Tag: spider drawing

Spider man strikes again

David Thorne gained international (or at least internet) notoriety for trying to pay his bill with a drawing of a spider.

So he’s not the kind of guy you should send this sort of letter to. You’re really just asking for trouble…

There’s some pretty funny stuff on his site – but also some not so funny stuff. Be warned.

Here’s a sample from the string of emails he sent to his real estate agent…

“Currently I only have eight dogs but one is expecting puppies and I am very excited by this. I am hoping for a litter of at least ten as this is the number required to participate in dog sled racing. I have read every Jack London novel in preparation and have constructed my own sled from timber I borrowed from the construction site across the road during the night. I have devised a plan which I feel will ensure me taking first place in the next national dog sled championships. For the first year of the puppies life I intend to say the word mush then chase them violently around the apartment while yelling and hitting saucepan lids together. I have estimated that the soundproofing of my apartment should block out at least sixty percent of the noise and the dogs will learn to associate the word mush with great fear so when I yell it on race day, the panic and released adrenaline will spur them on to being winners. I am so confident of this being a foolproof plan that I intend to sell all my furniture the day before the race and bet the proceeds on coming first place.”

June 8, 2009

Spiderman

The guy behind the spider drawing – David Thorne – has a website full of funny anecdotes, emails and characters who have sent him things. It comes with a language warning – but this is a particularly ingenius account from his own life:

My Confession

When I was in year ten, I would wag school to catch the bus into the city. I would hide the contents of my schoolbag and go to a christian book store called the 'Open Book', covering two levels and a second hand section in the basement. I would go in with my empty bag, select expensive theological volumes, and fill my bag with several hundred dollars worth. I would then use the toilets to remove any price tags before going downstairs to the basement where they would buy my books for half the retail price. I did this twice a week. I figured that if they caught me I would cry and ask for their forgiveness and as christians they would have let me go but they never caught on. I remember one person buying the entire Amy Grant tape collection when it had been on the shelves not ten minutes before. I was saving for a motorbike and bought a Suzuki Katana. The 'Open Book' went broke a year later so it worked out well for everyone.

November 20, 2008

Weaving a web of success

The spider drawing story I posted last week now has a fitting conclusion. The picture, originally valued at $233.95 by its creator has "sold" on eBay for $15,000. I say "sold" because I think the chance the buyer will honour the deal is not high. From ninemsn:

"After the exchange hit inboxes, the “original” drawing was put up for sale on eBay by a Swedish man.

"David Thorne was … kind enough to give the spider to me," eBay user “Andreas” says.

"However, this spider is driving me nuts. Also he's lacking a leg and thus is useless to me."

The listing shows there were 18 bids for the drawing, with a starting price of $233.95, and that it was sold for US$10,000 ($15,000)."

November 20, 2008

Ahh… it’s a monster.

FAO Shwarz – the site behind the build your own muppet feature I posted earlier today also lets you create your own monster toy – from any drawing . Which is pretty cool. But even more expensive – at $249.

Perhaps this guy – who tried to pay a $233.95 debt with this picture of a spider – could instead get the toy made, and everyone could live happily ever after.

November 12, 2008