The Matrix Bunny

When I look at this, my first reaction is to chuckle at the cleverness of a literal interpretation of what the white rabbit from Alice in Wonderland would look like in Matrix garb. When some people look at an image though, they never get beyond this initial glance.

The longer I stare, something comes over me that used to happen when I was a kid lying in my room listening to records, cassettes, and later CDs. I would just sit there for hours gazing at every nuance of the artwork on the album. I’d trace my eyes over every tooth on Gene Simmon’s monster boots on the cover of Destroyer and count every arm coming out of the Jimi Hendrix Experience on Axis: Bold as Love.

As I stared at all the details Michael put into this illustration, I realized something. Even if I didn’t know him, I would know that he spent hours scrutinizing the style of sunglasses Keanu Reeves wore and the exact cut of the collar on his jacket. I can only guess how many pocket watches he must have studied and how many pet shop rabbits he blew on to visualize the look of windswept ears.

Adding details is one of the weak points of my writing style, but Michael’s visual art gives me the inspiration to look deeper at the world around me and into my own mind. Maybe it will make me a better writer one day.

Mayor Magistrate

Ha ha! I’ve done it again! Yet another infiltration of Michael’s page!

Today I’ve stolen his most recent sketch. I tore it from his notebook while were having coffee at Baker's Square. He was performing the heroic deed of returning a ketchup bottle that had rolled under our table to it’s proper owner, and I used the distraction to perpetrate my villainous act.

It appears Michael has been thinking about the little people again. As I stare at his masterful rendering, he has inspired me to do the same...

This particular fellow’s name is Mayor Magistrate. Michael originally created him and his cohorts for a story I wrote (see last post), but his illustrations made me want to write something entirely new.

I’ve attempted a couple of drafts, but never completed anything. The idea was that it would be a gnome/fairy soap opera full of inter-species love triangles, broken hearts, deceit, and a town drunk offering sage advice once you deciphered his slurred speech.

Maybe we’ll return to their garden one day.

Board Infiltration

Adam here. I know this is Michael's realm, but what he is unaware of is that I'm "quietly" (get the pun) trying to infiltrate every corner of this website. On this page, I've selected some of his pieces that strike a personal chord with me, and interjected my own thoughtful analysis.

I wrote a "how to" guide once on purchasing ceramic gnomes for your garden without offending the real gnomes already living there. The poignancy of the article as well as its practical advice inspired Michael to envision what these mystical creatures might look like.

I didn't have anything to do with this one, but I wish I did. I love it when a picture tells a story, and for me, this one tells a novel. The centaur is obviously holding flowers because he intends to give them to someone, possibly a lover. But what's up with the witches and their evil cat? Did they turn him into a centaur in exchange for a woman's heart? Did they promise to make him human if he proves he has the courage to tell someone how he feels? Was he just walking by, and they came out specifically to make fun of his grooming? Guessing is more fun than knowing.

I know the focus of this one is the steam punk rickshaw, but I was immediately drawn to the couple walking off into the sunset. Are they walking towards a conclusion or a new beginning?

I used to be really into meditation, and one technique for delving into the deepest recesses of the subconscious is called the "vision quest." You begin a vision quest by picturing a hole in the ground and calling upon a spirit animal to lead you into it. I'm usually guided by an ornery bear or hyperactive toy poodle. It'd be pretty cool if this dude showed up though.