Client's Logos are never big enough!

This is simply so very true.

http://www.makemylogobiggercream.com/

Edge of the world (Test)

A little animation I'm working on. Here's a short taster/test

City Paradise

Oh but I'd love to be able to create work as lovely as this...

USA ELECTION 08

Gosh - what fun!

Strange Dreams

Awoke this morning in a strange state of mind following a very bizarre dream that I was still 'clambering' out of as I woke.
I was in some sort of 'artificial' town/village environment. It was a bit like a hybrid of 'The Village' in The Prisoner and the town in The Truman Show and a bit of my home town of Malvern.
It was as if I and everyone who was living there was aware that it was all an artificial creation, like some kind of adult holiday camp, but we all seemed to agree to not really mention it. We just all 'suspended our disbelief' so as to enjoy the rather lovely, sunny, carefree, hedonistic environment. It wasn't some sort drunken, sexual free-for-all or anything like that; it was all rather innocent but intensely happy.
However (even within the dream) I kept getting daydreams/flashes of other darker forces and shocking scenes like rooms full of fire and floors of dark water, that indicated that all was not as it seemed! Weird.
Anyway, it ended as (in the dream) I was walking up the steep hill in the town centre to some fantastic event with music and laughter and friends and lovers at the white pub where everyone was gathering. As I was climbing the hill I became I was awaking and that I was going to loose this wonderful world and so distraught was I that I began to cry. And so intense was the sadness that I was ACTUALLY sobbing as I woke!

Funny what drinking 6 pints of lager and a Southern Comfort before you go to bed can do.

Don't Forget your Anniversary

Atom.com: Funny Videos | Funny Animations | Upload Video Clips

Jedi Mind Trick Redux 6

Stormtrooper: Let me see your identification.
Obi-Wan: [with a small wave of his hand] You don't need to see his identification.
Stormtrooper: We don't need to see his identification.
Obi-Wan: These aren't the droids you're looking for.
Stormtrooper: What droids we're looking for?
Obi-Wan: These aren't the droids you're looking for.
Stormtrooper: I never mentioned any droids.
Obi-Wan: Didn't you?.
Stormtrooper: Nope.
Obi-Wan: You sure?
Stormtrooper: I just flagged you down and said 'good afternoon gentlemen'.
Obi-Wan: Oh.
Stormtrooper: Then you launched into this shit about droids.
Obi-Wan: (anxiously)He can go about his business - move along?
Stormtrooper: You ain't going nowhere. Tell me more about these droids.
Obi-Wan: (sighing to Luke) Bollux - I fucked that up.

I'm sorry - Nik Chinook is not available

Quite on this blog I'm afraid as this month I'm busy on the:
http://the-red-riding-hood.blogspot.com/

Yep - 30 Days - 30 red Riding Hoods is the challenge.
Intrigued? You should be.

Don LaFontaine RIP

Oh shit. Only yesterday I'm making light of Don LaFontaine's Hollywood trailer vocal-styling and the man promptly ups and dies. Or should that be 'downs' and dies?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7596451.stm

Respect to you Don; you were more often than not, the best thing about the films you were plugging.

New Classroom Fun

Mrs Peach, local school 'mam of this parish informs me that this year the six classrooms are rather than numbered, to be identified with Sea or maritime nomenclature. This, apparently is acknowledgment of the coastal location and indeed sea view the school enjoys.

Mrs P finally informed me that they had chosen such titles as 'Sea Horse', 'Ocean' and 'Dolphin'.
However, this was not before I had been reduced to tears of laughter as my mind had raced with the more gritty and humdrum seaside references that would have been more applicable to the South Devon coast.

I cannot help but delight in the thought of the nursery, reception and various year one children's classrooms rejoicing under such names as:
SANDY CREVICE
SEWAGE OUTFALL
USED PROPHYLACTICS
FISH HEADS
SYRINGE PILE
DECOMPOSING JELLYFISH
DOG TURDS
and for the toddlers class room:
VICIOUS HERRING GULLS

Hurricane Gustav

Well that was a bit of a damp squib I'd have to say.
My respects and sympathy to those who have suffered of course, however...

The week of building tension, dire predictions and the mass exodus had ,of course, raised expectations of the most dramatic scenes of Armageddon-style destruction, chest beating and general discomfiture since the great plagues of Egypt.

You could almost hear Don LaFontaine, (the hollywood trailer voice over man) giving it it his best:
'in a world on the brink of disaster.... one man stood ready...to save our future...to hold our dreams... to begin again. Starring academy award wining Michael Douglas as Kurt Hudson. From the writers of 'Mitzy gets a mouthful' and from the people who brought you 'Kiddie Camp Killer IV' this summer's must-see blockbuster will leave you breathless and moist.
(may contain scenes of mild peril and someone says 'fuck')

In the end, from what I could see, on my brief sojourn on BBC News 24 site, was footage shot by desperate cameramen trying to get some kind of drama. There was a long shot of some, already loose, roofing felt flapping a bit. Then some waving trees followed by a clip of a small empty piece of tin (albeit a catering sized tin) bouncing down an empty wet street. Hmmmm.

And then the big feature clip of the report was of three New Orleans 'yoofs' ("Wow - awesome storm dude") leaning into the wind for laughs and then (wait for it) one has his hat blown off which he chases with ill-founded optimism and to the delight of his homies. "Woo - like it was totally crazy man". Should be on a YouTube near you soon.
I've had bigger storms in my pants.

THE BBC REPORT

Jedi Mind Trick Redux 5

Stormtrooper: Let me see your identification.
Obi-Wan: [with a small wave of his hand] You don't need to see his identification.
Stormtrooper: We don't need to see his identification.
Obi-Wan: These aren't the droids you're looking for.
Stormtrooper: These aren't the droids we're looking for.
Obi-Wan: He can go about his business.
Stormtrooper: You can go about your business.
Obi-Wan: Move along.
Stormtrooper: Move along... move along.
Obi-Wan: 3 - 2 - 1; and you're back in the room.

Gremlins Fan Film

Remember the scene in Gremlins 2 in which the green guys take over the film medium itself. This is a French fan film that takes the idea even further with a personal Video Recorder version.

Little Red Riding Hood

Been enjoying re-reading Angela Carter's wonderful 'The Bloody Chamber' lately and the brilliant 'Company Of Wolves' got me thinking about illustrating Little Red Riding Hood.
It's obviously a story saturated in cocktail of psychological and cultural meanings - not all of which are 'suitable' for children and consequently there seems to be a wide range of stylistic interpretations of Red and her (sometimes fatal) adventures.

I've been toying with the thought of just how many 'versions' I could come up with and so to that end I'm going to create a new RED for each day during this September and put the results up on this blog daily. I'm planning on scraping together anything I can from illustration, words, paint, photography, CGI, papier-mache etc to try and hit my target and I'm sure some will work better than others but, just as with Red traversing the forest, I might just find out more about myself than I expected.

Jedi Mind trick redux 4

Stormtrooper: Let me see your identification.
Obi-Wan: [with a small wave of his hand] You don't need to see his identification.
Stormtrooper: We don't need to see his identification.
Obi-Wan: These aren't the droids you're looking for.
Stormtrooper: These aren't the droids we're looking for.
Obi-Wan: He can go about his business.
Stormtrooper: You can go about your business.
Obi-Wan: Move along.
Stormtrooper: Move along... move along.
Obi-Wan and Luke move off
Stormtrooper to 2nd trooper: What you looking at me like that for?

Jedi Mind Trick Redux

Stormtrooper: Let me see your identification.
Obi-Wan: [with a small wave of his hand] You don't need to see his identification.
Stormtrooper: We don't need to see his identification.
Obi-Wan: These aren't the droids you're looking for.
Stormtrooper: What?
Obi-Wan: These aren't the Droids you're looking for.
Stormtrooper: Fucking what?
Obi-Wan: These aren't the Droids you're looking for.
Stormtrooper: You trying to tell me my job??
Obi-Wan: [sadly] Shit - I've lost it...I've lost it.
Stormtrooper: I don't have time for this, move along... move along.
Obi-Wan and Luke move off

Come again?

A lovely new layout for your delictation. Hmm - much better. A nice new heading strap too! Oooooo!
Oh dear - I think I've just had a spontaneous emission.

Jedi Mind Trick (redux) 2

Stormtrooper: Let me see your identification.
Obi-Wan: [with a small wave of his hand] You don't need to see his identification.
Stormtrooper: We don't need to see his identification.
Obi-Wan: These aren't the toys you're looking for.
Stormtrooper: These aren't the what we're looking for?
Obi-Wan: These aren't the Droids you're looking for.
Stormtrooper: You said 'Toys'
Obi-Wan: I said Droids.
Stormtrooper: 'Toys' dude
Obi-Wan: I can assure you I said Droids.
Stormtrooper waits a moment then: Hey, you British?
Obi-Wan: [with a angry wave of his hand] Move along!
Stormtrooper: Move along... move along.
Obi-Wan and Luke move off
Stormtrooper to 2nd trooper: Did he sound British to you?

Jedi Mind Trick (redux)

Stormtrooper: Let me see your identification.
Obi-Wan: [with a small wave of his hand] You don't need to see his identification.
Stormtrooper: We don't need to see his identification.
Obi-Wan: These aren't the droids you're looking for.
Stormtrooper: These aren't the droids we're looking for.
Obi-Wan: He can go about his business.
Stormtrooper: You can go about your business.
Obi-Wan: Move along.
Stormtrooper: Move along... move along.
Obi-Wan and Luke move off
Stormtrooper to 2nd trooper: What the fuck happened then?

I want, I'd settle for, I got...

I want the Alien Queen
I'd settle for the creature from 'The Thing'
I'd get 'Alf'

Now there's an alien you want to smack in the mouth.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=19172213019

Devon Video

2 minutes of lovely Devon courtesy of Wide Eye Communications www.wideeyecom.com

THE URBAN JEDI

It's very satisfying to hummmm gently with a slight pulsating cadence. Thereby creating a soft 'light sabre' effect that you can enjoy in the office, on the train or bus or (if you're feeling mischievous) during important meetings.

I highly recommend it as it not only sooths the soul, it summons The Force, confuses radar, mystifies friends and colleagues and, best of all, provides a subtle internal massage.

My time here is not wasted.

Deeply Moving Story

A friend sent me this moving and heart warming story the other day.....


In 1986, Dan Harrison ( left ) was on holiday inKenya after graduating from Northwestern University

On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed distressed, so Dan approached it very carefully.

He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant's foot and found a large piece of wood deeply embedded in it.

As carefully and as gently as he could, Dan worked the wood out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot.

The elephant turned to face the man, and with a rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments.

Dan stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled. Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away.

Dan never forgot that elephant or the events of that day.

Twenty years later, Dan was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his teenaged son.

As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where Dan and his son Dan Jr. were standing..

The large bull elephant stared at Dan, lifted its front foot off the ground, and then put it down. The elephant did that several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man.

Remembering the encounter in 1986, Dan couldn't help wondering if this was the same elephant.

Dan summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing and made his way into the enclosure.
He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder.
The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Dan's legs and slammed him against the railing, killing him instantly.
.
.
Probably wasn't the same elephant.

Great quotes to ponder

Courtesy of Becca Tame's delightful Facebook page:

"If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you" Oscar Wilde.

"Lemons are the poor mans orange" Ian Bennett

"Touch your inner child at Womb World" Ian Bennett

"Crunchy Nut Cornflakes are just Frosties for wankers" Peep Show

"Maybe I am a big lesbo!!Think not tho cos I love willies!!" Tamsin Pengelly

"I can only take Dick for 45 minutes" Vic Raine

"You never know, cucumbers might have feelings too" Pip Clarke

"You're an aquired taste. Not for general consumption" Ben Tame

"Your default setting is evil" Sue Tame

"Peas. Sent from Jesus to please us" Meryl Reeves

Family Guy

I'm having strange feelings about Lois Griffin.

But then again I've been having those feelings about Trisha Takenawa for some time.

Do you think there may be a term for 'inappropriate feelings for cartoon characters'?
I'm hoping to hear some suggestions.

Will be back with some thoughts shortly :))))) Yabadabadoooooo!

I want, I'd settle for, I got.....

I remember in the mists of time a chaotic party in my youth when we would play a game called "I want, I'd settle for, I got.'

The form was to say:
I want: .......
I'd settle for....
I got.....
The idea was to take it in turns to add a line, in the correct order, hopefully making each statement funnier than the last and hopefully embarrassing to all concerned.

Doesn't sound like much I'd agree. But when you're young and very drunk, it kinda works.

In celebration of this little game and because it still makes me laugh I decided to set up a facebook group to encourage these 'Haiku' like gems from friends, family and hopefully others who may stumble upon it.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=19172213019

If you get a chance - pop over and take a look and contribute some thoughts.

One choice contribution already for example:

I wanted, a horse
I'd a settled for, a Mule
I got, an ass - and a big one at that.

The Far Side 2

Zen Buggerham

The village of Buggerham is becoming rather 'Zen' of late.
Only this morning I was woken by the sound of a Japanese bamboo flute (or Shakuhachi) drifting across the thatched roofs. And the day before yesterday old Mrs Trim and her ladies held a Tea ceremony in Primrose Tea Rooms.
It appears that the village is turning to esoteric forms of enlightenment, encouraged, I can only surmise, by the Reverend Wiltshire's conversion to Jedi.