“Eddie Unchained” was the most elaborate appearance I ever devised for my dummy, Eddie Gray. He was the star of this musical, supported by me, my other dummy Lloyd, the fine actress Ivy Austin (replacing Alice Playten on short notice), and a fine string quartet (Robert Zubrycki, Cenovia Cummins, Carol Benner, and Benjamin Whittenburg). I wrote it, composed the music, and drew the slides, which provided cartoon stage sets. It was produced at Dance Theater Workshop in NYC, in October 1993.  It was a lot of work.

Doug and Eddie work in the small town of Skinner Center, Indianois, making a poor living performing traffic safety skits in schools. Through a series of unexpected events, Eddie becomes mayor of the town; whereupon he builds an ivory tower for himself, which, much to his dismay, becomes a crowded tourist attraction. His public outburst leads to his downfall, and a humiliating return to his former job. Along the way, Doug and Lloyd plan Eddie’s birthday party; the local business, a Biblically-inspired soft drink called Vita-Fizz, proves to be a health hazard; and Eddie’s brain cells act as a Greek chorus. Here are a few of the drawings.

I drew this directly onto prepared film, and projected it with a classroom film strip projector, for an Ullage Group event about technology.

On December 11, 2010, I joined Bill Irwin at the Westport Country Playhouse, in Connecticut, for a show called The Clowns and Mr. Beckett.  Bill performed a couple of Beckett monologues; we read some passages from the novels; and, somehow, also worked in some of our own solo and duo material.  I also sang a song that Beckett, wrote: the leap year song from Watt. I’ve long loved that song, but had never performed it before.

I played a bit part as a character called “Lute Guy” on the eighth episode of the TV show Ed. This was back in 2000; the episode was called “The Whole Truth.” I guess it’s still airing somewhere, as I get occasional residual checks.

I wrote “Bimbo & Bombo” back in 2003, after a visit to the Alchemical Museum in Kutna Hora, in the Czech Republic.  I read it occasionally at readings; and toyed with the idea of illustrating it.  Finally, I did, in 2011, and presented it at a “Carousel” show.  Bimbo and Bombo travel through air, water, earth and fire, but, like most of us, fail to learn much from the world.

White Knuckle Sandwich organized two evenings of ukulele bands at Joe’s Pub in May 2001.  This was, mind you, before the uke became so popular.  Anne booked the bands, Jen designed the card, I came up with the title — New Uke, New York. And, of course, we all played.

George Kuchar’s 1997 video, The Exiled Files of Eddie Gray, was somewhat of a return to his earlier film, The Corruption of the Damned. Larry Leibowitz and Floraine Conners were reunited onscreen; and John Keel, who had played a bit part, was interviewed in his apartment.  I portrayed a Keel expert in an interstitial segment — assisted, of course, by Eddie Gray.

I’ve often given talks on the visionary painter and pulp writer, Richard Shaver.  The one I did at Brooklyn’s “Four Walls” gallery was the most elaborate.  Mike Ballou made wall sconces using Shaver’s rock photos; we hung a tree with Shaver publications; and I spoke within a charming fake cave.

Millennial Mouthful was White Knuckle Sandwich’s millennial extravaganza, in December 1999.  I wrote a new song for the occasion, “Y2WKS”; we had slides, videos, and special appearances by Brian Dewan and Linda Mancini.  Anne and Jen showed their smutty slideshow, “The Milkman Cometh”; Brian joined me for a two-autoharp arrangement of my song “Make the Angels Go Away.”

Here’s a postcard I designed, for a gig that White Knuckle Sandwich did at the Duplex, back when we were doing that sort of thing.