Thanks Snowman Makers!

More beautiful snowmen. From Fort Tryon Park in Manhattan by Roy Kushner. He has a link to obtain framed copies of his photos. Here's his story on his great snow sculpture;

"As I was building the snowman, many passersby stopped to take photos of me and each other next to it. The snowman seemed to attract smiles and provoke words of encouragement as I worked methodically in the cold snow under the low gray sky.



"People wanted to be near the snowman, to touch it, and to ask questions about it. It was as if the snowman took on a kind of small social significance during its construction - its “afterlife’ in the days that followed I was not privy to. However, when visiting the snowman with my family later that Saturday, I noticed that someone had made a small valentine-shaped heart and put it on the snowman’s lap."









Here an older photo of a polar bear from Blimpy Burger from my friend Patty of Open Salon.



From Chris this amazing two-faced snowman that took him 16 hours over a period of 4 days.





Snowman with it's creator Chris.

Thanks everyone!
Bob

March of the Snowmen

Photo and sculpture by Randy Gallegos 2010 ©

First off is this ominous sculpture created by a true artist, illustrator Randy Gallegos. This was made on the ledge over the West Side Highway around the corner from me. That's the marvelous Cloisters in the background.


Photo and sculpture by Angie Alexander 2010 ©

Another great artist is Angie Alexander. He's on the left.


Photos by the Conneran family 2010 ©

From New Jersey comes this tribute to the Venus de Milo. "But now she’s clothed in a cheap bikini top and wrap," according to Open Saloner Cindy Capitani. "Someone called the cops to complain about the snow porn on a neighborhood lawn. So the cops, not knowing what to cite the family under, just asked them to dress her (and a corncob pipe and a button nose would not do)." For more details please read Cindy's full story.



New Jersey is bursting with snowman fever. From Newark, New Jersey is this anti-drug, crackhead snowman. More here thanks to the Star-Ledger.


Photo and snowman by the Charlotte K. 2010 ©

And now for something completely different, is this wholesome snow woman from my great friend, Charlotte of Lake Ariel, Pennsylvania. Nothing controversial here...until neighbors blew-up this innocent snow woman.



Finally, from my friends Rachel, David and Mr. Met. Thanks, guys.

Are You Guys Still Around?

_{Cartoon by Bob Eckstein 2010 ©}

Photo by Martin Dege 2010 ©

KASSEL, GERMANY–In another German town, built with polluted snow from the street a few days ago by Martin Dege, is this black snowman (the creator is very keen on calling it a black snowman). This marvelous thought-provoking artist makes "instant art."

OXFORD, ENGLAND–It doesn't snow much in Oxford but luckily it did while I was there and the townsfolk made the most of it. Here's just a sampling of the snowman population decorating the countryside. All photos from Oxford Mail.

Photo by Thomas Nowell 2010 ©

FRONT ROYAL, VIRGINIA–Thanks to Thomas, a reader here for this great snow wolf.

Finally, this new acquisition to my collection, which is now a little over 800 items. I'm brainstorming how to film my collection for an upcoming snowman movie (it stars NPR's/CBS's Mo Rocca). I'm thinking of setting it up in the spring at Brimfield Flea Market, one of the world's largest and having Gary Sohmers, the Antique Roadshow guy in the Hawaiian shirt discuss the collection with nutty snowman collectors. Feel free to chime in with any suggestions–I'm working on that part of the script right now (before you criticize that selection let me share that I'm old friends with Gary).

Anyhoo, here's the latest photo. I don't have the name of either in the photo.

_{Photo owned by Bob Eckstein/Picturetown, Inc. 2010 ©}

Case of Hilter Snowman Dropped

STUTTGART, GERMANY–German authorities have stopped a month-long investigation into who built a snowman with an uncanny resemblance to Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler. The probe was launched after a group filed a complaint about the snowman, which was outside a Schorndorf pub, near the southern city of Stuttgart. German law forbids the use of nazi symbols or the promotion of National Socialism. Unable to find the culprit, and the evidence having melted away, the case has been dropped.

For those who have been submitting snowmen to Today's Snowman, thank you–they're wonderful and we plan to publish later in the week.

The Snowman Week in Review

europics.at

BERLIN–Over 750 snowmen and 2,500 humans participated in a global warming demonstration on Schlossplatz in the German capital. It included readings and discussions environmental protesters by about climate change. The snowmen took three days to build and was the idea of Berlin-based artist Ralf Schmerberg. The event was sponsored by the nation's second-largest supplier of green electricity, ENTEGA.



AUSTRIA–New world record!

Austria just broke the World Record for building the most snowmen at one time, 1800 (the former record was 1200 by a Japanese town). Here's the only story on the event. Click here if you can read Dutch.

Now, some snowmen from Today's Snowman readers...

From Brenda in Atlanta. Thanks!

From my friend Bethal Bird, snowpunk.

Two Feet of Snow!

Here's a round-up of great snowmen from the past week. With the snowstorms in the Mid-Atlantic I've been tied up doing interviews and press junkets...so I'm a little behind.



This genius piece was produced by artist G Augustine Lynas.



From writer Lonnie Lazar this fire breathing snowman I kid you not. As reported by The Baltimore Sun, Nick and Anna Berte of Bel Air, Maryland built a giant snowman and rigged it with a flamethrower inside!



Great photos from renown illustrator Larry Roibal of a snowman with a large asset. Check out his cool website to see his Sarah Palin palm portrait!







Didn't see that coming. Thanks, Larry!



Michael Angelo told me this is how you know you've had enough of winter.



This family shoot comes from a friend Augie. It was his kid's first snowman! That's gotta be exciting.



Photos, and probably snowman, by Augie Alexander.



Finally this is me from a recent photo thing. If I didn't know myself I'd say the guy in the photo is a complete tool. There's just no way of pulling off this snowman expert gig and being cool. This was for the upcoming feature in The Daily News and it's at The Cloisters. Photo by Bob Sabo at The News.

English Who Dunnit

Photo from the blog "Thoughts From the Gameroom"

While in England there's been a great snowman murder mystery unfolding which has taken up much of my time. Click here for all the relevant facts regarding the case.