2000 & Mine

So, here it is. It is here. The New Year takes it's baby steps while I waddle around like an overstuffed chicken on the set of Henry VIII. The season's eatings have been good to me but now it's time to pay.

I had a great time in Sydney over the NY break catching up with the delightful Buckley and friends. When the sun was too hot, the hangover too pounding or the suburb too grungy - we simply kicked back and watched TV (something we do extremely well together). Starting with the entire season of Hippies, starring Simon Pegg and other notables. It was laugh out loud in places but was more interesting to put it into context of the other shows the dynamic duo of Arthur and Graham (Big Train , Father Ted, The I.T. Crowd amongst others) have put out in their time. As Amanda quite rightly noted "It's just like the Young Ones but set in the '60s". This was followed by episodes of Brass Eye, Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, Snuffbox extras, Arrested Development and the Beatles Anthology (gee that woman has good taste).

The Beatles history was fascinating as I have read quite a bit about them before but it was great to see all the footage and ephemera run past. I thought the Festival Hall clips were the cleanest looking footage of their live shows (good onya Melbourne). There was quite a bit left out as well and it got me thinking about the things that fell through the cracks - so here for your enjoyment (and with a bit of help from Ms Buckley) is Part One of the FABricated FOUR:In late 1964 The Beatles and producer George Martin head into the studio to create their 4th album "Beatles for Sale", while George ducks out for coffee and sandwiches the boys decide to make it a concept album in which they all become male prostitutes. In a burst of creative energy they write and record the non-hits "Please, Please, Do Me", "Shake, Rub & Roll", "Eight Times a Night", "I'm Looser" and "I Don't Want to Spoil the Sheets"

Sadly Parlophone baulked at such a risqué departure and reined in George Martin who threatened to take away their cushions unless they toned it down. As a small victory - they managed to keep the original name.

Sadly no one told Ringo it was merely a concept and they found him wandering the streets two days later and three hundred pounds richer.

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Have a great year folks!

Christmas Cheer

'Tis the season to be a hurdy gurdy of emotions and tingles.

Will you miss out on a toy this year?

Never fear - here's one just for you to help celebrate the birth of tiny baby capitalism all those years ago. Big thanks to CustomPaperToys for the template. Clickety Click to make it bigger.

Have a merry Christmas and a safe new year.

Lliam

West World

I saw this film when I was kid snuggled between Mum and Dad on the old couch with the tatty orange spread. The 70's tv advertising gave way to the feature film and it then preceded to scare 5 kinds of crap out of me. Was it the unrelenting cold stare of Yul? The mindless violence and sex the guests participated in? The nihilistic way the tables were turned? The blood's highly unusual shade of bright red? Whatever it was, I didn't own a computer until I was 21.

Webcomic - Bubblewrap

When Dan Beeston from Brisbane's Impro Mafia troupe first asked me if I was interested in being part of a webcomic engine he was creating I laughed, patted his fuzzy head and said "sure...sure Dan...I'll write for your crazy machine" and went back to drinking my cocktail (it was a Smirnoff Smug with a Twist of Disbelief)

Well a year went by I'd only heard whispers and wild rumours. Nobody had seen Dan in some time and we'd all but given up hope - and our lemon supplies were running low as well.... When suddenly he appeared - ragged and smelling of basement and eardust but triumphant none the less.

I guess I had to start knuckling down and churning out some ideas........

Ladies and Gentlemen - the online sensation that is "Bubblewrap"


My characters start about a week in.

He's so Continental (not the soup)

Question: Why do so many men in the 1930s-40s have those little trimmed moustaches? Clark Gable, Errol Flynn, Walt Disney?

Answer: Called The Continental or the After-8, the fashion was first set by early movie star Douglas Fairbanks, and further propagated by top nightclub Latin bandleaders like Xavier Cugat. Other cinema stars like John Gilbert, Gilbert Roland and Ronald Colman followed, and soon every leading man needed a pencil thin moustache to look cool. Clark Gable’s moustache even had it’s own name- Sir Sharpness.

(from Tom Sito's excellent Blog)

I call mine "The Toff Tache" or "The Mod Wolf"

Bonds, James Bonds

I love the little "uhhhhh" on Craig....

Getting there (hair)