Hello boys and girls! That’s right, I’m back! Or at least I’ll try to be. This last months has been very busy. I’ve moved, Thom and Cathy have got some decorative partners, adugestudio has moved to my home also, and it’s been great to live with the gentlemen and the lady.
The work of the studio is also great and progressing, and I have a bunch of novelties to show you all, hope later this week. By now, I’ll live you with my last loki. This is a very peculiar and particular kind of draw that now and then happens to come to my mind. It’s a sort of representation of all the too much inside my head, but somewhat less poetry-full than it may sounds. And I love to do them. This time they came in a pair, this’ the second one.

Bulgaria is a small country, situated in the Northern Hemisphere. It covers the north eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. Bulgaria is in the most southern parts of the temperate climate zone, which influences its climate, water, soils, flora and fauna.

Situated in South Eastern Europe the country have an outlet to the Black Sea to east and the river Danube to north and strategic transport importance – at the passage between Europe and Asia.

The landscape is very varied. A comparatively small territory, vast valleys, plains, hills, low and high mountains, hollows and gorges take turns. The mountains are very attractive with the varied landscape and the clean air. Best known are Rila, Pirin and The Rodopes. The Black Sea with its beautiful scenery, clean beaches and historical monuments is an attractive place for tourists.

The climate of Bulgaria is temperate. The warm summer and the cold winter help the development of the seasonal maritime and mountain tourism. The huge sea strip and the thermal springs extend the tourism season.

The flora is very abundant. More than 3000 plant species are known. The fauna is varied as well – more than 15,500 species of the animal kingdom inhabit Bulgaria

The first inhabitants of the lands of Bulgaria were Prehistoric, which is proved by the numerous artifacts and mural paintings found in places such as the Magura cave.

The Thracians are the first tribes described by the historians (such as Herodotus). They settled down in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula around 3500 B.C. They were known as fearless warriors, but with high culture. They excelled in wine production and bee keeping. The Thracians believed in the afterlife and they buried the dead in burial mounds. Many of these mounds can be found around the country. The most famous of the Thracians is Spartacus – the leader of the biggest slave insurgence in the Roman Empire and Orpheus – most known for his incredible talent as a musician and a singer.

The Thracians lived in tribal communities before the Thracian king. Theres managed to unite them into the Odrysae kingdom around 500 B.C.

The ancient Greeks have settled down along the Black Sea coast (they founded Appolonia-the present day cities of Sozopol and Messembria – Nessebar). They started the assimilation of the Thracians. The city of Plovdiv (Philippopolis) was named after Filip of Macedonia. His son – Alexander the Great continues his deeds and conquered almost the whole known world.

At the time of the Roman Empire Bulgaria was known as the Thracia province, a strategic crossroad. Remains of Roman roads, aqueducts, fortresses can be found in many towns of Bulgaria.

After the separation of the Roman Empire to Western and Eastern, Bulgaria was within the borders of the Eastern – Byzance

In the 6^th century, many Slavic tribes from northern Europe settled down in north Bulgaria. In the 7^th century a nomadic tribe from Central Asia (Pamir and Hindukush), known as Proto Bulgarians, formed an alliance with the Slavs and managed to hold  decisive victories in the war against the Byzantine Empire. The Bulgarian state was officially recognized in the peace treaty of 681.

The Bulgarians converted from Paganism to Christianity during the reign of Prince Boris.

The first Slavonic alphabet was created by the brothers Cyril and Methodius, canonized as saints from the Christian church. The Bulgarians adopted the alphabet in 9^th century.

According to history, three empires dominated the Middle Ages – the Frankish kingdom, the Byzantine Empire and Bulgaria. For more than 50 years the Bulgarian territory reached 3 seas – to the east the Black sea, to west the Adriatic Sea, to south the Aegean Sea.

At the end of 14^th century, Bulgaria with many of the other countries of Eastern and Central Europe fell under Ottoman rule. For nearly 5 centuries the Bulgarian state didn’t exist. However, the Bulgarian spirit was still alive and many small insurgences were organized but without a result. In 1876 the April uprising was crushed with an unprecedented cruelty. This act attracted the attention of all the European states and was the reason of the Russo-Turkish liberation war (1877-1878) On the 3^rd of March 1878 the Ottoman empire capitulated and signed the peace treaty, recognizing the independence of Bulgaria and dividing it into three parts – the Principality of Bulgaria, Eastern Rumelia (under Ottoman administration) and Macedonia (still under Ottoman rule).

In 1885 the Principality of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia united.

After new attempts to regain the third part – Macedonia, without a result, until the beginning of the 20^th century. 1912 is the year in which Serbia, Greece and Bulgaria made an alliance against Turkey for the only territory on the Balkan Peninsula still under Ottoman rule – Macedonia.

The alliance was successful, but the 3 countries couldn’t divide the liberated land. This resulted in the The Second Balkan War (1913) – Serbia, Greece, Romania and Turkey against Bulgaria, which led to new territory losses for Bulgaria.

After this Bulgaria participated in the First and the Second World War – twice on the side of Germany – the result was two national disasters.

After the dividing of Europe to spheres of influence by Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill, Bulgaria fall under Soviet control. For nearly 45 years our country became a communist state – with all the good and the bad sides.

1989 marks the end of the communism and Bulgaria enters the democracy. Bulgaria slowly moved forward and became a member of NATO in 2004, and EU – from 1^st January 2007.

Danza della regione di Sofia

Tre volte

La danza di Elena

La danza di Ganca

La danza PAIDUSCO

La danza di Danubio

Ghinka

La danza di Petruna

Danza di Shopeto

Danza della regione Trachia

The Dark Knight.

Since the end of Batman Begins and that killing scence with the joker card I was waiting for The Dark Knight to come. Something like 3 fortnights ago it arrived, and I went to the theatre. 5 times. Two just in the first day. Maybe a little too much, ok, but I’m one of those freaks that doesn’t just go to see a movie, I very much eat every little piece of it. And TDK has plenty to be eaten. In the third time I’ve found the rails of the Wayne Tram in the backgrounds, in the fourth I’ve seen Harvey knocking down Maroni’s bodyguard, in the fifth the audience, nearly a month since the premiere, was still mesmerized by the movie, still laughthing, all of them, of the dark humor of Joker’s magick pencil¹.
So.  Dark Knight. Thanks Nolans. Thanks Heath.

And, with some of my old memories back from Batman Animated and it’s greatest invention, Harley Quinzell, and the always-in-mind work of Mucha wandering around, the result followed:
 

But that’s not all. I know that the movie isn’t THAT awesome.

They haven’t created so much. In a first moment I’ve thought they had. Even knowing that there were all those classic comics and graphic novels. And, after the movie colled down, I’ve decided to  read what I long ago should have.
My head exploded!! A sevennight passed ’til I’ve finnished cleaning my brains from the ceiling. The three on the roof, all harvey’s mind, the italian mob, the hanging cops, “tonight’s entertainment”, and, much, much more. Seriously, Miller, Mazzucchelli, Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale are now among the most remarkable artists I know, and I must admit that recently I’ve also been greatly inspired by the work of other Batman artist, Mr Dustin Nguyen. And they’ve done this to me:

Quite a change. At least I think so. Catherine too. This one is the very first drawing of a new lineage the I’ve just discovered inside my mind. I’m very glad that I did so. Wait for the newer ones… The 3 Peteca guys² are some of them, but I’ve done others while I was travelling that I’m very happy with.
That drawing is also my first work with tube watercolour, before I used to work with Talens’ Ecoline, a liquid type of watercolour. I think that the new ones, to me, i mean, are even faster to work with.

But that’s not all!!!
Yeah! What a marvelous thing!!
¬¬ Ok.
Reaching this new style within my own styles remembered me of one of my oldest ones, and, still in the Joker Rush, I’ve done one more, this time in a Playing Card template. I’m planning 3 decks of Batman characters, 12 figures in each plus 3 Jokers. I have the list². Now it’s a question of time to do all them. But back to the point, Mr J and Harley in a twist:

¹ “How about a magick trick?”
² See .last things first.
³ The Batman, Batgirl, Robin (Jason Todd), Jim Gordon, Zatana, Nightwing, Alfred Pennyworth, The Oracle, Lucius Fox, Azrael, Batwoman, Robin (TIm Drake), The Penguim, Ventriloquist, Black Mask, Mr Freeze, Catwoman, Solomon Grundy, Killer Croc, Mud Face, The Scarecrow, The Red Hood, Harley Quinn, Mad Hatter, Harvey Dent, Guilda Dent, Hush, Carmine Falcone, Sofia Falcone, Alberto Falcone, The Riddler, Poison Ivy, Manbat, Ra’s  Al Ghul, Talia Al Ghul, Bane. The 3 Jokers: Cesar Romero, Bolland’s (Killing Joke) and an original one.

L’article sur la folie des fanfares balkaniques révélée au monde dans le Télérama du 24 mai m’a chatouillé le ventre, douce sensation qui m’a rappelé que depuis près de 20 ans, je suis un malade des airs qui rythment les moments de la vie de Zagreb à Varna, de Bratislava à Sofia…

Evidemment, Bregovic et Kusturica y sont pour quelque chose, mais il suffit d’avoir eu l’occasion de trainer ses guêtres dans les rues de Sofia ou dans les campagnes de Thrace pour savoir que le rythme des Balkans profite de toutes les occasions de la vie pour vous retourner les neurones et vous chavirer le coeur.

Mon plus beau souvenir, mon plus beau fantasme musical, je l’ai vécu au détour d’une large piste forestière du massif du Pirin. Au soir d’une longue randonnée au sommet du Pic Virhen, l’un des sommets les plus élevés de Bulgarie, je redescendais vers Bansko en savourant les parfums des sous-bois et en imaginant l’assiette de pilechki et chachliki arrosée de mavroud qui m’attendait ce soir là. Au détour d’une arête de la montagne, un rêve me saisissait, percussion, flûtes, bombardes, violons, des rythmes complètement hirsutes, au delà de ce que l’on peut imaginer sortir de tels instruments. D’où venait cette hystérie de son, ce rythme fracassé ? Je sortais de la forêt et découvrais une vaste clairière au pied de ce qui semblait être une piste de ski. Un océan de senteurs de prairie alpestres envahissait mes narines, et je découvrais la source de cette magie. Au bout de la piste carrossable, une buvette dans un chalet, quelques randonneurs fourbus attablés en terrasse, et une fanfare tzigane enveloppant la montagne de sa folie. Je n’en croyais ni mes yeux, ni mes oreilles, je venais de me prendre le Balkan des Ottomans en pleine face. Ce moment est gravé à jamais dans ma mémoire.

Con mi amigo íntimo y personal, Carlos Rozas, nos hemos fusionado.

- Escribe que nos juntamos.
- Y pa qué? si nadie lee el blog.
- Para que quede como registro.
- Pero si el registro es que ya escribí!!!.

Como siempre, sin parafernalia.
Nos unimos en un intento de nada, por ocio, porque quizás nos pareció divertido, porque somos un equipo de críticos sociales-light.
Porque a veces nos gusta reírnos de todo y de todos. Porque me dijo “Te tinca que tengamos…?” y yo ya había dicho que sí.