STEVAPALOOZA!

Samurai Star Wars prints availaible here!

2011-10-24T21:51:00.001-07:00

UPDATE: A second series of Samurai Star Wars Prints are now available at Spoke Art . The ones I'm selling here are what's left of the first series. If you don't see the ones you want here, check out Spoke Art for more!

NOTE ON INTERNATIONAL ORDERS: Orders outside of the US will require an additional shipping fee of between $10.00 - $20.00 USD. The fee can be sent separately using Paypal's "send money" feature. (My paypal account is registered to the email sdbialik@gmail.com)

ADDITIONAL NOTE: As of 1/19/12 the Obi Wan prints have sold out, so from this point on the complete set consists of five prints (and is $15.00 cheaper).

Everything must go! I'm selling the few Samurai Star Wars prints I have left right here, so get 'em while the gettin's good. There's only about 20 of each left, so don't delay! These are mint condition 11" x 27" prints signed by me, the artist (personalized signings are available at no extra cost. Just let me know what you want written below in the comments section. Or, if you're shy, just leave your name and email and I'll get back to you.) They're available individually for $15.00 USD (plus shipping) or, if you like a bargain, you can get the whole set of five for $55.00 USD

HAN AND CHEWIE

THE EMPEROR

JABBA THE HUTT

BOBA FETT

ADMIRAL ACKBAR

COMPLETE SET

Fine Art

2011-05-02T02:24:00.001-07:00

Bad Girls of the 1880's

2011-04-15T12:41:00.000-07:00

In case you ever time-travel back to New York in the 1880's, here are some shifty ladies to watch out for.

Samurai Star Wars 12: Ewoks!

2011-01-07T12:49:00.000-08:00

Samurai Wars 11: Luke Skywalker

2010-12-05T04:04:00.000-08:00

Easy, girl! You smell something?

Prints!

2010-09-15T18:10:00.001-07:00

For anyone who inquired about Samurai Wars prints, you're in luck. Thanks to the lovely and talented Ken Harman and Spoke Art, prints are now AVAILABLE Buy one for yourself and one for your cat!

Really, REALLY obscure Star Wars characters # 27

2010-09-03T05:53:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn's Forgotten Horseracing Past

2010-08-12T02:37:00.001-07:00

Today, the borough of Brooklyn takes up all of Kings County. But in the 19th century, the city of Brooklyn shared the county with four smaller towns that served as its suburbs. These towns were Flatbush, New Utrecht, Gravesend, and Flatlands.

1890 Map of Brooklyn's suburbs.

The place most Brooklynites gravitated to was the town that bordered the sea, Gravesend. In addition to the many attractions of Coney Island, Gravesend also boasted a number of racetracks. Although nothing remains of these racetracks, we can still easily visit them through old documents. So let's do just that!

Early 20th century drawing showing the Brooklyn racetracks of the era.

1) Deerfoot Trotting Track

Bounded by Ocean Parkway, Coney Island avenue, Avenue I, and Avenue J. Originally Joe Hall's Driving track (attached to Hall's grand hotel at Coney Island avenue & Avenue I), Deerfoot opened in 1873 and hosted harness racing as well as the occasional pigeon shoot, and foot race. Despite seeing it's share of tragedy (several murders happened on the grounds over the years, including the fatal shooting of the park's proprietor in 1875 by an oats salesman who took a friendly wrestling match a little too seriously) Deerfoot endured until 1886.

1873 map showing Hall's (soon to be Deerfoot) racetrack

In 1887 the park was purchased and expanded by Brooklyn bakery magnate John H. Shults. But rather than open his new track to the public, Shults used it strictly for private races and as a training ground for the horses of his own Parkville stock farm (although he was kind enough to replace the old board fence with a picket fence, through which passers-by could see the races). The land was sold and built over sometime in the early 20th century.

Shults' private track, circa 1890

2) Prospect Park Fair Grounds

Bounded by Ocean Parkway, McDonald (Gravesend) avenue, Kings highway and Avenue T. Despite the name, this track was not located in Prospect Park but in the heart of Gravesend. Like Deerfoot, it was a harness racing track, but it also served as a venue for a variety of other attractions such as agricultural fairs, boxing matches, "Renaissance Fair" style medieval tournaments, and even a beautiful baby contest (for which the winner received a $1,000 baby carriage).

Engraving of the fair grounds from 1878 showing the general layout

Trotters on the run in the Prospect Park Fair Grounds. Currier & Ives print from 1869.

The PPFG track operated from the late 1860's to the late 1880's , and at it's height some considered it to be the finest race track in the country. But as mile-long tracks started to appear, the half-mile track at the fair grounds (and harness racing in general) began to lose its appeal.

3) The Brooklyn Jockey Club (Gravesend Racetrack)

Bounded by Ocean Parkway, McDonald (Gravesend) avenue, Kings highway, and Avenue U. After the Prospect Park Fair Grounds folded, the track was expanded and transformed into a thoroughbred racetrack by the Brooklyn Jockey Club in 1886.

Brooklyn Jockey Club track, circa 1890

With it's large grandstand and mile-long track, the Brooklyn Jockey Club track was one of the premiere racetracks of New York state. A special spur of the Culver railroad (now the elevated F line of McDonald avenue) was constructed to deposit visitors right at the grandstand gate, and the track featured a restaurant and it's own jail to house rowdy gamblers.

Grandstand of the Gravesend racetrack

Crowds gathered for the 1893 Brooklyn Handicap at Gravesend Racetrack

1904 film footage of Gravesend racetrack

Although the racetrack closed in 1910 (because of a state-wide ban on betting), the grandstand and stables continued to stand for another decade, finally being destroyed in the early 20's.

In this aerial photograph from 1924, the imprint of the Gravesend track and it's buildings are still clearly visible as homes are being built on the grounds.

4) The Parkway Driving Club

Bounded by Ocean Parkway, east 2nd street, Kings highway, and Quentin Road. This old-style harness racing course was built relatively late (1892) just north of the Brooklyn Jockey Club track.

Layout of the Parkway Driving Club from a 1907 map.

Clubhouse of the Parkway Driving Club, 1905

After horse-betting was banned in 1910, the Parkway track became a baseball field, eventually being converted into Daubert's Field, a semipro baseball park owned by Brooklyn Dodger Jake Daubert. In 1921 the land was built over and converted into a housing development called Ocean Gardens.

5) Brighton Beach Racetrack

Bordered by Ocean Parkway, Coney Island Avenue, Neptune avenue, and West Brighton avenue. This track, opened in 1879, has the distinction of being the longest-lived (and therefor most successful) of the Brooklyn racetracks.

Brighton Beach racetrack, 1890

Unlike the other tracks, which were located in relatively isolated areas, the Brighton Track was right in the middle of Coney Island, making its races easily viewable from many of the surrounding homes. At one point several residents of nearby Duck Hill began erecting makeshift grandstands on their property and charging patrons a nickel to watch the races. A series of police raids soon followed.

The cheap seats in Duck Hill, 1899.

Brighton Beach Racetrack (left) at the Coney Island end of Ocean parkway. Also pictured is Coney Island's first elevated train line, which was taken down in the early 20th century.

In addition to thoroughbred horse racing, the Brighton track also featured dog-races in the off season. In 1901 the track switched to harness racing, and later, after betting was outlawed, it became a motordome for car and motorcycle races. It was destroyed in the 1920's.

6) The Coney Island Jockey Club (Sheepshead Bay Racetrack)

Bounded by Ocean avenue, Gravesend Neck Road, Jerome avenue, and Brown street. This was Brooklyn's largest and most extravagant racetrack. Carved out of a thick patch of woods in 1880, the Sheepshead Bay track was unique in that it had both a standard dirt track and an English-style turf (grassy) track. The first of it's kind in the US.

Sheepshead Bay track, 1890

Drawing of Sheepshead Bay Track, 1880.

Sheepshead Bay grandstand

In addition to thoroughbred races the track also featured other types of horse contests such as steeplechases (races that including obstacle jumping). The spacious ground were also often used for fairs, games, and even the occasional clam bake. After betting was outlawed in 1910, the track saw a second life as the Sheepshead bay speedway, a car-racing stadium.

1915 postcard

Speed demons at the wheel, 1916

Plane vs car at Sheepshead Bay. 1916

Motoring spectacles aside, the Sheepshead Track eventually suffered the same fate as the other racetracks and was razed and built over in the early 20's.

Master Jesus live at Nerd City!

2010-07-27T20:29:00.000-07:00

Check out the new webcomic by the great Len Kody, illustrated by yours truly.

Bitten by a radioactive deity, mild-mannered carpenter Jesus of Nazareth gained the proportionate strength, speed, and agility of the Holy Spirit. He became: MASTER JESUS! After years of training by the eastern masters in the deadly martial arts and guided by his mentor, the wise and eccentric John the Baptist, Master Jesus must now bring all his Kung Fu skills to bear to aid the beautiful and mysterious Mary Magdalene in a secret mission that will bring him toe to with the allied forces of Heaven, Hell, Church, and State! But the Master Jesus is not alone in his quest because the Twelve Ninja Apostles got his back.

http://bit.ly/bnFyAh

Archaic Sex Slang

2010-06-09T17:36:00.001-07:00

Here's a bunch of dirty words you CAN say on television because no one has said any of them in over 100 years.

Male Genitalia

Old Adam
Adam's Arsenal
Auld Hornie
Aspersing Tool
Aaron's Rod
Bag o' Tricks
The Baldheaded Hermit
Ball-my-nag

Female Genitalia

The Attic
The Amulet
The Altar
Bumbo
The Agreeable Ruts of Life
Cock Chafer
Aunt Maria
The Alley
The Alcove
The Affair
Ace
America

Miscellaneous

Back Scuttling (doggie style sex)
Frenching (fellatio)
Ammunition (semen)
Dairies (breasts)
To Break One's Teacup (To lose one's virginity)
Backdoor Work (anal sex)
Venus' Curse (Venereal Disease)
To Give Back And Belly (to accommodate a man thoroughly)
Cock-eyed (horny, in the case of a woman)
To Accouple - to have sex
Firkytoodling - making out

Klashing of Kennys

2010-05-20T15:50:00.000-07:00

Here's a comic I submitted to Zuda just in time for the death of the Zuda contest. I'm thinking of continuing it myself, but I figured I'd post the first pages here to see if there's any interest. So enjoy, if you dare, Klash of the Kennys!

Samurai Wars 10: Princess Leia

2010-04-24T09:09:00.001-07:00

Just a side note..

2010-04-17T16:11:00.001-07:00

If you enjoy the art of Samurai Star Wars you might also want to check out my graphic novel, Minister Jade, which is drawn in a similar style (in this case Chinese, rather than Japanese). Copies are available on Amazon.com , or, if you're visiting the C2E2 convention in Chicago this weekend you can pick one up at the Cellar Door Publishing booth (#746). Here are some samples:

Another note: For those of you interested in Samurai Wars prints, I'm working on getting some made as we speak. I'll be posting info here when the time comes. Thanks again to everyone for all the support!

Samurai Wars 9 : C-3PO and Karakuri D2

2010-04-15T12:16:00.000-07:00

Samurai Wars 8: Admiral Ackbar

2010-04-09T20:05:00.001-07:00

Wow. Samurai Wars has gone viral!

2010-04-07T15:53:00.001-07:00

Well, in a small way. Thanks to everyone for supporting Samurai Wars. I never expected much attention for this, but now that people actually like it I guess I'll have to make more of them. Stay tuned! Or blogged.

Samurai Wars 7: Boba Fett

2010-03-23T22:11:00.000-07:00

Samurai Wars 6: Jabba the Hutt

2010-03-20T13:43:00.001-07:00

Samurai Wars 5: Han Solo & Chewbacca the Oni

2010-03-19T05:04:00.001-07:00

Samurai Wars 4: Obi-Wan Kenobi

2010-03-18T02:54:00.001-07:00

Samurai Wars 3: Emperor Palpatine

2010-03-17T22:47:00.001-07:00

Samurai Wars 2: Yoda

2010-03-17T06:12:00.001-07:00

Samurai Wars 1: Darth Vader

2010-03-17T03:03:00.000-07:00

Artsy for Fartsy's sake

2010-03-06T16:10:00.000-08:00

Mongolian princess. Figure drawn on paper, colored digitally. Took way longer than i thought it would.

Another Zuda try

2009-12-17T11:00:00.000-08:00

After conferring with my people (aka my limited edition velvet painting of dogs playing poker) I have decided to wade back into the waters of heartbreak and attempt my fourth go-round at Zuda.com (I wish I could quit you Zuda).

The comic I'm submitting is called The Bloodwite and it's a spooky, magicky tale set in medieval Russia. The heroes are skomorokhi, wandering entertainers/sorcerers who are hired by a shady boyar (nobleman) to entertain at a village wedding. When they reach their destination, however, they discover the real reason they were hired, and it brings them face to face with an evil from the depths of hell itself.

I'm still finishing up the art on this one. Hopefully it will be accepted by Zuda. And after that, hopefully the Zudites will like it too. And this time I promise, no annoying accents! More info as it develops!

Janggar cover preview

2009-09-15T12:59:00.000-07:00

Yes, real heroes DO tie their hats on with pretty red ribbons!

Costumes and creatures

2009-07-19T21:19:00.000-07:00

In the process of designing costumes and creatures for Janggar comic. Doing a fantasy comic is almost as demanding as making a fantasy movie. Everything has to be created from scratch--props, costumes, sets, everything. But it's fun so I don't mind. I figured I'd post some designs.
Please note that these are quick drawings. The art doesn't represent what the art will look like in the final product (like the woman's big fat legs. Those will be corrected for sure)

Steve reviews More Crap Around the House

2009-05-27T05:29:00.000-07:00

Pugs - In the interest of full disclosure I should point out that I am a pug owner. But I feel that I can still give an objective review of these ADOOOOWABLE WIDDLE UGGAMOOS!!!!

Not much is known about the origin of Pugs. Some believe they came from the stars, while others claim they sprang from the thigh of Zeus. Some people have even theorized that they are not dogs at all but tiny wizards sent from Jupiter to end racism (ok, only one guy theorized that, and he was pretty high). Wherever they come from, Pugs have taken America by storm. So what are the pros and cons of Pug ownership? Let's take a look.

Pro: Pugs are insanely friendly. They like everyone. Kids, adults, nuns, rapists, pedophiles. They don't judge. In fact you could walk around with a string of severed pug heads around your neck, and every living Pug you meet would still want to be your best pal.

Con: Pugs are pacifists to a fault. One of the reasons humans started keeping dogs in the first place was to help them ward off threats. But pugs ain't down with that program AT ALL. The pug attitude is basically "Hey, if it's your time, it's your time. Who am I to interfere with the plans of the cosmos?" They're like little Daoist monks.

Pro: Pugs are homebodies, so they're good for city dwellers. They don't need huge fields to romp around in. In fact huge fields scare them. So does the heat. They have a low tolerance for it and will generally start to swoon after only a few minutes in the hot sun. Also they keep losing their asthma inhalers and are always being stuffed in lockers by other dogs.

Con: Pugs are needy. The crave intimacy. If you want a dog that respects your personal space, don't get a pug. Pugs are all up in yo grill. And they love swatting at soft human skin with their big, clawed meat-hooks, which can be a problem since they are built like tanks.

Pro: Pugs don't generally bark too much. Unlike other small dogs pugs are relatively quiet. And when they do bark it's a raspy old man bark that most people find more funny than annoying. If pugs could talk they'd all sound like Yoda.

Con: Although pugs don't bark a lot, they do make every other noise imaginable most of the time. They snore, fart, grunt, sneeze, snort, and smack their big droopy lips constantly. They're like Benjamin Button old man babies.

My final ranking: The pug gets four out of five Mer-men

Steve Reviews Crap Around the House

2009-05-21T16:39:00.000-07:00

Dr. Pepper - Growing up in our house, the only soda there was to drink was the soda my mom drank, namely Tab. If you've never had Tab, here's a fun way to make your own at home: Mix diet coke and diet pepsi in a bottle, leave that bottle uncovered in your garage for an entire summer, then drink. Mmmmm, now you're drinking Tab!

Because of this, I grew up preferring diet sodas. Sweetened sodas were considered a luxurious novelty. The kind of thing you only got at weddings and the homes of people who didn't hate their kids. But in recent years I have taken a dark detour into full time sweetened soda drinking, and Dr. Pepper is the reason! Yes, I know what you're thinking, "Isn't that the stuff that made that guy turn into a werewolf?!"

Not exactly, but I understand your confusion. What Dr. Pepper is is an orgasm in a can. In fact sometimes I wish some horrible accident would deprive me of my genitals so I could devote myself to Dr. Pepper drinking full time (or at least until the diabetes kicked in and my kidneys failed). So what makes Dr. Pepper so good? The mystery factor! What's in it? What is that taste? And exactly what kind of Doctor is Dr. Pepper anyway? A House kind of doctor or an Indiana Jones kind of doctor? No one knows! And the more we ask, the more the doctor just smiles. Dr. Pepper is the James Dean of sodas. If you don't get it, it's because you CAN'T get it! Now go have a Fresca, you sissy!

I give Dr. Pepper five out of five Mer-men!