Hello all! It’s me, Robbi. While you have been busy going about your day, working hard, saving the world, what have you, I have been sitting at my desk drawing stuff. Yep! Cuz that’s what I do.

Lately, it’s been cats.

And the things they do.

Yes. The next Idiots’Book is about cats. I must say, it’s quite a challenge to draw “indifferent” in so very many ways.

And so, instead of facing the challenge head on, I find myself perusing the internet and going down google image search rabbit holes (“dead mouse in shower” came up with some pretty disturbing shit).

Some gems that are just too good not to pass on:

A crazy optical illusion. Even knowing it’s an optical illusion from the start still makes my head explode when I see how it technically works. I came across the video on the appropriately named Distractify, where they have a kind of half-baked explanation if you’d like to read it. The comments are also particularly entertaining, if you ever feel like wondering why people go through the effort of typing something completely useless. Anyway, have a look, have your mind blown, and then make a point of writing something completely insipid in the comments, thanks:

In the same general department, here are some photos by Michael Paul Smith, who, using scale models of vintage cars, creates little old-timey scenes out of spraypainted plywood and careful camera work:

Magic!! If you have some free time while you’re supposed to be drawing cats, check out his Flickr feed HERE. I cannot tell you how I love the photos of his giant head popping up from behind the set or his giant hand reaching in from out of frame.

His love for vintage cars almost matches this guy’s unmitigated enthusiasm for vintage trains. Almost. This guy talking about a train and its horn completely makes me love humanity:

And finally, I just learned that our boys of Bombadil are going to be performing in a show that is described as “a marriage of concert, puppet show, music video and live film.” They’ve been collaborating with a puppeteer for the past year and will be doing three shows in Durham next weekend. If you are anywhere near there – GO SEE IT. They are fantastic live performers, and I think the show will be something really special. For more info about the shows, see Duke Performances here.

Love’s Infrastructure from Jon Haas on Vimeo.