Box Doodles, Social Distortion Tunes, & Why I Wish Mike Ness Was My BFF

It's that time of the month again. The time for box doodles. This month our entertainment writers Jill & Gary of TourBusLive.com covered Social Distortion (YEAH!). I have a special spot in my heart for these wrinkly old, tatted up, grease monkeys. Especially Mr. Mike Ness. Nothing makes me happier (or want to get in a bar fight more) than when a Social D song comes on my radio or iPod. He seems like one of those guys who has lived a million lives. He's the guy you want to sit next to at the bar because you know he's got some stories to tell (he'll be drinking the tonic water of course because he's off the sauce these days). He's the guy you want on your side in a bar fight. He's the guy you want sitting next to you in the drivers seat of a '36 Ford as you fly down Coast Highway listening to "Highway 101." He's the guy you want telling you how to buzz a proper mohawk. He's the guy you want as your BFF.

- Amy

Listening to: Social Distortion's "Story of My Life"

Billy Idol Doodle, Drawing Cock-Eyes, & Phosphorescent

[ Trying to do the Billy Idol patented scowl. ]

It's that time of the month again - time for magazine box doodles. I'm always struck with fear when I have to start these doodles. Portraying someone famous is scary because everyone knows what they are supposed to look like. It's not like painting your Auntie Ethel where no one knows that she really doesn't have a cock-eye and crooked grin - everyone knows when you don't get a star just right. But I put my fears behind me and got to work on illustrating this month's TourBusLive.com feature subject - Billy Idol. Mind you, he may look more like a tranny than the Billy Idol we know and love, but none the less, here's your favorite bottle-blonde Brit as drawn by the chubby fingers typing this entry. It was while drawing Idol that I realized he bears a strange resemblance to a certain young actor. I have a gift for finding dopplegangers. Enjoy my friends.

INSPIRATION OF THE DAY: Phosphorescent's video for "It's Hard To be Humble (When You're From Alabama)"

New Doodles, The Studly Jackson Browne, & More Jason Schwartzman References

[ My Jackson Browne doodle. (Click to enlarge.) ©Amy Hood ]

Here's my monthly doodle for our entertainment writers at The OC Gazette magazine. They covered NAMM 2011 this issue and Jackson Browne was one of the artists they got to see perform live, so I thought I'd sketch Jackson the month. I didn't have a pen, so this one is in pencil, but I think it's my best yet! What a handsome devil Browne is. Seeing him always reminds me of the movie Funny People and how Seth Rogen is always telling Jason Schwartzman's character who gets all the ladies, "we can't all look like Jackson Browne."

The weather has been so nice out. I think I'll hit the beach tomorrow then get some work in on my drawing for Neil's cd cover. I need to post some progress shots of that. Me and Jen are doing it together, which is kind of fun!

- Amy

Listening to: Crowded House's "In My Command"

[ Cheeseball smile. ]

Pink Floyd, Flying Pig Illustrations, And TourBusLive.com

Yet another box doodle to add to Jill and Gary of TourBusLive.com's collection. My twin sis, Jen, and I always draw doodles on their magazine boxes because they are our favorite entertainment writers at The OC Gazette. Nevermind that they're our only entertainment writers, even if there were 100 more they'd still be my favorite. 

[ Pink Floyd back in the day. ]

They just recently covered Roger Water's resurrection of The Wall tour. When I say covered, I mean they went to ALL FOUR NIGHTS. I would have killed to go to one, but they went to all four AND sat front row. Lucky dogs. So, this month's box is graced with the shadowy silhouette of "Algie" the Pink Floyd pig. 

[ Pink Floyd's Animals Cover. ]

The original pig concept was drawn up by Waters himself in preparation/planning for the Animals album cover which would feature a giant helium filled pig balloon. During the photo-shoot the giant helium pig got loose causing cancelled flights at Heathrow Airport as it floated and bumbled in between flight patterns at 40,000 feet in the air. The pig then moved on to tour the English Channel before landing on a farm in Kent that night. I wish I could have seen that sight. The pig became a staple prop in Pink Floyd's live shows after that.  And that's your rock n' roll history for the day. I hope I remembered the story right so that I don't have angry Pink Floyd fanatics leaving hate comments on this post. Be kind Floydian fanatics.


- Amy
Listening to: Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here"

Ringo Starr, Walruses, and Fur Fetishes

Here's another "love doodle" I drew for our entertainment writers, Jill and Gary of TourBusLive.com. This month they covered Ringo Starr and The All Starr Band at Humphrey's by the Bay. Apparently it was an amazing show. Who would expect anything else? Check out the show review here. 

While googling old Beatles music videos and scenes from A Hard Day's Night and HELP! I found my Halloween costume for this year. How fun would it be to get a group to dress up as the Walrus and his posse from the "I Am The Walrus" video (check it out below)? The eggmen would be really easy. The only real big ticket item would be the Walrus suit. I bet we could find one on ebay. Who's with me?! 

In other news: I'm on a fur kick. Before you go digging around your garage for your old bucket of red paint, you should know that it's faux. It started with a vest, then it moved onto a purse (OK, this one isn't faux, but it IS vintage - so that makes it only HALF as wrong), and now I've got my sights set on a jacket. I know, it sounds a little overboard. But look at it!

[Kimichi Blue Lady Bird Faux Fur Coat. Possible early birthday present to myself?]

It's almost like Pheasant feathers or something. I promise I wouldn't wear it with green pleated khakis. I don't know about that. The best part? It's only $148! Which is $148 more than I have since I'm trying to buy a new (new-used that is) car at the end of the month. It still doesn't beat the deal I got on my vintage purse. I got it on ebay for $35! It didn't have a chain, so I picked one up at Michael's for $3, harnessed my inner pre-schooler, and got crafty. 15 minutes, a few cuts and blisters and $38 dollars later, and Amy's Got Fur on the Boulevard (to the tune of "Fred's Got Slacks on The Boulevard").

[My new-old vintage fox chain purse.]

 - Amy

Listening to Tim McGraw's "I Need You"

Doodles, Steven Tyler, and Flying Pianists

As you guys know, I work for The OC Gazette Magazine. Every month we get our printed magazines in from Freedom Printing in Anaheim, and every month our Entertainment columnists Jill and Gary (of TourBusLive.com) drive by to pick up a box or two. Jill and Gary are so much fun to work with so we always leave them "love doodles" on their magazine boxes concerning whatever show they've recently covered. It's like a love note, but better, because a picture is worth a thousand words. Here's my doodle from last month. They covered Aerosmith. I tried to over exaggerate Steven Tyler's mouth, but it looks pretty true to life doesn't it? 

Here's a cool video of Aerosmith doing one of my favorite's, "Dream On," live. I love how they lower the pianist from the cieling. Do you think he had to wait, suspended there, the whole show until they played this song? How much to you want to bet this was probably the encore. Poor guy.

- Amy

Listening to: Ray Lamontagne's "New York City's Killing Me"