Branded for Cooperstown! Goodbye Barry.

Wow! The votes are in and the people have spoken! On September 15th, Mark Ecko, who purchased the Barry Bonds 756 Home Run Record baseball for $752,467, held an 8 day online voting poll to determine whether the ball should be “bestowed, branded, or banished.” Over 10 million voted and: 34% want it bestowed to the Hall of Fame, 47% want it branded and then sent to the HOF, and 19% want it banished into space via rocket ship.

As a longtime SF Giants and Barry Bonds fan, I do find the results a bit disappointing since I voted for the ball to be bestowed to the Hall of Fame- untouched whatsoever. But I can’t help but praise Ecko for his “…opportunity to open a national conversation using new media – the Internet, blogs, videos -to allow America’s oldest sport to have America’s most modern conversation.” Can’t hate the man for that. Heck, I happen to own a couple Ecko shirts and subscribe to his Complex Magazine. Ecko will forever be a part of American sports history and into the Hall of Fame Museum (so jealous). His name will be known beyond his urban/ street fashion demographic. I guess if you have the money, you can totally get and do anything you want, whether people [or even Barry] thinks you’re “stupid” or not. Congratulations Marc Ecko, because this brilliant PR move, I’m sure, has made you more money.

So what happens next? MLB apparel by Ecko?! Also, when the ball is branded… will it have an asterisk with an Ecko logo?

Speaking of Bonds, today is going to be Barry’s last game as an SF Giant. Again, as a longtime fan, Barry has contributed so much to the Giants’ organization– from bringing the longball game, to the playoffs, and AT&T Park- the house that Bonds built. We know that since the “steroid scandal,” baseball hasn’t been the same. Asterisk or not, Bonds is a baseball legend and the majority will agree. We also know that business is business and it’s time for the Giants’ to move on and rebuild just like they did when they acquired Bonds over 10 years ago. With Bonds no longer a Giant, will AT&T remain a sold out park in the forthcoming seasons? I say no (unless A-Rod miraculously joins the team). Will I still be a Giants fan? Hell yes! I’m going to miss the longball action, but I still and will forever love the San Francisco Giants. Despite the recent years of the playoff-challenged frustration, I still watch a Giants game in its entirety. But please… don’t let it be another 10 years until our next playoff.

Thank you and goodbye Barry Bonds, thank you for everything you’ve done for our city and the SF Giants. See you at Cooperstown real soon.

Phil Frank 1943-2007

From SFGate.com- Carl Nolte, Chronicle Staff Writer: Phil Frank, whose cartoons graced the pages of The Chronicle and other newspapers for more than 30 years, died Wednesday only a few days after he announced his retirement because of illness. Frank, a longtime resident of Sausalito, was 64 and had been ill for months with a brain tumor. His alter ego was a newspaper reporter and sometime park ranger named Farley, the central character in his “Farley” comic strip that he once described as “really a horizontal column, documenting the life and times of the characters in the Bay Area.” It was the only local comic strip in the country…

It’s been really tough hearing about local icons passing away in recent times and writing about them on my blog. Farley has been one of my all-time favorite comic strips (next to Garfield, The Far Side, Calvin and Hobbes, and Secret Asian Man) because it represented the funny (hee hee) side of the Bay Area. I followed Farley in the SF Chronicle almost daily, since I was in elementary school and I proudly own one of his books, “I’m Ink, Therefore I Am!” (Pomegranate Press, 1997), which I highly recommend if you’re new to Farley. His subjects included the San Francisco Giants, local issues and yes, local politicians (hello Mayors).

Meet the Luna Brothers

No folks, this is not an Asian singing duo you’re looking at. The Luna Brothers are up and coming talented young guns in the comic biz today. I’ve first noticed their artwork, particularly Jonathan Luna, on the cover of Spider-Woman: Origin #1 (Marvel) back in late 2005. Later, I’ve noticed a limited series from Image Comics, called Girls, which was drawn by Jonathan and written by Joshua.  It’s a cool series (about mysterious naked women that lay eggs and the danger that hatches, but there’s more to that metaphorically really) which will be out on hardcover in it’s entirety I believe. The artwork is terrific- clean lines and beautifully drawn figures. The Luna Brothers are getting ready to release another series on Image Comics called The Sword. Be sure to pick it up in October!

I miss my MTV

(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

I really do miss Music Television. I’m not sure what I was watching last Sunday.

Bill Sorro 1939-2007

From Eric Mar of BeyondChron.org: One of San Francisco’s most beloved community leaders Bill Sorro passed away on August 27th. Bill was a fierce activist in many labor, social justice, housing rights, and neighborhood struggles for many decades but is best known as a leader in the struggle to save and rebuild SF’s International Hotel (‘I-Hotel.’)…

I met Bill Sorro over 8 years ago through my friend Jeff Trinidad (who actually passed away 5 years ago) at a community event to support the rebuilding of the I-Hotel and Manilatown Foundation in San Francisco. I can recall Bill’s intense voice and passion for the International Hotel. There would be no new I-Hotel, if it wasn’t for Bill Sorro. With the exception of a KQED feature, I’ve often thought that Bill’s hard efforts were long ignored by the Bay Area media. The last time I saw Bill in person was a few years ago at an I-Hotel Anniversary event. I was hoping to see him again at this year’s 30th Anniversary, but he couldn’t make it due to illness. I wondered what he thought of my 30th Anniversary design?

Thank you Bill for everything– your voice and your work will forever be remembered in this city and community. I know that his voice will continue to live through his big family– especially his sons Giulio and Joachin (whom I also met through Jeff) who happen to be spoken word artists.