Monthly Archives: October 2018

“Those Little Whatcha-Call-Ems” (12/05/1932) by Albert T Reid

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“Those Little Whatcha-Call-Ems” (12/05/1932)
by Albert T Reid (1873-1958)
10 x 10 in., ink on light board
Coppola collection

Devils at the start of the holiday season – perfect for Halloween and Christmas (just like it is, apparently, at the local department stores).

A little boy is making out his Christmas list for Santa, and he is plagued by the little deamons of doubt. Reid was an editorial cartoonist. It’s interesting to think: who was the target audience for this cartoon?

Albert Turner Reid was a successful businessman, a staunch supporter of the American farmer, a composer, a painter of murals and a teacher of art. The art school which he started with George Stone in Topeka was the beginning of Washburn University’s Art Department. Although a talented artist and successful newspaper publisher, Albert T. Reid is probably best remembered for his political cartoons. Reid sold his first cartoon to the Topeka Mail & Breeze in 1896. For the next 30 years, his cartoons appeared regularly in Kansas City, Chicago, and New York newspapers and several national magazines. They remain today a major contribution to the history of American politics. A large collection of his work is in the collections of the Kansas Historical Society.

His original target was Populism, but he soon extolled the virtues of Theodore Roosevelt and the Bull Moose cause. He recorded public reaction to the Spanish-American War and Carry Nation’s campaign against saloons. If he had been active in larger political centers, he probably would have received even more recognition. As it was, by the time of his death in 1958, he had accumulated countless honors, prizes and medals and was a widely known spokesman for American artists.

Grendel #19 Interlude p 24 (1988)

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Grendel #19 Interlude p 24 (1988)
by Matt Wagner (1961-)
13 x 17 in, acrylic on paper
Coppola Collection

In between Mage: The Hero Discovered (Feb 1984 – Dec 1986) and Mage: The Hero Defined (Jul 1997 – Oct 1999), creator Matt Wagner published two Interlude stories. The first of these, a 24-page story, ran serially for 4 issues as a backup in Grendel #16-19 (Jan-Apr 1988).

This is the last page from the first part of the story, told in French, in which Etienne and Marie rendezvous. Etienne becomes a horse from a sculpture in the fountain.

Things get steamy, then things get weird. Evil yellow horse eyes, and Kevin finally dispatches the horse. He chastises the girl, turns, and leaves.

“Still Life with Marigold and Golden Pear” (2018)

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“Still Life with Marigold and Golden Pear” (2018)
by Abbey Ryan (1979-)
5 x 4 in., oil on linen on panel
Coppola Collection

From the artist:

Marigolds are one of the most easily recognizable symbols of Dia de los Muertos.

Dia de los Muertos is a Mexican holiday celebrated from October 31 to November 2. While many Americans believe that this holiday is similar to our Halloween, it’s completely different. The festivities were created for people to gather and remember friends and family who have died. Though this sounds like a day of grieving, it’s actually meant to be a day to celebrate the lives of the loved ones who have passed. This holiday is deeply rooted in tradition, with plenty of symbols adorning the ofrendas, also known as altars, that people put together for their deceased loved ones. Flowers in particular play a very large role in the celebration of Dia de los Muertos.

Report Card

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Your body makes hemoglobin molecules every day, and they last about 3 months. During the biosynthesis, a fraction of your hemoglobin ends up covalently bonded to glucose, and so measuring the value of those glucose-bound hemoglobins gives a really good measure of what your average blood glucose was during the past three months. There is obvious variation possible – if the rate of biosynthesis is not constant during the day, then the overlap with blood glucose dips and spikes will be uneven. But it probably averages out within the precision of the measurement.

In general, between 4.3-5.7% A1c is a normal, non-diabetic level; 5.7-6.4% is the pre-diabetic level; and above 6.5% gets a diabetes diagnosis. The scale ends at about 13%, and 10% and above has been called the “walking suicide level.” Blood sugar is highly regulated, and the failure of the system is generally gradual. Getting to 9-10% takes decades, if ever.

Although, apparently, at least one person is known to have gone from 0-60 in a quite short amount of time… and that would be me. I cannot find any literature on why someone would have their A1c shoot through the roof in short order, although I have a hypothesis.

The mystery remains. Why and how did I hit 10.6% in March 2015?

But thanks to a good plan and some quick (and reasonably dramatic action), Newton’s Law of A1c worked: what goes up fast can come down fast.

Yep. It makes no sense. But there is nothing like data to make your day. I just dipped below 5.0% for the first time.

“The Mirror Man” (Tip Top Comics 89, October 1943, p 12)

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“The Mirror Man” (Tip Top Comics 89, October 1943, p 12)
by Fred Methot and “Sam Singer” (attributed)
13 x 20 in., ink on paper
Coppola Collection

This is the sixth page of a 6-page story, featuring Mirror Man, a former super-hero comic that shifted to the war-hero genre after the outbreak of WWII.

“Bless you and your great country”

“Still Life with Jug, Cicada, Grapes, and Hazelnuts” (2018)

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“Still Life with Jug, Cicada, Grapes, and Hazelnuts” (the light/the shade) 2018
by Abbey Ryan (1979-)
11 x 14 in., oil on linen on panel
Coppola Collection

From the artist:

One of the most prominently featured insects in Byzantine, Gothic and Renaissance painting was the cicada — as a symbol of prayer, sanctuary and hope. Also, the hazelnut was seen, by the Greeks and Romans, as a symbol of peace and health.

“Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari” (# 7, pp. 10-11), ca. 1850

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“Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari” (# 7, pp. 10-11), ca. 1850
hanshita-e artist: Kanwatei Onotake
8.5 x 6 inch pages, woodblock print book
Coppola Collection

Jiraiya (“Young Thunder”) is the toad-riding character of the Japanese folklore Jiraiya Gōketsu Monogatari(The Tale of the Gallant Jiraiya). The story, first recorded in 1806, was adapted into a mid-19th-century serialized novel (43 installments, 1839-1868) and a kabuki drama, based on the first 10 installments, by Kawatake Mokuami, in 1852. In the 20th-century, the story was adapted in several films, in video games, and in a manga.

Jiraiya is a ninja who uses shapeshifting magic to morph into a gigantic toad. Heir of the Ogata clan, Jiraiya fell in love with Tsunade, a beautiful young maiden who has mastered slug magic. His arch-enemy was his one-time follower Yashagorō, also known as Orochimaru, a master of serpent magic.

Here is an image of Tsunade, one of the three legendary ninjas in this story. She can summon slugs into battle.

Books printed by carved woodblocks were all hand-printed and limited to a print-run that was determined by the fidelity of the woodblock used to page the pages.

“Still Life with Golden Pears and Pussy Willow” (2018)

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“Still Life with Golden Pears and Pussy Willow” (2018)
by Abbey Ryan (1979-)
6 x 5 in., oil on linen on panel
Coppola Collection

From the artist:

Pussy willows always remind me of my grandmother. This passage from a reference source on symbolism is to the point:

Although many willows are associated with sadness, the pussy willow flower is thought to symbolize good will and motherhood. They are also thought to represent protection for the home, and are frequently given as gifts to new homeowners. Although these blossoms can be given fresh, they are best presented dry, where their unique beauty can be kept in the home indefinitely.

“Indigo Blue Moon” (2018)

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“Indigo Blue Moon” (2018)
by Barbara Kacicek (1957-)
10×10 in., oil on canvas
Coppola Collection

“Blue Moon” is one of the first paintings I got from Barbara. She had done one for me before and I asked her to re-interpret it in these deep tones.

My original “Blue Moon” is from 2013.

“Blue Moon” (2013)
by Barbara Kacicek (1957-)
10×10 in., oil on canvas
Coppola Collection

 

“Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari” (# 8, pp. 2-3), ca. 1850

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“Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari” (# 8, pp. 2-3), ca. 1850
hanshita-e artist: Kanwatei Onotake
8.5 x 6 inch pages, woodblock print book
Coppola Collection

Jiraiya (“Young Thunder”) is the toad-riding character of the Japanese folklore Jiraiya Gōketsu Monogatari(The Tale of the Gallant Jiraiya). The story, first recorded in 1806, was adapted into a mid-19th-century serialized novel (43 installments, 1839-1868) and a kabuki drama, based on the first 10 installments, by Kawatake Mokuami, in 1852. In the 20th-century, the story was adapted in several films, in video games, and in a manga.

Jiraiya is a ninja who uses shapeshifting magic to morph into a gigantic toad. Heir of the Ogata clan, Jiraiya fell in love with Tsunade, a beautiful young maiden who has mastered slug magic. His arch-enemy was his one-time follower Yashagorō, also known as Orochimaru, a master of serpent magic.

Here is a great image of Jiraiya confronting a warrior spirit. The feel of this page could be drawn from any double-page spread of a modern super-hero comic and it’s got better art than most.

Books printed by carved woodblocks were all hand-printed and limited to a print-run that was determined by the fidelity of the woodblock used to page the pages.