June 21, 2011

• Messin' wit da Mouse

  
  I played hooky from work Thursday. 

  It was the perfect opportunity for me to take off in my car and visit some of my favorite Monmouth County haunts.  A place that I absolutely love is Englishtown Antiques.  Formerly a supermarket, it's now filled top to bottom with old furniture, magazines, records, dishes, vintage clothing and bric a brac of every kind.  Englishtown Antiques is the kind of place where you have to be careful what you touch or you'll cause an avalanche.  In other words, my kind of place.

  As I carefully made my way down the aisles I came across an old Colorforms set (Remember Colorforms?  Do they even still make them?).  When I opened the box there was a wonderful image inside--an image that was just begging to be altered to suit my own sinister comedic purposes. 

  STEP ONE: 
  
  Here's how it looked in its raw state. 
  Since I had to shoot it on the sly I was unable
  to lose the glare from the overhead fluorescent. 
  No problem!  I'll just "fix it in post" as we say in the biz.

  STEP TWO: 
  
  In Photoshop I was able to replace the glare with
  samples of color from other parts of the picture.
  It's not perfect, but who needs perfection when
  you're just havin' fun?  Right?

  STEP THREE: 
  
  Next I took my airbrush tool and got rid of
  the words "LIFT HERE."  I think The Mouse
  had something else to say.

  STEP FOUR: 
  
  Bad Mickey!  Jesus. How does Minnie put up
  with this over-medicated rodent anyway?

  STEP FIVE: 
  

  Dear Ed Kaz:

  It has come to our attention that you have made an unauthorized use of our
  copyrighted work entitled "Mickey Mouse." 
  

  We believe you have willfully infringed our rights under 17 U.S.C. Section 101 et seq.
  and could be liable for statutory damages as high as $150,000 as set forth in Section 504(c)(2) therein.

  We demand that you immediately cease the use and distribution of all infringing works, and all copies, including electronic copies, of same, that you deliver to us, if applicable, all unused, undistributed copies of same, or destroy such copies immediately and that you desist from this or any other infringement of our rights in the future. If we have not received an affirmative response from you by May 14, 2007 indicating that you have fully complied with these requirements, we shall take further action against you.

  Very truly yours,

  The Walt Disney Company
  

  Wow.  I guess it is a small world after all ...

                                                              ----- Ed Kaz

  • 9:39 am
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