Interstate 10 Back Cover Copy

Years ago, Jeff wrote about the time his Uncle Thad mailed him a copy of the hard-to-find pulp novel Interstate 10. The book's cover art is as madcap as the novel itself is purported to be, and at the time I wondered if the back cover blurb might be as crazy as the ones found on the works of Howard Rheingold. Alas, Jeff's blog post didn't include a photo of the back cover, so I took it upon myself to write my own version. Jeff never told me how close I came to matching the real copy for Interstate 10, so I figure enough years have passed that he won't mind if I share it here. 

FREEWAYS ABLAZE!

First came BILLY JACK...! 

Then DIRTY HARRY...! 

Now comes the toughest, slickest urban vigilante with or without a badge…`

JAKE CALIFORNIA…! In his first bloody-knuckled road rampage of hot wheels and hard justice. 

Once he rode supercycles through flaming hoops and leapt from crashing cars for Hollywood’s big-budget spectaculars. But then came that mysterious note in the Classifieds: “WANTED – TEST DRIVER. Daytona Beach to New York via Interstate 10 in one-of-a-kind set of wheels. Serious inquiries only.” 

With stunt work drying up and his stash of dough drying up even faster, Jake takes the job and sets out on the most blistering, red-hot romantic road trip ever, juggling the washed-up love for his old flame with the chance of all-new, all-intriguing encounters with an exotic Oriental flower who’s as quick with a blade as Jake is behind a steering wheel. And this time the steering wheel belongs to OS-CAR*, a souped-up VW Beetle with a lust for the road and street justice rivaling Jake’s own lusty passions. Herbie has nothing on OS-CAR! 

Lose yourself in Jake California’s world – a world of simmering blacktop mirages, sudden death meted out by gorillas with guns, kinky action between the sheets and in back seats – and where every mile offers new thrills…and new dangers. 

*OPerating System--CAR

Superman and Krypton

I finally brought Jeff Shyluk's amazing bespoke globe of Krypton to work, setting it up in my cubicle alongside a small Superman statue. The globe looks great, and has already drawn some attention from my colleagues. However, I foolishly shot against the light. When we start getting some sunlight, I'll reposition and shoot from the other direction for a better shot. 

Jeff never fails to create beautiful art, and he takes commissions. Visit Jeff Shyluk's Visual Blog today! 

Here's another look at Krypton and the other bespoke world Jeff crafted, Mongo, now in my brother Sean's possession. Flash! Ahh-aahhh! 

A Graphic Interpretation of The Villain and the Chimp

To my surprise and delight, my friend Jeff has drawn upon his bottomless well of talent to interpret my performance from yesterday's post. I hadn't realized that there was enough meat in my work to create this lively vignette, but I attribute that more to Jeff's genius than my neophyte attempts at acting. Check it out!

This is as good a time as any for a plug for Jeff's work: I've actually commissioned a couple of pieces from Jeff, and I've been absolutely thrilled by the results every time. Jeff consistently performs beyond expectations and has a remarkable gift for taking a client's ideas and turning them into pure gold. I'd say that even if Jeff weren't one of my oldest friends.

Here's the custom playmat Jeff painted for Gaming & Guinness IX. It was a huge hit. Here's the playmat he made for Sean.

I could go on and on, but I really encourage readers to visit JSVB: Jeff Shyluk's Visual Blog. Start by reviewing the Showcase section, where Jeff has grouped a small selection of his best stuff. As you'll see, he's incredibly versatile.

I've Seen C-Beams...

Over on JSVB, Jeff writes about the spiritual and ethical issues surrounding the creation of artificial beings through the lens of popular culture. A gorgeous painting of Roy Batty accompanies the essay; both are worth careful study.

Assuming I'm reading Jeff's essay and painting correctly, he's troubled by the thorny issues arising from the concept of human-created artificial intelligence and suggests that, at least in the examples he cites (the films Ex Machina and A.I.: Artificial Intelligence), such creations are immoral or at best amoral; "why do we create things we hate?" he asks.

It's a good question; as Jeff notes, most SF stories involving AI view our creations as threatening, often to the existential level. He also touches on the questions of commercialism and the act of creation itself.

Really, it's best if you read Jeff's essay rather than my weak synopsis. Personally, I found it thought-provoking enough to revisit a short story I abandoned some years ago. I hope its revision will serve as commentary on Jeff's work; watch for it coming soon. 

The Man with the Kryptonite Punch

Some time ago Jeff asked me if I could send him some photos of my Lex Luthor action figure so that he could paint a Number 25 action figure. Jeff's work turned out great, but I felt bad that my reference model was missing an arm. So when Sean and I stumbled upon an old but whole Luthor for a mere $10, I had to snap it up. For future reference, then, here is a two-armed Lex Luthor figure from the Super Powers line. Here he poses malevolently, brandishing his Kryptonite ring, in front of some JSVB calling cards, mostly because the colours match and this is a Jeff-related post. Comic book maxi-series have thrived on thinner plots!

A Picture Worth at Least Several Hundred Words

My friend Jeff has dramatized our recent basement near-flood over at Jeff Shyluk's Visual Blog. I'm afraid I didn't look nearly as calm and heroic as portrayed, but I think it's still a very cool piece of art. Be sure to tune in to JSVB tomorrow for Jeff's 900th post! 

Sunday Afternoon Stir-Fry

Several days ago Jeff Shyluk posted a recipe for quinoa chicken stir fry. Intrigued, I actually ventured into a grocery store and purchased ingredients for my own version of Jeff's creation. Rarely do I attempt anything more ambitious than tacos, but Jeff's recipe certainly looked simple enough to try. With Sylvia supervising to ensure I didn't burn the house down, I sallied forth, following Jeff's instructions as closely as possible.

Jeff's recipe calls for peas, but Sylvia and I aren't fussy about them so I substituted yellow bell pepper and green onions. Would these spicy flavours complement the soya sauce and minced ginger required in Jeff's original creation, or would they completely imbalance the dish?

Well, the finished product didn't look terribly appetizing, but to my palate - and Sylvia's - it certainly tasted quite fine. I think it's safe to say that I can now reliably prepare nearly a dozen dishes:

1. Tacos
2. Quinoa chicken stir fry
3. Bacon and eggs with toast
4. Cereal
5. Fish and chips
6. Spaghetti with meat sauce (i.e. leftover meat from the tacos plus store-bought red sauce)
7. Grilled cheese sandwich
8. Garlic cheese toast
9. BLT sandwich

Thanks for the recipe, Jeff!

The Lawnmower Troll

My friend Jeff is an amazing artist and seems to have a fetish that requires him to insert UFOs into any photos depicting lawn-mowing. Because males tend to show affection via abuse, I hereby troll Jeff with another riveting depiction of classic grass-shearing. This time the action takes place in Thompson, Manitoba, sometime in the early 1970s, an era rife with UFO exploitation stories. That's me helping Dad cut the grass down to size.

In all seriousness, this post is really just an excuse to draw more attention to Jeff's art. I've always loved his work.