Photo montage credits for One Family Together Forever, part 1

(Updated Dec. 3, 2014 when the second "Rebecca Rapp" drawing was switched with a new photo of Brenda and Buddy Wayne, that replaced an extra picture of the doppelganger of Belinda.)

(Updated again Apr. 18, 2015 when I finally learned who Belinda really is.)

This is the first post in which I give the source material for all photo montages seen in the new book One Family Together Forever, which I published on Monday. (You can buy the book by clicking on the icon on the top right of this page.)

For montages of the 13 Barefoot Family Farm residents throughout the book:

• Upper limbs: From the Facebook page of Brittany Barefoot, a real person in Greenwood, SC.  She graduated from high school in 2008 and the University of South Carolina in 2012; as of 2014, she sold Mary Kay cosmetics while hoping to gain a job in nursing.  (Her younger sister Danielle graduated from USC in 2014.)  However, in most cases, the arms are from Bailey Miller, a school classmate who went to Erskine College in Due West, SC and also played on the "Flying Fleet" soccer team.  Both were in the same "senior day" photograph, as was a third student named Mariam Nasrollahi.  (Here's what the original picture looks like.)
• Lower limbs: From an unidentified model on the blog In Wonderland with Alice.  It was closed to public access in 2014, but I was able to get the picture on my hard drive before that occurred, and I've placed it here as well.  The picture was taken in Pennsylvania.
• Solo portraits of family members: Porch picture from the Honest Abe blog, sky changed from slate blue to light blue via new layer and light-blue brush colors

For "covers" of Down Home magazine: These are Microsoft Word adaptations of stationery I made up with the Greeting Card Factory software, made by Nova Development of Riverside, CA.  Names of "artists" (Rebecca Rapp on pages 4 and 29, Bonnie Mae Brookshire on page 37, and Laura Faye Beavers on page 49) were created using various fonts that resemble signatures that artists would use.

For specific farm residents:
Buddy Wayne (page 10)

• Face: John "Bubba" Britton, former contestant on reality game show Beg, Borrow & Deal which aired on ESPN in 2002. He has worked at a computer-parts wholesale company for many years.
• Shirt: The shirt itself was retrieved from a website called Smart Casual Dress Code. The picture of a bluebird came from a site called Wet Canvas; when I imported the file, I renamed it “bluebird and rainbows.”
• Pants: Picture of Arizona Jeans, a brand owned by JCPenney, from an eBay page.

Brenda (page 14)

• Face: Kim Blitchington, former teacher at the Montessori School in Columbus, OH.  (The current staff directory can be found here.)
• Shirt: Denver Broncos T-shirt for women, retrieved from NFL Shop, with the color changed from orange to light blue via hue and saturation changes and the logo removed through the clone stamp tool. The wording was self-created with bold Arial font. Benson Mule Days is an actual event that takes place each fall in Benson, NC. The photo of the mule is actually cut off from a two-mule picture I found at the event’s official site.
• Pants: Arizona Jeans, as mentioned earlier.

Bobby Ray (page 18)

• Face: Travis Sampson. Originally from eastern Tennessee, he was a cast member on Survivor: Vanuatu in 2005. Before that, he was on My Life is a Sitcom, which was on ABC Family in 2003. Sampson is also a former professional wrestler.
• Shirt: Generic gray T-shirt from Ibiley. Logo was originally created at says-it.com, a humorous graphics design site based in Texas, and later modified to represent the family business. (The original logo was a crest with the bottom inscription “INNOCENT AND FREE.”)
• Pants: Again from Arizona Jeans.

Jennifer (page 22)

• Face: Brandy Barefoot, resident of Opp, AL. Brandy is not to be confused with the Brandy Barefoot character I have contrived, to be introduced later. My first word of her was a local news story about her receiving a kidney transplant from a fellow church member. (Unfortunately, this is now a dead link.) The face is a composite of the hair from the Facebook page, and the lower face from the WSFA page; I removed Brandy’s glasses by way of the clone stamp tool.
• Shirt: Recolored Broncos top with family farm logo replacing the original.
• Pants: From Brady Poirier’s file, originally from a woman who was walking her dog. 

Belinda (page 26)

• Face and clothes: Emily Brannon, daughter of a cousin of Deb Holmes of Chesapeake, VA.  Holmes first got my attention when an Internet search I did came up with Buddy Wayne’s name (the original real person) on a site with a collection of obituaries. (The original, that of Randall Carrington Lee of Benson, NC, can be found at http://www.wemightbekin.com/Raynor.pdf). We have since communicated by e-mail and have even become Facebook friends! Picking Emily made it easier for me since I did not have to add clothes or arms to the original as I had to do with everyone else. All I had to do was add the legs.

Bryson (page 30)

• Face: Unknown male, photographed by Thomas McCabe. I attempted to reconnect to the source website that I visited early in 2012, but the search was unsuccessful.
• Clothing: Coverall as seen on the Discovery Channel program Moonshiners. I took a still capture of Tim Smith, who is part of the cast, wearing it. 

Alonzo "Popeye" (page 34)

• Face: Brack Maggard, co-owner of RAB Racing with Brack Maggard in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. This is based on a picture taken when he was a driver in the ARCA Racing Series. I then used Photoshop to "airbrush" away the logos and the blur tool to get rid of pixels that had lots of what could be called either noise or static.
• Cap: The original ARCA logo was painted out and the Bass Pro Shops logo put in its place.
• Body: A professional model (retrieved from polyvore.com) was used with his face removed and replaced by Popeye’s. No new arms or legs were needed, and only the foot from “Alice” was used. The original color of the coveralls was a darker blue than shown here; the settings were reduced by taking down the hue and saturation settings. 

Gillie Ann "Annie" (page 38)

• Face: Emily Barefoot, marketing agent at C&D Insurance Services in Angier, NC. She is also a former real estate agent with Ellis Barbour and Company in Dunn, NC; I got the picture from the agency's website when she worked there.
• Top and pants: Same file, uploaded by Poirier, originally of the woman walking the dog. 

Ralph (page 42)

• Hat: Same as that found on Popeye, but with an overlay of camouflage. The camo comes from what Mariam Nasrullahi wears in the Greenwood High School photo.
• Face: Brett Barefoot, who has worked for the last 10 years at the University of Mississippi. As of early 2014, his latest assignment was in the child-care department; earlier, he had been the head of training and compliance in its financial-aid department. He is a 2004 graduate of “Ole Miss.”
• Shirt: Gray t-shirt mentioned earlier, recolored a kelly green commonly found in the American outdoors. I came up with the slogan “BOW TO THE BOW,” which is an example of homonyms (two words spelled the same, but with different pronunciations).  The first “bow” (pronounced like wow) indicates submission or superiority, while the second “bow” (pronounced like go) is a common hunting instrument. The depiction of a buck comes from the grave of Burness Dean “Bubba” Brister of Vidor, TX. I used the brush tool to make a clearer outline and the erase tool to “hollow out” the illustrated design.  I wrote the slogan using the Birch Standard font.
• Pants: Arizona Jeans copy, recolored light brown due to hue/saturation and curves adjustment layers.

Harvey (page 46)

• Face: Justin Barefoot was a star baseball player at South Johnston High School (Banner, NC) in the first decade of the 21st century. He was good enough to play in a state all-star game, then won a scholarship to Clemson University. However, Justin never played a game for the Tigers, instead transferring to the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. His last game there was played in 2008. Two years later, he opened Barefoot Outdoors in Smithfield. The store, still open today, sells bows, arrows, and related equipment.
• Shirt: Carolina Panthers authentic jersey, which fans can buy at the NFL Shop. The number “53” is a reference to Billy Bob Ribble, another one of my characters of whom I explain fully later in this book. The NFL shield on the original jersey was brushed out. 

Reba Pearl "Hambone" (page 50)

• Face: Alyssa Barefoot. As of late 2010, she was a senior at South Johnston High School, where she was a cheerleader. She had also launched a career as a model and a photo gallery on her Facebook page has a two-picture portfolio she had planned to send to local agencies. However, that page has not changed since that time, and it is unclear what has become of her over the last four years.
• Top: Broncos female top with logo removed and recolored pink (not only the family color for patriarch “Pink” Barefoot but also Hambone’s personal favorite color) via hue and saturation adjustments. The Barefoot Family Farm logo was then attached.
• Bottom: The Arizona Jeans shorts were given a lighter shade by having some of the saturation removed.

I have also included this background information:
Hambone performance video by Steve Hickman
Her dumb beliefs
My favorite incorrect answers
Books by Richard Benson in a similar vein: F In Exams, F For Effort, and F This Test

Brandy (page 56)

• Face: Amanda Barefoot, who attends UNC Wilmington with a major of elementary education, and also volunteers at a local school in Benson. In 2010, she won Miss Benson at Benson Mule Days - the local festival mentioned earlier - and got print and video features in The Wall Street Journal. (Here is the video feature.)
• Shirt: Same white T-shirt that Buddy Wayne wears. Although it is more suitable for men than for women, both genders wear shirts like these for golf outings. Given the Hurricanes’ logo patch on her left side, this is definitely from a corporate event when she worked for the team. I retrieved the logo from Wikipedia.

Britton "Bunky" (page 60)

• Face: Brandon Davidson, model and reality television contestant. On season 5 of The Amazing Race, which aired on CBS in 2006, Davidson and his partner Nicole O’Brian finished in third place. (Coincidentally, Nicole is Brandy’s middle name.) I took the picture from CBS’ official page for that season, which has since been torn down. Because Davidson’s original publicity photo was taken in bright sunlight that reflected straight on his hair, I had to use the clone stamp tool to fill in the space.
• Shirt: Original white T-shirt with the new Barefoot Family Farm logo.
• Pants: Through reduction of hue and saturation, were made a lighter shade.

My new photo book IS now available!

Another post about One Family Together Forever, and it's a lot better news than two days ago.

The book is now complete!

It is available from Lulu, the same place that sold my two previous works, The Buddy Wayne Chronicles and My Ideal World.  I am very excited about this one, because for the first time people can see what my characters look like. 

This is the culmination of some two years of hard work, both at home and in classes at school.  I would like to thank my teacher, Brady Poirier, for all his patience, dedication, and support of my efforts.  When I had a question, he almost always had a quick answer.

To buy One Family Together Forever, please click on the book cover to the right of this blog.  I'm getting $1.60 per copy sold, and with my continued precarious financial position, every little bit helps.

One more thing: Sometime this week, I will post the sources and techniques for every montage you see here.  It's important for me to do that to acknowledge the real people whose faces I used to create the "pictures" used in the book, and hopefully to minimize objections to their use, or other legal issues.

Thanks for your attention, and enjoy!

My new book is not ready - yet

This is the post in which I had hoped to announce the sale of the One Family Together Forever photo book, published with the help of Lulu.

However, as I opened Lulu Studio, the cloud-based editing program it uses, I realized that the photo book template does not allow for exact replication of a file I had done on Microsoft Word, the program I had used to upload my two previous book projects.  The solution I originally had was to drag and drop the photos I had collected and placed in the original file in the template provided, but Lulu does not allow for this.  Instead, I have to find the pictures - again - and upload them to the server.  With my DSL connection, it typically takes about a minute for Lulu to complete the process for each picture.

Worse, on Thursday - the first day I officially started work on it -  I was disconnected from the cloud four times as Lulu apparently had a bad day.  This is the error message I received each time:

I hope to get an explanation sometime next week.  In the meantime, I resumed on Friday and encountered no similar problems.

The upshot is that I have completed only a little more than half of the book - namely, the introduction, parts about the 13 characters in the house, and the first two pictures in the section about the property.  I will likely not return to the project until Monday, and maybe by Tuesday I'll complete it.

Believe me, once it's done all the ordering information will be right here at this blog.

Summaries of Gone Barefoot, seasons 5 and 6

(Updated several times, last on Sep. 5, 2015.)

Here are the summaries of the fifth and sixth seasons of the reality documentary Gone Barefoot, if that mythical series actually aired.

Season 5
Jan. 5, 2014: "Bad Bone, Good Girls" (2 hours)
The cliffhanger surrounding Hambone's whereabouts early in the morning of the family reunion is resolved.  It is revealed that she slipped out of the all-ages formal dance without telling anyone else, took off her formal clothes, slipped into redneck gear, and spent the rest of the night with the Camp Paradise cousins in a pine forest behind the property.  After seeing her with bloodshot eyes, B.W. gives her a verbal warning against any further action in the future.  Also on the show, Brandy ends her reign as Miss Idealia and watches Megan Turnipseed (former BMN Superfan contestant) win the crown; the show also honors Tonya McBrookins, a black woman from Louisiana who was allowed to enter the pageant in the 1960s, despite the rampant discrimination in the South at the time; she made the live finale only to be pulled under immense pressure from the region's political and business leaders.
Jan. 12, 2014: "Beautiful Barefoot Day"
B.W. explains the origin of the Barefoot last name and why going barefoot at all times is important to the family.  Meanwhile, the family overcomes the summer heat by holding a "beach party" on the pond, complete with belly flops, swimming, and playing in the mud.  At night, the family gathers at Bryson's treehouse for the unveiling of the poster that depicts the made-up movie Showdown at Las Positas.  In the “film,” Bryson plays the world’s youngest Western-style sheriff, who protects a town in the southwestern United States from outlaws.  A red carpet leads to the treehouse, which is decorated with all kinds of Western stuff.  Beth, a cousin of B.W.’s and expert baker, delivers a cake to share at the end of the meal, and B.W. and Popeye sing songs typical of those in period serials. 
Jan. 19, 2014: "Meadow Night Lights"
The new stadium at Meadow School hosts its first game, as the Meadow Indians alumni team takes on the Coats Yellowjackets.  The stadium is named for the Barefoot family, which donates $2 million to the county for construction costs.  Harvey makes his return to football playing for Meadow, while Hambone and Beth are on the sidelines as cheerleaders.  With time running out, "Lil' Jack," one of the third cousins who help out at Camp Paradise, intercepts a pass to seal the 27-24 win for the Indians.  The "halftime show" is an update on ceremony preparations.
Jan. 26, 2014: "Welcome to the Show!"
A letter delivered by Braylor McPatter, the local carrier, has exciting news for everyone: The Barefoots have been chosen to perform at a world's fair celebrating the ascension of Jesus Christ to his throne in the new Jerusalem!  In the shows, everyone expresses their love for their Lord and Savior in different ways.  B.W. goes to work picking a title for the family's variety show, "Dixie Rising," and a general theme celebrating life in the rural Southern United States.  Also, Brian Warner, director of this program, travels to the World Showcase portion of Epcot, part of the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, to tour a real world's fair similar to the one the Barefoots will visit.
Mar. 9, 2014: "Life With Popeye"
(This show followed a five-week suspension due to Super Bowl XLVIII, the 2014 Winter Olympics, and the 86th Academy Awards.)
Buddy Wayne spends a day with Popeye and all 10 of his brothers and sisters at their home on state highway 50, about three miles from the farm.  They help with chores around the house and at the backyard farm, have dinner together, tell stories, and sing.  Some of them also agree to help on B.W.'s farm site during events such as the upcoming world's fair show, of which they react with great excitement. Speaking of the show, B.W. has "writer's block" relating to the program; he has several parts of the show for which he has to give roles to family members and has no idea where to begin.  Also, Bunky explains and exhibits one of his favorite passions, called either parkour or freerunning.
Mar. 16, 2014: "Re-Generation"
Bunky, Hambone, and Brandy join dozens of cousins, aunts and uncles at the John Noah Youth Jam, a spin-off "family reunion" with separate events, one for school-aged children and another for teenagers and young adults.  While those of school age hang around the mud pit and treehouse and come home early, the older attendees play cornhole, volleyball, and other party games at a slumber party highlighted by a "lip rock" performance by a group called the Honey Bees, which includes Hambone and five friends.  (A "lip rock" is one in which a large group of performers mouth the words to a popular song with elaborate choreography.)  The show also features businesses owned by two of the attendees and distant relatives of B.W.: cousin Beth's bakery and aunt Ola's photography shop.  Finally, the official invitation to the Spears-Barefoot "re-wedding" is revealed.
Mar. 23, 2014: "You Can Hear the Bells"
Preparations for the renewal of vows are in full swing.  On the groom's side, the usual bachelor party is replaced by a church service and Southern gospel performance.  Meanwhile, the Spears family holds a bridal shower with traditional music, games, and stories of the Ulster-Scot Appalachians before the attendees start the 430-mile trip to North Carolina via traditional methods.  The bride, groom, bridesmaids, and groomsmen all have their clothes handmade, mostly by Brenda and Annie.
Mar. 30, 2014: "The Circle Is Unbroken"
After five years together and four as a married couple, Buddy Wayne and Brittany Raylene renew their vows and hold the formal ceremony they have always wanted.  Their daughter Lizzie serves as the ring girl, Ralph brings the two back into marriage, and Hambone acts up again, pretending to object to the wedding then saying that she was just kidding.  At the reception, the first dance occurs to the music of their hit song "When the Bough Breaks."  The farm house hosts the wedding, while Long Branch hosts the reception.
Season 6
Jul. 6, 2014: "Many Happy Returns"
After their second wedding on the North Carolina farm, Buddy Wayne and Brittany travel to the Caribbean Sea for their honeymoon.  Starting out in Miami, the itinerary includes Havana, Cancún, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, the Virgin Islands, and the Bahamas.  At the end of the 14-day trip, B.W. tells Brittany about the variety show he's putting together; she agrees to be part of the show and even write an original song to be performed at the end.  The show features a tour of Port Royal, the former "Sin City" of the Caribbean finally rebuilt in the Millennium, and special performances of local music.
Jul. 13, 2014: "Big Bucks, Double Whammy"
Buddy Wayne, Hambone, Popeye, Ralph, Harvey, and Bobby Ray join nine others in the extended family for Camp Paradise's largest hunting trip ever.  After a day trying to pin down bucks and other woodland creatures, it's time for a huge party around the fire, centered on "bonfire barbecue" and beer.  Hambone tries to make B.W. and Ralph drink, which make them both uncomfortable.  Everyone stays overnight, and then B.W. tries his hand at driving through the mud bog the next day.  An afternoon of swimming and belly flops ends the second day.
Jul. 20, 2014: "Glory Days"
Buddy Wayne was a point guard in basketball while attending high school, and on this episode he returns to the court.  In this game, Meadow takes on the Four Oaks Cardinals; among the opposing team's players is Harold "Bud" Strickland, perhaps the greatest athlete in the history of Johnston County.  Strickland, it turns out, is a distant relative: one of B.W.'s aunts is married to one of Bud's sons.  Oh, and he's also Hambone's boss at Camp Paradise!  Also, Belinda aces the final exams at the Overshot School and receives a special award from Noah, while Bryson and the Rotten Rascals scatter the trees with toilet paper to mark the last day.
Jul. 27, 2014: "This Will Be Big"
B.W. receives information about New Jerusalem, the world's fair site, and the shows.  When told that the city is 1,400 miles long, wide, and high - as described in Revelation 22 - Hambone exclaims, "This will be big!"   Unfortunately, just as big is the problem she has with her mother, Annie, who she accuses of abandoning in favor of Brandy.  Annie responds that Brandy asked her to help with Miss Idealia, and that this took up a lot of time.  Besides, she adds, "Anytime you need me, I'm right here."  The two settle their differences over a relaxing mud bath.  Also on the show: B.W. and Bud Strickland are among the first inductees into the Johnston County Sports Hall of Fame, and Brenda earns a spot in a cookbook created by home cooks from throughout the South.
Aug. 3, 2014: "View to a Real Talk"
One of the "shooting the breeze" segments unwittingly turns into a parody of daytime television's all-female talk shows.  Brenda, Annie, Jennifer, and Brandy dish on what they loved and hated about their past lives, as well as why things are so much better now.  Belinda also stops by to show off her dollhouse to the mothers' club.  In addition: Popeye and Ralph compete in relative "Rack" Barefoot's annual fishing derby, B.W. speaks by secret cell phone to Brittany Raylene to update the song they're co-writing, and B.W.'s cousin Kim Strickland sings "Belly Rubbin'" on an open-mike night in Nashville.  (Brittany and Kim are roommates in the "Music City.")
Aug. 10, 2014: "The Show is Revealed"
Buddy Wayne reveals the final rundown for Dixie Rising and everyone seems to like the roles they have been given.  However, he warns them that experience will be unlike anything they have done before, and that he's heard that Jesus Himself might be in the audience.  "No pressure, huh?" Brandy asks sarcastically.  Speaking of Brandy, her brother Bunky is having a hard time finding the right music for his one-man band performance and fears he'll run out of time; and Hambone informs the four brothers/third cousins about her trip to the New Jerusalem and finalizes plans to turn the place over to them in her absence.  Finally, Popeye creates - and solves - his own crossword puzzle.
Aug. 17, 2014: "Won't You Be My Redneck?"
In the last episode before the trip to New Jerusalem, B.W. finalizes all the arrangements for travel, hotel, rehearsal schedules, and even free time before the show.  At the end of the planning session, B.W. has a surprise announcement: Ralph has been named Hambone's chaperone, citing Hambone's propensity for running off and the need to keep to a very tight schedule once they arrive.  Ralph readily agrees, but his sister is absolutely incensed; she wonders why she is being singled out for what she sees as unfair punishment.  After some time of back-and-forth bantering, Hambone lets out an impression of the children's TV host Fred Rogers that becomes the title of this episode.  In the end, it's time for the clan to board an airplane - most for the first time ever - as it takes off from Raleigh/Durham International Airport.
Aug. 24, 2014: "Dixie Rising"
First hour: The Barefoot family arrives in New Jerusalem and finds their hotel room.  There, a welcome reception takes place and they meet the other performers from around the world.  One of them catches Ralph's eye!  The next day, it's on to the 7,000-seat All-American Theater where the show will take place, and needless to say, everyone is awestruck!  A full rehearsal takes place, and the clan meets the backup singers, dancers, actors, and others that have come to enhance the show.  After it's over, there's a free night.  Most of them go to Matt's Boardwalk, which has arcade games, bowling, and racing karts.  But Hambone has to stay behind with Ralph, which leaves her sighing, "I'm bored!" in a memorable scene.  Everyone does come together for the rehearsal dinner, which introduces us to the "Jack Attack," an ice-cream cake with "boogers" and "snot" (relax, actually malted milk balls and caramel, respectively).
Second hour: The clan arrives for their big moment, nervous as all out, especially Hambone; she thinks the show is the only way she can garner the attention she thinks she deserves.  What's worse, her costumes don't arrive until just before the show starts.  Blondie, the session pianist, also gets there just in the nick of time.  But everything is in place, the lights go down, and the show begins: the women read from Proverbs 31, Bunky turns into a one-man band, Hambone gets down to a classic country song, and B.W. and Brittany Spears debut a new blues/bluegrass/Nashville hybrid song, "We Will Rise."  After the show, it's back to the hotel and then the airport for the trip home.

Another interruption...

A reminder that for me to post anything on the506 forum I am a part of, I need to attach an URL for the SMF program to read.

This time, I plan to send this screenshot to them.  This is what happened when the CBC encountered technical difficulties in the postgame after Friday's Stanley Cup finals game in which the Los Angeles Kings defeated the New York Rangers and won the series.

My last work from class

First of all, I must come clean: I did not attend ABC Adult School on Friday and don't plan to return for the last few days.  No doubt I had Nabby, one of my followers on Google+, as well as some of my classmates, worried.  The reason is that I was relying on the original schedule for the fourth quarter, which was supposed to end on Thursday but instead has been extended well into next week.  No reason has been stated publicly, but California law requires schools to meet for a minimum number of days between September of one year and June of the next.  Earlier this week, we took five days off around Thanksgiving, and some bureaucrat must have thought it was too long.  That means missing out of next Tuesday's end-of-class party for my afternoon class, but oh well.

Before the week was out, I completed one final project in school.  It is the second time I have put together mythical sportscaster Rhett Jeffers, B.W., and Bobby Ray (the first time was the picture shown at right to commemorate "Movember"); this time, they are in more natural surroundings.  I had them replace Fox broadcasters Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds, and Darrell Waltrip in a pose based on a television still before the 2014 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.  The replacement faces are Colorado real-estate agent Kelly McBartlett, Travis Sampson, and Bubba Britton.

Since the original photograph was a trapezoid shape, based on trying to find the right lighting for the capture (to avoid it being too bright), it was cropped with clone stamping to cover up the angle difference.  Cloning was also used to replace an over-exposed portion on the top right corner and to account for differences in some face sizes.  The BMN TV logo (my made-up network) replaces that of Fox Sports.

Now it's on to assembling the photo book in earnest.  Wish me luck!

On a new work, BWB's "stars" come out

As we commemorate 70 years since the start of the Allied invasion of Normandy that was perhaps the most significant event in World War II (which I referenced in this post last year), I continue to fine-tune my work in preparation for the photo book.

This time, I have created art work that would serve as publicity for Little Boy Records, if it existed.  The recording label was "founded" by Buddy Wayne Barefoot to self-distribute albums as soon as he decided on a singing career.  After his win in the Sing for the World reality contest, B.W. was allowed to sign some of the losing contestants in the U.S. version to contracts.  This is in contrast to the total control TV show producers - and the labels they are affiliated with - have in most cases.

Contrary to expectations, B.W. signed a wide variety of recording artists.  Their names and descriptions are included in the captions; you can click on them for a closer look.  These stories - and a few others - are also told in a pair of posts I made in 2013: part one has more on Blondie, Bird & Fly, and Blinky Blink (not pictured here), and part two has more on Brister and MacMelville.  Also signed was a punk rock band with boy band looks, betaBOOZEbrain.  (I got that name from the game show Now You See It, where it was a second-round puzzle.)  And of course I couldn't forget about B.W.'s "wife," Brittany Raylene - whose "real name" is Brittany Spears, as shown in this post.

The background was created by using a preset brush on Adobe Photoshop which is called, of course, the star brush (with a considerable size of 55 points) on a blank background I painted black using alt-delete.  Originally, I had downloaded a picture from inside Nokia Theater L.A. Live, but changed it because it didn't work at well.  I created the company logo from scratch using the Papyrus font for the letters and a rectangle and line to surround the text.

Now, for those of you wondering how to order my book: Unfortunately, you can't do that yet.  I have to assemble the book on my hard drive, then go to Lulu.com in order to have it processed.  I expect that to take three to four weeks from this point.