the art of steve czapiewski

My art, cats, and the pizza snob. No AI… unless you’re talking about Adobe Illustrator.

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Janet, my extraordinary wife, passed away yesterday.

Her life was a struggle that most of us will never endure. From the moment she was born, she had to fight to survive. Doctors said that she wouldn’t make it through her first night, let alone live 62 years. And in that time she accomplished more than most able-bodied people.

She spent most of her career as an elementary art teacher, and taught at over a dozen schools during that time. She introduced thousands of children to art. In fact, we couldn’t shop at stores in her old district without former students noticing her.

We met back in ‘02, and maybe it’s just because I’m older too, but it seems like it was just a few years ago.

I could go on and on about all the weirdness we shared over the last 20+ years. When something stupid would happen, or something tried to keep her from a goal, she would just shrug and say, “That’s Janet World.” And then go on to accomplish it anyway.

She was the greatest thing to ever happen to me. I’ll love her forever. And I have no idea how I’ll go on without her.

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Scooter in the grass.

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Scooter loves rolling in the dirt. Especially when it’s time to go back in the house.

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It’s been a pizza week.

Had Green Lantern pizza on Tuesday, Pizza Marvelous with my date on Wednesday, leftover pizza on Thursday, and Buscemi’s pizza on Friday. This is it for a while. I need some normal food for the next week or two.

This Buscemi’s location is in Walked Lake, and they’re okay. The crust is often chewy… about 5 more minutes in the oven would do wonders for them. What’s most disappointing is they only sell the deep dish and rounds, they don’t sell the old school square slices that the east side does.

Not a bad pizza, but not great either. It just makes me appreciate the Utica location that much more.

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Hers and his date night pizzas.

Yes, I know that it’s a little soon for me to be dating, but pizza is always better when it’s shared. I can’t do that if I’m sulking on the sofa, watching anime, and listening to the voices in my head tell me to watch that Angine de Poitrine live performance video for the hundredth time.

Pizza Marvelous hit it out of the park again. I don’t know about the veggie pizza, but my date said it was excellent.

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Cereal sticker pack from my good pal, Jeff Sornig.

Oh, and $6.28 with Michigan sales tax is $6.66… customers at Weirdsville love that.

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Not exactly the best batch of slices I’ve ever gotten from Buscemi’s, but a bad slice at the Utica location is better than the best pizza at most chain franchise joints.

A friend of mine has told me that the only thing that the Utica location does differently from the rest, is that they add a little extra sugar to the standard Buscemi’s sauce (which you can buy at fancy supermarkets). If that’s indeed the case, then it certainly works.

No need for me to say again what I’ve already said about this particular location. The Utica Buscemi’s is the best of the franchise, and only a few others come close. Most are terrible.

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Ragatha.

2026 | vector Illustration

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Using the Beta Bong, Baltan becomes BUDtan!

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Been a while.

Last night I was not a happy guy, so I thought a pizza might cheer me up. Not much was open by the time I made the choice, and I decided to try Primo’s Pizza in Novi - for the first time in about 20 years. Janet and I tried them when we first moved to the area, and were less than impressed.

So I thought I’d give them another chance.

Wish I hadn’t.

The pizza was chewy, flavorless, and just plain blah. Even the pepperoni had zero flavor. One bite and it went right in the trash. One of the worst pizzas I’ve ever had.

To be on the safe side, I also ordered ribs, fries, and fried mushrooms… I had a funny feeling the pizza would be terrible.

The ribs were St. Louis style, with a sauce that was 9/10ths ketchup. Worst sauce ever. The ribs themselves were okay otherwise.

Their fries and mushrooms were a surprise though. But let’s face it, you can’t call yourself a pizza place if the only thing you can get right are side items.

That being said… Apparently this place is doing something right to stay in business as long as it has. I don’t get it. Maybe their chicken is what keeps Primo’s chugging along. It can’t be their disgusting pizza.

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An art date with a lady friend, and a Loui’s Pizza. I must be living right.

I’ve heard stories of Loui’s Pizza, and they were always positive. And now I know why.

While the interior of the place leaves a lot to be desired, unless you like eating in congested flea markets with glitter on the ceiling, the pizza is simply incredible. And I’m sure my analysis of their pizza will come as no surprise to the restaurant’s regulars.

The star of the show is the crust. It beats most other Detroit deep dish pizzas simply in how evenly it’s cooked. Most deep dish pizzas are overcooked on the edges and raw in the middle - a common problem with Green Lantern’s square pizzas, or any pizza from Buddy’s.

I suppose I should warn people against lifting a Loui’s pizza without stretching first and getting approval from at least 2 physicians. Imagine a pizza made by a neutron star and you’ll have an idea of how dense a Loui’s pizza is.

The cheese is top notch, and the sauce is about what I expected. But I don’t know why so many otherwise incredible pizza places choose canned mushrooms over fresh. While not a deal breaker by any means, it certainly is a bummer.

Despite that minor quibble, Loui’s is an excellent pizza. Highly recommended.

But if you’re an interior decorator, order carry out.

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Couldn’t decide what I wanted for lunch, so I got both.

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One loose coney (hold the onions - I love them but they don’t love me) and chili fries.

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The fog was so weird the other night, that even I could take a fairly decent picture.

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Found Gaslight District lounge pants at my local Hot Topic.

And yes, I’m 58 and still shop at Hot Topic.

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Lunch time at the Meridian Mall food court.

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2, 3, 4!

What time is it?

It’s Valentimes!