The Freak Brothers - Still Furry and Still Fabulous

Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

One of the most popular underground comix is a trio of freaks - Fat Freddy, Freewheelin' Franklin, and Phineas.  The Idiots Abroad, one of their stories, was voted as one of the top 100 comics stories of the century by the Comics Journal (that's all comics, not just underground comix).

Introduced in the late 60s, this trio was created by Gilbert Shelton and were anti-heroes, defying authority and symbolizing the drug culture lifestyle.  These freaks (slang for hippies) lived in San Francisco, and quickly became popular in the underground comix scene.  They first appeared in 1968 in an Austin, Texas underground newspaper called The Rag.  That year they made their first comix book appearance in Feds 'n' Heads published by Print Mint in Berkeley.  A year later Shelton founded Rip Off Press in San Francisco.  Forty-three years later, they are still in print and still popular.

Well, how about four decades plus....

Shelton collaborated with Dave Sheridan from 1974-1982, and then with Paul Mavrides (in glasses above) since 1978.  In an interview Mavrides imagines that Shelton based them on people he knew, noting that the Marx Brothers and the Three Stooges - other famous trios - may have influenced him.  It's true the comix have a slapstick quality to them.  The three main characters are slackers, without concern of employment and always searching and procuring drugs and marijuana.

Fat Freddy Freetowskis seems to be the least intelligent, and as his name implies the one who eats the most.  He usually gets burned on his transactions and when he does successfully score, often loses his procurements.  Another character, Fat Freddy's Cat - known by that moniker - most often appears in his own separate strip at the bottom of some strips, reminiscent of how Krazy Kat got his start.  He is contemptible of humans, and regards them, especially Fat Freddy, as dumb.  Think Garfield as a freak.

Freewheelin' Franklin is the smartest, or at least street-smartest.  He grew up in an orphanage which explains it all.  His hair changes color from red to light brown to blond, depending on the strip.  He is tall and skinny with a huge nose and moustache, and he sports a ponytail and cowboy hat and boots.

Phineas T. Freakears is a left-wing radical, the most politically motivated of the three.  He comes from Texas born of an open-minded mother and John Bircher father.  He has a thick mass of black hair, is also tall and skinny with a long nose like a splif.  I would guess he was inspired by Abbie Hoffman.

There are other minor characters such an Norbert the Nark, an inept DEA agent. Hirma "Country" Cowfreak is often referred to as a cousin - he grows marijuana on his isolated farm.  Dealer McDope is, obviously, a dealer.  Tricky Prickears is a blind and deaf detective, a play on Dick Tracy.  My favorite minor character is Governor Rodney Richpigge, whose son is a cocaine dealer, and who is himself a rich, corrupt public servant - a stereotype that rings true no matter what era.

Cousin Country Cowfreak

Most of the stories revolve around drugs and marijuana, their use and procurement.  It is significant that heroin is NOT one of the drugs the characters use.  It is mostly marijuana, although in Grass Roots they find a year's supply of cocaine which only lasts them two days.  Along with the drugs come the munchies, making food another topic.  The Brothers live in an impoverished, seedy grunginess along with a mass of cockroaches.  This is all part of the squalor that makes up their lifestyle.  A lot of the stories begin realistically, but on their way to insanity become rather surreal, often using the bromide of the "it was all a dream" formula.

The leader of the cockroaches, President-Commander-Pope Swellguy.

Many of their utterances have become catchphrases, the most famous being Freewheelin' Franklin's "Dope will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no dope."  In a poster featuring Freewheelin' Franklin, the Los Angeles County Library paraphrased it to read:  "Books will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no books."

In 1972 the Brothers appeared in the full-length, unauthorized X-rated adult film "Up in Flames".  Names were changed, the movie characters didn't resemble their comic counterparts, and instead of drugs and marijuana, the Brothers were focused on procuring sex, in keeping with the porn theme.  A claymation movie called "Grass Roots" was supposed to be released this year, but nothing yet.

A still from "Grass Roots" courtesy of Wikipedia.

Although the original readers of the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers may not still be fans, newer and younger readers have taken their places.  The Collected Adventures of the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers was first printed in 1971 and has been continually in print ever since.  They are symbolic of an era that may be stereotyped, but not forgotten.  Long may their freak flags fly!

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Unless otherwise noted, all images courtesy of Rip Off Press.

This site sells the comix in the U.K.

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The Art of Trees

A ficus tree(s) that has been shaped.

For centuries humans have attempted to manipulate plants and shape them. Topiary, espalier, pleaching, and bonsai immediately come to mind.  The latest attempts, which have become art forms, are tree shaping.  There are not many artists using plants and trees, but each seems to have their own name for it.  An overall term for it is arborsculpture but arbortecture and biotecture are often seen. The plants used are usually evergreens.

What the above ficus may attain to.

Pleaching, once known as plashing, was commonly done from late medieval times into the early eighteenth century.  The term comes from the French word "plechier", meaning to braid.  It is the technique of weaving branches of trees to form a hedge or a quincunx.  Hedges made this way grew thick enough that they were impenetrable, perfect for enclosing animals, not to mention cost-effective. Every few years the lower parts of the hedge are bent and interwoven, and pruning is an annual task.  A somewhat labor-intensive technique, it never caught on in the U.S., but was popular in shaded allées in Europe.  The word dropped out of common usage until Walter Scott used it in 1822.  Trees with smooth bark, such as linden, apple, or hornbeam, are most used.

Pleaching usually requires a support structure in the beginning
such as the one here, especially horizontal support.

Espalier is a rather ancient practice, usually done against a wall or fence but occasionally freestanding.  Although the word is French, it comes from the Italian word "spalliera" meaning something to rest the shoulder (spalla) against.  Branches are pruned and tied so they grow as a flat plane.  This is popular to do with fruit trees, such as apple, which allows for less space and easier access to fruits.  Also planting next to a wall helps retain heat and allows more sunlight, extending the fruiting season.  Vineyards have been planted with this technique for millennia. There are various patterns both formal and informal.  These, too, are started with supports, and require maintenance.

An espaliered pear tree.

Another method of training plants, and one almost everyone is familiar with, is topiary.  This is different in that the overall aim is to shape a plant into a living sculpture by trimming the leaves and twigs.  The term comes from the Latin word "topiarius" (landscape gardener), which in turn came from the Greek "topia" meaning places.  Plants with dense foliage are preferred, and shaped wire cages often are used to provide structure.  This method has been popular in the West since ancient times, but has also been popular in the East as well, although the Eastern style celebrates a more natural style.  Topiary has caught on and can be seen all over the world, as the examples below show.

At a park in Karachi, Pakistan.

Ocean Park, Hong Kong

Prague, Czech Republic

Zarcero, Costa Rica

Bonsai is only for the patient, as it takes a long time for these plantings to develop. My father loved bonsai, and even took a class in it at a local Japanese nursery he frequented.  Unfortunately, the class was conducted in Japanese, and he was only able to learn what he could comprehend visually.  A "bon" is a tray-like pot used in the art, traditionally one from the few accepted proportions and shapes.  Once a selected tree is pruned, including its roots, and has attained its desired miniature size, it is planted in this special pot which further restricts its growth.  This tradition has been dated back to 6th century Japan, and the idea was that natural beauty could only become true beauty through human intervention.  It is common practice to wire the branches and trunks to manipulate their growth into a predetermined look. Because of the small container, repotting is part of the regular maintenance and special soil is a must.  Most plants, unless specifically chosen, cannot survive indoors.  Some plants grow up a meter tall, but most are significantly taller.  The goal is to create a tree that looks mature with the proportions of a fully-grown tree but no apparent sign of human intervention.

A "group" planting from Martigny, Switzerland.

A California or Coast Redwood from the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, NY.

This Sargent Juniper was "born" in 1905 and lives in the National
Bonsai and Benjing Museum in the U.S. National Arboretum.

Some species of trees used for many of these techniques have a tendency for inosculation, or self-grafting, which is a well-known botanical phenomenon. Tree shapers like to use this tendency and choose inosculate trees.

Inosculated crab apple trees in Scotland.
These are known as "Husband & Wife" trees.

Tree shapers consider the environment where they are creating their art, and choose trees known to do well in an area, and that are resistant to insect damage and disease.  Most trees require time to be shaped, but there also are techniques for "instant" tree shaping.  Grafting, framing (the use of supports), and pruning all contribute to the final work.  Although some tree shapers have "harvested" their works, thus rendering them no longer living, many intend for their works to be living sculptures.

Needle and Thread Tree by Axel Erlandson, Gilroy, Ca.
Image courtesy of Richard Reames/Wikipedia.

The Person Tree, planted in 1998 by Pooktre - Peter Cook & Becky Northey.

Peace in Cherry, by Richard Reames of Arborsmith Studios, Ore.
Image courtesy of Richard Reames/Wikipedia.

Tree shaped by Dan Ladd.
Image courtesy of Treeshapers.net.

Tree shaped by Aharon Naveh.  Image courtesy of Treeshapers.net.

Poet Joyce Kilmer expressed his joy of trees in his famous poem.  Wonder what he would think of some of these tree shapings.

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Unless otherwise noted, images courtesy of Wikipedia.

Treeshapers.net is a good site for more information on history and artists.

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Madame Guillotine

The Radical's Arms, 1819.

Before capital punishment was abolished in France in 1981, the guillotine was the sole method of execution.  Made popular during the French Revolution, it was considered the "People's Avenger" by supporters, and the symbol of the "Reign of Terror" by opponents.

Detail from Pieter Bruegel the Elder's
"Triumph of Death", circa 1562-1563.

The breaking wheel, also known as the Catherine wheel or just "the wheel", was the preferred method of execution in the Middle Ages on into the 19th century.  It was basically a huge wooden wagon wheel with lots of spokes.  The condemned was tied to the wheel and beaten and the spaces between the spokes gave the club space to continue its arc.  There were several adaptations of the wheel, but the one used in France involved tying the victim with limbs stretched over two wooden beams placed on a wheel which was slowly revolved.  An iron bar or hammer was used to strike the limbs of the condemned in the spaces between the beams breaking the bones.  This action was repeated several times for each limb, and dying could take hours, even days.  If the situation merited "merciful" treatment, the executioner would commit "coups de grâce" (literally "blows of mercy") by fatally striking the chest and stomach areas.  The luckiest of the French condemned would be granted a "retentum" or strangling after the second or third blow (or with extreme luck, before the wheel work began).

Circa November 1721.

Another French word is associated with this form of capital punishment - "roué" - which means a "dissipated debaucheree".  Its original meaning was "broken on the wheel" since this type of execution was reserved for atrocious crimes, while hanging was used for lesser crimes.  Hence "roué" came to be construed as a man who was impious and callous, primarily thanks to Philip, Duke of Orléans, regent of France in the early 1700s, who used it to describe the bad male company he kept for amusement.

"The French Penalty" by Francisco de Goya, circa 1824.

In 1789, Dr. Joseph-Ignace Guillotin proposed a reformation of capital punishment in which he called for the same punishment for the same crime despite the status of the offender, that the family of the offender not be affected nor reproached on pain of judicial reprimand, that the offender's property would not be confiscated, and the body would be returned to the offender's family and no register of the manner of death be made.  Most importantly, he called for decapitation to replace the wheel.  The National Assembly looked for a new instrument of death, affirming the belief that capital punishment should be the ending of a life and not torture.

The Scottish Maiden, a precursor to
the guillotine.

A committee was formed which included Dr. Guillotin and Dr. Antoine Louis.  The committee was influenced by several instruments designed to decapitate, including the Scottish Maiden.  The Maiden was built in Edinburgh.  Once built it remained unused for so long it was dubbed the "Maiden".  It was constructed in 1564 during the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots.  This in turn was designed from the Halifax Gibbett, last used in 1650.  The original stone platform was used as a base for a working replica erected in 1974 with a plaque listing the 52 people known to have been executed there.

The Halifax Gibbett in the town of Halifax.  The original
iron blade is in the Bankfield Museum near Halifax. 

Although the French device was named for Dr. Guillotin, he did not invent it.  In fact he was against capital punishment, which is why he spoke out for ending the use of the wheel.  Dr. Louis came up with the prototype design, which was build by Tobias Schmidt, a German engineer and Harpsichord maker.  Schmidt is also credited with designing the triangular blade with a beveled edge instead of a crescent one.  The first execution was done on April 25, 1792 for the highwayman Nicolas Jacques Pelletier.

Two French models.  The one on the left was built in 1792;
the one on the right was built in 1872.

This was considered a more humane form of execution even for beheading.  Prior to the device, beheading was done by a sword or axe, which usually required at least two strikes.  This was also considered a blow for equality between the classes, as it was the only method of execution.  Except for death sentences from military courts, which meant death by firing squads, this became the national execution type of France.

The execution of Marie Antoinette.  Circa 1793, artist unknown.

During the Reign of Terror, large-scale public executions were conducted, including King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette, executed in 1793. Thousands were sentenced to the guillotine by the Revolutionary Tribunal, often on little or no grounds - mere suspicion  of "crimes against liberty" was reason enough.  Death estimates range from 16,000 to 40,000 during this time.  The executions were popular entertainment and attracted huge numbers of spectators. A group of female citizens, the tricoteuses ("knitters"), became regulars, functioning as macabre cheerleaders as they watched while knitting.  The man most associated with the Terror was Maximilien Robespierre, and as the appetite for executions waned, he was arrested and executed in the manner of those he condemned - by Madame Guillotine.

"Les Tricoteuses" by Pierre-Étienne Lesueur, 1793.

The last public guillotining was of convicted multi-murderer Eugen Weidman.  He was beheaded on June 17, 1939, but due to public behavior, the fact that it was secretly filmed, and the fact that the guillotine was incorrectly reconstructed, it was decided that future executions would be private.  The very last victim of the guillotine was convicted murderer Hamida Djandoubi on September 10, 1977.

The execution of Robespierre, 1794.

After all these deaths, France abolished the death penalty in 1981.  Madame Guillotine had a healthy appetite but wiser heads eventually prevailed.

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Images courtesy of Wikipedia.

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Repost: Just One More!

Eric "Badlands" Booker

Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas, Crazy Legs Conti, Eric "Badlands" Booker, Elizabeth "Rubber Gut" Canady, Ivan "The Invader" Hickman, Joey Chestnut, Gentleman Joe Menchetti - sound like a Mafia family to you?  Well, they are not. They are "gurgitators", competitive eating contestants.

Also known as speed eating, this is a fairly new "sport" that's becoming more and more popular where participants compete to consume massive quantities of food in a set amount of time, usually 15 minutes or less.  It is most celebrated in the U.S. and Japan, where prizes can be $10,000 or more.

Cookie Jarvis in action

The "sport" has its roots in county fairs (think pie or watermelon eating contests). Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest has been held every July 4th since 1916 at Coney Island.  With the advent of television this contest and others have made these competitions crowd-pleasing entertainment.

Takeru Kobayashi.  Image from his website.

There are two main camps for competitive eating:  The IFOCE (International Federation of Competitive Eating), founded in 1997 and now better known as Major League Eating; and All Pro Eating, formerly known as the Association of Competitive Eaters, which is a break-off group from IFOCE who left over contractual issues.  One major difference is that All Pro Eating advocates the picnic style rules, which means that contestants are not allowed to dip their food into liquids before consuming them.

Dipping foods in liquid, usually water but also soft drinks or other beverages, is one of the techniques used by participants.  This softens the food, making it easier and quicker to chew and swallow.  Food, which is usually one type but varied, can be eaten any way - in separate components (i.e., hot dogs first, then buns, as long as both are eaten in equal amounts), whole, or in pieces.  Japanese champion Teraku Kobayashi has his own style, which he calls the "Solomon Technique" (also called "Japanesing") which involves breaking a hot dog in half, then stuffing both halves into his mouth at once.

Joey Chestnut

There are universal rules:  no vomiting during or right after a contest.  This is called a "reversal" and disqualifies one immediately.  "Chipmunking" is the practice of stuffing as much food in your mouth as possible just before the time runs out.  This is usually allowed, but a contestant has a limited time to finish consuming the mouthful.

All foods must be consumed in a designated time period.  This can range from 7 to 15 minutes, or longer.  Any food left on serving pieces is counted against the total. Prize monies can make this "sport" a career, and some competitors earn their living this way.

Sonya Thomas.  The burger is almost bigger than her!

There is no standard body type that excels in competitive eating.  Participants range from the rather petite Sonya Thomas (weighing an average of 124 pounds) to Eric Booker (weighing about 420 pounds).  Kobayashi has a body worthy of a bodybuilder.  It has been posited that someone too fat or too muscular would not do well, as that fat or muscle would impede the stomach's expansion, but Booker and Kobayashi prove that false.

Sonya Thomas eats one large meal a day, usually from a buffet.

Eric Booker during a contest.  Photo by Ed Grabianowski.

Takeru Kobayashi.  Image from his website.

Some competitors train, although the IFOCE warns against it.  Since stomach elasticity is the key to success, many drink large amounts of water, or drink lots of water with low calorie meals like veggies and salads to stretch stomach capacity. Some also chew huge amounts of gum to build up jaw strength.  Those who do "train" will often do so for weeks or months before an event, often with the food from the impending contest.  

The dangers of this lifestyle, aside from the obvious ones of weight gain or obesity is high cholesterol and high blood pressure.  There can be stomach perforations, especially if there are ulcers.  Drinking large amounts of water can lead to water intoxication, a condition where the electrolytes in the blood become too diluted. Gastroparesis is a dangerous problem.  Also called stomach paralysis, the stomach loses its ability to contract and to empty itself.  Some of the side effects are chronic indigestion, nausea, and vomiting.

Consider the massive amounts of calories that are consumed at these events.  If each hot dog is 150 calories, and each bun is 100 calories, then eating 50 hot dogs will total 12,500 calories.  The USDA recommendation of daily calories for an adult male is 2,300.

Sixteen cups of mayonnaise in 8 minutes?  No thanks!

This is a record list from 2005 that gives an idea of the amounts consumed.  No more current chart found.

If you will be in the vicinity of Davenport, Iowa tomorrow (3/19/11), you may want to try your hand at the Rhythm City World Catfish Eating Championship. Last year's winner consumed 6.7 pounds in ten minutes.  You could win $2,500.  But then consider all the people in the world who are starving. This "sport" is not only gluttonous but rather shameful in light of world starvation.  As usual these events boil down to money.  Too bad the money isn't being spent easing world hunger.

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Unless otherwise stated, all images courtesy of the IFOCE.

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