Mission Mission

miss burritos.  (via meixellient.)

In other news, I’m still hella jetlagged.

I was checking out the Cartoon Art Museum and saw this sweet original page from Spain Rodriguez‘ “Mission Nites” comic. The first panel is sorta surreal, huh? That dollar store used to be an 89-cent store! Those run-down theaters actually were open at some point!

They also have a small but undeniably awesome exhibit of some sets and puppets from the recent Wes Anderson movie Fantastic Mr. Fox. These sexxy puppets should tide you over until Furcon 2010. It’s running until Jan. 10 so get down there and cough up $6 ($4 if you have a student ID or passable forgery).

Speaking of fur suits, you probably walked right by 826 Valencia and didn’t realize that Max’s real (and apparently filthy) “Where The Wild Things Are” wolf suit is chillin’ in their window. Ewww, betcha it’s covered in boogers and cookie crumbs.

(via emblem30‘s flickr)

P.S. Go ahead, tell me all about how pretentious you think Wes Anderson movies are.

P.P.S. Should I buy a home in Concord?

An interesting comment was left on Kevin’s 23rd/Capp graffiti post from a few months back.  Commenter “The Property Owner” writes:

To hear that we as the Owner let the graffiti sit there is absolutely ridiculous. We paint that wall at least once a month, and it is tagged before it even dries!

This is a letter sent to the tenants of the property:

December 9, 2009

ALL TENANTS
3241-3247 23rd Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

RE: Mural Project

Dear Tenants,

As you are well aware, for many years we have been dealing with a graffiti problem at the property. In the past we have always covered up the graffiti, but in some instances the paint is not dry, before it is ‘tagged’ again.

In an effort to stop this nuisance and contribute to the neighborhood, we have begun working with the San Francisco Arts Commission in hopes of having a mural on the property rather than ugly graffiti. We have taken all the preliminary steps in this process, but would now like your input as well. Being that it is your home we have included a package of three artists who are the current candidates for a mural project. Please review the package and give us any feedback as to your preference of artist, we are also open to suggestions as to the theme of the mural.

We appreciate any feedback and patience as we work on this project. We are the first such property and owner/management group working with the San Francisco Arts Commission, so there is not a step by step guide for us to follow!

Should there be any questions, please feel free to contact our office at the below-mentioned information.
Sincerely,

Nicholas Scarabosio
Jackson Group Property Management

A mural!  Three artists to choose from! Wouldn’t that be totally bitchcakes if the three artists to choose from were BNE, ORFN, and Dick Chicken?

Either way, I hope this helps the situation.  I was just reading over on Curbed that San Francisco spends $3.7 million a year(!) painting over graffiti.  Sheesh.  We should send all these vandal kids to live with their aunties and uncles in Bel Air.

Senor Hair sent us a link to 16th and Mission Comix this morning. I checked out their site and was intrigued.  Here’s their mission (ha!) statement:

16th and Mission Comix (that’s right, gutter comix for you losers) is originally the project of the talented Cameron Forsley. He’s collected a few of us meager artists that knew him back in the day to make some comix. Drawing inspiration from the scene around us, making comix about life, about cities, about big business, brick buildings and hookers. The perfect reading material while you’re waiting for that bus that always smells like booze, where that stringy haired toothless guy takes a nap on the bench next to you and those damn pigeons are all trying to drop atomic crap bombs across your face

Just the current issue is available online, but Hair tells us Mission Comics and Art is carrying the first three.   I started reading the issue #1 online, and there’s totally a Biggie  cameo, nbd.  Check it out.

Photo: Joshua Bright for The New York Times

I’m sure everyone’s seen a BNE sticker slapped on a parking meter at one point or another.  Gav even offered a $2,500 reward on the stickerer’s scalp back in 2k6.

Today, the Chronicle pointed us to a New York Times interview with the unidentified artist who tags and stickers the letters “BNE” all over the world, from San Francisco and New York to Prague and Kuala Lumpur.  BNE takes his art very seriously, comparing his brand to that of Tommy Hilfiger, Starbucks, and Pepsi.

My favorite part of the article:

“You kind of isolate yourself, living this life,” he said. “You meet a girl and she asks, ‘What do you do?’ and right way, you have to lie.”

Zomg, BNE has a soft side!  Sucks he has to hide his true self behind a pair of thick-rimmed glasses.  The words “I slap stickers on shit, babe,” would be devastating for any girl to hear.

I kid, I kid!  BNE may sound sort of like a post-modern hippie, but he’s alright.  Not as cool as Dick Chicken, though.

I always hit up Taqueria Vallarta after a show at Blue Six. The $1.50 taco bar is second to none. They fry up all the meats simultaneously in a loosely-partitioned circular grill that I affectionately call “Noah’s Ark”.

It’s a beautiful thing: you order with the man behind the grill, he loads up some tacos, you pay some tired guy wearing a change apron, and you pile on as much cilantro as you can handle. Hey La Taqueria: take note. $3.50 for a taco is ROBBERY.

Anyway, last time somebody told me to check out the mural while I was there. Ok, I thought, probably just another busty Aztec babe fetching a vase of water while a menacing conquistador stares on. Nope, try ill-proportioned 49ers playing football under the Golden Gate Bridge with the dolphins.

Then there’s more: the artist took it upon himself to write a rambling narrative about the parallel-universe origins of San Francisco and how bitchin’ the 49ers are. Did you know that they have the “excitement of the bear”?

Anyone know the story behind this masterpiece? Some borracho repaying his debt to the owner? Another coded message to members of the New World Order? Best explanation gets a taco on me. These are high stakes, folks.

Bombshell Betty and Fromagique are hosting a holiday themed stripping burlesque show at the Elbo Room tonight. With names like “Rosy Areola” and “Vadge O’Fonner” how can you go wrong? Fans of boobs artistic expression shouldn’t miss this one.

If that’s not your bag, Evan Francis’ Spaceheater is performing at Coda Lounge as part of Jazz Mafia Tuesdays. Never been to Coda? No biggie, but I guess Stevie Wonder hangs there sometimes. If you like jazz flute over break beats then Evan’s your guy. BTW he’s not the flautist in Anchorman, but apparently they know each other real well. Jazz flautists probably have each other on speed dial to sub out gigs.

Alexander sent us this image of a newly-buffed Clarion Alley a few days ago.  Reminds me of sunnier times, before the great blizzard hit San Francisco.  I miss my fingertips.

I was strolling down an alleyway that’s familiar to many but new to me and thought this lo-fi mural was pretty special.

Not sure I get this part but then again, I don’t get a lot of things: