You’d think running the New York Marathon today would be project enough (our quads hurt just at the suggestion), but New York Times cartoonist Christoph Niemann is not only running it, but he’s also live-illustrating the race and live-tweeting his illustrations every ten minutes or so. From the looks of it, he’s having a great time interacting with the crowd and making friends with his fellow runners, all while documenting the event with a few markers and a pad of paper. At the time of this posting, he’s likely in about his 18th mile, so you still have time to follow along with his superhuman task (and bring him a banana) on Twitter: @abstractsunday.
[via Huffington Post]
Today at Flavorpill, we had a healthy debate over what is the most beautiful word in the English language. We learned the frightening story behind one of the most dramatic photos to come out of the rioting in London. We decided that we’d like to see “horsemaning” (which takes its name from the Headless Horseman) overtake planking as the photo trend of the moment. We were kind of freaked out by the pained look on Gwyneth Paltrow’s face on the Contagion poster. We met the newest American Girls dolls, who hail from Nawlins and may or may not have yellow fever. We found Christoph Niemann’s cover image for this week’s New Yorker equal parts beautiful and depressing. We watched two girls dressed up as the Super Mario Bros. perform a fantastic swing dance routine. We learned a few important things about the NYC pizza scene. And finally, we appreciated GOOD’s illustrated guide to flaking out. Sound like anyone you know?
Christoph Niemann’s Abstract City illustrations are always delightful. It doesn’t matter if he’s playing with leaves or playing with Legos, everything he does is subtly cheeky and makes us wish that we were more creative. His newest Abstract City post, “My Way,” is a mapped look at food, movies, and nursery rhymes à la the Google Maps template. If only his illustrations would pop up the next time we tried to get directions. Check out our favorites after the jump.
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We’ll never look at fall foliage the same way again. Christoph Niemann‘s “Bio-Diversity” series over on the New York Times’ Abstract City Blog reminds us of something we would have done back in elementary school art class. But you know… brilliant. Four more of our favorite images — including an inspired salute to Star Wars — after the jump.
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Books: Britain’s future Poet Laureate thinks the job should be abolished.
Dance/Opera: The New Yorker insinuates that some ballerinas are sluts.
Design: Christoph Niemann Legos all things N.Y. — even the Gowanus Canal.
Film: One extra large victory for Mo’Nique.
Music: What’s behind the commercial force that is Franz Ferdinand? No, really.
Television: Do we care about Sarah Jessica Parker’s ancestral history? How about Susan Sarandon’s? Well NBC certainly hopes so.
Theatre: Jude Law as Hamlet makes us giggle.
Visual Arts: In defense of Shepard Fairey’s use of “appropriated imagery.”
Web: Celebrate Black History Month with free indie movies from Hulu YouTube!
