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.