Daddy Duct Tape #3

This year's addition to the Daddy Duct Tape series of books involved several dinosaurs, a flooded street in Chicago and the ingenuity of a bunch of little kids with a lot of duct tape (to build a suspension bridge in a hurry). Now if only they were in LA the other day when that water main broke....

Swami/Warren

Along with my Swami From New Jersey character, canine poet Warren Peace hit the stage yesterday in Bolinas.  He was also the opening act recently at a performance of Karma Talk, wherein my Swami joined up for the first time with Swami Beyondananda to go turban to turban in dispensing wisdom to the assemble hordes. It was a great success. Karma Talk will raise its turbaned head again in Mountain View on November 29th. Warren will be there too. Whether he will "sit" or "stay" remains to be seen. He tends to have a mind of his own.

Karma Talk Debut

Last night's Karma Talk concert in Marin brought Swami Beyondananda and the Swami From New Jersey together for the first time, turban to turban. It was a packed house and a rousing success. Renowned canine poet Warren Peace (think Rumi with fleas) opened the evening. Warren had the crowd howling. Literally!

Snoopy Anonymous

After my recent gig, graphic recording for a Deloitte/MetLife meeting in Florida, I have not been able to stop drawing Snoopy. I told Jeannie Schulz I may need a Snoopy exorcism. Meanwhile,  a retired radiologist moved in next door yesterday. I made him the following welcome card.

Sustainable World Sourcebook

The latest version of the Sustainable World Sourcebook has recently been released by the Earth Island Institute. Once again I've illustrated the book with several cartoons, including this one. The Sourcebook does more than throw a spotlight on the problems we face. It is also a valuable resource for positive action. Available at www.swcoalition.org

The Marine Mammal Center

This year's USC Alumni Service Day entailed an educational and rewarding day helping out all the sick seals at The Marine Mammal Center in Marin County. The fish kitchen smells just about how you'd expect it to. I spent much of my time scrubbing algae out of seal pools. Their new facility is something to behold...a state of the art hospital for seals of all sorts. Their heroic work is carried out by a staff of 45 and around 1000 volunteers. Bravo folks. You do amazing work.

This little elephant seal could one day weigh 4,500 pounds. Let's hope he makes it.

Warren Peace - Q&A

Whenever renowned canine poet Warren Peace performs his favorite thing is taking questions from the audience and educating humans from a canine perspective.

CLICK HERE for Warren's Q&A in Vallejo CA

Meher Baba's birthday

Today is Meher Baba's 120th birthday. While cruising the web I discovered the following video that mixes classic movie footage with the address Baba gave on "the spiritual responsibility of the motion picture industry" in 1932 at a reception thrown in his honor in Hollywood by Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks Jr.

In 1983 I ran into Steven Spielberg and the producers of Indiana Jones and Star Wars in Bombay and subsequently shared this address with all of them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVZu9wMZkCo

Vintage writings

I just rediscovered the following editorial I wrote in 2007, after seven years of the Bush Administration, or what I think of as The Era of Heightened Datlexia.


DATLEXIA By Brian Narelle (Political Humor)

OpEdNews Original Content at http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_brian_na_071003... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- October 3, 2007 Many people suffer from dyslexia, mixing up letters and numbers in their mind. Despite this handicap many have led successful lives. What's more difficult to understand is how George W. Bush has become so successful, even though suffering from datlexia. What's datlexia? It's similar to dyslexia, but instead of inverting letter and number sequences you invert reality. That way killing thousands of people becomes the road to peace. Democracy means establishing a government that you want and if it doesn't do your bidding you merely impose another one until it does. That sort of thing. Through the lens of datlexia one can more easily understand the need for a Department of Homeland Security. Of course if we had a Department of Defense we wouldn't need one, but with datlexia the Department of Defense is an offensive tool. Get it? Therefore we need a new department with which to defend ourselves. Under a datlexic administration it is also easier to understand that the Department of Interior is there to serve lumber interests, the FDA to serve the pharmaceutical giants, etc. Datlexically it makes perfect sense to get rid of habeas corpus and civil rights in order to protect people's freedom. Uncontrolled wiretapping has no impact on al Qaida. They knew enough to sneak around a long time ago. It does come in handy, I'm sure, for keeping an eye on dissidents and political opponents. That's what a datlexic would call freedom and democracy. It staggers the mind to fathom how a lightweight like George W. Bush could ascend to the White House, ravage the constitution and the Bill of Rights, start an unprovoked armed occupation of a Middle East country, throw the country into merciless debt, ignore the plight of New Orleans as well as worldwide environmental dangers to but name a few...until you realize that George and all his coconspirators are severely datlexic. Short of taking drugs or falling down Lewis Caroll's rabbit hole, most of us will never understand the logic behind the actions of this administration. Thank your lucky stars if, as you read this, all the letters appear to be in their correct order. That would indicate that you're not dyslexic. Thank them again if you think taking care of each other's health and well being, forming bonds of understanding with other cultures, and safeguarding the Constitution of the United States is important. That would indicate you're not datlexic either. Authors Website: www.narellecreative.com Authors Bio: Brian Narelle started out cartooning at the age of eight and never stopped. A graduate of USC Film School he has written and performed in a variety of films and television programs, starting with Sesame Street and John Carpenter's DARK STAR. His book LIVING IN VERTICAL TIME chronicles the spiritual teachings of a donkey named Murray. He currently teaches cartooning at the Charles Schulz Museum.

Monkey meeting

This photo of Jane Goodall in today's paper took me back to our meeting years ago when my monkey, Baba Monkey, met her monkey, Mr. H.. Jane and I stood idly by, alone in a hotel corridor, as our monkeys cavorted, sharing a stuffed banana. Priceless!

Warren rides again

Renowned canine poet Warren Peace will once again be performing at a cabaret in Vallejo on February 15th. He rocked the house a few months ago over there. I guess there are still a few walls left standing. He's out to flatten the place this time. He is usually kind enough to bring me along...a glorified roadie.

CLICK HERE FOR SHOW INFO     http://magicalmoonshine.org/strangelove.htm

Cartoon Class

Having a great time with the little folks in elementary school in Petaluma CA. In addition to cartooning we're rockin' some major vocabulary as well. (Next week the critters stand up and start wearing clothes)

A new planet?

I have either discovered a new planet orbiting a nearby star...or Jupiter was lined up with the ice rings around the moon last night. One or the other.

Puppetooning

Robin and I got our "Puppetooning" on today at a wonderful party for a small herd of very short people (commonly known as children). They squealed with delight at Vanilla's monkey business.

By the end of the afternoon each child had a sit-down session with me and got to take home a personalized cartoon. (Even some adults got in on the action...but don't tell anybody)

Better late than never

It only took 16 years to get our hands on an official copy of an episode of Bingo & Molly that we shot in New Zealand. The gorgeous puppets were built by Richard Taylor of WETA (Lord of the Rings). Now we can sit back and watch it and deal with our frustration.

Robin created the show and played the title role of Molly. I played Bingo as well as Mr. Growl, the wolf up in the window.

Hands-on at Schulz Museum

The museum was full of a variety of artists today, helping kids with many types of projects. I was in charge of zoetrope animation...the spinning gizmo that started things long ago. Many a wide-eyed child marveled at their own creations coming to life. Was the next Walt Disney among them? Who's to say?

Being Maliboobooed

There is nothing quite like being Maliboobooed. I could barely get through the gate this morning. Malibu had spotted me coming and was crossing the field at full speed, diving onto her back for her morning tummy rub before I could latch the gate behind me. It's like being targeted by a heat seeking missile of joy.

Our pal Pickles

In 1997 Robin and I were living in the same hotel in New Zealand as we co-starred in Bingo & Molly for the Discovery Channel. Every morning and evening we'd meet in the lobby at the cage of Pickles, the sulfur-crested cockatoo. I've always felt that Pickles had something to do with transforming our 20 year friendship into our now 12 year marriage. Today I emailed the hotel in New Zealand and asked if Pickles was still there, thirteen years later. He is. He's doing well and about to turn 30. If you don't believe me, see for yourself.

Yea Pickles! We love you.

Doug Engelbart

Doug Engelbart just died. He invented the mouse and ushered in the era of the internet that has altered our lives tremendously. A few years ago I was commissioned to create a cartoon to honor him at a ceremony at Stanford. He wasn't overly optimistic about the reality of it...as far as his ability to slow down our lemming-like march towards the cliff.

The News

I’m beginning to gather my news out back. The national news is filled with drug commercials whose side effects are lethal. The local news is nothing more than ambulance chasing with a camera. If the newspaper gets any thinner you can cut a hole in it and use it for a toilet seat cover. No. I’m beginning to trust my own eyes more as the state of coyotes and turkeys and the bees informs me of things. I think I might trade in my TV for a Mary Oliver poem. 

Santa Rosa Toy Con

Robin and I had a good time at the first Santa Rosa Toy Con. I never fail to think of Galaxy Quest at times like this. Meanwhile, a number of Dark Star fans approached my table and made no connection between me and the hairy guy in the photo. Tempus fugit.

The facts are here

The fact of the matter is that I just learned my cartoon did not win the coveted cover spot on the 2014 Union of Concerned Scientists political cartoon calendar. Nevertheless, it will have its own month once again, having been chosen from all the entries over the last seven years. Sadly, I fear it's a concept that will have a long shelf life.

The freelance life

A few years back I won a Haiku contest sponsored by some freelancing group. This year marks 30 years of freelancing…and the poem still holds true.

The freelance lifestyle
Career of endless searching
That work interrupts

Oh say can you see?...

Oh say can you see?...

Reagan’s deregulations

Bush’s private war

Wall Street’s immunity

Monsanto’s rule

Halliburton’s profits

The NRA’s bloody legacy

The Senate’s cowardly vote

They say you reap what you sow.

From the look of this tired flag

I’d say we have a lot of sewing to do.

BITE ON!

I've created many characters in my day but Crabby Trojan is the first one I will ever wind up eating.

What's new at the zoo?

Last year I volunteered with other USC alumni, repairing the African savanna exhibit at the SF Zoo. (They removed most of the animals first) It rained the entire time. I've signed up again this year but will be better prepared.

The Refarmation

Last night we watched a documentary called FRESH. Like others I've seen, it points out the lemming-like nature of our big-agra food production model. Unlike other films, it focuses on real world examples of sustainable, organic solutions. Very encouraging. If you study the state of water, soil and the fisheries (as I've been doing for a current book project) it is easy to fall into despair. I recommend this documentary as a glimpse of light from the end of the tunnel. It inspired me this morning to create the following bumper sticker.

Available at:   http://www.cafepress.com/narelle.774629946

People Are Like Lollipops

 
The book I recently illustrated, PEOPLE ARE LIKE LOLLIPOPS by Annie Fox, is now available (for young children). Check it out at any of these links:

Print via CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/4121961
Print via Amazon: http://bit.ly/printlollipops
Kindle via Amazon: http://bit.ly/kindlelollipops

AARP

After years of solicitations from the AARP I've decided to fight back and create my own organization.

Life imitating art

On the heels of the latest Daddy Ducktape book, an unruly passenger was restrained and gagged on board a flight today by fellow passengers and crew using duck tape. Life often imitates art...but I didn't see this one coming!

Christmas message 2012

 I just discovered a 17 minute film that is a sort of WayBack machine to 1932 when Meher Baba delivered an address on the spiritual responsibility of the motion picture industry at a reception in his honor at Pickfair in Hollywood, home of Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks Jr.. Long before I knew about Meher Baba I graduated from USC Film School, totally unaware that it was established by Fairbanks and Pickford. In 1983, while returning from a pilgrimage to Meher Baba's tomb in India I encountered Steven Speilberg and all the producers of Star Wars, ET, and Indian Jones in Bombay. I subsequently shared this message with all of them. This is the first time I have heard the address read in its entirety. It is my Christmas gift to all of you. 

CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVZu9wMZkCo

Daddy Ducktape rides again

I just received a copy of the second DADDY DUCKTAPE book I've illustrated and I must say there's a family in Chicago with way too much duck tape on their hands. (I'm not really complaining. They are way fun to illustrate.)

Swami Time

The Swami From New Jersey will be performing this Saturday along with his sidekick Swami Dog at the Community Center in Sebastopol CA to celebrate the end of the end of the world and usher in whatever comes next. They both look forward to being her now, then.

Charlie the orangutan

 I recently wrote a promotional video to raise money for orphan orangutans in Borneo for the Global Animal Protection Society (GAPS). It is narrated by my wife Robin and features footage shot by producer John Gallucci in Borneo.

                                TO SEE CHARLIE'S VIDEO CLICK HERE

Upper Heaven

Every year we head down to Ojai for Thanksgiving dinner with my in-laws. Every year I drive to the top of Sulphur Mountain to visit Meher Mount, a retreat established by Meher Baba in the 1950s. It overlooks everything, including Larry Hagman's palatial home that he referred to as "Heaven". Obviously Meher Mount must be Upper Heaven. It sure feels that way.

Last Friday I announced that I was driving up the mountain to visit Larry Hagman (merely meaning that I was headed for Meher Mount). I only learned later in the day that Larry had just died. I can't vouch for any afterlife heaven...but I can tell you that Larry and I have shared a slice of it right here on Earth for a while.

Salmon chanted evening...

A rafting trip down the Yuba River was a real eye opener. The environmental damage from gold mining in the 1850s still haunts us today. We studied the life cycle of Chinook salmon and explored their habitat. We were blessed with glorious weather.

Those distant mountains are not mountains at all, but rather the tip of the iceberg when it comes to accumulated rocks from gold mining in the 19th Century that have washed down out of the mountains.

Amongst our salmon studies was the investigation of macro-organisms in the water, in order to gauge the river's health. It passed. 

 After salmon swim up river to spawn they die. Not much profit to be made here in online dating services.  Word of advice...I don't recommend picking up stinky dead salmon...but its a free country.

Puppet uprising

Romney has created quite a stir with his threat to ax Big Bird. This kerfuffle has not escaped the watchful eye of Glenn Beak.

To watch his latest episode CLICK here.