-08-04T19:11:00.000-07:00

Today is the 6'4" and 450 pound King Kong Bundy. He was Hulk Hogan's thorn in the side during WrestleMania 2.
Enjoy!

"Macho Man" Randy Savage

2010-08-01T19:23:00.000-07:00

A new theme for August. 1980's WWE (WWF) Wrestling. I loved this era of wrestling. My brother and I lived and breathed this stuff. There are so many greats from that time, I decided to only focus on the bad guys or heels (as they were called). The greatest in my opinion is Randy "Macho Man" Savage.
Awesome on the mic and a genius in the ring.
Enjoy.
OOOOOOOooooooohhhh Yyyeeeeaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!

One of the greatest matches ever. Savage vs. Steamboat. Wrestlemanis III.
Youtube it.

As The Bookworm Turns

2010-07-31T19:37:00.000-07:00

My last "Bat-post" of the month is the Bookworm. I loved Roddy McDowall as an ape and I loved him as the Bookworm. Again, I have a ton of characters waiting for me that I must leave behind. Robin, Siren, Mad Hatter, King Tut, Shame, Marsha Queen of Diamonds and the list goes on. The Batman theme will be one I come back to soon. This theme has been a blast to work on.
So stay tuned...
Same Bat-time, same Bat-blog!

Louie! Louie!

2010-07-27T19:53:00.000-07:00

Louie the Lilac today. Comedian Milton Berle played the purple wearing criminal. "Uncle Milty" was quite the bad guy.

"Riddle Me This, Batman..."

2010-07-25T18:36:00.000-07:00

Today we have Frank Gorshin's Riddler. I think he was my all time favorite Batman bad guy. Jim Carrey just ripped him off and John Astin was a horrible replacement.
Enjoy!

The Joker is Wild!

2010-07-20T19:22:00.000-07:00

Cesar Romero as the Joker today. It always freaked me out that Joker had a mustache.

I was also freak out by Cesar Romero himself.

Enter the Egghead

2010-07-18T16:30:00.000-07:00

Vincent Price as the evil genius, Egghead. A villain made just for the show. He was one of my favorites.
Enjoy.

I'm Sorry Julie Newmar

2010-07-15T20:46:00.000-07:00

Let me just say this...
I love Julie Newmar's Catwoman. She was great in the role. But, I decided to do an illustration of Eartha Kitt instead. When I first saw Eartha as Catwoman, I was blown away. Eartha was just in a few episodes, but she owned the role. She made Catwoman a character.
While I worked on the piece, I couldn't help but hum along to Eartha's "Santa Baby".
It's freakin' 105 heat index in Kansas City and I'm singing Christmas songs.
Rest in peace Eartha Kitt. You were Prrrrrrrrrrrrrr-fect.

True or False-Face!

2010-07-13T18:43:00.000-07:00

Today is False-Face. He was the "more creepy than campy" master of disguise. He wore a plastic mask to hide his identity. In the show credits, Fasle-Face was listed as "?". Viewers wondered who False-Face could be... Frank Sinatra? Gary Cooper? Sammy Davis Jr.? Nope, it was Malachi Throne.
False-Face only appeared in the two episode story.
Kids were scared to death by old FF.

Ice Ice Baby

2010-07-12T17:18:00.000-07:00

Today it's the chilling Mr. Freeze. Otto Preminger was the second actor to play the part on the show.
He was my favorite version. George Sanders and Eli Wallach were the other versions.
George played it straight without make-up and Eli just impersonated Otto.

A Crooning Criminal

2010-07-09T16:19:00.000-07:00

The Minstrel hits the blog today. Van Johnson played the singing bad guy for two episodes in the second season. He played a lute and was an electronics genius. Huh?

A Fine Feathered Fink

2010-07-05T08:31:00.000-07:00

Today we have the Penguin. Love Burgess Meredith.
Enjoy!

"To The Bat Poles!"

2010-06-30T20:02:00.000-07:00

Here we go! July is here and it bring us to Batman. Adam West to be precise. This show and Doctor Who are my all time favorites. I used to race home from school to watch this awesome show.

I hope you enjoy this month. It may be my favorite.

Remember... Same Bat-time, same Bat-blog!

Postcards From The Edge (of Hoth)

2010-06-28T20:19:00.000-07:00

Here we are with the final post of June and the Empire Strikes Back theme. Princess Leia today. Sorry she isn't in her slave outfit. Different movie. I hope you enjoyed the ESB month, on to the next one.
What that is? Well look for the signal...

Who's the Bossk?

2010-06-23T19:11:00.000-07:00

Another day, another bounty hunter. Today we have Bossk.
These guys were in Empire for like a hot minute. Why are they so cool?
Maybe it's just me. I like bounty hunters.
Even ones with huge blonde mullets.

"I Thought They Smelled Bad on the Outside"

2010-06-19T09:34:00.000-07:00

So to beat the heat today, we have Luke and his ill-fated Tauntaun. I saw a Tauntaun sleeping bag on-line recently. Funny idea, not funny price tag. Wonder if it smells bad?
I'll stick with my Snuggie. (which doesn't stink)

Boba Fett, Schmoba Fett

2010-06-15T19:06:00.000-07:00

Today is my favorite of the Star Wars bounty hunters, Dengar. This guy always looked like he had that old sailor grizzly back story. More of the bounty hunters will pop up this month. Boba Fett may not be one of them.
Sorry BF.

Head In The Clouds

2010-06-13T18:16:00.000-07:00

Today is Lando Calrissian. Decided to change things up a bit with my styling again. Got a little tighter with drawing. Kicked it a bit "old school" as they say. I had a lot of fun with this one, mostly because it was Billy Dee Williams. All I could think about was those Colt .45 commercials he did.

"Works every time."

Why-naught an Ugnaught?

2010-06-10T20:01:00.000-07:00

Today is the Cloud city laborers, the Ugnaught. These guys were the Jawas of ESB.
Some guys looked like this, some looked like boars. Hmmm.
I wonder if they were union?
Lando was probably paying them squat.
Enjoy!

Lobot Love

2010-06-08T19:22:00.000-07:00

I'm back from vacation!
To celebrate, we have the always cheerful Lobot. He was Lando's "right-hand" man on Cloud City.
I really like all of the third or fourth string guys from Star Wars. You'll see more of them in the days to come.
Stay tuned.

"My Own Private Dagobah"

2010-06-01T19:35:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posting. I am currently on a long and well deserved vacation. But, this moment was prepared for. So here we are... A new month a new theme. This month is "Star Wars: The Empire Strike Back". Why? It just turned 30!
And... Comic-Con is just around the corner. And... it's the best of the Star Wars movies.
I'll be back to posting on the 7th. See you soon.

Turn The Page

2010-05-25T20:16:00.000-07:00

Today we have pitcher John Donaldson. A fierce lefty and the man who suggested the team name "Monarchs". Great stories out there about this guy. One hell of a pitcher. Thanks to Pete for the email on Donaldson. Hope you like it.
Well, looks like we are drawing this theme to a close. With every theme, I'm always disappointed that I don't get to finish out my list. This one most importantly.
I do some fun, sometimes silly stuff here on BRWC. This one was different.
The Negro Leagues is an incredible part of our history. Please, if you can, come to Kansas City and visit the museum. If you can't make it, read about it.
It doesn't get much better than this.

Mr. Cub

2010-05-21T20:36:00.000-07:00

Ernie Banks today. Yes, I'm partial to the K.C. Monarchs.
But C'mon. It's Ernie Banks.

Stuff of Legend

2010-05-19T21:11:00.000-07:00

Leroy "Satchel" Paige.

A right handed pitcher with a mean fastball.

In 1948, he became the first black man to pitch in the American League.

He was also the oldest rookie. (42)

Boom!

The Legacy

2010-05-17T20:55:00.000-07:00

The great John "Buck" O'Neil joins the blog today. I have had the honor to meet this great man before he passed. A true and perfect gentleman. Buck is a Kansas City legend.
Hall of Fame, shame on you.

Be Cool

2010-05-12T19:20:00.000-07:00

Today is James "Cool Papa" Bell. From what I have read, Papa was possibly the fastest man in the game.
Enjoy!

"The Say Hey Kid"

2010-05-10T19:36:00.000-07:00

Today is the great Willie Mays. Youtube the legendary clip of "The Catch" from the '54 World Series.
Awesome.

"The Black Babe Ruth"

2010-05-05T20:06:00.000-07:00

Today we have Josh Gibson. Do yourself a favor and look up these men on the web. The stories of their accomplishment are truly amazing. For one, Gibson once hit a ball out of Yankee Stadium and into the street.
To my knowledge, this is something no other man has ever done.
See what I mean?

"Pop" Art

2010-05-03T20:41:00.000-07:00

Today we have Mr. "Pop" Lloyd. An incredible shortstop, an incredible hitter.
Beyond Lloyd, there are some of the most incredible illustrators of the Negro Leagues out there.
Mark Chiarello and Kadir Nelson are two artists that "Pop" to mind. Do yourself a favor and look them up on Amazon. They both have books that are simply amazing. If you venture out to the Negro Leagues Museum, look for Keith Shepherd's artwork in the shop. Buy a print.
Keith, your paintings are fantastic.

The Bat Heard 'Round The World

2010-05-01T21:39:00.000-07:00

A new month, a new theme. This month is a celebration of the Negro Leagues. My family and I recently visited the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum here in Kansas City. Even though I live here, I had never paid a visit. When we went, I instantly fell in love with the game, the stories and the players. Incredible and powerful history.
Today we have the great Jackie Robinson. He played briefly in the leagues. (Kansas City Monarchs) He went on to become the first African American to play in Major League Baseball.
I hope you enjoy this month's theme. If you can, pay a visit to the museum. I plan on many repeated trips.
Enjoy!

Shemp Cocktail

2010-04-29T21:17:00.000-07:00

I love the Three Stooges. when I got home today, we had some Netflix Stooges waiting. My daughters and I sat for about an hour watching and howling with laughter. What a great time. My oldest is just about five. She and her little sister (who is three) loved a certain episode where a parrot climbs inside a cooked turkey and walks around. Every time the Stooges freaked out, the girls would scream laughing. So stupid, but so great.
Am I a bad parent for letting my kids watch the Three Stooges? Loosen up fancy pants.
Laugh with your kids. Have fun.
Serious is for suckers.

Up In Smoke!

2010-04-28T20:26:00.000-07:00

It's Cheech and Chong today. Now if I was a smart feller, I would have post this illustration on the 20th. Get it! 4/20! cough. cough. whatever. Sorry to all the dirty rope smoking hippies.
Get a job.

Sam I Am

2010-04-26T20:19:00.000-07:00

The late, great Sam Kinison joins the club today. I use to have his albums on audio tape so long ago. I think I played them so much, they wore out. Loved it.
This is the last week of comedians. sigh.
I have a list of about thirty to fourty comedians that I want to draw. Time, time, I wish I had time.
To quote Sam....."Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
Enjoy!

Queen Carol

2010-04-20T20:54:00.000-07:00

Time for a comedy queen... Carol Burnett joins the club today. I'm a huge, huge fan of the Carol Burnett Show. That cast was high-larious. I miss that show.

King Richard

2010-04-16T07:20:00.000-07:00

The great Richard Pryor hits the blog today. A true legend.
Enjoy!

Boob Man

2010-04-13T20:49:00.000-07:00

Benny Hill today. Loved this show as a kid. I would stay up late and watch both Benny Hill and John Byner's Bizarre. Boobs and Super Dave Osborne, what more could you ask for?
I never get tired of hearing "Yakety Sax" and seeing Benny slap that little old bald guy on the head.

No Respect

2010-04-11T19:39:00.000-07:00

Mr. Rodney Dangerfield joins the blog tonight. A classic comedian with some classic 80's movies. Caddyshack, Easy Money & Back To School... c'mon, great stuff.
Tons of respect.
Enjoy.

It's The Big One!

2010-04-07T20:40:00.000-07:00

Redd Foxx joins the blog tonight. Sanford and Son produced some of the best one-liners ever. If you listen to Redd's stand-up, you get a bit (cough) different one-liners. He was quite the "blue worker".
If you really want to be scared, look up some LaWanda Page (aka Aunt Esther) stand-up on Youtube.
Yikes.

Jonathan Winters

2010-04-06T17:53:00.000-07:00

It is my opinion that this man is the funniest man on the planet. I am a huge fan of Mr. Winters. Youtube some of his improv stuff. Brilliant. His Johnny Carson appearances still makes me howl with laughter.

Carrot Top, please look up Mr.Winters on the internet. Watch his prop improv.
Then step in front of that train.

"Grandpa Bought A Rubber"

2010-04-05T19:12:00.000-07:00

Today's post is the great Steve Martin. "A Wild and Crazy Guy" was the first comedy album that I ever purchased. I listened to it constantly. Steve in "The Jerk"... just love it. I can quote that movie damn near start to finish. Laugh every time.
"He hates these cans!"

Man On The Moon

2010-04-01T18:51:00.000-07:00

April is the month of fools. Nothing says April fools more than a month of comedians. We start April Fool's Day with one of my favorite "comedians" of all time, Andy Kaufman. Andy says he never told a joke in his life and considered himself a song and dance man. Hmmm.
Well, I loved every "joke" and dance or "wrasslin" match.
I'm really not a quote guy, but I found this one from Andy that made me smile...
"There's no way to describe what I do, It's just me."

"Don't Do The Crime, If You Can't Do The Time"

2010-03-31T18:44:00.000-07:00

Last but not least, we have Baretta. A show with a fantastic theme song and a crazy murderer (or not) as the lead. Detective month has been a lot of fun. Thanks to everyone who emailed or Facebooked me with ideas. Keep them rolling in. I still have a slew of folks that I want to draw that I missed. (Matlock for one!) Oh, well maybe a "rematch" is on the cards.
Tomorrow starts another big theme.
Hope you like it.

When They Met...It Was Moid-Da!

2010-03-29T21:30:00.000-07:00

A few more before the end of the month. Today it's Hart to Hart. The self-made millionaire and his journalist wife. I watched this show all the time. Loved Max the driver/butler/cook.

What Happens With Vegas...

2010-03-25T20:57:00.000-07:00

We are getting at the end of T.V. Detectives month. I have a few goodies left before something new starts. So today we have Dan Tanna from Vegas. Robert Urich was always planned as a post here. I just didn't know if it would be Vegas or Spencer For Hire. Here we are.
Enjoy.

Smells Like Fish

2010-03-24T19:21:00.000-07:00

I was wanting to post Barney Miller this month. when I got around to it, I realized that he wasn't my favorite from the show. It was Det. Fish. Yes, Abe Vigoda. He was only on Barney Miller for a short time. Then of course he had his own spin-off show. Barney Miller had a great cast that are all worthy of posting here. Fish won.
Yes, as I type this....he is still alive.

Across the Pond

2010-03-22T18:34:00.000-07:00

Today's detective comes from the British version of "Life On Mars". Det. Gene Hunt. He was a pure bad-ass in this show. Yes I watched the American version, not even close. It lost it's grit and balls when they made it over here. Don't get me started on that finale. (At least it had one I guess.)
Do yourself a favor, rent this British gem.

Quincy M.E.

2010-03-18T19:33:00.000-07:00

By now you probably get that I was raised by television. It's true. What is also true is that I loved this show. Quincy was no hard-boiled P.I., he was a bad-ass medical examiner.
Who needs the Odd Couple?
I'll take Quincy.

The Brothers Simon

2010-03-17T15:21:00.000-07:00

Rick & A.J. Simon hit the blog today. Won't lie, Simon & Simon was one of my favorites. I couldn't wait to do an illustration of them. Another corny/great theme song.

Enjoy!