BUTTON FLY TRAP...

by Erkuden Sakana, Company Secretary:

(photo by Arthur Corey)

Another instalment of the Company's subscription service is packaged up and ready to go. This month's mail-out includes a little something different: venus fly trap buttons. The Museum of Natural & Artificial History's Head Curator and Chief Botanist have been collecting and pressing the dead leaves from the carnivorous plant exhibit for some time, waiting for just the right project to come along.

Now, with the help of super-star buttoneer Sweetie Pie Press, the Company has begun production on a series of 1" buttons for the Museum's gift shop; many still contain the remains of the insects that met their untimely demise in the leafy jaws of the voracious dionea muscipula.

Audrey 3, the Company's pet fly trap (photo by Anahí Coria)

Naturally, these buttons are available in only limited supply. The traps are harvested only after the leaf dies, so as not to cause the plant harm.

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dionea vs. caterpillar

Incidentally, many of the plans in the Company's carnivorous collection, including the fly traps, pitcher plants, and some of the sundews are soon to enter their winter dormancy. Visitors to the museum have two weeks to see the current botanical exhibit before the the hibernating plants are hidden away until the springtime. Plant feedings can be seen Saturdays at 3pm.

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THIS WEEK'S PRODUCTIVITY REPORT
Number of projects initiated: 29
Number completed: 19
Number inducted: 5
Carried over to next week: 0

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PILE of CRAFT...

by Tallulah Lastname, Company Clerk:

(promotional artwork courtesy of Craftland)

Just a head's up to our readers in New England: the Providence powerhouse that is Craftland Show kicks off it's month-long holiday shopping extravaganza tomorrow. The show is packed to the brim with thousands of hand made gifts by nearly 200 artists -- offering everything from screen printed t-shirts handmade clothing, one of a kind craft items to fine art pieces. Surely, there is something for just about everyone on your Christmas list.

M.S.Co. message cards, still warm from the dryer

Naturally, the Misanthrope Specialty Co. has its fingers in the pie. Look for select items from the Company's line of cards and ephemera, including the ever-popular messages on woodgrain.

(photo courtesy of Craftland)

CRAFTLAND SHOW
November 26 to December 31
Open 10 am to 7pm, 7 days a week
235 Westminster Street

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DEUTSCH TREAT...

by Erkuden Sakana, Company Secretary:

"A Sure Thing" by the men and women of the Company

It seems the executive branch's goodwill mission to Germany has eventuated in the Company seeping it's way into the Wunderkabinet roster. The Berlin exhibition, held in La Basellerie, houses a rotating collection of handmade curiosities from parts near and very far.

The show's third incarnation is being curated by drone metal superstar, Leah Buckareff, and slated to open early in the new year. It will feature selected works from the Misanthrope Specialty Company's matchbook project.

What wonders lie hidden in the many drawers and compartments of the Wunderkabinet?
(photo courtesy of Leah Buckareff)

The matchbook project began in 2001, after Company members Rufus and Cotton converted to freeganism in an attempt to curb their rampant nicotine abuse. While the discarded and half-smoked cigarettes the desperate duo collected were smokes almost as soon as they were acquired, it wasn't long before they'd amassed a surplus of matchbooks and disposable lighters. The overstock of garbage pickings found its way into Headquarters and the Bunker. It was only a matter of time before someone at a Company meeting picked one up and began doodling.

(photo by Arthur Corey)

Keep your internets tuned to this weblog for more details about the Berlin exhibition as details arise.

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THIS WEEK'S PRODUCTIVITY REPORT
Number of projects initiated: 21
Number completed: 18
Number inducted: 6
Carried over to next week: 1

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A NEW SHOAT OF PAINT...

by Erkuden Sakana, Company Secretary:

The progression of one of this week's inductees, initiated at a previous meeting completed today

One can never be too certain what path a drawing will follow as it's passed around the room to be elaborated upon by the rest of the Company. Sometimes, a clear theme or narrative arises. Sometimes early on, sometimes part way through or not until the end. Influences can seep in from any number or sources and be subtle or overt, deliberate or incidental. Therein lies much of the fun in these Sunday collaborations.

"Punch Fight!" the finished product by the Misanthrope Specialty Co.

The nature of most of this week's drawings suddenly veered off in the same direction halfway through the evening, after one of the misanthropes mentioned their ancestral pig farm during the course of idle banter.

That her Nagy had raised pigs in Hungary wasn't news the Company; the exciting bit of information which had eluded the rest of the members in all these years of working together came in an offhand remark about the quality of their wool. It turns out these were no ordinary swine. They were Mangalica -- a breed of pig which like, like sheep, are covered in wool.

(The woolly pigs in action)

Few of the misanthropes had ever heard of such a wondrous animal and the revelation immediately coloured the rest of the evening's illustrations. Indeed, of the twenty-three illustrations completed tonight, no fewer than eighteen involved woolly pigs, fur-bearing trout and other novelty animals.

"Fig.17-b: A Bat Fucking a Pig" by the men and women of the Misanthrope Specialty Co.

It's a wonder this juicy nugget of trivia information hadn't come up before; particularly during the pig-obsessed period following the swine flu epidemic of 2009.

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(City of Craft flyer design by Trip Print Press)

In other news, City of Craft returns to the Theatre Centre for another week-end extravaganza of all things hand-made; just in time for Christmas. The two-day event boasts a bustling market, art installations, workshops and demos for the crafty types, and now an interactive midway, purveying all manner of services and entertainment for one and all.

Meeting the shopping hordes at City of Craft 2009 (photo by Sweetie Pie Press)

This is, in the Company's collective opinion, Toronto's best holiday crafts and arts show, and the Misanthrope Specialty Co. is very pleased to announce it is once again getting in on the action. Doubly so this year: The Company will hocking it's array of cards, prints, and original illustration in the market while Reverend Aitor brings his Unflattering Portrait project to the midway fanfare.

City of Craft runs December 18 and 19 at the Theatre Centre. Stay tuned to this weblog for more details as they arise.

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THIS WEEK'S PRODUCTIVITY REPORT
Number of projects initiated: 29
Number completed: 23
Number inducted: 5
Carried over to next week: 2

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PLAYING AGAINST TYPE...

by Erkuden Sakana, Company Secretary:

"Talkin' Trash Behind Blood Ghost's Back" by the M.S.Co. Part of the new Clubhouse
maze wall (photo by Arthur Corey)

The Company is once again taking advantage of their absentee slumlord's chronic neglect and doing a little creative restructuring of the layout in the M.S.Co. Clubhouse. Plans include a permanent maze leading up to the gallery space, complete with all manner of traps and pitfalls.
All week, the misanthropes have been knocking down old walls and putting up new ones using scavenged, freecycled and generously donated building materials.

The Clubhouse maze, in progress (photo by Lydia Caulpepper)

Today, however, construction was put on hold for the Company's regularly scheduled Sunday conference. Still, a large portion of the drawing session was spent decorating the exposed drywall; the objective being to provide a little atmosphere for next week's exhibition.

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Those of you regularly in attendance at Clubhouse events may have picked up on the trend of a new instrument appearing the Company Orchestra's arsenal with every exhibition. It turns out this upcoming show will be no exception.

Voting on the name for this newfangled instrument remains deadlocked (photo by Heywood MacGillicuddy)

The Company's Chief Engineer and Musical Director surprised their colleagues with the unveiling of their latest development: A line of old typewriters modified into a variety of odd-sounding musical gimmicks.

Some are electrical, some accoustic. There are seven variations in total, though only two of the Orchestra members know how to play any of them thus far. And with Hallowe'en only one week away, it appears the misanthropes have their work cut out for them.

(music for unmodified typewriters)

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Typewriters in need of some Company love (photo by Reverend Aitor)

It should be noted that Company policy strictly opposes the wanton destruction of typewriters [article 289A-2002]. These particular instruments were made using parts from some of the irreparable machines the Company keeps on hand for spare parts.

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THIS WEEK'S PRODUCTIVITY REPORT
Number of projects initiated: 10
Number completed: 8
Number inducted: 4
Carried over to next week for completion: 4

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RHODE TO RICHES...

by Erkuden Sakana, Company Secretary:
Though Hallowe'en has yet to come and go, it is already time for the members of the M.S.Co. to begin preparations for the Christmas shopping frenzy.

(promotional artwork courtesy of Craftland)

Among the motions passed at last week's meeting was the proposal to participate in the 9th annual Craftland pop-up department store. Consequently, most of this week's meeting was spent concocting an assortment of handmade goods to ship down to Providence, Rhode Island.

The Company busts out the embossing tape and sets to work on message cards (photo by Tallulah Lastname)

This will be the first time the Company will be peddling it's wares at Craftland. It's been whole-heartedly endorsed to the misanthropes by various friends over the years, so, after a bit of deliberating, the Company has finally decided to give it a go.

(photo courtesy of ann-dabney)

For those of you in the Providence area, Craftland runs November 26 through December 31. Stay tuned for further details as the date approaches.

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THIS WEEK'S PRODUCTIVITY REPORT
Number of projects initiated: 8
Number completed: 5
Number inducted: 2
Carried over to next week for completion: 3

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VISIONARY POSITION..

by Erkuden Sakana, Company Secretary:

The AVAM (photo courtesy of Judit Bosár)

Though the Company doesn't officially reunite until tomorrow's Sunday meeting, many of the misanthropes are down in Baltimore, showing their support for Reverend Aitor, at the opening of
the American Visionary Art Museum's new exhibition, What Make's Us Smile?

The Reverend wows them with his mubled ramblings about ugliness (photo courtesy of thefrontrowe)

The Company is very proud to announce that the good Reverend's Unflattering Portraits form part of the museum's 15th anniversary show, curated by Rebecca Hoffberger, Gary Panter, and Matt Groening.

Matt Groening loves his Unfalttering Portrait (photo courtesy of the Baltimore Examiner)

The AVAM describes its exhibition as "a playful celebration of human joy", wherein visitors can romp through a warren of mini-galleries to explore different key aspects of humour. There's even a room dedicated to fart jokes throughout human history. It's been brilliantly monikered the Toot Suite, and features a surprisingly comfortably bench upholstered with self-inflating whoopee cushions.

Thats right: SELF-INFLATING (photo by Reverend Aitor)

Among the other featured artists Aitor's portraits have the honour of rubbing elbows with are Pedro Bell, Tom Wilborn, John Waters, Chris Roberts-Antieau, Patty Kuzbida, Anado MacLauchlin, and the late John Callahan. What Makes Us Smile? runs until September 4th, 2011 -- so if you find yourself in the Baltimore area sometime in the next year, be sure to drop by the American Visionary Art Museum.

the PBS News Hour has something to say about the show

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