Squarey Monster 60

This stand pipe made me laugh :)

Squarey Monster 59 (7.5 mile skull)

Today's Squarey Monster is a dedication to Noah Scalin and Skull-A-Day, and of course to Make Something 365 which was the inspiration to start this blog.

I'm a runner, and I always look at my runs that are mapped by an app called RunKeeper. I got the idea that I should map out a picture, but I wasn't sure what I should do. It's helpful that the streets in my area of brooklyn are very much a grid, so I plotted a run, wrote out directions, and drew (ran) this:

I forgot to consider that I was basically forcing myself into hill training today.

It's a 7.5 mile skull! I'll post a video about it either tomorrow or Monday.

Update, August 2, 2011:
Any RunKeeper app users in my area? Join my team. Directions to run your own skull in Park Slope pasted below the video.

Depending on response, I may do more of these. It was a good distraction from what sometimes feels monotonous.


Make your own (or plot your own GPS art!):



Start at Prospect Ave and 5th Ave.  -  Run toward 3rd Ave.

Turn RIGHT at 3rd Ave.

Turn RIGHT at Union Street.

Turn RIGHT at 7th Ave.

Turn LEFT at Garfield Place.

Turn RIGHT at Prospect Park West.

Turn Right at 3rd Street.

Turn LEFT at 8th Ave.

Turn LEFT at 4th Street.

Turn RIGHT at Prospect Park West.

Turn RIGHT at 7th Street.

Turn LEFT at 7th Ave.

Turn RIGHT at 14th Street.

Turn RIGHT at 5th Ave.

Turn RIGHT at 9th Street.

Turn LEFT at 8th Ave.

Turn LEFT at 6th Street.

Turn RIGHT at 5th Ave.

Turn RIGHT at 1st Street.

Turn RIGHT at 7th Ave.

Turn LEFT at 8th Street.

Turn RIGHT at Prospect Park West.

Turn RIGHT at 11th Street.

Turn LEFT at 8th Ave.

Turn LEFT at 12th Street.

Turn RIGHT at Prospect Park West.

Turn RIGHT at 15th Street.

Turn LEFT at 7th Ave.

Turn RIGHT at Prospect Ave.  -  FINISH at Prospect Ave and 5th Ave.

Bonus Squarey Monster

Just for fun. Today's Squarey Monster will be posted later...

Squarey Monster 58 (Gigantique)

Today's Squarey Monster just might step on you…

Gigantique

There is a secret society of black and white Squarey Monsters called Classique Fiendtiques. They hold allegiance to the idea that monsters should be black & white like the ones in old monster movies. Gigantique is an enormous rubber monster who escaped from the shackles of the past, and bounces around from city to city looking for vintage monster movie props. He likes to collect postcards from all the cities he visits. Your home town could be next. Leave out some radioactive milk and cookies if you want to avoid getting crunched.

Squarey Monster 57 (a Fiendtique)

Today's Squarey Monster is a classic Fiendtique.

Vintagia

There is a secret society of black and white Squarey Monsters called Classique Fiendtiques. They hold allegiance to the idea that monsters should be black & white like the ones in old monster movies. Vintagia has a specific hobby of devouring as many old monster movies as he can, sucking up all kinds of trivial information about them. He knows the names of all the best drive-in monster movies, and he enjoys nothing as much as sharing them with you if you treat him to a bucket of popcorn.

Squarey Monster 56 (Needelman)

Today's Squarey Monster can help you find missing things, but they don't always get found in the the condition you'd like…

Needelman

This is a squarey sea-creature called a Quadracal. His name is Needelman. When he needs something his walks around on the sea floor with his two squishy feet while grabbing aimlessly with his four tentacles. What his tentacles miss his spiny needle spikes spear. Since he breaths air he can do the same thing in a windstorm or a messy room. Lost something in your room? Let Needelman loose, and he’ll reach and grab until he finds it! He’s probably really good in one of those money wind booths.

Squarey Monster 55 (clay Dodger)

I had to play a little today, and get my hands (and desk) a little dirty. I haven't used clay or sculpted in a long time, so this may seem a little rudimentary. That's why I used modeling clay. I wasn't thinking this would be anything other than temporary. Though, I did get some Sculpey™ to use when I feel more comfortable. I'd live to sculpt one of the newer monster designs or my favorite, Anthony.

Anyway, here's Dodger, as best as I could sculpt him with my current abilities. Once again, I am filled with respect for toy sculptors who model likenesses without the aid of machines or computers.

Squarey Monster 54 (Ridicula)

Today's Squarey Monster is a candy vampire (better known as a "notsferustochew")

Ridicula

So you think vampires suck blood, huh? Well that’s mostly true, but some want nothing but…candy. Yep, that’s right — chocolate, suckers, lollipops, chews, bars, crispy cookie thingies — you name it. Thing is. Ridicula can’t eat the candy himself. He’s only got the two fangs you see, and no molars for chewing. He ate a ridiculous amount of candy before he joined the ranks of the undead, and he lost all his teeth. Instead he satiates himself vicariously through you by enticing YOU to eat ridiculous amounts of candy! Sounds like a yummy enemy to have.

Trash Monster 53 (high chair top?)

Found Squarey monster...

Squarey Monster 52 (bamboo & dog treats)

Squarey Monster 51 (standpipe monster)

Squarey Monster 50 (toy studio monster)

Today's Squarey Monster is another temporary piece made from items around the studio. I design toys, so there my be a few coming like this.

Squarey Monster 49 (BBQ Monster)

Squarey Monster 48 (Junk Monster)

Another Squarey Monster made from contents found in my desk. There must be a hundred of them living in there!

That's an emery board. No wonder I always bite my nails. I have the tools to keep my cuticles nice and smooth, but I leave it under a pile of junk in my drawer.

The story behind the dog tag is a fun one. I once had my friend's kid for the day, so we went to a pet shop. They made pet tags, and we had dog tags made with our names on them. My friend was not amused, but his son spent the next week barking.

 Check out the headdress on this guy!

Squarey Monster 47

Update, July 28, 2011:

I should point out that since I work in a toy studio (Monkey Doodle Dandy) with my wife, the wings are appropriated from a product she worked on designs for called Rotooli. She directed the shoot for the photos in the link, and designed most of the concepts for the crafts. I designed the logo for the product and for the company (Funnivation).

The little plastic leg thingies are made from the hangers that are sewn into the tops of Squaredy Cats so they can hang on pegs in the store.

Squarey Monster 46 (wired)

Fails left and right. I swear I emailed this to post yesterday.


Update, July 28, 2011:
Considering I posted this ten days ago, I thought it was pretty cool that this one lasted as long as it did on my front stoop. My dog-walker posts random pictures on Facebook sometimes, and just a couple of days ago he posted this (obviously he's a much better photographer than I am):

Squarey Monster 45 (Redusa)

Meet Redusa. She's going to make you start over…but you'll never, ever finish.

Redusa

Did you know that the Gorgon, Medusa had a little sister? Her name is Redusa. If you look directly at her you will be reduced to your infant form. All your adult problems will go away, but you’ll have a whole new set of problems — like not being able to chew your food, and having incontrollable bathroom breaks. This seems like it’s no big deal since you’ve been through it before; but this time you’ll remember every single warm and gooey episode. Oh, and did I mention it’s forever? You’ll never grow out of it. Stay away from Redusa!

This past week has been a tough one personally. I was not often in a situation where I could design a Squarey Monster (let alone upload since I was off the grid). Family health has to come first.

Squarey Monster 44 (even more sushi?)

Sushi monster means home, sweet home. This one looks a little sad, though :(

Squarey Monster 43

Squarey Monster 42

Out of web range the last few days:/

Squarey Monster 41

Squarey Monster 40

This little fella landed on my monitor. I'll call him Finder because he can find that very specific piece of junk you're looking for in that messy middle drawer that's full of stuff you don't really need. As a matter of fact he was evolved from some of this very things.

Squarey Monster 39

Napkin Monster...

Squarey Monster 38

Squarey Monster 37

Found this crazy creature on my kitchen window sill.

Squarey Monster 36

Update July 8, 2011.:

I started working on a different one yesterday, but I pulled a George Lucas. I'm waiting for the technology to catch up. Actually I'm trying to figure out how to make a precise cut into something specific without breaking it. I needed to use my hands yesterday. The one on layaway will show up at some point.

This one was made at home using junk from various drawers around my apartment. Paint swatches? Why do we still have those. The kitchen's been green for over a year. The plastic bug was left here when my nephew visited a few years ago. I keep forgetting to give it back to him. Welder goggles and lobster cracker eyebrows ;)

Here's another view…

Squarey Monster 35 (drool)

We're almost 1/10th through with this project. Scary! Ahem…Squarey! I already don't want it to end!

Here's today's Squarey Monster…

Drool

Whenever you get hungry or thirsty microscopic creatures congregate inside your mouth. They know if you’re hungry you’ll be eating soon. They’re collectively known as “drool.” They live in your saliva, and they eat your food when you put it in your mouth! It’s nothing to worry about. You’ll hardly miss the small amount they consume. But they can be annoying when you’re asleep. They love the comfort of a soft pillow, so if your mouth is anywhere near one when you sleep they like to sneak out for a rest.

Squarey Monster 34

Update, July 6, 2011:

Here's another angle on this one:

Another kitchen monster I made with the top to a tea tin, tea bags, ear buds, and a googley eye I happen to keep in the kitchen (collected as a souvenir from a friend's Halloween party - they were floating in the punch). The squeakers are rescued from a dog toy. Whenever my dog kills a toy, I take the squeakers away so she won't choke. When they are left in tact I save them. Some day I'm going to make a toy for her with 100 squeakers.

I had the foresight to consider trying something new. I moved the eye slightly for two shots (the eye was sitting inside a gum ball machine Family Guy cup (about 1/3 the size of a shot glass). I used the two shots to make an animated GIF. In retrospect, next time I should make his wings flap too!

Squarey Monster 33 (Dodger is alive in my hallway!)

I hope I don't get into trouble for this one. It's Dodger, one of my favorites from the original 9 Squarey Monsters (before the 365 Project started).

This harks back to Squarey Monster #31. I had to illustrate what I was seeing in the emergency light fixture. Luckily, those things are all over the place. This one is in the Hallway just outside my studio (Monkey Doodle Dandy).

Of course, so the lights would still function properly I cut the eye printouts to be hollow for the effect of eyes, but so the lights will shine through in emergency. I printed the tail and eyes on sticker paper, and the body on a magnetic sheet so any technicians needing to use the test button can just peel it away (temporarily, please).

I noticed last minute that the plastic cap over the bulb was missing on one light, and I had to scavenge one from another area of the building. They must be in high demand in a building full of artist studios because every single fixture had at least one cap missing!

Squarey Monster 32

Update, July 4, 2011:

More stuff from around the kitchen. Seems like when it's late it's the only room I can find enough light in without disturbing my wife in our little apartment. Kitchen drawers are full of little knick-knacks that can be used to build really cool creatures. When I was a kid, I used to collect tubs of "things" that each had a sentimental memory attached to it. I miss having as much as I used to have, but I do still have some boxes of junk I should plan to build a Squarey Monster with. 

Here's an angled shot showing the depth of the metal cap. It's the cap to a cookie jar we use for dog treats. Note, you don't see the light reflection you see in the top posted pic. That was conscious. When I saw the reflection of the cabinet lights "ruining" the shot I was trying to make I realized I could pull out, and make it look like electricity that might run between the monster's antennae like you might see on a late 50's drive-in movie monster.

Here's a Hipstamatic shot of Monster 32. Hip, huh?

Squarey Monster 31

If you don't see it, I'll show you Tuesday...

Update, July 4, 2011:
Okay, Monday, then…

I must confess, I've been looking at these emergency lights in buildings and noticed that this common fixture looks a lot like a Squug. Much like Dodger in particular. Now, as my project continues, and my collection grows, it also resembles the snailien, Alex E.

Here's a lightened version of the above pic - which originally posted upside down :P

And, here's Dodger (one of the original 9 Squarey Monsters)…

The emergency lighting fixture picture at the top is from The Bell House, Brooklyn. Thank you Bell House for many great shows and enjoyable evenings :)

Squarey Monster 30

Update, July 4, 2011:

This was my wedding anniversary weekend, so my timeliness suffered. We did a lot of relaxing together, and so creativity was far from my mind. It was the middle of the night July 1 when I woke up in a creative panic, but this time I made the conscious decision to not get up and do something. Last time I woke at 4 AM to make a Squarey Monster I could not get back to sleep. Between the two, I will choose lack of sleep next time. The guilt and anxiety I felt about not doing something first thing when I woke up just completely stumped me. I had no ideas. I have to keep this fun, but apparently most of the fun in it is getting it done. I can't let "not getting it done" be something that throws me. Like when you run long distance, you need walking breaks - especially when you're training.

Anyway, this was a wooden game board I made when I was about 16 years old. I had a plastic game called Hi-Q (wow, still around) that I wanted to make our of wood and marbles.

The stones are various stones I've collected from beaches in Mexico, Thailand and St. Thomas, coral from Thailand, tiny shells from Cabo San Lucas. The flower was just used to dress it up. I hate to just throw flowers away when they dry up. Immortalizing one in a Squarey Monster felt like a good thing to do. Maybe some day I'll make a monster with nothing but petals and leaves.