To boldly go where no MINIon has go before…  I mentioned that there were two MINIon numbers that I wanted, one was MINIon #1138 which found a much more appropriate home, and the other was MINIon #1701.  NCC-1701 being the registry number for the starship Enterprise.  For those who do not know the significance of wearing a red shirt on the original Star Trek let’s just put it this way- it meant you weren’t going to be around for the next episode.  Years ago ANOVOS started making their screen accurate uniform tunics from Star Trek, while I really couldn’t afford one, I bought one- the style was an “Ensign Ricky” or the guy who won’t be beaming back to the ship.  As a public school teacher I have always felt that I was “expendable” so it fit.  I’ve even been known to wear my red Star Trek tie to meetings at our district’s admin building.  It did not end up on my Roadster for MTTS, it actually ended up on the bus, because sadly, the people putting on the show deserved a badge, and they put their lives on the line for us every day- #1701 seemed appropriate.

Sometimes the best laid plans of mice, go terribly wrong.  While making MINIon badges I ended up with two people requesting 0013, so, being a good MINIon one changed their number to 1313 which worked out great.  So I designed what I thought was a wonderful FrankenMINIon (you’ll see it later) and thought I was done. Not quite, sometimes you hit it out of the ballpark and other times you get a 7 -10 split.  This was one of those times. While many would marvel in the fourth Doctor’s scarf, some MINI fans would say “Wow!  that’s a great Paul Smith design, kinda like the classic Mini he did” Either way, MINIon 1313 was happy with the end results.

There were a bunch of MINIon numbers I wanted to reserve just for me.  I had to remind myself that even though we are a three MINI (Mini) family, that the MINIon # is not for the car, but for the person. So I only get one.  I thought about it a lot, and decided on one of two numbers- #1138 was one of them. One of the biggest geek questions out there is “Star Wars or Star Trek?” It’s a question that tears at the fabric of geek culture.  For me it’s been hard to decide since both hold a very important part of my growing up.  I remember walking around at recess in elementary school reading the Star Fleet Technical Manual.  In middle school the first book I consciously picked up and read without prompting was “Splinter of the Mind’s Eye” one of the first Star Wars spin off novel. I loved both franchises. So having MINIon #1138 made sense.  Until I became friends with the real MINIon #1138.  They had not requested a number, so when I finished with this one I recalled being on the Dragon (which falls on Free Comic Book Day) and driving to a Comic Shop in Sylva, North Carolina with this MINIon.  Along the route we get passed by a ginormous pick up truck that then slows down to take pictures.  It then pulls over to take more pictures… This was strange, but not really, it happens sometimes when a bunch of MINIs are driving in the required conga line.  We get to the comic shop and there’s the truck again. It seems that the local chapter of the 501st were visiting the comic shop and that’s when things got awesome and these guys all gathered around for photo ops.  You see, the MINI MINIon #1138 was driving is black… solid black, but the important part is it has a graphic on the side window of Darth Vader, and (since most MINI owners name their MINI) it goes by the name “Darth Cooper.”  SO while I drew this one for me, I knew it wasn’t meant to be mine, there was a worthier MINIon for such a lofty and important number.  If you don’t know the significance of 1138 to George Lucas & Star Wars- I’m sorry for you.

Some people request a MINIon while on the road, and there’s a story to go along with it.  You see MINIon #1122 drove a cab along the MTTS 2014 route.  They even took Cecil for a ride for a day- All he says about the day is “What happens in the cab, stays in the cab.” That said when asking about what I should do for a design- I was thinking a taxi driver (more from the TV show “Taxi” than the film “Taxi Driver”), but then I was instructed that I needed to make the MINIon blue… “Blue?” I asked.  “Yes, blue.” this request did not come from MINIon #1122.  You see when you are on MTTS the folks who plan the trip try to put in at least one night off.  So the people running MTTS and the people on MTTS can catch their breaths.  As someone described MTTS as “kind of like running a marathon.” In 2014 the break was in Lubbock, Texas and the instead of having a break many people had planned other things, we went to the Drive-In. MINIon #1122, rumor has it, did laundry and from what I understand ended up with a lot of clothes in various shades of blue.

After a trip like MINI Takes The States the demand increased for people who wanted badges.  I started school and going back to a classroom after two years of being on “Special Assignment” has taken a lot out of me.  As I returned I still needed to draw (I like to say it keeps me out of Arkham) so as time permitted I would doodle a few and get them finished.  My rule was “Ask me once and be patient” if a person was overly demanding, I just ignored their request.  “lalalalala- I don’t hear you!” Not to be mean or evil, but just because a friend of mine who is an artist talked to me once about how artists are like the golden goose, they have something that everyone wants and they want it for free.  If you are a friend I don’t charge you for my artwork, I doodle something and give it to you.  I know it’s a horrible way to monetize my drawing ability, but to me it’s something I do.  It may be hard for you, but it comes easy to me.  I choose to do it that way, and I might change my mind sometime, but for now I like the way it works.  As I have told people before, I draw because I like to… once it becomes a job, I stop. MINIon #1010 has nothing to do with all that grumbling about demanding people.  Actually, this once was fairly easy since before monkeys, I drew dragons.  I started drawing dragons when I was in high school, I was just doodling in Art class one day and the design kind of stuck with me.  so I can draw a dragon rather quickly after decades of practice.  Combining the dragon and the monkey was just a bit of a challenge, but more like a brain teaser.  After you’ve drawn something so many times it not only becomes second nature, but also can see it in my head in 3 dimensions.  I know I’ve got a design down, when I can sculpt it out of clay, and then no matter how I want to draw it I can.  So MINIon#1010, who I have know long before I owned a MINI, wanted something with a dragon… and it was done. This one still hasn’t been made, but I’m sure I’ll see it in 2016.

“Car 54, Where are you?” For this one it required a little research, as I tried to make sure that I could capture a Police Dispatcher (with a fez). I remember first meeting MINIon #0943 in 2006 just outside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at MINI Takes The States 2006.  I would say “I remember running into them” but I didn’t, that was someone else.  The crazy thing is these people had just had someone hit the driver’s side door of their MINI and they were smiling a joking about it.  We actually all sat around in a parking lot, signing the door!  Oh, the MINI was still drivable, and they continued on.  Since then we figuratively run into each other at MINI events, and once again, due to my schedule I was unable to see them in 2014.  As far as I know they still have that MINI and also have a Clubman- coffee colored because police dispatchers like their coffee!

Like yesterday’s badge, I had several badges actually made so I could catch anyone who I might have missed, or people who joined our merry band during the trip (it happens all the time).  This was one of those badges.  As I have said before I warm up before doing any serious drawing with a series of doodles, to loosen up my arm and get ready for some serious monkey business.  This one is based on the the Viking raids of England (787 AD) and the infamous Ulfberht, a viking sword of renown. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXbLyVpWsVM Yes, I know vikings didn’t wear horns on their helmets… vikings weren’t monkeys either.

The one that was never made!  I drew this one out, including details on the robe for a unknown monkey themed house at Hogwarts, but for some strange reason this one, as far as I know, was never made into a badge, and therefore never given to anyone… If I’m wrong, please let me know.

While finishing up the process I made a badge for some old friends (they will come up later) and afterwards I ended up getting some emails from people asking for badges.  I replied with “Thank you… glad you like my work… badges are only for a select group… if I have any spare time I’ll see what I can do.” Basically, “Sorry, but No.”  SO I actually did do the badges- and used the excuse of these were warm ups.  Just like anything you warm up before you get to serious drawing, little doodles that you toss.  I took a few of those to a finished state, and this was one of them. I don’t know much about MINIon #0727,  the email I received was of a personal nature helping me to figure out what to draw, but I don’t feel right sharing it. You might be able to guess at some of it through the clues in the badge. I was able to see their MINI at a gas station in Nevada.  I never actually saw them, but I recognized the badge.  I don’t feel right coming up to someone and introducing myself “Hey! I drew that!”

I tried to exemplify a MINI convertible owner with this one… in fact I think this was the first one I had drawn with a full on smile (which then led to other people asking why their MINIon wasn’t smiling).  As I’ve said many people said “just draw whatever!” which puts me into a bit of a bind, what if they don’t like it?  If the request is hyper-detailed it becomes work, but when you are trying to capture someone in a drawing of a monkey, so many things could go wrong.  So I decided that I rarely see MINIon #0714 without a smile, I would make the skin tone a little more tan, and when you drive a convertible you better have sunglasses. MINIon #0714 (I still think they chose that number so they would be one higher than #0713) was part of the group we met in England at MINI United, and since then has been an active part of the MINIons.  Always willing to lend a helping hand Sue actually drove with MINIon #0714 for part of MINI Takes The States 2014 after I had to head home for the start of school.