Spoofy Randomness

Month: May 2023

  • Make Beliefs Comix

    Make Beliefs Comix

    Here’s a bit of a change from random road sketches. For my final class for my Chem Ed masters (almost done!), I am taking a course on tech tools for the classroom. Part of our assignment for today was to use one of the tools provided* to make a comic strip. I used Make Beliefs Comix. Of course I had to make reference to Spoofy Randomness. (And yes, as a high school chemistry teacher I am WELL aware that OTHER things can be spelled…)

    One aspect of trying new tech is that some is a hit (definitely using a site from a different part of this assignment in A&P!) and some…isn’t. This falls very much under the latter. I was not too impressed by the options in this comic generator; it has very specific use and doesn’t allow much creativity in the characters themselves as most characters have only one to three poses. Plus, as a long-time cartoonist, the word bubbles…EUGH (that’s more me just being picky than a legit complaint like the former).

    I went to link to one of the oldest Spoofy Randomness art out there, the logo used way back on the old ComicGenesis site in 2012. Apparently it never made it into the sketchbook after the move! So I had to add it.

    EDIT: Removed an extra nitrogen from panel 2, as apparently I forgot to factor in the “n” from manganese.

    *I was actually allowed to use my usual design program, but I figured I’d try this instead since mine isn’t exactly student accessible (and it would take too long to make a proper comic).

  • NW LNK Improvement Sketches 3: Purple Heart Hwy West and an alternative to I-80

    NW LNK Improvement Sketches 3: Purple Heart Hwy West and an alternative to I-80

    I was recently in a situation where I was not allowed access to a computer, phone, books, etc. for several hours…but I had a couple pens and some handouts with blank backs! So for the next few weeks I will post these sketches. They are just some thoughts I’ve had about how I would improve roads in NW Lincoln. I did draw these 100% from memory; I did not alter anything afterward, and so once I look at satellite pics, that will probably nix some of my ideas. (Obviously not to scale for the same reasons.)

    The top sketch shows a continuation of the Purple Heart Hwy conversion to freeway that I started previously. There actually is a road that has been started that travels north from NW 38th St and Airport Rd, but the project seems to have been abandoned as far as I can tell. This finishes it and makes an interchange with Purple Heart Hwy, because making a left off of NW 31st St can get really interesting some days! I also show the NW 48th St project being completed (upgrade to four lanes) and connecting W Fletcher Ave to North Park Rd and Airport Rd so that one doesn’t have to go all the way up to Wildrose Ln and back down to get from Air Park to the Highlands. I also eliminate S55C from the highway roster, as it is now entirely within LNK city limits.

    One of my peeves of living in the Highlands is that there is not a good way to get down to US 6 to head west (also known as my non-interstate way to work) without either going all the way around the airport or backtracking to N 1st St to drop down to Sun Valley Blvd if you don’t want to take the interstate. So I proposed a surface road that would connect airport-area roads and NW 27th St along the north side of I-80. Of all of these sketches, this one is probably the least viable, because a) my working memory is slightly less here, b) protected salt marshes, and c) potentially national security issues with the National Guard right there (but at least I proposed that as a possible name?).

    That’s it for these sketches! If you liked them, let me know and maybe there will be similar content in the future!

  • NW LNK Improvement Sketches 2: I-180 @ I-80 and Superior Street

    NW LNK Improvement Sketches 2: I-180 @ I-80 and Superior Street

    I was recently in a situation where I was not allowed access to a computer, phone, books, etc. for several hours…but I had a couple pens and some handouts with blank backs! So for the next few weeks I will post these sketches. They are just some thoughts I’ve had about how I would improve roads in NW Lincoln. I did draw these 100% from memory; I did not alter anything afterward, and so once I look at satellite pics, that will probably nix some of my ideas. (Obviously not to scale for the same reasons.)

    This was an attempt to redesign the two interchanges at the north end of I-180. They are very close together (not meeting modern Interstate standards!) and it looks like some preliminary work may have been done when I-80 was widened to redo this, so I took what little I had and ran with it. In addition to hopefully eliminating the dangerous area between the two interchanges, I also eliminated the cloverleaves leading to and from I-180 to help improve downtown access (and Memorial Stadium on game day).

    I threw in a diverging diamond mostly for fun, although given that Superior Street is a primary route going east it might not be a bad idea to eliminate cross traffic turns.

  • NW LNK Improvement Sketches 1: Purple Heart Hwy & NW 12th/13th St Corridors

    NW LNK Improvement Sketches 1: Purple Heart Hwy & NW 12th/13th St Corridors

    I was recently in a situation where I was not allowed access to a computer, phone, books, etc. for several hours…but I had a couple pens and some handouts with blank backs! So for the next few weeks I will post these sketches. They are just some thoughts I’ve had about how I would improve roads in NW Lincoln. I did draw these 100% from memory; I did not alter anything afterward, and so once I look at satellite pics, that will probably nix some of my ideas. (Obviously not to scale for the same reasons.)

    For this one, I focused on Purple Heart Hwy and the NW 12th/13th St Corridor. My goal here was to convert Purple Heart Hwy to freeway–not interstate standard, though–out to N-79 (the western half will be shown later). This involved closing the Fallbrook Blvd intersection and converting W Fletcher Ave to an interchange (trying to avoid as many buildings as possible from memory); it also gives a roundabout at W Fletcher Ave/Fletcher Ave/N 1st St. I also put a roundabout at W Fletcher Ave and NW 1st St, because making a left turn there drives me crazy.

    There are currently long-term plans to build a bridge connecting the roundabouts at W Fletcher Ave and Aster Rd (I can’t wait!). I expanded this plan to include an interchange. One of my minor peeves is that NW 12th St becomes NW 13th St by Highlands Pool, and the new bridge will result in it rejoining the NW 12th St corridor. So I decided that these improvements would involve a consistent name from the south end of the I-80 interchange all the way to Aster Rd (where it would take the NW 12th St name). Renaming wouldn’t actually be too difficult; there are very few addresses on this stretch. I also threw out the consideration of including W Cornhusker Hwy in the renaming, since that is no longer a highway, never was part of US 77 (the original Cornhusker Hwy), and it is the same road, just curved to be E-W instead of N-S. If you can’t read my handwriting, I’ve listed the name ideas below with brief justification. I also said it should be part of the Lincoln Parkway system, which would also involve upgrading the section between W Highlands Blvd and W Fletcher Ave to a four lane divided street.

    • N Highlands Pkwy: It serves the Highlands. This is my favorite name, but to be fair we do have W Highlands Blvd on the south side of the residential Highlands
    • Duncan Pkwy: In honor of Duncan Aviation (as this is access to W Adams St to reach the airport) and a major Lincoln family
    • Fredstrom Pkwy: Matches the name of the nearby elementary school
    • Aeronautic Pkwy: Nearby airport
    • Arrow Pkwy: Named after a former airport of Lincoln. Has the added bonus of being a DC Comics reference (Lincoln’s nickname is the Star City, which is also the name of the Green Arrow’s city)
    • Lindbergh Pkwy: Supposedly Lindbergh learned how to fly at Arrow Airport.
    • West Lincoln Pkwy: This would be particularly good if W Cornhusker Hwy is included, as West Lincoln is served.
    • Star City Pkwy: Good name for the major road bringing people into Lincoln from the airport/US 34
    • Lancaster Pkwy: Honoring Lincoln’s original name, and goes roughly past the salt marshes.

    If you like this kind of stuff, let me know in the comments and maybe there will be more!