Le Cram's baaa aaack!

"Down on the farm". Paper towel, crayon, and felt tip marker.

Playing Catch Up

Le Cram has been away for a while, and does not wish to explain. So let's just continue as if nothing has happend. Here are some post-it Portraits that were requested a long time ago:
Gumby/Pokey Centaur for "That Other Guy"

Captain Spaulding for for Le Cram's favorite evil clown, "Evel Klownievel"

Hitler being punched in the nuts by 1950s Robot, for "This Guy"

And last, Grimace for "Paul!"

Le Cram's Is Alive!


Did you miss Le Cram?

White Lightnin' Express

"Post-It" Portrait #2, Lucy Van Pelt for Angie

Thanks again, Angie, for being in Le Cram's corner! You are a loyal pal, unlike Larry.

Sincerely,
Le Cram

Pokey for "That Guy"

Pokey drawing done while at work on a "Post-It". As requested by "That Guy"


Thanks for supporting Le Cram's "Ultimate Tributes"!

Le Cram's Ultimate Tribute (TM) To Walt Disney Productions-"The Black Hole"

Today we are starting a new semi-regular feature here at Le Cram's, and we think you will find it to be pretty awesome!!! The third Thursday of every month will be... "Ultimate Tribute Thursdays"! What is an Ultimate Tribute? An Ultimate Tribute is the highest honor that fans of stuff, like us, can pay to our favorite things! Some of the Ultimate tributes will be by Le Cram, while others will be done by Le Cram's friends/associates. Le Cram also invites you, the Le Cramites to submit Ultimate Tributes, and if the Le Cram staff likes them, they may get published on Le Cram's! The submission guidelines are as follows. 1.) Ultimate Tributes must be done on a sheet of notebook paper that has been yanked out of your "Trapper Keeper". 2.) Only a number two pencil may be used.
3.) All Ultimate Tributes must conform to the basic layout of this first Ultimate Tribute. 4.) Scan at a resolution of 150PPI in the JPEG format, and email to: lecram3000@gmail.com . It's that simple!

Our first Ultimate Tribute is to Le Cram's favorite "SciFi" movie, The Black Hole, made by Walt Disney productions in 1979. If you haven't seen it yet, I hope this will inspire you! Enjoy!

Le Cram on music: Brian Wilson's "Wind Chimes"

Le Cram was at the local "Rite-Aid" drugstore a few weeks ago and had a puzzling experience. You know how when you're in a market or drugstore there is often generic pop music playing that has commercials for the store between the songs? These songs are always as safe and non-thought provoking as possible. Songs that would most of the time go completely unnoticed. So anyway, Le Cram is walking up the beer aisle looking for the Sam Adams when he hears something familiar. But it takes Le Cram a moment to process what he is hearing because of where he is hearing it( Rite-Aid). So what did Le Cram hear playing between a James Taylor song and a Metamucil ad? "Wind Chimes" by Brian Wilson!?! "Wind Chimes", in case you are not familiar with it, is a track from the legendary lost Beach Boys album "Smile", which was finally released in 2004 by Brian Wilson and his current band. Not the soft banal pop you would expect here, but very complex experimental music by one of the 20Th century's most important composers. Leonard Bernstein, American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist, and best known as music director of the New York Philharmonic, had this to say about "Surf's Up" , another track from the "Smile" album, on a TV special about popular music that aired in 1966 on CBS: "There is a new song, too complex to get all the first time around. It could come only out of the ferment that characterizes today's pop music scene. Brian Wilson, leader of the famous Beach Boys, and one of today's most important musicians, sings his own 'Surf's Up.' Poetic, beautiful even in its obscurity, 'Surf's Up' is one aspect of new things happening in pop music today. As such, it is a symbol of the change many of these young musicians see in our future." Now, Le Cram isn't going to get into how Mike Love of the Beach Boys caused "Smile", the most anticipated album of the 1960's to go unreleased for over 30 years, because that has been discussed a million times elsewhere. But Le Cram would like to share with those of you who may not be familiar with this music, how odd it was to hear at a drugstore.

First, here is the original version from the still unreleased 1966-67 Beach Boys "Smile" sessions:


And next, this is the version that Le Cram heard at Rite-Aid, from Brian Wilson's 2004 release of "Smile":



Who knew Rite-Aid was so hip?

Le Cram would like to mention that "Smile" was a collaboration between Brian Wilson and his good friend and fellow genius Van Dyke Parks, who himself is a composer, arranger, producer, musician, and singer. Brian composed the music, while Van Dyke wrote the lyrics. Van Dyke eventually walked out of the Smile sessions after being hounded one too many time by Mike Love about what the lyrics meant. Here they are in 1967:
And today:

If you are curious about the history of the Smile album, Le Cram strongly recommends the Documentary "Beautiful Dreamer; Brian Wilson and the story of Smile" available on DVD: And of course, pick up the Smile CD:

Okay, that's it for today's installment of "Le Cram on music". Thanks for listening!

Le Cram leaves you with another track from "SMiLE". Wonderful:


Sincerely,
Le Cram Ford Coley

Peter "Robocop" Weller

Le Cram is a "Sci-Fi" fan, and has been known to go to some "Fan-Cons". So Le Cram was thinking the other day, what would I ask Professor Peter "Robocop" Weller if I met him at a Fan Convention? Here are the top ten questions Le Cram came up with.



1. Do you and Ed-209 hang out when you're both off duty, and if so, is it a cop bar or robot bar?
2. Did you ever "buy that for a dollar"?
3. What is Ed-209 like in person?
4. Did it ever seem strange to you that the police car of the future was a 1986 Ford Taurus?
5. What is your favorite flavor of baby food? My friend Paul Fordax thinks it's Banana!!!
6. Is Ed-209 related to the AT-ST from "Return of the Jedi" ?
Return of the Jedi's "AT-ST"

7. Is Ed-209 related to Jake-205?
8. I understand you are currently a Professor at Syracuse University specializing in The Italian Renaissance. Do you think you will ever be able to forgive Boddicker?
9. As a University Professor, could you tell us if there is an academic equivalent to Directive #4?
10. Dick York, or Dick Sargent?


Well, what do you guys think? Are there any important questions I didn't think of? Let Le Cram know if you have any good ones.



-Le Cram

Le Cramzig - Le Cram's Tribute To Glenn Danzig's SAMHAIN

This Le cram is dedicated to Le Cram's good Fiend Jaime Rico. Le Cram thanks you Jaime, for reminding Le Cram of some of the great music Le Cram enjoyed when he was in High School!

Le Cram's actual Samhain LPs from over 20 years ago!





Sincerely,
Le Cramzig

Le Cram's Carl's experience

Carl's founder, Carl.

"How are we doing" card.
Back

Le Cram's tribute to Art Clokey

Please don't "Leave us now", Mr. Clokey.



Gumby cartoons! Kinda like regular cartoons but with clay!



Sincerely,
Le Cram

Le Cram a Tergo 3: Le Cram a Tergo in the Hood

Le Cram has a Le Cram here at vis a tergo. Come check it out.

Le Cram's favorite place? EPCOT Center!

If you've never been to EPCOT Center at Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida, you are really missing out! Here are some of Le Cram's favorite attractions at EPCOT Center.



In "Future World":

1.)Spaceship Earth
2.)Living with the Land boat ride(in the Land pavilion).
3.)Energy pavilion



In "World Showcase":

1.)El Rio del Tiempo (The River of Time) boat ride, in the Mexico Pavilion.
2.)"Maelstrom" dark ride(in the Norway pavilion).
3.)"O Canada" Circle-Vision 360(in the Canada Pavilion).
4.)"The American Adventure" (Audio-Animatronics show in The United States of America pavilion).



Of course there are many many more things to see and do at EPCOT Center, but you would need a whole blog to discus it(and there are already many EPCOT blogs!).


Le Cram's favorite time to go is in late October-early November, because The EPCOT Center International Food and Wine festival is up. You can walk through "World Showcase" and sample food, wine, and beer from all over the world! What could be better? On Le Cram's last visit, Le Cram attended a seminar hosted by Sam Adams Brewery. LeCram got to sample many unusual beers, and learn about the beer making process!

The exciting "Universe of Energy" attraction!

Here is a little "teaser" to get you more excited!

Enchanting!

Future World's lovable mascot "SMRT-1"! The kids will love him!



There are many great options for lodging at the Walt Disney World Resort, But if EPCOT Center is going to be the main focus of your trip, Le Cram recommends The Contemporary Resort Hotel. Not only does it's futuristic design compliment EPCOT's, but the Monorail will pick you up in the lobby, and take you right to the transportation and ticket center where you can pick up the "EPCOT line" Monorail and be there in no time at all!




See you at EPCOT Center!

Le Cram

Be back soon.

Le Cram has some personal business to attend to, but expects to be back soon. While you are waiting, Le cram thought some nice music would be enjoyable.

So here you go!

With warm personal regards,
Le Cram

Tim Kazurinsky

Draw your favorite "The Black Hole" character contest results!

Wow. Has it already been a week since our draw your favorite "The Black Hole" character contest was announced(see blog post dated March 15, 2010)? Well, dozens of youngsters sent in drawings, and the Le Cram's staff narrowed it down to the best three! Are you ready? Coming in third is little Tim Eschmeyer, age 9, with his rendition of "Maximillian"

First of all, the character's name is "Maximillian", not "Maximillion". Got that Einstein? Also, why is there a "Van Halen" logo on the picture? What does that have to do with anything? And finally, those balloon letters are something a girl would do. Are you a girl Tim? In the interest of time Le Cram isn't going to ask you why you put a peace symbol and whatever that other thing is on there.

Next, in second place we have "V.I.N.CENT", by Tommy Baker, age 6.



I don't know where to begin here Tommy. Were you blindfolded when you drew this? No? Did you draw with your left hand even though you are right handed? No? Why does it look so shaky? I think maybe you're 600, not 6. Anyway, congratulations on getting second prize!

And finally... Taking first prize we have Master David Milano, age 28, and his drawing of "Old B.O.B."

Actually, Le Cram doesn't have too many complaints about this one. The scale is a bit off, and you could have cleaned up some of the eraser smudges, but over all you did some pretty acceptable work. Although next to these other Rembrandts, just about anything would look good!

This final drawing we had to disqualify for not following the rules of the contest, but we feel obligated to show it since it was the official entry from our associate blog "chonsense"(see the Saxophone list at left for more info).

Chonsense's "This Guy" and Le Cram went back and fourth in the comment section of part one of this post(see blog entry dated March 15, 2010) regarding whether "MCP" from "Tron", is a character in "The Black Hole". Well This guy. "MCP" is still not a character in "The Black Hole", and entering this picture in the contest doesn't change that fact! Anyone can look it up. Have you even seen "The Black Hole"? Thanks for wasting everyone's time, Jackass!

Le Cram would like to thank everyone that took the time to draw and send in a picture. And to all of you that entered a losing picture, there's always next time!

Sincerely,
Le Cram
Saxophones(Rollo Tony brown town).

What makes an Editor tick?

Le Cram would like to encourage everyone to check out a fascinating interview with Jeff Chon, the editor of the literary journal "vis a tergo"(and chonsense's "This Guy"). The interview is on a Le Cramtastic site called "six questions for..."

Here's the link:
http://sixquestionsfor.blogspot.com/2010/03/six-questions-for-jeff-chon-editor-vis.html

If vis a tergo sounds familiar, it might be because they had the good taste to publish some of Le Cram's comics in the past, which maybe some of you may have seen.

-Le Cram
Supporter of the arts.

Le Cram's tribute to Walt Disney Productions, "The Black Hole"

Le Cram would like to know who your favorite character from "The Black Hole" is. Send in a drawing of your favorite character, and if it's good enough Le Cram will feature it in a follow up post!

Fantastic Monsters of Filmdom! Part I

Le Cram A Tergo II: "The Le Cramening"

This week Le Cram is is being featured in the latest issue of "vis a tergo". Here's a link to the comic.

Thanks for looking.