Taul “Toy Crusher” Waters is an illustrator, painter, graphic designer, and synthographer born and residing in Jacksonville, Florida.
He concocts strange characters, landscapes, and machines using various mediums - from traditional to digital. Inspired by science fiction, horror, philosophy, graffiti, hip hop, skateboard culture - plus hilariously absurd and odd life experiences - Taul has managed to carve out a corner of the cosmos that his own brand of weirdness calls home.
Masking in vector art makes me anxious. It never feels like the assets you're masking are going to work with the rest of the composition, so it ends up being a "fuqit, see what happens" scenario and we all know how that can go. You could easily end up with a character looking like it's wearing a Rick James outfit...
...anyway, Tubi just added one of the most underrated scifi shows since, well...
I first saw this show when it was on Netflix and, while many found it to be kinda cheesy, I thought it was/is pretty good. It gives the "escaped virus/outbreak/zombie" trope a different perspective - beginning in the Arctic and then moving...somewhere else. I don't want to give any of it away in case anyone is inquisitive enought to venture into it. I will say that visually I've pulled a ton of inspiration from this show, so there's that.
OK, WHO ALL'S GOING?!
I was dissappointed when I realized that wasn't taking place in Springfield of Jacksonville...
...but yeah, zombie flicks are always my go-to when it comes to film, so you can imagine how amped I am about this happening:
January 2024 saw the announcement of plans for a new 28 Days Later trilogy. The planned 28 Years Later story will span three films, as trilogies are known to do, and will bring back many critical players. Few details have been released in the months since the first announcement. That will likely remain the case for the foreseeable future.
While fans clamor for more information, we know that the franchise is a classic known for reinvigorating a previously slumping zombie horror subgenre. Twenty-two years since the first film’s release and facing tall expectations, will the 28 Years Later trilogy deliver?
28 Days Later was the first time I remember seeing zombies actually run in a film - which is absolutely bonkers when you think about it. World War Z subsequently showed them in hive mind, ant like behavior but initially seeing them actually run (FAST) after their victims was nerve wracking and nightmarish - and they didn't even use CGI. Dafuq kind of voodoo was that?
In case you happened to have missed this, I didn't:
FIXING GOOD: A BREAKING BAD PARODY
I get the feeling Studio C is for kids and wholesome people, so the preceeding video is completely out of place over here. Yet, Breaking Bad fans know. I don't want to offend the church, but this seems like something "they'd" do.
Somebody tell me what's really happening here...
Chechnya Bans Music That Doesn't Have the Right Tempo
Chechen authorities have reportedly shrunk the number of songs that are permissible in the Russian republic by banning music that's too fast or too slow. "From now on all musical, vocal, and choreographic works must correspond to a tempo of 80 to 116 beats per minute" in order to conform to the "Chechen mentality and musical rhythm," the culture ministry announced Friday, reports CNN. Radio Free Europe reports it's unclear "exactly how the restrictions will apply or would be enforced in the tightly controlled Muslim region," though Politico says Chechen musicians were reportedly given until June 1 to "rewrite" their songs.
From the beginning, the main character is a strange individual (not that that's a spoiler - they're all strange). However, this one was actually more funny than anything, but you'll swear you have the characters pegged and then they flip the ending on you - rather suddenly I might add.
*NOT A SCENE FROM THE FILM*
Before I sign off, I recently came across this video thanks to Boom Bap Nation, and I have to say I haven't been this hype over a cypher in a minute. Salute!
I've been listening to a ton of Alan Watts lately - which isn't anything new if you know me - but his series Ecological Awareness kinda sparked the subject matter for this illustration. No idea what I'm going to do with these yet. Really, I've been known to start these things and not finish them, so...
‘Terrifier 3’ – Damien Leone Just Filmed “One of the Most Insanely Horrific Scenes” of the Franchise
"Filming has been underway for the last several weeks on Damien Leone’s Terrifier 3, the next installment in one of the most popular new horror franchises of the modern era.
Coming to theaters later this year from Cineverse and Bloody Disgusting, Terrifier 3 aims to raise the bar even further on the gruesome exploits of Art the Clown, and Leone has taken a little break from filming this morning to tease an insane sequence the team just got on camera.
Damien Leone tweets from the set of Terrifier 3, “Can honestly say we just filmed one of the most insanely horrific scenes of the Terrifier franchise and you’ll never believe who couldn’t handle it on set 😬😂 🤮 the bts is hilarious. Can’t wait for you all to see!”
Considering 2022’s Terrifier 2 had people throwing up and fainting in theaters, well, it’s safe to say that nobody is prepared for the uncut brutality of this year’s sequel. Stay tuned for more.
Art the Clown is slashing his way through Christmas in the upcoming third installment, with David Howard Thornton back as Art and Lauren LaVera returning as adversary Sienna."
I'm just going to go ahead and say that if what they're saying is true, we've come into a new era of film. The scene they're attempting to go further than made me turn away in disgust until I thought it was over, and I hadn't done that since I saw some of the scenes in the Hannibal show.
Some films are smart when it comes to plot and progression. Some films are funny when it comes to character personality, odd situations, or slight misfortune. Igby Goes Down is all of those:
This movie was shown to me by an old cohort when I was stationed in the Keys and I honestly didn't know what to expect beforehand. At that time I was watching a bunch of Japanese Horror and French shock films (if that's even a term), so I was skeptical I would even remain interested after the first 10 minutes. That turned out to be completely wrong. I'd rate this in my top 10 of most hilarious flicks I've had the pleasure of viewing. The characters are SHARP, each presenting personality traits and idiosyncrasies that are odd yet relatable. It's a smart film, so I'm confident you all will enjoy it.
A few of my line work study illustrations are up for grabs if you're interested in getting your hands on some of my work. These are hand drawn and vectored by yours truly; signed, framed, and prepped to hang. Drop an email at mechdirective@proton.me to get in touch.
Just so you know, quitting caffeine will bring about an unruly headache that lasts for what seems like a fortnight. Goodnight!
I know what you're thinking. You took one look at that graphic and thought "what in the Alice in Wonderland?". That or you just scrolled down to the movie review (you're wrong for that, btw). Seriously though, whenever I finish a project like this I immediately realize that I've probably watched The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus waaay too many times.
Good news!
The first issue of ALT:VISION (an AI, Glitch, and Synthography magazine) published by Geist (@4e1st) has just been released and guess who got a spot in that joint...
...that's right, ya boy! 15 other killers in the community are featured and none of them hold any punches. Check us out at the link below!
Getty’s Open Content Program Has 88,000 Images You Can Use for Free
The J. Paul Getty Museum added around 88,000 images of artworks from its collection to its Open Content database. People can download, edit, and repurpose any high-resolution images without any restrictions using a Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license.
“Add a print of your favorite Dutch still life to your gallery wall or create a shower curtain using the Irises by Van Gogh — the possibilities are endless,” Getty explains.
I don't even want to post the trailer because in my opinion it gives away too much. Just know, if you make it past the first 20 minutes of this film, you're a true cinema soldier. I seriously had a hard time watching the first few scenes because, quite frankly the entire thing is the epitome of "not what you'd expect". Not even joking. The first act is going to knock your head off. I first saw this film years ago and purposefully repressed the memory. I decided to blog about it because of the shock factor, and once you watch it you'll repress the memory as well. Good luck, citizens!
BRUH, the new Alien: Romulus teaser trailer has just been released and I stopped breathing for approximately 5 seconds:
ALIEN: ROMULUS TEASER TRAILER
I've been a fan of the A L I E N franchise for decades and, even amidst the skepticism catalyzed by the mixed reviews of the Prometheus and Covenant films, I still have faith that this will be one of the best in the entire series. I personally have no beef with any of the films except Resurrection (I think it was just unnecessary), so having a bridge in the story other than the reading material that is canon is highly anticipated. The movie is set to release August 16th of this year, so you have plenty of time to dust off your DVD's (or VHS's if you're nasty) and catch up.
* NOT A SCENE FROM THE FILM *
A fellow artist and comrade suggested that I work on an audio version of the blog, so I may be putting that in the works in the coming months. You'll get to read AND hear me talk smack to an audience that may or may not exist. Stay tuned!
A quick black and white vector illustration to study line work and variations in line weight - composed in Adobe Illustrator. It's the beginning of a series I'll be exploring with the intention of utilizing line work to convey depth rather than multiple shades of a color. We'll see how weird it gets.
Not to intentionally kick off with gloom, but the art world loses another legend:
Akira Toriyama, Creator of Dragon Ball and Manga Pioneer, Dies at 68
From IGN: "Toriyama's body of work inspired both anime fans and creators alike.
Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball and the artist behind Dragon Quest, Chrono Trigger, and numerous other works, has died. He was 68.
News of Toriyama's passing was made public by the official Dragon Ball Z X (formerly Twitter) account on March 7. According to the statement, Toriyama died due to an acute subdural hematoma."
I don't really need to explain how much of an influence he was on a whole generation, but there will never be another. >>> READ THE REST HERE
The menthol question is what first piqued my attention. Katt Williams is a legend and an iconoclast in his own right, and this conversation shows and proves why he's earned both of those titles. It delivers the brand of banter and compelling communication that we've all come to expect of him and Joe Rogan, so I for one am glad this conversation happened...even though by the time I've posted this, we've all moved on to something else wild that Katt's said.
A24 is undoubtedly racking up a killer resume - with flicks like Under the Skin, Hereditary, Everything Everywhere All at Once, and this oddity:
I've watched many a strange film in my day. I was a big fan of Takashi Miike in his Audition / Ichi the Killer days, so I'm pretty familiar with what's left field - and The Killing of a Sacred Deer definitely ranks up there. I watched the first 15 minutes of this asking myself aloud this one question: "wtf?". That should give you an idea of the obscure level of this film. Although, if you're not a fan of Hitchcock or Kubrick, well...
While we're on the subject of film, I just so happened to stumble upon this video (thanks to the good folks at the USS Sulaco Colonial Marines (Aliens) Fans Group) that's 45 minutes of unreleased footage from the original ALIEN film by Ridley Scott. It's packed with information about the storyline that, if you ask me, should have never been removed from the film. Although, it's easy to say that 40 something years later.
So...it's been a minute - which is a complete understatement - but before I get started running my mouth again, here are a few of the things I've been up to since the last official episode:
Old Soul
This is a marker rendering I did for a classmate from when I attended The Art Institute of Jacksonville (I have some odd stories from that House of Weirdos, but more on that later - we have a whole slew of nonsense to cover). I did this with Microns, Sharpies, OTR Markers, Prismacolors, and Copics...like an old man should. Shout out to David Webster and Anna Miller for all the jewels of drawing wisdom. I still have miles to go, but it's a lifelong venture and a meditation.
52 Tactical Slaps, Balloon Monk, SNAX.3, Trinity
These are a few of my more recent vector illustrations. One of the best things I got out of my time at The Institute was a thorough introduction to the nuances (and subsequent pain) of digital illustration. It's honestly something I should've been exploring on my own before I decided to pay thousands of dollars for it. The thing is, when you were a stubborn purist like I used to be, stepping into the digital realm seemed like "selling out". I've come to learn in my old age that that is a bullshit term.
Shout out to Graham Young for the thorough, military style digital training and also to Jet Belleza who was THE DUDE who pushed me the most to go digital in the first place.
Rumbling Text
In The Wild
Then there is, of course, what most of you know me for. Not many of these have been executed since about 2016 or so (at least not any that anyone knew about). The first one is part of a production that I had the honor of being a part of for NightHawks alongside WERMS, ASMA, KES, CENT, and Campbell.
Nighthawks
Shout out to Triclops for letting us get loose. The second one is part of a character I did for the long time homie The Infader for a venture he was a part of that, in all honesty, I'm not sure what came of.
"It's easy to fall off. It's twice as hard to get back on." - Clyde
In 2011 I enrolled at The House of Weirdos in a 3 year Graphic Design program. I ended up having to take a year off in the middle for health reasons, but came back and finished in 2015. I'd be lying if I said the entire experience was negative; the faculty and the other students were the best part of it. However I'm pretty sure everyone's heard by now just how shady that organization was, so I'll refrain from the mudslinging.
From 2015 (after I graduated) to 2018 I worked in print and, while that was a different and unique experience in itself, it turned out to be yet another path I probably should've refrained from taking. I did make some great connections and learned a ton about printing though, so I'm not really complaining.
That brings us to what I call the Wild West era - from 2018 to now...
Yee Haw
At the beginning of 2019 I ended up leaving the design and print world. I've managed to keep busy under the radar mainly drawing and posting on social media but, not a whole lot of public appearances. I think it's safe to say that, for those of us fortunate enough to make it through the events of the subsequent years after, life's been a little strange ever since.
In the beginning of 2023 - out of sheer wonder and curiousity - I took a leap and stepped over into the synthography world and have been learning an immense amount about that technology, it's mode of operation, and the many uses it has the potential for.
Now, before everyone pulls out their art history manuals and art law degrees, I fully realize it's a major point of contention in the art world at the moment. I'm not here to debate or evangelize. Time will tell. This doesn't mean I've ceased to draw, paint, and vector. It's just another creative outlet and another tool in the tool box. With that being said, if you'd like to keep up with the constant stream of how I'm using my strange brain to create in that medium, you can check out my Threads feed.
So, it's not often you run into a bizarre flick on Tubi that's actually good. Don't get it wrong, there are a ton of bizarre flicks on there, but watching most of them feels like listening to a toddler describe their synopsis of The Shining in a language you don't understand. This one, however, actually kept my interest for more than the first 8 Minutes:
I'm not sure if it's because I now qualify for AARP, or if it's just the legitmate insurmountable barrage of general information that's out there, but I seem to have a penchant for sleeping on hilarity like this:
in Haunted Places, Stories/by Charlie Hintz
"The Christmas Tree Ship sank into the depths of Lake Michigan near the shore of Two Rivers, WI during a devastating winter storm on November 23, 1912.
Once a beloved symbol of the holiday season hauling a load of fresh-cut pine trees bound for Chicago on the rough late season waters, the Rouse Simmons became a watery grave 165 feet beneath the waves. But that hasn’t stopped her ghostly crew from trying to complete their voyage and deliver their final load on Christmas morning.
Quick facts about the Christmas Tree Ship:
The Rouse Simmons was a three-masted Great Lakes schooner built in Milwaukee in 1868
The ship delivered Christmas trees from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to Chicago
Captain Herman Schuenemann was known as “Captain Santa“
The ship sank during a winter storm on November 23, 1912
The crew and passengers, an estimated 16-23 men, were all lost
The shipwreck was discovered off the coast of Two Rivers, WI in 1971
A phantom bell has been heard tolling for those lost
The ghost ship sails on Christmas Eve
The grave of Captain Schuenemann‘s wife Barbara smells of pine"
A Holy Grail of Graffiti, Gordon Matta-Clark's 1972-73 Archive of Photographs Resurfaces
CONTROL Gallery, Los Angeles // March 01, 2024 - April 13, 2024
"In the summer of 1972, a 29-year old Gordon Matta-Clark began to photograph NYC's exploding graffiti movement. There are many significant things to consider here. One, this pre-dates the style we would begin to recognize as "graffiti" as documented in later books like Subway Art. This is an innocent time, an origin story, and Matta-Clark was capturing it with the sense innocence but acute interest. Matta-Clark himself was approaching architecture and urban space as the canvas for his own significant body of work. He is known now, famous for, his site-specific works, claiming unused or forgotten space, and transforming into something different. He was socially engaged, a rebel, an activist. Space and how to use and who uses it was important. And maybe that is why Gordon Matta-Clark turned his attention to documenting graffiti and the way the wall writers were using and claiming space, because that was so vital to his own practice. For such a renowned artist to explore graffiti in its infancy, was quite extraordinary."
I'll go ahead and leave it there. I'm sure you've picked up on it by now, but I wouldn't suggest reading this blog if you don't have a whole lot of time to waste. :)
