When metal movable type was invented in the 1400s, ligatures were extremely popular in typography. They saved the printer a tremendous amount of time. Rather than having to set an individual ‘f’ and ‘i,’ the printer could just use the single ligature block ‘fi.’ See the image below.

These days, with the advent of digital printing technology and ubiquitous desktop publishing, ligatures have gone the way of the 8-track tape.

However, there are a number of modern artists who use ligatures to create unusual prints and art works. One of the best known in this art is David Schwen. Schwen has recently created some unusual artworks with simple ligatures. See below.

Schwen uses a paper clip to connect the ‘Th’ ligature in a rather innovative way.

It is pretty interesting here how he uses a piece of gum to create a very odd ligature.

Here, Schwen appears to use tape or a band-aid to bring more focus to the ligature of the ‘fj’ combination.

Here it looks as if the artist is trying to make the connection between the typographical and medical meanings of ‘ligature.’ In medicine, ligature refers to the use of a thread to tie off something to prevent bleeding, such as a vein.

I’d say Schwen is definitely connecting the dual meanings of ligature here, using a piece of thread to tie the ‘fl’ into one.

The use of thumb tacks, complete with shadow effects, makes this ligature work really well. I’ll never look at an ‘ff’ combination in quite the same light again!

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First off, his FAQ is in some sort of magic code.  So you won’t find any information there, unless YOU KNOW HIS SECRET CODE.  What you can learn from his website is that he is a seasoned comic book artist and he also creates and co-creates such wonders as “GEN 13″ and “Danger Girl” and he’s working on a Spider-man project.  SPIDER-MAN.  These images are from his 2012 Fairytale Fantasies calendar, and more.  Keep going only if you don’t mind scantily clad cartoon women.

Alice in Wonderland

A character originally created by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll), Disney made their animated version in 1951. It was a  flop at the box office but saw a rise in popularity…around the same time psychedelic drugs became popular.  It was not, however, the first movie version of Carroll’s story.  A silent film that came out in 1903, another silent film came out in 1910, and yet ANOTHER silent film was released in 1915.  The first talkie about Alice came in 1931, and the list goes on and on.  This comic version of Alice is certainly the most voluptuous I’ve seen.  I would think one would want to wear pants while sitting on mushrooms.  Call me a prude…

The Little Mermaid

I know grown-ass men know go ga-ga over the Disney version of The Little Mermaid.  Wonder what they’ll think of this?

“The Little Mermaid,’ (pre-Disney) was a story written by Hans Christian Andersen and it was sort of a sad, sadistic tale of woe and maybe even social repression.  It’s been a story, an opera, a famous sculpture…it’s been plays, movies, and songs.

The Disney film was released in 1989 and earned $84 million in box office revenue.  It was a big deal.  And, as everyone remembers, an accidental rush job led to phallic symbols on the cover to the VHS release.  Because artists – they accidentally draw penises all the time, right?

Wendy

I’m so sure Wendy wore that outfit around her little brothers.

Wendy, a character created by J.M. Barrie, isn’t technically a princess.  And neither is….

Tinkerbell

But she sure is sassy.

From Disney mascot to dorm room wall material in the blink of an eye.

Want to see more?  Campbell has drawn up more of your favorites, like Snow White, Belle from Beauty and the Beast (yowsa), and more.  We maaaayyyy do a part 2, if you comment enough.  So, go ahead.

1. Duct Tape

Duct tape is not just one of the most useful products on earth. It also has been used in space. That’s right. Duct tape was used to make ship repairs in space and on the moon. Mythbusters have actually constructed a boat and a car held together with duct tape. The Brookhaven National Lab even temporarily fixed their particle accelerator with the stuff.

2. The Spray Can

In the early 1940s, the USDA used a refrigerant that was discovered a few years before – Freon – to allow the deployment of a deadly bug spray for US soldiers who were fighting in the Pacific. The bug spray was held in the first aerosol spray can that was powered by Freon-12, and contained sesame oil and pyrethrum (a powerful insecticide).

3. The Bra

Caresse Crosby was a publisher in the 1920s who in Paris helped to make D.H. Lawrence and Earnest Hemingway famous. Many years earlier, she started a fashion revolution that lives on today. She and a maid created the first bra with 2 handkerchiefs, a ribbon and a piece of cord. She got a patent for what she called ‘the backless brassiere’ in 1914. She sold the patent to the Warner Brothers Corset Company for the sum of $1500. She later said, “I can’t say the bra will ever take as great a place in history as the steamboat, but I did invent it.”

4. Picnic Cooler

After World War 2, Americans wanted to go off into the woods and to the beach for vacations. They needed something in which they could keep their beer, soda and sandwiches cool and fresh. The first portable cooler was patented in 1953 and was made popular by the Coleman Company.

5. Teflon

Roy Plunkett discovered polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) at the research lab of DuPont in 1938. He was working with gases that were related to Freon at the time. Plunkett accidentally froze and compressed some of the gas into a substance that was solid and waxy. The polymer he created is so slippery that almost nothing will stick to it or be absorbed by it. These days, companies put it on their cookware  after they roughen the surface of the pan by sandblasting it. The nonstick coating is usually called Teflon and is mixed into a primer that is put onto the sandblasted surface of the pan.

6. Can Opener

Canned food has been with us since the early 19th century and the British Navy. But the can opener we all know and love did not come into being until 1870. At that time, an American named Wiilliam Lyman came up with a very simply product with a sharp wheel that rolled around the rim of the can.

It is a good thing that he came up with this ingenious device: The can-opening instructions for sailors in Great Britain used to read, “Cut round the top near the outer edge with chisel and hammer.”

1. Strange Thieves Make Off With 60 Tons of Corn From Train in Brazil

I’m in the mood for corn…..60 tons of it.

Now that’s a crime you wouldn’t think of off the bat, eh? Did we mention that the train was moving too? The story is that cops in Sao Paulo in 2009 investigated the theft of almost 60 US tons of corn from a moving train. The police report stated that the criminals put grease on the tracks. This made the wheels of the locomotive skid. The train then slowed down, and they got a tow truck with a hook to steal the containers filled with corn. This happened in a sparsely settled region about 200 miles from the capital.

These criminals probably are not exactly dumb; this is a pretty twisted and ingenious little plot. But did they figure out what they were going to do with 60 TONS OF GRAIN? Pretty dumb.

2. Idiot Mother Tumble Drys Child for Punishment

I think this criminal probably qualifies as stupid. A woman in Iowa by the name of Mallory Ann Hakes was arrested in 2009. Her crime? Her 22 month-old son crawled into the dryer to hide. Miss Mallory decided to engage in a little negative reinforcement so she shut the boy inside and turned the dryer on for several seconds with the child inside. The kid was not injured, but Mallory is seriously stupid.

3. Perverted Moron Hides Camera in Air Freshener, Foiled by 4 Year-Old

So a Texas pervert decided he wanted to get his rocks off by putting a hidden camera in the changing room of a recreation center in Plano. So he came up with the clever plot of putting a tiny camera and microphone in a wall air freshener. Great! Sadly for him, a 4 year-old boy knocked it off the wall in the first hour it was up. He didn’t know what it was so he did what kids do – grabbed it. The mother put it on the counter outside the changing room. A supervisor later discovered the recording device inside.

The idiot was arrested. He DID get to view one 10 year-old girl undressing. Hope it was worth it, sicko.

4. Incredibly Stupid Criminals Rob Bank Next to Their House

Everyone loves a quick commute to work. But if you are a bank robber, or trying to be one, a short commute is a BAD idea. Maryland police arrested a really stupid brother and sister in 2010 for trying to rob an M&T bank that was on the same block as their house. They gave a note to a teller demanding cash, and then they ran out. They arrived home about 2 minutes later and were arrested the same day. Now THERE is a good, old-fashioned pair of idiot criminals.

5. Demented Moron Threatens to Blow Up Best Buy Because They Were Sold Out of Call of Duty

Any time someone says that violent video games should be severely restricted because they cause violence, I think, oh come on. Nonsense. Criminals are criminals no matter what.

Well…..in Colorado, a certain moron gamer by the name of Loromin Sar went batshit when his local Best Buy was sold out of the new video game Modern Warfare 3. Most normal humans seem to be able to understand the difference between machine gunning and incinerating people in video games as opposed to reality. Not Sar. He pre-0rdered the new game and showed up after the midnight release of the game.

When he was informed they were sold out, he asked the staffers when they were leaving work. He intended to shoot them in the parking lot. Then he threatened to blow up the whole damn store. Then or course the cops were called and the moron was arrested.

“All the way from Washington, her bread-winner begs off the bathroom floor, we live for just these twenty years, do we have to die for the fifty more?”

That guy told that bear a funny joke, and the bear hugged him for it.

Duh.  It says right on the picture that it’s Mae Gordon’s Original Insane Moving Pedestal.  EVERYBODY knows what that is.

Sometimes you just have to put on a bug outfit and ride your bike.  It’s normal.

If you don’t tell him what he wants to hear, he sics the chicken after you.  It’s just a normal chicken and cigarettes kind of day.

The chicken is “It.”  Get it?

The prototype for the playpen.  Otherwise that kid is half snake…

A girl’s got to have choices.

This is actually one of my great-grandparent’s Christmas portraits.  Nice, huh?

What?  You’ve never been to a gas mask party?

Clearly, that elephant needed a ride away from the Big Top.

Haven’t you heard that song?  ”Goats Just Want to Have Fun?”

Grandma!

Stay tuned for part two.  Or, if you have better explanations for the photos about, feel free to post them in the comments section.  We love comments.  We can’t get enough of them.

There’s hardly a celebrity out there who hasn’t been photographed in at least a Santa hat.  If it’s a celebrity who makes a living off her face or body, you can bet she’s squeezed herself into a bosom-bearing, fur-lined ensemble designed to make you hotter than a Christmas fire and rushing for the mistletoe.  So, here are some pictures for you to *ahem* brighten up your season.

The Celebrities

Adriana Lima.  What, no hat?

Alessandra Ambrosio. That’s better.  At least there is fur trim, a Santa bag, and some fuzzy balls.  Ambrosio.  Hah.

Ana Beatriz Barros.  More fuzzy balls.  And she forgot her pants.  Not that you’re complaining.

Destiny’s Child back in the day.  Bootylicious.

Gemma Atkinson.  Whoever that is.

Gisele Bundchen.  One of the richest, most powerful, most influential women in the world.  Also one of the most beautiful.

Oh Katy.  Why are you so adorable?

Lindsay Lohan.  When she was still pretty.  Poor Lilo.

Michelle Monaghan in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

Nicola McLean.  6th place on I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!  Classy.

Pamela Anderson.  Again I say – no hat?

Scarlett Johansson.  You’re welcome.

Stacy Keibler.  Former professional wrestler.  Current hottie.

Random

Google “sexy Santa.”  This is what happens.  SFW.

Maybe it would have been better to NOT put “HO” in really big letters next to a girl wearing this not-outfit.

One could almost imagine that she’s singing or yodeling or something.

Airbrush what?

Fuzzy cleavage.  Merry Christmas.

The Empire

“That blast came from the Death Star!  That thing’s operational!”

“Never.  I’ll never turn to the Dark Side.  You’ve failed, your highness.  I am a Jedi, like my father before me.”

“General Kenobi. Years ago you served my father in the Clone Wars. Now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire. I regret that I am unable to convey my father’s request to you in person, but my ship has fallen under attack, and I’m afraid my mission to bring you to Alderaan has failed. I have placed information vital to the survival of the Rebellion into the memory systems of this R2 unit. My father will know how to retrieve it. You must see this droid safely delivered to him on Alderaan. This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope. ”

“ A young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi knights. He betrayed and murdered your father. Now the Jedi are all but extinct. Vader was seduced by the dark side of the Force. ”

poor Captain Antilles.

This is a hybrid really – a tribute poster mixed with a propaganda poster.  But, it’s very well done.

“These aren’t the droids we’re looking for.”  Stormtroopers are SO smart…

The Rebels

Of course.  ”That boy is our last hope.”  What was that, Yoda?

“No, there is another.”  That’s right!

There are some mixed messages going on here.  But basically we’re just trying to restore freedom to the galaxy, hang with some furry dudes, and stop kissing our brother.  Yay!

metal bikini.  somebody had to include the metal bikini.

“R2, why did you have to be so brave?”

I don’t know who that’s supposed to be, but I love this artist’s style.  Don’t forget to check out each artist’s page, listed at the bottom of the post.

Montage.  Something you’d see on Luke Skywalker’s bedroom wall.

“The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It’s an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together.”

Artist Pages – if I’ve missed anybody, please comment to let me know

Cliff Chiang: http://www.cliffchiang.com/gallery/
Steve Thomas: http://www.stevethomasart.com/travel.html
Joe Corroney: http://www.joecorroney.com/
Ant Lucia:  http://www.antlucia.com

Is a knitted swimsuit top really the best material for a swimsuit? I know, who cares as long as swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker is wearing it. Who is Brooklyn Decker? Well, here is a short bio on Brooklyn provided by SI.com.

Brooklyn Decker, 23, was born in Middletown, Ohio, and raised in Charlotte, N.C. She was discovered at age 16 in a mall, and began her career as the face of Mauri Simone. She has been featured in Teen Vogue, GQ, Cosmopolitan, FHM and Glamour as well as in campaigns for Gap and Victoria’s Secret and in music videos for Jimmy Buffett and 3 Doors Down. This is Brooklyn’s sixth Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue appearance.

Brooklyn Decker was photographed by Warick Saint in Peter Island, British Virgin Islands. Swimsuit by Caffe Swimwear. Unfortunately she has misplaced her swimsuit top. Models can be so forgetful.

Brooklyn Deck photo by Warwick Saint, wearing a swimsuit by Naila Swimwear. I guessing this a giraffe print which means they ran out of zebra and jaguar prints. Sorry, giraffe, it was just your time.

Swimsuit by RYGY and worn by Sports Illustrated model Brooklyn Decker. She looks surprised in this photo. Didn’t any tell her a photo shoot was going on?

Brooklyn Decker photo – Swimsuit by Luli Fama, cleavage by Brooklyn Decker. I think I like the Brooklyn Decker cleavage better.

Brooklyn Decker in Peter Island (notice how I didn’t make any childish jokes about Peter Island.) wearing a weird swimsuit that looks like it as put together by a kindergarten class and it looks just as sturdy as that as well. But really the swimsuit was by Debbie Wilson for Maui Girl.

The last of the Brooklyn Decker photographs and what better way to end this than with Brooklyn’s end. Cute tush wrapped up in an swimsuit by Anna Kosturova.

Santa Claus

Just in time for the holidays.

Winemaking

I can’t explain why, but this gives me the willies.  Maybe because I’m a wine-drinker, and I always wonder whose feet have been in  my Pinot.

Laundry

She’s so pretty you don’t want to tell her that washing your clothes in a pothole is nasty.  Or, maybe the point of the art is that it is supposed to transcend the pothole.

Baptism

What, it’s too hard to find a real baby to use?

Baywatch

What pothole?

Bubble Bath

Rubber Duckies make bathtime fun!

Champagne

Again, what pothole?  Kidding aside, the composition of this is very nice.  The strawberries are a nice touch.

Diver

They sure do have big potholes in Montreal, where this photo was taken.

Dog Wash

I’ve heard of mobile pet grooming, but come on.

Alice in Wonderland

In this version of the story, she ends up fighting a blind alligator instead of the Jabberwocky.

Fisherman

Some guys will use any excuse to fish.

Pedicure

I hope the polish is quick-drying.

Walk of Fame

Actually, this could save the road crew a lot of work.  Fill them all up with concrete, let people put their handprints and signature in there, and make ‘em pay for it!  Genius!

Spaghetti and Meatballs

That’s just…ew.  I mean, I love spaghetti, but this dude looks like he’s really dreading that bite.  Is he dreading the carb coma, or the inevitable asphalt chunks?  We may never know.

Check out all their photos on mypotholes.com.  All these images belong to them, not us.  We’re just giving them mad props for a great idea and some stunning photography.

Dog Ram Lizard

Nothing is more fearsome than a dogramlizard.

Dog Shark

Except maybe the puppyshark.

Doggypillar

“Who…are…you?”

Fluffy

The inspiration behind the Harry Potter creature?  More like inspired BY it.

Squirrelly

The funny part of it is the look on his face.  He looks so much sadder than a normal squirrel.

?

I’m at a loss.

Puoala

Will it attack your face, or merely sit on your feet?

Lhasapede

Creepy, crawly, AND cuddly?  I think my head just exploded.

Mastiseal

And I can get one of these where?

Pugator

And…let the nightmares commence.

Pickens

Creepy or cute?

Pit Hare

This is just wrong.

Roostog

Fetches the paper AND wakes you up in the morning.

Dobin

All I can think about is how birds have no sphincter control, and how much different dog poop is from bird poop.  Sorry.

Wolf Jay

Same here, added to the memory of being attacked by a Blue Jay as a child, and thinking about what if that Blue Jay had a wolf face?  Time to call the ol’ therapist.

Tigitriever

Much better than that time I tried to paint our family dog.  Less blood.  Fewer tears.