 
THE STORY OF MAN This automaton reflects the evolution of mankind. SHOP OWNER: Charles Mak LOCATION: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Cartoonists, through their comic strips, are a good source of ideas for automata makers (mechanical toy makers). I recently competed a piece, “The Story of Man” (or The Making of A Couch Potato) based on a Lucky Cow comic strip: “The Ascent of Man”. Shown here are pictures of two I made. I like to pay attention to the design of crank handles and, this time, the crank handle is in the shape of a TV remote, which fits into the theme of the man evolving into a couch potato. Only one last finishing touch is needed before these will be put on my display shelf: sign (with a branding iron) and date them! 
This is the first time I used a Geneva Mechanism but it won't be the last. I already have another piece in mind that I'll build using this mechanism and I'll call that piece “Mood Swing”. But that'll be another story for another day. In the meantime, I'll have some fountain pen turning to catch up on. To see a video demonstration of this piece, go to: http://tinyurl.com/2raz28 . . .
Charles Mak
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