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Featured Essay / Art
A Theology of Woodworking: The Creative Joy of Oak
I would like to introduce you to the newest member of our furniture family: a mid-sized oak bookcase. And more importantly, of course, I would like to introduce you to the theology behind it. A Bit About the Case The bookcase is built from white oak, which I purchased from…
Avant-Garde Essays
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Teddybärkampf
At the top of a steep green hill, we see a momentary lull in the eternal battle for the teddy bear. The tall purple knight represents the Bearhead Clan, known for the severity of their discipline, the unornamented armor, and their total devotion to the
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Piano Lesson
With this image, our accomplished 6-year old artist, fully capable of illustrating chivalrous derring-do on the grand scale, intentionally curtails his normal rendering style. He sets aside the conventions of detailed description and gestural representation, and opts for a simpler, looser style. Why, you might
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Shot Blocked
The marks on the left could be read as railroad tracks converging at a distant vanishing point, but they are in fact the goal net. This young goalie has all the right moves, not even condescending to use his hands in blocking this shot. With
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Rock and Roll!
On a make-shift stage with a pipe-and-drape backdrop, one man plays a portable keyboard while another brandishes a mean microphone. Put your hands together, people, I can’t hear you! (I can’t prove it, but I believe this is a drawing of worship leader Walt and
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Cordial Salutations of Domestic Felicitation
Mr. Bird returns from a morning of hunting and gathering, descending with a dramatic flourish and imposing wingspread. He has a wild look in his eye, and a few unkempt feathers that could use a good kemping. Though his beak remains tightly closed, he shouts
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Peaceful Coexistence
This golden banner signifies that cats and birds can live together in harmony. At the world-famous cat theme park Meowsyland, the cats all promised not to eat the birds, instead hosting the first annual Bird Tuesday.
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Knock Knock
Who’s there? Knight. Knight who? Knight who’s gesturing menacingly with a sword at the wooden drawbridge of your tiny stronghold with its shield decorations flanking a smoking torch with billowing smoke that drifts off toward the banner of my approaching army. Get it? Is that
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History, Schmistory: Let's Fight!
Freddy age 6 has crossed a line with adventure stories. Knights still dominate, of course, but now they are permitted to come into contact — and, as you can see here, into conflict — with vikings, as well as pirates, the police, and an occasional
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Tournament Joust
It’s the Blue Knight vs. the Yellow Knight in a jousting match. Normally the victor is determined by whose lance breaks into splinters, signifying that they have struck a mighty blow against their opponent’s breastplate or shield. But in this case, the blue knight has
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Altered Photo Scandal at Middlebrow
The editorial staff at Middlebrow regrets to inform our readers that a picture published here recently does not meet our own high journalistic standards. We are issuing a retraction and correction of that image and are currently investigating our policies for accepting images from freelance
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