Awesome Baby is the unholy combination of a baby’s head on the body of an octopus—plus the baby has a mohawk, a Fu Manchu mustache and sunglasses. It’s difficult to explain exactly how this character arose in my household, but I can say that it was created piecemeal over many days by my two-year-old daughter Ramona. My wife Heidi and I regularly draw pictures for Ramona at her request, often on her Fisher-Price magnetic doodler. We have drawn countless sea creatures, including octopuses and squids, as well as human babies and many other things. At some point, and in some order, my daughter became very interested in mustaches, sunglasses and different hairstyles. Eventually, her combined requests consistently guided us to create the monstrous creature she refers to as Awesome Baby, who is mostly orange (pronounced “ohn-mo” by Ramona, despite her linguistic advances). She loves him so much.
Update: Heidi posted pen-and-ink illustrations of Awesome Baby and Baby Margot on her Tumblr blog.
Teren Delvon Jones, better known as Del the Funky Homosapien, is an American underground hip-hop artist from Oakland, California. In 1991, with the help of his cousin Ice Cube, Del released his first solo album, I Wish My Brother George Was Here, at the age of 18. In 2000, Del released his fourth solo album, Both Sides of the Brain, as well as the rap space-opera Deltron 3030, which was a collaborative work with artists Dan the Automator and Kid Koala. Del also collaborated with virtual trip-hop group Gorillaz on two songs on their debut album, including the hit “Clint Eastwood.” Since 2008, Del has released seven albums, including last year’s free LP Iller Than Most (2014). He was born on August 12, 1972.
Green Lantern is the name of a number of fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers. The first Green Lantern character, Alan Scott, was created in 1940 during the initial popularity of superheroes. Alan Scott usually fought common criminals in New York City with the aid of his magic ring. In 1959, to capitalize on the booming popularity of science fiction, the Green Lantern character was reinvented as Hal Jordan, an officer for an interstellar law enforcement agency known as the Green Lantern Corps. Additional members of this agency, all of whom call themselves Green Lanterns, were introduced over time.
Elliott Smith was an American singer-songwriter and musician. His primary instrument was the guitar, though he was also proficient with piano, clarinet, bass guitar, drums and harmonica. Smith lived much of his adult life in Portland, Oregon, and began his solo career in 1994. He rose to mainstream prominence when his song “Miss Misery“—included in the soundtrack for the film Good Will Hunting (1997)—was nominated for an Oscar in 1998. Smith suffered from depression, alcoholism and drug dependence, and these topics often appear in his lyrics. At age 34, he died in Los Angeles from two stab wounds to the chest, likely self-inflicted. At the time of his death, he was working on his sixth studio album, From a Basement on the Hill, which was posthumously completed and released in 2004. Smith was born on August 6, 1969 and died on October 21, 2003.
My wife Heidi, a native Oregonian, is a big Elliott Smith fan. I also have a great appreciation for his music, but I think she loves him more. My favorite Smith song is “Needle in the Hay.” In unrelated news, yesterday our daughter Ramona turned two years old. We had a little family pizza party, with vegetarian pizza and two candles stuck into homemade strawberry shortcake (though we substituted chocolate brownie mini flax muffins for the shortcake). It was the best.
Louis Armstrong, nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter, singer and one of the pivotal and most influential figures in jazz music. Coming to prominence in the 1920s, Armstrong was a foundational influence in jazz, shifting the focus of the music from collective improvisation to solo performance. With his instantly recognizable gravelly voice, Armstrong was an influential singer, perhaps most famous for “What a Wonderful World.” Renowned for his charismatic stage presence and voice almost as much as for his trumpet-playing, Armstrong’s influence extends well beyond jazz music. Armstrong was one of the first truly popular African-American entertainers whose skin color was secondary to his music in an America that was severely racially divided. An active musician for over 50 years, he recorded numerous albums, including two with Ella Fitzgerald. Armstrong was born on August 4, 1901 and died on July 6, 1971.
Note: Interestingly, Louis Armstrong has a major tennis stadium named in his honor. Louis Armstrong Stadium, located in New York City’s Flushing Meadows Corona Park, is one of the U.S. Open venues. Armstrong lived nearby until his death. This year’s U.S. Open begins on August 31.
Don Hertzfeldt is an American writer, animator and independent filmmaker. He is the creator of many animated films, including World of Tomorrow (2015), It’s Such a Beautiful Day (2012), The Meaning of Life (2005) and the Academy Award-nominated Rejected (2000). His films have received over 200 awards and have been presented around the world. Seven of Hertzfeldt’s films have competed at the Sundance Film Festival, a festival record. He is also the only filmmaker to have won the Sundance Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize for Short Film twice. Hertzfeldt primarily supports his work through self-distribution and has refused all advertising work. He lives in Austin, Texas, and was born on August 1, 1976.
The 8-bit representation I have selected for Don Hertzfeldt is the fluffy guy from his short Rejected (you know, the “My anus is bleeding!” character). I wouldn’t celebrate my 900th pixel art character of this project (and Hertzfeldt’s birthday) any other way. If you haven’t yet done so, you should definitely rent World of Tomorrow for $3.99 from Vimeo On Demand; it’s only 16 minutes long. I watched World of Tomorrow almost every day in April. It’s that good. Hertzfeldt also recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to release a limited edition collection of his works on Blu-ray, so you can pick that up too until August 15.
Beach Bear is a character in The Rock-afire Explosion, an animatronic robot band. He is a “surfer” polar bear who would make sarcastic comments or ask other characters questions to throw off their act, but never in mean spirit. The Rock-afire Explosion played shows in Showbiz Pizza Place from the restaurant chain’s founding in 1980 until the early 1990s, when the Showbiz brand was unified with Chuck E. Cheese’s and Chuck E. Cheese characters steadily replaced the band. The Rock-afire Explosion show was created and manufactured by noted inventor Aaron Fechter, through his company Creative Engineering, Inc. (also known for Whac-A-Mole) in Orlando, Florida; in addition to overseeing the production of the animatronics, Fechter also provided the voices for several characters.
Dook LaRue is a character in The Rock-afire Explosion, an animatronic robot band. A dog who aspired to space travel, his costume is an astronaut suit. His character, when set up properly, had the ability to play a four-piece drum kit in time with the music. A bit of a dimwit, Dook would often lose focus during shows and miss his cues. The Rock-afire Explosion played shows in Showbiz Pizza Place from the restaurant chain’s founding in 1980 until the early 1990s, when the Showbiz brand was unified with Chuck E. Cheese’s and Chuck E. Cheese characters steadily replaced the band. The Rock-afire Explosion show was created and manufactured by noted inventor Aaron Fechter, through his company Creative Engineering, Inc. (also known for Whac-A-Mole) in Orlando, Florida; in addition to overseeing the production of the animatronics, Fechter also provided the voices for several characters.
Billy Bob Brockali is a character in The Rock-afire Explosion, an animatronic robot band. A bear in overalls, Billy Bob was the mascot for Showbiz Pizza Place throughout its existence, and his image was on most of the chain’s merchandise. Sweet and naive, Billy Bob was usually a mediator to the band’s minor on-stage squabbles. The Rock-afire Explosion played shows in Showbiz Pizza Place from the restaurant chain’s founding in 1980 until the early 1990s, when the Showbiz brand was unified with Chuck E. Cheese’s and Chuck E. Cheese characters steadily replaced the band. The Rock-afire Explosion show was created and manufactured by noted inventor Aaron Fechter, through his company Creative Engineering, Inc. (also known for Whac-A-Mole) in Orlando, Florida; in addition to overseeing the production of the animatronics, Fechter also provided the voices for several characters.
Fatz Geronimo is a character in The Rock-afire Explosion, an animatronic robot band. A silverback gorilla who plays the keyboard, Fatz is a parody of real-life entertainers Fats Domino and Ray Charles. As the band’s unofficial front man, Fatz introduced most shows, ordered other band members around and had a tendency to ramble. The Rock-afire Explosion played shows in Showbiz Pizza Place from the restaurant chain’s founding in 1980 until the early 1990s, when the Showbiz brand was unified with Chuck E. Cheese’s and Chuck E. Cheese characters steadily replaced the band. The Rock-afire Explosion show was created and manufactured by noted inventor Aaron Fechter, through his company Creative Engineering, Inc. (also known for Whac-A-Mole) in Orlando, Florida; in addition to overseeing the production of the animatronics, Fechter also provided the voices for several characters.
During my 1980s childhood, I had a lot of good times at Showbiz Pizza and Chuck E. Cheese’s. For an entertaining history of singing animatronic robots in pizza parlors, I recommend watching The Rock-afire Explosion (2008), a documentary about Chris Thrash, Aaron Fechter and the remaining Rock-afire Explosion fan base.
Chuck E. Cheese is the mascot of Chuck E. Cheese’s, a chain of American family entertainment center restaurants. The brand derives its name from its main animatronic character Chuck E. Cheese, a comedic mouse who sings and interacts with guests. The establishment serves pizza and other menu items, complemented by arcade games, amusement rides and family-friendly animatronic displays. In 1977, Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza Time Theatre in San Jose, California, was the first location to open. The concept was authored by Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell, credited with bringing video games such as Pong to the mainstream. Pizza Time Theatre was the first family restaurant to integrate food, animated entertainment and an indoor arcade. The chain merged with competitor Showbiz Pizza Place in 1984. In the early 1990s, the company unified the two brands renaming every location to Chuck E. Cheese’s.
Bill the Cat is a fictional character created by cartoonist Berkeley Breathed. Bill is a large orange tabby cat, first introduced in 1982 as a parody of the comic character Garfield. Bill has appeared in Breathed’s 1980s comic strip Bloom County as well as the two “sequel” strips (Outland and Opus), his illustrated children’s books and the 1991 television special A Wish for Wings That Work. The cat’s most frequent spoken sentiments are “Ack!” and “Thbbft!” Numerous strips indicate that Bill’s persistent near-catatonic state is the result of drug use or brain damage resulting from once being legally dead and then revived after too long of a period.
Note: About a week ago, Berkeley Breathed starting posting new Bloom County comics, after over 25 years. I was a 10-year-old when the strip ended.
Opus the Penguin is a fictional character created by cartoonist Berkeley Breathed. First introduced in 1981, Opus is a large-nosed penguin (occasionally mistaken for a puffin) with a herring addiction who lost track of his mother during the Falklands War. Opus has appeared in many of Breathed’s works, most notably his 1980s comic strip Bloom County. Breathed has described him as an “existentialist penguin” and the favorite of his many characters. Opus’ hopeless naïveté and optimism was at the center of Bloom Country, and he’s also the subject of two “sequel” strips (Outland and Opus), three children’s books and the 1991 television special A Wish for Wings That Work.
Note: As of this week, Berkeley Breathed is creating new Bloom County comics, after over 25 years. I was a 10-year-old when the strip ended.
Arthur Ashe was an American professional tennis player. He won three Grand Slam titles and was ranked world No. 1. Ashe, an African-American, was the first black player selected to the United States Davis Cup team and the only black man ever to win the singles title at Wimbledon, the U.S. Open or the Australian Open. He retired in 1980. In the early 1980s, Ashe is believed to have contracted HIV from a blood transfusion he received during heart bypass surgery. Ashe publicly announced his illness in 1992 and began working to educate others about HIV and AIDS through two Arthur Ashe Foundations. Ashe was born on July 10, 1943 and died from AIDS-related pneumonia on February 6, 1993. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by U.S. President Bill Clinton.
Bernie Sanders is an American politician and the junior United States Senator from Vermont. He has announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination in the 2016 presidential election. Sanders is the longest-serving independent in U.S. congressional history. A self-described democratic socialist, he favors policies similar to those of social democratic parties in Europe, particularly those of Scandinavia. Since his election to the Senate, Sanders has emerged as a leading progressive voice on issues like income inequality, climate change and campaign finance reform. He rose to national prominence on the heels of his 2010 filibuster of the proposed extension of the Bush-era tax rates for the wealthy. Sanders is also outspoken on civil liberties issues, and has been particularly critical of mass surveillance policies such as the Patriot Act. His presidential campaign was officially launched on May 26, 2015. Sanders was born on September 8, 1941.
I really like Bernie Sanders, which is unusual to say about a politician, and I have been enjoying watching his presidential campaign gain momentum. I also appreciated this enthusiastic headline from last week: “Why Bernie Sanders Will Become the Democratic Nominee and Defeat Any Republican in 2016.” I’d been hoping that Elizabeth Warren might be in the competitive position Sanders is currently enjoying versus Hillary Clinton, but I have no complaints. Sanders is great, and I agree with almost every principle of his political views. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a democratic socialist too, you know. Socialism without capitalism leads to communism, but capitalism without socialism leads to fascism. Sanders understands this important balance. And with Bernie’s wild, Doc Brown hair, I deem him suitable for my 888th character.
Elon Musk is a South African-born, Canadian-American business magnate, engineer, inventor and investor. He is the CEO and CTO of SpaceX, CEO and product architect of Tesla Motors and chairman of SolarCity. Musk is the founder of SpaceX and a cofounder of Zip2, PayPal and Tesla Motors. He has also envisioned a conceptual high-speed transportation system known as the Hyperloop and has proposed a VTOL supersonic jet aircraft with electric fan propulsion. Musk was born on June 28, 1971.
The Flash is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 (January 1940). All incarnations of the Flash possess “super speed,” which includes the ability to run and move extremely fast, use superhuman reflexes and seemingly violate certain laws of physics. Thus far, four different characters have assumed the identity of the Flash: Jay Garrick (1940-present), Barry Allen (1956-1985, 2008-present), Wally West (1986-2006, 2007-2012, 2013-present) and Bart Allen (2006-2007). The second incarnation of the Flash (Barry Allen) is part of the Silver Age of comic books. The third incarnation (Wally West) is considered the greatest and most well-known superhero of the four. Each version of the Flash has been a key member of at least one of DC’s premier teams: the Justice Society of America, the Justice League and the Teen Titans.
“Pistol Pete” Maravich was an American professional basketball player. Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Maravich starred in college at Louisiana State University (LSU) and played for three NBA teams (Atlanta Hawks, New Orleans/Utah Jazz and Boston Celtics) until injuries forced his retirement in 1980. He is still the all-time leading NCAA Division I scorer with 3,667 points scored (in only three seasons) and an average of 44.2 points per game. All of his accomplishments were achieved before the three-point line and shot clock were introduced to NCAA basketball. Often celebrated as one of the best ball-handlers and offensive creators of all time, Maravich was born on June 22, 1947 and died while playing pickup basketball on January 5, 1988 of a rare congenital heart defect.
Dr. Crime is the costumed identity of Edward Elmgren, a villain in Marvel’s main universe, Earth-616. Elmgren’s primary weapon was a blow gun that fired darts coated with a lethal poison. In 1941, Elmgren led an expedition into the Amazon looking to find riches, but instead found a concentrated shrinking formula used by an Amazonian tribe to shrink heads. This shrinking formula enabled Elmgren to reduce the size of human beings and their clothes. As Dr. Crime he began administering this liquid using a water pistol. During a battle with Captain America and Bucky, Elmgren attempted to escape by using his own shrinking formula, but was swooped up by a passing eagle and likely carried to his death.
Jacques-Yves Cousteau was a French naval officer, explorer, conservationist, filmmaker, innovator, scientist, photographer, author and researcher who studied the sea and all forms of life in water. He co-developed the Aqua-Lung, pioneered marine conservation and was a member of the French Academy. Cousteau described his underwater world research in series of books, perhaps most successful being his first book, The Silent World: A Story of Undersea Discovery and Adventure, published in 1953. He also directed films, most notably the documentary adaptation of the book, The Silent World, which won a Palme d’or at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival. Cousteau was born on June 11, 1910 and died on June 25, 1997.
Awesome Baby – No. 908
Awesome Baby is the unholy combination of a baby’s head on the body of an octopus—plus the baby has a mohawk, a Fu Manchu mustache and sunglasses. It’s difficult to explain exactly how this character arose in my household, but I can say that it was created piecemeal over many days by my two-year-old daughter Ramona. My wife Heidi and I regularly draw pictures for Ramona at her request, often on her Fisher-Price magnetic doodler. We have drawn countless sea creatures, including octopuses and squids, as well as human babies and many other things. At some point, and in some order, my daughter became very interested in mustaches, sunglasses and different hairstyles. Eventually, her combined requests consistently guided us to create the monstrous creature she refers to as Awesome Baby, who is mostly orange (pronounced “ohn-mo” by Ramona, despite her linguistic advances). She loves him so much.
Update: Heidi posted pen-and-ink illustrations of Awesome Baby and Baby Margot on her Tumblr blog.