It seems incredible that this little blog has been around for more than two years, but back in 2004 an entry titled Of RobotMen and Martian Popping Things, i mentioned a challenge my brother Ramon and i had set for ourselves and our friends. We were going to use the RobotMen of the Lost Planet (or their vinyl replicas, the Martian Popping Thing) as the theme for a drawing or painting.
Ramon has come through first... i'm struggling to complete a secret project and won't do my part until the current work is complete. But he has graciously provided a scan of his painting. His comments are below.
"Be Wary Of Robotmen"
When I say that I am relatively pleased with this painting I must point out that it has been about 5 years since I finished ANY painting so my expectations are not too high. My nearly complete lack of any technical painting skills generally combine with the traditional "Too little time" excuse to deliver a death blow to any painting I start.
This particular exercise is, for Juana and I, a chance to interpret a family Icon. I believe that all families have these types of Iconic images which they carry with them from childhood, binding them together, though some families lack the gatekeepers who recognize and safeguard such familial symbols. Juana and I are the keepers of symbols in our family, although, I must say that all our brothers are much more aware of such images than in many families.
My goal was to get the proverbial "ball" rolling see if our odd family icon would strike a resonant cord with anyone else. I took liberties with the details as I would hope everyone would do to personalize the symbology. I see the strange, blank faces of the Martian Popping toys as vaguely sinister to children yet dependent upon the child (or inner child) for their existence in the literal sense. How is it that these anachronistic toys are even still being produced??? The focus on the mesmerized/terrified child also gave me the opportunity to pay homage to Alfred Eisenstaedt. To my mind he is the greatest photographer of people who has ever lived. He is the reason you can pick up nearly any copy of Look magazine spanning 30+ years and be awed.
Juana and Marc, You are on the clock!
I hope that ANYONE with the urge will fearlessly send their impressions of Robotmen and Martian Toys.
Ramon
If for some reason Ramon's cool painting inspires you, but you haven't read the comic, refer to my post of highlights, or better yet, download the entire comic from ELECTRO-COMICS.com.
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