PALMS SUNDAY...

by Erkuden Sakana, Company Secretary:
The Company is in El Pueblo Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciuncula on all kinds of business.

Today, the misanthropes pulled down their tent and packed up what remained of its wares after a victorious weekend at Renegade Los Angeles. The show has picked a up a fair bit of steam since. The more superstitious among the Company attribute the increase in traffic to a change of venue since last year.

(photo courtesy of Make Shop Live)

* * *

The Company carried out it's weekly routines in the home of some of it's dearest L.A. aiders and abettors Phil and Noelle.

It's always Christmas at Phil and Noelle's

There aren't enough nice things the misanthropes can say about these two. They left a sumptuous meal on the table for the Company to devour after a long day at Renegade, and a Trader Joe's bag full of the best homemade popcorn anyone has ever had the pleasure of snacking on.

T-Bone and Cotton were back on the Sunday roll call, having completed their Route 66 mission and delivered Screaming Hell Hogs to the film's purchaser.

* * *

Part of today's agenda included preliminary work on the Bullet in a Bible i-phone application.

The project was commissioned by triple-threat Canadian expat, Levi MacDougall, after a chance run-in between he and Heywood earlier this week. They were both in attendance at one of Bruce Villanch's fancy-dress parties and recognized eachother as fellow Torontonians. The rest will one day be history.

"The Library" video game from levimacdougall.com

With much of the design groundwork already laid out at the end of this evening's session, the Company's contribution should be Mr.MacDougall's fast hands very shortly. It shouldn't be too long after that before the application is unveiled in all it's glory.

* * *

I LOVE BUSEY...

Notes to Headquarters
from T-Bone, Company Bailiff:

"The deed is done. We handed Hell Hogs over to Gary and his goons last night. The matter's out of my hands now. Finally. Amen.

"I'd been sent detailed instructions on how the transaction was to be played out. I had to be go foot, unarmed, and place the film cans in a trunk between the two O's in the Hollywood sign. Cotton accompanied me part ways but it had been clearly stipulated I was supposed to arrive alone. I deviated from the established trails. We had the sense we were being watched from afar.

"I hadn't realized access to the sign itself restricted. Fenced off and closely monitored by security cameras. In order to deposit the reels in adherence to the plan I would have to scale the fence, on camera, in broad daylight, negotiating my way over razor wire. Gary must have known this. I didn't doubt it. My blood began to ache.

"All the same, I'd agreed to the job. And things looked like they might work out with the help of my puertoricans. I had a leg over, then the razor wire snagged my sock. It only got worse the more I worked to get unhooked. A voice barked at me over the security loudspeaker. I'd been spotted trespassing and I was stuck there sure the police were coming to take me off in chains.

"An audience of thicknecked goons emerged. Some in uniforms. All of them hooting, chucking, snapping photos with their telephones. Even the voice on the speaker was laughing at me. Gary and Jake were there too. Applauding. I wanted to set them all on fire."

* * *

ALLS WONDERFAIR IN LOVE AND WORK...

by Erkuden Sakana, Company Secretary:
The Misanthrope Specialty Co. is headed Southwest, after a thoroughly enjoyable weekend in Kansas.

(photo by Tallulah Lastname)

The Company's executive branch was in Lawrence to forge a new alliance with Asteroid Head Art Club; a local art collective with whom the misanthropes had been maintaining a tenuous epistolary flirtation/antagonism. The two parties hit it off immediately, due mostly to a mutual love of Abner Jay. One thing led to another and pretty soon the rest of the available misanthropes were called down from St.Louis and Wichita for an evening of nightswimming and secret exploits.

(photo courtesy of Asteroid Head Art Club)

Asteroid Head subsequently helped the Company gain entry into Wonder Fair Art Gallery; a far more spacious and better equipped space to hold this weeks meeting than the motel room the members originally planned to rent. As a result, the gallery now carries an assortment of M.S.Co. goodies.

* * *

It should be noted that much of the credit for Company's blossoming relationships in Lawrence goes to Sweetie Pie Press. It was via the misanthrope's long-time Toronto ally that the Company was first made aware of the goings on in Lawrence.

* * *

The Misanthrope Specialty Co. has yet another product to sell you.

(Message card made using vintage woodgrain Dymo tape)

It's been nearly three months since the Company hit the road. The temporal and geographic distance from loved ones has inspired the advent of a new limited release message card.

The I Miss You card, in embossed woodgrain tape on maple veneer will be available for sale at Renegade Los Angeles. Due to the increasing scarcity of woodgrain labelling tape, the run has been limited to twenty cards embossed with vintage Dymo brand tape from 1968, and another twenty on the company's own specially developed woodgrain tape. There are no plans for a second run until, possibly, the Valentine season is upon us.

(This one was made with the Company-manufactured woodgrain tape)

* * *

This week's drawing session has been was somewhat hindered by the unexpected loss of many of it Company's art supplies.

(photo by Reverend Aitor)

It seems a full day of the hot sun beating down on the the cars in which much of the Company's supply of pens, paints and paper stock were stored has taken its toll. Everything seems to have undergone a variety of heat-induced chemical transformations.

(photo by Becky Johnson)

Inks clumped, paints bubbled out of their containers, papers buckled and pens exploded. Even after everyone's respective kits and pencil cases had been sifted through, and the members got down to business, a number of pens and markers turned out to have sprung leaks. As a result, a number of this week's works in progress were unfortunately marred. Remarkably, though, a few were slightly improved.

The matter was put to a vote and agreed to curtail the illustrative portion of the evening. It was decided the Company's time and efforts would be put to better use bolstering it's inventory merchandise to peddle at next weeks Renegade show.

* * *

GROSS ANGELES...

by Tallulah Lastname, Company Clerk:
Renegade Los Angeles just around the corner. The Misanthrope Specialty Co. is making its meandering way West, with a freshly made stock of goodies in tow.

As is usually the case, the Good Reverend will be there, too. Despite his failing eyesight, he's agreed to offer a limited number of Unflattering Portrait sittings the second day of the show.

Unlike his on-line portraits, which have set prices, live sittings are done by donation. Simply pay what you can, or think it's worth. Walk-ins are welcome, but those who wish a guaranteed spot are advised to schedule a sitting in advance.

UNFLATTERING LOS ANGELES
Day 2
Sunday July 25, 2010
1pm: Josh + 1
2pm: Josh + 1
3pm: Martin G.
4pm: Nathan F.

Appointments will be taken until midnight, the night before Renegade. To book a time simply click on the comments section at the end of this posting and claim any hour that isn't already claimed. Portraits can take between 40 to 50 minutes per person. Couples, oddly enough, count as two persons, so book two slots.

* * *

IN GOAT WE THRUST...

Notes to Headquarters
from T-Bone, Company Bailiff:

(photo by Cottonwood Fields)

"We were making excellent time but the jar was full, thanks to a long day of nothing but coffee and watermelon. We pulled into a truck stop far past Tucumcari to take a leak, top off the water jug, splash some water on our faces.

"Le Pi-Pi Jar"

"There was a vending machine in the men's room. Not an uncommon fixture at truck stops and gas stations, but this one dispensed particularly colourful array of condoms, cologne and assorted performance enhancers. Imagine the kind of night a fistful of quarters can buy you.

(photo by Cottonwood Fields)

"The "Genies Delight" dispenser in particular caught my eye. Seventyfive cents buys you a shot at one of twelve different "politically incorrect novelties", so I called Cotton in. She loved it but immediately went into a feminist rant about the absence of such amenities in the ladies washroom. Apparently the only vending machines she encounters only offer perfume and menstrual supplies.

We never found out what the new "Bin Laden" condom is all about

"We pooled all our change together hoping to collect as many random surprise novelties as possible but the machine was either empty or not working or a dirty grift. We'd sunk two bucks and a quarter into it when a fourhundred-pound sow in a soiled cashier's smock busted into the washroom, with accusations of illicit activities. She refused to give us our money back. Instead, she threatened to call the police.

(photo by Cottonwood Fields)

"I manage to score some "Horny Goat Weed" while Cotton and the attendant were busy screaming insinuations about eachother's mothers. The packet contained two capsules which we gobbled pulling away from the truck stop. I didn't notice an increase in desire. Cotton complained about a spell of vomit burps for a a while."

* * *

WEST FOR SUCCESS...

by Erkuden Sakana, Company Secretary:

(photo by Erkuden Sakana)

The misanthropes awoke at the crack of noon, after a long and successful Saturday at the Shadow Art Fair. There was just enough time for a throughly overindulgent breakfast with friends at the Bomber, a heartily recommended purveyor for all your bacon and egg needs.
Then, bellies swelling with greasy bliss, the members shoved themselves back into their respective vehicles, leaving Michigan for Indiana.

(photo courtesy of www.interstate-guide.com)

This was as close as the Company has been to the homeland in quite some time and the roadsigns for the bridge to Canada prompted an unexpected pang of homesickness in some of the members. The pull of magnetic North is a strong one, but there are still many miles to go before the caravan runs full circle back to Toronto in September.

(The members' homesickness manifested in Home Sweet Home #7)

* * *

Lounging at Jerry Lee's (photo by Becky Johnson)

Back in Midwest, the Company's Indianapolis friends had once again prepared a space for the misanthropes to hold their protocols, meeting and making session. It is an absolute luxury to have such accommodating allies scattered across the continent, providing auxiliary workspace, housing, homecooked meals and sundry resources along the way. These fine upstanders have become vital in the viability of touring for the Misanthrope Specialty Co.

* * *


(a proposed course plotted out for the next couple of weeks)

The Company has been vacillating between the Eastern and Central time zones long enough. It's time to blaze through Mountain Time and into Pacific as the Misanthrope Specialty convoy moves West to deliver Screaming Hell Hogs Eat Shit and Die to it's California purchaser, as well as to make its fortune at Renegade Los Angeles and Renegade San Francisco.

* * *

(photo by Rufus Spaulding)

In related news, the Company has agreed to contribute to Renegade Handmade"s web log. Those Chicago-based mavens of craft want to run a "road to Renegade" series of posts, chronicling the cross-country trip to the Los Angeles show.

* * *

YPSI CARAVAN...

by Erkuden Sakana, Company Secretary:

The Misanthrope Specialty Company is headed North, and zeroing in on the Wolverine State. Soon its unwashed hordes will descend upon Ypsilanti to take part in the Shadow Art Fair for the first time.

* * *

As is too often the case, Reverend Aitor will be at the table, carving out new territory for his Unflattering Portrait Project.

Portraits will be drawn just about every hour on the hour and are done by donation. Simply pay what you can, or think it's worth. Walk-ins are welcome, but those who wish a guaranteed spot are advised to schedule a sitting in advance.

(photo by Becky Johnson)

UNFLATTERING SHADOW ART FAIR
Saturday July 10, 2020
at the Corner Brewery
720 Norris St.

1:pm - Christine
2:pm - Adrianne
3:pm - Mark M.
4:pm - No Dice
5:pm - Olivia + 1
6:pm- Olivia + 1
7:pm- Peter B.
8:pm - Back Off
9:pm - Available
10:pm - Available
11:pm - Available

Appointments will be taken until midnight, the night before Shadow Art Fair. To book a time simply click on the comments section at the end of this posting and claim any hour that isn't already claimed. Portraits can take between 40 to 50 minutes per person. Couples, oddly enough, count as two persons, so book two slots.

(photo by Becky Johnson)

It should also be noted that due to time restrictions and the Company's general rules of decorum, parties arriving more than seven minutes late for their appointment will lose their reservations. Punctuality is key.

* * *

PILSEN BREAK...

by Erkuden Sakana, Company Secretary:

Though Chicago ally Rar Rar Press was generous enough to lend the Company a place to congregate, this week's meeting lasted all of five minutes before the misanthropes, so enticed by the acrid stink of spent gunpowder wafting in through the window, motioned to curtail the evening's agenda in favour of joining the commotion outside. It's the Fourth of July, after all, and the and the Company is staying in the Pilsen neighbourhood.

Anybody in Chicago will tell you that nobody celebrates firework holidays like they do in the Mexican neighbourhoods, and Pilsen, along with Logan Square, is the place to be.

The air was already thick with firecracker smoke when the Company convoy arrived Friday. Things have been whistling and exploding night and day, and there was a palpable feeling that residents were impatiently saving their best explosions for tonight. Few in the Company felt they could pass it up.

Most fireworks, including sparklers, are illegal in the state of Illinois. This does little to deter patriotic Americans from exercising their god-given right to lose arms. Just beyond Chicago's city limits is Indiana, with dozens of fireworks stores conveniently located right up against the state line.

* * *

Happy Independence Day, Chicago. Play safe.