As I keep doing this (somewhere around 156 MINIon Badges so far) people have asked me about the significance of the MINIon number… “Do all the numbers actually mean something?” The answer is “Yes.” In some cases, I have no idea because the MINIon has been drawn for a specific person, and they gave me the number. It has meaning for them, and that’s all that matters. As for the rest, each number is related to the actual MINIon. Which has started to become a more difficult task than drawing the monkey. Today’s MINIon is a pretty good example.
From that bastion of knowledge known only as “Wikipedia”:
John Nelson, a Swedish immigrant to the United States, patented the sock-knitting machine in 1868, and began knitting socks on an automatic machine Rockford, Illinois as early as 1870. On September 15, 1880, the Nelson Knitting Company formed, producing the “Celebrated Rockford Seamless Hosiery,” selling them under the name of the “Nelson Sock.” The iconic sock monkeys made from red-heeled socks, known today as the Rockford Red Heel, emerged at the earliest in 1932, the year the Nelson Knitting Company added the trademarked red heel to its product. In the early years, the red-heeled sock was marketed as “De-Tec-Tip”. Nelson Knitting was an innovator in the mass market work sock field, creating a loom that enabled socks to be manufactured without seams in the heel. These seamless work socks were so popular that the market was soon flooded with imitators, and socks of this type were known under the generic term “Rockfords”. Nelson Knitting added the red heel “De-Tec-Tip” to assure its customers that they were buying “original Rockfords”. This red heel gave the monkeys their distinctive mouth. During the Great Depression, American crafters first made sock monkeys out of worn-out Rockford Red Heel Socks.
In 1955, Nelson Knitting was awarded the patent for the sock monkey doll. Events leading up to this included Helen Cooke of Aurora, Colorado receiving the patent in 1953. However, her patent was proven invalid after she sued a Stanley Levy for selling the dolls when it was discovered that sock monkeys were being made before Cooke received her patent in 1953, such as the doll crafted by Grace Winget of Rockford in 1951. Winget gave the doll to Nelson Knitting as evidence that sock monkeys had been made before 1953, which forced Cooke to give up her lawsuit and transfer the patent for the doll to Nelson Knitting in 1955.
So what number should this MINIon be? 1868- the year John Nelson (no relation) patented his sock-knotting machine? 1880- the year the company was founded? 1953- the year the Sock Monkey was patented was established or was that 1955? or 1932- the year the Nelson Knitting Company started putting red heels on their socks… you know which won. This is what happens with every MINIon, I draw it, and then hope I haven’t used that number before. If I have I look for another number that might work. The Logan’s Run MINIon ended up with two numbers 0029 & 2274, I changed my mind after making one badge… don’t ask me why, I just did, and you’re not the boss of me. 
Latest Comics
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#84. Flashback…
Oct 30, 2009
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#83. Heading to the Track
Oct 28, 2009
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#82. Motortober?!?
Oct 26, 2009
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#81. All Better Now?!
Oct 23, 2009
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#80. Sub-Plans
Oct 21, 2009
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#79. Sick
Oct 19, 2009
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#78. Clown Car
Oct 16, 2009
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#77. Previously… the Grand Finale
Oct 14, 2009
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#76. Previously… Part 6
Oct 12, 2009
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#75. Previously… Part 5
Oct 09, 2009
A Year in MINIons- MINIon #1932
As I keep doing this (somewhere around 156 MINIon Badges so far) people have asked me about the significance of the MINIon number… “Do all the numbers actually mean something?” The answer is “Yes.” In some cases, I have no idea because the MINIon has been drawn for a specific person, and they gave me the number. It has meaning for them, and that’s all that matters. As for the rest, each number is related to the actual MINIon. Which has started to become a more difficult task than drawing the monkey. Today’s MINIon is a pretty good example.
From that bastion of knowledge known only as “Wikipedia”:
John Nelson, a Swedish immigrant to the United States, patented the sock-knitting machine in 1868, and began knitting socks on an automatic machine Rockford, Illinois as early as 1870. On September 15, 1880, the Nelson Knitting Company formed, producing the “Celebrated Rockford Seamless Hosiery,” selling them under the name of the “Nelson Sock.” The iconic sock monkeys made from red-heeled socks, known today as the Rockford Red Heel, emerged at the earliest in 1932, the year the Nelson Knitting Company added the trademarked red heel to its product. In the early years, the red-heeled sock was marketed as “De-Tec-Tip”. Nelson Knitting was an innovator in the mass market work sock field, creating a loom that enabled socks to be manufactured without seams in the heel. These seamless work socks were so popular that the market was soon flooded with imitators, and socks of this type were known under the generic term “Rockfords”. Nelson Knitting added the red heel “De-Tec-Tip” to assure its customers that they were buying “original Rockfords”. This red heel gave the monkeys their distinctive mouth. During the Great Depression, American crafters first made sock monkeys out of worn-out Rockford Red Heel Socks.
In 1955, Nelson Knitting was awarded the patent for the sock monkey doll. Events leading up to this included Helen Cooke of Aurora, Colorado receiving the patent in 1953. However, her patent was proven invalid after she sued a Stanley Levy for selling the dolls when it was discovered that sock monkeys were being made before Cooke received her patent in 1953, such as the doll crafted by Grace Winget of Rockford in 1951. Winget gave the doll to Nelson Knitting as evidence that sock monkeys had been made before 1953, which forced Cooke to give up her lawsuit and transfer the patent for the doll to Nelson Knitting in 1955.
So what number should this MINIon be? 1868- the year John Nelson (no relation) patented his sock-knotting machine? 1880- the year the company was founded? 1953- the year the Sock Monkey was patented was established or was that 1955? or 1932- the year the Nelson Knitting Company started putting red heels on their socks… you know which won. This is what happens with every MINIon, I draw it, and then hope I haven’t used that number before. If I have I look for another number that might work. The Logan’s Run MINIon ended up with two numbers 0029 & 2274, I changed my mind after making one badge… don’t ask me why, I just did, and you’re not the boss of me. A Year in MINIons- MINIon #1974
He’s a lumberjack and he’s OK, he sleeps all night and he works all day.
A Year in MINIons- MINIon #3-5
“Come on, Dover! Move your bloomin’ arse!” Comic Book MOOC- a Quick Update
SmithsonianX: POPX1.1x The Rise of Superheroes and Their Impact on Popular Culture. What was I thinking?!? Take a MOOC at the end of the school year? Yes, it is about a topic I love (comics). Yes, it is going to be fantastic (it’s through the Smithsonian). Yes, it involves some very cool people (Stan something or other is part of the teaching team). Now as they start week 4… yes, week FOUR, I’m finally able to start catching up on my classwork and lectures. I was doing all right with the lectures for the first couple of weeks, but not the classwork. I’m now behind on everything (so instead of working I’m doing a blog entry), but I’m really excited about some things I’ve been working on because of this course.
Let me introduce you to the first idea for “Gizmo Girl”
One of the major pieces (I think, you mean I should have read the syllabus?) for this course is to create your own superhero. I decided that while I love Cecil and the joy he has given me, I needed to try something else, just for comics. So yesterday… yes, yesterday, or maybe it was the day before, the idea hit me. Of course with every idea I kept thinking “How is this different than something I’ve already read?” so I know I’ve been influenced, but I hope in the end this will be originalish.
So, you have Gizmo Girl, who is a technology based superhero. She is the niece of a retired hero (Mr. Gizmo from the comic I did for my classroom). Upon his death she is given a bracelet that she thinks is ordinary but actually gives her access to Mr. Gizmo’s lair, and all his stuff. This includes his vast array of “bugs” little robots that help him thwart crime and have actually been doing most of his job for the past few years as he was getting too old for that kind thing- so know one knows he’s dead, but the bugs are starting to show some wear and tear and it’s time for Mr. Gizmo (or Gizmo Girl) enter the battle against the bad guys. So the comic deals with her life as an elementary school student: homework, testing, teachers, mean girls, parents, etc. It also deals with her life trying to figure out this whole superhero thing, so she’s learning the ropes and then seeing how some of the stuff she learns in school can help her out.
I don’t want to give away too many plot points or spoilers yet, but I’m kinda amazed at how this character & her story are just coming to me without much effort right now. When I’m done with everything I’ll post it here and then you can look for her adventures showing up on My Geek Odyssey and maybe even in comic book form… or at least that’s the plan.
One of the major pieces (I think, you mean I should have read the syllabus?) for this course is to create your own superhero. I decided that while I love Cecil and the joy he has given me, I needed to try something else, just for comics. So yesterday… yes, yesterday, or maybe it was the day before, the idea hit me. Of course with every idea I kept thinking “How is this different than something I’ve already read?” so I know I’ve been influenced, but I hope in the end this will be originalish.
So, you have Gizmo Girl, who is a technology based superhero. She is the niece of a retired hero (Mr. Gizmo from the comic I did for my classroom). Upon his death she is given a bracelet that she thinks is ordinary but actually gives her access to Mr. Gizmo’s lair, and all his stuff. This includes his vast array of “bugs” little robots that help him thwart crime and have actually been doing most of his job for the past few years as he was getting too old for that kind thing- so know one knows he’s dead, but the bugs are starting to show some wear and tear and it’s time for Mr. Gizmo (or Gizmo Girl) enter the battle against the bad guys. So the comic deals with her life as an elementary school student: homework, testing, teachers, mean girls, parents, etc. It also deals with her life trying to figure out this whole superhero thing, so she’s learning the ropes and then seeing how some of the stuff she learns in school can help her out.
I don’t want to give away too many plot points or spoilers yet, but I’m kinda amazed at how this character & her story are just coming to me without much effort right now. When I’m done with everything I’ll post it here and then you can look for her adventures showing up on My Geek Odyssey and maybe even in comic book form… or at least that’s the plan. A Year in MINIons- MINIon #1803
Mmmmm… donuts.
What else can I say? A Year in MINIons- MINIon #7 of 4
Math was never my strong suit… A Year in MINIons- MINIon #3 of 4
You will be Assimulatooked
A Year in MINIons- MINIon #2 of 4
Resistance is ook-tile… A Year in MINIons- MINIon #0029
Happy Last Day!
Today marked the last “official” day of the 2014-15 school year. We are now starting the “off season” and expect excitement as we get closer to not only the new teacher draft, but also training camp and then what looks to be a promising 2015-16 season. Be sure to get ready for the start of the Fantasy School League, where you get to be the principal and select the teaching staff to raise your test scores and show growth with all students. Make sure to check back each week to see how your favorites do on those weekly assessments!
A Year in MINIons- MINIon #1954
Today the Indy Webcomics Group met fro a drawing session. I would have worn my green Mouse Guard shirt, but it was a little cold outside for a Summer day. I decided I would draw a bit, including some changes to characters because… I can. For the record I will not change the MINIons since I suffer from OCD and would want them all in the same style. One of the great things about meeting with a group of other creators is the conversations that happen as you draw. Talks about stuff that I am completely clueless about since it happened long after I joined the real world… it makes me sad, but then again there are the Interwebs to try to discover the cultural relevance of some of the strange stuff people talked about. If you are interested in the comics culture in your area, find a group and start drawing with them- you’ll learn a lot.
Today’s MINIon is basically me doodling at Comic Book University, since I draw with a Prismacolor Verithin Non-photo Blue pencil.