Dead@17 Sketch Cards - My Full Set

Here is a look at all the cards I did for 5finity Productions' Dead@17 Sketch Card Series . The first two cards (upper left corner) I got back as "Artist Exclusives". I already sold the first one to a collector. If anyone is interested in the second, drop me a line (contact at calslayton.com).

UPDATE: Both cards are now sold.

BAND of the WEEK

BOSTON

This band is a personal favorite of mine. I used to listen to them all the time in H.S.

Boston is an American rock band from Boston, Massachusetts that achieved its most notable successes during the 1970s and 1980s. Centered on guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, and producer Tom Scholz, the band is a staple of classic rock radio playlists.

Boston's genre is considered to be hard rock, while combining elements of progressive rock and heavy metal into their music.

Boston's best-known works include the songs "More Than a Feeling", "Peace of Mind", "Foreplay/Long Time", "Rock and Roll Band", "Smokin'", "Don't Look Back" and "Amanda".
Tom Scholz first started writing music in 1969 while he was attending MIT.

They have sold over 31 million albums in the United States, of which 17 million are their self-titled album.

Current band members:

Tom Scholz: lead guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion, backing vocals (1976–present)
Michael Sweet: lead vocals, guitar (2008–present)
Tommy DeCarlo: lead vocals, keyboards, percussion (2008–present)
Gary Pihl: guitars, keyboards, backing vocals (1985–present)
Kimberley Dahme: bass, vocals (2001–present)
Jeff Neal: drums, percussion, backing vocals (2002–present)


Past band members:
Brad Delp (deceased): lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, percussion (1976–1989, 1994–2007)
Jim Masdea: drums, percussion, keyboards (1983–1988)
Barry Goudreau: guitars, backing vocals (1976–1981)
Sib Hashian: drums, percussion, backing vocals (1976–1983)
Fran Sheehan: bass, backing vocals (1976–1983)
David Sikes: vocals, bass, keyboards (1987–1997)
Doug Huffman: drums, percussion, keyboards, backing vocals (1987–1994)
Curly Smith: drums, percussion, harmonica, backing vocals (1994–1997)
Fran Cosmo: lead vocals, guitar (1993–2006)
Anthony Cosmo: guitar, backing vocals (1997–2006)
Anthony Citrinite: drums (2001–2002)
Tom Hambridge: drums (2002)

I am the MACHINE

Do you ever feel as if you just go , go, go. Not really thinking anymore. Just flying on auto-pilot cause this is your life? When is it   your/my   time to do what we would like to do? After the kids move out? Go to college?

I’m not saying having kids isn’t a kick ass time. I love my kids more than anything. But I think at some point I have lost track of who I am. (I blame it on being a young mom) I know that has had its pros and cons.


Even with older kids, I am still the one picking up after everyone, ironing their clothes, and fixing their meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). At what freakin age should you be able to iron your own  damn clothes? Am I too soft?


I do take responsibility, that it’s partly my fault for letting things get this far. I love my kids. I so want them to be happy. It's just you have to learn to put your foot down when that time comes for them to start taking responsibility for their own life. Not try to change them 10 years later.


The other part of the problem is that I am a control freak. I have a hard time letting go of things and allowing others to jump in and help out.


Up until recently my kids have never even done chores. My son will do chores now, but only if I pay him. My sportsman thinks that they are spoiled. That I allow them to have it “too” easy. He thinks I am making it harder for them. That later when they are out on their own in the real world they won't know what to do.

I disagree. I am not one of those tough love kinda moms.  I am a ALL love kinda mom. I am not a push over, but I also don’t ride their ass about things. I am somewhere in the middle. I’m certainly not saying I havent made mistakes. I was a young mom remember. What the hell do you or anyone know at  21??? I did they best I could.


I know I complain a lot about not having any “Me” time or when will it be time for just my sportsman and I. It's just a natural response.


Honestly, I’m torn. I read other ppl’s blogs that still have little kids and sometimes it makes me sad. As much as I want them to grow up and be out there in the big world, for my own selfish reasons I also want them to stay young forever, to want to stay home and snuggle with me in bed and watch tv.

It’s just how long can one person keep going

 before the energy just runs out?
 I don't want to die before
I get the chance to "Live" again.

RACCOON

Everyone knows about my constant problems with those damn possums that frequent our back yard.

 These are same damn possums that my wiener dog thinks he can out smart. I am pretty sure Rufus has yet to catch on, to the possum’s silly little games of “Playing Dead”.

So the other night my daughter comes into my room, it must have been around midnight. At this time of night, I am dead to the world (since most of the time I am in bed asleep by 8pm). So she does one of those “kid” things, where they tip toe over very quietly into my room right up next to my bed and then she just stood there really close to my face. Waiting, for what I don’t freakin know. But then you get that feeling someone is watching you and I woke up. It scared the holy crap out of me.

So my daughter says, “mom, there is someone outside in our trash can” (BTW, our trashcan is one of those huge ones with a lid. It also sits outside our house.)

As I lay there trying to focus my eyes and wake up, I’m thinking that I’m pretty sure that I know what is out there. After a few minutes, I finally get up and walk into her room. I crack open her window as we are both looking out into the night I say, “Hey you , get out the fuck out” and wouldn’t you know that a raccoon jumps out from under the lid and hauls his ass across the yard and across the street.

No foul, no harm, right? I go back to bed and all is good in the world again.

Until the next morning, I get up and I am all tired and grouchy. So I tell my sportsman about the issue and how important my sleep is. Of course he didn’t hear anything. Why is that? Cause he is still freakin sleeping in the spare bedroom. So now I have told him about the problem it is all on him to take care of this issue.

I also shared with a co worker about this problem (his kids are in boy scouts) he suggest that my sportsman and my son go out there and pee all over the ground by the trashcan. You know to mark their territory. LMAO

Um, so I forgot to tell my sportsman, but regardless I don’t know if that would have helped or not.

Anyways, I was wrong to think this was an isolated incident. The next night I was woke at 2 am by those damn raccoons in the can again. It sounded like they were having a freakin party in there. Lid up, lid down, lid up, lid down. OMG.

Yelling out the window obviously does not work. I however was NOT going out there in my undies to yell at them. Who knows what a raccoon will do if its startled and I had no desire to freakin find out, also it’s too cold outside this time of year to be running around in your undies. (not that I’m worried about my neighbors, they are used to us running around half naked in the yard)

So, what did I do? I just layed there in bed, not sleeping, but thinking of what I could do. I am sure part of it was, I was really tired.

My mind was in a dream state.
I thought, hmmm my son has an air soft rifle, maybe I could stick that thru the screen and shoot in the general vicinity? No? Maybe I could get a pan of hot water and throw it thru the window? No? Maybe I could use an air horn to scare the shit out of them. No?

Well in the end I didn’t do a damn thing,

 cause I fell back asleep.

I will now have to “Bing” it to see what you’re supposed to do when you have raccoons in your can.

Foreign language

If you remember not too long ago I wrote about a word that I personally used all the time (Slickery). Untill a co worker looked it up on Urban Dictionary. Only to find out what it really ment. (You don't wanna know)Then I had to explain to everyone that is not how I was using the word.



Well once again, my lovely co workers have come up with another (questionable) word that they said I should have to most definitely need to look up. No, this time I wasn’t walking around the office using this word.


So I asked some friends on FB first to see if it was a common knowledge type of word. Which ultimately sparked some 16 different comments and thoughts about this “new” word (Duck Butter).


What I really want to know is 1) who comes up with these freakin words and their definitions, and 2) what the heck, is this common knowledge to everyone? Are these words floating around the schools? Should I worry that my son knows what the word “Duck Butter” means? Ewwwwwwwwwwwww.


Am I gonna have to sit down with my kid and let him know that these words are not “real” words and further more the type of words I want him to be using? I’m sure thats a conversation I would prefer to avoid if at all possible.

It’s not like I am a prude or anything.  I was a wild once in H.S. I let my kids watch rated R movies, and for crying out loud I take my son to rock concerts. It’s just how much is too much? Do kids really need all these “extra” new words?  Just cause I think some of these are hilarious, doesnt mean I want my kid to know what they are.
Aren’t the old school ones bad enough?

Or am I just getting old? Wait don’t answer that.

Got a point of view, I would love to hear it.

The Last Batch of Empire Strikes Back Sketch Cards

Here are the remaining cards I did for Topps. It was a lot of work, but a lot of fun. I'm just happy to be in the set. Even if I never get into another one, I'm psyched to have done this collection. Hope you like them. Now to start those P'ups Sketch Cards for 5finity.

Oriental Butterfly Tattoo Girls

Oriental Butterfly Tattoo Girls