Code Red

When I previously brought up redesigning my website, I referred to it as 'starting small' when compared to all the other shit I need to sort out with my life. As it turns out, losing 50lbs, developing a personality not predicated on passive-aggression and beating (whoopsie daisy...not yet, my boy, not yet...) are a fucking cakewalk in comparison, as none of these in any way involve Actionscript.Ah, Actionscript. Or, as I like to call it, 'c**tcode'. I pray that whoever developed it outlives their only child. Or at the very least they lose both testes (or ovaries - I don't discriminate) to a particularly nasty battle with a rabid pine weasel. Just when I get to grips with it I find that there are several variations on it that don't function at all while running alongside one another, resulting in an entirely new language I've developed for use when exasperated. It's predominantly comprised of grunts, rhythmic projectile spitting, fiendishly-modified racial epithets and self-mutilation.I suppose it makes the taste of victory that little bit sweeter when I finally get the f***ing sh***ing tw***ing c***ing thing to do what I f***ing sh***ing tw***ing c***ing want it to. Betraying my natural instinct to immediately give up on anything that's hard to begin with, I'm progressing it ever-so-incrementally and, in most respects, it's coming along quite well. Look at some purty screen grabs while I go back to it and choke back tears of vexation.

Synecdoche, Bristol...doesn't work quite so well as a pun...

So, about a month after I'd hoped, I've finally shifted enough extraneous flabby tissue to have reached my target belt size. And yet I still have the body and disposition of a Philip Seymour Hoffman character. I need Marky Mark to give me a good dressing down.
Having dug out that clip I just realised that Hoffman circa '97 was in better shape than I am now. That reference sure bit me on the ass.
I've consequently betrayed my lineage and joined a gym. Amazing carrot-and-stick effect a nice pair of buttocks has when using the cross-trainer in front of yours. If you're a girl and reading this, that was an ironic and biting dig at the assumptions of a cynical society. For true.Changing the subject, my short film "Ground Running" will be making its first festival appearance of 2010 at the Skepto International Film Festival, taking place in Cagliari, Sardinia. To display my superb geographical knowledge, that's one of the Italian islands the boot is gearing up to punt.
This film was completed and put out in 2008 (a couple months after I finished "House Guest") and then quickly rescinded when a bunch of people pointed out some eerie similarities to another film. I amended these last year, ultimately lengthening the film as a consequence. Once I've retired "House Guest" I plan on putting more effort into sending the new edit of "Ground Running" around and getting it seen. In the meantime, the Skepto festival will take place toward the end of the month, exact day/time/place to follow.

Webshite

As seasons turn and hairlines recede, the need for change has become ever more apparent. While my life, health and fitness level could all do with a complete overhaul, I'll start small by redesigning my website.

Layout for my old site's menu page, from back in 2002. I think I kept this around until 2005.

It's actually been a while since I had a personal site. My previous one was a sprawling mess of rollover images with a needless wealth of self-important information on pretty much every personal project I'd ever attempted to make marketable. When the hosting site disappeared I never bothered to relocate the site and have since relied on this blog and MySpace (trust me, it was relevant in 2006) as my main web presences. With my attentions more on "House Guest" and its reception, the blog is updated a fair amount while the other sites have died a cruel death at the hands of public disinterest. Now that "House Guest" is close to running its course on the festival circuit and I'm nearing the end of production for several projects (including the agonisingly slow-to-gestate- fourth Struwwelpeter album) I've outlined a plan to best represent myself as a professional freelancer, while showcasing the development of ongoing work:

•A main site to serve as a hub that brings everything I do together. Chiefly this would link to all music, film and book stuff I've produced while also giving an overview of my ability and freelance experience.
•A redesigned Struwwelpeter site to help promote CDs and "The Book of Women" when it is released.
•Archival mini-sites for certain projects ("Mitchells In England", "House Guest", selected CD releases etc.) that I feel are ready to have a line drawn under them.

Putting these all together, the scrawled site map is huge and a little intimidating, especially as I've resolved to use it as an excuse to get up to speed with CS4.
This is a proposed layout for the main site's menu page.It was designed last August to go with the look of my current DVD showreel. The plan then was to get the site redesign done by the end of the year, but something shiny caught my eye and suddenly six months had gone by. I think I'm in a more suitable frame of mind - specifically a horribly ill one that sees me mostly housebound - to kick things into gear now.

Dulcet Tones

I was interviewed last night for the Derby City Film Festival's podcast, to preview "House Guest"'s inclusion next month.
Between me calling in at 2:30am and my throat still hanging in tatters I come off as a monotone, raspy-voiced ass but it was a great opportunity to pimp the film some. Many thanks to Kris at DCFF for extending the invitation.
You can stream the podcast here or download it and keep it forever and ever.You can get yourself tickets to the event here, "House Guest" screens as part of the Animation Short Film Group - Saturday Feb. 20th 1:00 PM - Community Theater.

Pages To Turn

Apologies to any of you who may have had issues with ordering any of my books over xmas. Lulu have ordinarily proved themselves to be pretty dependable but I guess all bets are off during the holiday period. A little belatedly, I finally received my own copy of the "That Isn't Funny, You Stupid Child" reissue and I have to say it's a vast improvement over the original edition in terms of print quality and binding.
I'm really getting a kick out of the whole book thing and have a whole bunch of ideas scribbled down for future releases. I can safely say that the reissues of "Mitchells In England" Volumes 2 and 3 are the next in line, which will cover all the old material and get my bibliography up to date.

The original covers for "Mitchells In England" Volumes 2 & 3

After that I have a few new graphic novel ideas, some short stories for children (believe it or not) and a couple of non-narrative concepts. These will be pretty simple to put together as they consist of material that already exists. One I'm thinking of would be a full-colour retrospective of my graphic design and illustration work completed over the last decade. The tricky thing will be going through all the backup CDs/DVDs/external HDs to locate the material, but I know it's all there somewhere.
Two others would both be black and white and thus a lot cheaper to produce. By the end of this year I imagine I'll have enough content to put out a book of collected storyboard artwork that would include the early animated music videos, "House Guest", both versions of "Ground Running" and the handful of animated projects I'm chiseling away at these days.What I've already started work on is a collection of sketchbook excerpts that showcase the gestation of a bunch of projects. Beyond the films these also include layouts and concepts for comics, commissions and projects that never came to be. I'm always fascinated by the published sketchbooks of illustrators and artists I admire, and it may be construed that I'm assuming that others will be similarly interested in mine. In truth I fully appreciate the virtual non-marketability of these more self-indulgent releases, it's more to scratch the personal itch of 'it sure would be nifty to get all this shit into a book'. And of course I can further exasperate my family and friends by extending my product line and dooming them to a lifetime of accepting gifts bearing my name with gritted teeth and forced grace.
I'm aiming to get the sketchbook collection done by June. Here's a proposed cover; title/cock visibility possibly subject to change when it comes out.

Eight is enough

Happy 2010 everyone. Between Faith No More reuniting, the hugely encouraging response to "House Guest" (as a film and a book) plus me losing enough weight to finally climb stairs without crying, 2009 is going to be pretty hard to beat. This year's under a lot of pressure to wow me.It's already started on a good note - it turns out that House Guest will be getting eight screenings at this year's Clermont Ferrand Film Festival as part of the panorama Zombies, Vampires and Other Living Dead Creatures. Good news indeed.
The screenings are spread across five different venues, all of which are within a fairly short radius and marked down in this handy map the festival website has put up. The places and times (CET) are as follows:

Faculté de Droit
41, boulevard Gergovia
Saturday, 30th Jan, 5pm
Monday, 1st Feb, 9pm
Friday, 5th Feb, 5pm

Cinéma Jaude
Centre Jaude
Sunday, 31st Jan, 8:15pm

Grand Amphithéâtre Gergovia
29, boulevard Gergovia
Tuesday, 2nd Feb, 3pm
Saturday, 6th Feb, 7pm

Cinéma Les Ambiances
7 rue Saint-Dominique
Wednesday, 3rd Feb, 6pm

Cinéma Le Capitole
32, place de Jaude
Thursday, 4th Feb, 1pm

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

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...


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...& 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.