Quisp saves earth

The above is evidence why John K is my favorite animator. The comic timing is nothing less than perfect.

Re: sites for sore eyes

OK, kids. You'll note the new link to John Kricfalusi's web site. This is the man responsible for Ren & Stimpy and The Goddamn George Liquor Show, not to mention the incredibly sexy cartoon video he did for Bjork. John K is, simply put, a cartooning God. To say I agree with his cartooning philosophy is not to say enough. But let's have it out anyway.

A cartoon is a cartoon. Cartoons ain't life. Disney's so-called "imitation of life" is more accurately an imitation of death. I.e., it's an unholy recipe for creating animated zombies: stinking corpses that shuffled around and refuse to die.

John K's website is pretty much a graduate level college course in the history of 20th and 21st century cartooning -- with a special nod to the Pre-Cambrian explosion of creativity that took place in the 1930s and 1940s. His cartoongods are Bob Clampett and Tex Avery. They stand on the mountaintop as a result of their ceaseless experimentation.

What's happened since (largely inspired by Disney, but giving credit to cheapness and gutlessness as well) has been a devolution. A slavish devotion to model sheets. A fear of going "off-model" akin to pissing on the Holy Grail.

I like to call myself a cartoonist. John K's site makes me want to earn the title. He inspires me to work harder at it. He bitchslaps me to realize the level of mediocrity I've accepted in my own work. He reminds me what it was like when I was 14 years old and I'd stay awake all night -- drawing and redrawing -- just to get the damn thing right.

Writers bitch and bitch about how hard it is. You should try cartooning sometime.

Writing is just something I fell into because it's easier.

And -- you wanna hear something really funny?

It pays more.

The Chemical Muse

Heard interesting interview -- didn't catch source, either NPR or Nation Magazine's radio show, still tracking it down. According to Dr. David Hillman, the muses of the Ancient Greeks (ah, those fabled daughters of memory) were drug pushers. Homer was stoned.

If you'll check out the picture, he has very, very red eyes.

Quote of the Day

Fairy tales don't need to tell children that dragons exist; children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales exist to tell children that dragons can be killed.

- G.K. Chesterton

This reminds me of my favorite scene from Aliens in which Ripley discusses the existence of monsters with Newt, a child who'd been hiding in a facility overrun with the acid-blooded alien creatures ...

NEWT: My mommy always said there were no monsters. No real ones. But there are.

Ripley's expression becomes sober. She brushes damp hair back from the child's pale forehead.

RIPLEY:(quietly) Yes, there are, aren't there?

NEWT: Why do they tell little kids that?

Newt's voice reveals her deep sense of betrayal. She's seen that the world can be just as terrifying as her most primal child's nightmare if not more so, and that's a lot worse than finding out there is no Santa.

RIPLEY: Well, some kids can't handle it like you can.

***

Monsters exist. But monsters can be killed.

Amen.

101

April 11 is the 101st day of the year.

The Pinwheel Galaxy (also known as Messier 101 or NGC 5457) is the location of planet Uriel, the home of the angelic beings disguised as crazed witches in Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time.

In The Matrix, Neo's apartment number is 101.

In 1984, the torture room where you face your personal definition of "the worst thing in the world" is Room 101.

There are, of course, 101 dalmations in 101 Dalmations.

Hey -- fuck you, America!

This North Korea talking. We talking to you! Hey! We not out of the picture! Look at that rocket! That big rocket, huh? Size matters! You don't tell us what to do! We fire off big rocket we want to! That's just a satellite rocket! Sorry you can't find a satellite, you calling us a liar? Fuck you! We don't have a nuclear program but we could if we wanted to!