Monday, February 11, 2008

A BLOG ABOUT....ME!

A few days ago Nico kindly put up a post all about...(Blush!) me. It was a sort of retrospective of this blog, which has had nearly...are you ready for this?.... 640 posts to date! Can you imagine that!? 640!!!!

Nico: http://nicocartoons.blogspot.com

Originally this blog was meant to be exclusively about animation. Actually, I still think of it that way, but I guess I wonder off the point a lot. I never feel guilty about doing that because I always think of animation as a home for thoughtful and adventurous people.

If you wonder where I got such a darn-fool notion, it was from the old black & white Disneyland show, which I watched faithfully when I was an embryo. Disney made being an artist seem like the most exciting job in the world. All that about Davy Crockett, trips to Mars, Alice in Wonderland, and Donald Duck whipped me into a frenzy every week. I grew up thinking that you'd better be good at science, history and literature because if you're not, no animation studio will ever consider hiring you. I still believe that, regardless of abundant evidence to the contrary. Truly was it said that the boy is the father of the man.

My imagined audience for this blog has always been the intellectually aware cartoonist, or cartoon fan: the actor with a pencil, the adventurer who craves excitement, the entertainer who believes the show must never disappoint. Do people like that want to read about oddball theories? Of course they do; they're cartoonists aren't they?

Anyway, Nico inspired me to try a retrospective of my own. Don't worry, I think I can do it in two posts. This one's all about a single subject...photo essays! It gets so much weight because it's been on my mind lately, but hopefully that energy will morph into YouTube videos and podcasts that I can run here.


Well, it all started a year ago when Kali and I improvised a sketch in a restaurant (above). After that, Marlo, Kali and I did one, and after that Nico, Kali and I did another. They were always about girls who were crazy for cartoonists which, when you think about it, is the way the world should be.


Shooting these things (above) took three people and that was hard for us to arrange. Too bad, because Kali and Marlo were really good at this stuff.


One day it dawned on me that I could just put a camera on some books and put the timer on. That black hairball (above) is a rubber mask of Captain Hook.



This (above) was my favorite solo effort: "The Poet." I cribbed part of the poem from the internet but the way poetic inspiration happens was real. This is pretty much how I wrote all my real world poems, like "The Pastry Restaurant Poet:"

http://uncleeddiestheorycorner.blogspot.com/2006_05_01_archive.html


The smelly shoe story(above): a sure crowd pleaser.




Here's my friend Martin Olson (above). Some people are gifted with a face that fits a specific character type. Martin is indisputably a "leading man." Nowadays it's popular to go against type when casting but that's a big mistake. Going with type is one of the reasons old Hollywood was so successful.

By the way, ace-storyboarder Barry Caldwell took the two picture above.



I bought this checkered shirt at a thrift store just for this essay (above). It's delightfully bland.


I really like this dude character and I want to use him again. A girl commenter (Jennifer) called the character "adorable" and I instantly melted. In girl language "adorable" is a very, very high compliment.



Unfortunately the baser instincts can't long be denied and I followed up the adorable essay with one that made me look sleazy (above). Oh well, c'est le vie.


Another thrift store find (above). I love that blue jacket.


My new computer has a built-in camera that does great black and white, just right for horror. This (above) is from the story about the evil puppet that comes to life when its master is out of the room. Eerie, isn't it?


I wore fake buck teeth for this shot (above). There are times when my real buck teeth just aren't buck enough.


This is from another horror story (above), about a murderer who lives in the walls of this guy's house. When you lean in close to the camera the black and white gets really grainy, like it's reflecting bubbling, white magma.


Boy, this (above) is really unsettling. I've gotta try this again.


This shot (above) is from the last story, about a Raymond Chandler-type detective. I put a floor lamp just out of frame for contrast.

Well, that's the first half of the retrospective. One more to go. Somehow I have to figure out how to compress everything else that's been on this blog so far into a single post. Aaargh!

Thanks again, Nico, for getting this started!

21 comments:

Eddie Fitzgerald said...

Ms.: Many thanks!

I.D.R.C. said...

Somehow I have to figure out how to compress everything else that's been on this blog so far into a single post. Aaargh!

Don't leave out the Eddie drawings!
Those are the prize in the cereal box. Did you know your blog was cereal? It is.

Mitch Leeuwe said...

Really read youre blog allot Eddie. I still wanna practise caricature and expressions on youre crazy pictures.

lastangelman said...

Say Eddie, have you ever heard of PhotoCrank? It's web services app that allows users to put captions on almost any photo on the web and shae them with friends. I tried it on John K's posts about Tony The Tiger. Very innocent stuff, mind you, nothing snotty or obscene.

Trevor Thompson said...

Yeah, and something from 'Worm Paranoia'. I hope you like that cartoon as much as I do.

- trevor.

Anonymous said...

Wondered whatever happened to ace storyboard artist Barry Caldwell. Turns out he's been a secret paparazzi for your blog!

Pete Emslie said...

I remember a few months ago when you were thinking of retiring this blog due to the relatively small amount of comments you perceived that some of your more thoughtful posts generated. Fortunately, the outcry against such a move was huge and you were persuaded by your legion of fans to keep on "Theorizing".

For the record, Eddie, this blog of yours has become my "Laughing Place", to steal a term from Uncle Remus. I check in here everyday to see what inspired silliness awaits. I'm actually glad that you haven't limited your topics just to animation, as it's more fun to tune in to see where your muse has led you each day. You do indeed have a curious mind and it's a real eye-opener to read about what inspires you and makes you ponder. I think it results in getting all of your readers thinking about things that may not have occurred to them otherwise.

The photo essays have been highly entertaining, with my favourite thus far being the brilliant one about your puppet plotting world domination. Your pal John K often has written about striving for "specific expressions" in cartoon characters, and it seems to me one could do a lot worse than sketching from your wonderfully expressive mug in these photo essays! Your sense of performance through facial expression and body language is a wonder to behold.

In short, let me sum up by saying how much I have come to appreciate and enjoy your musings on this blog since you started it up. Please keep wearing out the seat cushion on "The Theory Chair", Uncle Eddie - you mad genius you! :)

Anonymous said...

Hey, Eddie, I hate to be off-topic, but i found an article from Cracked Magazine about Christianity and Atheism that I think you're really like:

10 Things Christians and Atheists Can (And Must) Agree On

This is one of the best articles I've ever read on the subject.And it's funny, too!

Anonymous said...

I always liked the way you drew eyes on your characters.

SlashHalen said...

Hey Eddie, just wanted to say that this blog is really great. I've been checking in a lot lately just to see what you're gonna say next. I don't normally post too many comments (I'm lazy), but i feel this is an exception.

I've really enjoyed to "Photo Essays" the most. Just seeing all the different facial expressions are a real treat. The one thing I like to see the most in cartoons (and everywhere else) is different facial expressions and the weird shit people do with there heads. Like last night, I was watching Late Night with Conan O' Brien, and while he was playing guitar he started liking his lips and his teeth very strangely. I couldn't stop laughing.

I also like it when you post some youtube videos. You always seem to put up interesting videos that I never would have thought of searching for. Like Peter Sellers doing Hard Days Night as Richard III.

I always look forward to the next post. I have a suggestion (you can choose to ignore it if you wish). Most bloggers today always seem to bitch and moan about how everything in entertainment today sucks. But there's got to be some good.... right? Is there anything in the land of today that's worth our time?.... Wanna make a post about it?.... Just a suggestion.

Have a nice day.
-Slash Halen

sarahmojoh said...

Oh god, your "evil puppet" is terrifying, Uncle Eddie! Have you seen the schlocky old horror film "Devil Doll"? I recommend The Mystery Science Theater 3000 version...it's absolutely hilarious!

Chris S. said...

I was going to write what Pete wrote! Oh well.

It's only going to get better from here, Eddie! Podcasts and YouTube videos? Can't wait!

Dave_the_Turnip said...

I come to your blog daily Eddie because i'm always entertained by what you post.

I think more people should have a fascination with as many aspects of life, culture and entertainment as they can muster.

Keep it up! :)

Barbasaurus Rex said...

You can do it Eddie, compress..compress I need more!!
What would the world do without you and your blog. Die of boredom most likely.

Diego Fernetti said...

You have a wonderful and most excellent blog, mon ami. Count me as a fan of yours, here in the deep South, in Argentina.

Nico said...

I still say the next photo essay we do, Katie needs to join us. :)

Eddie Fitzgerald said...

Everybody: Many, many thanks for the words of encouragement! It's great to feel appreciated!

Last: Photocrank looks interesting! thanks for the tip!

Eddie Fitzgerald said...

Some: Thanks for the link! the exorcism poster was hilarious!

slash: Good idea!

tina kugler said...

for quite some time now, i have neglected my own crying children while perusing your blog like a slack-jawed idiot. uh, thanks for the laffs and don't call the authorities!

Anonymous said...

I love blogs about you!
More blogs about you!

Hello, I'm Casey by the way.
Let's be pals.

-CBC

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