The “Mediocre” Edition :: Issue #283, Rusty’s Electric Dreams


“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness.”

– Oscar Wilde


Rusty's Electric Dreams, an inbox zine by Rusty Blazenhoff

An inbox zine for positive deviants and the people who love them
Issue #283 :: The “Mediocre” Edition :: 09:09:2020

Mediocre…

I recently learned that some art of mine has been ripped off and used for a product (apparently). It’s a long story and totally not worth going into but it did make me think about that proverb. You know the one: “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” So I looked it up. I learned that it first appeared in print in 1820, penned by an eccentric named Charles Caleb Colton, in Lacon: or, Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those Who Think. He’s also the guy who came up with, “When you have nothing to say, say nothing” and “True friendship is like sound health; the value of it is seldom known until it is lost.” What a wise dude!

But, as you can see above, Oscar Wilde expounded the proverb, making it the oh-snap! version. Or at least that’s what I’m calling it. 

I’m not saying that this art of mine was anything near great but I guess in a weird way I’m flattered… <shrugs>

This is a lesson, another kick in the butt to remind me that sometimes I do make things worthy of imitation. And that maybe I should be holding tighter reins on those things.

Rusty Blazenhoff
P.S. This “Mediocre” edition is not mediocre at all!

As seen on the Internets

Vote-vote-vote: Round two of Lea Redmond’s Postage Stamp Protest is live. Oakland artist/educator Michael Wertz provides the art, which is also available as posters and postcards at votevotevote.us.
:: RUINED
:: https://youtu.be/KNYwMVwkbN8 via

:: To sell Ghostbusters, Dan Akroyd and Bill Murray made this weird promo that features its original song (btw, I just saw the movie at a pop-up drive-in and it does not stand the test of time!)
:: https://boingboing.net/2020/09/08/the-ghostbusters-teaser-shot-t.html

:: SHARK!
:: https://www.instagram.com/p/CE4XxaMDvPo

:: A machine that sees faces in sand pieces
:: https://notnot.home.xs4all.nl/pareidolia/sandfaces.html

:: Now I want Amelia Meath to visit Wishbone, my Animal Crossing island
:: hhttps://boingboing.net/2020/09/04/sylvan-esso-set-their-latest-m.html

:: John Waters has never been invited to show his films at the New York Film Festival so he took great delight in designing this year’s poster via
:: https://www.filmlinc.org/nyff2020/daily/unveiling-the-58th-new-york-film-festival-poster-designed-by-john-waters

Real sweets (?) you can actually buy: nay!



Oh shiitake: 2020 is the gift that keeps on giving. Enter candy canes that taste like shiitake mushrooms. From Archie McPhee, naturally. (They also have ones that taste like ketchup and, separately, pho. Explanation denied!)

Featured Events



[9/12] An entire festival dedicated to Marshmallow Fluff? Yup! But, for the first time in its fifteen-year history, the What the Fluff? festival is going virtual (because of that global pandemic you may have heard of). Their livestream starts at 6 p.m. EDT.

And speaking of Fluff, for a very limited time, I am offering Fluff Wigs again! Plus, I’ve started a new Instagram dedicated to… yup, Fluff.



If you’ve never seen Faig Ahmed’s work, you are in for a treat. His latest piece, called “Doubts,” is stunning (I mean, just look at it above).You can get a closer look at it here.

Rusty’s Electric Dreams is a (mostly) weekly inbox zine by Rusty Blazenhoff for positive deviants and the people who love them. If this was forwarded to you, please consider subscribing yourself.

Described as, “One of the most inspiring, weird and off-kilter collections of curated kitschy ephemera for the big-brained.” People like it.

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