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Dagnabbit!

Dish editorial cartoonist Karl Huber's artistic works are nifty. And he's a peach. Find out this Friday evening at his opening reception. Click on the image for details.

Monster's Ball this Friday

The kooky world of Karl Huber opens at ModernFormations Art Gallery

Karl Huber, painter, illustrator, bon vivant, will unveil his latest gaggle of goofy monsters this Friday at 7 p.m. as he will be ModernFormations' featured monthly artist.

Huber's "monsters" are hardly the frightful beasts kids fear looming under their beds. "Troll," a chubby, racoon-eyed, toothy fellow tries to look dukes up but his attempt fails, much like a balding 60 year-old riding a brand new hog. All of Huber's creatures thumb their noses at the traditional notion of the child-eating bogeyman. What's so chilling about a snarling mutant who needs bridge work?

Huber sold every painting at his Beleza Community Coffeehouse show last May (in photo), so hop to it. The exhibit closes on Feb. 29.

ModernFormations Gallery
4919 Pen Ave.
412-362-0274

Hours: Thursday 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Sat. 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. or by appointment.

Photo by Frank Kownacki

Election wrap-up

Two more years of Ravenstahl

Luke Ravenstahl won. He will be mayor for two more years.

Illustration by Karl Huber

Karl's Krap

Thanks for Nutting

by Karl Huber. Click image for larger view.

Karl's Krap

Karl's Krap for sale

Pastel lunacy available for purchase

Photos by Frank Kownacki. Click photos for larger view.

The artwork of Dish cartoonist Karl Huber is on display at Beleza Community Coffeehouse (1501 Buena Vista, North Side, 412-321-4210) until the first or second week of June. A potluck closing reception will be held on Sunday, June 3, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. The public is invited to bring food and drink to share. You'll get to meet Karl and hug him. He likes that. Can't you tell from his drawings?

For further info, contact Kimberly at Beleza kwalkenhorst@gmail.com

Beleza will be open on Memorial Day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Karl's Krap

by Karl Huber

Karl's Krap

by Karl Huber

Karl's Krap

by Karl Huber

Pens Playoff Preview

Story by Ryan Caione

Illustration by Karl Huber

Six long years.

That’s how long it’s been since playoff hockey has been to the ‘Burgh. It was pre-9/11. Kordell was still the Steelers’ quarterback. PNC Park had just opened. Heinz Field hadn’t yet hosted its first game. Defenseman Josef Melichar is the only remaining player from the Penguins’ 2001 roster, which featured blasts from the past Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Kevin Stevens, Marty Straka, and Darius Kasparaitis. That was also the year that goalie Moose Hedberg became a Pittsburgh folk hero. Mr. and Mrs. Dish were still a-courtin'.

It’s been a while.

In the meantime, the Penguins finished at or near the bottom of the league standings for five seasons. If NHL hadn’t cancelled an entire campaign in 2004-2005, it probably would have been six.

But like the Pens’ last playoff run, that’s ancient history now. The team that ended last year with 58 points in the standings racked up 105 this year, their second-best total ever, behind only the 1993 edition that owned the best record in the league. The 47-point improvement ranks as the fourth-best in NHL history.

Rookie Evgeni Malkin started the season with a bang, scoring a goal in each of his first seven games – including a highlight reel score against New Jersey that will be replayed for years hence – to break a record that had stood for some 90 years. His rampage helped the Pens to a 7-3 start that laid the foundation for the successes to come. But the young team didn’t really hit its stride until after the New Year, when it went on a 14-0-2 tear in January and February. It followed that up with a 14-4-2 record in a grueling March and April that featured three wins over the team it faces in the first round of the playoffs, the Ottawa Senators.

All the while, teenage phenom Sidney Crosby put up points like a pinball machine on his way to becoming the youngest scoring leader in NHL history. And he often did it in dramatic fashion: scoring a goal while sliding on his stomach toward the net, beating almost every Montreal Canadien on the ice to score 1-on-5 (including the goalie), and potting game-winners in three consecutive shootouts.

First-round pick Jordan Staal exceeded all expectations in leading the entire league in shorthanded goals and shooting percentage, in addition to outpacing his Ontario junior league total by one goal in scoring 29 as an 18-year-old in the NHL.

Sergei Gonchar shook off the worst season of his life, when he drew the ire of Penguins faithful last year, to match his career high in points. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was solid, even spectacular at times, while more than doubling his career win total (he was tied for third in the league with 40). Ryan Whitney established himself as one of the league’s best young defenseman, fledgling forwards Maxime Ouellet and Erik Christensen honed their scoring touch, and grinders Maxime Talbot, Colby Armstrong, and veteran Gary Roberts, acquired at the trade deadline, provided the clutch scoring that teams need to go deep into the playoffs.

It all culminated in the announcement on March 13 that a deal was struck to build a new arena that will keep the Penguins where they belong, in Pittsburgh for at least the next 30 years. That put the exclamation point on the most surprising Pens team ever, and one that rivals the high-octane teams of the late 80’s and early 90’s in scoring prowess.

But this is a young team; most of its members are entering the playoff crucible for the first time. Its defense and penalty-killing are average at best. Despite the Pens’ three straight wins over Ottawa and the fact that the teams finished with nearly identical records, the Pens will have a tough time matching up against the Senators’ top line of Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza, and Daniel Alfredsson, not to mention that team’s cadre of mobile defensemen.

Of course, the Pens have the firepower to match up with anyone, and Fleury has shaken off any lingering doubts about his ability to perform under pressure. If Ottawa finds its way to the penalty box too often, the Pens, which scored the most power play goals in the league, will surely make them pay.

It’s a shame that one of these two teams, both of which are easily among the top eight in the league, will have their season end in a week or two. The NHL is salivating over this matchup and will show every game of the series on national television. It’s going to be a doozy, perhaps the playoff series of the year. I’m not going to make any predictions, but I sure am going to continue to enjoy the ride.

Oh, to hell with that: the Pens in 7.

Karl's Krap

by Karl Huber

Karl's Krap: Easter in the Burrg

  By Karl Huber

Gotchyinz

Cartoon by Karl Huber

Dish was not purchased by the Post-Gazette, the Steelers have not redesigned their logo and Iron City has not introduced bottled water.

If you believed us, you are a fool. Welcome to the fold.

By Karl Huber, Dish's new cartoonist