ecto art detail

Custom Work

Usually I build kites for myself, but occasionally I take commission work. Sometimes I work for stuff in trade, other work is sold outright. Many of the kites I build for myself are knock-offs of commercially available kites such as the Tracer or the Revolution, and I'm not willing to sell such things, even if they're not patented.

If you're interested in a custom kite, feel free to contact me. My ability to make kites for other people is hampered somewhat by my studies in graduate school, but we may be able to work something out.

ecto flowform in air

ecto is a mailing list nominally devoted to the singer-songwriter Happy Rhodes. The list was created in June of 1991, after some complaints that there was too much discussion of Happy's music on the usenet newsgroup rec.music.gaffa. Over the last 4 years, ecto has grown from the handful of subscribers who received the very first message (including me!), to something like 400 folks around the world. All this for a woman who still releases her albums on her boyfriend's indie label and who rarely receives radio airplay, despite critical acclaim.

Starting in December of '91, ecto began a tradition of sending Happy a tape (or three) of songs contributed by mailing list members. These compilations contain music we think she (or other list readers) might like, as well as original material, all glued together by a DJ-like narrative. These compilations are usually generated twice a year, around Christmas, and for Happy's birthday, in August.

In June of 1993, somebody on the list had the idea of including a present along with the tapes. My friend Cathy Guetzlaff offered my services to make a kite. Not that she bothered checking with me before she made this generous offer. But that's okay. I'd always wanted to do a kite with an applique of the Ecto artwork. The idea was very well received. Folks from around the country and in even a couple in England sent me donations for the cost of the fabric, and I built the EctoForm. (25K )

Eventually, I used the Ecto artwork on a kite for myself.

A display of the three phases of the Ecto artwork: original album cover (scanned), posterized version with fewer colors, and final sewn panel.

black rev

This UL Rev II was made for a rec.kiter in California in a trade. Though completely black, it's got my standard Rev II graphic. With the way Icarex lights up in the sun, the different panels sparkle and shine as the kite moves and turns. This is definitely one I'd like to have held on to! (126K)

babs and buster

A pair of Revs featuring Babs and Buster Bunny of the Tiny Toon Adventures

death's blossom rokkaku

"Death's Blossom" is an 8' rokkaku, built for Jason Benedict. He was looking for a kite with the radioactivity symbol on it (having been piqued that Tim Wolfe had beaten him to the biohazard symbol) and gave me free reign to do what I wanted.

The kite is appliqued with 9 panels of tie-dyed ripstop nylon, dyed by Ty Billings . ( 67K )

Now available, miniature Cody kites!

rainbow_line

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jburka@cqi.com

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