Sunday, Puppet Sunday.

So this Puppet Sunday isn't late, I just wanted to post it on "NO FUN SMOKING DAY"

This is going to be a quick one. A good friend of mine has had some sad news recently & when I enquired as to how he was doing he told me he was OK & listening to lot's of Saves The Day.

It made me think of this video:



I love maribu covered puppets, the movement it creates is almost slow motion. I will be using real hair for my puppets, mainly as I have a bag full of extensions that I no longer use, but the greatest thing about this video is the fact that the puppets are doing the kinds of things even Oscar the Grouch wouldn't be seen doing, yet it still maintains a sweetness that I feel is important, at least it is to me.

As a great example I give you Big Bird on Jimmy Kimmel:





He is totally appropriate for a Late Night talk show, even one that can be 'edgy' (I hate that word but I can't think of a better one.) but the integrity of the character isn't comprimised. Yes there is something awesome about watching cartoon characters doing bad things, whether it's Drugs, Sex or Violence, but with puppets there's something slightly different for me.

As much as my little fellas are going to be drinking, cussing, horror movie loving, chain smoking, sarcastic wee buggers. I don't need them to push it any further.

On the subject of smoking, this is something I do want my puppets to do. Sitting around smoking FAGS (Not other things) is what me & my friends used to do, it's the conversations we had after too much coffee, too many cups of tea, to much booze, that have inspired the scripts & the dynamic of this whole project.

I get cross that a lot of characters in both film & on TV that would smoke in real life don't. EVERYONE on Corrie & Eastenders would smoke. Instead we have this one beacon of truth (& AWESOME)

This what made Britain Great.

She is sad because you are not smoking.

This exception to the rule of fag smoking TV characters (Shameless & Skins being notable exceptions. Godbless you Channel 4) is so outstanding, Dot Cotton is slang for a fag! (If Urban Dictionary says it, it must be true.) 

I'm excited to look into the mechanics of making the little fellas smoke. There are plenty of puppets who have.

Not everyone who smokes is this obscene. Honest.

Fancy Chaps know fags are cool.

Happy No Smoking day, I'm off for a smoke!

If you haven't seen this film. Go. Now. Watch it.

If you live in the UK support your local tobacconist. Or this will happen:

This made me cry. No, really.

Belated Puppet Sunday (Because there were dogs in my house.)

This is from Forgetting Sarah Marshal. It has Bill Hader in.

 His eyebrows are both funnier & sexier than you. Fact. (Unless you are Oliver, then they are not.)

Bill Hader is AWESOME.

No, REALLY. Bill Hader is AWESOME.



I have no idea why he doesn't do more cartoon work. He does the best voices. (Go & watch Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, it's a dope film. Anna Faris is a lot funnier than Scary Movie(s) may have made her seem.) I can't find a clip for it that you can watch in the UK but go & find the Aqua Teen Hunger Force episode with the Balloon Hitler in, Der Inflatable Fuhrer. I believe it's called. He does the voice of Hitler.





As it's PUPPET Sunday, not Bill Hader Sunday, here's some more Dracula:





I would like my little fellas to look & work like this, but it's scaring the Class Of Nuke 'Em High Hell out of me that they take two people to opperate. I think the hardest thing I have to do is going to be finding someone to play Hutch. If only I knew Bill Hader...(Who is AWESOME.)

Fuck it. Here's some more:



Also go watch Hot Rod. It is also dope. If only for Lovejoy being an utter asshat, oh & this scene:

If this doesn't make you laugh I hate you.

I feel this is valid as dancing will be a big part of the show, the puppets have to look funny when they dance. I'm working on an "Excited Grover" type movement.

Yes, like that.

Oh & no, I didn't forget. Bill Hader was on the creative crew of South Park which had a rare guest voice for Chef Vader, now who do you think did that voice? Peter Serafinowicz. ONE STEP HAH!  

I am proud of these things, for I fail at most everything else. 

Let's Start At The Nerdy Beginning, a Very Good Place To Start....

So here we go kids. I've already put a lot of work into the ideas I've been coming up with for this. So maybe I should start by telling you how my little brain decided to do this.

My & the other half were watching Beavis & Butthead. I got sad because I used to be an MTV kid when that meant something good.

 

Does anyone else remember 120 minutes?

I started talking about shows that poke fun at things, in a nice affectionate & knowledgeable way, then it hit me. That's what I should do. I wrote down a list (Oh god I love lists, srsly. I write several a day & sometimes even lists of the lists I need to write. I do sometimes even get things done.) of the best commentators of pop culture, or anything.

Here is my list, or Inspiration Ground Zero:

Statler & Waldorf. 

Cranky, obnoxious & hilarious. (I was going to use a classic clip, but this one seemed to fit so much better.) I will talk A LOT more on Mr. Henson when I start making the puppets. But I'll keep this short & sweet for now.  

Mystery Science Theatre 

 

I chose this picture because it has a cat in a dress. I don't need anymore reason than that.

The pure guenius of just the silhouettes, it was as if you were watching it with your friends, if your friends were actually that funny. See also Rifftrax by the same guys. The twilight one is predictably awesome.

And Finally, of course.....

Beavis & Butthead.

I always liked it when they liked a video:

So I'm starting off with these three, as obvious influences but I'd also like to mention:

(For more Comics: There's a link on the right, click it.)

Also: Charlie Brooker. 

Here he is talking about The Wire ages before everyone else decided they liked it. (This means he is cooler than you.)

Whilst he is best known for scathing, scathing reviews of how just awful telly is,
(The Entirety of Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe & Charlie Brooker's Gameswipe.)in particular his piece on the media coverage of Jade Goody is incredible, but sometimes he talks about stuff he likes. This piece on Oliver Postgate makes me cry everytime I watch it.



I also include this as Mr. Postgate's beautiful simple work & DIY ethos of simplicity and just plain loveliness is also engrained in me & my heart & a big part of what I'm doing.

 

What a wonderful, wonderful man.

Speaking of DIY awesomeness but on a lighter note:

The Adam & Joe Show 

Star Wars Crystal Maze (It won't embed, but it does link to Adam Buxton's channel, which is A Good Thing). 

 

Set in a fake bedroom & made with toys &....Oh fuckticks, just go & buy the DVD, if I have to tell you about this, you shouldn't be reading this, you'll hate anything I make. BUY IT! If I can make one person as happy as I was when I first watched this, then I don't care if I never make a penny from this.

I will never be as good as these guys, but they cover a pretty wide range of humour whilst all doing the esentially the same thing I'd like to do. Thought you should know what set my little brain ticking.