Can you do that? Make someone want to do what you are doing? Then it must be good. Who cares what they call it. You like it and thats that. Here’s another one… “It’s not the original guys in the band”…. like Kiss for example. They all got old. No crime in that. When I saw the original line up on the farewell tour Peter looked so tired I felt bad for him. He was not bad and did the job, but you could see he looked spent. He hit the drums real light and hit some clams. As for Ace he was late getting there being flown in at the last minute and he himself said he did not really want a Kiss reunion, and he mostly did it for the fans. So down go two originals. Replaced by younger guys with more energy. In my opinion they play the Kiss songs so well they make it look easy. Why? Because they have not played it for the millionth time and they are still young. that brings energy to the guys who need it most, Gene and Paul.

I would go see Ace on his own. Peter on his own. Kiss on their own. They put the reunion to rest. It was fun. Glad I got to see it. It would be like a monkey’s paw to do it a second time. Here’s where I am going with all of this… can you do it better? Would you kick out someone if they truly did not want to be part of what you are doing? Ace has said the makeup had a bad affect on his skin, but he still slapped it on to make us all happy, and yes he got paid for it. What about the great bands that didn’t get paid? I don’t have all the answers. Pat Smear did not get paid for many years, then he did. Good for Pat. Maybe you have not been paid in a while. Maybe your day is coming. it could be just around the corner…. or maybe not. Let’s hope it is. Did you do your best with today? I did.

I set out to make this happen because I want to live everyday to the fullest I can. The last few years I have been doing all the things I wanted to before, but never got to for some reason or another. The music lessons I take have helped my memory and helped with my confidence. I started out wanting things to happen all at once, but things take time if you really want them. The ultimate goal for me is to have more energy and get healthier by dropping weight, but slowly. I lost it too fast before and was not ready to deal with the results. This time I am working at the very reason I am unhealthy in the first place… depression. As silly as it sounds I give myself daily affirmations and tell myself I am a worthy and deserving guy and that it’s o.k. to have a good day and have fun.  It’s not always easy, but I am making small changes.

So for me monday was a milestone in a way. I have many plans for this year. If you want to track the progress of my band click here to the blog page: Pudding Cupps

If I can make it happen anyone can. Take your time. You will get there before you know it.

Lots of love to you all, Scott

Sure as hell can't afford this anytime soon... but it looks nice...

Can’t seem to get this year started. Trying to find work and just coming up short. Most of my art pals don’t include me in shows or have moved on to day jobs. Not like art is selling right now anyway. Trying to work out a new style, but it’s like swimming against the current. Trying more just to stay focused and work hard. Practicing guitar for sanity and eating better too. Trying to get myself in better condition all together but this boat is leaking and just might sink. Trying to stay inspired and move forward.

So, I’ll try this year again… for the third time… I’ll get out and walk some. I’ll eat better. I’ll try harder to stay in the zone. I’ll put the work in. I know the world does not owe me, but is this it? Is this as far as it goes? Maybe it’s just the rainy day today. Maybe I’ll be smiling tomorrow. “Wish in one hand” so they say…

I always felt kind of outside of things being an artist and kid who daydreamed all day in class. I was different. Not special or more different than most, but until I discovered the punk movement I felt stranded in in own room at home. Me and my drawings and fm radio at first. Then KISS and any hard rock I could find, but most hard rockers had set things and certain beliefs you had to go with. Like you need long hair. Like to get stoned. You got to hate disco… things that fit the formula of the genre. My uncle Don had listened to punk before it was called that. he seemed to have an open mind for things that were different like Bowie, The Stooges, Ramones I knew them from magazines I bought for kiss articles like Creem and Circus. Don and my Aunt Liz helped run Back Door Man fanzine. The first of it’s kind in L.A. . Don had a great big record collection with all kinds of punk and new wave 45 art to inspire my hunger for something new. Slowly I started to listen to not only the music, but what he had to say. He taught me how to mow lawns and do household things and at the end of the week we organized his 45′s alphabetically and at thee same time played anything that looked interesting.

I loved the sleeves with Gary Panter art on them. Ray Pettibon was a favorite artist with the punks at school and you could find his flyers at the local record shops and literally in the gutters of redondo beach. Art was part of punk and I wanted in. So with an open mind and an armload of borrowed records by The New york dolls, Stooges Raw Power, and the Chambers brothers “Time has come”lp I dove off the deep end about mid 1979.

In junior high we had a small group that was hip to “Never Mind the Bollocks”. We played it on those small Sanyo cassette recorders. The kind Mike Brady took notes on. We went to Licorice Pizza for punk at first. They had new wave buttons and fanzines too. The most amazing part of it all would be a movie called the “Decline of Western Civilization”. I went to see our local premier at midnight on the corner of crenshaw and P.C.H. in Torrance, CA.

I went with my friend Kevin who was terrified of real punks. I had shaved my head recently, and he was worried because his hair was long and there were punks cutting off a new romantic’s hair with battery powered clippers out side before the show. (We were both kind of shocked by it.) I thought to myself, “It’s only a movie…” but I was wrong. It was a documentary that would shape possibly my remaining days. I was not the only one. All across the globe this movie was the template for what would get termed “Hardcore Punk”.

The movie did not really get to show the art side of the movement. A mentor punk we knew said you had to change your look each week or you were a “Trendy”. What the film did show was young aggression in full bloom. In those days shows did not happen because  the police broke them up, but now there was a movie we had to show what we felt. They showed it to all the parents at an event called “parents of punkers” punk was dealt with as an epidemic by most of our Regan loving parents. I watched it with my Grandfather who got upset about Eugene’s comment about, “the ugly old people…” I explained that lots of the movement’s cause was to provide a sense of shock, and it was o.k. not to agree with all of it’s ideals. The main thing was to keep an open mind. My grandparents and my family watched on. They knew that I was on this path. I had taken a stand. Right or wrong.

All my friends memorized the dialog until we all agreed to not repeat it anymore. We watched my tape from HBO over and over. Years passed. More Decline movies were made (part 2 and 3) but they are still not available due to legal reasons. The kids still watch it today. It was our “Woodstock” of sorts.

Today we face even rougher times. We are all grown, and wonder about what kind of future we have (just like then) What kind of future our kids will have (many of my friends have punk rock kids). I still feel the same. I still feel punk has a place in this world for people looking to find their “outsider peers”. I am told there is missing footage of bands shot for the film like the Dickies and (at the time Red Cross) Redd Kross. Maybe one day we will get to see this too. Of course you all know bands like Green Day now and probably know someone with blue hair at your school (and schools allow blue hair now for the most part) You don’t get beat down just for dressing punk anymore.  (people used to yell, “Fuck you, devo!” at us) It’s all part of the daily routine now. The 90′s follow up to the decline may have been Dave Markey’s “The Year Punk Broke” but today’s kids don’t really identify with grunge (see 90′s for more on grunge…)

We are all Devo and still in decline. In the words of Zippy, “Are we having FUN yet?” All that’s left are hospitals, schools, donut shops and nail salons (see my next art show at a nail salon near you…) Thank you Penelope!

I have been writing songs in my composition books and in the next few weeks we start jamming some on them. Have not had a guitar lesson for a few weeks due to the holidays and today I will get practicing for their return. I have a new direction of sorts for my art and paintings and I hope the next comic book I have planned should be bigger and way better than the last two. I plan on drumming up new local business by going around town and getting the word out about my art skills with some new ad materials. New shirts are going to be developed soon too. I had a few requests for the “Search and Enjoy” shirts at my website, so that’s getting the green light to get produced soon. Sold a few paintings this week too. Waiting for payments from a few commissions I did too. 2012 is off to a good start. this could be a great year.

I am still waiting for the new KISS album”Monster”, but I’m betting we won’t hear more on it until June or so… The way over due Kissology vol.4 too. It’s getting to the point I don’t care anymore. You would think we get to see the cover by now at least. Mike watt has a new “Spielgusher” thing out I want to get. I don’t think we will get the new Redd Kross anytime soon either. Oh well, It’s only entertainment. Have not bought many art books this year, but I did buy some comic books (well, I got a few subscriptions to some because it’s cheaper) right now I get Green Lantern and Batman. I kind of switched from Marvel to DC. I was getting the Hulk for a bit, but I had to cut it and just keep two titles for now.

As for movies, I hope to see the new Ghost Rider soon. The first one is a real good popcorn movie, and this new one looks even better. Most of all it looks like a fun movie to see. I have not seen Xmen first class, Thor or Capt. Amer., yet either, but I’m sure I will soon. Maybe I’ll get them on used dvd or something. The Avengers may be good, but the trailer looks boring. The next Batman should be worthy of checking out too.  The best thing about the movies is the popcorn too. I got to spend some time recently with my sister. We went to the Muppets and had a big thing of corn and soda. It was fun.

Sharon and I plan to have some “reading dates” out on our patio the next few sundays (weather permitting that is) I have a big stack of comics to catch up on and I bought the graphic novel for the blackest night series. I also have a big Simon/Kirby book to read as well. I also want to get to the keith Richards bio too. I read Ace Frehley’s in one sunday. It was kind of sad that he spent so long on drugs and never really enjoyed life. He seems happier now (I hope that’s true). I did spot a new DC book on the art of Alex Ross (not the happy trees guy… the comic book guy) but I really am trying to enjoy what I already have and I have an Alex ross sketchbook book, so maybe I’ll just re-discover that for now.

As for toys I just don’t have any room left for them, but I still got a small Darth Vader guy and some hot wheels (an orange drag merc, a swat car, and a ford purple with flames delivery truck) this year from santa anyway. I’m sure I’ll by a few hot wheels here and there. I’m sure we’ll hit the torrance flea too (wallet permitting) We’ll see….

Got a friend coming by to buy some paintings now, so I got to hit the showers and get clean. Have a great new year!

I went to the Muppets new movie with my sister who has been sick, but is on the mend now. We have not been able to see each other for some time as she moved to the bay area some time ago. As kids we were bored quite often as we lived a long way from the mall and the only other place we could go was a 3 mile walk to 7-11 to get lemonheads, slurpees and my favorite, star wars gum cards. (That was if we had some change) Otherwise we had cable TV. I thought the cable company forgot to turn off our service, but it turns out mom kept paying for it for us (probably to keep us at home). My sister watched her favorite movies over and over. I remember Devo videos shown there way before mtv and concerts by neil young (live rust era) and Alice Cooper. I had a small black and white portable in my room with cable and late at night I would smoke cloves and watch a Clockwork Orange and The rock and roll swindle (on school nights too!) Well, they showed the original Muppet Movie all the time. Just before the family split up then we often watched the Muppet Show at dinner time followed by Benny Hill.

That was years ago. We all got older. The 80′s seemed to fly by like childhood years do, and The Muppets got stored away until now. You are either a fan or not, and Jenny and I went clear back to when Kermit the frog still lived on Sesame Street. I have always said the best song ever made was Minah, Minah by the muppets and I stand by that. No real words just plain old jerky emotion being laid down by some angry puppets. It was a radio hit too. Great tune. Just like Surfin’ Bird by the Trashmen or Wild Thing pure rock and roll excellence. Then there was Blondie, Alice Cooper and many others that appeared on the Muppet show…. but that was long ago. My sister got sick this year and since she is on the mend she decided to come to visit the family. I had not been to the movies in a long time and Jenny had sent me some old video clips on facebook of the Muppet band from the original movie. So we made a plan to check the new movie out.

I am so glad she is doing better and just to spend a day with her was as great of a christmas present as I could get this year. She’s my younger sister and she is supposed to out live me. That’s just how it’s supposed to in my mind. She has just found her new family and new life in the bay area and she deserves a long life of happiness. Getting back to the movie… it was just like you think a muppet movie would be. The nice thing was no bad CGI effects. You could just enjoy the good words and messages the muppets have for you (and you know what they are…) things like it’s going to be o.k. as long as I got you and that’s just how Jenny and I felt watching it and having some popcorn. Even enjoyed the heckeling of the commercials by the nerds in the crowd. (I am a nerd myself, so it’s good to see people let go and just have fun for 2 hours) This world is so uptight and like Robert Plant said, “does anyone remember laughter?” I always have laughed at the Muppets. The Rainbow Connection song always makes me cry too, just does… so does “Being Green” so there you have it. Get out a good cry. Have a laugh. We all need to sometimes. The spoiler for me was the fact that Walter the muppet’s real life persona turns out to be Sheldon Cooper from the Big Bang Theory (My wife Sharon’s favorite TV show) (check out the man or muppet video attached) As for my sister, can you imagine if you had a fan to cheer you on your whole life and give you endless support and unconditional love? Well that’s how my sister is for me. She can be stubborn at times, but she has so much love to give it’s amazing, so I had a real good day. Jenny did too. Until next time, Minah, minah and Wacka, wacka!

1978. Kiss had released the solo albums and all the kids picked which Kiss member they liked best. I bought Ace’s lp and got paul and peter’s as gifts. I did buy gene’s but I gave it to Barbra H. for inviting me to her birthday party. (she also got the Car’s first lp which we played all day). Our family had sold our home and we would be moving to “the Hill” a richer neighborhood (and a 2 story house we would fix up). We were leaving behind my roots. My hometown I grew up in. I was 11 years old.

I had to adjust to our new home. Everything was far away. Before I could ride my bike or skateboard to the store or friends house, but this was not my old beach town. Kids outcast me for not growing up there and I found myself amongst the outsider’s crowd. We listened to cassette tapes at lunch. Mainly the Sex Pistols, Nevermind the Bollocks. We also watched saturday night live and memorized movies like Airplane and Caddyshack. The Stones’ Some girls was the lp of that year for us. Mick and Dan Ackroyd goofed on Tom Snyder on SNL. The Stones played live. It was a great dirty lp. The cover was changed due to using Lucy and other celebs on the first run. It was great all the was through. My uncle was a huge fan who also would introduce me to punk and new wave soon. This was when I became me. My parents fought out the last of their marriage behind closed doors. The new big house became cold and the rooms all seemed to separate us from communication. Still my sister and I were close as there was no place to go and we just had each other to try and sort out the oncoming storm of the divorce.

I often go back to 1978. I collect things from then and prior to that trying to remember it was not always dysfunction. We did have a family once. At least we tried to have one. Sometimes things need change sooner than later. 1978 was the start of the end of the 70′s and I became a young man. I became really aware my future was in my hands. I would have to figure out how to get down stream alone and I had no feelings of self worth to speak of. I would battle depression for many years to come. This was the turning point 1978. For 1979 and 1980 I sat in my room playing Paul Stanley’s sappy solo lp about loss and ending relationships. I also played the first Pretender’s lp. The song “kid” was a favorite of my mom’s then and always takes me back to then. I would sometimes walk to the 7-11 to buy Star Wars cards if I had some change. Soon I would move back to Redondo with my dad and start smoking things, but before then I had 1978. The final year I was still just a kid.

This is called “Destroyer Brown” by Ken Kelly. (The revised one you know is called “Destroyer Blue”) Casablanca Records said the city was too close like they just blew it up and was too violent. In addition KISS had just changed their stage outfits as well. I love the fantasy art and it started for me with Ken Kelly, Frank Frazetta, Julie Bell and Boris Vallejo. I always bought Heavy Metal magazine when I was young (sometimes they would not let me buy it as I was not 18 yet) Today I still love fantasy art. Check out new guy Brom for some good fantasy stuff and even catch yours truly at it now and then. Still I love those early KISS covers and still love to stare at them. Check out Ken Kelly’s site for more art, prints, books and more: Ken Kelly Then there is this Kelly Kiss image done for a recent tour… a glimpse into the new lp cover perhaps? (They did say the new lp would be like Kelly’s covers, but by another artist possibly)

Destroyer "Blue" by Ken Kelly

I don’t like to call any entertainer a genius. It’s only entertainment. Music is mostly just entertainment. Not often is it “art”. So instead of genius I’ll just say Lou Reed is an artist. Warhol knew this. He sponsored the Velvet Underground which changed music completely and were way ahead of their time. Later Lou connected with Bowie’s people to make his own mark on hard rock with his transgendered frankenstein pose. Rock and roll animal was an amazing album. Lou was backed with an amazing band, but he sounds like he was so over the whole thing when he sang. The bitchiness adds to the charm of it. I discovered Lou due to the song that would etch in my brain “I love you Suzane” A simple tune that makes my fingers pop every time. I have not even mentioned “Walk on the wild side” the household known famous tune about cross dressing ( …and the colored girls sing…) To understand the recent pairing of Metallica to Lou Reed you need to know about Lou’s Metal Machine Music lp (I call it MMM). On MMM Lou simply plugs in his guitar and lets it feed back. Why is this art? It was a double album. The question is not why but how? How did he get record companies to put it out? Well, he’s an artist. It was art. People began to hate Lou. MMM was Lou attempt at Metal. Problem being no band at the time was heavy enough for his vision. What he wanted you to feel. So he made his 4 sided statement with a wall of feedback. Lester Bangs from Creem magazine was the only one who cheered it on. Time moved on. recently due to bands looking at their big moments and attempting to re-do them Lou looked at MMM and put together a trio and toured with it. (as a side note here, MMM was not his only famous “flop” he helped Kiss with their “Music from the Elder” which was considered by many their worst). Getting to today. After a team up at the rock and roll hall of fame Lou has paired with Metallica for  ”Lulu” a story from a play about an abused woman dancer. I am understanding that Metallica is the band he needed all this time to deliver the proper punch to your face he intended with MMM. (at least I think that’s the case).

I gave up years ago on Metallica. They made a few good lps. My fave was garage days re-visited ep (it was quick, no filler and a direct punch. No ballads or over the top machoisim). Early Metallica was discovered on punk radio stations, so they had crossover appeal to punks and head bangers. On the way they lost me. The majestic “Black album” was a yawner for me. I remember enter  sandman as the theme song for the Tom Arnold show. James Hetfield always seems to want symapthy for his drug problems on screen. He even wrote the self indulgent “St. Anger” about how he wants his pain to be real (meaning he’s always numb). He’s got enough money to fix any of his troubles and I wish anyone who is struggling with addictions to find soberity and well being. So, I am not real big on James Hetfield, but on this album he does respect Lou enough to hold back on some of his rants. The ones he does let go on are kind of surreal too. (like repeating “I am the table” over and over). Metallica  does not step over Lou’s vision. they do what is intended which is simply backing Lou up. I heard Lou said people (Met. fans) were threatening to shoot him. This could be Lou joking, but in the world of today who knows. How dumb are Metallica fans? Please folks, don’t shoot Lou. To quote Black Franics “I like Lou Reed…) The thing I can tell you is you will get an emotional reaction from this album if you listen to it the whole way in one sitting. It’s much like listening to The Fall. Not for everyone and I am sure it’s lost on many Metallica fans. To me it tells a story of getting older. Dealing with the thoughts in relationships you think about but don’t ever say out loud. It’s dark cruel and sadistic and at times made me aware of the simple fact I have blood flowing in my body and time is still ticking like a time bomb. Many young kids will be lost on this record simply because they have not been through the feelings it deals with. Not that it’s for seniors, but it does deal with the transition and changes of time.

Obviously I am just a Lou fan. I really enjoyed this album. I’d like it more if were only Lou’s vocals. My question to you is what are you going to do with what’s left of your time? Think you can make a record like this in the september of your life? Lou doesn’t care. He did it. He doesn’t care what I think either. Pitchfork gave Lulu 1.0 stars which in my opinion is just foolish. As if you care.

Hubely Volks probably 70's. Have not seen too many with plastic.

This Volks I bought because I bundled it with the Ertl for a package deal. May be good to trade down the road (Lots of folks like to collect the Volks.)

Early 70′s Ertl car. I look for these all the time. I have the fire truck too. Hard to find them.

Some new boxes. 2 ebays and the flipper was a flea market find for 15 bucks. I love to look at the Palos Verdes style painting on the Johnathan Livingston Seagull box. I remember a christian girl who had this in grade school because it was the only one her parents approved of. My box in school? (I had 2. First was a green plastic ecology flag dome that broke when I kicked it on the way home from school. Second was an orange plastic Fat Albert and the cosby kids. My sister a few years later had a metal Pac Man box) This Flipper is a bit rough, but still fits my style. The Cracker Jack is amazingly illustrated and has really cool embossed kernels. Kind of a plain box yet if you look close it’s amazing. The sides have prizes on them.

I probably posted this before, but look how cool this T bank is. Got it for a good price on ebay after a few years of looking for one.

Reminded me of my uncle Don. (Donald) Usually don’t buy Disney (too much to collect) but this one looks like he’s tripping so I had to get it. I haggled a deal that worked for me and took it home.

Got all this paper ephemera in one big bundle buy for 5 bucks. I t had 60′s hawaiian travel pamphlets too. This Ralph’s one is a pop up sewing kit.

Last is this Farrells menu. If you lived in the south bay in the 70′s as a kid you will remember this ice cream place with it’s Pig Trough. I think you can enlarge this if you click on it to see the prices of the times. Many kids got sick after going here from over doing it. We used to shoot our fancy frilled toothpicks from dinner in the ceiling with our straws there. (lots of kids did this and there were many toothpicks on the ceiling)