I Yam What I Yam

This is probably not a big deal to all of you coaster enthusiasts out there, but I think it's funny.

My father was Popeye fan - yesterday was his birthday, so encountering this in the Pathmark was kind of cosmic.

The great thing about American supermarkets is their unending cascade of useless garbage -foods that shouldn't exist, infinite variations on Pop Tarts and the sad sack off brands and generic trying to look appealing.

Fruity Dyno-Bites begs mom to just "TRY ME".  And what smart mom wouldn't?  Ok, the mom who doesn't buy sugar in bowl for breakfast -but look at their mascot!

It's a kangaroo!  Her name is "Cool Blue", in case you're color blind and hipness-impaired (the sunglasses were the big tip).  "Cool Blue", the kangaroo that is the mascot for some dinosaur flavored cereal has a joey (cute times 10!).  He's named "L'il Oaty".

Can you imagine what a blast the art director and illustrator had while conceiving this?

"Cool Animals"

"Easy, kangaroos"

"Nice, they're extreme.  But family friendly"

"Ok, Ok.  But we need to make sure everybody know's they're cool"

"Oakleys.  Duh!"

After a few more bong hits and games of GTA "L'il Oaty" was born.

That's just how Doritos got it's "Don't bogart my Smokey Reds!" campaign.

By the way, I'd love to animate "Cool Blue" and "L'il Oaty" I think we really understand the character.  Give me a call and we'll work up the numbers.

i is a chav innit

We've been doing a lot documentary work.  I'm very happy about that. 

And some feature film work.  That's also something we set out to do.

The one big let down, and maybe this is related to the economy, is that we haven't done as much fashion animation as we had hoped.

We did a couple commercials last year for a high-end Orange County mall, not the volume of work we'd hope but not barren. 

The FIT gallery is around the corner from the studio.

This fall they a had terrific exhibit of Madame Grés which has been replaced with "Gothic".

Who doesn't love the gothicals?

Dames in black satin comin' at you.

The exhibit steers clear of the "gross" gothic -tattoos, dreadlocks and other unpleasantries.  We are treated to the "laboratory" -a series that includes goggles, metallic exoskeletons and mummy-like leather hoods.

The opening gallery introduces the historic reference to "goth" -Victorian corseting, vampire chic.  These are matched with a Givenchy from the 50's and a sexy Mugler from 1981.

A few hoods, a few too many Gallianos (their camp seem gaudy and out place with sly humor and tailor sexiness everywhere else) and several standout pieces from Rick Owens (new to me), Alexander McQueen and Yohji Yamamoto.

As sexy as the Demuelemeesters and (lone) Balenciaga are, they're nowhere close to the cool sexiness of gothic garb a Dame Darcy original:

Love Us, Love Us, Love Us!

Here's a little write up about us from the Great White North:

Asterisk animating non-fiction

by: Kelly Anderson

Jan 14, 2009

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Non-fiction filmmakers are increasingly turning to animation to spice up dry data or to capture an unattainable event or location. This is all good news for Asterisk Animation, whose executive producer Richard O'Connor and director Brian O'Connell both vouch they've had a great year in business. Asterisk has been busy working for PBS, WNET and National Geographic, alongside commercial work for Mercedes, music videos and even a feature film, Rebecca Miller's The Private Life of Pippa Lee.

The New York-based design and animation company has gained the attention of players like Sundance Channel through hard work and networking. In the case of Sundance, Asterisk had been working with political illustrator Steve Brodner and director Gail Levin on U.S. election commentary in short films based on Brodner's illustrations. The New Yorker picked it up for its website and Sundance Channel took notice. "We retained the rights and wound up being able to put them on the Sundance Channel. They saw them, really liked them and wanted to put them as part of a political campaign package that they were doing [Voices of the Election]," says O'Connor.

With the election over, O'Connor and O'Connell have already set their sights on tackling the newest hot topic, the economy. "It's sort of a boring dry topic usually, but we think with Steve and Gail and our abilities in animation we can do some more interesting perspectives in terms of what's going on with the recession/depression that we're in," says O'Connell.

Before that happens though, the two men can still revel in jobs well done. Asterisk was nominated for an Emmy for Graphic Design and Art Direction for the work done on WNET's four-part mini-series Curious. Their motion graphics can be seen next in Make 'Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America, tonight on PBS.

The Critics Speak Out

A few reviews of "Make 'Em Laugh". The first episode premiered in New York last night (check your local listings for rebroadcasts -it's PBS).

For those who fell asleep while keeping score, we did the graphics for the series -a few hundred shots.

Robert Lloyd from The Chicago Tribune.

The San Jose Mercury News wanted more Jay Leno, less Paul Lynde. "WTF?" we say, they liked it anyway.

Newsday gives a "B minus". They haven't seen what grade I've given that sorry excuse for a Pennysaver.

Don't have a TV? Lucky you - "Make 'em Laugh" is already available on DVD at recession prices?


One last review from Kevin McDonough, United Media (syndicated)

Early in "Make "Em Laugh" (8 p.m., PBS, check local listings), a
six-hour survey history of American comedy and comedians, filmmaker
Judd Apatow ("40 Year Old Virgin") observes that somebody accused him
of reviving "immaturity" in American comedy. He then argues that
American comedy has always been about grown-ups acting
inappropriately, and that launches an onslaught of clips of Harold
Lloyd, Bob Hope, Phyllis Diller, Jonathan Winters, Andy Kaufman, Robin
Williams and too many other funny men and women to mention.

Billy Crystal introduces each segment and Amy Sedaris narrates. Don't
go looking for deep insights or any overarching theories on humor. But
if it's funny and rare clips you are looking for, "Make 'Em Laugh"
more than lives up to its name

.

Celebrate!

Sometimes the city looks like a cartoon.

A big factor in the success of Bakshi's Heavy Traffic and Fritz the Cat is the conflation of urban life with the cartoon landscape. Heavy Traffic's photographic backgrounds are a convenient shortcut, really it goes beyond that.

While we were working on "Trees" for They Might Be Giants, they send us another song: "Celebrate Brooklyn".


My friend Martha Colburn had just moved to New York after a five year stint in Amsterdam so I asked if she wanted to make the film.

She and I spent a warm afternoon wandering Brooklyn taking photographs (and getting release forms signed). The next day we bought a big printer at J&R.

Typically Martha works on film. At that time she had a residency at Lower Manhattan Community Council and hadn't set up a camera stand. Plus, I think working on film for a commercial project like this is stupid. For fine art, that's another monster and there are good arguments for the expense of negative.

I set her up with a still camera into her laptop and a tripod for downshooting. This was all made as stop-motion cut outs under camera. Take a picture, move it a little, take another picture...

We gave her two days and an intern, then edited what she came up with.
above: Martha operating her current camera apparatus.

As dearly as I love Martha and her work, sometimes her films get a little long and stretch the topic. She's at her best when focused on a narrow idea and allowing her insight to fill it with oddities. From that comes both creepiness and fun. She can give you a deeper emotional knowledge of a singular thing in a loopy, profound manner.

Despite it's intentional goofiness, "Celebrate Brooklyn" accomplishes that. I'm proud to have played a part in its making.

People In The Neighborhood

Dame Darcy stopped by yesterday to give me a copy of her new book, Gasoline.


I've read it in a draft form. It's an interesting piece -what is really remarkable is the production.

Merrell has done an outstanding job with reproduction. There are a maybe a dozen or more full color plates which and black and white illustration on every page. Many pieces look like ink originals. The cloth binding has a run of metallic gold. It's really a stunning print job.

This year I've decided to photograph all of the special guests that come into the studio. Here's the first edition.
Lisa Hammer (below) came by to meet up with Dame Darcy before heading off to some gothical olde tyme Victorian thingamajig.

Adjust Those TiVos!

Make 'Em Laugh hits the airwaves and broadbands this week.

In New York the first episode premieres on Wednesday at 8 PM on Channel 13.  PBS schedules vary in every market.

We did a few hundred simple graphics shots -mostly camera moves, some multiplaned, and a few more interesting things.

In typical PBS fashion, much of the show is available online.  Including a clip with Amy Sedaris.

above: Make 'Em Laugh promo