HOVG Heroes: Keith Hernandez

DEREK ERDMAN on KEITH HERNANDEZ

Tired of every day of your life melting into the next? Does existence feel like a really long crawling marathon of “Portlandia” episodes and homemade hummus plates?

WELL FRET NO MORE.

Start and end every day hanging your belonging on this cut-out Keith Hernandez bust and you'll likely start to see things in a much different light.

Did you know that Keith Hernandez sat out an entire year of high school baseball because of a dispute with his coach? Do you even know who that coach is? Of course you don't, because Keith Hernandez is the king! In the 1980s, he did ALL OF THE COCAINE. Cocaine isn't cool anymore, but it certainly was then! And he did all of it!

Just imagine all of the things that you can hang on this Keith Hernandez coat rack. Running shoes, keys, hats, fuzzy dice, RS-232 cables, ring pops, ETC. Start your day by taking your hat off of Keith Hernandez on your way to work. It'll be his way of telling you, "GO OUT THERE AND GIVE 'EM HELL!"

End each day by giving Keith Hernandez your keys after you stumble into the house wasted on Icehouse (Ice Brewed Below Freezing!) beer. Even though you've already driven yourself home in a death defying depression blur, it'll be like him saying, "Hey man, I got it from here. Get yourself some sleep and we'll stomp all over the world's face tomorrow!

I chose to make a Keith Hernandez coat rack because people just love the television show “Seinfeld” and it seemed like the kind of thing that people would buy.

Unfortunately, I've only sold two.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Derek Erdman is a painter, newspaper writer and telephone rapper who lives at 1651 23rd Ave in Seattle, WA. He lives in a green house (throw eggs are it!) with his wife Emily and two guinea pigs named Stella and Pig Pig Pig. Erdman likes to eat and lay in bed all day long.

You can check out more of his art and buy his stuff by clicking HERE!

RossArt: Artists' Roundtable

As part of this week-long celebration of the 40th anniversary of Ross Grimsley’s Major League debut, three artists with three very different visions were tasked with coming up with some fresh “RossArt”.

If you haven’t already…feel free to check out the original work of Foodstamp Davis, Derek Erdman and Scott Wilke.

I’ll just sit here and wait.

Now that you’ve returned (you have returned, right?)…please enjoy this Artists’ Roundtable.

HOVG: When you start drawing a subject like Ross Grimsley...where do you start? The mustache, the hair...somewhere else?

WILKE: I started with the outline of his body and head and then I began with his face. I usually lightly draw the face because I tend to erase often. Typically, the rest of the drawing is completed…then I go back to the facial area. I saved the mustache for last because it was the signature of the illustration.

ERDMAN: Probably the hair. Or the hat. In this case it was the Expos logo. It varies, really.

FOODSTAMP: This was the second time I’ve been tasked with capturing Grimsley’s swarthy image. I can’t really tell you how I started the drawings, but I can tell you that the experience was the same each time. I barely pick up my pen before I’m overcome with the beauty and I just sort of go into a trance. When I come to, the picture has already been completed and I remember nothing. Also I’m all sweaty.

HOVG: Obviously you each have a different style, but one thing is the same…you all like drawing people. Who has been your favorite person to draw thus far?

WILKE: So far, Prince Fielder is and has been my favorite to draw. I’m a big fan and he has a cartoonish look to his stance and swing.

ERDMAN: I really like to draw Diana Ross. I love her shoulders.

FOODSTAMP: That would have to be draculas driving cool trucks.

HOVG: Any subjects you’d like to tackle in the future?

FOODSTAMP: Now that I’ve combined Ross Grimsley and Burt Reynolds, I’m not really sure where I can go from here. This could be the start of an entire portfolio of important mustaches of the sports and entertainment world. Maybe Lanny McDonald dressed like Magnum P.I. or Rollie Fingers arm wrestling John Waters.

WILKE: I plan on doing George Brett, Robin Yount and Paul Molitor in the near future. They are my favorite players of the pre-steriod era. I am currently working on a Ricky Weeks of the Milwaukee Brewers, which will be completed by next Monday.

ERDMAN: Oh geez, I dunno. I get a lot of orders from people to draw their children. I reckon I'm going to tackle children next.

HOVG: Where can people keep up with what you're working on or maybe purchase some of your art?

WILKE: You can find Wilke Art online to see and purchase prints or originals. You may also “Like” Wilke Art on facebook.

FOODSTAMP: People can keep up with my random personal and professional projects as well as my recently-begun “365 Days of Unplanned Doodles” at my very disorganized flickr page. For random links to look at while at work, adorable animal YouTube videos, random non sequiturs, occasional drunken depression, or even to contact me about commissioning some artwork (now accepting money!) you can follow/contact me on Twitter.

ERDMAN: Facebook, Tumblr, or my website. Try Google!

RossArt: Derek Erdman

A few weeks back, I hammered out a quick post for the Bowie Baysox Mustache Night promotion and when I searched the Googles for a picture of Hall of Famer Eddie Murray...I was greeted with a colorful piece by Derek Erdman.

I'm going to be honest...I had no idea who Erdman was at first.  I thought he was a pretty good artist who was able to capture the essence of his subject in even the simplest of pictures.

But dude even has his own Wikipedia entry!

Derek Erdman (born December 6, 1973) is an artist living in Seattle, Washington. Erdman is known primarily for his vibrantly colored paintings, his phone-prank CD Kathy McGinty, his portrayal of Rap Master Maurice, and his website. His work has appeared in the Chicago Reader newspaper, Roctober magazine, and on the cover of the acclaimed 2006 novel Lullabies for Little Criminals. In 2010, Erdman contributed to MTV's music website and became a regular contributor to Seattle's the Stranger.

Any way you slice it, Erdman is legit and I'm proud to have his original take on "Scuz" as part of this week's celebration.

You can check out Erdman's massive collection of work (and Lord, I suggest you do!) over at his website.

Please check out the other “RossArt” artists Foodstamp Davis and Scott Wilke as well as the Artists' Roundtable. Man…try typing that five times fast!