STICKISM: A SATIRE New stick figure based art is an overnight sensation by Jack Howard
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he artistic movement of Stickism has virtually flipped the art world on its heels. Artists, such as Leonard McCoy, David Gire and Don Hertzfeldt have had their stick figure art displayed in museums all around the world including The Louvre, The Uffizi Gallery and the Vatican Museums. Their modern masterpieces push artistic boundaries and are not only designed to entertain but also to invoke deep thinking. “It’s really no wonder that the public has responded so well to this revolutionary movement,” says leading stickist, Leonard McCoy. “While many traditional artwork shows high levels of technical mastery, many view it as indulgent, extravagant and pretentious, myself included. Our goal is to provide simple, stripped down, back to basics artwork which isn’t afraid to be controversial”. Who knew artwork with typically no fewer than ten lines per page could be so provocative and boundary pushing? A simple stick man can speak out against bigotry and prejudice, question traditional gender roles, or provide solutions to pressing world issues. The possibilities are virtually endless. Stickism pieces are usually done with
pencil or ballpoint pen on lined paper. “We don’t use any fancy-schmancy tools for our artwork,” says stickist David Gire. “I mean why would we want to? It contradicts the entire movement, and simple tools produce the best line anyway. And let’s not forget profit maximization (laughs).” I spoke with McCoy about his piece “My Poetic Soul Cries Out for Love.” “It’s really a story about the intolerance, we boundary challenging artists face in the art world,” said McCoy. “I grew up constantly hearing things like, why don’t you challenge yourself further than those little stick drawings. Anyone can draw those. Little did they know, I was challenging myself to the furthest possible extent by defying traditional art styles. It brings tears to my eyes, thinking about our recent acceptance into the serious art world, but I‘m not to forget my past and with this piece (sobs), that’s exactly what I’ve done”. While these simple yet highly disturbing and challenging pieces hang next to renaissance sculptures and paintings, one can clearly deduce that these tortured talents have finally achieved mainstream acceptance within the art world. And if that doesn’t bring a warm feeling to your heart, I don’t know what could.
“Who knew artwork with typically no fewer than ten lines per page could be so provocative and boundary pushing?”
COLD LIGHT OF DAY REVIEW by Dalton Valette
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he Cold Light of Day: PG-13, 93 Minutes Starring: Henry Cavill, Sigourney Weaver, Bruce Willis 1.5 /5 Stars Set in the backdrop of beautiful and sweeping Madrid, Will (Cavill), a workaholic and somewhat of a jerk, visits his family (including Willis as his dad) on their boat. After going to town for a few hours, Will returns to the boat and finds that his family is gone. Soon, people are chasing him, shooting at him, demanding he turn over a briefcase of great value, and he finds out that his dad is a member of the CIA. Weaver plays a fellow CIA agent who was friends with Will’s dad but is now the story’s main antagonist. Let me say what I thought was good about this movie, which wasn’t a whole lot. The cinematography was actually very well done and gave a unique perspective on the scenes. There are a few good action scenes in the film, the majority of which involve car chases throughout the city with bullets nar-
parking garages, plazas, and shopping centers. These action scenes, however, do not compare to those in 2008’s Taken. Out of all the actors, Weaver gave the best performance, but that’s not saying much and I find it sad that most (if not all of the time) I was rooting for her to win, and she’s the bad guy. The plot was way over the top and confusing, leaving the viewer with more unanswered questions then they would have expected with an action movie. The acting is extremely stale and Cavill was by far the weakest link in the film. If his performance in this foreshadows things to come when he plays Superman in next year’s Man of Steel, I am deeply concerned. The dialogue is bland and almost comical in times of extreme angst, but the most egregious thing was the number of outrageous bloopers throughout. The editing of this film was simply terrible. In one scene, Cavill’s character is talking to a girl and then in the next shot after he walked away from her for less than a minute, she is wearing a completely different outfit. Her hair was even in a different style. The Cold Light of Day should be renamed The Cold Light of Boredom.
HOMECOMING HELP How to kick it off By Ashley Litoff
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Asking your date. When you ask someone to Homecoming, make sure you ask in a creative way. “Be original,” said Jackson Armstrong. You also want to make sure you know the person you’re asking. “Just go for it and make sure you know them, don’t just ask someone random,” said Gigi Spector. You may even want to check with their friends to make sure they will go with you. “Ask their friends first if they would be willing because everyone does it. Don’t be ashamed,” said Jon Ansell. Rides. Have a ride planned in advance. You don’t want to get stuck somewhere with no way of getting to the dance. Most people drive themselves or have their parents drive them to Homecoming. Usually limos are more popular for Prom, but some people take limos to Homecoming. When asked how he usually gets to the dance, Armstrong said, “8 Limos and I’m in the last one!”
Dinner Reservations. Make sure you make dinner reservations in advance for your group. You want to go “somewhere nice where you can fit a lot of people like Spice China,” said Ansell. “The worst place would be fast food like McDonald’s unless your going for the hipster thing where you dress up and all go to McDonald’s,” said Ansell. Some of the best places include Chili’s, Spice China, or maybe even a nice place in
Your Outfit. According to Ansell the attire should be “a 7 or 8 on the fancy scale.” Look for a dress you really like, but try to steer clear of things that might fall down or you’ll constantly have to fix or worry about. As for heels, you don’t want to be taller than your date, and it’s best to be able to walk in them. You do take your shoes off at the the actual dance, but you should definitely try to find comfortable heels.
Pictures. Find a good place to take pictures, and plan your picture venue in advance. You also have to be wary because sometimes a bunch of homecoming groups all go to the same place and it could be crowded such as “Purple Park” according to Ansell. It’s cool to have a pretty background, but you also want to check the weather. “If it’s nice, outside in a field, and if it’s cold, a nice house with some stairs,” said Spector.
Have a Good Time. Overall you have to remember to have a good time. Homecoming is meant to be enjoyed, so don’t worry too much about all the little details. The most fun part is “the dancing,” said Armstrong. “Just dressing up with your friends and going to dinner, you look classy and get respect,” said Ansell. You only get four Homecoming dances throughout high school, so make the most of them!
Girls show off their comfortable heels at last year’s Homecoming. (Photo credit: Maddy Shopbach)
An example of stickism in a prestigious art museum. (Cartoon by Jack Howard)
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