My Simpsons's Reel

I worked on The Simpsons Tapped Out Game for about 8 months, I learned soooo much, but it was a tough gig. Those guys over at Film Romans are STICKLERS! I honestly don't think I have ever worked so hard before in my life. Here is a sampling of the work I did there. 

STOP! BEING! SO! JEALOUS! OF! MY! IPHONE! CASE!!!!

I made this case from the cover of an old Lynda (my idol) Barry book.

 

Crazy Cat Lady

I never thought I'd get to work on the Simpsons, let alone CRAZY CAT LADY!

Dare to dream, people! DARE TO DREAM!!!!

TBT - Strangers With Candy!

I've been watching SWC this week in the Comedy Central Vault 

 Good Times, Good Times! 

I made this meme from the episode I just watched, 

the one where Jerri runs for Homecoming Queen.

Gorgeousness

Every once in a while an artist really moves me. By "move" I mean I want to steal that idea! Here is the latest artist I plan to steal from. This is a simple technique, a grade school art project. But the photos he's used make these pieces freakin GENIUS! I want to try it using translucent or transparent 'paper'. Tho, let's be real, I probably won't ever actually do it.

Art by David Samuel Stern

Heckville Podcast Coming Soon!

I'm working on a Heckville Podcast! 

Maude Heckles will interview various residents of Heckville 

(Monsters, Ghouls, Witches, etc...) 

The characters will be voiced by local SF comedians! 

You can see the practice runs here: http://heckville.com

Interested in "Maleficent"? First see Disney's masterpiece "Sleeping Beauty"!

©1959 Walt Disney Studios

This afternoon I went to see "Sleeping Beauty" (1959) at the Walt Disney Family Museum in the Presidio. I hadn't seen it since I was a child. My god! What a beautiful film. The art is simply GORGEOUS!  The backgrounds are miraculous. Eyvind Earle was the illustrator and art director. No other Disney film before or after can touch this one in design. The brilliant Mary Blair did some amazing concept art for this project.

Art by Mary Blair  ©1959 Walt Disney Studios

Art by Mary Blair  ©1959 Walt Disney Studios

Stills from the film ©1959 Walt Disney Studios

From a feminist stand point, yes, The Princess (Aurora/Briar Rose) is a nightmare of a character. She is little more than beautiful and young - with the usual Disneyesque impossibly small waist. She falls in love with the first man she meets, and we are to believe it is True Love. Then she gets in a fix and the prince saves her with the standard kiss. Blah blah blah... The anti-feminist symbolism abounds! She cannot live without the love of a man, yeah, we get it...   

But the film is otherwise incredibly feminist! The main characters are all female. Women provide all the key plot points, the drama and the comedy. They fight, they win, they lose. The Fairies (Flora, Fauna and Merryweather) are more than just comic relief - they are the driving force of the story! As well, of course, Maleficent.  The princess is really a just a "MacGuffin", to use a Hitchcockian term. She's a motivator for the protagonists, the Fairies, and the antagonist, Maleficent. These are powerful women with no man in site, and no apparent interest in men. They don't need them. Watching this film I felt I'd much rather be one of these fairies than that lame Aurora - tho she did have fabulous hair, I'll give her that. I recall, even as a child, it was the fairies that captured my imagination, not the beautiful princess. And lets be clear, although the Prince's kiss did wake Aurora up, it was Merryweather's spell, and the hard work of all the fairies combined, that made it even possible.

Three elderly women are the heroes of this story. But the true heroes of this film are the brilliant Disney artists.

©1959 Walt Disney Studios

©1959 Walt Disney Studios

©1959 Walt Disney Studios

©1959 Walt Disney Studios