The Road Message Mystery

Here's a mystery to boggle even the most hardworking minds:

I took these photos on July 22, 2004. Several months before that, someone painted (i.e. with a brush) a bizarre message on the road not far from where I lived, in the Perth suburbs of Manning/Como (I'm giving both suburb names because this road, Ley Street, is the boundary between the two suburbs). It was blacked out, but after several months of traffic the message began to reveal itself again.

As you can see, the writing stretches almost all the way across the road. I can only make out the last part of the message, which says:

"DISREGARD THAT

PAPAL BULL!

I DO!!! ('do' is underlined twice)

(picture of a cross) CHRIS CROSS (VERY!)

JUMP!"

I have no idea what this means. It sounds like a swipe at Catholics and a reference to these teenage rappers' hit song from 1992.

Okay, so these photos were taken six years ago. What does Ley Street, Manning/Como look like now? With Google Street View, we can check it out.

Ley Street isn't much of a busy road. I have to wonder why the writer chose this location for his message; it just has houses on one side and an empty field on the other. You can see that the road now has that stupid 'strip' thing down the middle that serves no purpose at all.

This Google Street View image is taken from the same point of view as my photos from 2004, using telegraph pole as a reference. No sign of the message at all. Just a bus stop that wasn't there before and someone's van. Well, I doubt we'll ever get to the bottom of this mystery but if you've got anything to add, comment below. You might just restore sanity to the residents of Ley Street.

World Cup 16 Series – No.1: Spain

Well done Spain. I hope you (as in the readers, not Spain) enjoyed the World Cup 16 Series, brought to you by Nonesuch Blog. Read my initial post on this series for what must happen in the event that I picked the winning team.

Now get out of here, I'm tired from doing all these drawings!

World Cup 16 Series – No.2: The Netherlands

When watching the World Cup final tomorrow, be sure to turn down the colour contrast on your TV, or else all that orange will do you permanent damage. My eyes, my eyes!

World Cup 16 Series – No.3: Germany

Not the best drawing of Gertrude ever. If you want to see a better one, you'll find it elsewhere in this blog. Oh well, I've only got two more of these to do.

World Cup 16 Series – No.4: Uruguay

Now I'm convinced that digital cameras lie. The drawing below looks much better in my sketchbook than it does in this crummy photo. But that's how life is, kids.

By the way, Juliet doesn't smoke. She's just holding it for someone else.

World Cup 16 Series – No.5: Paraguay

Take THAT, Larissa Riquelme!

World Cup 16 Series – No.6: Argentina

Representing Argentina (who I really wanted to win) is Spike, the first proper character I created (unless you count Einstein, which I don't). This time the Copic Markers have been dragged out of retirement which made me realize I haven't drawn him in colour all that much. That's why there's that weird skin-colour-fading-into-yellow-hair thing going on.

World Cup 16 Series – No.7: Ghana

Must...keep...drawing stuff.

World Cup 16 Series – No.8: Brazil

Didn't expect to see them this far down the list, did you? Neither did I. Anyway, Brazil's kit is eco-friendly, made from recycled vuvuzelas. I mean, plastic bottles.

Apologies for the crappy image quality. All of these drawings are A3 size and unable to scan, so I have to photograph them instead, which distorts them slightly. They look much better in real life, more realistic colours, not my fault etc etc.

World Cup 16 Series – No.9: Portugal

Jaded Blog Reader #1: Hey, it's another drawing of that green-haired girl. Can't this guy draw someone else for a change?

Jaded Blog Reader #2: Yeah, but her hair is drawn the proper way as per the original character design of six-odd years ago. See?

Jaded Blog Reader #1: You're right. Right click > Save as!

World Cup 16 Series – No.10: Japan

Japan today. I still recall the excitement when they joint-hosted the World Cup when I was living there in 2002! I bought a Japan team shirt, bandana and set of playing cards. Such is the excitement of the tournament.

You might have seen this character Maya before and elsewhere in the blog. She's a small Asian girl who is one head shorter in height than the other characters. Peace sign appears in strict accordance with the Japan Photographic Act (1965).

It's my birthday today, and still I rush to bring you this drawing and post. The viewers of Nonesuch Blog demand the best – and they get it! Apparently.

World Cup 16 Series – No.11: Chile

Who's this dodgy geezer? No one in particular, but the caricature is based on a photo of the New Zealand captain, Ryan Nelsen. Check out the cheese-tacular grinnage.

World Cup 16 Series – No.12: Slovakia

Slovakia today, the team that didn't make the quarter finals but did have the rare pleasure of defeating the previous World Cup winners in the group stages.

Today's drawing features an unused character design that I did last year and forgot about. She's Korean, and that's as far as I got. The drawing came out good though, if I may say so.