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BIG ART SHOW COMING RIGHT UP! |  |
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11th
BEARDED LADY VS. THE WHITE VIGILANTE
6pm - 9m
Bearded Lady Printing
3504 East Fourth Street
East Austin
official RWV webpage!
Make plans to spend a Saturday evening at East Austin's premier print shop!
The boys from Bearded Lady have collaborated with yours truly to produce four original and unique silkscreened posters based off the art from the comic book.
They'll also be a large display of original art from the comics as well as all the prints and posters Bearded Lady have produced.
So get dressed to slum it on the East Side on Saturday night - the Live Oak will be flowing and the art should be worth the trip alone!
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PINATA TIME!!!
At the big release party of volume
two, the Really White Vigilante pinata was revealed to the world. As he swayed in the light winds on the back patio of Rio Rita, everyone expected a quick fight with the gentrification pole. As it turned out, our hero has quite a backbone... |
A4 PAPER:
HOW I LEARNED TO STOP LOVING RONALD REAGAN
Even as a young child photocopying books in the library, I never understood paper sizes. Sure the 'big sheets' were twice the size of normal sheets, but what about that odd size in the middle? Well, a recent project made me fall down a rabbit hole filled with answers. |
PAINTING CLASSES | I teach painting and drawing classes from my studio. If you're a painter, or have always wanted to learn, these private classes are a fun, good entry into the art world. Classes can be scheduled throughout the week and there are some new slots added to the lineup this week.
Check 'em out! |
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ORDER YOUR COPY OF THE REALLY WHITE VIGILANTE TODAY!
Catch up on the satirical comic book series about the gentrification of East Austin today!
Both books are now available for purchase through paypal, or send an email to schliefke@gmail.com
to make arrangements to pick up your copies in Austin:
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Volume One:
62 pages, $15
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Volume Two:
66 pages, $15
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KANSAS CITY BBQ
COMES TO AUSTIN
With the arrival of Kansas City's own Boulevard Beer into the Austin City Limits, Blue Genie's Kevin Collins and I looked back on our Kansas City roots with pride and decided it was the right time to show Austinites and Texans just what they were missing settling for their own Texas styled BBQ.
After some quick internet research, we found the keys to making some Arthur Bryants styled burnt ends and we soon gathered the ingredients for a KC BBQ party. |
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BACK TO PAINTING!
After a year long hiatus to work on and complete the
first two volumes of my four part comic book epic, I finally found some time to get back to my roots so to speak and pick up my brushes again and see what happens when I push paint around the canvas once again. |
A POLITICAL STORY
Nothing bores me more than talk of politics. The self
righteous liberals on the left are just as wrong, narrow minded and ridiculous as the smug, small minded conservatives on the right. But, due to the current events, I've been asked my opinion of the Presidential race over and over. Despite trying to keep politics and horrible writing off this website, here's my thoughts on the whole matter. |
HOME BEFORE DARK
Artists fight all sorts of depression and longing and
still try to make art. Neil Diamond's latest effort provides the backdrop for this lengthy examination into his mind and the depths of an artist's creativity and dark holes. |
AUSTIN CRITICS' TABLE AWARDS
A surprise nomination ended with a
surprise win for the four curators of last year's gigantic Radical Nautical art show, of which I helped put together. Thanks to all the artists who participated, and if you're interested in how the awards show went, click on the title above... |
CESAR CHAVEZ GOES BOTH WAYS NOW
Now that the powers that run Austin have figured out to make two halves of one road connect so
you can drive east or west continuously on Cesar Chavez, I'll have to admit it's become my favorite road in Austin now. |
GOING GREEN GONE MAD!!!
Well, I'm all for saving the world and being conscious of all the decisions you make (excessive packaging is such a bore), but now that going
green has become ultra trendy and all those rich housewives driving SUVs pull into the Whole Foods parking lot with canvas bags tucked under their arms, I thought we'd reached the apex of this movement. Instead, we still have shrewd businessmen masquerading as 'art groups' (don't they know there are better ways to make both money and art?), but now the Federal Government has gotten into the act, and the US Mint is running a deluge
of commercials about how the new dollar coins (which are BUTT UGLY) are green and recyclable as one of their biggest selling points. |
GOOGLE GOGGLES
One of the biggest problems with cell phones is your implied availability at
all times. I've screwed up a few relationships because I refuse to take a phone call when I'm in an actual conversation with someone, unless its a call I was waiting on and was important. On the flip side of this, phones today are also available at all times, including those times when you get home drunk and suddenly miss that old flame. While scraping the internet to post a link to a drunk dialing blocking service (they're out there), I found this website which allows people to
call a number and leave drunk dials on it!
With that side note, the impetus for this little post was finding out gmail now has a drunken emailing service which makes you solve math puzzles before you're able to send out drunken emails in the middle of the night. |
MY NEXT TATTOO
Its hard to believe, but its been
five years since I got my first tattoo, and I've had the itch for sometime for a follow up. I think my mind is made up on the imagery. I love Lucille, my frumpy cigarette girl on my left arm, but it's time she got a friend on my right arm. While I love the idea of tattoos being women and playing off the dangerous/naughty history of tattoos, I'll be drawing an image of Mareva Galenter from her
video 'Bang Bang' for my next tattoo. I think it'll have to be black and white, and with her amazing dress, long legs, dark feaures, a woman like that can only be doing one thing: holding a pistol. Hopefully Lucille will have a friend before Christmas. |
YOU ALWAYS KNOW THINGS ARE GOOD WHEN...
I head back from a nighttime run to the grocery store with a receipt that has only the
following items on it: Nutella, Potato Chips, Cottage Cheese. |
FAMILIARITY HAS A WAY OF WASHING AWAY AWARENESS
While having a few beers with a couple of my best friends last night, I made the
mistake of mispronouncing the word 'milk'. Apparently, I speak 'melk' when I should say 'milk'. They started laughing at delight by my common error, and proceeded to call me 'Melkel'. I laughed and asked if they were going to start calling me that on a permanent basis. They looked at me confused and stunned, and seriously replied, "Um, we've been calling you that for months now..." |
RUNNING WATER RUNS DEEP
I remember back in my last year of high school I was the slacker who never did homework or
cared much for tests in my AP European History class. Surrounded by do-gooder, college bound students who felt it was absolutely vital to succeed, I was the underachieving slacker that caught the brunt of my short tempered and ill mannered teacher. He was a member of one of the most powerful Italian families in my little town outside Boston, and carried himself with the weight and arrogance of an absolute tyrant, drunk on his own power. Recycling was the new environmental fad, much like organic food and Prius cars are today, and my
teacher started a class session talking about water conservation and how easy it is to make small changes in behavior to make a big difference. He asked how many people brushed their teeth with the water running. A student, oddly, another rich Italian, proudly boasted he does and never will change. The question arrived at my desk and I flatly said I didn't run the water when I brush my teeth. My teacher, thinking he knew the answer, asked if this was because of an awareness of wasting water. I replied, no, there was just no
reason to run the water while you brush your teeth. To this day, I remember my teacher sneering at my reply, and dismissing my already ingrained water saving technique. I'm reminded of this story a lot in Austin, where activism really is just a social activity, and those virtuous members of this city who go overboard with solutions to problems that are as unrealistic and bullheaded as the minimally endowed Republican dumbasses who still proudly drive SUVs to spite the growing Nanny State around them. |
A GIFT FROM JAPAN
Another night of working ended abruptly with a trip to youtube. This time, a completely random search
produced a series of videos that I spent nearly two hours watching. It's a Japanese game show where the contestants have to enroll in high school for a day, and everytime they laugh, they are spanked with a bamboo rod. It's absolutely awesome. |
THE SOUNDTRACK OF LOST LOVE
Every so often, a song comes on the radio, or you stumble across an old CD or tape, and for better or
worse, it throws you back to an innocent, fun little time when the birds are singing, the sky is blue, and you're in a glorious relationship with a hot little vixen that'll never end. Some clever guesswork from those that know me well probably can attach a pretty face to some of the songs, but I'll deny it if you try guessing. Here's a smattering of songs that make me think of the good times: |
I'VE NEVER LIKED STAR TREK OR WILLIAM SHATNER BUT...
The Cliff Notes to life in Austin can be summed up with
this song, hilariously mashed up with some old clips from a Star Trek cartoon. |
ONE DAY WALKING THROUGH THE MARKET
I was rushing through the aisles trying to find the ingredients for a quick meal I could cook up
after I got home from teaching some classes. Right there, in the middle of the HEB in the Hancock Center, I noticed a box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese that looked, well, different. Within seconds I was laughing at the absurdity of it all - it was a BOX of KRAFT MACARONI AND CHEESE that was labeled, 'ORGANIC'. It carried with it a $1.79 cent price tag too. On my next visit to HEB, this time my local, East Side, gritty, downtrodden version on Seventh Street, there was no such product to be had. |
JUAN PELOTA
While taking an extended bike ride through east and central Austin, I found myself snaking through the downtown grid
when I came across Lance Armstrong's new bike shop, Mellow Johnny's. Putting aside my deep hatred for the man personally, I knew a friend who worked in the cafe attached to the shop. As I locked my bike, I looked up at the coffee shop and was amazed.
Stunned, the sign actually read Juan Pelota. Since the bike shop's opening, all the press has harped on just how clever Lance with the name of the bike shop, a homonym of sorts with the French phrase for 'yellow jersey'. I never expected Austin's egotistical super-athlete and super-humanitarian to make a play off Spanish with his well known status as the most famous man with one testicle. |
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ONGOING AND UPCOMING SHOWS
2008
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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11th | Bearded Lady Printing
East Austin | The Bearded Lady vs. the Really White Vigilante
The graphic work of Michael Schliefke and prints of Bearded Lady | |
NOVEMBER | Rio Rita Cafe y Cantina
East Austin | Solo Painting Show
A show of new paintings | |
DECEMBER 3rd - 24th | Blue Genie Art Bazaar
Monarch Events Center | Blue Genie Art Bazaar
creative gifts for the Holiday Season |
2009
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MAY 2009 | Tales of the Really White Vigilante Volume Three
East Austin | Comic Book Release Party
General Malaise helps our young hero past some pitfalls as new developments hit East Austin. | |
NOVEMBER 2009 | Tales of the Really White Vigilante Volume Four
East Austin | Comic Book Release Party
Does the final volume of the tale of the White Vigilante bring about the end of gentrification? |
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CURATED GROUP SHOWS
RADICAL NAUTICAL
August, 2007 Gallery Lombardi, Austin, Texas
with Ian Shults, Rachel Koper, Kevin Peakes and Kevin Tijernia
Austin Chronicle Review
Best Group Show, Austin Critics' Table Award
FATHER'S DAY SHOW
July, 2006 Bolm Studios, Austin, Texas
"Top Ten Art Shows, 2006" Austin Chronicle
WILL THERE EVER BE A RAINBOW?
The Unicorn Art Show
curated with Ian Shults
November, 2005 Bolm Studios, Austin, Texas
"Best Group Show, 2005" Austin Chronicle
SHOULDA BEEN A PLUMBER TOO
October, 2004 Bolm Studios, Austin, Texas
WHILE WE'RE YOUNG
April, 2004 Blue Genie Art, Austin, Texas
SHOULDA BEEN A PLUMBER
October, 2003 Blue Genie Art, Austin, Texas
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