Category Archives: News

Blog, Bob Smith USA, Jesus Dressup, News

Holidays Upon Us

Jesus Dressup fridge magnets available

Zen with Jesus Dressup magnets
Zen with Jesus Dressup magnets

Fridge magnet sales are rolling in & reminding me that I’m still the manager of a website. Those orders are being shipped out next day despite my lagging on all other activities on the site. I am however at the lowest selection I’ve had for a long time.
Here’s what I’ve got.

Officially I have 4 sets of Jesus magnets available: BDSM, Final Justice, Halloween & Lady Gaga Jesus. I also have Mohammed dress up games as well. And if you wanna know the facts, sales for these are indeed coming in, from Europe mostly. So anyhow, that’s 5 – Officially.

Unofficially I also have special sets available. Like for instance the first print of Final Justice Jesus from 2006. This has always been my personal favorite, and I have one and a half boxes left of these. They are for sale until I feel like I don’t want to lose any more of them.

browning on jesus magnets
This is the last year for Christmas JDU because now, after ten years, they’re starting to “brown.” The muddiness is most noticeable in the yellow part of the cross.

The Christmas Jesus Dressups are beginning to “brown.” They’re just not looking as bright as they did in 2005 when they first arrived at my door, and I’m not even offering them to the stores I sell to any more. That means this’ll be their last year. Same thing happened to my last boxes of the Original sets, so they had to be tossed as well. But if you can deal with their slight aging (see sample) they’re just $10. And if you email me after you’ve purchased them and request I fit as many as I can into your Flat Rate envelope (about 4 or 5 I think) I’ll happily do so for no additional cost, because I will never produce these ones again. Too limited of a sales window!

I’ve still got the “All 7 for $77” offer up that includes many of the unavailable sets. I was reminded of this when someone a couple days ago purchased it, and I had to come to grips with what I had available. So as it turns out, if you put in that order I’ll just dip into the sets I’ve got tucked away in my lockbox to fulfill it. You heard right.

I have plans after the holidays to start restocking with new selections. Immediately I’ll be getting both Batman & Star Wars sets made. I’m quite excited. Now that I’m out of NYC and where I am I have more space for storage so I’m able to begin building up this aspect of my business again. It’s a beautiful & satisfying process.

Jesus Dressup App

I’ve been given another shot at making the Jesus Dressup app. This’ll be the 4th attempt at making it! The three that failed before this all stopped short for a different reason each time.

The first time it got made was a guy who after it was complete and Apple posted it for people to purchase, decided to not hand it over to me and just keep the profits for himself. I had to threaten him to take it down.

The second one (read about it in left sidebar) I paid a guy to make, and he did a beautiful job with it, but this time Apple rejected it because it was offensive content. That really killed my spirit on trying to make it again.

The third time was from another person who said they’d make it for no charge, and after a year passed he realized it was too big a job and bailed.

So a couple weeks ago a guy in Italy said he’d do a Droid app for free as long as his name was in the credits for making it. I’ve agreed, and he’s already shown me samples of how it might play, and it looks sharp! But I also have a grasp on the plausibility of it.

Amazing Strangers

As for the Amazing Strangers of Union Square videos, I think those’ll just have to wait. I’ve tried several times to go in and start putting together some of the unused videos I’ve got stored away, but my heart’s not in it. And quite honestly, the best footage has been posted. If I were to start posting the stuff you’ve never seen before your first thought would be “Yeah, I can see why he didn’t post this before.”

Normal Bob answers question about God – Aug 28, 2005
Normal Bob answers question about God outside Verb Coffee in Bedford Mall

In 2003 when Neil Abramson came out and filmed me for his Bob Smith USA movie, he interviewed Shaggy & I and followed us around the city with his camera, then never used the footage. I realized that when I finally do put together this Union Square movie (or whatever it’s going to be) including that footage of Neil’s is my dream. It just has to be there. I’ve sent him a couple requests, but I also know he’s a busy man, and that footage is buried somewhere. Anyhow, that’s the goal, and until then, I am just not feelin’ it.

My plans

As for what I’m planning to do from here? That has yet to be determined. I know what I want and what I don’t want but I have no idea where this place exists. For now I’m completely content here in Michigan looking forward to a country Christmas winter, playing with the dog, helping my folks in their daily lives… and just a little bit of Grand Theft Auto V.

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Amazing Strangers, Art, Blog, Freelance, News, Portfolio

Chicago

The Bean in Millenium Park, Chicago
The Bean in Millenium Park, Chicago

No, I haven’t moved to Chicago. I haven’t even decided if I’d like to live there or not. Or where I’d even like to live at all in the future. I’m still in Michigan planning to periodically visit the Windy City from time to time. I have family and friends there, plus there seems to be possible outlets there for my filming addiction.

I’m starting to get ideas on how to possibly present past Amazing Strangers footage. I’ve thought of focusing on one character, like Dusty for instance, along with some music, I could put together a brief story about that subject in an interesting way. So if by chance you or someone you know has music they’d like to get out there, especially if it’s themed around NYC, Union or one of the “Strangers” there, I’d be very interested to hear/use it. I’d give full credit and promote the musician behind it in any way possible. Which reminds me…

Kameltoe

I was in Chicago last week, and while there I ran into Kameltoe! I’d been planning to go to Chicago for the last week of September for a while. Then, just happened to mention it to Kameltoe (who is in LA), and by chance she was going there be there the same time!

So we met up in Millennium Park and recorded some of her new songs. She has many new songs, and I recorded about 6 of them that afternoon. I’ll get them to you as ways to present them come to me.

If you want to keep up to date with Kameltoe’s life, her Instagram is the best place for that.

Art Jobs

putple octopus with pizza
Hired to design an octopus with pizza for a tattoo

Yes, I have been able to finally work on art now that I’m away from NYC, but most of it has been paid jobs! I can’t share most of what I’ve done because they’re assignments that are reserved for client use only for now. But one of the pieces I can show is this Octopizza that’s scheduled to become a tattoo on someone’s forearm.

I am indeed for hire for art jobs, no matter how weird or wrong it may seem. Those are often my favorite kinds of jobs to do.

That all said, things have stayed the same. While in Chicago my nephews pretty much got me addicted to Grand Theft Auto. And if you keep up with me on Facebook you’ll see I’ve been helping my mom with her mushroom habit.


Amazing Strangers, Blog, News, Union Square

Out Of NYC

Pencil drawing of Normal Bob Smith
Drawing of Normal Bob Smith by Walter Roberts a week before I left NYC

I am no longer in New York. In fact, where I’m at is really REALLY not New York! Where I’m at in Michigan is a very different land to say the least. And here is where I’m getting my head together.

I just got off the phone with Shaggy, and he’s turning over some new leafs as well. “No more hanging out with the homeless!” is what he just told me.

After I left, he said he realized he wanted nothing more to do with them. He’s got one, maybe two that he’s still talking to since I left, but decided he’d rather be rollin’ solo than caught up in their drama in any way, shape or form. He even said he’s stopped introducing himself to people as Shaggy (his homeless name) and now says “I’m Bob.”

selfie of friends
Selfie of Shaggy, Colyn & Normal Bob the day before he leaves the city for good

I was the one normal person in his life for such a long time there, and with me now gone he has no interest in hanging with the street people. He stops by Union Square for no more than an hour on any given day, hangs with the skaters who say hi to him and keep it movin’, but that’s it. Union’s totally empty now. He hasn’t seen any of the regulars hanging out there lately, and now with Fall just around the corner things are only going to get quieter.

Union Square NYC
Union Square before I left the city taken from Burlington Coat Factory window

I feel very good about being out of there. I’m still settling into my new schedule of doing less. A lot less. And forgetting I don’t have to be as stressed any more. My brain has been programmed to look for things to worry about. And when the top thing gets resolved it goes to the next one. And so on. That has to end.

Just starting to work on new freelance jobs and feeling productive again. That’s the key for me to start feeling good and at home. I need to feel purpose here, so I’m putting those ducks in line now.

artist guy
Richy in his appartment

I had one last video posted for less than 6 hours before the subject of it, Richy, told me he was really disturbed by his behavior in it and he wanted it taken down. It kills me to have had to take it off, but I also don’t want to disturb him. I really do like him as an artist and a person, so I’m trying to figure out another way to present it so he can sleep at night with it out there. He’s just such an amazing artist, and the piece itself I think is one of my best, so I’m going to do everything I can to get it to you in one piece at some point. And this is where it’ll be when it goes up again…

On the flip side, Ricky Dale called me and loves her video. I do too. But I especially love the swan-song she gave me to end my final video with Shaggy Bob.

If I were still there I’d be having a lot of trouble keeping my camera away from her. I hope someone else can pick up where I left off. She deserves to be discovered.

I’m still figuring out my new patterns and goals here. I have a new version of Jesus Dressup I plan on getting to the printers in the next few months. I have drawings I want to do, and freelance jobs keeping me busy at this moment.

“I feel like I just returned from a trip to Oz.”

I’ve also been going through my backup of Union Square videos with a new appreciation. I’m experiencing that bizarre sensation of it feeling like a dream of some sort. It’s really strange. Hard to describe.  I feel like I just returned from a trip to Oz.

If you haven’t heard it yet, I did an interview with Smug Films explaining a lot about why I left NYC, and delved further into some of the less talked about situations I got myself in at Union Square. Listen to that here at Smug Films website.

I’m not sure what I’m going to do with all this footage yet. I’m still trying to wrap my head around everything I’ve got! Until then though, I’ve put off posting all the photos from my last couple months there, so I’ll be getting those up for you to see as of right now.

Amazing Strangers, Anthropology, Blog, News, Union Square

Over & Out

normal bob cartoon
Normal Bob for Matchgame Postcard art

My friends, after 13 fruitful years in New York City it’s finally time for me to leave. I’m over it. The bloom is off the rose. I’m moving to go be closer to family, help out my parents and enjoy the freedom to work on my art in peace. That’s what I’ve been doing most when I visit them, and it’s just been impossible for me to find enough space & peace in this city to do that.

There are many reasons I feel the need to leave.
I am no longer enchanted with what I once saw here. I hate what I see it turning into and the type of people flooding in. They’ve priced me out, and killed my enthusiasm to document it. I just can’t keep up.

I also need to be with family. I got none of that here. And lately I’ve been feeling that lack harder than ever.

This isn’t necessarily the end of Amazing Strangers. I have enough footage and photos to furnish many other projects. I also have a lot of unused, unseen stuff to put out there. It does however mean the end of my Union Square updates. August will be my final month.

I will still keep up with normalbob.com same as ever. My passion for this is still strong. That’s part of it too. There’s a lot more I want to do.

It couldn’t be more clear to me that I am done with this chapter of my life. It’s been brewing in me for a while now. I’m also really looking forward to seeing where this takes me. I rule out nothing.

Check out an interview I did with Smug Film were I go into further detail on my departure. I’ve got a few unheard stories that you’ll probably find very interesting, and more.