Budgie's Burritos!
I like telling stories, here's this one:
It all began on Feb 17th, 2010. I was unsuccessful making it down to the 1st of 2 days of Stephen Colbert filming in Vancouver, and I was on my home. I stopped off at one of my favorite neighborhood haunts, RX Comics to show the guys Aaron and Don what I had made. I popped around the corner to my favorite local eat - Budgie's Burritos - to grab something to eat, ( I always get the Johnny-O!) All the times I had been there, it was this day I finally met the owner. She really dug my Colbert package, and mentioned it'd be cool if I made something for her restaurant. I told her give me some time to brew up an idea or twp and we'd talk.
About a month later I showed up, designs and sketches in hand, and after going over it all came to an agreement. Certain key elements were locked in,(a resemblance to the restaurant, the wizard Budgie, velvet paintings and his thought screen,) but I was given a long leash to let my creative side shine. Also given a loose time frame, I'm glad she told me not to rush anything and to take my time.
I had hoped to have this in the restaurant by end of May, but 'the little things' matter to me and I needed to button certain details up.
June 21st now, and 95% complete, I have a lot on my plate for the next bit, so that other 5% I hope can wait and that I can get it to her in due time.
So, I knew the materials I'd be working with: press board, and a 1 x 2. Built the general set up and the storage base. Found LED keychains that when you whistle, chirp and bleep, as well as a LED flashlight/glowstick - both PERFECT for this thing.
LED flashlight + DC Direct Green Lantern base = light up fortune telling table.
LED keychains + earphone wire + soldering skills + dremeled out skull + Hanson brother glasses = Pearsonic fortune telling skull.
LCD photo frame from Toys R Us.
Had to make it as kid friendly as possible, so when attaching the hinges proved to need more than glue, and the screws sharp points were sticking out.....hot glue, plastic and wooden stir stick worked well for proofing the area.
The action figure shelves weren't originally planned, but were a must once conceived. Included on it are: Bottom shelf" Two-Face, Batman, Scarecrow. Top shelf: Ghostrider, Dr. Strange, and the awesome-est, geek amalgamation ever: it began as a pegasus that had a flame underneath one of it's hooves. I added an energy unicorn horn, as well as an eyepatch over one eye since it appeared to not be there. Oh yeah, I put it on top of a tall pillar too.
Here are some early Work In Progress shots:
Some of those little, extra details.......
Words carved into bar top, aged. If you look close enough in person, you should be able to find:
Budgie was here
CP 2010
I (heart) Johnny-O
J-Roc and the Roc pile
Bubble gum stuck to underside of bar.
The order sign and hand are a nod to the actual restaurant sign, (though their hand is more of the Monty Python variety,) I used a Mr. Fantastic one.
The BURRITOS signage on the Left side exterior is a nod and a close replication to the actual restaurant.
The address is a nod to their hand-drawn menu. The first 4 appears backwards in "44", and I thought it looked fun to incorporate. I was initially trying to work in the 'eyebrows' into/on top of Bewildering, but it wasn't working. I thought the two 4's, the first one backwards, looked liked squinty eyes so I rolled with it.
The velvet painting I dub, "Electric Burrito", is from the hand drawn menu.
I decided to pass on trying to add a feather, but did include a red circle in Budgies turban, similar to his menu rendering.
Added energy effects to the fortune telling table crystal ball holder.
Managed to delicately create lighting bolt effects for Budgies fingers.
A replicated knock-off of The Army of Darkness - The Necronomicon!
and though they are not currently done, that last 5% I was talking about will be:
Minature menus
Cans
Bottles
Hot Sauce
Burritos
(I have 10 magnetized spots on the diorama for these items to 'secure' to. )
Well, I'm stoked to see the reaction, (probably tomorrow,) I've had a blast creating it.
Oh, and lastly I managed to incorporate a 'fortune telling' feature into it too. Green is a go, (a yes,) and Red's a NO!.
Word'em,
Pearsonic
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