Jackson Pollock: He'd have a happier birthday if he wasn't dead

Google has informed me that today is Jackson Pollock's birthday. You will now watch this Spanish language piece on Pollock doing some action painting. There's some beautiful work here. You think you can easily duplicate it...but you cannot!

Swindle & Dash

Nope this isn't the issue in question with the fly Barry Twist McGee cover.
The actual issue has a nice Mike Giant cover instead

While I'm at this... I never think of Dash Shaw having a clearly identifiable style since his approach seems to change to suit whatever the given project and his projects certainly differ dramatically. But, in flipping through the latest issue of Swindle magazine I immediately recognized a two page comic as being one of Dash's before seeing his name. It's a typically cryptic piece called "The Passion of Dracula." Let's just say the parasitic icon is having an identity crisis and doesn't even seem to grasp the nature of his undeadness so to speak. (I'd post a relevant image but I'm the publisher without a compatible scanner).

Fairey Godfather: Barack has a posse

Shepard Fairey was recently interviewed by Terry Gross on NPR's Fresh Air about his ubiquitous Obama Hope posters that became the defining image of the presidential campaign. As everyone knows Fairey made his name illegally bombing and tagging public property and has been arrested many times (was he even able to vote in the election?), so it's ironic that all these years later he's created the iconic image of a campaign and was officially embraced by Obama who sent him a letter of thanks. And the original image has now been acquired by the Smithsonian. (in your face coppers!)

David Rees Retires GYWO

In more political art news: The latest issue of Rolling Stone (w/ Springsteen on the cover, I know it seems like that's every issue) features the very last Get Your War On strip by David Rees. About five years ago before Dubya was somehow reelected Rees told me in his Comics Interpreter interview that the strip would end if John Kerry won and his mission would be completed. Sadly that scenario didn't take place and thus another four years of GYWO which was probably a bit much. Still Rees, perhaps like a lot of political comedians, will miss Bush if only because the only Americans who thrived during the Bush years were professional pundits.