This new direction means this website will not be maintained much in the foreseeable future, but I have not been doing many updates lately anyway. I do actually have some information which has not made it up yet, and have been meaning to rewrite Coolidge's biography for a while, but those will have to wait.

Enjoy what DPP information that is posted, and buy one of the awesome paintings to help support my travels.

I donned my DPP shirt and wandered around town. Antwerp was just another upstate New York small town though, without much recognizing the artist born there in 1844.

My first stop was the library, which once house a self portrait of Cassius Coolidge, but discovered it was moved to an office in the town hall that was open only a few days a week in the mornings. The library did have a copy (perhaps original) of an 1888 birds eye view of Antwerp , which before I had only seen online.

Cassius Coolidge self portrait

I went to the nearby town hall and was lucky enough to spot Coolidge's self-portrait through the front door's glass. I could not get very close as the door was locked, but at least could see it in person. A print of A Bold Bluff hung on the wall as well.

Sources said Coolidge lived on Hoyt Street, but I had no details on an address, and could not even tell if the few houses along that lane were 125 years old. I also could find no traces of the Bank of Antwerp, which Cassius founded, but did not have an address for that either.

I then went to Hillside Cemetery where Cassius is buried. Although I possessed a picture of his gravestone , I did not know its exact location. The cemetery was a couple acres and I could not find a directory of persons, so I wandered amongst the headstones searching. The hunt took a while, uncovering a few other interned Coolidge's in the process, but it eventually uncovered Cassius Coolidge's resting place, alongside his wife. He actually had two headstones, one with just his name, and one containing both himself and his wife. Many other ancestors were buried nearby, which will hopefully let me expand his family tree.

Cassius Coolidge's Gravestone

Coolidge family marker

My stop in Antwerp was interesting, although with better planning I could have perhaps performed first hand research while in town and got more from it. Maybe next time.

Yours truly next to the Antwerp, NY sign in my DPP shirt

For those who might care why I was in upstate New York, my write up on Ironman Lake Placid and my Adirondacks trip will eventually be posted. Although with my normal rate of finishing trip write ups, it might be six months before that occurs.

In honor of breast cancer awareness month in October, DogsPlayingPoker.org has gone pink! Besides the awesome color scheme remembering the millions who have suffered or succumbed to breast cancer, 10% of purchase price of all dogs playing poker prints bought through this website will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation , in the fight against this disease. So adorn your walls with the gambling pooches while supporting a good cause.

For those with a garnering to get stuck by lightening (or spelled a word backwards), yet another variant of Coolidge's poker dogs exists. This time your favorite deity is around the green velvet. Jesus smoking a cigarette, Buddha sipping tea, Vishnu holding fire, Mohamed inquisitively studying his cards, or Ganesha snacking on a bowl of peanuts can now hang on your walls next to the canine variety. A copy of A Bold Bluff can even be seen in its background. None of the higher powers are cheating though, with all cards above the table. Not sure if passing a card would violate their morals, or if they could just miraculously change their hand anyway. Also makes you think, if these are omniscient beings, would they all either know how the game concluded, or at least what cards the other players had? Such mysteries in life. (I will just stick with the triune God of the Bible being the only real one, making the whole mental exercise mute.)

Gods Playing Poker is available for viewing or purchase.

For those trendy people out there that have the internets on their iPhones, an application worthy of download finally exists. Forget tossing cows , Gamezebo has a review of Dogs Playing Poker for the iPhone/iTouch/iPad/iEverything. The play is actually Texas Hold'em, but the visuals are classic Coolidge. Twenty different breeds of canines can grace your table as you try to outsmart them in the card game. Animations, sounds, and game play are given high marks. What better way to kill some time than by playing poker against computer generated dogs? All for just $1.99 from iTunes . And for those PC folks, Slightly Subtle Technology, Inc. still makes the computer version .

Thanks to a little sleuthing by yours truly on a very quiet floor of the University of Iowa Library , the illustrations by Cassius Coolidge from The Wonderful Electric Elephant are now available for your viewing pleasure. They are black and white sketches (fifty total!) similar in composition to Cassius's other times as an illustrator. Unfortunately my rudimentary capture technology is not as sophisticated as Google Books, so there may be some curves and slight distortions in the illustrations. Still very much worth a look.

Coolidge was a busy artist. Before he created those famous poker dogs, he did many other things, including illustrating several books. His works in The Independence Day Horror at Killsbury and Prophet of Peace have been documented on this site for a while. New to his growing collection of illustrations though is Under Mad Anthony's Banner and The Wonderful Electric Elephant. Unfortunately I do not yet have a copy of the later, so its illustrations are not posted. Nonetheless, you can enjoy the works from the other three, and observe the similarities in style between them.

According to the Watertown Daily Times , the Cassius Coolidge self portrait that hung in the Antwerp, New York library has been fully restored. West Lake Conservators cleaned the cruft accumulated over the years, restored places where paint had flaked away, and applied a coat to help prevent future damage. The painting now hangs in the Antwerp town hall. The image was originally commissioned by the Bank of Antwerp, which Coolidge founded in 1872. A full article detailing the restoration and image of the portrait is available.

Unfortunately I can not find a semi-reputable, reasonably priced website that sells Mr. Taylor's anthropomorphic work. So unless you are a better sleuth than I, it will not be easy to hang his work in your den anytime soon.

Gerard Taylor's Works

The Cheat

The Bone Loser

The Eight Ball

The Show Off

With Christmas quickly approaching, do not forget to get that someone special in your life one of the plethora of dogs playing poker paintings. I probably could not recommend getting one for that female in your life, but ladies, any guy will appreciate one (or more). Until December 16^th, you can receive free shipping on most prints when your order totals over $40.

Or this season, you could remember the miracle of the incarnation of Jesus, God made flesh, with the mission of redeeming mankind from its sin, rather than indulging in the orgy of consumption the last months of the year has become.

Some new paintings have been added to the DPP gallery. The artists Jenny Newland and Dan McManis have works of anthropomorphic dogs in their portfolios which now have a home here. They take a different approach on the same subject with the former's being incredibly cute puppies around a poker table, and the later having powerful dogs engaged in a variety of activities. Quit reading what I have to say though, and take a look at them yourself (along with Coolidge's classics).

Cassius Coolidge's self portrait

The town of Antwerp, New York has hired a firm to restore the 1872 Cassius Coolidge self portrait. It has hung in the town's library as long as anyone can remember and is starting to deteriorate. After the painting has been repaired it might be moved to the Town Clerk's office, where more people might see it. Apparently reading is not a popular leisure activity in upstate New York. The painting is supposed to be appraised as well, so it will be interesting to see what it might be worth.

A full story is available at the Watertown Daily Times .

Owl Square Press has made a new version of the classic A Friend in Need for those of the overly politically correct persuasion. Are gambling, alcohol, and smoking evil vices that must be avoided, but you still think those dogs sitting around a table are cute? Then try Thursday Night Book Club . The memorable canines remain, but their devious behaviors have been replaced with tea and literature. The overly proper satire seamless alters the original print for this new, kid friendly version. For an added nod to those die hard Cassius Coolidge fans, the dogs' books are actually based on those on the shelves in Sitting Up With A Sick Friend.

In full disclosure, the dogs playing poker gallery and some miscellaneous DPP items still do have small referral links to where visitors can buy those items, but I feel those are of actual value to visitors wishing to own those products.

Exceeded my fundraising goal!

This post will be my last beg-a-thon update for the Path to Progress 5K, benefiting the American Brain Tumor Association . The race and fundraising is over. Thankfully, the latter went better than the former. The final amount is still being tallied, but upwards of one million dollars was raised, with my supporters contributing $831.96. As promised, all commissions for the past three months from those poker dog paintings was donated as well. That in itself was $366.96. (Note: I have never earned close to that much before from this website and do not expect to again. People really came through in buying prints when it helped a charity. Also, I will be getting a nice little 1099-MISC come January, so all is legit there.)

The most proof I can provide that DogsPlayingPoker.org actually donated the money and did not line its own pockets are the following screen shots, showing Art.com 's payment and the corresponding donation.

DogsPlayingPoker.org's February Through April Earnings

DogsPlayingPoker.org's ABTA Donation

I know this site does not garner many repeat visitors, but I would still like to extend a large thank you to everyone that helped out. It sounds trite, but it honestly means so much that complete strangers would do so much for something close to my heart. Although my fundraising is done for the time being, the fight against brain tumors continues. If you are so inclined and financially able, please consider making a donation to ABTA outside my race. I know many charities are always asking for your money though, so if you choose not to support this one that is perfectly fine. Just find a charity that touches an area close to your concern and help that equally worthy one. Whether through time, talent, or money do your small part to make your corner of the world just a little bit better.

As for the race itself, I actually came in second overall, although most people there were not serious runners and mainly supporting the organization. My time was alright, but not great for me. In any case, the fundraising and awareness was much more important than a little stroll around Solider Field.

Fundraising has been going better than I could have hoped, so thank you for everyone that has already helped. Your support is amazing!

Individual, direct contributions have been slow, but I did not really expected many people to send money, even to a reputable charity, on the advice of some guy that spends too much time researching DPP paintings. Despite the current harsh economic climate though, sales of DPP paintings have been surprisingly brisk, with $125 generated thus far. (The actual donation to ABTA will occur all at once after the race.) This amount is significantly more than I have ever earned before, so I surmise that during these hard times with an uncertain future, people are turning in mass to this classic artwork as a rock of comfort...or not. See the figure below for more details. In any case, keep buying those paintings to raise money for brain tumor research and treatment.

A sincere thank you for all your support.

Demand for DPP paintings appears to be inversely proportional to economic conditions

Donate to ABTA

On April 25^th I will be running the Path to Progress 5K in Chicago. This event raises money and awareness for the American Brain Tumor Association . This run will be in honor of my dad, who succumbed to brain cancer in October of 2007. Although I run a lot, this race will be to raise money and awareness against this crippling disease.

This will be my second time raising money for ABTA, having run the Chicago Marathon supporting them. I was overwhelmed with the response from family, friends, and strangers alike during that endeavor. From financial and emotional support, to hearing others stories, that race was in many way more than I ever expected. I can only hope this 5K will even go half as well.

I am also not about to ask random strangers for donations to a charity close to my heart while I do nothing. Besides my own personal contribution, all money raised through the purchase of DPP paintings in the gallery from February 1 until April 30 will be given to ABTA (I receive a small commission for every picture). If historical records are any indication, this donation will not be very large. But YOU can help change that. Just find your favorite DPP picture in the gallery and buy it. You get awesome decorations for your wall and ABTA receives money to help fight brain tumors. It's a win-win!

After the race occurs, I will publish the amount donated from those referral links.

Thank you in advance for your support, however you may express it.

The site is not perfect, but most of it looks good in most browsers. If you have major problems, let me know.

• King Gallinipper. A comic opera in three acts.
• Coolidge's comic photo-caricature foregrounds.
• Daddy Gander. Written and illustrated by C. M. Coolidge
• Memorandums of place cards
• Kindergarten Alphabet, Western Heiress
• Rail-Road building across the United States from the Atlantic to Pacific.
• Collection of artist sketchbooks, five large and five small

Even more important though, is that Mount Vernon, Iowa's annual Chalk the Walk festival will feature a creation of A Bold Bluff. A small army will each take a small square, creating a large mosaic of the poker dogs by the end. Past images have included A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte and Stone City by Iowa's own Grant Wood so Coolidge is in with some good company. But what makes this event even better is that it is taking place about ten miles from my house! So I know where I will be on May 4^th, of course wearing a DPP shirt.

• CNN
• The Sun (UK)
• New York Daily News
• New York Sun
• Poker Magazine
• The liberals at NPR
• CBS News

Oh yeah, if you own a print of the dogs playing poker paintings, it is not worth half a million dollars. You might be able to get $10 for it on eBay. So do not ask me. And for those of you who did, I already answered that question a while ago.

Back to reality though, I do not really know anything else to comment on the action other than it is amazing that a pair of original paintings of whose prints are usually placed next to velvet Elvises and in smoky bar can be worth half a million dollars.

For those of you with an estimated $30-50K of extra money on hand (that is all of us right?), you have a rare opportunity to buy an original dogs playing poker painting , which Cassius Coolidge created with his own hand. Doyle New York is auctioning two off Feb 12-14. They are A Bold Bluff and Waterloo, although they are referred to by different names. They are oil paintings and each measures 24x36".

If only I had a couple more years out of college, I might have enough money saved to blow on this (and then live in a shack afterwards). Well, hopefully, another one will come up in a couple of years. Or if someone would just like to make a very generous donation....

I can dream, right? Or maybe I should just road trip to New York.

Hopefully I can post about this comic without getting another cease and desist letter sent to my alma mater. The comic Mixed media , ran a comic with some other dogs playing poker "masterpieces."

I was watching TV, and one of those crappy prescription drug commercials (Vioxx maybe?) was on TV, and they had the painting Poker Sympathy, in it. I turned it on halfway through the commercial, so I didn't see the setup for it, but it is good to know someone is at least trying to pick up where ESPN left off.

Note for the curious: I have rights to post all of the pictures in the gallery. The 'Purchase picture' links are not refer based. There is a hidden web image, which does nothing except try to keep my account from being closed. I am not violating Rose-Hulman usage policy or anyone's copyright (to the best of my knowledge). If you email the administration of my school with unfounded accusations without first talking to me, I will consider that harassment and take appropriate actions.

So I got my site back up eventually, and it was working fine for a couple of days when it just stopped responding. Since I am about 10 hours from the computer, I can not exactly get to a console and investigate the problem. So after being lazy for a while, I got a static version of the web page transferred to my school account (what you are viewing it from now). Everything seems to be working except for the gallery which I have not made a static version of yet, and Joe's Diner which never really was launched. It will remain here until at least the end of the summer. The causes of the server going down are probably one of more of the following:

1. The power went out and my server did not come back up (although there has not been any bad weather in the area
2. My computing center decided to shut off the port to my server because it is violating some policy (although I thought I fixed all that, and they have not contacted me)
3. Someone cracked into my box and took it offline (although that does not make much sense)
4. Someone stole my server from its semi-secure hosting facility

I sure hope it is number 1

I think that is all the updating for now, and hopefully the site will be a little more reliable in the future.

This site will also probably be unavailable Monday April 14th for several hours in the evening. I know, this will ruin Monday night for a lot of people, but it is necessary for the greater good. I plan to rearrange hard drives, put in more memory, upgrade the kernel, and finally stop under clocking the processor (don't ask). I should also finally have a way to have a routine backup procedure in place.

Also, I am almost done with the Coolidge biography, so hopefully that will be posted by the end of this month.

In other sort of real "news," I found a company that may just fill some of my poker dog obsession. Slightly Subtle Technology, Inc. , created a game aptly titled Dogs Playing Poker . From the site:

It may not be the next Quake, but for ten dollars I think I am going to have to get it. I wonder if you can slip a card under the table to your friend.

Also, I am almost certain Google has not crawled this site, so search doesn't really work yet.