HiiRagi HQ

Terrain Training Tuesday: Moving with a Tank

2012-01-31T16:40:00.000+11:00

If Van Halen can do it, so can you!

Given what a favoured place tanks hold within my heart, you will often have to move with tanks. When you must move as fast as the tanks, you should ride on them. However, riding on a tank makes you vulnerable to all types of fire. It also reduces the tank's manoeuvrability and the ability to traverse its turret. If contact is made with the enemy, you must dismount from the tank at once.

To mount a tank, first get permission from the tank commander. Then mount from the tank's right front, not its left side where the coax machinegun is mounted. Once mounted, move to the rear deck, stand, and hold on to the bustle rack. If there is not enough room for you on the rear deck, you may have to stand beside the turret and hold onto a hatch or hatch opening.

Mmmmmmm, even I think this may be over doing it....

When riding on a tank, be alert for trees that may knock you off and obstacles that may cause the tank to turn suddenly. Also be alert for enemy troops that may cause the tank to move its turret quickly and fire.

Riding on a tank is always hazardous and should be done only when the risks of riding are outweighed by the advantages of riding.

Terrain Training Tuesday: Move like a Commando (Part 6)

2012-01-24T11:14:00.001+11:00

MOVING WITHIN A TEAM, I don't like it but sometimes you just have to work together....

As a HiiRagi minion, you may have to move as a member of a team. Small teams, such as infantry fire teams, normally move in a wedge formation. Each minion in the team has a set position in the wedge, determined by the type weapon he carries or skill set. That position, however, may be changed by the team leader or HiiRagi to meet the situation. The normal distance between minions is 10 meters as we all like a bit of personal space.

You may have to make a temporary change in the wedge formation when moving through close terrain. The minions in the sides of the wedge close into a single file when moving in thick brush or through a narrow pass. After passing through such an area, they should spread out, again forming the wedge. You should not wait for orders to change the formation or the interval. You should change automatically and stay in visual contact with the other minions and the team leader.

The team leader leads by setting the example. The standing order is, FOLLOW ME AND DO AS I DO. Actually I think that's a standing HiiRagi order regardless. When they move to the left, you should move to the left. When they get down, you should get down. When they fire, you should fire. Unless they pull this move:

Personally I'm not into the Meerkat routine....it has being taken out written all over it

When visibility is limited, control during movement may become difficult. Two l-inch horizontal strips of luminous tape, sewn directly on the rear of the helmet camouflage band with a l-inch space between them, are a device for night identification, meaning don't attack another minion by mistake. Night identification for your patrol cap should be two l-inch by 1/2-inch strips of luminous tape sewn vertically, directly on the rear of the cap. They should be centered, with the bottom edge of each tape even with the bottom edge of the cap and with a l-inch space between two tapes. Yeah, looking cool....reflective....

Dr Seuss and Burning Man 2011

2012-01-19T13:59:00.001+11:00

I quite like Dr Seuss. I actually probably like his book "oh, the places you'll go" the best out of all of them.

I quite like Burning Man Festival too. It's based on some really cool principles like self reliance, radical inclusion and leaving no trace. It seems like Mad Max has come to life and crossed with Steam punk. I'm not too into the feral hippy vibe but you can't have everything. Anyway, I found this video via Cool Hunter and it's pretty sweet.

I want to go. I think really I like the idea of it but if I went to it I'd get really pissed off with the people really quickly and have to leave. I don't like crowds or being trapped places or the excessive heat. Actually I think it may turn out to be my worst nightmare. I think I'll just stay at HQ and watch the video. The Recon Units and Berserkers would love this.

Oh, and keep an eye out for all the cool goggles.

Sculpture Inspiration: The goggle obsession continues

2012-01-18T17:42:00.001+11:00

The City of Lost Children...so beautiful yet creepy. Awesome design work though.

I love the little winches or gears at the side here, brassy goodness.

Steampunk...crossed with a gimp, I'm thinking....

These are cyclops night vision infrared stealth goggles. Of course they are.

These are way cool (or should I say rad?!) and sourced from here.

Johnny in Sleepy Hollow, being all scientific and stuff.

Terrain Training Tuesday: Move like a Commando (Part 5)

2012-01-17T13:34:00.000+11:00

WE ARE ON THE MOVE PEOPLE!

This section helps to guide you for immediate actions you should take when reacting to enemy indirect fire and flares (no, they’re not just for boating…).

REACTING TO INDIRECT FIRE
If you come under indirect fire while moving, quickly look to your leader or HiiRagi for orders, which will probably be run out of the impact area in a certain direction or follow. If this does not happen or you cannot see your leader, but can see other team members, most will tell you to follow them. Don’t. This is your chance to shine and take over the group for your own much more important cause of HiiRagi World Domination. If alone, or if you cannot see your leader or the other team members, run out of the area in a direction away from the incoming fire and then begin plotting your next diabolical move.

It is hard to move quickly on rough terrain, but the terrain may provide good cover. In such terrain, it may be best to take cover and wait for flares to burn out. After they burn out, move out of the area quickly.

REACTING TO GROUND FLARES
The enemy puts out ground flares as warning devices. He sets them off himself or attaches tripwires to them for you to trip on and set them off ( I never said they weren’t crafty). He usually puts the flares in places he can watch because we all enjoy a good light show, what a loser…

If you are caught in the light of a ground flare, move quickly out of the lighted area. The enemy will know where the ground flare is and will be ready to fire into that area. Move well away from the lighted area. While moving out of the area, look for other team members. Try to keep the team together.

REACTING TO AERIAL FLARES
The enemy uses aerial flares to light up vital areas. They can be set off like ground flares; fired from hand projectors, grenade launchers, mortars, and artillery; or dropped from aircraft. We should totally have some.
If you hear the firing of an aerial flare while you are moving, hit the ground (behind cover if possible) while the flare is rising and before it bursts and illuminates.

If moving where it is easy to blend with the background (such as in a forest) or you are a ninja and you are caught in the light of an aerial flare, freeze in place until the flare burns out. They will never see you.
If you are caught in the light of an aerial flare while moving in an open area, immediately crouch low or lie down.
If you are crossing an obstacle, such as a barbed-wire fence or a wall, and get caught in the light of an aerial flare, crouch low and stay down until the flare burns out.

The sudden light of a bursting flare may temporarily blind both you and the enemy. When the enemy uses a flare to spot you, he spoils his own night vision. To protect your night vision, close one eye while the flare is burning. When the flare burns out, the eye that was closed will still have its night vision.

Next week, it's time to learn to move within a team. We don't like it but sometimes you just have to suck it up.

Robots and Goggles

2012-01-14T14:19:00.000+11:00

There have been some developments at HQ in the way of outfits and accessories for the Army, in particular Recon Units. When you are such an integral part of the Army you need cool tools and accessories to help get the job done. First up we have Goggles. I love goggles and they are an important part of any military or survival outfit. These are the first ones off the construction line and they will be further developed but it's a start.

Return of the Army

2012-01-12T15:32:00.001+11:00

Ok. We're back. We made it through Christmas and New Year. And it IS a question of Survival, if you can make it through that unscathed then you're on your way to being the ultimate survival minion. Hope it was a good one and to kick off the new year here's an awesome gocco print from Rosemary Travale (found via Pikaland):

Yeah....I think it's well and truly time for the word "rad" to return to all of our vocabulary. Go on, use the word 'rad' to describe something today, for example, "The HiiRagi Army is so frickin' RAD". You know it.

Merry Christmas from HiiRagi and the Army

2011-12-23T11:33:00.001+11:00

I know it's a little bit early but I'm going on holidays from tomorrow... Yay! Me and the Army are going to take a break , chill out and come back bigger and better next year!

Have a good one!!! And remember, even Berserkers deserved a pressie, no matter how scary they are....

Terrain Training Tuesday: Move like a Commando (Part 4)

2011-12-19T18:11:00.000+11:00

Moving with stealth means moving quietly, slowly, and carefully. This requires great patience.

To move with stealth, use the following techniques:

-Hold your rifle at port arms (ready position).

The second image shows what 'port arms' means, beret is optional

-Make your footing sure and solid by keeping your body's weight on the foot on the ground while stepping.
-Raise the moving leg high to clear brush or grass.
-Gently let the moving foot down toe first, with your body's weight on the rear leg.
-Lower the heel of the moving foot after the toe is in a solid place.
-Shift your body's weight and balance to the forward foot before moving the rear foot.
-Take short steps to help maintain balance.
-At night, and when moving through dense vegetation, avoid making noise. Hold your weapon with one hand, and keep the other hand forward, feeling for obstructions.

Excessive use of military clothing is of personal preference but I'm of the mind that the more, the better...

Now what happens when you have to hit the ground? When going into a prone position, use the following techniques:

-Hold your rifle with one hand and crouch slowly.
-Feel for the ground with your free hand to make sure it is clear of mines, tripwires, and other hazards.
-Lower your knees, one at a time, until your body's weight is on both knees and your free hand.
-Shift your weight to your free hand and opposite knee.
-Raise your free leg up and back, and lower it gently to that side.
-Move the other leg into position the same way.
-Roll quietly into a prone position.

Yep, they're in the 'prone' position

Use the following techniques when crawling:

-Crawl on your hands and knees. Hold your rifle in your firing hand. Use your nonfiring hand to feel for and make clear spots for your hands and knees to move to.
-Move your hands and knees to those spots, and put them down softly.

Pinky and the Brain

2011-12-15T08:46:00.002+11:00

"What will do do tonight Brain?"
"Same thing we do every night Pinky, try to take over the WORLD"

source

I love Pinky and the Brain. I don't think there's any need to say why....
If you can't see the video below, just go here

Terrain Training Tuesday: Move like a Commando (Part 3)

2011-12-13T19:57:00.000+11:00

Oh yeah, it's the "rush". Sounds rather exciting doesn't it?! and that's because it is.

Now the rush is the fastest way to move from one position to another. It's a quick movement where each rush should last from 3 to 5 seconds. The rushes are kept short to keep enemy from tracking you. However, do not stop and hit the ground in the open just because 5 seconds have passed, this is a stupid thing to do if you are trying your hand at rushing. Always try to hit the ground behind some cover. Before moving, pick out your next covered and concealed position and what is the best route to it.

When you're ready, make your move from the prone position as follows:

 Slowly raise your head and pick your next position and the route to it.
 Slowly lower your head.
 Draw your arms into your body (keeping your elbows in).
 Pull your right leg forward.
 Raise your body by straightening your arms.
 Get up quickly.
 Run! Run! Run to the next position.

Whooooooooooossssssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When you are ready to stop moving and maybe feel the need to do a bit of attacking, you should be carrying a rifle or other weaponry (preferably something that can cover some distance, if I have to explain why a knife is no good you do not deserve to be a HiiRagi minion), and do the following:

 Plant both of your feet.
 Drop to your knees (at the same time slide a hand to the butt of your rifle if you are carrying).
 Fall forward, breaking the fall with the butt of the rifle.
 Go to a prone firing position.

However, if you have been firing from one position for some time, the enemy may have spotted you and may be waiting for you to come up from behind the cover. So, before rushing forward again, roll or crawl a short distance from your position. By craftily coming up from another spot, you may fool an enemy, who as well all know is a fool and is aiming at your previous spot spot, waiting for you to rise.

Yeah, I'm not convinced by the flower pots as adequate cover either....

Got no cover? When the route to your next position is through an open area, rush by zigzagging. If necessary, hit the ground, roll right or left, then rush again.

Rush minions, rush minions, rush, rush, rush!

Fear not, next week we go all stealth.

Illustrator Inspiration: The one and only Shaun Tan

2011-12-07T14:59:00.001+11:00

I love Shaun Tan. I think everyone should love Shaun Tan, especially for a home grown talent. I met someone the other day who went to school with him and it elevated a rather ordinary person into a golden status in my eyes, sad isn't it?! Anyway I've accepted my shallowness as just another part of my all encompassing need to dominate the world, it's a rather good excuse for most things really....anyway as I was saying Shaun Tan is great. I mean look at this:

I love his fearlessness in his drawings, illustrating books that deal with social, political and historical subjects using surreal, dream-like imagery that usually poses more questions than it answers. Like the bull picture below:

I recently watched a great lecture given by Shaun Tan at the University of WA (you can download it on line here). He shows this image as one where the viewer has no idea where the bull is pointing, if it is the right direction to go in or if the girl has even asked the question. I admire that he is happy to leave the illustration open to discussion. I find it really hard sometimes with a concept driven idea like HiiRagi to not spoon feed people what it is all about, to be honest I think most often it is best to leave it up to the viewers imagination and in turn it creates a relevance that is all their own.

One of my very favourite images is this one:

So beautiful in its melancholy. It shows how sadness feels like rather than what it looks like and I'm now starting to sound like a complete art wanker so I will stop. Over to some more pictures:

And just one last thing! It took him 5 YEARS to complete The Arrival. I panic when something takes me more than a week to nail. I think there's something to be learnt here....or not. If all else fails, just buy print of his art here.

Terrain Training Tuesday: Move like a Commando (Part 2)

2011-12-06T19:52:00.001+11:00

Ok my little minions, now we start looking at methods of movement so you remain undetected. In addition to walking, you can move in one of three other methods--low crawl, high crawl, or rush. Today we are looking at the crawls, both high and low (none of which involve alcohol because that just makes things messy and is definately NOT stealthy). So we were prepared last week to get ready for moving using methods seen below as well as some cunning disguises.

Utilising the low crawl gives you the lowest silhouette. Use it to cross places where the concealment is very low and enemy fire or observation prevents you from getting up. Keep your body flat against the ground. If you are carrying a weapon (in this case a firearm), let the front handguard rest on your forearm (keeping the muzzle off the ground), and let the weapon butt drag on the ground.

To move, push your arms forward and pull your firing side leg forward. Then pull with your arms and push with your leg. Continue this throughout the move and expect some chaffing and grazing....and rocks...

The high crawl lets you move faster than the low crawl and still gives you a low silhouette. Use this crawl when there is good concealment but enemy fire still prevents you from getting up. Keep your body off the ground and resting on your forearms and lower legs. Cradle your weapon in your arms and keep its muzzle off the ground. Keep your knees well behind your buttocks (kinda stretched out) so your body will stay low.

To move, alternately advance your right elbow and left knee, then your left elbow and right knee.

Next week we get off our knees and show the enemy some Rushing. Oh yeah....

Screen printing and new tees

2011-11-30T12:23:00.001+11:00

I'm completely self taught when it comes to screen printing. I'm of the thought process that if you don't know how to do something you find out and give it a go, most of the time it ends up being much easier than you initially anticipated. Now, I say this because ever since I began screening tees I have avoided fine lines in my designs. This is because I tried one early on and it didn't work properly and I had a wobbly (I'm a brat too unfortunately). However this changed today. Minions demanded it and I hate to let my minions down so here is a new tee of the Recon Unit in their bunker trying to send out communications (see all the little lines in the timber? That used to be the stuff of nightmares to me). After 3 years of screening I have had success:

The reason for my joy and happiness. Look at the light coming through those lines (Obviously I don't get out much....)

All ready to get started

Yay!!!! The first print is always exciting (once again, I don't get out much...)

And the joy of screening, where there was one, there are now many.

These tees (all in grey marle) will be available at Salamanca Market and at designed;made this weekend.
Hurrah!

Terrain Training Tuesday: Move like a Commando (Part 1)

2011-11-29T15:08:00.001+11:00

The Commando Role got me thinking about movement. What do you do before and after your triumphant Commando Role? Who knows how many stupid people are around? They must be avoided at all cost and the only way to do that is to learn how to move without being detected.

Time to break out the foliage and get dirty, you know you want to....

Your own and your unit's ability to move depends on your movement skills and those of your fellow minions. In this part we look at techniques to avoid being seen or heard by the ‘enemy’:

 Camouflage yourself and your equipment.
 Tape your jewellery and dog tags together and to the chain so they cannot slide or rattle. Tape or pad the parts of your weapon (should you be carrying one, who knows?!) and equipment that rattle or are so loose that they may snag (the tape or padding must not interfere with the operation of the weapon or equipment). Jump up and down and listen for rattles.
 Wear soft, well-fitting clothes.
 Do not carry unnecessary equipment. Move from covered position to revered position (taking no longer than 3 to 5 seconds between positions).
 Stop, look, and listen before moving.
 Look for covered and concealed routes on which to move.
 Change direction slightly from time to time when moving through tall grass.
 Stop, look, and listen when birds or animals are alarmed (the enemy may be nearby).
 Cross roads and trails at places that have the most cover and concealment (large culverts, low spots, curves, or bridges).
 Avoid steep slopes and places with loose dirt or stones.
 Avoid cleared, open areas and tops of hills and ridges.

Next week get ready to start crawling!

October Sketchbook

2011-11-24T13:49:00.001+11:00

Better late then never I always say.... Current sketches are influenced by a vintage military book I found amongst my Nan and Pops stuff called Khaki and Green: Australian Troops at Home and overseas, which was written entirely by the Australian troops who were identified only with their military numbers. I will post some images of the war sketches soon as they are brilliant, meanwhile I have been sketching to try and capture some of the army candidly as with the Occupational Force map reading motorbike sketch. It's a start....

And Berserkers are always causing trouble....

Terrain Training Tuesday: How to do a Commando Roll

2011-11-22T12:34:00.001+11:00

The Commando Roll, the ultimate cool move to pull when your out in the wilds. Luckily for me, it came pretty naturally. Others however have to train hard. So for all the little minions out there who want to know how to win admirers and influence people, here is a quick crash course in the Commando Roll.

Now to skilfully perform a commando roll, you begin by diving dramatically forward landing on one shoulder (this depends on which hand you would use normally e.g. If you are right handed you would use your right shoulder). Land on the back part of your shoulder, and deftly roll across your back diagonally (eg. right shoulder to left hip). When you have done that, assuming you are right handed, you should have rolled up with your left leg should be bent with your weight on that knee, and your right leg should not be bent. Pull a dynamic military pose and whala! Commando Roll completed!

A word of advice, make sure your head doesn’t touch the ground when you dive forward. This is bad, this is VERY bad. And it hurts too.

Also I couldn't find a picture or image of a commando roll so instead here's Arnie in a knife fight.

Ninjas and helicopters

2011-11-21T20:10:00.001+11:00

T-shirts are never far from my mind. I do think about them quite a bit but I am still amazed at how I stick to the steady and true when I print them, like putting the prints in the middle of the tee. In the back of my head I know that it doesn't have to go there but it goes there all the same. Well, no more. If there is one thing HiiRagi dislikes, it's sticking to the everyday and banal so I am endevouring to push myself much more with my designs in the future ( I think we call it a New Years Resolution but I was never good sticking to timelines). In the meantime here is a new Ninja tee (available only in Black, of course):

I had planned to place it at the bottom of the tee but it just didn't look right (such is the way with the best laid plans). I like it though, the way that the fight flows down the shoulder. What do you think?
And for the conservatives who like to stick to the middle print, we have the Occupational Force in their little helicopter (you may remember this from the cards I have done):

Both tees are available from the Salamanca Stall but only the Ninja fight is currently available on line.

Keep drawing

2011-11-15T15:19:00.001+11:00

keep drawing from studio shelter on Vimeo.

Terrain Training Tuesday: Driving a Tank (Part 3)

2011-11-15T12:45:00.001+11:00

Here we go! Whack on your goggles and slip into your headgear because we are on the move! Now there are a few issues to consider being a tank driver, these are explored below and conclude our uber exciting tank driving escapade.

Step 9: Listen for tread buildup because the tank’s treads can become disabled with debris and we do not want that. When the tank ceases responding quickly to your steering and instrumental commands, you may have mud, sand or some other substance built up on your tracks, which may cause the treads to come off the wheels, leaving the tank powerless, which is dangerous during combat operations. This buildup is usually revealed by a cracking or a popping sound. You should drive your tank forward over level ground until the cracking and popping sound ends, indicating that the tracks have cleared themselves. Otherwise just keep this baby heading in the direction you want to go and hey presto! You're driving a tank, how cool is that?! Put your brakes on when you have arrived at your destination (duh!). You come to a stop by easing your foot down on the service brake located on the floor beneath your steering handle. Before exiting the tank, reapply the parking brake by pulling the black T-shaped handle to your right. you want the tank to stay right where you left it.

Step 10: Finally, an OH&S warning: be aware of potential problems. Put on protective head and body gear (as seen above looking seriously cool) before entering your tank. Tank interiors are designed with levers, knobs, and other protruding objects that can seriously injure tank operating personnel. Don’t attempt to board a tank or get inside a tank while it is moving, no matter how slowly it is in motion (unless you are sure you can make it for glory awaits the brave). Wear noise-canceling headphones to protect your hearing because tank engines are very loud. Run the exhaust fan for five to six minutes for every hour you are on board because you may need to replenish the tank’s oxygen supply. Tank interiors are often nauseating and claustrophobic for many tank drivers because they are usually fill with the awful orders emanating from their gigantic engines.

So, I'm sure we all feel much more confident waiting for the moment when a tank becomes available to us. Good luck my little minions!!!!

In the jungle one day....

2011-11-14T11:01:00.001+11:00

This guy is so ready for action! You can see him in the flesh at Spacebar Gallery.

Terrain Training Tuesday: How to drive a tank (Part 2)

2011-11-08T16:34:00.000+11:00

Ok, so we have made it into the Tank, I repeat we have made it into the Tank. Now all we need to do is figure out how to drive this thing.

Step 4: Recognise your tank’s measurements and instruments. Your driver’s master control panel sits to your right and instrument panel to your left, this is important to remember if necessary and you forget left and right (as I often do even though I know my left hand makes an L shape) do as bored office workers do and label them. The instrument panel features your fuel level indicator and other measurements while the control panel holds the switches and knobs necessary to turn on the tank’s engines, fans, and other systems. The control system and measurements are usually marked. Your gearshift should be located atop the steering handle in front of you.

They're not great images but you get the gist....

Step 5: Examine your fuel gauge system. Inspect your fuel gauge on the instrument panel to your left to determine if you have enough fuel to drive the tank and reach your destination. Tank fuel consumption is measured in gallons per mile. You will need 10 gallons just to start the engine and about two gallons per mile when you get going. You can travel about 300 miles on a full tank of fuel.

Step 6: Start your tank engine. Flick the silver ignition switch at the bottom left-centre of your control panel up to the on position. The engine will warm up for about four to five minutes. You can speed up the warming process by revving the engine, twisting back the throttle on the right steering grip like a motorcycle grip.

Step 7: Test your periscopes. The driver’s visual system consists of three periscopes that look like windshields. The two on either side of you allow you to view in front of the tank and to its left and right for about a 120-degree visual field. In between those two periscopes, you will find a central image-intensifying periscope, which looks straight ahead, for use in driving at night or in smoky or dusty situations.

Step 8: Release your parking brake. The parking brake control is to the right of your steering handle (see the image above). Pull on its black, T-shaped handle, twist and ease it downward to release it. Also, put the tank into gear. Pull the silver transmission selector knob above the steering handle and ease it into the D-drive section, second from the right. Begin driving your tank slowly because some tanks can accelerate from zero to 40 kilometers per hour in less than 10 seconds. Gently ease your throttle backwards to move ahead, slowly at first, twisting back further as you feel more comfortable when handling the tank at higher speeds. Also, steer your tank carefully. Guide your tank as you would a bicycle, snow-mobile, or motorcycle by rotating the steering handlebar to the left and right.

YAY!!!!! Next week we set off on our first tank adventure!!!!!!!

Terrain Training Tuesday: How to drive a Tank (Part 1)

2011-11-01T12:36:00.000+11:00

I really love tanks. Nothing says I'm kings*#t like the tank. With this in mind and considering the continuous threat that stupidity brings to us in our lives I thought wouldn't it be great if all minions could drive a tank. Doesn't matter if you don't have one, just so when the time comes and you find one, just like MacGuyver, you will instinctively know what to do. HiiRagi minions are awesome like that.

See, once you know how it will be easy to just take the tank out for a Sunday arvo drive, what bliss....

Firstly a brief history of the excellent Tank.

Tanks are heavily armed combat vehicles that move on two continuous metal chains referred to as tracks. They are usually equipped with a cannon mounted in a revolving turret and automatic weapons as machine guns. During the First World War, crafty British engineers developed tanks to satisfy the need for armoured attack tracked vehicles that could cross the muddy, uneven, and dangerous terrain of the trench warfare battle zone. The first tanks participated in combat operations at the Battle of the Somme in 1916.

This is a random Japanese tank that no one really knows what was going on with it, awesome isn't it?!

In the Second World War, Germany's tank forces were the most effective in Europe because they were organized into fast-moving massed formations with great striking power. After the Second World War, tanks became larger and more heavily armoured. A few modern battle tanks weigh more than 60 tons and they are capable of road speeds of 60 to 70 km per hour. The modern battle tank’s standard main armament fires armour-piercing projectiles, laser range-finders, and infrared heat imaging devices designed to aid in sighting the enemy’s heat emissions. Driving a battle tank requires months of training before a soldier can be qualified to drive these modern weapon systems.

However HiiRagi minions are a clever bunch and I think that the following information on basic tank driving should be all you need, apart from actually finding a tank. Remember... it’s all about confidence.

Step 1: Begin by surveying your area. Assess your immediate surroundings before entering your tank because your field of vision becomes limited when you are inside. Understand that you will be part of a three or four person tank crew, but fear not, you are the driver. Remember to avoid obstacles, unstable ground, steep slopes, and banks until you are more experienced because these objects may cause your tank to turn over and I don’t like the idea of trying to turn it back over either.

Step 2: Enter your tank by using the step on the left front of your tank to climb onto the front of your tank. Find your driver’s escape hatch, which should be below the Tank turret. Raise and swing the hatch to the side before locking it in the open position. Climb inside your tank, lock the hatch and feel the power. Remember how to unlock the hatch quickly because if your tank is penetrated by a projectile or missile weapon system, you need to leave quickly if you survive the hit. Not that this will happen, but just in case someone stupid gets their hands on a heat seeking missile. Weirder things have happened...

Step 3: Take a seat. The driver’s seat is located in the centre of the interior tank space and it is tilted backwards as a dentist’s chair because of the driving area’s low ceiling. Change the height and the angle of your seat until you become comfortable where you can see through the periscopes in front of your seat and you can reach the controls easily. So many controls....

Now that we've settled in, take a break because next week we fire this baby up. Hurrah!

Sculpture Inspiration: Rupert Valero

2011-10-31T12:09:00.000+11:00

I've previously mentioned my friend Sid who organises exhibitions. Anyway, today he sent me such a great link I have to share it with you. Rupert Valero makes these:

How great is that? Even more awesome is that he made it on deployment in Khandahar. Rupert Valero is in the US Army and is a total toy maker expert from found objects.

If you want to see or read more you can find an interview with him here or look at his pretty pictures here OR even buy his robots here (I've ordered one already but I'm weak).

Koralie and Supakitch....again....

2011-10-27T09:23:00.001+11:00

I'm probably a bit obsessed with Koralie and Supakitch (their links are over on the side bit of the blog) but I just get really inspired watching their little docos of wall paintings and the processes that they use. Enjoy!

SUPAKITCH & KORALIE "Euphorie" Paris from Raphaël Hache on Vimeo.

Terrain Training Tuesday: Tribute to Batman's Utility Belt

2011-10-25T11:58:00.000+11:00

This week is Utility Belt Appreciation Week. In tribute to the Recon Unit’s newest accessory I had decided to have an information session on the greatest of all utility belt wearers: Batman. First appearing wearing a utility belt in 1936, he has gone from strength to strength in promoting the utility belt to each new generation of World Domination specialists, I mean who doesn’t wear a utility belt as part of their everyday uniform?!

Now although seemingly unremarkable in appearance (as all the good ones are), his utility belt is one of Batman's most important tools in fighting crime. Consisting primarily of a strap and buckle, the utility belt houses ten cylindrical cartridges that are attached to the outside of the belt. The buckle itself typically contains a miniature camera and two-way radio. A secondary compartment behind the length of the belt houses Batman's supply of batarangs, yep you read right, batarangs.

Each of the ten cylinders contains various tools integral to Batman's war on crime, and are interchangeable with other cylinders depending on Batman's needs.

Through the years, however, Batman has modified the contents of his belt to accommodate various crime-fighting scenarios and to include a variety of weaponry and useful stuff. Awesome. I want one in every colour.

Utility is the new black

2011-10-21T14:30:00.002+11:00

Lately the Recon Units have been looking a bit naked. What, with all their skills and abilities they needed something practical to help them in their everyday army chores so (taking inspiration from the all too often overlooked bumbag) I set about making utility belts. Below you can see RU1014 wearing the latest in HiiRagi HQ fashion. The belt is made from soft supple leather, the dark brown colour hides stains while offsetting the mid grey of the robot colouring. Handy pockets bring to mind labourers belts yet the rounded edge of the tip softens without affecting the hardcore military edge. The Recon Unit utility belt is essential for carrying your maps, ropes, wiring and, if necessary, your dynamite. How did we do without it?!

Good old RU1014, he loves his belts slung low...

And just so none of the others feel left out, we have another utility belt followed by a slouch bag, for those who the utility belt just doesn't "fit" right.

Oh yeah, who's stylin' now?!

Terrain Training Tuesday: When the INVADER comes (Part 3)

2011-10-18T16:35:00.000+11:00

Continuing our theme of the Invasion, here are the final rules for when THEY come.....

V
You may be asked by a HiiRagi Army officer or minion to help in many ways. For instance, the time may come when you receive orders to block roads or streets in order to prevent the enemy from advancing. Never block a road apart from the one you have been told to. Then you can help with falling trees, wiring them together or blocking roads with cars. Here, therefore, is the fifth rule:-

5. BE READY TO HELP HHIRAGI IN ANY WAY. BUT DO NOT BLOCK ROADS UNLESSED ORDERED TO DO SO BY THE ARMY.

VI
If you are in charge of a factory, store or other works, organise its defence at once. If you are a worker, make sure that you understand the system of defence that has been organised and know what part you have to play within it. Make certain that no suspicious strangers enter your premises.
You must know in advance who is to take command, who will be second in command, and how orders are to be transmitted. The sixth rule is therefore as follows:-

6. IN FACTORIES AND SHOPS, ALL MANAGERS AND WORKMEN SHOULD ORGANISE SOME SYSTEM NOW BY WHICH A SUDDEN ATTACK CAN BE RESISTED.

VII
The six rules you have now read give you a general idea of what to do in the event of an invasion. More detailed instructions may, when the time comes, be given to you by HiiRagi; they will not be given over the wireless or internet as that might convey information to the enemy. These instruction must be obeyed at once.
Remember always that the best defence is the courage of the HiiRagi minions. Here is your seventh rule:-

7. THINK BEFORE YOU ACT. BUT ALWAYS THINK OF HIIRAGI BEFORE YOU THINK OF YOURSELF.

September Sketchbook

2011-10-14T18:00:00.000+11:00

I'm afraid there wasn't too much drawing happening in September. The focus has been on getting toys made (but more on that later) so I only have two drawings to share. It's hard to achieve a balanced lifestyle when plotting to take over the world but I will be making the Army step up over the next year and giving them more responsibility, which is difficult for a controlling meglomaniac like myself. But anyway, I digress....

Terrain Training Tuesday: When the Invader comes (Part 2)

2011-10-11T17:03:00.000+11:00

Continuing on our theme from last week, the War Office and HiiRagi HQ are looking for your safety when the Invader comes....

II
There is another method that stupidity adopts in its invasion. It makes use of the civilian population in order to create confusion and panic. It spreads false rumours and issues false instructions. In order to prevent this, you should obey the second rule, which is as follows:-

DO NOT BELIEVE RUMOURS AND DO NOT SPREAD THEM. WHEN YOU RECIEVE AN ORDER, MAKE QUITE SURE THAT IT IS A TRUE ORDER AND NOT A FAKED ORDER. IF YOU CAN KEEP YOUR HEAD, YOU CAN ALSO TELL WHETHER AN OFFICER IS REALLY FROM HIIRAGI OR ONLY PRETENDING TO BE SO. USE YOUR COMMON SENSE.

III
The HiiRagi Army, though diabolical, sometimes cannot be everywhere at once. Minions must be on the watch. If you see anything suspicious, do not rush around telling everyone about it. Go at once to your nearest HiiRagi outpost or minion and tell them exactly what you saw. Train yourself to notice the exact time and place where you saw anything suspicious, and try to give the exact information. Try to check your facts. Be calm, quick and exact. The third rule, therefore, is as follows:-

KEEP WATCH. IF YOU SEE ANYTHING SUSPICIOUS, NOTE IT CAREFULLY AND GO AT ONCE TO YOUR NEAREST HIIRAGI OUTPOST, OFFICER OR MINION. DO NOT RUSH ABOUT SPREADING VAGUE RUMOURS. GO QUICKLY TO THE NEAREST AUTHORITY AND REPORT THE FACTS.

IV
Remember is a stupid person lands or comes near your home, they will not be feeling brave. They will not know where they are, they will have no food, they will not know where the other stupid people are. They will want you to give them food, means of transport and maps (even if they do not know how to read them). They will want you to tell them where they are, where their companions are and where the HiiRagi Army is. The forth rule, therefore, is:-

DO NOT GIVE ANY STUPID PEOPLE ANYTHING. DO NOT TELL THEM ANYTHING. HIDE YOUR FOOD AND YOUR BICYCLES. HIDE YOUR MAPS. SEE THAT THE STUPID PEOPLE GET NO PETROL. IF YOU HAVE A CAR OR MOTORCYCLE, PUT IT OUT OF ACTION WHEN NOT IN USE. IF YOU ARE A GARAGE PROPRIETOR, YOU MUST WORK OUT A PLAN TO PROTECT YOUR STOCK OF PETROL AND YOUR CUSTOMERS CARS. REMEMBER, BEYOND THEIR LIMITED MENTAL FACILITIES, TRANSPORT AND PETROL WILL BE THEIR MAIN DIFFICULTIES.

More to come next week, you WILL be prepared (even if it kills me).

Terrain Training Tuesday: When the INVADER comes

2011-10-04T17:40:00.000+11:00

I'm thinking we've taken the whole survival thing as far as we can for now. I don't think that it gets much more severe than Cannibalism so let's move onto a more potent threat: Stupidity. Stupid people should be destroyed. However they DO seem to be increasing with vigour so as a good HiiRagi minion, I have developed a series of rules, in conjunction with the War Office and the Office of Home Security, if Stupidity beings to invade your territory. Over the course of the next couple of weeks I will be issuing some rules for good minions to follow. Read on....

If the INVADER comes: WHAT TO DO AND HOW TO DO IT

Stupidity* threatens to invade our everyday lives. If this happens it (and its associated evils) will be driven out by our forces. Yet the minions of HiiRagi will also have an important part to play. Stupidity’s invasion of society was greatly helped by the fact that people were taken by surprise or apathy. They did not know what to do when the moment came. You must not be taken by surprise. This leaflet tells you the general line you should take. More detailed instructions will be issued when the danger becomes greater. Meanwhile, read these instructions carefully and be prepared to carry them out.

I
When stupidity invades the first thought is to flee from your homes. By fleeing you are crowding on the roads, in cars, on bicycles and on foot, and so help our common enemy by preventing our own armies from advancing against the peril. You must not allow that to happen. Therefore, your first rule is:-

1. IF STUPIDITY COMES BY LAND, PARACHUTE, AEROPLANE OR SHIP, YOU MUST REMAIN WHERE YOU ARE (UNLESS DIRECTED BY HIIRAGI). THE ORDER IS TO “STAY PUT”. If HiiRagi decides that you must be evacuated, you will be told when and how you leave. Until you received such orders you are to stay where you are. If you run away you will be exposed to far greater dangers.

Next week, more rules for a good HiiRagi minion to obey. If you can't wait you can see the whole document on the Rants page.

Terrain Training Tuesday: Cannibalism

2011-09-27T18:52:00.001+10:00
Hmmm...well, I may finally be over my training montage faze (I don’t think anyone truly gets over it but I will try to stop boring the world with it) and have decided to approach a rather disturbing topic which was broached earlier in the ship wrecked series: Cannibalism. I don’t mean the old put an ad in the paper and get some poor sucker wasted and proceed to eat bits of him like some weirdo Germans do, but survival cannibalism. The thing about survival cannibalism is that it appears to be innate in human nature, and in certain situations seems to be quite forgivable. As terrible as the thought is, it kinda makes sense. I think this topic has a similar debate as the urine drinking discussed much earlier.

Now, it appears that survival cannibalism had happened enough that by the 19th century it was an unspoken fact of life in the event of a shipwreck. This, as a custom of the sea, included general guidelines. Drawing straws was the traditional method of deciding who would be killed and eaten and who would carry out the killing. Usually, the person with the shortest straw died and the person with the next shortest straw was the one who did the dirty deed.

A 20th Century example is four men on a yacht named the Mignonette sailing from England to Australia were stranded in a lifeboat after the yacht sank in the Atlantic. They remained adrift for more than two months and exhausted the meat of a sea turtle they'd captured. One of the men -- a sailor named Richard Parker -- drank seawater out of desperate thirst. As his health declined, his shipmates opted to kill and eat him rather than wait for the young man to die naturally. A twist of irony is, a sailor named Richard Parker was eaten by his fellow castaways after they'd eaten a tortoise in a 1838 Edgar Allen Poe short story, "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym".

THEN, in 1972, a group of 16 people, including members of a Uruguayan rugby team, faced a similar situation when a plane crash stranded them in the Andes Mountains in Chile. During their 70 days in the mountains, the surviving members of the team ate the flesh of others who died in the plane crash. This was made into a Hollywood film with Ethan Hawke playing one of the leads and everyone is a hero. Go figure.

Survival cannibalism is a LAST resort (at least that’s what you tell the authorities if you get caught), anything even remotely resembling food was first eaten. Dogs, candles, leather, shoes and blankets are all consumed first before cannibalism but remember people THIS IS survival. I'd go for the most annoying person to be honest and work my way back. And if you want to stay mysterious, people DO meet with 'accidents'.... (and hope that you are not stranded with Hercule Poirot).

Just remember to pack the salt and pepper.

Terrain Training Tuesday: Best training montages of all time!

2011-09-20T13:19:00.000+10:00
I have to admit last week got me thinking....training montages....personally I love them. But what would be the best training montage that you have seen? Well, here are my personal top five. So when your training gets you down just think of these inspirational montages, cue the power song and get back out there into the terrain! So let’s start at Number five....

Number 5 is the Karate Kid: Who can forget poor Daniel, little weedy Daniel who had the whole Karate posse after him and made him trash his bike? Oh, yeah. There may not be a real montage in this but then the whole film is a training montage. Cue that song “You’re the best” and Daniel was off to Karate superpowerdom (no, I don’t think that’s a real word but we’re dealing with montages here, reality doesn’t enter into it).

Number 4 goes to Team America: What can I say?! We’re gonna need a montage! I love this.

Number 3 to Footloose: A Recon Unit personal favourite. And yes, it is a dance montage but it does take place in an abandoned garage and he is angry, so it is kinda cool. Funny enough there is a parallel bar section to this, so I’m guessing he’s in a parallel bar factory?

Number 2 is the ultimate in montages in Rocky: Any Rocky film will do, however Rocky IV (link goes to the video) kinda took the cake. While Rocky’s opponent trained in a high tech gym with super computers and crystals (yep, I said crystals), all our star Italian Stallion needed was a piece of wood, a rope, a sled and an 80’s leather jacket. Whilst Rocky crumples photos of his opponent and trains in the rural landscape of Russia (hilarious), his opponent trains the old fashioned way, with injections, a bank of hi-tech computers, and Brigitte Nielsen. It also ends with a mountain climb and a primal scream, who could ask for more? And the Berserkers love it.

And Number one is Turkish Star Wars Training Montage: All I can say is watch it, there are no words...

What do you think? Any to add to the list?

HiiRagi 'Plush you!' Interview

2011-09-19T14:22:00.000+10:00

Just a quick note to say that the lovely Kristen who organises the Plush you! exhibition interviewed me last week and popped it on her blog. You can find it here.

August Sketchbook

2011-09-16T16:09:00.002+10:00
Yes, I know that it is the middle of September and what a perfect time to finally pop up some sketches from my August Sketchbook. Enjoy!

Yes, that's right World Domination IS the HiiRagi Army way....

Spying, spying, spying.... They look made up but these binoculars are actually based on some WWII binoculars. Aren't they great?!

I'm going to pop these two together I think to make one whole image. I see t-shirts.....

Terrain Training Tuesday: Training Montage!

2011-09-13T13:22:00.000+10:00
I know that I left off stranded on an island looking for treasure and trying to figure out who we were going to eat but I've lost interest in that. It's all turned just a little bit too Lord of the Flies. So when all else fails, what do you do? You pop in a training montage, well, a series of training images! Cue an 80's power ballad (I will always have a soft spot for 'Eye of the Tiger', it's obvious I know but hey...). All images from the NZ Army Site (aren't they ace?! The middle image in the dive suits is an interesting one....) Hopefully there will be a HiiRagi Army Training Montage soon!

Recon Unit: Geisha

2011-09-12T13:55:00.002+10:00

Ahhhhh, the mysterious world of the Geisha. What secrets hide in the teahouses of Gion? Recon Unit goes undercover to discover the feminine skills behind bringing (salary) men to their kness with the flick of a wrist. This power must be harnessed for the HiiRagi cause.

These are three geisha that I have completed recently. The luscious red Geisha will be heading off to Seattle this week as part of the HiiRagi team in the 'Plush You!' exhibition.

Arigato gozaimasu!!!

New HiiRagi Cards!

2011-09-11T12:27:00.001+10:00
I have been drawing away for a little while now and was pretty excited to pick up the new card range last week. The cards are two differed sets. The first is a card dedicated to each unit of the HiiRagi Army, meaning Recon Unit (see the card below), Occupational Force and Berserkers.

The second set is a HiiRagi Army Transportation set featuring members of the HiiRagi Army going places (aren't they always?!). There are three images: Military Helicopter (see below), Amphibious vehicle, and Snow mobile.

On the back of each card is a description of wither the Army member or the vehicle featured (we all know how much I like my technical details) and they teamed with a brown kraft envelope. Yay! Available from the HiiRagi online store now.

Terrain Training Tuesday: Shipwrecked! Part 3

2011-09-06T14:49:00.000+10:00
Treasure (from Greek θησαυρός - thēsauros, meaning "treasure store) is a concentration of riches, often one which is considered lost or forgotten until being rediscovered. A buried treasure is an important part of the popular beliefs surrounding pirates. According to popular conception, pirates often buried their stolen fortunes in remote places, intending to return for them later (often with the use of treasure maps). Belief, my arse, we all know it’s a fact. I’ve seen Yellowbeard, I know.

Now since we don’t have a map on our deserted island we are most probably going to have to go dowsing to find our plentiful bounty.
Dowsing is a type of divination employed in attempts to locate water, buried metals or ores, gemstones and many other objects and materials, as well as so-called currents of earth radiation (aka Ley lines), without the use of scientific apparatus. Dowsing appears to have arisen in the context of Renaissance magic in Germany, although there is no accepted scientific rationale behind the concept and no scientific evidence that it is effective. At least that’s what they say...

Now, a Y- or L-shaped twig or rod, called a dowsing rod (obviously) is sometimes used during dowsing, although some dowsers use other equipment or no equipment at all. Others go high tech with a metal detector, which I would personally recommend but in our current shipwrecked condition I doubt that we have one at our disposal...Dammit!

Instructions to make your own Dowsing Rod:

1. Locate a small, forked branch of live wood. Willow and apple branches are traditional, but not necessary. Some modern dowsers even use plastic or metal rods
2. Cut the branch from the tree. Trim away small leaves or twigs.
3. Trim the branch so that each arm of the Y is approximately equal in length and between one and two feet long (this is a matter of personal preference). The joined section should be three to four inches in length.
4. Connect, if desired, a witness compartment. This is a device to hold a tiny sample of the material the dowser wishes to find. The cap from a ballpoint pen can form a great witness compartment although the end of the rod may need to be whittled down so that the cap will snugly fit over it. Witness compartments are a relatively new invention, and many dowsers choose not to use them.
5. Hold the palms up with an arm of the rod in each hand. Hold the rod away from the body. The rod should be kept parallel to the ground.
6. Walk over the area to be examined slowly and methodically thinking about the item trying to be found (water, oil or gold, for example).
7. Wait for the rod to suddenly swing up or down. This indicates a result, and the exact spot where this occurs should be searched. So now you just DIG DIG DIG DIG DIG! Until Hurrah! Treasure!!!!!!!!!!!

Many dowsers today use a pair of simple L-shaped metal rods. One rod is held in each hand, with the short arm of the L held upright, and the long arm pointing forward. When something is found, the rods cross over one another making an "X" over the found object.

At the very least this project will keep you occupied for at least half to a full day. This is good, because soon you will have to decide which of your companions you are going to have to eat first...

All Round Inspiration: King Brown Mag

2011-09-04T15:31:00.000+10:00
Do you guys know King Brown Mag? I've only recently found it but I really like it for a bit of inspiration. Even better is it comes from Perth, WA ( I've been known to have my doubts about that place but I can't argue with this one.) It's just jammed packed full of street artists and illustrators from around the world, a bit of photography, maybe some music and it comes delivered in an awesome screened brown paper bag that they commission from an artist each issue.
It also tends to include a few stickers or postcards and I love a freebie. It is a tad expensive for a magazine but it's more like a book to be honest and the interviews are cool. Below are some images from Issue 5:
My favourite favourite thing, however, is the studio snapshot of each artist favourite things in their studio, I love a good sticky beak. If all else fails, just go and read the blog, yep, I know I sound like a broken record, but that's ace too..

Terrain Training Tuesday: Shipwrecked! Part 2

2011-08-30T18:45:00.000+10:00
Isn’t it great that you have found dry land and have a kick arse shelter. Now before all the others (if there are any) turn this into just another episode of Survivor (why don’t any of them do any survival training or reading beforehand?! This used to always puzzle me until I realised they were all fools.), your own survival training should kick in. Being a good minion of HiiRagi you should have learnt over the past couple of months all the basic skills you will need for a variety of terrains. Because of this, we’re looking at another facet of being ship wrecked: Smoke signals!

First used by Native Indians and the Chinese, who used them along the Great Wall (makes me think of the beacons being lit in LOTR but I am a complete geek), they are an incredibly useful communication technique within their range (meaning as long as you can see them). Once you have a fire started, you simply cover it with a blanket or the similar and then uncover it. Wha La! Signals! Best to put lots of greenery and grass onto the fire to increase the amount of smoke your fire produces. Now, people train to be able to change the style of signals that you can send so they control the size, shapes and time between puffs.

Apparently there is a secret smoke signal code...but what’s the point?! The only universal code I could find (and probably the one that will get you rescued) is:

One Puff: Attention
Two Puffs: All’s well
Three Puffs: Danger or Trouble

I suspect though that if you are in the middle of nowhere and someone sees smoke, they are probably going to check it out, however to pass the time I’m sure it will be hilarious to make up a code all of your own.

The other thing to remember is to build your fire somewhere up high so that it will be visible (once again think the beacons are lit from LOTR as seen in the image above, once again, I’m a geek). If your there for a while it would be super cool to build a raft and then go from island to island and build up fires on all the highest points and recreate that epic scene. I will leave it up the individual minion to figure out how to convince others that that would be a good idea but I know you are a resourceful bunch. And one last thing, try to build your fire so that it won’t get away and burn down the whole island, the local inhabitants will be most appreciative.

Next week, hunting for treasure. I was going to look at that today but it’s a subject close to my heart and I have A LOT to say on the subject. Something to look forward to, I’m sure...

I'm sorry, i just found this image randomly and thought it was hilarious....Take that Robin!

Terrain Training Tuesday: Shipwrecked! Part 1

2011-08-23T15:47:00.001+10:00
So to the accolades of those who were lucky enough to be wrecked with you, you have been fortunate enough to drift onto an island (isn’t funny how you immediately think of a tropical island). This is good. You'll have more opportunities to impress with your survival skills. The first thing you should do, aside from kissing the sand beneath your feet in gratitude, is set up shelter. If you're weak (which will mean you are no minion of HiiRagi), don't spend too much time searching for the perfect spot -- you can improve your shelter after you rest. Look around the island for any washed-up garbage -- almost everything can be of use.

If a life raft has survived the trip ashore, use it as a temporary shelter. It will keep you off the ground, away and protect you from the sun and rain. If you ditched your raft and swam to the island, you'll need to build your own shelter. Lucky we know how to do this.

Chances are there are palm trees and maybe even bamboo on the island. Palm fronds are excellent for providing cover, and bamboo is one of the strongest woods you can find for your frame. Don't get too fancy -- start with a simple lean-to or A frame. We covered how to make them here but for those too lazy to look, here are some brief instructions:

• Place two "Y"-shaped branches into the sand about a foot down and 6 feet apart.
• Take a long branch and place it between the forks as a ridgepole.
• Place more sticks from the ridgepole to the ground to frame your roof.
• Lash everything together with rope or vine.
• Fill the roof area with dead palm fronds, then top with green ones.

Don't sleep directly on the ground. Instead, line the floor with more palm fronds, which will insulate you and help keep you dry. You can also add walls to block the wind.
You know how to survive from here on in, we’ve covered this before.

Next week, how to do all the cool signalling and hunt for that treasure you know is hidden somewhere...

Terrain Training Tuesday: Sea Survival Part 4

2011-08-16T20:05:00.000+10:00
Ok. We’re on our way to surviving this ship wreck. We have supplies, we have that loser out the back kicking, now all we need to do is spot some land. You should watch carefully for any signs of land and there are many indicators that land is near.

A fixed cumulus cloud in a clear sky or in a sky where all other clouds are moving often hovers over or slightly downwind from an island. Depth of water is also an indicator. Deep water is dark green or dark blue, a lighter colour indicates shallow water, which may mean land is near.
In the tropics, the reflection of sunlight from shallow lagoons or shelves of coral reefs often causes a greenish tint in the sky.

In the arctic, light-coloured reflections on clouds often indicate ice fields or snow-covered land. These reflections are quite different from the dark gray ones caused by open water.

At night, or in fog, mist, or rain, you may detect land by odours and sounds. The musty odour of mangrove swamps and mud flats carry a long way. You hear the roar of surf long before you see the surf. The continued cries of seabirds coming from one direction indicate their roosting place on nearby land.

There usually are more birds near land than over the open sea. The direction from which flocks fly at dawn and to which they fly at dusk may indicate the direction of land. During the day, birds are searching for food and the direction of flight has no significance.

Mirages occur at any latitude, but they are more likely in the tropics, especially during the middle of the day. Be careful not to mistake a mirage for nearby land. A mirage disappears or its appearance and elevation change when viewed from slightly different heights.

If you want to be really cool you may be able to detect land by the pattern of the waves (refracted) as they approach land. By travelling with the waves and parallel to the slightly turbulent area marked "X" on the illustration below, you should reach land and earn the respect of all around you. How diabolical is that?!

Dorothy: Casualties of War

2011-08-11T16:00:00.001+10:00

Dorothy is a collective of like minded artists who rate winning the Co-op's under 12 drawing competition as one of their greatest achievements. I just saw this image of the soldiers and was struck by it. There is some really great stuff out there to make us do a double take.

Found via Culture Kings.

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Terrain Training Tuesday: Sea Survival Part 3

2011-08-09T13:37:00.000+10:00

It is in a lifeboat or a makeshift raft that there is the greatest chance of survival and rescue.

Life rafts are packed by the manufacturer and require regular servicing to ensure their usability. Unfortunately, even the most expensive life rafts aren’t always leak-proof. The ocean is tough on a small vessel, and you may end up with water coming into your safe haven. All modern rafts come with pumps and repair kits for good reason. You’ll also make good use of your bailer to help empty your raft of water. If there is no life raft, grab onto anything that floats. Even better if you can find a couple of things and join them together.

One of the most challenging aspects of being lost at sea if the psychological toll it takes. To look around and see nothing but open water can cause a great deal of mental distress. Additional anguish comes when you see passing boats and planes, or come close to land before drifting away. HiiRagi minions should use this time to hone their mental strength and curse the stupidity of others for not seeing you. If you’re with someone else, occupy yourself with word games or talking about future plans like taking over the world and ridding the world of stupidity once and for all.

Drifting is your only hope for finding dry land, so the more you drift, the better your chances. Most life rafts are equipped with sea anchors to stabilise the vessel. This is fine but it will also slow your drifting rate. If you have one, pull it up. At a rate of 2 knots, you can drift as far as 50 miles per day, in clam weather you can bob in place for hours so get the HiiRagi doubter (you know them, you saw them roll their eyes when you mentioned world domination for the 50^th time) out the back and make them start kicking. Good thing you remembered to pack your knife....

July Sketchbook

2011-08-06T10:04:00.000+10:00

This month the obsession has been with bunkers. Not a lot of drawing but a lot of thinking about them. Below is a brief sketch as I work out what I actually want to draw. Apologies for the crapness of the scan but I was working in 2H.

I have also been re working images in pencil for some new products that will be coming over the next couple of weeks. Yep, Occupational Force ready for action!

The Army and I also thought we would benefit from a little training camp away from HQ, so we packed up the tank and took off to Freycinet. The weather was beautiful and the Army got back to basics. Time to start working off that Winter coat, me thinks....

Hmmmm...no, I don't think this is the place to bust out the explosives....
I like where your head's at though....

Superkitch and Koralie Part 2

2011-08-05T09:34:00.000+10:00

Just a quick note to say I found a second part to the video yesterday that includes interviews with the dynamic duo. Check it here.

Supakitch and Koralie

2011-08-04T12:51:00.001+10:00
For anyone looking for a bit of inspiration, look no further. This is a great video by Elroy documenting a collaboration between Koralie and Supakitch. Below are some images from the video.

Awesomeness. Thanks Miss Ellie for sharing this with me!

Terrain Training Tuesday: Sea Survival Part 2

2011-08-02T19:39:00.000+10:00

OK, we’re in a spot of bother with our boat. The decision has been made to abandon it, key to a diabolical escape is to get up wind and stay clear of it.

Keep away from fuel slick, and if forced to jump or swim through flames, jump in feet first and again, up wind. Swim away underwater if you can, otherwise swim into the wind using breast stroke and splash the flames away from your head to help you with breathing. If you think there is going to be an underwater explosion, reduce the impact and risk by swimming on your back.

Now, if you’re lucky and there is land in sight, you can just relax and float, as in the picture below, until the ebb turns and this will then carry you to land. Too easy!

Otherwise take comfort in your lifejacket and the lollies you grabbed. If you have the misfortune of no life jacket, improvise a short term option from a pair of trousers. Simply knot the legs, sweep them over the head to fill with air, then hold the waist below water to trap in the air, making the legs into water wings.

Once clear of the wreckage, inflate your dinghy or life raft. If there isn’t any, a few curses wouldn’t go astray and then gather together as much flotsam as you can to use as a raft. Tie it together with cord, belts, shoelaces whatever you have at hand. This is survival people so grab any floating equipment for later use. Who knows what you’ll find...

Exciting Star Wars Purchase!

2011-08-01T11:48:00.000+10:00
Imagine how excited the Army and I were when we stumbled upon two original Star Wars necklaces! That's right some fool was selling off Darth Vader and R2D2 for a song! Much muttering, some bickering amongst ourselves and a couple of button clicks later and the necklaces were mine...sorry...ours!

Oh yeah, cast in metal they are the source of much jealousy and rivalry at HiiRagi HQ. In fact here are some close up so you can bask in their awesomeness....

R2D2. His legs move and everything.

Darth, the one and only.

And to make him feel better after is ordeal, I have gallantly allowed RU1014 wear Darth Vader, I know it's not going to do my reputation much good but he's so happy when he gets to wear it. In fact he hasn't taken it off. Looks like I'm going to have to stick with R2D2.

Getting Ready for War

2011-07-28T12:29:00.000+10:00
I found this image as part of an article of war propaganda in my great History of WWII series. I just reminds me of knitting and old fashion catalogues, only thing is this image probably precedes them...

Now that's A LOT of bullets to carry...doesn't he look happy?

Terrain Training Tuesday: Six months in a Leaky Boat Part 1

2011-07-26T12:44:00.000+10:00

Did you know that four-fifths of the Earth’s surface is open water? Unfortunately this is one of the most difficult environments to survive in, as water and wind chill the body rapidly. Short-or long-term survival depends upon rations and equipment available and your ingenuity. You must be resourceful to survive. Lucky you’re a member of the HiiRagi Army, resourcefulness and ingenuity are second nature to us.

Now, you’re at sea and it’s all gone to crap. The boat is sinking due to the incompetence of others and now you’re paying the price. The decision to abandon ship is usually very difficult, but cut your losses and take care of yourself. In some instances, people have perished in their life raft while their abandoned vessel managed to stay afloat. Other cases indicate that people waited too long to successfully get clear of a floundering boat.

So decision made. Go and put on some (preferably woollen) clothing, including hat and gloves, and wrap a towel around your neck. Grab your survival kit and any sweets or chocolates that you have. Don’t panic, remember to breathe, keeping calm is the key to your survival. Grab a life jacket if you can and your life will be much easier. If not, air trapped in your clothing will aid buoyancy so keep your clothes on (despite other advice to the contrary).

If by some misfortune you have been swept overboard keep afloat and try to attract attention. Sound travels well over water and movement always attracts attention. But I think we'll just let Kurt and Goldie go, someone else will save them I'm sure...

Now where’s that frickin’ life raft?

Illustrator Inspiration: Travis Chatham

2011-07-21T14:36:00.000+10:00

Travis Chatham is a Californian artist trained at the Art Centre College of Design in Pasadena, California. His bio is really cute. He had three goals: 1) to be a Rock Star; 2) to be a Pro Skater; and 3) to be a Pro Artist. Apparently he still working on being a Rock Star, ate too much to be a Pro Skater ( I know this one myself) and as for being a Pro Artist, he makes a living teaching and illustrating and being a fine art painter. Sounds alright to me.

He lists his influences as Egon Sheile, Barry McGee, Margaret Kilgallen, Tony Hawk, Animal Chin and many more, all of them pretty awesome and worth checking out. Besides these, he is influenced by covered up graffiti, in particular the graphic shapes that occur when it happens. You can totally see this influence in the examples I have shared.

Once again, I like it.

Terrain Training Tuesday: The Desert Part 6

2011-07-19T12:45:00.000+10:00

The last in our Desert series we look at all the heat problems you may encounter. Your chances of becoming a heat casualty as a survivor (which all HiiRagi minions are) are great, due to injury, stress, and lack of critical items of equipment. Following are the major types of heat casualties and their treatment when little water and no medical help are available, only a random camel...

Heat Cramps
The loss of salt due to excessive sweating causes heat cramps. Symptoms are moderate to severe muscle cramps in legs, arms, or abdomen. These symptoms may start as a mild muscular discomfort. You should probably stop all activity, get in the shade, and drink water. If you fail to recognize the early symptoms and continue your physical activity, you will have severe muscle cramps and pain, this is not good. Treat as for heat exhaustion.

Heat Exhaustion
A large loss of body water and salt causes heat exhaustion. Symptoms are headache, mental confusion, irritability, excessive sweating, weakness, dizziness, cramps, and pale, moist, cold (clammy) skin (hmmmm....that sounds like most people to be honest). Immediately get under shade. Lie on a stretcher or similar item about 45 cm off the ground. Loosen clothing. Sprinkle with water and fan. Drink small amounts of water every 3 minutes and stay quiet and rest.

Heat Stroke
A severe heat injury is caused by extreme loss of water and salt and the body's inability to cool itself. The patient may die if not cooled immediately. Symptoms are the lack of sweat, hot and dry skin, headache, dizziness, fast pulse, nausea and vomiting, and mental confusion leading to unconsciousness. Immediately get the person to shade. Lay him on a stretcher or similar item about 45 cm off the ground. Loosen his clothing. Pour water on him (it does not matter if the water is polluted or brackish) and fan him. Massage his arms, legs, and body. If he regains consciousness, let him drink small amounts of water every 3 minutes.

And speaking of mental confusion caused by heat....

I found this and couldn't help putting it in, this is what happens when you are in the desert too long. Go and see the full video here. It's ace! Or maybe I just love Star Wars that little bit too much....

RU1014: The Return

2011-07-15T15:28:00.000+10:00

Ok, so those who have been reading for a while will remember RU1014, one of my favorite Recon Units, who went out into the world to explore and report of threats or agents of the HiiRagi cause. Unfortunately he was last seen cavorting with Transformers who he mistakenly took as his father even though I had (very patiently I thought) explained about his father. This then led to complete silence from RU1014 until this week when I had some images sent to me. These images were very troubling as you can see below:

Hmmmm.....

I always thought Transformers were bad news and that's before I even saw the crappy movie....

Obviously RU1014 is having a few issues with relationships and how to deal with the lies the Transformers filled his head with. I let it go however and hoped that RU1014 would come to his senses, he has always been an expereiential type of robot...That was until these polaroids below were sent to me....

Enough was enough, these "friends" were obviously not of the highest standards and I'll be damned if they think they can treat MY RU1014 like this. These polariods were sent purely to hurt me and my cause and quite frankly I was bored with the whole situation, so I did what any self respecting World Domination Leader would do. I reached for the mobile device with the 'Return to HQ' button and pressed it. Now any who meet me will know I like immediate responses and I was so happy when my dearest little RU1014 was found on one of the paths leading to HiiRagi HQ yesterday. Bless, look at his little out stretched arms! Come home little one all is forgiven!

Now begins the training and re-induction of RU1014, wiping all memories of the useless and incompetent Transformer influence. Fear not RU1014, you will once again rise to the greatness of the HiiRagi cause and take your rightful place by my side!

First a hot toddy of whiskey though I think.....

Terrain Training Tuesday: The Desert Part 5

2011-07-12T11:55:00.000+10:00

Now in a desert survival and evasion situation, it is unlikely that you will have a medic or medical supplies with you to treat bites and stings, though if you are a fully prepared minion you just might...

Insects, spiders, scorpions and snakes are, though cool to look at and perhaps poke with a stick when there is medical help nearby, dangerous and in the Desert just don't go there. If you get bitten you will probably die a slow painful death in addition to the nasty sunburn you already have.

Insects of almost every type abound in the desert. Man, as a source of water and food, attracts lice, mites, wasps, and flies, all the good ones. They are extremely unpleasant and may carry diseases. Old buildings, ruins, and caves, though cool, are favourite habitats of spiders, scorpions, centipedes, lice, and mites. These areas provide protection from the elements and also attract other wild-life. Therefore, take extra care when staying in these areas.

A point to remember though is that most of these threats don't really want to attack you, it's usually us humans treading on them that causes the issue so don't place your hands anywhere without first looking to see what is there. Visually inspect an area before sitting or lying down. When you get up, shake out and check your boots and clothing.

All desert areas have snakes.

They inhabit ruins, caves, and natural rock outcrops that offer shade. Never go barefoot or walk through these areas without carefully inspecting them for snakes. Pay attention to where you place your feet and hands. Most snakebites result from stepping on or handling snakes. Once you see a snake, give it a wide berth, they don't like to make friends.

And if you see a sarlaac like this:

Avoid.

June Sketchbook

2011-07-09T09:54:00.000+10:00
There's been a lot of thinking and planning happening at HiiRagi HQ this month. Nothing concrete as yet but we all know the value is in the thinking and the planning. Now so as to not make the mistake that every other power hungry world domination expert does and reveal all my cards before I've even touched the switch to destruction, this months sketchbook is just a few little details of my greater plans. Stay tuned little minions....

Illustrator Inspiration: Eduardo Recife

2011-07-07T10:20:00.000+10:00

Eduardo Recife is an artist, illustrator, graphic designer, and typographer from Brazil. He creates beautiful collages with a vintage, old style era feeling. Most of these collages are processed by hand to create textures, stained, scratches and doodles and then finished off by computer. Aren’t they amazing?

He has a great personal website that features his personal works, collages, drawings, and typefaces which is well worth checking out too.

Terrain Training Tuesday: The Desert Part 4

2011-07-05T19:40:00.000+10:00

Surviving and evading the enemy in an arid area depends on what you know and how prepared you are for the environmental conditions you will face. In a desert area there are seven environmental factors that all minions must consider:
Low rainfall.
Intense sunlight and heat.
Wide temperature range.
Sparse vegetation.
High mineral content near ground surface.
Sandstorms.
Mirages.

Low Rainfall
Low rainfall is the most obvious environmental factor in an arid area. Some desert areas receive less than 10 cms of rain annually, and it comes in brief torrents that quickly run off the ground surface. You cannot survive long without water in high desert temperatures but lucky for us we covered this last week and are completely in control of the whole water thing.

Intense Sunlight and Heat

Intense sunlight and heat are present in all arid areas. Air temperature can rise as high as 60 degrees C during the day. Heat gain results from direct sunlight, hot blowing winds, reflective heat and conductive heat from direct contact with the desert sand and rock. The temperature of desert sand and rock averages 16 to 22 degrees C more than that of the air and will increase the body's need for water. To conserve your body fluids and energy, you will need a shelter to reduce your exposure to the heat of the day. Travel at night (preferably with moonlight to help you see) to lessen your use of water. Radios and sensitive equipment exposed to direct intense sunlight may also malfunction.

Wide Temperature Range
Temperatures in arid areas may get as high as 55 degrees C during the day and as low as 10 degrees C during the night. The drop in temperature at night occurs rapidly and will chill a person who lacks warm clothing and is unable to move about. The cool evenings and nights are the best times to work or travel.

Sparse Vegetation

Vegetation is sparse in arid areas. You will therefore have trouble finding shelter and camouflaging your movements. During daylight hours large areas of terrain are visible and easily controlled by small opposing forces. If travelling in hostile territory, follow the principles of desert camouflage:
Hide or seek shelter in thicker growths of vegetation and cover from oblique observation.
Use the shadows cast from brush, rocks, or outcropping. The temperature in shaded areas will be 11 to 17 degrees C cooler than the air temperature.
Cover objects that will reflect the light from the sun.
Before moving, survey the area for sites that provide cover and concealment. You will have trouble estimating distance. The emptiness of desert terrain causes most people to underestimate distance by a factor of three: What appears to be 1 km away is really 3 km away.

High Mineral Content
A lot of arid regions have areas where the surface soil has a high mineral content (borax, salt, alkali, and lime). Materials in contact with this soil wear out quickly, and water in these areas is extremely hard and undrinkable. Wetting your outfit in such water to cool off may cause a skin rash and no one wants that.

Sandstorms

Sandstorms occur frequently in most deserts. The "Seistan" desert wind in Iran and Afghanistan blows constantly for up to 120 days! Expect major sandstorms and dust storms at least once a week.
The greatest danger is getting lost in a swirling wall of sand. Wear goggles and cover your mouth and nose with cloth. If natural shelter is unavailable, mark your direction of travel, lie down, and sit out the storm. Dust and wind-blown sand interfere with radio transmissions. Therefore, be ready to use other means for signalling such as mirrors.

Mirages
Mirages are a fascinating optical phenomena caused by the refraction of light through heated air rising from a sandy or stony surface. They occur in the interior of the desert about 10 km from the coast. They make objects that are 1.5 km or more away appear to move, making it difficult for you to identify an object from a distance. It also blurs distant range contours so much that you feel surrounded by a sheet of water from which elevations stand out as "islands."

To cope with this if you can get to high ground (3 meters or more above the desert floor), if you can get above the superheated air close to the ground you can overcome the mirage effect. Mirages make land navigation difficult because they obscure natural features. You can survey the area at dawn, dusk, or by moonlight when there is little likelihood of mirage.

Now that's a mirage...the perfect desert outfit I'd say....

Accessories are now available!

2011-06-29T12:36:00.000+10:00

Just a quick note to let you all know that HiiRagi Lapel Pins and Necklaces are now available in the HiiRagi shop. Hurrah!!! Please note all profits from the sale of jewellery go to either support HiiRagi World Domination Missions or the HiiRagi HQ Christmas Party. Thank you for your support.

Terrain Training Tuesday: The Desert Part 3

2011-06-28T16:29:00.000+10:00

Finding water in the Desert (aside from your own urine) is pretty hard to do. So basically you have three options: 1)You can stand around like Luke Skywalker on Tatooine and whinge about all of your friends having gone off to the Academy; 2) You can dig holes at the lowest point in dry river beds or water holes and hope to strike water OR 3)You can take control of your situation and make a solar still! (For any minion who still hasn't decided, you're going to do number 3).

Whinge whinge whinge...never get out of here...whinge...i want to kiss my sister...whinge whinge whinge...

Rightio, first of all you are going to need a sheet of plastic, a water collecting container and some stones. Dig a hole 90cm to 1m across and about 45 cm deep. Place the collecting container in the centre, ensuring that it is secure and no random animal can tip it over. If there are any stalks, leaves or roots around pop them in the bottom as well as they will increase your yield.

Roughed the underside of your plastic sheet with a stone to ensure droplets run down it. Cover the hole with your plastic sheet. Secure the edges with stones and then place one in the middle of you plastic sheet so that it makes a dip, for best results about 35cm below the horizon line.

As the sun raises the temperature of the air and soil below it produces vapour. Water condenses on the underside of the plastic, running down into the container. Hurrah! Water! Well, a little bit anyway....For ease of drinking pop a plastic tube in the still container and have the other end sticking out of the ground for you to suck on (insert crass comment here).

Well, this has been fun but I think we had best start planning our escape from this barren wastehole real soon...

Parachutes

2011-06-23T14:42:00.000+10:00

I recently found a whole box full of WWII Historical magazines (so many I don't think I'm going to have to buy anything else for a long long time). One thing I noticed going through is the beautiful photographs, black and white, hand-coloured and colour. I'm currently a bit obsessed with parachuting so I thought I'd share a few with you.

I just love them, particularly the second image with the blimp, such delicate colours! Actually I love them all.

Terrain Training Tuesday: The Desert Part 2

2011-06-21T14:51:00.000+10:00

Water is vital in desert conditions. If you have any ration it immediately and pretend to others that you don’t have any. This is survival people. Sometimes you just have to lie to stay alive. Having said that, if you have heaps of water, make sure you drink regularly to stay cool and decrease sweating. Lack of the required amount of water causes a rapid decline in an individual's ability to make decisions and to perform tasks efficiently. Use your discretion.

A key factor in desert survival is understanding the relationship between physical activity, air temperature, and water consumption. Your body's normal temperature is 36.9 degrees C. Your body cools off by sweating. The warmer your body becomes--whether caused by work, exercise, or air temperature--the more you sweat. The more you sweat, the more moisture you lose. Sweating is the principal cause of water loss. If a person stops sweating during periods of high air temperature and heavy work or exercise, he will quickly develop heat stroke.

There are a couple of things to remember:
Find shade and stay out of the sun
Place something between you and the hot ground.
Limit your movements, probably best not to move too much in the heat of the day
Conserve your sweat. Wear your complete outfit. Roll the sleeves down, cover your head, and protect your neck with a scarf. These steps will protect your body from hot-blowing winds and the direct rays of the sun. Your clothing will absorb your sweat, keeping it against your skin so that you gain its full cooling effect.
Talk only when necessary.
If water is scarce, don’t eat. Food requires water for digestion; therefore, eating food will use water that you need for cooling.
Drink mostly in the cool of the evening and then only in small sips, don’t gulp it down.
However even these measures will only work in the short term. You have to find a source for water. But really, the question on everyone’s lips is ‘Do I have to drink my own urine?’ (By the way the technical word for this is Urophagia)

Mmmmmm....urine........

There are two schools of thought on this. John “Lofty” Wiseman says to NEVER drink your own urine straight. Only drink it if distilled. This is backed by the US Army Field Guide, who also say NO. This is because drinking urine tends to worsen, rather than relieve dehydration due to the salts in it, and that urine should not be consumed in a survival situation, even when there is no other fluid available.

However Bear Grylls is a fan of the drink your urine approach, in fact you can pee on your clothes and store it for later even. And if Bear Grylls says it how can it be wrong? (He has blog too by the way find it here). And Aron Ralston, the dude from 127 hours who cut off his hand (I still haven’t brought myself to watch the film yet), drank his urine when he was trapped to survive.

Would you take the advice of this man?

So as with all the huge philosophical questions, you must seek out the truth yourself and take the path that feels right to you. But if you’re about to die, I mean really... What harm can it do? I say drink it!

What say you?

HiiRagi likes Dunny

2011-06-19T18:31:00.000+10:00

Dunny's have been around for a while, a revolutionary idea of creating blanks and then in an endless cycle of customisation create new cool examples. Recently I found these guys through another great toy blog Toys R Evil.

Aren't they ace? These guys are the Japanese-themed Shinto Gods of Lore: Fujin(Wind God) and Raijin (God of Thunder) along with their own cloud-bursts. These were both commissioned from NY-based artist ZAM. I love his take on this, particularly when you consider their typical imagery:

It's always cool to see how people re-interpret and put their own style onto things, like Jamie Hewlett's 'Monkey' interpretation. Anyway, this inspired me to go to the Dunny site and check out all the others that have been done. These are my five favourite:

2Tone Dunny Series by Doktor A

Dunny Series 2010 by Sneaky Racoon

Dunny Fatale Series by Koralie

Shogun Blue by Huck Gee

Series 5 by Frank Kozik

So hard to pick just five! I thoroughly recommend having a look, so much variation and talent in one place, just try and pick a favourite!

HiiRagi Lapel Pins

2011-06-17T11:31:00.000+10:00
Mmmmmm...... I picked up some new lapel pins the other day. Nothing like the feeling that you can wear your entire HiiRagi Army all at once to make you smile and feel invincible against the world.

You can wear just one, or the whole gang. They are totally sweet with each pin about 3 cms big and made from myrtle (that's the timber not the name of the robot as a few customers have managed to confuse, fear not, if it was you, you are not alone...).

For those whose taste runs to the more 'oriental', the mysterious geisha and ninja.

And for those who just want cute yet diabolical, the bunny.

These guys and some of the other jewellery I have designed will be up in the store next week so stay tuned!

Terrain Training Tuesday: The Desert Part 1

2011-06-14T20:00:00.001+10:00

Survival Kit top up: anything that can be used to catch and store water, a mirror for signalling (or merely for annoying your companions should you have them)and one of those cool silver light weight blankets to stay warm and cosy at night. The grenade featured in the picture below is optional...

The Desert, while it evokes the endless horizon of sand dunes that waver in the intense heat, there are actually five basic terrains:
Mountainous (High Altitude)
Rocky plateau.
Sand dunes.
Salt marshes.
Broken, dissected terrain.
Desert terrain tends to make movement difficult and demanding. Land navigation can be extremely difficult as there may be very few landmarks. Cover and concealment can also be very limited making the threat of exposure to the enemy very real.

Mountain Deserts
Scattered ranges of barren mountains separated by dry, flat basins characterize mountain deserts. Most of the infrequent rainfall occurs on high ground and runs off rapidly, generally as flash floods. The water rapidly evaporates, leaving the land as barren as before, except for the occasional bit of short-lived vegetation. If enough water enters one of the formed basins to compensate for the rate of evaporation, shallow lakes may develop, such as the Dead Sea, however most of these lakes have a high salt content.

Rocky Plateau Deserts
Rocky plateau deserts have relatively slight relief interspersed with extensive flat areas with quantities of solid or broken rock at or near the surface. There may be steep-walled, eroded valleys and although their flat bottoms may be superficially attractive as assembly areas, the narrower valleys can be extremely dangerous due to flash flooding after rains. Good times.

Sand or Dune Deserts
The classic sand or dune deserts are extensive areas covered with sand or gravel, with some areas containing sand dunes that are over 300 meters high and up to 24 kms long. Mobility in such terrain will depend on the windward or leeward slope of the dunes and the texture of the sand. Plant life may vary from none to scrub over 2 meters high.

Salt Marshes
Salt marshes are flat, desolate areas, sometimes studded with clumps of grass but devoid of most other vegetation. The salty crust can be anywhere between 2.5 to 30 cms thick forms over the saltwater. They occur in arid areas where rainwater has collected, evaporated, and left large deposits of alkali salts and water with a high salt concentration. The water is so salty it is undrinkable. These areas usually support many insects, most of which bite. Avoid salt marshes if you can, simple as that, otherwise it is a perfect place to build a secret hideout away from interfering goodie two shoes as this type of terrain is highly corrosive to boots, clothing, and skin.

Broken Terrain
All arid areas contain broken terrain. Rainstorms erode soft sand and carve out canyons from this terrain. These may range from 3 meters wide and 2 meters deep to several hundred meters wide and deep. The direction it takes varies as much as its width and depth. It twists and turns and forms a mazelike pattern. It will give you good cover and concealment, but do not try to move through it because it is very difficult terrain to negotiate.

Next week, we all know the importance of keeping up your fluids but there is one question that survival experts still argue over to this very day: Do you drink your own urine? Stay tuned.

Illustrator Inspiration: Kerrie Stritton

2011-06-10T12:18:00.000+10:00
I really like wandering around and looking at buildings, the grungier the better as far as I'm concerned, so I really responded to Kerrie Stritton's illustrations. Living in London’s East end for 5 years her art includes the architecture of the area. I also really like the context of the subjects within their landscape, there is a real dirtiness to them.

Kerrie Stritton studied in London and gained her B.A. at the famous Central St Martins and her M.A. at the Royal College of Art where she won the Folio Society award for illustration (great! another frickin' over achiever). Her most well known piece ‘The Stadium’ (see below) was featured in the international selling book Hand to Eye.

Her website states that "Kerrie has a passion for narrative illustration and story telling that is inspired by auto biographical elements represented through dramatic landscapes" (hmmm...that's my Art School background coming through, ignore if you wish). However there is a beautiful starkness and roughness to her work that I love, with an awesome collage-like effect.

Another cool thing about her is her willingness to share with others including a great section on her website explaining how she makes her books. Check it here.

Terrain Training Tuesday: D.I.Y Compass

2011-06-07T09:27:00.000+10:00

Now, it is all very well to be able to survive in terrains but I think it’s time to introduce a few simple techniques for survival that can be used in any terrain or situation. First up, the improvised compass. This is a really simple thing to do as long as you have your survival kit with you as all you will need is a small metal object, such as a needle, pin or razor blade that can be suspended to swing freely as a pointer.

The easiest way to magnetise your metal object is to use a magnet (I don’t think I had this in the original Survival Kit so it may pay to pop one in now). All you need to do is stroke your metal object (yes, it does sound inappropriate but occasionally you will be perceived as creepy or strange as part of rising above the everyday to the higher calling of the HiiRagi cause, get used to it) with the magnet in one direction. Note, your compass may lose is magnetic qualities so it may need to be redone every now and then.

Finally suspend your magnetised metal object using any thread (as long as it isn’t twisted or kinked) and voila! It points North! Amazing! Just like The Curiosity Show (for those old enough to remember...). If your thread is all twisted or doesn’t want to do what you want it to, just lay it on a piece of paper or bark or grass or poke the needle/pin through something that floats like a cork, then pop it into water in a non metallic container, and let it swing freely.

Also if there is too much wind, suspend it in a jar or clear container to stop interference.

Oh yeah, who’s heading North now?!

May Sketchbook

2011-06-02T21:03:00.000+10:00
This month has been more of a planning time with some very rough sketching. I'm thinking about setting up little scenarios to photograph my robots in, military inspired of course. It got me thinking about military training camps and how I could create these scenes. Some ideas are:

The old wire crawl idea. I have actually been making miniature versions of barb wire but more on that later.

Tyre jump

And the chin up bar....I said give me 10!

So far I have made a few sand bags and have been experimenting with photographs, seeing how well it could fit together.

Not bad for a mornings work. I need to make more sandbags now though and have a closer look at the set of Hogan's Heroes I think. I had a little play in Photoshop too with bits and pieces.

Yep, black and white with a bit of vignetting for good luck. I'm actually going to use my Diana F+ camera when I set it all up properly as nothing can truly recreate the look of grainy film like the real thing. Hopefully it will all be great! What do you think?

Terrain Training Tuesday: The Arctic Part 4

2011-05-31T12:56:00.005+10:00

OK so you’re in the Arctic, you’ve made a base camp, eaten til you’re full and now you’re bored.  My personal preference is to jump upon my sled and ride triumphantly out of the snow blizzard amazing and baffling locals with my ultimate survival skills ('Where the hell did them dogs come from?!'). Mwahhahahaha!!!

For those who aren't me unfortunately it looks like the rescue attempt has failed (people can be SO useless!), so you have made the decision to take matters into your own capable hands and to walk your way out. Make sure you lay your plans carefully and then stick to them. What course you decide to follow should be determined largely by your location and the terrain.

In mountainous or wooded areas, your best course, unless you know exactly where you are and have some definite destination, will be to FOLLOW STREAMS AND RIVERS DOWNSTREAM. They will lead you eventually either to some godforsaken post of civilization or to the coast where your chances of finding food and a native village will be good. There is just one exception to this rule - in Siberia (of course), rivers and streams should be FOLLOWED UPSTREAM. The rivers in Siberia flow north, while civilization is to the south.
DON'T WANDER AIMLESSLY. Use your compass to maintain a general direction, but don't try to travel in a straight line. Follow the contours of the land for the easiest going in the general direction that you want to go. If you have no pocket compass, you can make one

WHEN YOU CAMP, camp on the mountains and not in the valleys. Slopes and ridges in the Arctic are always warmer than the valleys.

In thick woods, BLAZE A TRAIL on the trees as you go, just in case you have to double back on your course.

Different Blaze trail makers, yeah who's a survival expert now?!

PLENTY OF FOOD AND REST is the secret of Arctic travel, particularly in the winter. Don't rush, cook at least one hot meal a day, and be sure to get adequate sleep. You can survive many days without food if you relax and avoid exhaustion, DON'T WORRY ABOUT FREEZING TO DEATH WHILE YOU SLEEP. Unless you are exhausted you will wake up before you freeze.

See?! Easy!

Barnaby Ward aka Somefield

2011-05-26T09:50:00.000+10:00
Baranby Ward is a bit elusive, he has a website but it doesn't tell us much except he lives in Barbados and seems to be really laidback. I did manage to find this excerpt from an interview with a link that doesn't exist anymore:

With the girls and animals pieces, I’m not trying to tell a specific story so much as create a sense of empathy. I wanted to create an obvious emotional connection between the girl and the animal, which I’m hoping shows that there’s a relationship there, and a sense of history. There’s not much more to it than that. But I think the combination of these elements allows the viewer to project their own ideas onto the piece. There’s enough
suggestion that I’m hoping it stimulates people’s imaginations.

I find his stuff interesting as well because he draws mainly straight onto his computer, apparently he finds it more stress free, completely opposite to me, yet they have a great scratchy, hand drawn feel. He's awesome!

Terrain Training Tuesday: The Arctic Part 3

2011-05-24T09:46:00.001+10:00
Ah, I love survival in the Arctic because the main philosophy behind survival is to eat as much fat as you can. This is because fat is a heat-producing food and very important to your health in the cold conditions.

Yep, the ultimate fat eater Jabba the Hutt. That and I'm trying to include a Star Wars image in each Arctic entry....

FOR THE MEAT LOVERS

Now in the winter months, animals and fish will be about your only source of natural food. The caribou provides the best meat of the land animals and the seal provides the best of the sea animals.

Source

The best parts of the caribou for eating are the head, brisket, ribs, backbone, and pelvis. As for seals, there is little preference between the various parts, although most white people prefer the liver, boiled or even frozen and raw. The heart and the kidneys provide good meat for stews.

Polar bear is very likely to be tough and stringy if cooked. It is more tender if eaten raw and frozen. AVOID POLAR BEAR LIVERS, THEY ARE POISONOUS. Actually it’s probably best to avoid them all together, I suspect it will be more trouble than it is worth and you will probably be killed and eaten yourself. This we do not want.

Now because of the importance of fats, under no conditions limit yourself to a meat diet of rabbit just because they happen to be plentiful. Rabbits are generally so lean that in order to get enough energy out of them you have to eat a little too much for comfort. Try to supplement your diet with other things.

Some Arctic birds are well supplied with fat - notably ducks, geese and swans. These water birds all go through a two or three week flightless period while they are moulting in midsummer. The best known winter birds are the ptarmigan, or snow partridge, which is rarely fat; the white owl, which usually is fat and tasty; and the raven, which is tough, as it should be. Make a point of finding all the gull and tern colonies you can. Here you will be able to get a good supply of eggs and birds, usually on cliffs and edge areas.

Source

On the average, all fish have enough fat to make them good Arctic food. The liver of the cod, for example, is an extremely good form of fat and can be eaten boiled. Mmmmm...boiled cod liver......you know you want it.

Although complete protection from scurvy can be had from a prolonged meat-and-fat diet, the roughage value of greens is important. In an emergency, almost any local green, pleasant to the taste and succulent enough to be swallowed, can be eaten. Hmm, me thinks we should have included salt and pepper to our survival kit....

FOR THE VEGETARIANS

Lucky for us, there are no poisonous flowering plants or grasses in the Arctic. The only poisonous Arctic fungus is easily recognized by its yellowish red cap. All other Arctic fungi found above the northern timberline are edible. Hurrah! Note: Despite this good news I have no idea how you are going to get the fat you need to survive, all I can say is good luck....

WATER

If you are stranded at sea, ice that is a year or more old can be used for drinking or cooking water. Old ice can be distinguished from the current year's ice by its rounded corners and by its bluish colour in contrast to the milkish grayishness of salt ice. Ice a year old rarely has only noticeable saltiness, while ice two or three years old is generally fresher than spring water. In the summer, fresh water can be found in the hollows in old ice. Water fresh enough for drinking can be found even in the hollows on new ice, which itself is salty in midsummer.

On land, drinking and cooking water offers no great problem. In the winter it is perfectly safe to eat snow or cracked ice in small quantities during the day when you are travelling and don't want to take the time necessary to melt it down. Eaten in large quantities, however, it chills the stomach and reduces your body temperature.

When melting down snow or ice, don't fill the pot at once. If you do, the snow on top will soak up the first water like a blotter and leave a cavity directly over the heated bottom of the pot and the pot may burn through. This is particularly so when, as the case probably will be, you are using tin cans for cooking containers. When possible, always melt ice for water, it requires less heat and takes less time.

Fear Da Robots

2011-05-21T15:38:00.001+10:00
A great bit of graffiti spotted near Vic Markets in Melbourne. Look at all them robots! Though there is a distinct leaning to Doctor Who...

Terrain Training Tuesday: The Arctic Part 2

2011-05-17T10:49:00.001+10:00
As previously mentioned, tents are a colder option to snow shelters, but if this is your choice try to do your cooking outside the tent flap as fires and tents do not mix.

Snow shelters come in all shapes and sizes. Whichever one you build will depend upon your time and how much effort you want to put into it, an important consideration if you are solo. The type and depth of snow will also put limitations upon your shelter.

Planet Hoth, the perfect place to set up your snow base and make friends with the local inhabitants...

The Snow Trench

This is an emergency measure, as it is basically a hole in the snow. This could be improved by a roof either of snow (if the snow is hard enough) or of branches or sheeting if it is not.

The Snow Cave

For this one you’re going to need at least 2 metres of snow depth. You may also need some tools to dig through the snow and sometimes the snow will be too hard. However the most important thing to remember when digging a snow cave is to always make sure that the roof is domed, otherwise you will wake up with it on your head in the morning and no one wants that.

The Snow Igloo

Now making a snow igloo takes time and effort to construct, as well as a bit of skill in the placement of the blocks but they are also super cool. You will need cold, compacted snow and tools, such as an axe, a knife and a saw or a spade. Cut out the blocks and build it from the base up, in a spiral that is angled inwards. Awesome!

If this is too much work, there is an easier (and faster) way. Firstly, stamp down an area of snow, then build up a mound of hard, packed snow. When you get it to the required size simply dig a tunnel into it. Alternatively, arrange some branches or sticks into a frame and pack snow on top of it. Whala! Snow igloo! Note: take care to make your entrance hole on the less windy size. The cold wind will still come in but it will stay at the base of the igloo, so make sure your bed is raised, just like in the Jungle.

In tree country, wood for heating and cooking fires is no problem. Various types of fires and fireplaces can be used as seen below. Shield your fire from the wind and don't build it directly on the ice or snow. The melting snow will wet the wood and reduce the heat of your fire. Build it on a crib of wood or metal.

And if all else fails just place a candle in the centre of the shelter to drastically increase the warmth of the shelter without all the meltiness (is that a word?!).

Next week we finally get to eat!

Yoshitomo Nara Sake

2011-05-14T17:01:00.001+10:00
I saw these on the Hello Sandwich blog and felt the need to share them with you. Yoshitomo Nara sake! How cool is that?! And then when you are finished they can be used as drinking glasses! I love sake, when I was in Japan I bought some which had a print on the reverse labels saying 'cup of happiness'... mmmm...definately....

Terrain Training Tuesday: Ice Ice baby Part 1

2011-05-10T17:33:00.001+10:00

Survival Kit top up: anything that promotes warmth and shelter (though tents are colder that snow shelters so plan to make an igloo or snow cave if you’re going to have the time), some tools such as an axe, knife and spade, and if there is room extra fishing stuff. Oh and goggles if you can...and did I mention warm stuff?

As with all extreme conditions you have to be aware of the weather and treat it with respect, regardless of how good your equipment is. In the Arctic, even when it is sunny, temperatures can fall to as little as -40 degrees Celsius. Human skin starts to freeze at -37 so first thing is to take care that exposed areas, such as your poor nose and ears are not freezing. Wind chill is another thing to be aware of as this increases your chance of getting frostbite.

Your clothes should be loose enough to allow a free circulation of air so that your perspiration can evaporate. If it doesn't, it will form frost inside your clothes and you will be well on your way to freezing and frostbite, and keep your clothes and your socks dry. Now survival is tough work but try to avoid becoming overheated as excess of perspiration will mean wet clothing and drying them in sub-zero weather is difficult. If you get wet, change to dry clothing as soon as possible. Frost can be removed by turning the garment inside out and beating it with a stick. If you are caught in the unfortunate situation of no clothes try to dry your clothes a few pieces at a time with the heat from a fire build a rack to hold them.

The Arctic produces severe conditions such as ‘white-outs’ which means, like the Jungle at night, no one moves. To avoid snow blindness you can make yourself a pair of cool goggles out of wood, don’t make them out of metal as it will freeze to your face. Just cut the wood out (use bark if necessary) and cut slits for your eyes to see out of (yeah, total survival coolness, look at us now, rockin' the Tron look).

Yeah, look at us go, we're either in the Arctic or an extra from the filmclip to 'Video Killed the Radio Star'

As an additional precaution against snow blindness, blacken your cheeks and the bridge of your nose with soot, charcoal, or dirty engine oil. The blackening will help cut down reflection.

REMEMBER: SNOWBLINDNESS CAN OCCUR DURING A BRIGHT OVERCAST AS QUICKLY AS DURING SUNNY WEATHER, so make sure you pack some cool goggles otherwise you run the risk of being rescued in the DIY goggles, not a good look despite the Eighties Revolution currently happening.

Tomer Hanuka

2011-05-08T17:05:00.001+10:00

Tomer Hanuka is an illustrator and a cartoonist based in New York City. He’s lucky enough to work on a range of projects for magazines, book publishers, ad agencies and film studios including The New Yorker, D.C comics, Nike and Microsoft. He has won multiple gold medals from the Society of Illustrators and the Society of Publication designers. For readers of Juxtapoz magazine you will already be familiar with his work.

In 2008 a book cover he created won the British Design Museum award as part of the Penguin Classics Deluxe Editions. Waltz With Bashir, an animated documentary for which Tomer contributed art along with his brother, was nominated for an Oscar in 2009, and won the Golden Globe that same year.

I like it.

April Sketchbook

2011-05-05T11:03:00.002+10:00
I've been playing around with my pencils this month. While I love the clean linework of HiiRagi, I've been itching to do some messier pencil drawings that may be used on some cards and paper products I have planned. I've also had plenty of inspiration for the military books I've been finding around the place, especially the transport vehicles.

Helicopter action
Recon Unit in the Snow Mobile
The infinately useful amphibious vehicle

I'm finding it hard to pick just one, which one is your favourite?

Terrain Training Tuesday: The Jungle Part 5

2011-05-03T14:24:00.000+10:00
Oh yeah, time to pull out the machete!!!

It is nearly impossible to travel through the jungle in a straight line. You will have to make your way through streams and rivers, game trails, dry watercourses and ridges. Cutting through thick foliage is both time consuming and tiring, so make use of native trails when you find them and save the machete for when other peple can see you at your survival best. However if you do this ensure that you are fully alert as potential enemies may also be using them (the trails that is, not a machete). Another point to make is that dangerous jungle animals, like the ones below, will also use them at night so best to stick to day time hours unless you want a rumble on your hands when you will be least prepared...

Don't be fooled by the innocent stares, these animals are trained killers....

Movement in jungles can be very tiring, dense undergrowth can make it nearly impossible to cut a path through and is generally very exhausting. Many sharp leaved plants can cut clothing or unprotected hands and the slightest cut can quickly become hideously infected in such humid conditions. Navigation is particularly difficult as a clear view of your surrounding is often impossible, so normal techniques of compass navigation such as taking bearings off terrain features are useless as the dense undergrowth prevents line of sight. Modern technology can help with the use of a GPS, bear in mind these are for the weak who deserve to be ridiculed for their lack of survival skills. Although such systems can help provide accurate navigation in a jungle environment they are not with some major drawbacks. Firstly deep jungle valleys and dense canopy can actually block the system from getting a signal from enough satellites to pin point your position, and secondly most systems rely on batteries, which have a limited life span, which is further reduced in the hot, humid conditions. However trying to obtain the correct batteries from a jungle village would most likely provide the locals with a source of amusement and hopefully a meal of protein rich insects and maybe a way out of the Jungle, so it may be worth it.

Now as I have mentioned a million times before, the Jungle is very wet with many rivers which can be fast flowing and contain harmful parasites or dangerous crocodiles, snakes and poisonous fish (but as we know all HiiRagi minions will laugh in the face of danger!). Bridges are rare and prone to being washed away in flash floods. Heavy rain can produce rapid bank erosion and white water rapids or heavy vegetation can block and slow rivers producing swamps. Most native peoples make use of shallow canoes and use the rivers as the natural highways. When in search of rescue or aid remaining close to a clearly navigable river can be a wise course of action, especially as most settlements will be near such waterways.

Psychologically the jungles constant wall of green and low light levels beneath the canopy can seriously affect motivation and the sounds of the nocturnal animals can also be disturbing for those not used to them. All this said many native peoples around the world have learned to adapt and even thrive in such conditions; the jungle is neutral as the title of one famous book states, meaning that it is not your enemy unless you make it so by battling against it.

So remember don’t fight the Jungle, go with it.

Bento Box Egg Moulds for Breakfast

2011-05-02T16:21:00.001+10:00
It's no secret I love Japanese stuff, particualy food. Lately it has been Bento Boxes, the totally cute lunch boxes with a million gimmicks and yes, as such I have bought quite a few but more on that later. To the matter at hand, I was at a loss to decide what I wanted for breakfast yesterday when my Agent sidekick suggested putting my fabulous, yet unused, bento box goodies to use. Oh yeah! So out came my brand spanking new egg moulds:

Yep, that's right egg moulds in the shape of a bunny and a bear...only in Asia....Anyway, I boiled my two eggs (the sidekick had declared they weren't hungry), one for each mould. Things were getting VERY exciting. Once boiled you crack them open and force...sorry... place the egg into the mould and then pop it into cold water for about 10 minutes and VOILA! Egg mould! I have to say it was pretty easy except when my egg didn't want to go ito the shape of a bunny and had to be... shall we say... persuaded into the process. This resulted in a bit of an explosion out the sides of the mould and a foot stamp. Sidekick decided to be hungry at this stage and took over the bear which just happened to fit perfectly (dammit!) and looked smug. You know when you could just hit someone....

Anyhow, 10 minutes later when all seemed to be working against me, the bunny and bear emerged beautiful!

The bears!

The bunnies!

The only problem was I had to share....

Terrain Training Tuesday: The Jungle Part 4

2011-04-26T12:08:00.001+10:00
Apparently hunting techniques like stalking and spearing, using a sling or a homemade blow gun are passed down for generations in native tribes and are very difficult to master (unless you are a minion of HiiRagi, I say), leading to wasted energy and no food. However, you can't keep meat fresh for very long either so if you go around killing big game, you will have to gorge yourself on it too, which while appealing, will reduce your chances of out running your enemies should you have to.. All in all your energy is better spent fishing than hunting.

So we’re going to go fishing in the Jungle! Wait. Is not the Jungle home to the vicious and predatory Piranha? Why yes it is, but do not fear minions, they're edible and as a minion of HiiRagi you will show no fear! However they don't really have much meat on them, so unfortunately to catch them is more of a challenge than a survival skill. Despite their reputation, piranhas don't really bother humans, but avoid getting into the water if you have an open wound -- they're attracted to the scent of blood and girls in white bikinis...

You have a survival kit with some fishing gear, but in the occasion that you don’t (I’m thinking you have had your arm ripped off that was holding it) spear fishing is probably your best bet. Bamboo (the multi-purpose timber) is plentiful in the jungle and makes a great spear. After you find a 2 metre piece of bamboo:

• make two intersecting crosscuts at one end about 15 cm deep, creating four prongs.

• separate the prongs by wedging vine into the crevices (how survival god is this?!).

• sharpen the prongs with a knife, sharp rock or that huge machete you just happen to include in your survival kit.

Just like that, you have a four-pronged fishing spear. Now comes the tricky part -- spearing the fish. Once you're at the river or stream, find a rock to stand on or wade into knee-deep water. Move slowly and deliberately to avoid scaring away the fish. Hold the spear with both hands, with the sharp end a couple of feet from the surface. This allows you to strike fast when you see your prey. Once you spot a fish, stand still and wait for it to swim close to you. Once it's within range, jab quickly and forcefully and try to pin the fish either on a rock or the bed of the stream. Just remember that practice makes perfect. You may not land one on your first go-round, but keep at it and you'll eventually get the hang of it.

So spear little minions! Spear your little hearts out and feast upon the little fishies!

Terrain Training Tuesday: The Jungle Part 3

2011-04-19T15:18:00.000+10:00
Now weather in the jungle is harsh, and the one thing that you will get is lot’s and lot’s of rain. As a result the jungle is lush, full of greenery teaming with life. A quick fact is that jungles cover only 2% of the Earth’s surface but they account for 50% of all plants and animals. Now, all that life makes it both easier and more difficult to survive in the jungle. Because jungles are so wet, collecting rainwater is probably the easiest part of survival. Leaves on the rainforest floor are large because of the limited amount of sunlight they get. Large leaves are useful in collecting dew and rainwater. If you have a container to store water such as a plastic bag (which should be in your survival kit) or container, simply angle a leaf into it overnight or during a rainstorm and you have some fresh drinking water in no time. Fear not if it tastes a little funny, it's because rainwater lacks certain minerals found in groundwater or streams. IF it bothers you a lot and you have the spare time, make a homemade filter:

Even better is if you can find a running water source. Animals need water, so look for wildlife or animal tracks to lead you to a stream. If you find a stream, don't just start drinking; it could contain parasites that can make you seriously ill. You should purify the water by boiling it over a fire --10 minutes is a good rule of thumb. Either that or if with other people hold off and either let someone else or goad your most challenging opponent into drinking it first and then just sit back and wait. Diabolical no?

Green bamboo has clear and odorless water inside it that you can drink. To access it, bend the top of a tree down about a foot off the ground and tie it off. Cut a few inches off the tip, put a container underneath and leave it overnight. The next day, you should have some drinkable water.

Now besides water, the other thing you'll need to survive in the jungle is food. Your dining choices will largely revolve around edible plants, fruit, insects and fish. It can be a bit hard trying to figure out the edible and non edible, especially once you run out of human guinea pigs, however you can follow these general rules when foraging for plants:

• Avoid plants with white or yellow berries.

• Don't eat mushrooms. Some are safe, but many are highly toxic and even deadly, so it's probably not worth the risk.

• Avoid plants with thorns.

• If it tastes bitter or soapy, spit it out.

• Steer clear of shiny leaves.

• Stay away from plants with leaves in groups of three.

• Stay away from plants with umbrella-shaped flowers.

• Avoid beans or plants with seeds inside a pod.

• Milky or discolored sap is a warning sign.

• Avoid anything with an almond smell.

ooooo...pretty mushrooms.....

Fruit can be found throughout the jungle. Depending on where you are, you can find everything from mangoes and bananas to coconuts to wild yams and sugarcane.

Insects are another good source of protein. Unfortunately, there isn't a dead giveaway to tell if a bug is edible unless you know what you're doing. But there are some general guidelines you can use to help you decide:

• Steer clear of brightly colored insects.

• Avoid insects that are extremely pungent.

• Don't eat hairy critters or bugs that bite or sting.

ok, this one's a no no

Worms, grubs and termites are everywhere in the jungle and are all a great protein source. If you had fresh water, you could survive for months on insects alone. Beetles can also make for a hearty meal, but some carry parasites. A good way to make sure you're safe is to cook it. A good boiling or slow roast will usually negate the effect of harmful toxins.

yum yum yum! Open wide, here comes the HUGE protein filled insect!

So what if you want something with a bit more substance and cool hunting style? Stay tuned for next week when we find out how to make a spear Lord of the Flies style....

Exciting new geek project: Tiger Tank!

2011-04-18T15:27:00.000+10:00
I'm weak when it comes to military stuff, recently my new infatuation is models. Recent purchases have included a Soviet MIG 3 aircraft, a Spitfire and a Reconnaisance motorbike (bought for me by my awesome human sidekick Agent Rubix Digitales Hamster Slide...hmmmm....I think we'll just call him 'Agent' from now on). Anyway as I innocently watched TV one night there advertisied before my very eyes 'Make your own Tiger Tank!' and so the hunt was on, I trawled newsagencies looking for this great thing advertised at only $1.50 and was rewarded with this:

The whole kit and caboodle! I have to admit I haven't watched the DVD yet, I prefer to wing it using my own miltary genius...

Yep, that's what I am making. Interestingly for a geek like me the Tiger Tank is German and was also called the Acht-Acht, which bears a more than close comparison to the At-At from the Return of the Jedi and we all know how much Lucas and Speilberg hated the Nazis. A coincidence? I don't think so (and so you get an insight into my own minds diabolical workings...)

Anyway, conspiracies aside the first part to make was the 88mm gun and hey presto! One glass of wine, 2 minutes later done!  I can totally do this, sure I've never made a model before (I prefer real size with arsenal ready), and sure there are 50 billion pieces to the whole thing and I already have numerous half finished projects around me but hey...this one I'm going to finish.

Stay tuned and we'll see how I go...

Terrain Training Tuesday: The Jungle Part 2

2011-04-12T18:12:00.001+10:00
So, as we ended last week, the best shelter is definitely off the ground. Even if you are not building a shelter or can only build on the ground, ensure your bed is. Depending upon the type of jungle you are in will dictate your materials. Bamboo is awesome and gives a sophisticated Asian look but other branches will work just as well to make a pole bed. Vines can be swung on in true Tarzan style, then pulled down as they are useful for construction too.

How to make a pole bed:

• Look for four trees clustered in a rectangle, or cut four poles (bamboo is ideal) and drive them firmly into the ground so they form a rectangle. They should be far enough apart and strong enough to support your height and weight.

• Cut two poles that span the width of the rectangle. They, too, must be strong enough to support your weight.

• Secure these two poles to the trees (or poles). Be sure they are high enough above the ground.

• Cut additional poles that span the rectangle's length. Lay them across the two side poles, and secure them.

• Cover the top of the bed frame with broad leaves or grass to form a soft sleeping surface.

Source: http://www.wilderness-survival.net/shelters-2.php

Once your pole bed is made, the easiest shelter to make is a simple A frame shelter where you tie a rope from one tree or pole to another and throw your tarpaulin/parachute/poncho over it and secure each corner with a sharp stick. The biggest mistake people make when erecting a shelter is making it too big. Most shelters only need to keep you dry and ensure not too much body heat escapes. If you brought your mosquito net put that up too or cover yourself with it, otherwise apply the insect repellent or make a smokey fire and hope for the best.

For lazy minions who can’t be bothered or if you are just sheltering for the night, just make a hammock using any material you have and tying it between two trees.

The same goes for if you don’t have enough material to make an A frame shelter, just make it into a one sided lean to, this style is easier for observation anyway. It all depends upon how long you are going to stay put and how much energy you want to put into it and if there are others who can watch and be impressed with your skills. If you assert your dominance early, the others may actually follow you orders and make it for you, then you are truly on the path of success with minions of your own.

Next week, we look for water and food...

Bitbots

2011-04-08T15:47:00.001+10:00

How cool is this?!

This great print is by UK-based Bitbots toys, which was started by Jats Gill, a London based designer who has been an avid toy collector for many years and one day decided to channel his creativity to create Bitbots and Jinny who is the character included in this prints. This print is illustrated by Anthony Lamb, who does alot of Dr Who artwork. There are 3 prints in total. Look for them at http://www.bitbots.co.uk/.

Have a good weekend!

Terrain Training Tuesday: Welcome to the Jungle Part 1

2011-04-05T09:33:00.000+10:00

HiiRagi minions should train themselves to survive and fight in almost any terrain. The type of terrain will dictate the most important things to carry and how you have to operate in each environment. For Unit 1, all I can say is (cue the Guns ’n’ Roses) “Welcome to the Jungle”.

The Jungle. A heaving, sweaty, humid mass of insects, plants and animals just waiting to either poison you, trap you or eat you. The jungles of Malaysia and the Far East, if you work with it, are fairly good, when you get into the jungles of South America however, it’s another matter. Both types of jungles are full of dangers and inconveniences.

Survival Kit Top-up: Make sure you pack some salt (leeches are rampant), insect repellent and this may also be the time to pull out the machete (hurrah!). Another worthwhile addition is a larger sealable plastic bag to try to keep at least one set of clothes dry (the Jungle is a wet, wet, wet place).

Rightio then, firstly the best thing to do is to keep calm, this applies to any situation. Remember to breath, at least look like you are in control and squint your eyes occasionally while picking up dirt and sniffing it. This facade makes it much easier to dominate groups and you look cool and dangerous to know: think Arnie and his crew in ‘Predator’.

In the Jungle however, with its clinging plants, it is easy to become enmeshed and panic but stay mellow and just remove the offending vines. Watch out for snakes, spiders, ants and the like but don’t fret too much, mind your own business and they will generally mind theirs (Tip: always check your shoes before you put them on just to be on the safe side). On the off chance you do get bitten make sure you can identify the creature so its toxicity can be determined should you make it to a hospital, otherwise cut the wound and suck out the poison like the brave minion you are (that will make a great story on your triumphant return to civilisation, should you survive).

So with that bit out of the way, you find yourself lost in the Jungle: what do you do first? Build yourself a base camp of course! With the bountiful resources the Jungle provides you shouldn’t have a lack of building materials. What you will need to look out for is:

• The presence of nearby food and water

• Stable ground away from swamps, or infected areas

• Protection from danger, such as rotting or falling trees, wild animals and the like.

Given the amount of creepy crawlies on the ground, the best type of shelter will be a raised shelter, but more on that next week.

Tom Gauld

2011-04-04T13:11:00.002+10:00
Tom Gauld is a London based cartoonist and illustrator. He draws a weekly cartoon for the Guardian newspaper and has created a number of comic books, my favourite being The Gigantic Robot, a beautiful story of an impressive secret weapon whose promise goes unfulfilled (see the beautiful images below and if you want to buy it you can at his website). He has also illustrated a number of books, including a version of The Iron Giant.

More images here

One if the main things I like about Toms work is that he aims to communicate his idea as simply and directly as possible. Even when a lot of detail is included he tries to make everything clear and understandable, which is helped by his comics and the combination of words and images. And he's funny.

In 2001 he started small-press publishing venture 'Cabanon Press' with Simone Lia while studying at the Royal College of Art. They set up http://www.cabanonpress.com/ and have published a number of books including 'First', 'Second', 'Three Very Small Comics' (which includes Tom's Art of War series) and 'Fluffy' (which is by Simone Lia and is hilarious but I will feature her later).

So check Tom Gauld out, he’s great!

March Sketchbook

2011-03-31T11:28:00.001+11:00

I've been trying to spend more time drawing and developing ideas these days so here are a few images from my Sketchbook over March, yes, beginning with a dirigible....Being obsessive is a key criteria to ruling the world....

This is just a littel sketch of Recon drawing on a wall, yeah, he's so street...

This is a draft of a maze puzzle that may be included in an Activity and Colouring In book I am currently working on. I'm trying to make it look like pipes. And don't ruin it by trying to solve it now! Bad Minions!

This is a ideas draft of what I'm thinking of sending to Seattle for the exhibition later in the year. I like this, maybe I should move into toy accessories next?

Terrain Training Tuesday: Packing your Survival Kit

2011-03-29T13:01:00.000+11:00
The final in our Survival Kit series looks at different terrains. Survival Kits for different operational areas should be dictated by the importance of items, for example if you are in the Desert your Survival Kit should reflect the priorities of water collection and navigation. In the Arctic items that produce warmth, shelter and maybe an extra fishing kit should be included.

We will go into these terrains in more detail later when we start on the actual locations but the important thing to remember is every time you embark on an activity or operation that may result in a survival situation, always take your kit with you. I take mine everywhere just in case... If you think you are going to be captured, try to conceal individual items about your body (yes, even there...we've all seen Border Security) and clothing, if you have anything incriminating hide it on someone else...as a HiiRagi minion you can never be too prepared...

Next week, get the insect repellent ready ‘cause we head into the jungles...

Made it Blog

2011-03-28T10:50:00.001+11:00

Just a quick note to say that the lovely Bec from Made it came down to Hobart on a mission and discover HiiRagi (along with some other handmade crafts) at the Salamanca Market! Check it here.

Terrain Training Tuesday: Building your Survival Kit Part 3

2011-03-22T09:01:00.001+11:00
Part 3 begins with one of my favourite items of all time, the Compass (so important it gets a capital). These come in all shapes and sizes, it’s up to you. I have a little button compass that fits onto my watch band, that way it will never get lost and neither will I. It's a beautiful thing.

The kit gets a bit exciting here...with the introduction of wire. Not just any wire but a wire saw. A good quality wire saw can go through wood, bone, iron, almost anything but it must have at least 8 strands of wire to be effective. In addition to this get about 3 metres of brass wire so you can make snares (Snares! How cool is that?!)

To go with all this you are going to need to be able to cut stuff. A Rambo knife may seem impressive (and that’s because it is), but a Swiss army knife is better and has all the added extras.... sorry... maybe chuck some razor blades in to make yourself feel better, these have lots of uses including gutting fish and can be magnetised and used as an improvised Compass.

Yep, it's a difficult decision....

Now, like the farmer with his twine, the survival expert is never without his parachute cord and fishing tackle. Parachute cord is extremely strong, with a breaking strain of 250 kilo, the outer layer is braided over a stranded inner layer of thinner cord. A basic fishing tackle means line, hooks and swivels, and sinkers. A float can be improvised with a cork. Then this cork, when charred, can double up to provide face and hand camouflage – useful when hunting and totally Rambo for those who feel they were compromised by the knife choice.

credit
Yep, the man himself...headband is optional.
So that’s about it really...for those who want to go for the more premier Survival Kit I would recommend adding water purification tablets, flares and a mini survival medical kit. Actually you should have the mini medical kit regardless...well, at leaset some bandaids, nothing sucks more than cutting yourself and not having any bandaids... and you never know who or what will be attracted by the smell of your blood...

One amusing thing I found when looking into Survival Kits was on a US site (of course) that listed packing your medication as one of the most important things to remember. Hmmm, I think there’s something in that for all of us...

Next week, packing your kit for different terrains.

Time Wasting

2011-03-17T18:57:00.000+11:00
I can really waste time. Yep, for the past two hours I could have been drawing or making new little flyers to hand out at the market or even finishing those half made bunnies with no feet that stare at me but no, aimlessly I search the net for nothing in particular and finding only this to share with the world:

I swear that there is a seperate time zone you enter surfing the net. The image IS kinda cool though....I guess it reminds me of the Berserkers....or me on my way to my Salamanca Market stall first thing in the morning before my egg and bacon roll...

Terrain Training Tuesday: Building a Survival Kit Part 2

2011-03-15T14:11:00.002+11:00
So after last week's exciting introduction we now look at what goes into our Survival Kits. Well, first should be matches, preferably waterproof or packed into a watertight container like a Gladbag. There actually are special matches that when lit will stay alight for 12 seconds, even underwater (how MacGuyver of them...) but they are a bit pricey so it’s up to you.

Secondly, you should probably get a flint and steel firelighter, a dependable source of fire (once all the matches have run out) in all types of weather.

The next item may seem a little weird but rumour has it that tampons provide the best tinder for lighting a fire. The idea is basic. By striking the steel against the flint, you can send sparks into a bed of tinder (in this case a tampon’s insides), which will hopefully ignite into flames. Ta Daaaaa. Fire.

Candles aren’t windproof but they can give you up to some light and if you want a dual purpose item get one made from 100% stearine (solidified edible animal fats) so that it can also be used for an emergency food source (I recommend only doing that if you’re about to die though despite the image below...).

Now, that’s all the fire stuff dealt with, next we move onto condoms. The condom is a highly valuable survival item, mainly as a water carrier. When fully extended (!) to the length of 30cm condoms have a water capacity of 1.5 litres. Note that it has to be filled, you can’t just dip it into the water and support the weight using a sock or a shirt sleeve. Garbage bags are also great for collecting water and they can be used as a raincoat or as a waterproof shelter.

Another multi faceted survival kit item is the humble sewing needle. Not just for stitching, it can also be magnetised and improvised as a compass pointer (more on that later). The best needles are larger in size about two inches long and robust enough to sew heavy materials such as animal skins or other such materials. I personally like to make myself a Survival Headdress, it adds to the drama and others subconciously look to you as their King/Queen without even realising it! And it looks awesome (see below)!

And for those wishing to exert their dominance over a group, a mighty Codpiece (ala ‘Blackadder’) is recommended.

Nothing says 'I Rule' like a giant codpiece. As you can see in the image above, it is most effective and size DOES matter. Watch as others quiver with excitement as you strut around the survival area. Caution: being the alpha leader means others will want to potentially mate with or challenge you, you must be on your guard at all times.

Next week, more Survival items but I leave with a HiiRagi Discussion Topic: Headdress or codpiece? Which do you think is more effective in asserting dominance?

Commando

2011-03-14T10:24:00.000+11:00

From here