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Jacksonville, Florida, United States
Taul “Toy Crusher” Waters is a Jacksonville, Florida–based artist whose practice evolved the way street knowledge usually does: illegally, obsessively, and with a sense of humor sharp enough to draw blood. He cut his teeth in graffiti and illustration, learning early how to communicate fast, loud, and without permission. That foundation expanded into graphic design, painting, digital illustration, and blogging—each medium treated as another surface to disrupt, remix, or interrogate. His work balances discipline with defiance, blending professional execution with the residue of alley walls, sketchbooks, and long nights spent refining ideas that refused to behave. Taul draws inspiration from hip hop culture, drum and bass rhythms, science fiction, horror, skateboard graphics, and the kind of absurd life experiences you only understand after surviving them. More recently, his exploration of synthography has pushed his visual language into stranger territory, where machines collaborate in the chaos rather than clean it up. Darkly comical and deliberately confrontational, his work invites viewers to laugh first, think second, and then realize they’ve been implicated the entire time.
Showing posts with label Taul Waters Universe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Taul Waters Universe. Show all posts

Sunday, January 18, 2026

Episode 17: BAD MEN

Hold on, first up we gotta get this out of the way...

This is why you can't believe anything on the internet. You don't just get accused of something like this. You either did it or you didn't...

...From the Archives!

RANDOM DOODLES FROM 2000

I had to skip around with these due to all the nudity (trying to keep this as clean as possible considering who's writing this). One can't help but laugh when seeing things they did a quarter of a century ago. It's like sitting around with a group of old friends and they remind you of some of the cringe things you did in public that are now hilarious. Listen, I don't need other people for that, fam. My brain does that on a regular basis. What I can't get over (or even remember) is why I used the markers and pencils I did. Probably because I didn't know any better, but also probably due to the fact that the "technology" wasn't where it is now. Feast your eyes on those wonky characters, y'all.

There's always something suppressing something in this universe...

From Scientific American:

An artist’s rendition of a precessing jet erupting from the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy VV 340A, based on combined optical, infrared and radio observations. W. M. Keck Observatory / Adam Makarenko
"For decades, astronomers have known that supermassive black holes lurk at the hearts of essentially all large galaxies, occasionally feasting on infalling material and burping out powerful jets. But what’s been less clear is how, exactly, this activity shapes their surrounding galaxies.

Now researchers have found a crucial piece of this galactic puzzle by observing a supermassive black hole shooting out a wobbling jet in the galaxy VV 340A, some 450 million light-years from Earth. The jet acts as a cosmic scale snowplow, pushing away gas that would otherwise fuel the creation of new stars. The result was announced at this year’s winter meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Phoenix, Ariz."
>>> READ THE REST HERE <<<

This is very much an igorant thing to type on a keyboard, but while reading that article I couldn't help but keep thinking "black holes have tentacles" and "the Flying Spaghetti Monster is real". It's nonsense like that rattling around in my head which keeps people like me from being employed in scientific disciplines, no doubt.


It may just be that I'm getting old, but I could've sworn this flick had already been released...

GALE: YELLOW BRICK ROAD TRAILER

I really do believe I've seen this trailer at least over a year ago, but whatever.

The story of The Wizard of OZ already kinda scared me as a kid. Maybe not so much the story in general, but more so the characters (The wicked witch, flying monkeys, the projection of the man behind the curtain, etc). I found it all to be very ominous and offputting (I had no idea what those words meant back then). However, now that there is a sequel being released and it's horror, I may be justified in my youthful terror. I think this is going to be a good one!

Another sad loss for the film and creative industry...

T.K. CARTER PASSES AWAY AT 69
From DEADLINE:
TK Carter attends the Chiller Theatre Expo on Oct. 27, 2018 in Parsippany, New Jersey. Bobby Bank/Getty Images
The actor was found dead on Friday in his Duarte, California home after calling 9-1-1 at 5:42pm, TMZ reported. A cause of death was not immediately disclosed, but foul play is not expected.

Born Dec. 18, 1956 in New York City, Carter grew up outside of Los Angeles, where he began performing as a standup comedian at age 12, going on to perform at the Comedy Store and other notable venues.
T.K. Carter did A LOT of work to entertain us over the span of his life. I mostly remember him from Good Times and 227, but he also had a role in one of my all time favorite horror movies The Thing. A funny and witty entertainer who was prolific and talented, no doubt.


More horror! More horror!...

LILY'S RITUAL TRAILER

I personally wouldn't trust anyone who has a necklace with a razor blade pendant attached to it, but that's just me. This also gives some insight as to what really goes on during those "girls trips" your wife or girlfriend be takin'. If she isn't cheating on you she's doing some weird stuff, no doubt. I'm kidding (kinda), but this one looks disturbing. It's a reminder that no one should be dabbling in any kind of occult activities in their off time. Ever. Definitely another one on the list!

Y'all already know, so this one needs no introduction...

HEREDITARY TRAILER

From A24:
"When Ellen, the matriarch of the Graham family, passes away, her daughter's family begins to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about their ancestry. The more they discover, the more they find themselves trying to outrun the sinister fate they seem to have inherited. Making his feature debut, writer-director Ari Aster unleashes a nightmare vision of a domestic breakdown that exhibits the craft and precision of a nascent auteur, transforming a familial tragedy into something ominous and deeply disquieting, and pushing the horror movie into chilling new terrain with its shattering portrait of heritage gone to hell."
>>> WATCH THE FULL MOVIE HERE <<<

Now, here's the thing: I'm not an expert at critiquing anything, let alone film, so this is just my opinion. However, I do believe this movie is a double entendre for both the actual storyline and inherited family mental illness. What gives me this idea is the element of none of the characters being in any type of control of the situation, even though they may feel that they are. It's "hereditary" that they've been put there and fighting their way out of it is hopeless and a bit hubristic, but they don't know that.

Many don't like this film and found it boring. Sometimes that's how people respond to art; especially if their viewing creative work to feel something rather than think about something. So, I get it. No one goes to a nightclub to hear music that's brooding or ominous - unless they're gothic I guess. All that aside, Toni Colette and Milly Shapiro are next level in their performances (not to mention the rest of the cast), so if you don't feel anything watching this you probably need more fiber in your diet. I kid, but seriously...watch this if you haven't already.

Clearly I haven't been keeping up with podcasts because I missed this...

SAMURAI MUSIC PODCAST 065: PRESHA MIX
>>> LISTEN HERE <<<
From SoundCloud:
Recorded live at OHM Berlin - 16.10.2025

A new chapter. Stripped-back pressure, deeper space, 170 slowed into focus.

Music from Aerae, Archypness, Brendon Moeller, Feral, Hoji, Ilayruni, Marco Shuttle, Mike Parker, Ness, Pianeti Sintetici, Reeko, Sciama, Solma, The Untouchables, Vardae

Subscribe to the Samurai Music Official Podcast on Apple Music - found.ee/samcast
What I love most about Presha's mixes (as much as the rest of the Samurai / HORO camp) is that each one has a different way of transporting you to a separate realm. Sometimes this realm is full of the esoteric and harrowing, sometimes it's just straight futuristic and ominous. One thing's for sure, these rides are always creative fuel for me. Click that link to see what I'm talking about...

2026 is turning out so far to be a year that's still up in the air for me, not gonna lie. However, we've only just begun so let's keep it movin.

Stay up!

KRUST - BAD INTENTIONS

#toycrusher #taulwatersuniverse #mechdirective #art #artblog #jacksonville #jacksonvilleflorida #jax #jaxart #jaxartist #duvalcounty #duuuval #horror #jacksonvilleart #jaxartblog #scientificamerican #blackholes #theuniverse #cosmicevents #galeyellowbrickroad #thewizardofoz #lilysritual #hereditary #samuraimusicpodcast #presha #djkrust #fullcycle #drumandbass

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Episode 16: Stick & Move


You ever order a pizza, then they deliver it unsliced?...

Anyway...

This photo will go down in my digital history as proof that I was dirt poor at one point. I painted this at the mighty Shanty Town in Springfield (shout out to Triclops) somewhere between 2019 - 2020. I was supposed to be working (we were there to actually paint something professionally), but instead I was out back painting on the fence. That's probably why I was dirt poor. Oddly, though, I think that night was the first time I ate sushi in my entire life. So, I wasn't exactly dirt poor; just broke.

But...
The XO

This is the last thing I drew in 2025. I make a lot of promises I don't keep; I have so many half done canvases all over the place it's actually a shame. Especially since I've been asked a couple of times if I had any work available. Don't follow my example if you happen to be a young creative reading this. People will lose respect for you, then you'll end up being a graphic designer. (Not throwing shade on designers, I am one 😂) But I'll be drawing weird stuff until I'm geriatric; it's just one of my glitches.

I know it is a taboo form of cognitive or hindsight bias to say things like this out loud, but this...THIS is something I've been saying for most of my adult life...

From Big Think:

ANNE-LAURE LE CUNFF ON THE MENTAL SCRIPTS THAT HOLD YOU BACK

The mental scripts that hold you back by Big Think

And how we can break out of our default patterns.

Read on Substack

I've heard many people touch on this subject - mostly philosophers - and I've heard it phrased in other terms like "the universal bind". How I've heard it explained in the past is there are two different forces that pull an individual in separate directions: who you are and inherently know yourself to be versus who you are told you are and what is expected of you. I've also learned that this is one of the major sources of my anxiety; as it is with many people. I can't really speak for many groups of people, but I know in my culture there are many expectations put upon and aspersions cast upon Black men.

Keeping all of this in mind, my personal philosophy is that "weird" is a relative and somewhat nebulous term cast upon someone when they don't display a willingness to fall into the expectations of others. That or they walk a path that isn't expected of them because of aforementioned aspersions.

What a world we live in.

I'm not entirely sure what happened to the sound for this video during the transer between devices, but it's now a silent film made by yours truly I like to call...

I N S O M N I A C Cinema
synthography by: MECH DIRECTIVE

Certain forms of media are made and destined to become a little destabilizing. I'm the type of creative that just likes to see how things move and learn what I can do to direct them. For more of this type of tomfoolery, head on over to Threads.

There was a time that I had to dig extensively to find an article like this...

From Intellectual Takeout:

COLLIN JONES - WHY 'THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS" FEELS UNCOMFORTABLY MODERN
"When people first encounter C.S. Lewis’ “The Screwtape Letters,” they assume they’re getting a Christian book about temptation or a moral fable written for a specific audience who lived in a particular time.

Yet as I’ve begun reading the book for the first time, it’s clear that Lewis is doing something more precise than mere theology. Beneath the religious framework lies a careful investigation into how the human mind works – revealing how easily it can be manipulated.

Early in the first letter, Screwtape explains to his nephew Wormwood how the human he’s assigned to has long been accustomed “to have a dozen incompatible philosophies dancing about together inside his head.” This line struck me as profoundly modern. With the advent of the internet, we’re surrounded by compelling arguments that claim to describe how the world works, how we ought to live, and what ultimately matters in life."
>>> READ THE REST HERE <<<

I once got into a discussion with someone on the subject of whether it's more traumatizing for a young person to see sex portrayed on screen or violence portrayed on screen. I've actually been in that discussion with a variety of people; and some of the justifications for violence actually made me go abruptly silent.

Though the confusion and awe were not so much about their individual replies. Rather it was the obviousness of their lack of an origin of thought which lead them to their conclusions that was striking. Like when you hear someone singing a song that you've never heard, yet you can tell they heard it on the radio and have no idea who sings it.


I never saw any hype building up to this one, but man does it look impressive...

THEY WILL KILL YOU TRAILER

From Warner Bros:
"They Will Kill You is an upcoming American horror film directed by Kirill Sokolov, from a script written by him and Alex Litvak. The film will star Zazie Beetz, Myha'la, Tom Felton, Heather Graham, and Patricia Arquette.

A desperate woman answers a cryptic ad for a live-in housekeeper at a luxurious yet foreboding New York City high-rise. Upon arrival, she uncovers the building's sinister history: residents have vanished without trace for decades, fueling whispers of a Satanic cult lurking in the shadows. As she navigates the eccentric, secretive community, paranoia mounts—doors creak at night, symbols appear in the walls, and her new "family" hides deadly secrets. What starts as a gig from hell spirals into a fight for survival against ritualistic horrors..."
>>> READ THE REST HERE <<<

The story is very intriguing, the characters seem sharp, the fight scenes are off the chain, and that subtle element of underlying comedy is present which makes this a recipe for promising cinema. I hope these types of left-field hitters keep coming!

Bruh, I slept on this one for waaay too long...

PEARL TRAILER

First, let me start off by mentioning how creepy the beginning of the end credits are. I mean, the majority of the movie is off the rails disturbing, but sitting there watching the beginning of the credits gave me the chills...for real. Pearl is the origin story of the villain from X and MaXXXine, parts of a trilogy coming out of the A24 camp. It stars Mia Goth and I'm telling you, she kills that role (no pun intended). There's also a scene where she pulls an Ellen Burstyn in Requeim for a Dream and bodies it (again, no pun intended). If she didn't win an award for that scene (I don't believe she did), then the acting game is rigged.

>>> WATCH THE FULL MOVIE HERE <<<

Horror in 2026 looks like it's going to be as promising (if not more) as it has been the last few years...

PRIMATE Trailer

We've all seen Monkey Shines, The Monkey, and Planet of the Apes. We've even seen that one movie that I can't recall the name of that they sent a chimp into a room full of radiation to see how long it would survive (that was brutal). PRIMATE, however, seems to be a frightening mix of a few of those tropes without the musical instruments or the tribal warfare. It'll be another one on the list.

Now this, ladies and y'alls, is next level legendary...

MTV Rewind
>>> STREAM HERE <<<

I keep saying this, but the fact that I can sit here and just stream Yo! MTV Raps is enough, let alone being able to go back and see decades of music videos is one of the best things to happen on the internet. The major appeal to us old heads is that there's no algorithm - it's just a lottery of music like it was pre-internet. I realize this is bordering the overly nostalgic, but there's worlds of inspiration to be had within that audio realm.

I'm a sucker for unpopular tunes, so I'm going to end this with a tune in which I wore the vinyl right the hell out. Catch me on the next episode.

Stay up!

Q PROJECT - STICKY FINGERS (TWISTED INDIVIDUAL REMIX)

#toycrusher #taulwatersuniverse #mechdirective #art #artblog #jacksonville #jacksonvilleflorida #jax #jaxart #jaxartist #duvalcounty #duuuval #horror #jacksonvilleart #jaxartblog #pearl #a24 #miagoth #ellenburstyn #requiemforadream #horror #qproject #twistedindividual #drumandbass #annelaurelecunff #iwantmymtvrewind #primatemovie #intellectualtakeout #cslewis #thescrewtapeletters #theywillkillyou