Ever wonder what happened to John Kricfalusi?
Did the Ren & Stimpy creator and animator extraordinaire wander out into the forest of giants never to be heard from again? Did he head out to Hollywood to practice high-dives, poolside, with popular celebs?
(Watch a video of Ren and Stimpy here):
No, sir!
It turns out he is out there– and blogging–about all kinds of keen stuff, such as the Warner Brothers cartoons that influenced him greatly:
“I always loved when Dad would come down to yell at me about being too old for cartoons, because I knew I could count on Bob McKimson and Foghorn Leghorn to make him bust a gut and prove I was right.”
And serves up animating/drawing tips, and, er, Salve for the soul, at:
We get a glimpse into what shaped the mind of a master. What a delight! Thank you, John K. Happy trails to you. :)
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In the sprit of Comic-Con International in
San Diego, 2009
Please watch in awe the inspired and wonderful at Sketch Theatre– where we can peek over the shoulders of an A-Team of maestros as they create (very quickly) masterpieces to the music of their choice (the musical menu is something of a work of art, in itself).
There are also interviews with contemporary artists/illustrators Cameron Davis, Wayne Barlowe and Chet Zar…
They have an outstanding gallery of all-star artists to spy on, from Alvin Lee to Nathan Frizzell to Travis Louie to Sebastien Larroude to Gary Baseman to Luke Chueh….there’s way too many to mention…you’re just gonna have to check it out…..
Sketch Theatre’s featured artists have all taken time out of their busy schedules to strip down and expose raw inspired concepts on camera….it serves to motivate and inspire artists from all walks of life. Aspiring artists are exposed to contemporary artists and the various career paths taken by these like-minded individuals who all began their careers by simply putting ideas and expressions down with a pencil & paper. The brilliant myriad of artists featured on Sketch Theatre strip down and expose raw sketches on camera, never failing to captivate and inspire.’
Enjoy the show:
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PROPS
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Pink Power Ranger props:
Kali Fontecchio.
Occupation: Cartoonist.
http://kalikazoo.blogspot.com/.
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“Rocking Chair on the Moon” props:
Inspirational folks we were meant, somehow, to bump into (a new series):
We were inspired one Halloween way back when he hopped across the pond with Squeeze and opened for them in Fort Lauderdale. We knew then to expect great things from this person (an extremely talented, first-rate, self-taught geetarist, (*name dropping alert*– son of Roy Harper (English rock/folk singer-songwriter/guitarist), chum of Glenn Tilbrook (yes, Squeeze, the Fluffers, more).
Nick’s works, Smithereens, Harperspace and Double Life were released on Glenn’s label, Quixotic). Nick has also performed with Squeeze.
Nick’s “Love Junky”, from ‘Blood Songs’:
and “Bloom”, from ‘Treasure Island’:
From Lauderale we climb into the plan 9 tin-time machine and fast-forward to…
10+ years later…
It turns out he, too, is still out there, and is a team member/musician of the international charity,
The Love Hope Strength Foundation.
Their mission:
“LHSF is an international, music-centric cancer charity dedicated to providing support for cancer centers, and inspiration to those affected, throughout the world. The mission is to save lives, right now, with the advances that have already been made in cancer care. We do not fund cancer research, rather we use our funds to purchase medical equipment and supplies, raise awareness through special events, documentaries and media, build cancer centers and find bone marrow donors.”
They have led musical pilgrimages to remote venues such as the base camp of Everest, the top of The Empire State Building, the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu and the glacier of Kilimanjaro.
Nick at the ‘Everest Rocks!’ 2007 trek in Nepal:
You can read more about Nick and what he is up to at his web site, harperspace.com.
(Nick Harper’s MySpace page)
I think he’s set to hit the states again mid-September. If y’all can Spirit the flight, or happen to be in the area at that time, please be sure to hit the Big Apple and/or the City of Brotherly Love and catch him there.
Love and happiness, Nicky!
You are truly one whale of a Daddy-O. :)
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Video of the day:
Roy Rogers singing “Polka Time”
