The Ayin Es Characters

Dan: Dan originally appeared in my sketchbook one day when I was very sad. But then he cheered me up! He was just a simple animal, neither a cat nor a dog, a bear nor a horse. In fact, he had a seam down his middle so I thought he could very well be two people in an animal suit. "non-descript animal," I thought. So I switched those letters around a bit and named him "Dan." Learn more about Dan.

Moppet: This is Moppet in their most simplest form: curved feet and hands, a ruffled collar and a little white dress. They pretty much represent yours truly as a metaphor for my dopiest self. Moppet is not the sharpest pencil in the box, but they are curious and brave. They are not as melodramatic as I am in my "real life" because they are simply an actor who plays the roles I give them in whatever artwork I provide. They are secretly happier than I am because they prefer cheerful backgrounds loaded with colorful candycanes, gum, and something called "fun."

Calvin: You will always find Calvin working, as he is a meticulous workaholic - cutting garment patterns to be manufactured in a large apparel industry that no longer exists. He doesn't care though because time is money and money is time. Calvin is my dad and he grew up during the Great Depression and fought in WWII. He may look like a dork, but he was kinda a badass in some ways. Calvin has had the same blue jeans since 1970 and he mends them himself when the crotch blows out. He's also partial to a red sweatshirt and Florsheim zipper boots. Calvin has lost much of his hair, but he still has two thick ones that he combs over to hide his gaping bald spot.

Inez: Poor Inez is always depressed. She has also has severe bipolar disorder, but she is functional enough to work as an executive secretary at the Smurf factory. She makes sure her outfits are very fashion-forward and wears heels that match the exact colors to her accessories. And God forbid she wear the same thing twice. Inez is my mom and her favorite hobby is not just shopping, but shoplifting. She will take a 46-inch television set right out of a Macy's store in plain sight and will even get an employee to help her with the door. No one would ever suspect her because her hair and nails were so perfectly done.

Shammy: Shammy was my parents' dog and he lived on nothing but cooked bacon, pulled pork, and American cheese slices. He was a very special dog. He was walked several times an hour and groomed constantly. He owned several beds throughout the house, and was complimented daily. My parents treated that dog better than they treated their own children despite the fact that Shammy was peeing all over their condo for years. He could do no wrong.

Yuddy: Representing a spiritual explorer, Yuddy is a symbolic character that is featured in the six-minute movie, Up To Now where he morphs from Moppet into this giraffe-like thing with a head like a yud, which is the Hebrew letter that represents, in a nutshell, The Infinite Point. This "point" is the spark of G-d's infinite light to make a place for creation within a single void. Thus the yud has the power to contain the infinite. Pretty cool, eh? I learned that studying Kabbalah, and Yuddy is me, or Moppet, as a student of Kabbalah.