Who Thwarted?

We were sitting on a church pew watching what would end up being not only an 80's cover band load-in but one that would admittingly be declared the 'real heroes' of the night. 'We' meaning myself and 3/4 of The Buffalo Killers (TBK's).... Yeah, the are a three piece now. The new guy, Sven (or is it 'Spin'?--I used both and he answered, but I sorta settled on Sven) is, as Zach would promise, cool. Joseph and Andy rounded out the 'we' sitting watching that band that would play all night long, load-in.

We were approached by a tall slender lady fashionally dressed that was already tall before she put on the high heels. Damn near towering. 

"Are you all in the band Buffalo Killers?"

"Yeah. I play guitar" said Andy passing to Sven.

Her name was Kathy. Sven said his position in TBK and passes to Joey. Joey exchanged formalities and passed to me. 

"I'm... not in the band... I 'play' the blog. I'm an embedded journalist with the band. My name is Shawn"

I then shook her hand while TBK laughed.

"Oh! I do a blog too!" Said Kathy. "What's your blog called?"

"Thwart" I said.

"Can you repeat that?"

"Thwart."

She turned her head and asked me again to repeat myself. I knew why. It's the same reason I ultimately chose Thwart as a blog name. I raised my voice and emphasized the name so she could fully understand me

"TH-TH-TH-WART! THWART!!!"

"Oh, Thwart!" She laughed along with Andy, Joey and Sven. "I thought you said... Something else"

"I know... you thought I said my blog was called 'Fart' and that's one of the main reasons I chose Thwart as a blog name. Immediate double-take cause everyone thinks you said fart. What's your blog called?" I asked back. Amazingly enough, I never run into 'bloggers' so this was a first for me.

"My blogs called KATHY'S BLOG" she said. I asked her to repeat herself. Yep, Kathy's Blog. I didn't get it wrong or anything.

There was a lull for a moment. Silence. The only sound being the sound of the band loading in.

"That names cool too..." I said

---

Watch for more THWART coverage of The Buffalo Killers in the next few days about one of their Southgate a House a Revival shows. This is but a prelude of that night.

The Art of Mike Altman at Habanero Restaurant in December

This month you can catch Artist Mike Altman's work 

at Cincinnati Restaurant Habanero Latin Flare 

in Clifton (Gas Light District)

-------------------------------------

Questions by Thwart

Answers by Mike Altman

------------------------------------

What initially inspired you to pursue making art? 

I have always known that I wanted to be an artist...

I never said policeman or fireman, or male nurse 

when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up

...still working on that growing up thing.

Can you further explain the decision 

you make using recycled materials?

The cardboard is a two-prong initiative. 1- the green factor, 

the cardboard would eventually cost us as a people

 who live on this planet, either by ending up in a dump 

or even if recycled, using 

energy to do so.

How did you attain the cardboard for your works 

at Habanero or in general? Those are some 

big pieces of cardboard.

Dumpsters, trash after someone

 buys a flat screen, new fridge or sofa.

The pieces you are showing at your

 recent Habanero exhibit seem playful 

and project a certain level of innocence. 

What feelings do you wish your 

art to convey? Do you have a ‘theme’?

I like to make people smile. 

Fun colorful work seems to accomplish that.

Where else have you displayed your art?

Indiana, Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,

 Tennessee, New York, and my mom's fridge door

Any future showings lined up?

A show in Indianapolis on Jan 3 at the 

Murphy Art Center in the upland brewery 

gallery space (one night only)

How do you measure success?

Integrity, consistency of faith 

and a happy wife and kids

Any last words you want everyone

 to know about you and/or your work? 

Last statements?

Check out my website for some more pics and 

contact info, and I also have a facebook 

page that you can post work to 

after you have purchased from me.

I would like to, in the name of Habanero,

 ask what your favorite menu item is 

and what you like about Habanero...

2 Dollar Taco Tuesday keeps me coming back… 

The people of Habaneros are great. 

The relationship with art and artists 

is uncommon for a food joint...

*

Visit Mike Altmans Website

Visit Mike Altman on Facebook

Learn More about 

The Murphy Arts Center 

in Insianapolis

Visit Habanero

...!

Interview with Billy Alletzhauser about Zines

This is a zine.

Questions in bold.

 Answers by Billy Alletzhauser

Billy, I got some questions for you for THWART concerning you and zines... HIDEOUS HORROR #1 from 1985-- almost 30 years ago! That makes you one of the oldest zinesters still publishing... What got you started making zines?

Some of the members of Sluggo went to my school, Julian Bevan had one called Poison Briggs and that's probably what inspired me

Older Pic of Billy with Hiders:The Band

What was the zine scene like in the 80's? That was before my time.

Dude, everybody had zines back then. Mostly music and skating zines. It was just something to do, I'm not even sure why we did them... Just copying someone else I guess

Was it a 'golden age' for zines maybe?

Probably, I never really researched ' the history of fanzines ' or anything but they were certainly popular in the mid-eighties. You wouldn't be grabbing Rolling Stone to find out about the new Agnostic Front album or where a newly discovered skate spot was.

Sounds like it was in the 90's during my stint with Neus Subjex... Are you going thru a resurgence or reassertion now, or have you done irregular stuff continuously since 85?

Call it resurgence. Once I remembered how fun and easy it was I dived back in. Been digging through the archives, I'll have to show you some favorites!

What’s the difference between then and now doing zines?

Well, for me it was more innocent then but what started the new ones was using it as a self-promo thing for the band but that innocence and desire to reach out, connect, promote your friends was buried just below the surface and came welling back up. There's also the technical difference, no need for scotch tape and glue unless you're going full retro! Much easier now.

You are referencing HIDERS: THE ZINE... of which let me know that you knew... That really impressed the shit out of me. Are you planning more with that? What’s your future plans for zines? More Hiders?

I don't want to wear out the idea but I do want to use some kind of zine idea in place of / along with the usual poster. I like a bit of utilitarianism in there, there’s just so much useless crap in the world I want to stay committed to the notion that a promo item can serve a multi - purpose. I'm not sure; the next one may double as a calendar, a bookmark, a UFO manual? Since I've done two in two different styles I'm thinking that always changing could be the constant.

Something I continually ask myself, but have yet to answer comfortably, is why zines? As easy as it is and/or be ones, what's the use? What's the allure? Is it an expressive 'fuck yeah' celebrating Inconvenience?

I really need to do another photo shoot of Hiders. Update these old pics.

I think anything printed for the sheer sake of printing/making it is cool. (like our convo about blogs v zines) I think the limitations are what make it cool. As much as the internet and blogs democratize they also de-value just by the intangibility and ease of its essence. Who is going to collect a limited edition mp3 download single? No one, because it doesn't exist. Its copy is exactly the same as the original. If you took five minutes to write about some band in a blog, who cares... but if you took all weekend to write about a band, design it, print it, staple it, carry it around, mail it, give it away from your hand to someone else’s.... I guess if there's magic, that's where it happens.

Doing a blog makes me feel guilty and dirty...now... You have lots of validity behind your statements. What's your future plans for zines?

I'm tossing around ideas but haven't settled on one yet; it may be next year as the hiders book more shows. One idea is to do something hi-res kind of modeled after OMNI or maybe a reboot of Hideous Horror or some type of comic. I also like what they used to do in Punk Magazine and old creams where they would do a narrative comic book style but take real pictures, usually something ridiculous with band members acting out the narrative. As I type that idea I'm getting more into it!

...!

17th Annual Cincinnati Entertainment Awards (CEA) Endorsements

Today, December 12th, City Beat Magazine posted the Nominations for the 17th Annual CEA Awards.

The official Thwart/Shawn Abnoxious picks for those who act like they don't care but care a little except when their friends act like they care and then find out that they do care but then are slightly acting like they don't care besides the fact that they secretly cared enough to write a thank you list in their skinny jeans pockets if they are indeed picked to win... Or something

Here are MY choices for categories I care about-- but don't act like I care or anything,,,

Folk/Americanna   HIDERS

Rock   OHIO KNIFE 

Punk/Pop Punk   SUBSETS