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Showing posts from May, 2020

Battery.

I'm sure they'll see what went wrong there.

Replacement laptop finally arrived.

This laptop seems to be doing fine so far. And I love running into the new people I've met from the podcast it's one of the great perks of doing it!

Audio lag.

Seriously, every time we try doing a band thing online we continue to spend most of it fixing issues. But he was eventually able to record his part.

While driving around I got an animation idea for my art podcast - Tom Ray's Day 200528

In the last video, I popped my bike tire. Well today, after I pack some items to ship that I sold online, I take my bike to get fixed.  Then I get an idea while I'm driving. An animation idea that involves scribbling words and using the 3D software Blender to do it!  Here is a link to the podcast episode with T.L. Luke I reference in the video -  https://www.tomrayswebsite.com/2020/04/tl-luke-illustrator-selling-prints.html Check out the animation segment I made here - https://youtu.be/KV1CC6MhYXs   Check out the other things I do too! :)  Tom Ray's Art Podcast on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/36BlMk9   Daily comic on Tapas - https://tapas.io/series/then-this-happened   My graphic novel "Then This Happened..." (Year One) - https://amzn.to/2T37F2R   My graphic novel "Then This Happened..." (Year Two) - https://amzn.to/3fMuAJC   My Band Lorenzo's Music on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2JJF39Q

Practice space.

Was nice to be by myself to just make some noise.

Retro "Follow the Dots" Artwork from the 70s - Look At Some Connect The Dots Artwork That I Found.

A look at some of the artwork from this vintage activity book from the 70s that I found.  I've always been fascinated with connect the dots artwork. It was always fun to do but you could clearly see what the image was. Oops! Someone did this page. I know when the pages are used that's supposed to be a bad thing. But when I see that some kid drew on the pages years ago it makes me think about what they were thinking at the time they did it? Especially in art books. Did they ever grow up to draw? Do they remember the book they did this in?  Yeah I know that's super corny, but think about it ok! I just realized that none of the artwork in the book matches the style that was on the cover at all! Why would there be a different artist for the cover than there was for the contents of the book itself? I'd be curious to know how long it took for the artist to do this book and how much they made at the time they did this? Of course, I can't talk about connect the dots and not

Tables.

It was like they were doing something they shouldn't have.

A lot of vintage items to send out! Then a bike mishap | Reselling - Tom Ray's Day 200526

A lot of vintage pop-culture items ordered over the weekend. Check out what I sold. Then I took a bike ride which didn't end well :/ This is a look into the home business I started to support my art and music, Reselling retro pop-culture items I've collected from the 50s through the 90s.  Here is the Tom Ray's Pop-Culture Roadshow episode I reference in the video -  The Story of Western Publishing - Tom Ray's Pop-Culture Roadshow Check out my eBay store - https://ebay.to/2vMYStC   My Band Lorenzo's Music on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2JJF39Q   My Art Podcast: Tom Ray's Art Podcast on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/36BlMk9   Daily comic on Tapas - https://tapas.io/series/then-this-happened   My Graphic Novel "Then This Happened..." (Year One) - https://amzn.to/2T37F2R   My Webcomic "Then This Happened..." Book (Year Two) - https://amzn.to/3fMuAJC

Mixture.

The song was Coolidge by The Descendents.

Shorts weather.

Or at the very least the temperature could still just drop for no reason.

Bonus Episode: Tom Ray on the WFMU Radio Free Culture Podcast - S06E16 Tom Ray's Art Podcast

From 2010 - 2018 I used to do a show about creative commons and free culture music with a guy named Doug Whitfield called Music Manumit. Years ago we were interviewed on the WFMU podcast Radio Free Culture with Cheyenne Hohman. I found this episode the other day and thought it would be interesting because I talk about my support of creative commons for art and music.

Old WFMU podcast interview.

They released it as two episodes. I'm gonna combine it into one. And it was from a few years ago so a lot of the music services I talk about don't exist anymore so I need to take those sections out too.

Twinkie the kid, Heathcliff & Flip-It Books - Tom Ray's Pop-Culture Roadshow May 23, 2020

Check out all the retro pop-culture items in my eBay Store - https://ebay.to/2vMYStC Subscribe to my YouTube Channel - Tom Ray's YouTube Channel Okay, so here is another episode of my "Tom Ray’s Pop-Culture Roadshow" where I look at some of the items that I have from all the toys and vintage pop-culture things that I've collected over the years and try to find out a little something more about them. Maybe little history, a little art background, something like that! Twinkie the kid  Twinkie made a personal Twinkie holder for kids in 2001. Now if I'm not mistaken Twinkies come in packs of two, so giving getting them their own holster while it is neat, I mean I enjoy it look at this thing it's got hands for crying out loud I just don’t get what you do with the extra twinkie? Twinkie the Kid was created in 1971 and he was dressed like a cowboy, ten-gallon hat, kerchief, cowboy boots. In the commercials they also had the characters Captain Cupc

Twinkies.

This went on for about five minutes. So technically if you buy a box they are individually wrapped. But I was thinking about the ones you would just buy to eat which have always been as a pair.

More band video conference troubles.

It turned out to be a cable he hooked up beforehand to upgrade his connection. So that didn't work.

Signage.

And actually, I'm not sure I even want a sign anymore since most of the business will be online now.

Accidentally posted vintage records as media mail & a trip to the shed - Tom Ray's Day 200520

via youtube -  https://youtu.be/3kHl-c_xm7E A look at my day, running my own business at home selling vintage pop-culture items from the 50s through the 90s on eBay. I start out listening to the old-time radio show CBS Radio Mystery Theater as I look at the things I sold overnight.  Then packing and listing more things to sell. All to support my art and music projects!  Check out my eBay store - https://ebay.to/2vMYStC   Subscribe to Tom Ray's YouTube Channel My Band Lorenzo's Music on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2JJF39Q My Art Podcast: Tom Ray's Art Podcast on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/36BlMk9 Daily comic on Tapas - https://tapas.io/series/then-this-happened My Webcomic "Then This Happened..." Book (Year One) - https://amzn.to/2T37F2R My Webcomic "Then This Happened..." Book (Year Two) - https://amzn.to/3fMuAJC

Missing label.

When I took the label back to the post office he told me I need to bring my own tape to put it on the package next time. I'm hoping there won't be a next time.

Practice footage.

Went through a lot of it. I think I'm gonna have to storyboard it out to make sense of it. 

Economic disaster loan.

I don't know why I thought the title for the document was so odd. Name it what it is you know?

ReVINYLized: Creating things from old records - S06E15 Tom Ray's Art Podcast

ReVINYLized is an account I've been following on Instagram that makes things out of old records and pop-culture items. I got together with Betty who makes all of these items herself and we talk about what she does and how this all got started.

What I sold today & podcast promotion strategies - Tom Ray's Day 200516

Support the show! Check out my eBay store - https://ebay.to/2vMYStC I use eBay as a way to support my art career so I show you some of the pop-culture items I sold from my eBay store today. Then I go over the strategy I use to test out audiences on Facebook to promote my website and my art podcast. Here is my packing with two boxes video that I mention - https://youtu.be/PNSL6Yx8_Wg My Band Lorenzo's Music on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2JJF39Q My Art Podcast: Tom Ray's Art Podcast on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/36BlMk9 Daily comic on Tapas - https://tapas.io/series/then-this-happened My Webcomic "Then This Happened..." Book (Year One) - https://amzn.to/2T37F2R My Webcomic "Then This Happened..." Book (Year Two) - https://amzn.to/3fMuAJC

Package still missing.

It's been almost a month now since one post office forwarded the package to another post office . Not sure it will ever be delivered.

Wrong day again.

Last time this happened I was only off by a day . It's Thursday, not Saturday, I'm not even close. 

Got to do something with my web traffic & Visiting my train car - Tom Ray's Day 200513

I created a stand-alone site just for my webcomics to test out different ad strategies for sending traffic there. I think about what I learned and how to apply that to my main site. Plus, a trip to my train car to look at how the construction is coming along. Check out the full story about Janet Lennon that I mentioned - https://youtu.be/yNllQfN7zcw My Band Lorenzo's Music on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2JJF39Q My Art Podcast: Tom Ray's Art Podcast on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/36BlMk9 Daily comic on Tapas - https://tapas.io/series/then-this-happened My Webcomic "Then This Happened..." Book (Year One) - https://amzn.to/2T37F2R My Webcomic "Then This Happened..." Book (Year Two) - https://amzn.to/3fMuAJC

Old album.

It was weird hearing that it was his favorite as a kid but yeah it was back in 2000.

Name.

Sadly this isn't the first time I've had this problem over the years.

Uninspired but working.

It was one of those coincidences that really helped in a way.

American Bandit: Making Music In The Mid-West - S06E14 Tom Ray's Art Podcast

American Bandit is a post-hardcore band from Milwaukee WI. I got the chance to talk with them when they came through town to play a show at the High Noon Saloon . I'm a musician myself in the band Lorenzo's Music and I have been making music long before I started this art podcast. One difference about being in a band is it has the advantage of creating as a group. We talk about how working as a group can help as far as promoting yourself and planning and creating new things.

Friday not Thursday.

I feel like a lot of people can relate to this right now.

One box was bigger but cost less to send - Tom Ray's Day 200508

Support the show! Check out my eBay store - https://ebay.to/2vMYStC As I make my morning coffee I just think out loud about how I could build my art podcast and webcomic subscribers.  Then I send more retro items from my eBay store to supporters of the show. While packing items I have to cobble together a box for a large Battleship board game from the '60s. But when I weigh it I find that the price is very different.  Also, I share a little thing I learned from an old Time magazine from the 1970s about the shipping labels I buy from Pirateship.com My Band Lorenzo's Music on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2JJF39Q My Art Podcast: Tom Ray's Art Podcast on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/36BlMk9 Daily comic on Tapas - https://tapas.io/series/then-this-happened

Bike trip.

I have a lock for it I need to stop risking that. Then I biked around a bunch more today.

Fly open.

I kinda felt like it was open but I never thought to check until we were heading back.

This Strange Easy Bake Oven Comic Book Ad Artwork from 1973

The concept of strange comic book placement ads always fascinated me. Artwork created by what I assume were freelancers doing it for the cash and never having to worry about their name being attached to what was usually the silliest of scenarios that somehow connected to a product. But in my memory, I thought it was only something created for Hostess Fruit Pies. This ad was for the Easy-Bake Oven in an issue I have of The Hair Bear Bunch comic book from 1973 and just makes no sense. But there is something so fun about artwork that is so corny and stiff that makes it kitschy and cool. Plus, that color scheme is awesome I think! Here are some panel close-ups.

Still dealing with items.

I had to create a claim on the USPS website for the package in New York. And I had hoped I could ship my laptop from home but the return instructions said it had to be sent from the UPS facility.

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