Entomology

 
Ranking right up there with being enshrined in an outhouse would be a cubicle wall and/or office door - bonus points if it's in a science department. Geek cred aside, this flier and accompanying cartoon (from the Low-Tide archives) that I caught sight of posted on a bulletin board outside the campus library made my day. 

TIP's: Harold B. Warren & the Three Islesford Painters

Tucked away in a corner where I used to work while on hiatus Down East, is a small sampling in the Islesford Historical Museum that is dedicated to one of the crucial foundations in the evolution of Little Cranberry Island's, and by extension, Maine's art scene. Attracted to the area were a trio of artists, the "Three Islesford Painters" - aka TIPs - that drew their inspiration from the Acadian landscape. Charles Edwin Kinkead, C. Scott White and Harold B. Warren were summer people who would migrate north and set up shop for the season on the island, and they peddled their wares right across the lawn within my usual view right out of the front doors. 

Warren, White and Kinkead (L to R) - 1921

William Otis Sawtelle, who was a retired Harvard physicist and teacher, frequently vacationed on the island, and in 1917 bought what was the general store (previously owned and operated by one Sam Hadlock). Being somewhat of an amateur historian, now a full-time hobbyist dedicated to documenting and supporting local culture, Sawtelle acquired a large amount of collected material stashed in the attic of the building known as "The Blue Duck." From this he culled exhibits in the humble hall on the ground floor (in turn eventually prompting the construction of the official Isleford Historical Museum), and also made the upstairs into a themed gallery, festooned with nautical and maritime ephemera.

from "Harold B. Warren and Mount Desert Island" exhibition catalog, 2009, by Royal W. Leith

(more below the fold)

"Maine Wildlife Wonderland"

Just have to repost this, uh, nugget: courtesy of JJ whose parents are probably debating whether or not exposure to the feral Alaskan cousin was such a good idea. Me, I absolutely love it - great job kid!

Show & Tell: Doodles from Down East

Taking advantage of the exposure from the weekend's cartoon spread + essay in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, I got a little gig coming up for a show & tell of recent works, hosted by the fine folks at the Literacy Council of Alaska. This'll be the night before the Wall of Balloons event at UAF, so it's another fun-filled, action-packed weekend of adventure in the world of comics and cartooning. If you're around the Interior of Alaska and downtown Fairbanks, drop by and have a laugh on me - it'd be good to see some old friends and make some new ones.

Down East Dispatch: Notes from the Homesick Alaskan

Notes From A Homesick Alaskan: Down East Dispatch

By Jamie Smith

(Unedited version of essay appearing last Sunday in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)

     In 2011 I journeyed out of state looking for work, adventure and a fresh start on life. In other words, following a woman. Now after an extended, year-long hiatus exploring coastal Maine, we’ve migrated back home, North to Alaska. Fortunately Homeland Security looked the other way, the passports were still valid, and our pickup truck still had its iconic license plate from the Gold Rush Centennial (the historical one depicting a stream of people also leaving Alaska). Now while this plate pretty much gives one carte blanche to drive like an idiot everywhere across America, it came particularly in handy in the town of Bar Harbor, especially when you were the sort of driver who somehow kept getting lost on an island.

     This was one among many endearing traits that quickly made this transplanted Alaskan stand out like a beached and beleaguered Beluga. Courtesy of Sarah Palin, to many folks in the Lower 48, now the popular stereotype of someone from the Last Frontier is not just that of a deranged, armed and alcoholic Unibomber character. While I didn’t pull in nearly as much in speaking fees as the former half-term Governor, I did often find myself acting as a defacto ambassador, constantly apologizing on behalf of the majority of Alaskans for her television show, Ice Road Truckers and Deadliest Catch. That or someone always wants to buy you another beer because that’s actually what life is really like in Maine, except instead of Ted Nugent they have Steven King.

      It was especially easy to fit in around that neck of the woods because Maine is a region where the males of our species can still be observed in their hairy phase (it being the Southern-most extent of its natural range). Besides sporting traditional Carhardt and flannel plumage, another standard fashion accessory seen while strolling around downtown were the ubiquitous pairs of knee-high rubber boots. But unless you had just been kicked out of the house, these weren’t referred to as “breakup boots,” but they were usually accompanied by a familiar scent of lingering eau de fish (which, like in Alaska, will also probably get you kicked out the house).

      And, much like the arctic, Maine people also displayed layers of blubber, which has crucial insulating properties protecting large mammals from inclement weather. This might also have something to do with the fact that even though Alaska ranks nationally as number one in per capita consumption of ice cream, there was no comparison to the number of businesses offering home-made confectioneries in Maine, often within easy waddling distance from one another.

 

   
  After living for over two decades in the Interior, I thought I knew the concept of “cold,” having earned enough cabin-cred to play poseur Sourdough and go toe to toe with any salty dog who dared to complain about what passes for “winter” in New England. But when the reality of this phenomenon called “wind-chill” first cut through my clothing and I whimpered like a puppy left alone outside at night, and consequently found myself adopting another regional custom: simply complaining about the weather, regardless of how good or bad it was.

     Researchers now think that the sound of running water is the trigger for beavers to begin building their dams, but all I know is that personally being anywhere near the Atlantic coast will trigger the instinctual drive for an Alaskan to quickly find a nearby bush. Given the demographics of Maine’s aged population this helped explain the numerous Port-A-Potties that dotted Acadia National Park. And speaking of barbaric customs, the ex-cabin-dweller’s habit of simply going off a convenient porch is a definite no-no, especially in a place where people will actually hold it until they reach a trailhead bathroom.

     Now along with being the oldest state in the nation, Maine is also the absolutely whitest state as far as residents go. This not withstanding my being definitely the palest person anyone had ever seen, which had the advantage of making it much easier for the search parties to locate the lost Alaskan’s body. Not that hiking was anything near what we’d call “wilderness”: in fact after climbing the highest point on the North Atlantic seaboard (Cadillac Mountain at 1,529 feet) I was rewarded with stunning views from a parking lot and gift shop. Where, yes, there was more ice-cream.

     Besides complaining about how hot it was in December, I found out the ultimate faux pas in the culinary crown jewel of New England was committing the cardinal sin of passing on more lobster… because it “just isn’t as good as King Crab.” However I did discover one novel cure for the homesick Alaskan was to buy artificial lobster… which is actually made from good ol’ Alaskan Pollack - I guess it’s true that anything is edible with enough butter. Not to mention there’s something else called “flounder,” which I guess is something like a baby halibut. And don’t get me started on what passes for moose and bear in Maine, but I guess size isn’t everything. Unless you’re talking about mosquitoes, which now I’ll gladly take any day after the nightmare of picking off the innumerable ticks every time we’d leave the house. But as it turns out, the symptoms of Lyme disease include headache, muscle pain and fatigue, plus depression and brain damage, are virtually indistinguishable from living through a normal Alaskan winter.

     And so, having experimented with the great Alaskan Bungee Cord experience of moving somewhere else, it’s good to be home. 

     Now I’m going to Hot Licks.

Jamie Smith’s cartoon feature “Nuggets” has been appearing in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner since 1988. A collection of his Maine work “Bad Clams” is available online through Lulu.com. He will be giving a show & tell of recent works on Friday, June 29th from 6-7pm at the Literacy Council of Alaska (517 Gaffney Road, Fairbanks AK (907) 456-6212.

"Maine Mythology"

What may very well be one of the final panels (barring any random tides of nostalgia) to be posted from the Down East chapter - my backlog is tapped out. It's an appropriate theme though, as I've been really missing the place... especially what with MeCAF 2012 ramping up - wish I was going again, but I fully intend to get back, hopefully next year!

"Stonewalling"

Another little detail that I had missed after living so many years up in Alaska, one that recalls childhood memories of many a hike with my father: coming across old stone walls in the Catskill and Allegheny woods. There are some interesting examples scattered about Acadia as well, aside from the faux-folksyness of the Rockefeller estates.

I tried first to fart around with random textures using the computer, then at the last minute (an hour before the minicomic went to press in fact) used the reference shots of rocks for another piece ("Glacier Erratic") to fill in the blanks, as it were. In the end I think it doesn't mesh with the drawing and winds up looking like a cheap hack-job at digitally cutting & pasting.

Tapped Out

Another unused edit from the other neck of the woods. 
What with all the screwy weather wreaking havoc with this year's harvest, forget about oil or gold, invest in maple syrup. Canada supplies 80% of the maple syrup for the global market; in America, Vermont pumps out the most, with New York producing the next highest amount, and Maine ranking third. While over the past twenty-odd years I've developed quite the taste for Alaskan birch syrup, it's all good...

"Clamming Up"

It's just been one of those weeks: seems like I'm outta time, and all sorts of details and loose ends are coming back to bite me in the butt. Fortunately, I have the key... to escape... reality... that being a blank sheet of paper. Picking up the pen & ink will stave off much of the worrisome waves. There is a theory though, silver lining and all, that there should be a pearl somewhere in all this. But if the world is your oyster, nobody ever mentions what happens when it's just a clam. Maybe it's a simple matter of perspective, as even for Poseidon, the Nectar of the Gods would probably just be clam juice.

"Bloated Parasites"

Contrary to prevailing talking points, the truly bloated parasites are not the poor. I would have loved to see Gov. LePage, or any politician for that matter, do something about the honest working men and women in the state of Maine getting screwed over by exorbitant rents, but that would entail actually going up against rich people, the ruling class' best friends.

Fit (for a dog)

As in, having a fit. Bar Harbor has a supposed reputation of being a dog-friendly community. Even in the public library and many local businesses it isn't uncommon to see folks accompanied by their better halves.

Unfortunately this doesn't extend to trying to find rentals: either it's no pets at all, or "sorry, no dogs," or "sorry, no cats." This was one of the significantly contributing factors behind our having to ultimately bail out of Bar Harbor. I swear if I ever find myself a real estate mogul I'll make it mandatory that all applicants must have pets.

Toxicity Report: Gov. LePage

Just like home: it seemed many a Maine politician was as certifiably batshit crazy as their Alaskan counterparts. In this specific case, Governor Paul LePage once again demonstrated his awesome propensity for making a complete idiot of himself with regards to better living through chemistry:

“Quite frankly, the science that I’m looking at says there is no [problem],” LePage said. “There hasn’t been any science that identifies that there is a problem.”

LePage then added: “The only thing that I’ve heard is if you take a plastic bottle and put it in the microwave and you heat it up, it gives off a chemical similar to estrogen. So the worst case is some women may have little beards.” - Kevin Miller/Bangor Daily News

As it's been pointed out to me, this is the same fool who wants to do away with the Department of Education, which clearly promotes a vested self-interest in perpetuating an  equally ignorant class of voters, who no doubt in turn would share as stunning a command of basic science as LePage. 

PS: One of the better blogs I've discovered during my residency Down East was Dirigo Blue, along with the presence of Bill In Portland Maine's posting on Daily Kos. They do a great job keeping abreast of shenanigans in that neck of the woods.

Maine Edits

Call this the jettisoning of ballast: purging the backlog of tasteless Maine material. Maybe "bilge-water" is a better description for the tasteless stuff that makes some of the pages in the sketchbook stick together. Meaning I'll actually staple particular pages shut before passing around my sketchbook when doing a classroom show & tell, as there have been times when I've noticed a few students in a huddle pointing at and giggling over an inappropriate doodle sandwiched in amongst the usual nonsense. Usually I'm not terribly concerned at public displays of weirdness or filtering questionable content (as regular readers of this blog know well), but there is a time and place for when judicious editing is perhaps a more mature decision. That said, this is not one of those. 

The Beehive (Bonus Hike)

The Beehive + Champlain Mountain

No really, I swear that this is the last time. Honest. 

Had a couple spare hours early this morning to squeeze in one more trail, especially since we scored another day of record-breaking temperatures with a clear, blue sky above. I explored one of the more popular spots on the island, just off the open section of the Park Loop Road with the trailhead located right across from Sand Beach. 

Soluitur Ambulando

View from Norumbega of the Western Mountains

Soluitur ambulando: Latin proverb for "the matter is solved by walking." After so much immersion and focus on the political wasteland and contentious issues, it's purging to take a nice, long hike. More than drawing editorials at least. One last time (we'll see how many times I get away with that line over the next few days before departure), and this was the final summit left on the list as far as checking out every single high point in the Acadia National Park.

View from Norumbega of Sargent Mountain

Blagden Preserve

Cove: Shadow

Still interluding... deviating from the funny papers and the continuing political nonsense, not to mention taking advantage of the record-breaking weather trends happening in this national neck of the woods. It almost broke sixty here yesterday, and I pumped up the mountain bike's tires for a quick mile down the road to Indian Point Blagden Preserve, one of handful of The Nature Conservancy properties here in Maine. 

Hiking Interlude/Trail Update

Summit of Beech Mountain

Exposed: "Bare Summits"

Speaking of mountains and ol' timers, I hadn't been aware that one of the earlier names for Denali up in Alaska was "Dinsmores Peak" (or alternately "Densmores"). According to a post on "All Things Maine" blog, Maine native Frank Dinsmore was a prospector who had some mining claims in the Klondike, and became a fan of the relabeled Mount McKinley after seeing it from Lake Minchumina in 1889.

Painter Phil McBride

"Tol Brandir" (acrylic, 20x30")

Here's a piece by local Maine artist Phil McBride, which I routinely camp out underneath whenever it's time for some creative juices (damn good conversation and coffee) at the downtown cafe in Bar Harbor. As alluded to in a previous post, this painting partly inspired one of my panels ("Think Outside The Box") because of his approach at re-presenting from observations and recollections of the landscape around this neck of the woods. For me this piece of his in particular visually triggers an aesthetic response that is keyed in on the many lingering impressions Acadia can leave on someone who is not just driving by, but really investing in a more intimate, firsthand experience. In other words, taking the time and "taking notes" makes for a more lasting connection, not to mention better art. As with any painting this posted sample doesn't do justice to the color and texture as opposed to seeing the real thing up close & personal, much like the landscape itself. But more than any other image I've come across over the past year, this one is the next best closest thing to being here/there.
Check out his website here for more works and writings.

Cartooning @ SERC Institute

Instilling respect through fear as an educational tool.

Earlier in the week I had an awesome opportunity to participate in an event hosted by the SERC Institute (Schoodic Education and Research Center) in conjunction with the Maine Sea Coast Mission folks. Along with Acadia National Park Rangers and VIP volunteers they put on a youth development program called "EdGE." The kids get to spend the day learning about science and nature, pick up some lessons in healthy nutrition and outdoor activities, and are sent home with a bag full of cool stuff. For example, from our sessions (four groups of 5th-8th graders, numbering approx 10 or so in each class) they scored a sketchbook and some drawing/coloring materials. One young girl was already working on her first graphic novel, and I was impressed at the unusual preponderance of above-average ability and interest in this particular group.

The theme for this particular session was "Winter Adaptation," which I was able to weave into my narrative during the show & tell, and hinge a few images off their experiences hiking around the island with some familiar species and scenarios. It was really fun to show both the Alaskan and Maine sides of my work, with a little interjection about basic drawing skills and pitch opportunities in the industry/field of cartooning (freelance etc.). They had permission to doodle on practice sheets while I babbled, and after the slides, everybody gathered around the main table to look at sample originals from the portfolio, and finally a quick demo panel to show the penciling and inking process.

After that they could work up a drawing in their new sketchbook, whatever they wanted to draw, or use one of the shown images in the presentation to work off of, or use a bonus on-site "model" - a handsome (dead, but still handsome) Fisher. Plus I learned a bonus trivia nugget as to the French Canadian phrase for "porcupine" - cuchon de pin.

Thanks to the volunteers and staff, especially Ranger Kate!

"It's magic..."