Monday Song - Simon's Lament

Simon Sinister

Russ and Liz!!!

So I'm taking a break this morning.  A break from choosing between a Kermit the Frog tie and a white shirt, or a bright yellow tie and a bright orange shirt.

Shirt and tie...  Somebody's getting married!

Liz...  I'm glad I was there all those years ago to egg Russ on to ask ya out when you started working at Borders...

And I'm glad he did...

Russ...  You're a brother to me, I love you man.  Totally hetro, since you are getting married.

Someday you two will have the most eco-friendly Muppet looking kids, and I'm going to teach them armpit farts.

Happy Birthday to the men who are Kermit...

Kermit and Rowlf Perform Rainbow Connection 

at Disney Legends Ceremony This Past Summer...

Jim Henson was inducted as a Disney Legend this year...

This was inconjunction with "The Muppets" 

coming out on Thanksgiving, 

and with his 75th Birthday,which would have been today.

The video above is from that event.

Jim did a ton of amazing things.  

Too many for me to list here, that's for sure.

One thing I do want to mention is the talent he harvested.

He wasn't afraid to give new talent a chance.  

The video above is absolute proof.

Kermit the Frog and Rowlf the Dog were two of 

Jim's characters as a performer.

Legends say Bill Baretta started out working at the Sesame Place amusement park

and Steve Whitmire took a train from Atlanta to New York 

and knocked on the Henson Company door...

Bill is now Rowlf, and Steve has Kermit since 1990.

And that's awesome.

So, Happy 75th Birthday Mr. Henson...

And Mr. Whitmire... Happy Birthday to you too!

Keep those arms up!

Monday Song - Angel

Mr. Matt Nathanson

What a week...!

I'm going to keep it as short as possible...

Hit four years with Brie...  She is still the best.  Ever.

We went to NY to see Jim Henson's Fantastic World...  And I'm inspired all over again.

Brie even hooked me up with a awesome t-shirt...  Featuring a Jim Henson quote I often steal for my own work...

Got a cool package from my Aunt Rita with another awesome Muppety shirt...

And now a day off...  In the studio!

Monday Song on a Sunday Morning...

Too alarming now to talk about.

Take those pictures down and shake it out.

Truth or consequence, say it aloud.

Use that evidence, race it around.

There goes my hero,

Watch him as he goes.

There goes my hero,

He's ordinary!

Don't the best of them bleed it out,

While the rest of them peter out?

Truth or consequence, say it aloud.

Use that evidence, race it around.

There goes my hero,

Watch him as he goes.

There goes my hero,

He's ordinary!

*Kudos* my hero,

Leaving all the mess.

You know my hero,

The one that's on.

There goes my hero,

Watch him as he goes.

There goes my hero,

He's ordinary!

(Foo Fighters)

Paris In Plantsville - One Year Later!

Late July of 2010 I asked my friend Joe Bun Keo "Whose dick do I have to suck to get some Elmwood films screened at Paris In Plantsville?"

He responed with "Mine."

 

And we we off.  A week or two later Joe Calvo I was at the weekly meeting the Paris In Plantsville resident artists have to go over what shows are coming up, critique work, plan events and so on.  

We were there to pitch a screening.  So I chatted up what Elmwood does and then we went over to a computer and watched a couple videos.  It was a go.

Then a date was set, Labor Day Weekend, Saturday.

So in classic Elmwood fashion we decided to shoot, edit, and complete a new "Steve the Vampire" short.  And we pulled it off.  "Steve the Vampire Meets Dracula" was ready, along with a collection of our "greatest hits".  An hour of shorts.   During this time, getting ready for the screening, I kept going to the Paris In Plantsville meetings, just to keep up to date and so on.  And I got to know the guys, and really gelled with them.  It was a fun and inspiring place to be.

On September 4, 2010 we had the screening, and it went off without a hitch.  Huge crowd and everyone was laughing at all the right things.

Out of respect I went back to the next meeting.  And at the meeting I was nominated by Joe to be a resident.  The general manager, Jordan, stepped in to say there would be a vote.  And only a vote if I was interested.  I had never thought of it.  But I said "Hell Yes".

The next nite I hop online to check my email and so on...  

And I see an announcement on Facebook.  Jon Bristol - New Resident Artist.

Somehow I didn't get the call, ha ha...  But what a cool way to find out!

So it's been a year.  An amazing fun, productive, educational, exciting, inspiring year.  And I wouldn't trade it for anything...  And I'm not going anywhere...

So here are some shameless plugs for my Paris Brothers, past and present...

Thanks to all of you...

Sean

Jordan

Josh

Steve

Eric

Andre

Joe

Christian

Andy

and don't forget to check out Paris' page too!

His Own Confusion

JORDAN'S SHOW!

My Own Confusion

Be there!!!

9/9/11

Gonna be awesome!

Turn Up Your Speakers and Play As Loud As You Can!

20 Years ago this summer, this was the rock song on everyone's Walkman...

I remember sitting in front of my brothers giant stereo speakers blaring the single as loud as we could...  I think the tune still hold up!

So to my brother and my bros...  This one's for you, Happy Labor Day!

Support the MDA!

Happy Labor Day!

Support the MDA!

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Meet Your Neighbor! is an event being held at The Hearthstone Pub in a couple weeks, and I'm pretty jazzed up about it...

Here's what's happening...  The Paris In Plantsville crew is inviting YOU and all your creative friends down to the pub and restaurant...  And bring your art!  Whatever it is!

We wanna see it!  And we want you to see ours!

Get it?

You show me your, I'll show you mine...  So naughty!

Anyway...  This is gonna be a blast, they have great food and drink there too, so you can fill up and art up!  We can all chill, talk art, talk film, talk puppets, talk whatever!  Meet some new people, network, make fun of Josh, and so on...

And Johnnie Sojive's coming too!

9/16/11 - Meet Your Neighbor!

New Resident in My Studio

Thank you Rachel and Chris!

A new blog to read...

My buddy Jim started a new blog, so I figured I'd give it a little plug...

Could be interesting to see where he goes with it..

The Fat Bastard Chronicles

Monday Song - Fair

Hey, are you lonely?

Has summer gone so slowly?

We found the ground

And that damage was done

It's cold as you fade into the sun

Where'd you go? To me?

But you're alive!

Well, it's only

Fallen frames, they told me

You stand out, it's so loud

And so what if it is?

It's cold as you face into the wind

Where'd it go to? tonight the sun shall see its light

So what if you catch me,

Where would we land?

In somebody's life

For taking his hands

Sing to me hope as she's

Thrown on the sand

All of your work

Is rated again

Where to go ?

And you were somehow the ran thing could allow

But it's all wrong

You're so strong

And this life and work

And choice took far too long

Where'd it go? tonight the sun shall see its light

So what if you catch me,

Where would we land?

In somebody's life

For taking his hands

Sing to me hope as she's

Thrown on the sand

All of our work

Is rated again

When I was sure you'd follow through

My world was turned to blue so thin

When you'd hide your songs would die

So I'd hide yours with mine

And all my words were bound to fail

I know you won't fail

See, I can tell

(Remy Zero)

Cloudy with a chance of Apocalypse?

Not really.

Raining...  Windy...

Got a mug full of coffee, doing some writing, and listening to The Green Album...

Hurricane Schmerricane

Weather Warning!

So the East Coast is looking like we're gonna get hit...  So SpongeBob is singing a song to make us feel better...

I love seeing that there are people out there with way more time on their hands than I have.!

Do You Abide? - Film Screening 8/26

The first time I saw "The Big Lebowski" was in my parents living room with my dad...

Every time a Vietnam comment came up I looked over at my dad...

By the end of the movie he caught on that I was teasing him because he was just like John Goodman's character back then...  Hahaha...

Anyway, this Friday nite at Paris in Plantsville we're screening the flick as part of our 

"Fresh Outta The Gutter - Art on Bowling Pins" show!

Come out and join us!

Bring your fave lawn chair, bean bag chair, or area rug, and enjoy the flick

BTW: I didn't make the puppet above...  An Etsy Crafter did!

Bowie!

Monday Morning Song - I'll Be Here A While

I'll be here a while, ain't going nowhere

I'll be here a while

Far is solace in the maddening pace

sad state written on my face

not a tight rope walk but dance

uncertain game of chance

but I'll see it through in time

I'll be here a while, ain't going nowhere

I'll be here a while

And if a person place or thing can deliver

I will quiver with delight

tempted by the hand that could

blind my vision and sight

but at twenty years of age

in frolic and in rage

I will see it through in time

I'll be here a while, ain't going nowhere

I'll be here a while

But the dawn has come into the endless night

and everything's going to be alright

but at thirty years of age

through frolic and in rage

all regressed and healed in time

I'll be here a while, ain't going nowhere

Said I, said I, said I, I will survive

(311)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY REN AND STIMPY!

August 11, 1991 Ren and Stimpy first aired on Nickelodeon.

We should all celebrate by eating some Gritty Kitty Kitty Litter and playing with our Logs!

Thanks to John K. and his crew for the laughs!

The Gutter!

Saturday Nite at Paris In Plantsville...

Check out FRESH OUTTA THE GUTTER!

Art on bowling pins!  Awesome stuff!

The show opens 8/13 at 7 PM!

Five Stages of Grief (for a Zombie)

Gotta give Julie all the credit on this...  

I was lucky enough to work with her on this in a great stop motion workshop this past week that was given at the Faxon Library in Elmwood (Yay!)

Thanks to Joe, Dan, and Tessa for putting on the workshop and letting me be part of it!

Check out Julie's awesome work HERE 

And thank you Heather for suggesting I try the workshop out!

Monday Late Nite Song - Stand Up And Be Strong

You might be right 

You might be wrong 

You might just think your life has gone on for too long 

Your knees get weak 

Your heart grows cold 

And your tired of doing everything you´re told 

And nothing can take away from you 

And what you take what you´ve been through 

Stand up and be strong 

Stand up and be strong 

It wont take long 

You cant go on 

Stand up and be strong 

You might have to fight 

You might have to cry 

You might have to cry 

You might have to fight 

Stand up and be strong 

You live in the hills 

You take too many pills 

If you´ve lost the thrill against your own will 

Stand up and be strong 

And nothing can take away from you 

And what you take 

What you know what you´ve got to do 

Stand up and be strong 

Stand up and be strong 

It wont take long you cant go on 

Stand up and be strong 

If you get all depressed 

When you get undressed 

If your life is a mess 

Remember you´re blessed stand up and be 

Stand up and be 

Stand up and be strong 

Stand up and be strong 

It wont take long 

You cant go on 

Stand up and be strong 

Stand up and be strong 

Stand up and be strong 

You can't go on it wont take long stand up and be strong 

(Soul Asylum)

Borders... If you see me getting high, knock me down...

I saw a great t-shirt on a kid today. It said:

"Buy Art Not Shoes"

I intentionally keep my day jobs away from my presence on the internet. But since I haven't worked for Borders since 2004, and soon they will just be a memory I figured, who cares?

People keep asking me about how I feel about the end of Borders. And I keep saying nice simple, short things like "It's too bad." or "Shame so many of the people I care about will be out of work" and so on... And them I'm asked: "No, really, what do you think?" And I've been brushing off answering it. I wanted to make sure to use the right words. And as a writer, it's easier to sit down, with a coffee or a beer and think it out.

Well, I think it sucks.

I went into the Farmington Connecticut store tonite with Brie. And it actually made me sad. I didn't give as shit when Strawberries folded, and when Media Play shut down I smiled. When Record Express went under I saw it coming... I worked at all these places too. But there is something different about Borders. I don't know what it is.

I spent five years working for Borders. The golden years, when the staff was specialized, and the stock was varied... It was a place to buy that book no one else had and get a CD you'd never thought any store would have in stock. As I was in process of leaving in 2004 I saw the writing on the wall for it's demise if things didn't change quick. I'm not going to get into why Borders is no more... I'll let Slate writer Annie Lowery do that HERE.

What I'm going to do is babble here about my experiences with the shops... And what its meant to me.

What I did get for five years at Borders?

Love. Inspiration. Friendship.

To this day I still talk with people I met while working there. There wouldn't even be an Elmwood Productions as we know it if it wasn't for Borders. It's where I met Jim and Russ. We worked there together, and the seeds were planted there for a wild future. The main character for "Josh and Todd" was created there and inspired by a co-worker named Josh, who also did time in Elmwood Productions... I could list the friends I made here, but that would be a post all by its self so please don't be offended if I didn't name drop you! I came up with Johnnie Sojive while working in South Tampa at Store 148. I was over caffeinated, working in the cafe with Collin and Chip. We were goofing around doing Morris Day impressions while taking orders from customers and I blurted out something so incomprehensible we couldn't stop laughing. And the voice stuck. And Johnnie Sojive was born. So many great ideas started in those two stores.

Random memories from Tampa and Farmington... Lunches at China Pan and J. Alexanders... 6 AM Snowball fights... Collin's California Turkey Wrap... Joe calling me "Jerkface" when he found out I was quitting... Andy Witts... Goldenboy... The look on Russ' face when I can back from Florida... I could go on and on and on...

I remember the first time I went into one. It was the store I worked at in Farmington CT, Store 55. I think it was the first on in Connecticut too. A Barnes and Noble opened up in 1993 and my mom and I would go there from time to time. She was a huge reader and really got me into books. We thought it was odd Borders would open across the street. The weekend they opened in 1994 my mom wanted to go. So I went with her. I wasn't planning on buying anything. Just to check it out. I left with a Kermit the Frog doll. Ha ha ha... I still have it.

And my mom bought me something too, when I wasn't looking. It was a book also by Kermit the Frog, called "One Frog Can Make a Difference: Kermit's Guide to Life in the '90's". I loved the book, still do. I still have it. It's long out of print, sadly. But it's a great memory of time spent with my mom. It was a place to hang for me, before I worked there, and after. A place to meet up with friends before a night out, or a concert, or a place to meet for a coffee and catch up. It was a place to feed the soul.

Borders was good for that. It made some great memories. I could go on and on and on forever here on this blog going over memories. But I won't bore you any further.

I'll end it here, with a quote from the book my mom bought me that first time I went to a Borders... And I dedicate it to all of you who were there with me, and those who stuck it out till the end, and to my friend Lisa, who started there right after I did, and will be there till the bitter end...

"Look before you leap" - KtF

I always had a feeling we were all really battery operated puppets!

Monday Song - I Love Your Goo

I love your guts, I love your goo Your ugly blood, your creepy heart The heart that's true to me and you I thank you  I'd eat your gum, I'd eat your goo I love the blood that lights your eyes And makes your lips the colour blue I thank you  Your flesh and your insides Your blood and your outsides You're blameless and I'm shameless  I am the shit upon your shoe Your creepy blood is in my heart The heart that's true to me and you I thank you  Your flesh and your insides Your blood and your outsides You're blameless and I'm shameless  I'm in the mud, I'm in the goo Your face is cold, your lips are blue But your heart is true to me and you I thank you  Your flesh and your insides Your blood and your outsides
You're blameless and I'm shameless
(Crash Test Dummies)

"The Muppets"

Hot Damn! This is gonna be great!

Nobody Weird Like Me

"If you're feeling lousy 'cuz you had a bad day...  

Welcome to the human race..."

I think it's clear that when I was a kid I was an oddball.  Wanting to play with puppets and put on shows, playing with my Indiana Jones action figures, and sometimes break-dance to the Thriller album when no one was looking.  I wasn't into joining any sports teams (but loved playing with my friends), never had the chance to go to camp, and probably spent too much time in my room drawing.  My parents were OK with this though, and made sure I got the sketchbooks, and the Kermit puppet, and the records (or tapes) of music I loved.  But even they knew I was weird.  I didn't have many friends at school, I did in my neighborhood (we all hung out together).

But it's not to say my parents didn't worry at all.  

They had a weird way of going about it too...

For my eighth birthday the got me a book and tape set called "No More Feeling Weird".  But they kinda goofed when giving it to me.  They had wrapped that up in the same wrapping paper another record they were going to give me.  They were going to give me "Weird" on my actual birthday, but the weekend before t hey had the family come over for cake and birthday stuff and slipped and gave me"Weird" in front of the whole family...

My family is a blast.  No one made fun of me, and they wanted to play the tape and look at the book.  I was mortified.

My entire family called me out for being the weird one.  After one song on the tape they stopped and my mom or dad put on the radio, or something...  And I realized they weren't making fun of me, they were embracing the weird.

In my early teens the tape and book disappeared and I didn't even think of it.  Then I grew up, and got weirder (so the tape and book didn't help me get less weird, but I guess I didn't feel weird, so it was a success!) and weirder...  I moved to Florida and back in my twenties and upon moving back randomly found the tape in a box of tapes...  And I had to play it...

It's all down hill after the first song; 'Welcome To The Human Race" (was "Welcome to the Jungle" a sequel to me at 12 years old?) and I could barley make it though the goofy stories in-between the goofy songs.  But I kept the tape.  I thought it would be great to use the song in a movie someday.  

And then I forgot about it all over again.  

About a month ago I was re-arranging my studio, and found a box of Elmwood videos.  At the bottom on the box...  Yup, the tape.

And I wondered  "Has anyone else ever seen this thing?"  So I hit Ebay, which is where I got the pic at the top of the post, and it turns out I wasn't alone...  Wow.  Other kids parents bought them this too...  Hahahaha...

Someday, somewhere, in an Elmwood movie you will hear that song...

And I'm still weird.

And as the Chili Peppers say "Nobody Weird Like Me"

Josh and Todd Screening at ConnectiCon!

This Saturday nite, "Josh and Todd: The Story of a Man and His Puppet" will be screening at ConnecitCon at 8 PM!

ConnectiCon has been great to us the past two summers, letting us screen shorts and do a panel on indy film making, and this year we're going all out with showing "Josh and Todd!"

To see the flick you do have to get a pass for the convention, or if you're already attending save the time on Saturday to see the dirty puppet madness!

Use this link for more on ConnectiCon and we hope to see you there!

Down With O.P.P. (Other Peoples Puppets)

Happy Independence day USA!