Guitar Hero: Metallica is Out Now

I so want to get this with a microphone so I can be like James. That would be awesome.

Deceptive Sales Techquies and How They Hurt Business

I went to FYE Saturday for something simple: A pair of headphones.

The FYE I went to is the one I used to work at, and I ran into someone I used to work with. He had found out that the old store manager was ringing up those "free magazines" without telling customers, which in turn boosted the stores numbers and hurt a LOT of customers. I congratulated him in person and went to the counter with my headphones.

The guy who rang me up asked me if I wanted to reserve anything. I said, "No thanks, just this." He then said, with a bit of a smile and a joky tone, "Well, we have a new policy that you need to make a reservation in order to make a purchase." I started chuckling a little and I said, "Sorry, no thanks, just the headphones." "Well, my manager is right next to me and he says the same thing," he said motioning to the tall blond man next to him. "No thanks, I just want the headphones."

This went on for nearly 5 minutes.

I finally reached my breaking point, which I'm sure was obvious on my face. I was angry, I was going to miss my train, and I was not in the mood for this crap. So, calming myself down, I finally said, "Look, I know all the tricks, and I'm just not in the mood for this right now. Either I can pay for my headphones or, I'm sorry, I'll have to leave." He paused for a moment and finally said, "$15 dollars." "Thanks, " and I handed him my credit card. He said there was something wrong with it and ran it through again.

He took the time to ask me about when I worked there and how I did. "So, how many reservations a day did you get a day when you worked here?" I worked at 30th Street Station back in 2004 and was the top salesman there. I took a guess at how I did. "About 6 a day..." he took out a piece of paper. "BAM! 16 today alone! And that's my average!" He handed me my reciept and I looked it over before I signed to make sure there was nothing wrong with it. He handed me my headphones and said, "Well, I guess you don't know all the tricks." I left the store angrier than when I entered.

I wouldn't post about something like this about this location if there didn't seem to be something wrong with this picture. The last part, where he felt the need to brag about how many he got a day and "not knowing all the tricks"... I know his, and frankly, it's distasteful.

Telling ANY customer you need a reservation for a purchase is wrong. Not only that, it is a lie, it is distateful, and it doesn't help the store in any way, shape, or form. Having the manager supposedly back up your claim doesn't help either. I thought he was kidding, I kinda knew he was, but because of how he kept pressuring me about it, because he felt the need to point out how many sales he had, and because he said I didn't know "all the tricks"... I'm pretty sure he's done this to other people.

And that's just wrong.

This post is a warning to all that you need to be careful of salesmen and that you need to be assertive. I'm thinking about returning the headphones now and getting my money back because this entire thing has really just pissed me off, and I think he has done it to others.

It's also a warning to salesmen as well; You never know when what you say or do will be repeated to others and friends... and the internet.

Photo courtesy of iStockphoto.

A little more on my robot

So it made the Philadelphia City Paper! Cool! It was published and blogged about on The Clog! SWEET!

I just want to address something, though, about the robot and it's about the robot itself.

I've had friends and people online send me a slew of suggestions about what to do with him and other concepts for him. It's quite amazing, really, and it makes me feel good!

This is the first time in my life that I created a piece of art, not just to make myself happy, but to make others happy around the world. Normally I just draw something to make myself happy and piss people off... not entirely not the case here, but hey, I've gotta be me, right? I wanted people to look at this robot and smile and think. I wanted them to smile because he is a cute little robot and because I wanted people to think because of the little sign he's holding.

And, of course, I still haven't said "why" I've done all this, have I?

Like I keep saying, the answer is really obvious and right in front of you.

But back to people's ideas and suggestions: Thanks, but no thanks. If your inspired by what I did, if you liked the cute little guy and thought of something awesome you would like him to do yourself, please... do it yourself. Spread the joy. :)

A Bit More Teasing...

My New MySpace page is worth checking out. I just re-did it and everything, and it does hint at what all this means.

The End Is Near

THE END IS NEAR! The Links That Make It All Worth It...

Well, I still haven't said why I did this and I'm still not quite done yet. But I did a Google Blog Search (I LOVE this thing!) and found a lot of links to it. Here's a quick roll-call:

Jon-a-Rose
Qatato
le Wigwam
Botropolis
chriscarter.org
WeHeartIt
Cabri Ole - In Spanish
ChaosX.com - Japaneses... damn it.
Maravillosamente absurdo - In Spanish
Woefully Misinformed
Hungryghoast's Web Presence (It's on there somewhere... it's a kinda-weird thing so I can't post a direct link)
AmpleSanity
Abduzeedo
Bloggy's Blog


But I saved my favorite for last:

Priscilla’s Notebook
The End Is Near

Here's an excert:

Why would someone make a cute cardboard robot and make a sign on the robot that says “The End Is Near”. The robot at first glance is very cute until you see the sign and it makes you think differently about the robot. Who would write and believe what the sign says. Why not write something useful like save the earth from global warming or save the whales. How would someone know if the end was near. I think no one would want to know the truth. So a lot of people would ignore it and just go about their lifes.

Read the rest of her thoughts here.

EDIT: This just came in: This little guy is now one of the most popular stories on DIGG! Nearly 1100 DIGGS as of right now!

BWA HA HAHAHA HAH AHAHAH HAHAHAAH HA!!!!!!

*ahem* Sorry... got carried away for a moment there.

Thanks to everyone and please keep sending me links to stuff you write and/or post about this.

It Is Done! It Is Done! At Last, The World Is Free!

I love quoting the Ralph Baski movie "Wizards". Great film, too, if you've never seen it.

I was greeted this morning with a look at my web site stat tracking that I had gotten basically more hits in the last 12 hours on my web site, morisecomics.com, than over the course of a normal month. Turns out I made the cut and am now part of the greatest inspirational website I've ever seen, Notcot.org!

Artists, designers, and people all over the world come to this site and look for the latest in interesting and inspiring things, and to make the cut... well, it's just plain awesome!

You can see the original post here.

So far, it's earned me two different blog posts as well, which I think is sweet!

Kellypuff's blog said he was a "cute little guy." Thanks!

Technoarts.net had a nice write-up of my website. Here is what they wrote, translate and re-phased:

Portfolio of the designer and independent illustrator Larry West. Graphic design, illustration, web design, photography… Seen at notcot.org.

Larry says thathis art and its style has been influenced from everything from punk rock to Walt Disney, and that he began to draw at the age of 10. In any case, his independence and liberty are patents, given that neither the charismatic new leader of the White House, nor his 'friend' Hillary, are saved from his critical vision and little optimism of the current world.

I left it largely untouched, but you get the idea. :)


Just got one from awesome dude in Germany on the blog diskursdisko:

Larry West informs the world by means of more than a cute little Cardboard Robot that the end approaches.

Why he does this, his secret remains (for the time being).

Here are some more links:
Moustier-City - Photos
Vi.Sualize.Us - More photos here and the site is nice!

More as this develops!

THE END IS NEAR!

TWITTER: You Have No Friends!

I had a really great laugh about this. I love this cartoon, it's just plain awesome!

I'm still kinda shock I use Twitter and use it daily. They point out that your basically yelling into space, hoping for someone to listen. In essence, its true. your true friends wouldn't care about that; they would pick up the phone and talk to you.

I don't use Twitter to talk to my friends. That would be even sadder than what I do use it for; marketing and a place to vent.

Sometimes I'm at work or working on something and I need to kinda get something else. For example: "Allergy season, how I hate you... stuffy nose, watery eyes, and aches and pains." Eh, what can I say, I didn't feel great.

It can also be used as a good promo tool and a way to get the word out about what your up to.For example, I found out someone stole my idea and wrote this: "These bastards ripped off my "Obey False Messiah" idea! BASTARDS!!! http://tinyurl.com/dlky4v" So far, no, I haven't done anything about this incident, but it was cool to get the word out. If I've got some artwork I just did, posted something on my blog, etc... it can be a good way to get the word out.

So, basically, I'm just saying the same thing the cartoon is: Twitter sucks for social networking and keeping in touch with friends. It's cool to see what people you like and/or know are up to, and it's cool that it's been used for a lot of good! Companies like Comcast, DirecTV, and a lot more have basically started Twitter accounts to see what people think of their service and actually do something about it.

I'm pissed the media is so obsessed with something that only lets you input 140 characters, an avatar, and a background. Twitter can do some good, but really... its kinda dumb.

At any rate, my Twitter feed is here. I update it daily, but hey, you never know when you'll read something good!

OH NO! THE ROBOTS ARE ATTACKING!!!!!!

So this little guy is not the reason for "The End Is Near", but it is the Larry West Robot. I just wanted to give everyone a place to go to check out and kinda direct traffic here. I'll explain everything later.

If you took a photo of my "The End Is Near" robot, PLEASE upload it to the Flickr "The End Is Near!" Photo Pool. Also, please check out my website, Larry West Productions.

Thanks!

KREATOR AND EXODUS IS COMING TO TOWN!!!!!!

Kreator with Exodus

Trocadero

Philadelphia, PA
Thu, Apr 9, 2009 06:00 PM

SOURCE: The Troc!

The End Is Near?

So, what is the meaning of this image? Why am I so obsessed with this phrase? Why the hell was I outside Saturday protesting some local artist?! And what does this have to do with anything?!?!

The answers... well, they're not simple nor easy. Nor am I going to spill the beans just yet. I will say this, though: The answer is right in front of you.

The End Is Near.

THE END IS NEAR!

So there is now a photo of me floating around that was taken by someone when I was walking around with a sign that says "The End is Near". I've been asked to comment on this, and so far, I have none. Nothing. Nada. For a man who normally won't shut up, I have nothing to say for once.

Well, at least, not yet.

A few people have called and contacted me about the photo, asking what it's about. I already got a call from a friend asking if I was, of all things, running for District Attorney! I just said, "Well, your going to have to wait for an answer, just like everyone else."

So watch this space, and remember... The End is Near.

SERPENT OF DEATH!!!!!

Serpent Of Death by LuvataciousSkull

This is my new piece. Buy a copy and help out someone who loves drawing weird stuff!

Whoo-Hoo! ART!

I... I have no idea what this is called. This is an early version of it... I plan on scanning a larger piece tomorrow.

Government Censorship: Protecting YOU From Reality!

GOVERNMENT CENSORSHIP Black Shirt by LuvataciousSkull

I was going through my records to see what images were getting linked where, and I found out this is a fairly popular image. Awesome! Well, support me, buy a shirt!

Shepard Fairey, You Can't Own the Word "OBEY"

I'll be blunt: Shepard Fairey is a hypocrite.

He is suing a Pittsburgh man named Werner for an image called "Obey Steelerbaby". Fairey's attorney states that they are "trying to protect our trademark."

The problem, though, is that the two images aren't even close and it's a heavily-flawed argument. The word "Obey" has been in existence forever and Fairey didn't invent it. Pepsi, Coca-Cola, FYE, Metallica... these are brands that can demand attention and payment over the use of their name. On the flip side, yes, there are companies with generic names: Gap, Monk, Capitol Records, Spawn, Iron Maiden. The list goes on.

In the end, you can't complain about having claim to a trademark unless you actually have someone literally ripping you off. For example, I could draw a picture of a hot chick dressed in all metal and call her an Iron Maiden, and the band couldn't sue. Why? Because I'm not using their logo, I'm not using any of their icons: It's a completely independent piece I did on my own. If someone thinks it belongs to the band, then they don't know Maiden. If I draw a Monk, NBC Universal couldn't sue me because it isn't their same Adrian Monk from the his show MONK.

In this case, the entire "OBEY" trademark hinges on one thing: The font. The font used for the OBEY image seems to be (educated guess) Futura Xlb Italic. If they used that font, or something incredibly similar, then yes, you have trademark infringement. If it was a closeup of the baby's face with the word "OBEY", maybe, MAYBE he has a case. The reason it's maybe is because it could be taken as a parody.

It's just insane, and I feel sorry for the guy for stopping, and I'm glad this story is getting some legs.

Watchmen: A Review, Thougts, and the Experince

I finally got to see Watchmen last night, and there's a lot I want to say about, well, everything. The film, the comic, the experience of the theater... so this is going to be two parts: A review of the film and a review on the experience.

The Film (With spoilers):

The Comedian was killed, to begin with.

In a fight to the death, and cold blood, a man who killed Kennedy and fought along Dr. Manhattan in Vietnam, winning the war for Nixon... plunged to his death in his Manhattan apartment. Rorschach investigates this crime and uncovers a conspiracy to kill costumed heroes. Through it all, we learn the stories of the masked vigilantes and that these "heroes" aren't the idolized gods we saw them as... even the one who would seem the most godlike is the most flawed.

As a fan of the original work, I went into the film knowing things would not be exactly the same, something I was fine with. The comic book is incredibly complex, and not everything could go in there, and some parts of the book I thought were important were completely left out, most notably the entire sub-plot of the New York City Newsstand where the book, "Tales of the Black Freighter" were read. I was fine with them not having the book... that was fine, and it made sense. But the newsstand in and of itself was a device used to connect these heroes and these seemingly amazing and non-real events with the real world. In turn, by eliminating it, that element was gone... but the essence was still there, which in the end counts for a little bit more.

The focus was more on these "flawed gods", which was something I was glad to see. It wasn't on the fighting, it wasn't on them saving the world... it was about who these people were and what they were trying to achieve. I'm forced to wonder why a high-gloss take was done with toning it down and, instead, having them more in a neutral setting may have worked better.

On that note, something I don't see in reviews or discussed, I'd like to note what I think was one of the biggest problems with the film: The use of slow-motion and pop-music. From the man who brought us "300", its no real shock that he still overdid it on the slow-motion. It was irritating try to watch the film and get a moment where you, the audience member, was forced to actually sit down and think about what you were seeing because instead of thinking about the action itself, you wind up being to broadsided by a cheesy effect that's meant to keep the idiots "interested". The camera never seemed to stop moving, again not letting you think about the shot, but giving you the meaning.

If I may, a little rant about that. I think the best films let you soak in moments and understand the true meaning and depth of a moment, something Alan Moore did a lot in the book. the director felt that he needed to live up to what comic book movies were in terms of filming and production and, in the end, I feel he did the story a disservice to a degree. At the same time, there wasn't a moment a silence. Instead of simply letting there be no music, you were constantly bombarded by a score that wouldn't stay quiet, the occasional and seemingly out of place pop song... although, my favorite point of the film was hearing the Muzak version of "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" when Ozymandias spoke about world peace midway through the film.

One thing I love about films is when you do get those quite moments to think and reflect, especially when you have a nearly 3-hour long film. It feels like the entire thing was cheapened a little in the name of keeping the public interested.

But the film was still brilliant, by and large. For all my aching and bitching abut the little things, the film, on a whole, as still well done. The bit of a synopsis done about the entire history of the superhero vigilante group (Note: they are never called "The Watchmen." Ever.) and who took on the role later was great, and the fact they stayed fairly true to the source material (yes, even Dr. M's little blue guy) was great. The ending... well, I'm mixed on the change.

In the book, there was a thread that led you from the newsstand to the comic to the end. In essence, the newsstand was where a lonely man would discuss world events to a kid who only read a comic book and didn't care. The comic book was about isolation. The person who drew the book drew a scary alien and worked for Veidt. The alien was created to cause world peace and kill millions. No newsstand = no monster. It would have been confusing for it to just kinda pop-up. So instead Dr. Manhattan is framed.

In the essence of the material, nothing really changed because of it. It was still an event that brought the world together and created world peace, and that was the entire point of the ending: Is it worth killing millions in order to save Billions?

So, favorite scene, yes? Well, I have three and I guess they speak more to my true nature: The first is Rorschach in the room with the therapist at the jail where he is shown a series of Rorschach cards and asked what he sees. After seeing one card, and recalling beating the crap out of two kids when he was younger, biting off the cheek of one of them, he tells him what he sees; "Clouds".

My second favorite scene is Night Owl and Silk Specter in those first awkward moments where they are in Night Owl's apartment trying to get undressed... it was just hilarious how realistic it was in the awkwardness of it all.

My third favorite? Well... world peace at the cost of a few million? How can you say no?

In the end, I found it easier to relate and understand these charachters than it was when I read the book, which was a major plus. In a way, this is the cliffnotes of Watchmen, and that's not all that bad.

I would have to give it a 8 stars out of 10 because there are problems with it, but it still was incredibly by and large. I will get the DVD when it coems out.


The Experience:

I hate going to the movies these days. It's a lot just to get in the theater, it's a lot to get food, and people like the talk and be annoying during the film. The theater I went to was in Neshaminy Mall, just outside Philadelphia (all the good malls are outside Philly.... fuck), and I saw it with a friend, a co-worker, and my co-workers friends. One of them was a heavy fan of pirating films while they're still in theaters, to which I asked, "So, are you buying a ticket to this or is someone else paying for you?" He didn't answer.

The film is rated R, although I wished they slapped an NC-17 Raiting on it. Why? Because this isn't a film you take your kids to see, especially a fucking baby. It was irritating trying to watch the film and, near the end, hearing some idiot who decided to bring their baby because they couldn't get a sitter cry. The amount of teenagers who chuckled at seeing a flacid penis, the lack of maturity for a film that was, at heart, something you really needed a brain to understand... it was a bit of a pain.

Nutter Has Gone Insane: How I Would Help Fix the Budget Problem

I'm not going to state that this idea of mine is perfect, but honestly, it's better than Nutter's ideas of either charging residents $5 a week for basic sanitation services, forcing us to buy "special trash bags", or paying to have to go to jail.

1. Have officers start punishing for minor crimes!

During the election, I preached that the Broken Windows policy would help Philadelphia by deterring people from committing crimes. Broken Windows states that by ticketing and targeting minor offenses, it deters them from committing larger crimes. At the same time, this policy would make the city money. A LOT of money. Ticketing and fines for littering, jaywalking, and not recycling would be a boon for Philadelphia. That said, I think we need to crack down and start ticketing heavily for the following:

• Littering
• Vandalism
• Jaywalking
• Selling goods on the street without a permit
• Not recycling

That's a short list, and there are laws in place banning these activities and fines in place for offenders. One thing that was discussed during the election was raising the cost for dumping/littering in Philadelphia. More needs to be done to actually enforce it and collect the fines from it. At the same time, there are laws in place already concerning even trash cans and recycling, but they're not being enforced!

2. Tax Evaders!

In 2007, the City of Philadelphia was owed, get this, $700 MILLION DOLLARS IN TAXES! The City of Philadelphia has not done enough to crack down on this problem and, in turn, we are facing a over $1 Billion Dollar Deficit. Why isn't more being done to correct this?! Treat these guys as the criminals they are! Remember in 2002 when John Street launched his "Safe Streets" program and randomly raided houses where they were selling drugs? Do that again NOW, but with Tax Evaders! Well, the big ones; the smaller ones, send letters, take them to court... etc.

3. Raise Taxes, but Not all of them!

Someone pointed out that raising the City Wage tax by .5% would equate to only $20 a year per $25k a person made a year. That isn't bad, it isn't bad at all. I'm fine with that. But raising the City's Sales Tax?! NO! 7% is already high, raising it to something like 8% would just be insane. It drives away commerce, and makes residents cranky and poorer, and no one is really going to benefit in the end since it most likely would never go back down.

4. Close 1 Library

Yes, yes, people complained non-stop about closing the libraries. Closing 1, I think, isn't that bad and it's fair. Pick the one that isn't going to be missed that much and cut it, at least for now.

5. Institute a Bike License

OK, this last one may seem as bad as what I was complaining about, but it can actually be a boon. A Bicycle License system is already in effect in a town in California, and for $5, you get a lifetime license. In turn, if your bike is ever stolen, its treated like a stolen car since its serial number is tagged with the city and everything. That actually isn't that bad an idea, although, personally, I'd charge $25 a year to bike couriers... but that's me.

In the end, this is going to raise a lot of money for the City of Philadelphia and help the standard of living here.

The Demoness Said KILL!!!

Yep, another self-promotion post for my stuff on Zazzle.com... maybe this should be my new thing for a day of the week. Eh. Anyway, make sure you check out this deck! Hey, it may have snowed a lot today, but skateboard season is just around the corner!

The Demoness Said Kill! by LuvataciousSkull

Blogs and Life: The Week in Review

So my good friend/nemesis/blogger-in-crime Dan McQuade may have ended "Philadelphia Will Do". Well, that sucks. I was going to force my upcoming art show down his throat. I can only assume that story about me in the kilt sitting at the top of his blog for 4 days killed him. 

In terms of my life... well, it's been really odd. I won't go into any details, but it involves women. Wait, maybe I need to explain a little. I had a photo shoot this week with an incredibly awesome and talented model. No photos, not allowed to. Also, some big things happened to me as a person that I can't really discuss just yet. Sorry.