The entire internet now knows about both the rad “Lazer Cat” mural on Divis and the “Invisible Bike” mural downtown, but there are plenty of other cat murals worth checking out:

Balmy at 26th.  I'm not sure why there is an insect dancing in front of the cat or why the cat would want to eat/yawn at said insect or why the cat doesn't have lazer eyes KILLING the insect, but I dig it.

Orange at 24th, from the guys at Telephone and Soup.

Poplar at 26th.  You can also see a larger version of this badboy on flickr.

This last photo was shot by Octoferret.  I remember seeing this in Neillie and 23rd (Noe Valley) a few years ago, but I don't know if it's still there.  We can only hope the artist returns to bomb the rest of the city in response to the latest outbreak of Koi Fish.

What am I missing?

Rimmed with fire, watchful and intent, the neon slit is a window into nothing. From high upon some great warehouse next to Jack in the Box there stabs southeast a rainbow flame, the flicker of which strikes acid flashbacks into all caught within its gaze. 

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JJ9KLk9_SU&fmt=35 for ye of RSS. Music by Four Tet]

The locals no not from whence it came, but said it has hung above the 300 block of Bayshore Blvd between Cortland and Oakdale for months. Venture forth into this otherwise forgotten district, and let the lights irradiate.

Growing up, I had a cat, Catzilla, that used to prance around the yard, eat grass, and occasionally puke it up.  I never attributed his frequent indulgence in the vomit-inducing feast to body issues, but then again I'm not a muralist.  Even so, I never quite understood parts of this mural, even if I could relate.  Why were the steps backwards?  Why did they leave one of the signs blank?  Well, Troy over at Caliber seems to have the answer:

I used to live 3 doors down from this car wash. When this wall was being painted, some of the artists told me they had eaten a bag of mushrooms a few hours earlier, explaining the random elements in the composition.

(photo by otherthings)

Do yourself and watch the short documentary on Mission art embedded below.  I won't spoil too much of the short, but it's a great survey of Mission art, covering the “Urban Rats” of the 1980s, the repeated destruction of the Rachel Corrie segment of the 22nd activist tribute mural, the effects of gentrification (what piece on the Mission would be complete without that?!), Precita Eyes, and various alleys.  For the folks who hate the Marina/white people, one UC Santa Cruz professor even takes a big, steamy dump on both caucasians and the Marina, slamming “wealthy white people,” as they lack “cultural legacies.”  Ohhhh shit.

Update: Apparently this originally aired in May, but it's new to me.