And now for the latest installment in the increasingly incorrectly titled series:
Tuesday's Artists I Love

Shelby and Shannon. (And by extension, Sound and Fury, although I haven't seen them perform yet as a troupe.)

So one day last winter I got a bad hankering for the Renaissance Faire experience. Mead, turkey legs, jousting . . . I'm sure you know what that craving feels like. Pamela and I went to Scarborough Faire twice in our youth and had an absolute blast (although the second trip involved me replacing the starter in our '78 Mustang II in a downpour). I Googled "Renaissance Faire" and "Los Angeles" and found The Renaissance Pleasure Faire at the picturesque Santa Fe Dam Recreational Facility.

Pamela and I made the jaunt out last Sunday (4/9/06) and had a goode olde tyme! It fills me with shivers of delight to reflect on how marvelous the whole Ren Faire scene is. I would like to be a part of that scene as a performer, but it occurs to me like any other venue, it helps to have at least a toe in the the scene. In other words, I don't know how likely it is a long-established Ren Faire is going to book "Sir Andrew and his Marvelous Punch and Judy Extravaganza!" for its worldwide debut. Maybe I'm wrong. Faire folk seem pretty easy going.

Anyway . . . We're on our way out (Pam had her pole class that night) but I don't want to leave just yet. I see this feisty dude yelling "Come see the best show in the Shire! Pyramus and Thisby, for your viewing enjoyment . . ." or something like that. I says to Pam "Hey, do you want to catch one last show before we head out?" She asks what show, I tell her it's "Pyramus and Thisby" and she says "Oh yeah. I wanted to see how they handle Shakespeare." We buy a cookie and take an aisle seat.

I have seen and participated in plenty of outdoor performances, many of them not that good. Amusement parks, Ren Faires, Zoos . . . these are not ideal venues. The environment is loud and chaotic. The audiences attach no value to the performances (they are essentially free performances), and so feel free to come and go during the shows. There are few things worse than a transient audience. Add to this scenario struggling artists who are perhaps a bit tired of doing the same shtick over and over and over, and you have a recipe for crappy theatre.

Ah . . . but every now and again something miraculous happens: An audience arrives eager audit, and the performers arrive eager to perform. Both sides of the equation are there to have a good time, and thus a good time is had by all! This was certainly the case on Sunday (although I believe that Shelby and Shannon could drag a good time out of the surliest of audiences.)

And so it was that our noble tespians preseted THE TRAGEDY OF PYRAMUS AND THISBY, the play-within-a-play from A Midsummer Night's Dream. Two star-crossed lovers speak back and forth through a hole in a wall, schedule a clandestine meeting, and wind up committing suicide. He thinks she was eaten by a lion, and so stabs himself. She finds his lifeless form and follows him to an untimely and tragic demise. (Stupid Shakespearean star-crossed set, skewering selves and slinging sentience southward to Styx.)

The performance was very energetic and engaging. The humor was bawdy and dirty in places, but in a good, old-fashioned "Looney Toons" kind of way (i.e. I'm certain the kids and the adults were laughing for different reasons at times.) Shelby and Shannon really involved the audience in the performance, which is so important. (Pamela was even enlisted to play the wall!) Our thespians were quite professional and pretty freaking polished for this style of theatre.

The larger group of which they are a part, Sound and Fury, is previewing Sherlock Holmes and the Saline Solution in L.A. this weekend. Pamela and I are planning on being there.

If you're in the area, you should be, too!

Updated . . .

I passed the test . . . I got an "A"!

My "Understanding Motion Pictures" instructor, Prof. Joe Daccurso, is a very severe examiner yet a very humane grader. Clearly, the better one studies, the better one will do on the test. And believe me, this is not a test you can slide through like Gumby slides through books. I know quite a bit about this; I've ice skated through more than my fair share of tests. Yet it's comforting to know that you'd have to try really hard to totally bomb out.

Prof. Daccurso is not a sadist, despite the impression he tries to put over when it comes to the exam. He builds it up to be virtually Abu Ghraib-esque. It is, as I noted in the earlier posting on this subject, quite arduous. It's a marathon of a test! But for every yang there must be a yin, and Prof. Joe provides this yin in the form of very helpful study materials made available in the library and learning center. Prof. Joe is like a Dad who waits up by the front door for a curfew-breaking daughter, but leaves the back door unlocked. The key thing in a situation as benevolent as this is to not screw it up by abusing the benevolence. (This, by the way, is why benevolent governments and management structures hardly ever work. It only takes one person pissing in the pool to have the whole damn thing locked down. Why can't people just "be cool"?)

Something Prof. Daccurso said last night after passing out our grades really hit me right. He said that he's very interested in our conceptual understanding of the material, rather than rote regurgitation. Rote regurgitation is easy. Memorize some names and dates, spit it all out verbatim, and you pass! Yay! You can't remember it fifteen minutes later, but good on you anyway! Conceptual understanding though . . . ahhh. That's like changing your own personal mental "registry". Conceptual understanding affects how you think and perform. Rote regurgitation is good for a pat on the head and maybe a cookie. I am very pleased that Prof. Joe is the kind of teacher who teaches toward application rather than mere scholarship.

Well, I worked my ass off for this exam, and it shows. And now, to paraphrase Sun Ra, "What am I gonna do now I ain't got no ass?"

Study for the next one.

Seth Godin's Blog & My Two Cents

Seth writes:

"The worst thing you can do is be boring and vague.
"The second worst thing you can do is be boring and verbose and obvious."

The third worst thing you can do is be hyperbolic yet oblivious.

Jim Henson used excessive hyperbole over and over and over as a source of comedy - Sam the Eagle's pronouncements, every Muppets Lab invention unveiled, etc. It's even in the theme song: "The Most Sensational, Inspirational, Celebrational, Muppetational . . ."

My favorite bit of hyperbole in the "real world" is when at this time of year movie studios release what they call "The most highly anticipated movie of the year." Dude. It's April.

Or how about "The New #1 Hit Show in America" that hasn't even premiered yet? I heard radio ads for Heist claiming this amazing ratings feat (which must somehow involve TiVo and a time machine) in the days leading up to its premiere.

Audiences aren't stupid. This isn't the 1950s. You can't tell us something is the best, most impressive, most eagerly anticipated, groundshaking, life-changing toothpaste (or whatever) and not expect a wry grin and a raised eyebrow. And maybe a chortle, suppressed of course so you don't know that we know that you're full of crapola.

There is a place for such exaggeration . . . when it's accurate. Of course then it wouldn't be hyperbolic, it'd just be descriptive ("The Most Watch Comedy In America" "The Safest Car on the Road".)

I wonder though . . . even if some huge claim turns out to be justified, do audiences even care?

"Honey, come quick! The New #1 Hit Show in America is on!"

Tuesday's Artists I Love

(Yeah yeah, it's late. So sue me.)

Today, J.C. Macek III, a.k.a. World's Greatest Critic.

Yeah, that's right. I'm profiling a self-proclaimed critic as an artist I love.

J.C. is is an artiste, an example of life as art (anyone who goes as all-out as he does on his Halloween costume each year can't be anything but an artiste.) He is another artistic "Buckaroo Bonzai" to boot. He's a good friend, a great sounding-board, a rascally co-conspirator, and a damn fine writer. He acts, he sings, he plays music, and he's a radio personality.

His witty reviews of film, television, and music reveal a very able audience member who actually enjoys being entertained. In L.A. it's very cool to be cynical towards everything. I'm so sick of having to defend something like "Resident Evil 2" as a good movie (N.B. - not as a brilliant work of cinematic art.) J.C. seems to get the distinction between art and good ol' entertainment, and reads as a movie lover, rather than a "sour grapes" prick who delights in flaying alive earnest-yet-misguided filmmakers. That's not to say he doesn't call a turd a turd. I just appreciate that he is willing to acknowledge the tiniest speck of gold to be found in even the brownest of turds. (He's better at metaphor than me, too.)

J.C. is also damn brilliant. To hear or read him riffing on some aspect of art or culture is a treat. Earlier this year he presented his "Dead Man of the Year Award" which is both hilarious and educational. He presented the award to Willis O'Brien the special effects man behind the original King Kong.

Check him out!

The class I'm taking at Los Angeles Valley College is exactly what I needed.

As you may recall, steadfast reader, It dawned on me while working on Torrid Affaire earlier this year that theatre is my "fall-back position" mostly because I have such a highly valued (by me) education in said subject. It stands to reason that if I were to engage in a course of study in filmmaking, my "fall-back position" could then become filmmaking. Also, as a student I would have access to equipment, crew, editing facilities, etc. all for the price of tuition (which is not that much at LAVC, as it turns out.)

Well, I certainly am learning!

Learning Cinema is like learning a foreign culture. It has its own language, its own history, its conventions and traditions. My instructor, Prof. Joe Daccurso, is a skilled and enthusiastic tutor of this strange culture. He's been around for a significant portion of its history (he went to school with Lucas and taught Zemeckis, to give you an idea) and he is a filmmaker himself.

He is also one hell of an examiner.

To say Prof. Joe's exam kicked my ass would be a bit of a misstatement: as I told Pamela, the exam experience was somewhere between waiting on line at the DMV and routine dental cleaning. It was arduous. Not wholly unconfrontable (although I had exam nightmares leading up to the day of the test) but certainly a marathon of cinematic knowledge demonstration. The test I took is essentially the first third of the final exam, and it counts for a quarter of my final grade. (I like that he breaks down the exam into manageable chunks. The subjects covered last Wednesday night won't be covered again in an exam.)

To his credit, Prof. Joe makes available study materials that truly prepare you for the exam. I've never felt more prepared for an exam in my life. So how did I do? When I get my grade back next week, I'll let you know.

Drew Update

Hola mis amigos , de Los Angeles, hogar a muchos immigrantes!

First, there has been a new episode of Disembodied Animal Head Theatre available for a few days now. Episdoe 3 will be along this weekend.

I had a huge exam last night in my film class. When I get the chance, I'll fill all fourteen of you in on how it went.

I know I've been slacking on the "Tuesday's Artists I Love." It's sort of been "Every-other Tuesday's Artists I Love" or "Whatever Tuesday I Get Around To It . . ." you get the point. I'll update it . . . probably on Friday.

Pamela is a blogomaniac. I should have her ghost-write for me.

I have a couple of big playwrighting deadlines coming up . . . more about that later.

And what about The Felties? The reason for this whole stupid blog? You got me. Actually, DAHT is proving to be a good training ground for learning what the hell I'm doing. I want to do more with Timmy Tubesock, as that better establishes Pamela and me and our wacky sense of humor in the very important online community of puppeteers. Also, I desperately need to meet up with my puppet builder and see how everything is going. In short, I'm working on a few great "zero step" projects, and need to reorganize my life a bit to get the first episode of The Felties shot.

I'd like to present the storyboards for the opening scene here . . . give all fourteen of you loyal readers a first look at the episode. Hmmm . . .

Anyway, I promise I'll try to be a better blogger.

(Aw damn. I should have joked about giving up blogging for Lent. Shoot. Too late now.)

NEWSFLASH: ANDREW MOORE COMPLETES PROJECT

Los Angeles, CA -- Defying rumors that he is full of hot air, Andrew Moore completed, edited, uploaded, and blogged the first episode of his new one-man webseries, entitled "Disembodied Animal Head Theatre".

"It was really hard work. I mean, Tex [the rubber chicken host] alone took three takes to get right. Not to mention all the lines I had to memorize for all the different characters. Editing took all of one hour. To tell the truth, I don't think I was emotionally prepared for this amount of work. By the grace of dog [sic], I somehow made it through."

Although there is speculation that laziness and procrastination will set in and he will not continue to post new episodes on a weekly basis, Moore remains optimistic: "Come on, what else am I going to do with my liberal arts degree? Get a teaching job? Seriously though, I love Shakespeare and "Disembodied Animal Head Theatre" gives me a chance to pay my respect to The Bard in a deeply personal way."

Andrew Moore is working on three hundred forty-seven other projects at the moment, including two other puppetry series, "The Felties" and "Timmy Tubesock".

"Disembodied Animal Head Theatre" can be found at www.daht.blogspot.com.

Tuesday's Artists I Love

Quintron and Miss Pussycat are an eclectic and artistic couple out of New Orleans that make Pamela and I look Wonderbread plain. Seriously. We're talking whimsical with a capitol "H".

And I totally dig that about them! It's not just that they're off the wall (by now it should be obviously I have a fondness for artists who are "off the wall") it's that they are very good at what they do. I truly, truly, truly admire their commitment to their art.

First - Quintron. He's an organist specializing in . . . egad. I don't know how to even describe it. Lounge/ambient/dance music? Lo-Techno? If you'll listen to his stuff, maybe you can tell me. All I know is, it appeals to that part of me that salivates over super 8 cameras and yearns for dusty old used-book stores. (One day, some smart independent filmmaker will ask Quintron to compose music for his creepy little southern-gothic suspense film, and it'll ROCK.) He's also the inventor of DRUM BUDDY, a kind of manual/electronic drum machine. (Anyone who invents a music instrument is instantly god-like cool in my book.)

Next, Miss Pussycat. Growing up there seemed to be a real difference between the puppets on "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" and "Sesame Street"? I'm not talking about the obvious differences. I'm talking about something far more sublime. With the Muppets, it's easy to forget they are inanimate objects brought to life by talented performers. With the denizens of the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, you had to more actively put it out of your mind. Hell, every last puppet sounded like Mr. Rogers! Especially the female characters! (Lady Elaine Fairchild, anyone?) Miss Pussycat's puppetry is on that Mr. Rogers level. It feels like a show, and that underused part of your mind reserved for the "suspension of disbelief" kicks into high gear and you find yourself totally engrossed. She has produced a couple of puppet videos, "North Pole Nutrias" and "The Electric Swamp". You can see clips from "The Electric Swamp" here.

The latest project from Quintron and Miss Pussycat is a CD/DVD release entitled "Swamp Tech". The CD is Quintron, the DVD is Miss Pussycat's "The Electric Swamp". BUY IT! SUPPORT THESE NEW ORLEANS BASED ARTISTS!!!

I've just barely scratched the surface of how cool this dynamic duo is. (They also are part of a 10 year-old Mardi Gras marching band!) Explore their sites, and get to know them!

Here are a few things I'd like to draw your attention to:

My wife Pamela posted an interesting blognition about the lives we choose to lead. Good stuff!

Canadian Andrew found an interesting graph that explains "How to be an expert". Check out Andrew's commentary and observation on the difference between the Muppets and everyone else.

Finally, I am really digging the work of cartoonist Hugh Macleod. I've referenced him twice here regarding his ideas rather than his drawings. I don't know why, this guy just really speaks to me.

Pontification Is Easier Than Production

From Hugh Macleod's blog (3/01/06), an observation about blogs as tools:

because you can't live in a hammer

Blogs are like hammers. They are tools for building stuff.

When you talk about building a house with a carpenter, you don't mind him talking about his hammer for a while. Nobody minds indulging a craftsman, within reason.

"This hammer is great for this," he'll gush.

"This hammer is great for that..."

So you think yes, hammers are good things, and indeed his hammer looks like a particularly fine example.

But eventualy you're going to interrupt his joyous ode to hammers. After a couple of minutes
you're going to abruptly change the subject:

"Cool. Now let's talk about the ACTUAL HOUSE you're going to build for me..."

And if the carpenter is any good, he won't have any problem with that.

It's easy for me to comment on what I have planned with The Felties. Carving out the time to do the things that result in an actual product is a bit more difficult.

Tuesday's Artists I Love

Today - Jim Meskimen.

Okay, here it is. Why the hell isn't Jim accepting Golden Globes for best comedic actor in a series? Honestly! Not only is he one of the most talented impressionists and improvisational actors out there, he also has the work ethic of a coal miner. No joke!

You know Jim, but you probably don't realize it. He's the voice behind Jib Jab's most famous offering ("This Land".) He's been in dozens of commercials. If you're lucky, he may even be the face of your local supermarket chain! He's been on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air as three different characters (which is a testament to his skill and his work ethic.) He's done feature films, television, radio, internet . . . you name it! He's also a fine artist and cartoonist. He studied oil painting under a master in Spain, and did concept art on the old Thundercats series! He's a "Buckaroo Bonzai"!

(The greatest compliment I've been paid as a voice-over artist is to be called "Jim Meskimen, Jr." I was very flattered, but in truth I'm nowhere near that good.)

Jim has a couple of comedy albums for sale. I have "Jim and Tait: Two Minds Empty, No Waiting" and highly recommend it. Also, check out his site. Enter his "caption this cartoon" contest. Take a look at his fine art portfolio.

Really, just take a look at Jim. He's a great guy, very giving and fun.

How to be Creative

I recently stumbled upon www.gapingvoid.com. The author, Hugh Macleod seems like a great guy, and I've enjoyed reading his stuff.

He has an essay posted entitled "How to be Creative" that I highly recommend.

Here's a nice little excerpt:

"6. Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten.

"Then when you hit puberty they take the crayons away and replace them with books on algebra etc. Being suddenly hit years later with the creative bug is just a wee voice telling you, 'I’d like my crayons back, please.'

"So you've got the itch to do something. [. . .] You don't know if you're any good or not, but you'd think you could be. And the idea terrifies you."

Great stuff.

He also has a neat bit about what he calls the "Global Microbrand." This gets to the heart of what I envision for The Felties. I've been calling it my "Global Media Mini-Empire" but the idea is the same. It's all tied into something called "The Long Tail."

More on "Disembodied Animal Head Theatre"

Meet Tex, the Rubber Chicken.

He's a rod puppet; his mouth is operated by a fishing line that feeds through a tube inside his body down to a bicycle brake on the handle. (You can see the fishing line at the top of his red bow tie.)

December 2003, I was cleaning up my props after another stellar performance in acting class. The teacher had called a fifteen minute break, so I had plenty of time to spare after throwing all my crap in a box. The last prop in was my rubber chicken. I noticed that by pinching in the corners of his mouth, I could make his mouth open and close. As it was December, and I was in a holiday mood, I had the chicken sing "What Child is This?" in a booming baritone.

For the next two weeks, I followed Pam and the dogs around the house, singing various Christmas carols (and the occasional rousing "Dreidl Song".) I named him "Tex" (short for "Latex".) I decided to do a mock-commercial for "Tex sings Your Favorite Christmas Songs!" on CD and cassette.

As a character, Tex is a great study in comic contradictions. He's a rubber chicken; a cheap comic prop. He's also a comedy legend with a long and illustrious career, having worked with some of the greatest comics of all time. He has a rich baritone voice, and is obviously a cultured individual.

So there you have it: the host of "Disembodied Animal Head Theatre"!

I received the news on Saturday morning that a friend and collaborator of mine took his own life on Friday the 17th.

I'm vacilating between anger and disappointment. (Two sides of the same coin for me, really.)

My friend had everything going for him. The last time I saw him, he was in great spirits and optimistic about the projects he was working on. He was set to teach a class on succeeding as an actor, he was opening a coffee shop, and we were putting together a book for release this coming winter.

All of his work is done on the book. (He was writing, I am doing the art.) I know that I must finish the book, otherwise it'll hang around my neck for all the days I have left. I just don't know what to do with it once it's done.

Life goes on, no matter how bleak things may seem. Fortune shifts like the wind. Each new day is a chance to get it right. And even when the shit is piled so high there seems no way to dig out, there are friends and family willing to extend a hand or give a boast. I just wish Jimmy had seen that.

Where was I?

Last week, I started work on "Disembodied Animal Head Theatre" a weekly video blog that I can do pretty much solo. It is hosted by Tex, the Rubber Chicken and features a repertory ensemble of animal snapper puppets.

The idea is to bring culture to the internet by way of excerpts from classic literature performed by (drumroll please) disembodied animal heads. Basically, it's what a cable access show would look like if I had one back in high school.

I'll have the first one up next Monday. Stay tuned.

(And I'll talk more about the host in future blogs.)

Goodye, old friend

My Very Own Precious Holly Pongo Moore
Originally uploaded by scrapsflippy.

This morning, at about 6:30, our dear friend left her body.

She was eleven and a half.

She had health problems for quite a while. For a long time she suffered from seizures. A few years ago we took her to a nutritionist/chiropractor who prescribed a treatment of supplements and diet that all but ended her seizures. In the past year Holly had developed some tumors on her chest and belly. Her health roller-coastered, but she always fought back. In the end she developed an infection that her tired immune system couldn't best.

She was a pain in the ass from the moment we first got her home. She never really took to "potty training", ate through pockets to get to forgotten pieces of candy, and generally made life more "interesting" in the old Chinese curse sense. She loved tearing through doors, eating up leather boots, and stealing food off your plate when you weren't looking. She even bit me. A couple of times.

It was worth it.

There's no love sweeter than that of a dog. They forgive everything, demand nothing, keep you warm when it's cold, and give you comfort when you're sick. The least we can do is reciprocate. I'm happy that in the last days of her life, Pamela and I did.

Her full name was "My Very Own Precious Holly Pongo Moore." We found her on a cold winter's night in the back of a pick-up truck outside of a Wal-Mart in Arkansas. We took her home, and she took our hearts.

She was and is loved.

Back to school! Back to school
To prove to Dad that I'm not a fool!
I got my lunch packed up, my boots tied tight
I hope I don't get in a fight!
Ohhhh, back to school!
Back to school! Back to school!

- Adam Sandler, from Billy Madison

You heard it here first folks, I'm back in school.

A month ago I made the following observation in my posting entitled "The Middle of the Affaire":

"My biggest resource . . . and I can not emphasize this enough . . . is my education. Perhaps if I had gone to film school, I would've made a movie. Well, I went to theatre school, so I made a play."

It wasn't just an observation, it was a realization -- an insight into why I feel like there's this huge wall between me and effective video production. (There really should be some sort of a catchy neologism for "realizations or insights you have while blogging." Maybe "blognition"?) Currently, my artistic "fall back position" is theater. I can make good theater in my sleep. I want cinema to be my fall back position!

Thus the decision to pursue the Cinema degree program at LAVC.

(On a side note, I often bitch and moan to my wife about how I miss having access to a "Union House" quality theater; full scene shop, costume shop and make-up studio etc. Our college experience may have been a bit rocky at times, but we had access to amazing tools and facilities, all for the price of tuition. Studying Cinema, I'll be able to get my grubby hands on the tools of the trade, I'll have ample time to feel things out and figure out what I'm doing, and I'll have the resources to create to my heart's desire. Hey -- it worked for learning theatre!)

So there. This changes nothing as far as The Felties is concerned; I'm pushing ahead with production. This is more of a "me" thing. Call it "self-improvement through higher education."

Tuesday's Artists I Love

Pamela Moore
Originally uploaded by scrapsflippy.

I'll never forget that autumn evening I picked up my date and went to the Hot Springs Art Center in historic downtown Hot Springs Arkansas, to see a production of Julius Caeser (set in 1940s Chicago.) My date was a very lovely girl, very sweet. We were good friends, so at the very least we'd have a fun time watching a play together.

Yeah. That was until I caught sight of Pamela McWilliams. She played Portia in the show, wife of Brutus. She was elegant, poised, and compelling. Not to mention hot. Her hair had curl that night. She wore a mid-thigh length dress and nylons.

As lusty as I felt about this girl, I was even more disarmed by her talent. She had chops. She handled the language of Shakespeare with such grace. She communicated the intention of every line with absolute clarity . . . and she obviously understood every line. She had done her homework!

I tried to meet her that night, but some bone-headed old retiree kept her tied up in compliments and I couldn't reach her. Also, I may be a scoundrel, but I try to be a gentleman as well. Rather than dump my date and pursue the red-head,I opted for sharing a cup of coffee and ending the date pleasantly.

Fate would intervene. Pamela and I wound up on stage together in The Crucible. She transformed from the mature, powerful Portia to the seductive, nubile Abigail Williams. She'd take on the role of Pamela Moore, my wife, a few months later.

Okay, I'm biased, but I've also seen Pam From the viewpoint of a director, a fellow actor, and an audience member. So here is why she's one of the artists I love:

Pamela is a "character" lead. What that means is like a Ewan McGregor or Gwenneth Paltrow she has the looks and skill to be the romantic lead; like those two actors (and a few others . . . Charlize Theron and Jude Law for example)she's better in a role that defies pigeon-holing as "romantic lead." Dirty her up a bit, and she'll really shine through. In life she's loud and ballsy or soft and fragile depending on her mood. She brings that richness to any role I've ever seen her tackle. Infusing an emotional life into an onstage or on-screen persona is like second nature for her, and she has no problem shaking even the darkest of emotions out of her system once "cut" is called. On set, she's very professional and personable. No one dislikes this girl who's taken the time to speak with her.
There's much more to her than just acting, too! She's another creative "Buckaroo Bonzai". Her blog (which is ostensibly about acting) often wanders over into all her other artistic pursuits. (It happens to be a good read, too.)

She happens to be a terrific mate as well.

Happy Birthday, Pam.

Humor and Commentary

So I have this comic strip I've been doing on and off for a couple of years. I post the strips in the coffee shop I work at on weekends. They tend to be political, which gets me into all sorts of hot water. (My politics are libertarian, which means I step on everyone's toes. Except other libertarians.) That's fine, I like being a trouble maker. It keeps me feeling young.

My trouble with this strip is, I want to post the strip online, at the "Up to Bat" blog I've started (but neglected.) I feel as if I should write a brief abstract of the news I'm commenting on so that six months from now, people will know what the heck I was going on about.

Every now and then I catch a "classic" episode of Saturday Night Live. Invariably some of the humor flies right over mi cabeza. Because it's dated. It may have been the funniest thing on television at the time, but who cares now if no one gets the "current event" humor of thirty years ago?

On the other hand, SCTV is far funnier to me. They didn't air live, so their humor had to be less topical and more . . . dare I say imaginative?

What do you think?

Should "Up to Bat" fly out of the coffeehouse batcave and onto the net? Or should it stay dusty and tucked away like the news it's based on?

Writing like Beethoven, Writing like Mozart

Here are a couple of observations on the nature of writing for performance.

MOZART:

Some years ago, I found myself taking a summer course in playwriting from a man I deeply admire and respect as a playwright (and scene designer, and director, and . . . You get the idea. His name is Allen Partridge, he's another Buckaroo Bonzai.) I was toiling away on what was to become Diving In, my only award-winning play (so far!) We students would turn in our pages each day, and receive his teacherly criticism the next day.

One day, Partirdge handed back my pages and he had written in red ink on the top page "Too many notes, Wolfgang!" It was the only note. I queried him and he responded "Watch Amadeus." So I did. Near the beginning of the film, a court official is criticizing Mozart's music. Mozart says "What's wrong with it?" The court official replies "Too many notes."

So I took this up with Partridge, and received the best piece of writing advice I've ever been given. Essentially, why use a paragraph when a well wrought phrase would accomplish the same thing? Economy of word leads to greater emotional impact.

I strive to exercise great economy, but I still tend to write like Mozart.

BEETHOVEN:

The way I learned it, when Beethoven went deaf, his music went nuts. Musicians complained about the difficulty of performing his music. The notes were too high, too difficult to reach; his passages were far too complex to play with human hands. And yet, the music is beautiful, challenging and nuanced.

Well, I try to write like Beethoven.

Oh, I don't get ridiculous with the demands I put on a performer. I don't expect them to sprout wings or bleed tapioca pudding.

However, I may write a character who makes an emotional turn "on a dime." I have a certain fondness for repetition in monologues that makes them difficult to memorize. I may even force a performer to say words and relate experiences that are horrible, embarrassing, disgusting, etc. It's only because I respect actors enough to bring my "A" game as a writer.

More Episode Summaries for . . . THE FELTIES!

Here are a few more episode summaries for you to pour over and steal ideas from!

(BTW - so far only one person has voted for me to post the pilot script and storyboards. [Thanks, Mom!] Seriously . . . I'm not going to go to the trouble unless it's wanted. Should I post the pilot script and storyboards? Email me: thefelties@sbcglobal.net.)

“SWEET CHILD O’ MIME” - Mimey sends away for a ventriloquist’s dummy. He patiently waits the six-to-eight weeks. Well, patiently for him, anyway.

Around the fourth week, the stork accidently drops off a baby at the Svelte Felt Bachelor Pad. Mimey signs for the bundle, mistaking it for his dummy.

Wackiness ensues. Mimey discovers the truth, and tries to “parent” the little munchkin. Finally, the true parents show up.

MIMEY
Mimey Jr.! Come back!

MIMEY JR.
MIMEY!

. . . in subtitles, of course. This makes Mimey happy. (Inspired by Charlie Chaplin's "The Kid" .)

“SOFTBALL, OR THE MANOS NINE” - It is time for the annual Casa de Manos vs. The Palm softball game! This year, the Manos denizens have a secret weapon: Kabuki. She’s a world class softball coach who leads the home team to victory.

Oh - and Mimey comes up to bat three times over the course of the episode, each time using an air-prop bat. The first two times, he strikes out. The last time, bottom of the ninth, bases loaded with two outs, Mimey knocks the ball out of the park. Yes, with his air-prop bat.

“MIMEY JOINS A BAND” - The goth band that practices in the basement needs a new lead singer. They see Mimey doing laundry, and convince him to join up (he’s the palest guy they’ve ever seen.) He does so, of course not making any actual noise. The band argues about it, but decides to keep him . . . “It’s just part of his mystique!”

“NOBODY LIKES A TRADER” - A Send-up of “Wall Street” and “Boiler Room.” Pupsumoto takes on the persona of Gordon Gecko, and Mimey goes through a “Trading Places” situation. They meet up in the middle.

“CHECKMATE” - Pupsumoto and Mimey play chess. Pups puts Mimey in check. Mimey protects his king with an invisible box. This leads to an argument about whether or not air-props are allowed in chess. Pups puts an end to the discussion by cutting the invisible box in half with his sword.

“WHERE ARE THEY NOW?” - Mimey and Pupsumoto watch the Cable Music Show “Where Are They Now?” about washed-up rock star Gerry “Mad Dog” Steve. Knock-knock at the door. It’s Mad Dog and his new manager Peppto Jople (Pronounced “Pepto Yoplay.”) Mad Dog is staging a comeback, and is hocking his new CD door-to-door. Pups and Mimey resist. It just deteriorates from there. Mad Dog and Peppto refuse to give up on the sale!

THE FELTIES: WEBISODE SUMMARIES

I am currently cleaning up and finishing up the writing for "The Felties: Season One." I ran across this in my notes, and thought I'd post it here.

I can't vouce for the accuracy of these descriptions. Things change as I write, you know! But the following should give you a taste of what is in store.

(I am thinking about posting the pilot script and some of the storyboards. What do YOU think? E-mail me and let me know if I should: thefelties@sbcglobal.net.)

PILOT EPISODE: “I CAN’T STAN IT” - Pupsumoto’s dedication to Bushido and Mimey’s sanity are put to the supreme test. Stan’s apartment is being fumigated (to kill off whatever has been killing his cats) and so Stan needs a place to hang-out for a few hours. Pupsumoto is honor bound to extend shelter when requested. Mimey is unable to voice his disagreement. The boys are in for a rough night.

“FELT IS THICKER THAN WATER” - Mimey’s cousin Clownie shows up, deserted by the circus and beaten up by all who meet him. Mimey, out of a sense of familial duty invites his loser cousin to stay with him. Mimey takes this oportunity to school Clownie on the ways of the world, in a very “after school special” kind of way.

Meanwhile, Pupsumoto’s sumo wrestler cousin Cuzumoto has just arrived from Japan to break into American wrestling. Deciding that Cuzumoto is too uncouth and barbaric, Pupsumoto tries to introduce his cousin to the ways of Bushido.

Frustrated in their attempts to change their cousins, Pupsumoto and Mimey figure it’s best to push Clownie and Cuzumoto out of the nest . . .

. . . and into an empty apartment upstairs where the two co-exist in a psychotic mockery of Mimey and Pupsumoto.

“KABUKI AND DULLY, OR BEAUTY AND THE BLECH” - Pupsumoto’s sister Kabuki is in town from Japan to study cosmotology at an American school. Whoops! Pupsumoto forgot that her plane is arriving and he is honor bound to go on a blind date with Dully, Stan’s granddaughter. Mimey grudgingly agrees to “babysit” Kabuki and discovers a new found feeling: love.

On his date with Dully, Pupsumoto discovers a new feeling as well: nausea.

“PUPSUMOTO AND THE SPIDER” - Pupsumoto’s only fear crawls on eight legs . . . and it’s out to get him! Luckily, his best friend and roommate lives a double life: Mime by day, CAPTAIN ANTI-ARACHNID by night (or whenever the “Pupsumoto’s Being Attacked by a Spider” alarm goes off).

Pupsumoto’s awe of Captain Anti-Arachnid turns into obsession over the masked stranger’s true identity.

Mimey, tired of having to change into the costume takes drastic measures to rid their apartment building of spiders.

Confession time . . .

My home computer is . . . gulp . . . a Bondi Blue iMac.

I'll just wait a moment for you to stop laughing.

.

.

.

Okay, that's enough. You're starting to hurt my feelings.

Look: I love this crappy little computer. It's so much better than the Windows 95 hunk of junk I used to have. Also, it's pretty, and has Nanosaur.

The only problem with it is everything. I can't upgrade it . . . no expansion slots, I'm stuck with two USB ports, OS 9, etc. Pamela has to load her iPod up at work. Heck, I have to use her computer at work to do anything involving uploading or downloading! (She has a sweet HP "media center.")

I guess I'm just as stubborn and hard-headed as my grandpa Travis Moore was. I don't see the point in replacing something that works "just fine." Of course, "just fine" doesn't cut it anymore. Grandpa Moore could get away with using the same Craftsman tools his entire life. I need to upgrade my computer every couple of years -- at least!

For The Felties to work, I have to upload quality content weekly - at least!!! The field is quickly thickening out there. (Just take a look at the frequency with which Andrew at www.puppetvision.blogspot.com blogs about new videos online!) It's enough to totally introvert me!

Back when mini DV "prosumer" cameras hit the market, I recall a filmmaker (probably Robert Rodriguez or Rick Schmidt) saying "The great thing about digital is that anyone can make a movie. The bad thing is that ANYONE can make a movie." Indeed, the number of movies made in any given year is steadily on the increase. More artists are making their voices heard! (Good luck competing with all of them for attention.)

Fortunately (I hope) we have the story of the "Tortoise and the Hare." Slow and steady wins the race. Consistently putting out good content is what wins the day. Look at my heroes: "Homestar Runner" (www.homestarrunner.com) and "Glove and Boots" (www.gloveandboots.com). To put it another way, as someone far brighter than I once said, it's better to be a distant, flickering star than a shooting star. Sure, the shooting star gets more attention. The distant flickering star burns on through the eons, a comfort and an aid to travellers. Sorry to get all mystical, but I hope you get the point.

So, in sum, I need to upgrade. I need to bite the bullet, and join the 21st century. (Oh man, I'm stuck in last century. That's not good.)

So, uh . . . anyone want to loan me a few thousand dollars?

TIMMY TUBESOCK
or
How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love Video Blogging

My wife explains this project here.

Most people celebrate the holidays with family, food, and fun. We run around Hollywood with a video camera and a sock puppet!

So Pam and I talked it over and decided to just go ahead and do something. The result: Timmy Tubesock. The video is version 1.0. We're planning on a Chinatown trip in the near future for version 2.0. This is our way of learning while doing.

WARNING: This is very rough. We set some harsh limits on ourselves that were positively Dogme 95-ian. (What is Dogme 95 you ask? Essentially, minimalist movie making. Check out the Dogme 95 "Vow of Chastity.")

So tell me what you think! I have a whole message board set up (and gathering dust)!

TUESDAY'S ARTISTS I LOVE - The Ottomen

The OTTOMEN

Once upon a time, in the city of St. Louis Missouri, I found myself writing a screenplay. I needed to do a bit of research into the wild world of independent comic book publishing, and so found my way to a cool little comic book store hidden away near Washington University. I scanned the shelves and flipped through a few comics. Feeling the eyes of the clerk boring into me like Cyclops' laser vision, I decided to buy something. I looked for the best value, and found AMAZING CRAB #1 by David Stevenson. On the cover of the comic someone had handwritten:

"Bonus Free Ottomen CD!! 25 tracks of Ottomen fun!!"

Score! I have a fondness for scrappy indie musicians. So I paid my $2.50 and went back to work.

I popped in the CD, and found myself a new favorite band.

Okay, here's the deal. This is not a polished studio band. The songwriting is not exactly Lennon/McCartney. It basically sounds like three dudes got together with a four-track recorder, and didn't stop laying down tracks until the neighbors finally called the cops. I love this band. I used to be in a band like this, but we never recorded anything.

And I just admire the heck out of these guys. They started out in Kansas City. Half of these guys up and moved to St. Louis, and the band went into mitosis; so there was "Ottomen - St. Louis" and "Ottomen - KC". I'm a bit fuzzy on what all happened next. I think the principle members now live in New York and have formed up as "Paper Fleet". Apparently, they did an Ottomen reunion show not that long ago. Past members are still very much in communication with each other (even the guy who now lives in Japan) and they just seem like the nicest bunch of folks who ever all belonged to the same few bands at different times.

Uh . . . you should probably just check out their website.

(If I had more courage, I'd be a musician full-time.)

Update, 4/21/17: You can listen to the magic on the Ottomen Bandcamp page.

AFTERGLOW - After the Affaire

Twenty-four hours ago, I was chowing down on pasta from Vitello's in Studio City at the official "wrap party" for Torrid Affaire. Well, it was sort-of the wrap party. We may bring the show back in March or shoot it as a movie. Not too sure. I may just chuck it all and go back to Harvard to finish my English Lit degree. We'll see. (For further info on the "what next" conundrum, see what my wife/co-producer wrote in her blog entry entitled "The Morning After.")

The show went very well! We came very close to a full house (47 out of 48 seats filled!) The audience was alive and engaged, really having a good time. My cast spurred on the audience and rode off into the night on a mad bull of laughter. (Yikes. My metaphors are usually better than that.)

At the close of this show, I feel a bit sad and empty. I always get like this. First, there's the period leading up to the big moment, full of running around and getting stuff done -- whoopee! And then FUMP. The high-speed activity ceases, and I'm left passed out on the couch with my dog and a half-empty cup of lukewarm tea. I hit the "shiftless" period where I just don't want to do anything. That lasts about a day and then sure enough I'm back on track, building back up. I think I mentioned this sort of thing in an earlier post (11 November 2005. Yep, I'm back at "point C".)

The neat thing is, getting stuff done leads to getting more stuff done. Or, to quote Thomas Jefferson: "It is wonderful how much may be done, if we are always doing." Here, here!

* * *

Directing note: I ran into this quote from Buckminster Fuller during the rehearsal process:

"When I'm working on a problem, I never think about beauty. I think only how to solve the problem. But when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it was wrong."

I took this as advice and applied it as a director. It really holds true!

* * *

I love being an artist. I am exactly where I want to be. I just closed a play in Los Angeles California, to a packed house. Yeah, my rent's late, my gas and electric are all way past due, and I need new tires. So what? This is the life I chose. And I feel so much richer for having made the decision to throw caution (not to mention common sense) to the wind and make a go of it out here. It's nights like last night that make all the other garbage worth it.

To end off with another neat quote: "You can save yourself with art to some extent. With art, you can cull all your answers into a magnificent synthesis." - Anne Rice

She may be a total whack-job, but she's right.

Torrid Felties

Yeah, yeah. I know. This is supposed to be a blog about The Felties. So why am I wasting your time with some play I wrote and directed?

Before launching headlong into producing weekly episodes of The Felties, I needed to learn a little bit about producing. Heck, before doing this play, renting a soundstage was unconfrontable.

Also, I needed to flex my writing and directing muscles (I hate to admit it, but they have been a bit flacid lately.) Well, I pounded out this script in three weeks. Also, it is the longest dramatic work I've ever directed. That makes writing and directing 5 minute-long episodes very doable.

Finally, sometimes the best thing to do when stuck in a rut is to blow, do something else for a while, and come back. Yes, I was stuck in a rut on The Felties. I have been mired in the technical mumbo-jumbo. It's been nice to switch over to good, old-fashioned analog entertainment. So much so, I'm contriving a live puppet show for one of the upcoming Puppet Slams the L.A. Guild of Puppetry produces.

In the (underrated) movie Center Stage, there's this great part where a dance instructer tells a talented young dancer:

"Whenever you reach a plateau and you need to bring the passion back into your work, you must remember to return to the bar."

The instructor here is referring to the ballet bar dancers use while practicing their basics. Theatre is and forever shall be my "bar." From time to time, I know I will have to return to it.

The Middle of the Affaire

Ahhh . . . the eye of the storm. My play opened Sunday Night, our next (and so far last) show is this coming Sunday. Today, the Wednesday 'twixt the two, I am well rested and ready to bore you with lessons thus far learned.

First, I must say my wife has done a far better job than I of chronicling this mad adventure. What the heck. She kept a journal as a little girl. I kept He-Man action figures.

WHAT THE PLAY IS ABOUT

Five young women, each with a secret to share, reunite for an evening of sexy fun. The eponymous "torrid affaire" refers to:

1) the reason for the gathering (a "Torrid Affaire" party; think a Tupperware party with "marital aids") and
2) an extramarital affair from one of the ladies past that comes back to haunt her during the course of the play.

As I've said before, it is risque but not trashy. On the promotion, we are stating very openly "no one under 18 admitted." If it were a movie, it'd be rated "R" for language and content . . . but don't get the wrong idea. It doesn't go quite so far as the most "explicit" episode of "Sex and the City."

For the curious, here is the script. Beware: this is not the final version. One of the joys of being both writer and director is I get to "workshop" the script as I'm directing it. There have since been some pretty severe edits to the dialogue.

WHAT WAS I THINKING

Why did I devote so much of my time and money to a play? A play in Los Angeles, of all places?!? Why not shoot a film or spend that money on headshots and lipo?

Well, I think I can trust all 14 of you readers out there with a secret: I did it for street cred. That's right. Street cred. I've lived in this town for a few years, have done some cool things, but have not even begun to scratch beyond the surface of the industry. Earlier this year I began to feel disgusted with myself for being "all talk and no action." So I spun the roulette wheel and picked something to get my name in the paper.

That's not true. Doing theatre was not a "chance" decision. It was coldly calculated: I had a fantastic liberal arts education under the tutelage of one Allen Partridge, and feel equally at home in the scene shop, on stage, or focusing lights from a teetering ladder. My biggest resource . . . and I can not emphasize this enough . . . is my education. Perhaps if I had gone to film school, I would've made a movie. Well, I went to theatre school, so I made a play.

Generally speaking, L.A. is at best ambivalent when it comes to theatre. Who was it that said he or she'd rather go to a bad movie than a good play? It certainly seems to be the prevailing attitude. It's an attitude not without merit: good theatre is hard to do, mediocre theatre is easy, and bad theatre is easier still. Also, for some reason when playwrights are confronted with the idea of putting their words on a stage, the inner preacher pops out to beat the audience into submission. In the movies it is said "if you want to send a message, call Western Union." It could just as easily be said "rent a theatre and produce a play."

So Pamela and I figured that it wouldn't be that hard to produce a play that is just plain enjoyable entertainment, market it virally, and hopefully get some work (acting and writing) as a result of our efforts. We decided to stage the thing at the beginning of pilot season (when casting directors are looking for new talent). We should know in the coming weeks if this mad experiment worked.

As for me, I feel that I'm on my way to getting that "street cred." I'm on the map. Granted, I'm a little hick town right now, not a major city, but as the great director and acting teacher Milton Katselas pointed out in his book Dreams Into Action, a career is a voyage. You chart your course, hoist your sails, and career headlong into the great unknown.

(YIKES!)

TUESDAY'S ARTISTS I LOVE - Ron Yavnielli

Today: Fellow "Renaissance Man" Ron Yavnielli.

Animator, cartoonist, actor, puppeteer, stand-up comedian, voice-over artist; he slices, he dices, he feeds a family of four!

Whenever I have a question about animation, he's the "go-to guy." He knows his stuff . . . and he's simply the nicest guy-who-looks-like-he-could-kick-your-ass-without-even-trying I've ever met.
We met shooting a pilot (Groovy David's Dance Party.) He performed "D. J. Beat" and I performed . . . D. J. Beat's right hand.

Update, 4/21/17: Ron is the genius behind DreamWorksTV's Gorillaville. And he's still one of the nicest guys I know.

Pam and Drew's Excellent Theatrical Adventure

My wife Pamela puts it much better than I can.

I am currently in the throes of artistic ecstasy (or is that agony?) so I haven't updated this blog in quite a few days. I have a "Tuesday's Artist" but I think I'll just do a "two-fer" next Tuesday.

Torrid Affaire is coming right along. This coming Sunday (January 15th) is the first of TWO performances. I'm shifting gears from "Bob Ross" style directing to doing run-throughs followed by notes.

"Bob Ross" style directing: Remember Bob Ross? Well, Google him. His style of painting is very interesting: Take a big brush, load it with paint, and beat the hell out of your canvas. Go back later and add fine details. "Bob Ross" style directing is where you beat the hell out of your actors, and go back and add fine details later. It's also like sculpting: remove the big parts, and go back in for the fine detail later. Get the idea? I may tell an actor to do the scene like he's King Kong. That puts in the broad, big strokes. They see how far something can be taken. When you run it again, you have them do it as per usual, but there is residual King Kong in the performance (or whatever.) You stretch out the actor, let go, and they'll settle into a routine more like what you want. THEN you go in on the detail work. "Build to this line, pause, and just let the bottom fall out."

I'm sure this is somehow applicable to directing puppeteers. No time just now to ruminate on it. Come Monday, I'll have more time to espouse such things.

Ciao!

Dissolving Artistic Problems

I ran across this posting via Seth Godin's blog (a blog referencing a blog referencing a blog. Wow.)

What caught my eye was this quote (also quoted by Godin):

"Sometimes I use this as an example when I'm at client sites. I tell them the moral of the story, too: 'If you can't change the little things in your methods, you'll never change the big things. Pick something, make it better. Don't worry if it is just a little thing. If you lather, rinse, and repeat that a few times, you will have made a big difference.'"

Sometimes in life, it's not a matter of resisting change, it's a matter of overwhelm. You just don't know where to start! Problems flame up, and next thing you know, you're staring at a Gordian Knot. In real life, you can't just cut out your problems in a Herculean fashion. Problems require solutions, not surgery. (It's very "American" to wait until problems mount up well into "Gordian Knot" territory and then go for the "quick fix." i.e.: gastrointestinal bypass surgery, war, etc.) It can be frustrating! The thing to do, I find, is to latch onto one thing you can fix, and fix it. Problems begin to solve.

I feel this way about directing. In rehearsal, just watching the performance before me, I may see nothing but problems that require fixing. I tend to latch onto one problem and solve the hell out of it. When the scene is run again, I notice other problems not even touched on have magically disappeared.

Is it any wonder that the derivation of "solution" is "solvere - to loosen?"

(If only I could take my own advice more often!)

The Felties - their design.

So, if you browse through previous posts, you'll get a pretty good idea what The Felties look like.
Or, you can look at my Flickr Felties slideshow here.

Designing these characters, I was going for simplicity. Jim Henson once said something like "Puppets are pure character." No complications: This one's a high-strung frog, that one's a sad-sack bear, that other one's a weirdo. So I decided to make very solid, strong types: The easily agitated mime, the honorable samurai, the woeful clown, the tired old man, etc.

I should add that the design choice isn't entirely an aesthetic decision. I don't want a lot of clutter in the image; these webisodes are going to be watched in tiny little windows. I want to make the viewing easy on the audiences' eyes. Also, I figure less clutter in the image means a slightly faster stream. (I'm probably wrong about that last one. I tend to be wrong when it comes to the technological side of things.)

Google Video creates an oral vacuum on the masculine protruberance of equus asinus.

Ourmedia.org isn't too much better.

Why is it so freaking hard to upload video to a free server?

Timmy Tubesock cometh . . . as soon as I can get the video uploaded.

TUESDAY'S ARTISTS I LOVE - Chris Meeks

Chris Meeks, graphic designer.

(I wish he had more of a portfolio online!)

I know Chris Meeks through my wife, although we ran in the same broad circles when I was in high school in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Back then he mostly drew black-and-white, one-off comics for local zines and the local community college paper. He has a viciously whimsical style, and he has influenced my own 2D artwork more than anyone else.

To the left is a Photoshop painting he created.

Update, 4/21/17: You can check out more Chris Meeks at DeviantArt and Behance!

TUESDAY'S ARTISTS I LOVE - Bob Hutcheson

Today we take a look at Bob Hutcheson.

I initially met Bob as an actor. He's a part of The Really Spontaneous Theater Company, and back in 2002 Pamela and I went to see this troupe just about every week.

Bob is rock 'n roll. He's from Detroit, and exudes the kind of calm cool that you'd expect from a beatnik or a contributor to the college literary magazine. He also has a bizarre streak about eight miles wide.

His paintings are like sideshow banners. He plays word games with the viewer and devises brilliant visual puns. Plus, his work is just plain fun.

He and his wife also happen to be two of the nicest people imaginable. (She's a singer and an actress and no doubt a future "Tuesday's Artists I Love" candidate!)

Update, 4/18/17: Follow Bob on Twitter, and visit his website!

OBLIGATORY TOP 5 LIST

Rather than bore you with what movies I thought were best (because, let's face it, opinions are like certain unmentionable sphincter muscles) I thought I'd give my five top entertainment experiences from this past year. It's a bit more all-encompassing, and far more personal. That way you the reader won't feel obliged to send me an e-mail calling me a dolt for putting March of the Penguins on the top of my list.

Number 5 - Revenge of the Sith at the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood. Sure, I enjoyed the movie. I thought it was the best of the prequels (so much so, I saw it twice; that's pretty rare for me.) What made this screening so special was seeing it opening weekend in a sold out house, in one of Hollywood's iconographic classic movie houses. Every person there was there to ENJOY the movie. That really effects how you watch a movie. Also, our screening was "overseen" by the Fighting 501st. Such a simple thing, (armed stormtroopers at the doors to the theater) added so much excitement to the whole experience.

Number 4 - Discovering Freaks and Geeks. I had heard good things about this show. I had no idea it was so amazingly good. Even the pilot episode felt fully fleshed out and arrived. You know how most pilots feel like it's the obligatory first step, like putting your big toe in the swimming pool to test the temperature before diving in? This show does a canonball from the first moments and just doesn't let up. This is television-as-art to be sure.

Honestly, why this show was cancelled will remain a riddle for the ages. The writing is tight, the performances . . . aw forget it. Just go out and BUY (not rent) the DVD. This is one of those things that you'd wind up renting more than once, and then kick yourself the third time around for not just buying it in the first place.

Number 3 - Rediscovering Baseball. There is something so primal about sporting events. It's a lot like really long form improvisation with thousands of screaming fans and a scoreboard. Pamela and I wound up at four baseball games this past year at Dodger Stadium. (I hadn't been to a pro game since 1988, when the Cubs played a double header vs. the Expos.) We got so wrapped up in the whole thing we actually watched the entire World Series. That probably doesn't read as something unique or extraordinary, but for us it truly was. Baseball is good entertainment.

Number 2 - The Getty Center. One day Pamela and I were completely broke. I mean completely. As in digging through couch coushins to find gas money so we could roll into work on Monday. We were also bored. I remembered once hearing something about "free admission" and "The Getty Museum." A quick check of the net verified my recollection. That was our price range! So off we went.

The Getty is an absolute gem. It sits perched high above the vast expanse of Los Angeles, like a citadel of art and beauty. It recharged my artistic batteries. I most enjoyed their current exhibitions of illuminated manuscripts, and the photography of Weegee.

Number 1 - Nickel Creek, live in concert. And free (again, well within my price range.) Amoeba Music in Hollywood has weekly free concerts. The day Pamela spotted "Nickel Creek" on the marquee I nearly wrecked the car trying to make out the date.

Nickel Creek plays bluegrass . . . but very "pop" bluegrass. They're all youngsters; Sarah Watkins on fiddle, her brother Sean on guitar, and the inimitable Chris Thile burning up the mandolin. Thile is the Eddie Van Halen of mandolin.

Why Should the Fire Die? is their latest disc, and it is absolutely amazing. Pamela and I bought it after the concert and stood in line for an hour to have them sign it. On stage, they're energetic and confident. They put on a good show -- they know how to handle an audience. Offstage they're funny, enagaging and modest.

Okay, so that's it. My obligatory top 5 list for 2005. Lists of movies or books are boring. I'm far more interested in entertainment experiences. I'm interested in your experiences!!! To the left, you'll see a "Forum" button. Enter the forum and tell me about your favorite entertainment experience of 2005! (All 14 of you, including my mom.)

TUESDAY'S ARTISTS I LOVE - Ben Strawn

I'm going to try to do something on a regular basis here: I'm going to feature artists who inspire me, who challenge me, and who make me want to be a better artist myself. The first artist in this series is Ben Strawn.

Ben was a year behind me in High School. Before I met him, I ran in a circle of friends that included his sister Becca. The Strawn kids are all insanely gifted artists.

Ben's work speaks to the dark recesses of my soul. The part of me that thinks City of Lost Children really is a children's movie. The part of me that is both terrified of and fascinated with posionous spiders.

My first introduction to Ben was in art class. I was struggling with colored pencils and he was painting a masterful self-portrait: This hulking, dark monster holding a mask of Ben's face. Whoah. This guy wasn't just putting colors on canvas, he was digging deep and putting himself on the canvas. Nothing at all glib about this dude.

We collaborated on a cartoon for the school newspaper. We talked about doing a graphic novel, but I moved away to college and lost track of him until fairly recently. As you can see from the image here, and from his online portfolio, he has been very busy.

Check him out. Maybe he'll inspire you, too.

Update, 4/20/17: In addition to the newfound link to his online portfolio, check out his Artist a Day page, and this astonishing time lapse video of Ben at work.

2012 Cometh

A good friend of mine was all abuzz about the year 2012, and how all heck is going to break loose. I could point out that the same was said about 2000 and 1975 and 1900 and 1000 and . . . but you get the point. Predicting doom is something humans enjoy doing, like playing cribbage or petanque.

Anyway, if the world doesn't end, but we are plunged into another "Dark Ages" I'm heading for the hills to build a pageant wagon. (The image accompanying this text is of a Medieval pageant wagon.) Once upon a time, actors hopped onto a wagon and took their act on the road. The Wagon was their home and their stage. Good times.

You are invited to join me. I'll be hunkering down in the Angeles National Forest near the western Highway 2 entrance. I'll need actors, dancers, musicians but also crafts people. Carpenters and the like. I have no need for electricians unless you know how to generate electricity in a post-apocalyptic world.

I figure we'll dramatize the stories we're most familiar with . . . such as Star Wars (as performed so well in the film Reign of Fire.) Yeah. That'd be cool.

Seriously. The world is not going to end in 2012.

It'll be 4772. [insert creepy X-Files-esque music here]

(By the way . . . here's a great site about Medieval Drama.)

Why "Buckaroo Bonzai"?

I was home sick. It was summertime in Chicago. Flipping through channels, fate shined upon me and I landed on TBS just as The adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai Across the 8th Dimension was starting. Maybe it was the fever, maybe the ennui of being trapped indoors on a beautiful day, but I knew that I had found my calling. I wanted to be Buckaroo Bonzai.

Who is Buckaroo Bonzai?

A rock star. A neurosurgeon. A cutting-edge physicist. An adventurer. He just does it all, with panache. He hopped from place to place, changing roles constantly. Showing up just in time to perform brain surgery, then jetting off to play with his rock band halfway across the globe. He had a worldwide network of friends who would help him out when needed.

When I call myself an artistic Buckaroo Bonzai, I do so with mock arrogance. I'm nowhere near as cool as the "real" Buckaroo Bonzai.

But I hope to be so someday.

The Great Russ Walko

I first met Russ at a Disneyland audition for Playhouse Disney - Live On Stage! He's a very talented performer and puppet builder.

We were cast in the show, and wound up performing as Pip and Pop.

Although you can't tell from the photo he looks a bit like Matt Damon and I bear a passing resemblence to Ben Affleck. In rehearsals for Playhouse we wound up with the "Matt and Ben" moniker.

He has a website. Check him out.

Back in the limelight

Terry: I thought you hated the theater?
Calvero: I also hate the sight of blood, but it's in my veins.

I admit it. I'm not ashamed. I cried the first time I saw Charlie Chaplin's 1952 classic Limelight. I was going through a rough time professionally, and Calvero's (Chaplin) journey in this film really spoke to me.

I hate the theatre. It's an anachronism, clumsey, wasteful, expensive, self-indulgent . . . it's not film. An actor at the height of his powers may play Hamlet, and hold an entire house in the palm of his hand as he treads across the boards. But once the performance is done, it is done. It's like a really good dinner - enjoyed best in the moment. Down the toilet the next day.

On the other hand, I love the theatre. Creating illusions with stage tricks and an audience's imagination. Completing an act, and being met with the silence that roars louder than an ovation. The comradery of a tight-knit cast. The dance of performer and observer.

Personally, I am most frustrated with theater that does not struggle to be remarkable. I am most delighted with fellow performers who interchange with me on stage, like a spiritual game of one-on-one.

So this is why I am producing and directing a play I wrote: Instead of complaining about how rotten I think theatre is, I'm putting myself out there, to see what I can accomplish. In the process, I am rediscovering the joy of creation that I have so often known in my short life in theatre.

The play is called Torrid Affaire. It's a bit racey, but not trashy. I'm thinking about posting it somewhere online in PDF format for any who care to read it. In the meantime, while blogging about The Felties, I may make mention of this play. Now you'll know what I'm talking about when I do.

All about the puppets - Pupsumoto

Pups9
Originally uploaded by scrapsflippy.

I built the original Pupsumoto prototype (seen here) while watching The Last Samurai. His name is a combination of "puppet" and "Katsumoto" the latter being the name of the archetypal samurai Ken Watanabe played.

Pupsumoto strives to live by the code of the Samurai, Bushido. This is a difficult task, especially in the manic world of The Felties.

Pupsumoto shares an apartment with Mimey in the run-down "Casa de Manos" building. He has a sister, Kabuki, and a sumo wrestling cousin, Cuzumoto.

What is MSN's problem?

Yesterday, their lead article had the headline "MURDER IN THE BLOGOSPHERE." Today, as I'm checking my e-mail they're running this news story "Is e-mail past it's prime?"

I get the distinct impression from MSN that the internet is on it's way out.

Maybe MSN should commit hari-kari before it's too late. You know, honorably crash the servers. Heck, the internet is obviously on the way out. They could beat the curve and get out now before they lose too much money.

(Ugh. Pessimists.)

I posted the following words last year on my "My Space" blog. (I don't keep up with My Space. I'm too old and married.)

I put them here because of all the things I posted in My Space, this received the most interest.

And I believe the following still holds true.

* * *

I saw "A Charlie Brown Christmas" the other night. I forget what channel it was on (the one that's advertising "25 Days of Christmas" specials.) The first half hour was the classic special, crappily animated with a voice track obviously edited together line by line. Charlie Brown is down in the dumps, buys the skimpiest looking Christmas tree ever, discovers the true meaning of christmas, and everybody lives happily ever after (all to the awesome Vince Guaraldi Trio soundtrack.)

The second half hour was a slickly animated, cleanly voiced story involving some ice-skating contest. I turned it off after about three minutes.

The point is, you can't beat the classics. You can jazz it up, repackage it, make it look all pretty and new, and add some BS "feel good" theme. But the classic still stands the test of time.

Compare the old "Miracle on 34th Street" with the new one.

Compare the 1966 animated "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" with the flashier, jazzier Jim Carrey version.

I rest my case.

Merry Christmas! Now go enjoy some classics!

* * *

End of reposting.

The wife and I went to Target a couple of weeks ago to pick up It's a Wonderful Life on DVD (on sale for $10!). Surprise, surprise, they were sold out. I should add, it was the ONLY holiday DVD that was sold out. Jim Carrey's Grinch, the Newer, crappy Miracle on 34th Street were in ample supply. It's a Wonderful Life has to be the most watched holiday movie of all time. I know I've seen it at least fifteen times. But it is obvioiusly the most in demand. Classics NEVER grow old.

PROTOPILOT

I just finished reading Survival is not Enough by Seth Godin. Great book -- it's a manifesto (I think that's all Godin writes) about running a company in alignment with evolutionary theory as applied to the idea structure of the organization. (I think I got that right.) The manifesto wears a bit thin in places, but overall it's a very valid concept. Instead of resisting or neglecting or declaring war on change, companies in the "new economy" should let change "call the tune".

Two little pieces of this memetic puzzle he's built jumped up and bit me on the nose: "The Power of Prototypes" and "Better Beats Perfect".

"The Power of Prototypes"

Writes Godin, "Prototypes are, by definition, rough drafts, designed to be wrong, not right." He suggests a radical approach to prototyping: do a lot of it, and hang them out for everyone to see. He cites the success Chrysler has had with rolling out mind-blowing concept cars (The Viper, The Prowler, the PT Cruiser.)

"Better Beats Perfect"

"Isaac Asimov wrote a new book every six weeks. Some of the books were classics, some were merely good. All of them, however, were far better than the books J. D. Salinger never wrote." It's dumb to wait until something is "perfect" before launching it. "Perfect" can take a lifetime to achieve. Get your product out, and fine tune it over time.

This reminds me of something a college professor once told me. "You have to know when to say 'that's good enough' and just walk away from the canvas." Words of wisdom.

I'm also reminded of an anecdote from Robert Rodriguez's Rebel Without a Crew. He wrote about this experiment in a pottery class. Half the class was graded on quantity and the other half on quality. At the end of the term, the quantity guys -- who had hundreds of completed pieces each -- were creating beautiful pieces of artwork. The quality guys on the other hand hadn't made more than a few finished pieces each, and none of them approaching the level of mastery of the quantity guys.

So in this spirit, I've decided to go ahead and just shoot my first episode. No more waiting until I "really know what I'm doing." (I'd be waiting a long time.)

BUT, I'm building in a safety net: I'm calling this first episode a "protopilot." Sort of a combination of the terms "prototype" and "pilot." The idea is, this is going to be rough. It's sort of like a previsualization, but intended to be seen by the [gulp] public-at-large.

All about the puppets - Clownie

Clownie
Originally uploaded by scrapsflippy.

Hello! I am not Andrew Moore. No, it's Mrs. Andrew Moore here. This is Clownie, another one of The Felties.

Clownie is based on a toy I had since I was born. He was this pillow-panel stuffed clown with a flowery shirt and eyes just like the puppet. Clownie and I had a strange relationship. I would take him to parties, take him to Grandma's house. I wouldn't take him to bed - Lord no. Sometimes I would just beat him up for fun. I like to punch him in the face or drop kick him. Then, whenever I felt like picking him up again, I'd go back about my business dragging him along behind me on my way to a new adventure.

I never felt bad about beating him. It wasn't abuse. It seemed oddly appropriate.

Which is why the character Clownie is always getting beaten up.

My lovely wife

half hooker
Originally uploaded by scrapsflippy.

Here's the "voice" of Mimey. (This is a picture of her on set at a zombie photo shoot.)

I am a very lucky guy.

I met her thirteen years ago. She was playing Portia in a production of Julias Ceaser set in the sordid yet coloful world of 1930s organized crime. I was absolutely blown away by her performance (and good looks) and married her nine months later.

She writes a blog, too.