Mummy and Hugie

Hugo Likes Books

Influences 02

I've squawked over and over again about the influence of Tove Jansson on my work.
I found this quote from her today.
It reflects entirely my own thoughts, which is probably why I will never have a children's book published.
It's also part of the base philosophy for my Boxhead and Roundhead films.

"In a children’s book there must be a path where the author stands still and the child walks on. A threat or a wonder that is never explained. A face that never shows itself entirely."

Influence...

I've written about my influences many times on this blog and I shall mention another.

For non-Australians, SBS was a television channel that was started to support the massive influx of migrants to the country.
Foreign folks could find the Greek news, the Italian news, news from Korea - the broadcast from the nation of origin.
Soapies from Israel.
Children's afternoon drama in French.

I recall seeing what I think was the Iranian version of The Nanny during the 80s.
SBS always ran on a low band channel and it wasn't always easy to tune the telly to but if you had rabbit ears or a rooftop aerial pointing in the right direction you could pick it up.

When I was a kid the SBS network played a block of animation for several hours on a Sunday afternoon.
I recall very little about it other than it was, I think 3 or 4 hours worth.
I remember a Japanese cartoon, maybe done in cut-outs, about 7 sea dragons.
And I remember, in particular, a thing called the Yxilon Show which was a kind of low budget Muppet Show.
I've spent years looking for clips and info about it online but haven't ever found a scrap until I realised that I'd been spelling "Yxilon" incorrectly.
A recent search revealed a bunch of clips online.
These clips are all in German but I always thought the show was Russian.
Perhaps someone out there can confirm this.

I watch these clips and can tell why I liked the show.
It seemed extremely foreign and distant to a 7 year old in Australia (the other side of the world).
I knew nobody else was watching it - I'd ask at school - and that was very appealing to me.
To this day I'm also looking for something new, something interesting, something that isn't being played on Saturday morning - I hated those cartoons.
I'm also very receptive to charm and art being combined in children's entertainment - something that is rarely produced in the USA.
So here are some clips.
I recall nothing other than it was hosted by a couple of simply blobby puppets and featured mostly musical numbers.
I could have sworn the show was Russian but it seems to all be in German here.
None of these are subtitled but if you know any Germans they can translate for you.
Enjoy the clips, lah di dah.

The opening titles that include a snippet of music from The Wizard of Oz.
How strange.
At about the 3 minute mark is a lovely bit where a kind of monkey sloth thing plays The Entertainer on the piano.


Some worm acapella.




At the beginning of this clip is a lovely hippo and towards the end an example of my favorite sketch - a recurring bit of business between a spider and a fly.


These are the closing titles.
The names seem mostly German so perhaps it was, after all.
Although maybe it's a German dub of a Russian show...
They are extremely jolly and signified the very end of the SBS international animation afternoon.

Bug and Dog

Dan Meth asked me to the voice over for this. So I did.

Po

I love the Kung Fu Panda.

Three Of Us

Letter To Jaclyn

I've been posting my students Junior films. This is by Mr Brad Dotson.
It's an affectionate letter to his twin sister. Like many twins, they have a lot in common, yet it's the differences that this film is about.
Brad will be the first to admit that getting this made was like pushing a piano across the beach - hard bloody work.
It's still not entirely the thing we set out to make, but there's an awful lot of him (and obviously his sister) in this.
I am quite sure that Brad will be happy to answer any questions folks may have about this piece.

Dog and Friend

The Zombie Amish (of Lancaster, PA)

Expressive animation and lovely backgrounds from Samuel Troyer.
Everyone contributed some voice over work to this but the funniest is from Aaron Cowdery.
On and there are zombies, too.

The Wrath of Socks

Julia Altabef's uber multi media Junior piece.
After Effects, stop motion all kinds of stuff.

The Hood-Ass Tales of Captain Ignant

Social satire from my student, Aaron Cowdery.

New High Score

Hijinks in a video arcade from my student, Adam Murray.

Fisthead

Insane bloodiness and meatiness from my student, Sean Glaze.

Uarts Junior Animation and Film Show

Tonight, in a program of animation and film students, animation won.
The culmination of a semesters work was screened at the Uarts Junior Animation and FIlm Show.
The first time any of them had tackled sustained storytelling (they had to be 1:30 to 2:00).
I had a class of fourteen, several of them from my previous semester at Uarts.
I'm sure their classmates won't mind me singling out Sean Glaze's "Fisthead" and Aaron Cowdery's "Da Hood Ass Adventures of Captain Ig'nant".
Both of these films were huge crowd pleasers and the crowd was most definately pleased.
Mr Glaze has animation (and music and a bunch of other talents) dribbling out of his skin and Mr Cowdery is the kind of class act any teacher would be pleased to see toiling away on his film.
Julia Altabef made an ambitious and accomplished multi media monster film "Wrath of Socks" and Mr Samuel Troyer showcased his terrific backgrounds with his Amish zombie film.
One of my favorite students of all time, Anamaria Solis, and my favorite cartoonist in the class, Candice Graham had films that could be described as dogs breakfasts but the crowd responded very well indeed to both of them so what the hell do I know?
Aleson Ho, a terrific illustrator and cartoonist threw together a surreal beastie of a film that I would to have to explain to you all one day.
Adam Murray made a really funny thing about a kid battling an arcade game that would have been even better if he was allowed to have Sean animate it for him (but really, well done matey : ).
Kev Kypers limped over the finish line with the soon to be spectacular "It Is Not A Duck" a smart and funny look at individuals in society.
Rosie Scandell whipped up a sand on glass extravaganza that looked as though she'd worked on it for months.
Bravo, Rosie!
With some encouragement (by which I mean harassment) Mr Dotson made a touching film about his autistic twin that I am sure will find some life online when he's tidied up his credits so they don't run longer than the film itself.
Thank you all for you hard work.
With all your other classes it's astonishing that you got anything done at all.
I hope to see most of your films online soon - feel free to tinker with them before you do.

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