Happy Holidays from the Animating Apothecary!



(c) 1997 The Animating Apothecary

 See the whole first volume! http://www.lulu.com/shop/jim-middleton/uncle-stans-profusely-illustrated-world-no-1/paperback/product-20701680.html

Herbal Pharmacy



(c) 1993 The Animating Apothecary



Nutritional Pharmacy

(c) 1991 The Animating Apothecary

See the whole first volume! http://www.lulu.com/shop/jim-middleton/uncle-stans-profusely-illustrated-world-no-1/paperback/product-20701680.html

2016 - Romney's America

OK, so the "documentary" 2016 Obama's America has been polluting the popcorn at the local cineplexi... wonder what a timeline for a Romney version could look like:

2013
            RoveCorp becomes primary consultant to the Romney Administration
            Oil pipeline break in South Dakota pollutes area aquafers and compromises agriculture in the region for three generations
            Conflicts on the Mexican border prompts a "Shoot on Sight" order for illegal immigrants, now labeled "suspected terrorists"
            Office on Mormon Studies opened, designed to retroactively register deceased Americans as members of the Mormon Church
            Abortion outlawed in US by executive order
            Affordable Health Care Act provisions rescinded before many even can take place - millions of citizens under the age of 25 lose coverage on parents' policies; doughnut hole widens on seniors using the Part D program; pre-existing condition restrictions re-emerge
            No replacement program offered by the Republican Party - discussions referred to committee for more discussion
            Education Reform Act under Education Secretary Newt Gingrich institutes a student janitorial work program with lockdown evening dormatories.
            Cantor-Ryan Budget bill passes, privatizing Social Security and making Medicare a voucher program

2014
            All three branches of government fall under the control of the Republican Party, with the party being renamed The American Party
            Patriot Sedition Act passed, Joe Biden held under house arrest
            Florida peninsula water table rises, causing sewer backup in Limbaugh compound
            War on Iran declared after UN loses its neutral diplomatic status and Iranian diplomats arrested
            Gulf pipeline attempted with second disastrous leak created, the entire Gulf coast a fire hazard
            Pay Equality Act allows for women to earn 75% of a man in a similar job, but allows for a 25% tax break on married female incomes over 200K per year
            Natural Resource Conservation Act places an added tax on private users of wind, water or solar energy
            American Citizenship Act passed - Office of Homeland Security is authorized to revoke citizenship of native-born or naturalized citizens who demonstrate "unpatriotic activity," as in protesting the actions of the US government
            Airlines consolidated and nationalized - and then sold as a single monopoly to Chinese interests
            Broadcast Consolidation Act - makes all networks subsidiaries of FOX news; internet access becomes restricted to Homeland Security-approved and monitored ISPs
            Postal Service suspended; UPS and FedEx are nationalized
            First Food Riots
            Admission charged in larger cities to enter grocery stores, with vouchers used at checkout
            Food used as a military recruiting tool
            No replacement program for affordable healthcare act presented for voting - The American Party continues to defer discussions to committees

2015
            Payroll deductions mandatory to support The American Party
            Fires in Detroit, Tampa, and New Orleans from a combination of oil spills and dismantled infrastructure decimate city size and population
            Patriot Dollars replace Federal Reserve Notes at 50 cents on the old dollar.  Ownership of gold and silver expressly forbidden by citizens.
            Gas prices break the $20/gallon barrier
            Oral Contraception outlawed
            Condom sales require a prescription by American Party approved physicians
            Security concerns prompt the Romney administration to move White House functions to a tunneled compound in Utah
            War declared on Canada over ownership of Yukon territory; Sarah Palin declares herself un-elected provisional governor of the region before armed conflict begins.  Most soldiers sent to the Canadian front keep marching inland and defect once they reach Vancouver.
            No replacement program for affordable healthcare act presented for voting - The American Party continues to defer discussions to committees
           
2016
            Privatized social security and Medicare programs go bankrupt following re-emergence of corrupt practices on unregulated Wall Street.  Most Americans do not hear about the actual cause, only those with illegal reception to BBC broadcasts.  FOX news reports the loss due to "cyber terrorists."
            Elections suspended as War of Armageddon declared
            No replacement program for affordable healthcare act presented for voting - The American Party continues to defer discussions to committees

Sounds like a good 'trailer' can come from this... maybe some animation... some interesting juxtaposition of irrelevant stock footage... could be fun!

 

 

Coming Soon to a T-Shirt Near You

(c) 1987 The Animating Apothecary

...or a coffee mug...
...needs some Photoshop TLC...

Feeling Bearish

(c) 2001 The Animating Apothecary

Illustration compilation at lulu press.  Here's the link:  http://ar.gy/3UB9

Restriction to Three Colors - Black, Yellow and Red

(c) 2000 The Animating Apothecary

(c) 2000 The Animating Apothecary

An experiment in limitations, using density and shading and three total colors.

It's a way to empathize with photographers dealing with two-strip Technicolor in the 1930s.

Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend - A Belated McCay Tribute

Winsor McCay's 145th birthday was yesterday, the 26th of September.  Here is a belated tribute to his "Dreams of a Rarebit Fiend" strip, ca 1988 or so...

(c) 1988 The Animating Apothecary

See the whole first volume! http://www.lulu.com/shop/jim-middleton/uncle-stans-profusely-illustrated-world-no-1/paperback/product-20701680.html

A Day in the Life - Colorized!

Oh the joys of experimentation...

(c) 1999 The Animating Apothecary

Salamander Sketches - from 2001

A trio of test salamander sketches for an art gallery in the northern Mittenstadt.  One of them may have become a t-shirt...


(c) 2001 The Animating Apothecary




(c) 2001 The Animating Apothecary




(c) 2001 The Animating Apothecary



Mrs. Ed - From the 2002 Calendar

Of concern with any woman taking estrogen supplements is the prospect of increased rates of breast cancer.  As this cartoon went into print, the massive estrogen study hoping to demonstrate health improvement among women was abruptly stopped -- when increased breast cancer rates were noted.  Couple that with the lamentable conditions of the perpetually-pregnant horses who serve as the source for many of those estrogens and well, this sketch seemed more prescient than sarcastic... Ah well...

A Day in the Life - 1999

(c) 1999 Animating Apothecary

Homeland Security Helps the Pharmacy Profession



2005 The Animating Apothecary

In the midst of the Bush II administration, it seemed Big Brother wanted to 'help' everywhere....

Inside Joke Cover, ca 1989

MENSA is known for its rowdier moments...the Kalamazoo-Battle Creek chapter published a fanzine-style magazine during the late 1980s called Inside Joke -- and I was asked to create a cover for its edition #69.  Not certain whether all of the Inside Jokes were completely gotten that time around.

Why There Are Few Real "New" Drugs

(c) 2003 Animating Apothecary/Jim Middleton



(c) 2003 The Animating Apothecary/Jim Middleton

Ghosts on Mackinac Island?

Upon closer examination of some photographs taken on Mackinac Island this past summer, there was something appearing at the right of the image.  Thought it worth sharing...

Seemed interesting...

The FDA Steps Up to Control Narcotic Deaths -- well....

Annual deaths associated with acetaminophen toxicity run about 450 per year.  In 2007, over 11,500 died from hydrocodone toxicity.  Vicodin, Norco, and Lorcet are all combinations of hydrocodone and acetaminophen and are not only heavily abused, but are also implicated in greater numbers of 'accidental deaths' (meaning, abusers who don't make the statistic are accidentally living) each year.
The FDA's response - restrict the amount of acetaminophen in each tablet!
The corporate response?  Abbott, now owners of the Vicodin 'brand' stepped up and made a change in their formulation - no more than 300mg of acetaminophen per tablet (they had allowed up to 750mg per tablet before).  This makes a 'new drug' according to the FDA (a tactic employed by the makers of Tussionex cough syrup for years), and makes previously available 'generics' for 'brand name' Vicodin no longer 'equivalent.'
So a generic company stepped up, got the first approval for a 'generic' and lo - another example of the FDA helping contribute to the rising expense of health care!

The wholesale price of $148.27 is for 100 tablets of this 'generic' for the 'reformulated' Vicodin ES.  Pharmacies could buy a LOT of the old generic, hydrocodone 7.5mg/acetaminophen 750mg for the same price.

2003 Flashback - Dubya's Health Care Plan

So much talk about Obama/O'Romneycare these days...what would that stellar intellect of just one administration ago have come up with?  Oh the possibilities, the possibilites...


(c) 2003 Jim Middleton The Animating Apothecary

Presidential Morphing - Test 1

Every few months I dust off this project called "Political Asylum" and render out some background elements.  This time the early US Presidents get a working over.... (note from 23 June 2025 - FINALLY FINISHED IT!  https://vimeo.com/856397514 

Wastewater Treatment Project ca 2009

The challenge here was getting information about the final required render.  Three years out and I'm not sure if it has gotten much theatrical play!  Oh budgets!