Randy W Pickering

Pleasant Hill, Missouri

December 9, 2007

 Died in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident.

Examples Of Randy's Art

He was a member of the Pleasant Hill High School class of 1995. His artwork is on the cover of the yearbook for '95. Pleasant Hill MO is his hometown.
He graduated from Vatterott College in '99 with a degree in computer programming and systems analysis.
His passion was drawing animae/comic book art. You never saw him without pencil and paper.His family misses him still.

On Veterans Day
Visiting orphans

Today is Veterans Day, when we thank the people who have served our country in its armed forces and we remember those who didn’t make it home.

My family is a military family. My dad was a Marine Cobra pilot, my mom a Navy nurse. My mom’s father was a Navy beach-jumper in World War II; my dad’s father commanded a destroyer in the Royal Navy. (There are plenty more, too: uncles, cousins, etc.) My friends Mac (pictured above), Bill and Tara served in the Marines, Air Force and Army, respectively. I’ll never forget Mac telling me why he joined up: “I needed a new pair of shoes.”

I also want to mention Army Spc. Randy Pickering, a.k.a. Randymonki, who was killed in Baghdad on 9 December 2007 of “injuries sustained in a non-combat-related incident.” Rather than link to his obit, though, here’s a link to his deviantART page, where he posted his drawings. He was an artist and the world gets a little dimmer every time an artist dies.

So I want to thank all of you, each and every one, for going out there and serving. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that the wars we still find ourselves stuck in are stupid wars, but you sucked it up and took one for the team, anyway. Some, like Randymonki, paid a higher price than others.

And you know what?

I wish now that I had served. My early 20s were particularly bad for me: I was adrift and suffering from a terrible depression. There were lots of times when I thought about joining up, but I always came up with some reason not to do it. I now wish that I’d served, because I think that, despite all of the stress involved, the military can give a young person the jolt to the system that they need, exactly when they need it. If I had to do it all over again, I would join up.

But today is your day, veterans, so be proud of what you’ve done and remember fondly those you’ve lost. I hope one day we’ll learn not to start stupid wars, but until then, the rest of us owe you. Big time.

Thank you.

10k Passed?
Sun Nov 25, 2007, 11:45 AM
I come back from some travel and what do i see? 10k hits have been surpassed, but no one claimed it w/screenshot? ZOUNDS AND VERILY FORSOOTH I SAY THEE NAY!!!

*Runs around talking like Thor and cursing foul forked-tongued fiend Loki*
i'm a little sad. :(

The big 10k
Tue Oct 9, 2007, 12:56 PM
Still okay, still alive in Baghdad, so don't freak out when any bad news pops up on the ol' TV. Monki is strong, Evil is weak. MONKI WINS! or something. >.> Even though Monki is safe and well, he has been busy, so there's not much in the way of new arts at the moment.

Anyway, It appears i'm getting closer to my 10k Kiriban. Now it has been decided that whomsoever shall remove the 10k screenshot from the sto-er, from DA and note it to me along with a request and your mailing address shall recieve the ULTIMATE SUPER MONKI PRIZE PACK, featuring your commission and some sweet original artwork featured in my gallery. Maybe even some Iraqi souveniers (customs allowing)?
Cheaters will, of course, be held down and their tooters touched. :o
So let it be said, so let it be written!

Some good news flavored with bad
Mon Sep 17, 2007, 7:57 PM
Greetings from insanely sunny Iraq!

Now that i've settled into my new digs in beautiful (?) Baghdad, i've found that there is internet access available on post. Though honestly, it's somewhat slow, i'm not one to complain as it beats looking at lizards, bats and rats. I'm able to tinker around on the internet again, so hopefully i'll not fade away completely into memory.

That's the good news. The bad news? I still don't have access to a scanner. But! while i don't have access to a scanner to post any NEW arts, i have the ability to color and play around with OLDER arts. At least until i work something sneaky out. :p

Thanks again for everyone's support during the time i was away. I hope to somehow repay you guys when i get back in 14 months or so.

Mission to Tatooine
Fri Jul 27, 2007, 5:52 AM
To anyone visiting this page, i hope you take the time to read this.

Anyway, as most of the people who know me know, Orders came down a while ago for a tour down in Tatooine, trying to protect moisture farmers from being attacked by tusken raiders and whatnot. I've already packed up my stuff, and now it's the waiting game for the final word to come down the gate on when we leave within the next few weeks.

What does that mean for this page? Well, no art for at least a year and a half. That, and This is prolly gonna be the last Journal entry for a long time. >.> With any luck, i'll be able to update later with an address any wellwishers want to send their letters, pictures, weiners, and stuff, but it may not happen for a while.

Now, in the odd chance that i get eaten by a Sarlacc or something, I want to thank everyone for their favorites, views, weiners, giftarts and support during this long crazy trip called Life (electric word life, it means forever and that's a mighty long time). Keep on doing what you crazy people do best, and keep on spreading the word of some silly, slightly sexy simian who's been all over the map fightin' and drawin' for ya.
Thanks guys,
Randy

Another Art Hiatus?
Wed Jun 20, 2007, 12:56 PM
Yes, it's true, this friday i'll be putting my scanner in storage in preparation for my upcoming tour in the great big sandbox. Though honestly i don't want to (it's still a LONG ways off until i hop on that plane to the cradle of civilization), but the military sets a date to put this stuff away and i don't get much say in the matter. I'll be keeping my laptop so's i'll still have communication, it's just the art updates will probably stop for a while. And by "A while" i mean almost 2 years. (!)

Well, i'll be defendin' your weiners, so you'll forgive me, right?
Right?
Anyway, keep pimping the art to others. Keep with the kind words, hits, and gift-art and colorings!

Yo Mr 7777!
Mon Jun 4, 2007, 12:29 PM
Mister or Missus 7777th page view, YOU GETS TEH GIFT SKETCH IF'N YOU HAF DA SCREENSHOT!

Or something...Hopefully this won't turn out like the LAST time i tried something like this (remembers his life bursting into flames)...

I have a hard time taking the easy way
Wed May 9, 2007, 12:33 PM
Anyway, it's funny now that big news has come down the pipeline, recent changes to blogging policy in the military forbid me from speaking too much about it. Suffice to say many a big shakeup coming for Monki.

Sadly, art has been on the back burner since the last update because of this. >.> Lotsa last-minute "Hey work late (that's not a suggestion)" and a stomache bug prevented me from truly molestoring your eyeballs, but fear not! I'll try and get some drawing in this weekend and rock your proverbial socks off. Or something.

Head on Straight, Mask on Crooked
Mon Apr 23, 2007, 11:48 AM
Work is not going well. I may just have to cash out my leave days and bank account and take a trip back to the states this summer. Nothing definite.

Either way, looking back on some of the works i've done in the far past remind me how much i've grown since then. BUT NOT ENOUGH! I must undergo some form of harsh time-compressed high-gravity tastes-great less-filling training, so i can have a high power level like some of the artists i know.

Or i could just eat all your brains. Yeah, that sounds a lot easier... *whips out Silly Straw*

Poll Vaulting
Tue Mar 27, 2007, 12:18 PM
I still don't know how to do DA polls, especially since i think it's a members only jacket thing, but here's a quick poll for you guys...

Where would you rather see sketch updates?
1. In the scraps section where they've been appearing regularly.
2. As full blown deviations
3. Never. Yes never. Never? (hardly eveeeeerrrrr!)
Thanks for your answers. :p

Crossposted Fun Facts
Wed Mar 14, 2007, 5:07 PM
Fun Fact: I am stuck on yet another 24 hour door guard duty, guarding a door that can easily be locked and forgot (Forgat? I want to say Forgat.) 20 hours awake and 6 more hours to go. On the bright side, it allows me to work out those pesky kinks in the manuscript. And design Misa's friends and her (spring) School uniform. I decided to go with a V-neck, sleeveless sweater over a sailor-ish white shirt. And of course a pleated skirt.

Fun Fact: Despite just talking about fashion design for fictional high school girls, i am not gay. In fact i am very single ladies. (mrowww)

Fun Fact: I'm naming Misa's friends off of Beatles songs. I have to resist calling her hometown "Trenchtown" because i like Bob Marley.

Fun Fact: On a clear night, i can somehow recieve my wireless connection from over 100 feet away through numerous walls. >.>

Fun Fact: I do in fact enjoy the new Doctor Who series. Though i'm a little apprehensive about the second season after events in the first season finale. I need to find out if there's a second season box set out.