And to all a good night

Reaching into my sack of treats

View from my balcony. Pity I can only go out on it for five seconds at a time.

'Hohoho'.
Right, that's enough yuletide spirit for one year.
Although, I do love giving presents. Especially the self-serving ones that promote my shallow li'l projects - and you're not allowed to be ungrateful because I made them myself and after all, isn't that the true meaning of the season?
Yeah, my family doesn't buy it either.I'm reminded of a Dr. Phil holiday special in which he urged the viewing audience not to buy things we think others should have, but things we know that they actually want.
Dr. Phil, in case there's any ambiguity left on this matter, is a redundant boob. Of course you're supposed to give people stuff you think they need at xmas. It's the one time of year you can force your own personal tastes and homemade crap on others. And if they don't like it, remind them that they got it for free and then backhand them.
Yes, I'm an angry, bitter man who will probably die alone.
But that aside, here are two presents from your close personal friend Ben Mitchell that you definitely didn't ask for, but I think you should have. Ain't I a stinker?Firstly, forget this RATM/X-Factor horseshit and instead check out my xmas single! Well, it has nothing to do with xmas, I just got it done last week and I'm too impatient to wait for the new year to put it up. It's called 'Spy Vs. Spy' and can be either streamed on MySpace or, for the next few weeks, downloaded as a full-quality mp3 right...wait for it...here!
The title is an obvious reference to the Prohias comic, which I love, but has nothing to do with it lyrically. More an analogy type-thingy.I've also put together a free preview sampler for "That Isn't Funny, You Stupid Child", featuring the xmas-themed (it's a rip-off of "It's A Wonderful Life") short story "Vicky, Icky & Sticky" in its entirety! So download away, my adorable little buttered muffins, and drink heartily from the overflowing cup of my altruism!
Download "Vicky, Icky & Sticky" - gratis!
Now I'm off to watch old episodes of "Home Movies", drink some Cup-A-Soup and ever-so-gently weep. To all a good night!

Whoring For The Holidays

Need some inspiration for xmas gifts? Of course you do, you can't be trusted to think for yourselves. Break the annual pattern of disappointing every relative and loved one with your crappy gifts by giving them something they truly deserve for once.
Now that I've made you fall in love with me, let me present you with some fine items that will make the season seem a lot more holly and, I dare say, jolly to boot.

What better present is there than a book? How about three books? 2009 saw the beginning of my love affair with Lulu through the release of the graphic novel adaptation of "House Guest" (a short animation I made that I've possibly mentioned on this blog). There's also two reissues of books originally released in 2006, now with extra content and in full colour!

Buy "House Guest: The Graphic Novel"Buy "The Best of 'Mitchells In England' Volume 1: 1994-1995"Buy "That Isn't Funny, You Stupid Child"

There's also some snazzy apparel you can get your greasy, materialistic mits on. Originally created for the film's crew, two "House Guest" t-shirt designs are now available! All sizes catered for.

Buy "House Guest: 'Face Off' cel" Men's shirtBuy "House Guest: 'Face Off' cel" Women's shirtBuy "House Guest: 'Duck' cel" Men's shirtBuy "House Guest: 'Duck' cel" Women's shirt

I'd have to be some kind of desperate, grasping whore to try and push a product that's nearly four years old, and yet here I go. "Agnosticaust", the third Struwwelpeter album from 2006 is the perfect treat for the impossible-to-buy-for music lover you know. With the fourth album "The Book of Women" just around the corner, it's the perfect introduction to my musically musical music.

Buy "Agnosticaust" by Struwwelpeter

(song clips featured on the order page)

Falalalala
Lala

la


...


la.

...& Other Living Dead Creatures

"House Guest" has been selected for the 2010 edition of the Clermont Ferrand International Short Film Festival & Market as part of their panorama screening 'Zombies, Vampires & Other Living Dead Creatures'. I'd say that's pretty apt.
Interestingly, I submitted the film for the 2009 edition and, while it was featured in the short film market, it wasn't selected for the festival itself. Kind of encouraging that the new niche category gave them an excuse to dust it off and include it in the 2010 edition instead. I'd just assumed the submissions go into the archives and are never seen again.
The festival runs from 29th January to 6th February, and a full list of festival delights is viewable here. As always I'll put up when exactly the screening will happen once I know. In the meantime you can check them out on that glorious celebration of social one-upmanship, Facebook.

If you know me, it's pretty obvious what you'll be getting for Xmas this year...

Well, I'm officially hellbound now that the reissue of "That Isn't Funny, You Stupid Child" has been released. Just in time for xmas, so if you have any friends who you suspect may be cold-hearted sociopaths then it'd make a perfect gift.

To summarise, the book is a collection of short comics that I worked on between 2003 and 2006 that are all equally distasteful.

"Cuckold"

"Li'l Milly (The Adorable Bigot)"

"Honey The Hungry Hound"

"Vicky, Icky & Sticky"

For all my bewailing the subject matter I'm genuinely chuffed that it's out there and it is, sick or no, just a bit of stupid cartoon fun. You'll like it. Buy it.
As well as the full-colour and new content, I made a couple changes to the second edition's cover. It's a little brighter and the colour palette on the back page now matches that of the comics themselves.It's available to buy now in paperback from Lulu for the measly sum of £14.99, or the even measlier sum of £5.99 if you choose to buy it as a digital download. We are, after all, living in the eco-conscious era of the Kindle.
Stay tuned as in the next few days I will be putting up one of the book's stories in its entirety, the festive tale of "Vicky, Icky & Sticky". Xmas brings out the giver in me.

Kentucky Fried Duck

"House Guest" gets a rare US outing in the new year, included in the second annual Derby City Film Festival in Louisville, Kentucky. It will screen as part of the Animation Short Film Group at 1pm EST on Feb 20th.
To keep up to date, the festival has a Facebook page, a Facebook group, a Twitter account and a MySpace page. Brave new world.
Many thanks to the scary Lynchian horse-director thing in the logo for including me (I'm assuming he calls the shots). I haven't really invested in many non-European festivals yet as they mostly charge for submissions and I'm a cheap sumbitch, so it's always nice to have it shown further afield.