Saturday, November 30, 2013

The Big Apple Circus: Luminocity

We have attended the Big Apple Circus at Lincoln Center for years now. On Friday evening we saw this year's show "Luminocity" which has the general theme of a visit to Times Square. I personally don't feel the circus needs to have a unifying New York theme every year, but it generally does and that's just the way it is.

Anyway, it was announced before the performance that flash photography and the recording of videos was prohibited, but intriguingly there was no restriction on the taking of those difficult low-light photos that are so often the bane of my existence. Armed only with my iPhone 5S, I'm not exactly ideally equipped for this activity, although I am I suppose a little better off than I was with the 4S. You will recall that not all that long ago I got myself a Samsung Galaxy S4 which itself has a great camera, but I could not tolerate it as a phone and couldn't get rid of it soon enough. So, where does that leave us?

The ring

The bandstand

Clown Rob Torres

15-year-old juggler Ty Tojo

Daniel Cyr on the free ladder
Daniel Cyr

Daniel Cyr dismounts

Aco-Duo

Pierre Ginet tries to flimflam an audience member

The doggies

Mongolian Angels on the trapeze

Mongolian Angels. They were great.

Ringmaster John Kennedy Kane

A real-life proposal finishes off the first act
Jenny Vidbel, equestrian trainer

Spinning a plate with Rob Torres

Husband-and-wife team Duo Guerrero on the high wire

High-energy act Dosov Troupe with the teeterboard. Wow!

Curtain call
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Friday, November 29, 2013

Fred Lasswell Doesn't Do Billboards

Comic strip artist Fred Lasswell (1916-2001) began assisting Billy DeBeck with his comic strip "Barney Google and Snuffy Smith" at age 17, eventually taking it over when DeBeck died in 1942. He continued to work on "Snuffy Smith" for decades, but he never did billboards.

Fred Lasswell, Letter with Drawing of Snuffy Smith,
Inscribed, "COUSIN RUSSELL
I DON'T DO BILLBOARDS
10/10/97"

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FRED-LASSWELL-ORIGINAL-BARNEY-GOOGLE-DRAWING-ON-STATIONARY-COA-AWESOME-RARE/261283548345?_trksid=p2045573.m2042&_trkparms=aid%3D111000%26algo%3DREC.CURRENT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D17373%26meid%3D1341711756719133938%26pid%3D100033%26prg%3D8089%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D290977763844%26



Note:  On a similar note, see Jack Ziegler Doesn't Draw Henry here.

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Thursday, November 28, 2013

2013 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon Inflation

Balloons for the 2013 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade were inflated Wednesday evening. These photos only show those balloons situated along West 81st Street across the street from the Hayden Planetarium.

The Wizard of Oz, Spider-Man, Harold the Policeman, Pikachu, Harold the Fireman
Spider-Man, Harold the Policeman, Pikachu
The Hayden Planetarium reflecting Pikachu, Harold the Fireman, and the Pillsbury Doughboy
The Hayden Planetarium reflecting Pikachu, Harold the Fireman, and other balloons

Harold the Fireman

The Pillsbury Doughboy

Finn & Jake

The Wizard of Oz, Spider-Man, Harold the Policeman, Pikachu




Harold the Fireman, the Pillsbury Doughboy, Finn & Jake



Finn & Jake

Buzz Lightyear 
Buzz Lightyear
Harold the Fireman
Spider-Man, Football, Harold the Policeman
"The Wizard of Oz" 75th Anniversary
Spider-Man
"Yes, Virginia"

Chippey from Elf on the Shelf

Compressed helium

Papa Smurf

Elves
Macy's Red Believe Star

December 8, 2013 Update: I did not get to see the balloons being inflated down on 77th Street, but a friend did. Here are the photos:

Toothless and Spinning Dreidel


Hello Kitty and Fish

Hello Kitty

Happy Hippo

Diary of a Wimpy Kid



Note:  Here are some other timely Thanksgiving posts:

The 2012 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade


The 2012 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon Inflation

The 2010 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

The 2008 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

The 2005 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Maurice Sendak's Wild Thing Balloon Design

Keith Haring's Figure with Heart Balloon

Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet

Wild Turkeys

Peter Arno:  Pilgrim's Progress

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