My Little CrockPot of News and Thoughts

Blah, Blah, Blah: "The crazy old man that I hope to some day be" ... Mark Osbourne's film, More, was nominated for an Academy Award in 1998. Watch it online here. Amiee Major Steinberger Tim Brasted The Daily Scribble (a sketchblog that both Aimme and Tim participate in) Stéphane Tartelin Maxi Diaz ... Amanda and I bought a mix bag of candy tonight. It had Mini Almond Joys in it... I remember opening the bag... then I remember seeing red and breathing heavy... when I finally came to, I was laying in the floor, clothes half torn off my body, sitting in a pile of opened candy wrappers.

This weekend has been busy, busy, busy. I haven't gotten much sketching done these past few days... as a matter of fact, I haven't done any sketching. Hopefully I'll change that soon. I've spent my Sunday redoing my painfully ugly website. I tried doing this several months ago, but got a job and had to move. From that point on, other things took a higher spot on my "to do" list and the half finished site faded from my memory. Until this morning. Though I've started from scratch and am moving in a completely different direction that what I had started seven months ago, I'm happy to report that it's looking good and will hopefully be up in a matter of days. I'll let you know when that happens. ... Jennifer Shiman has announced on her site that the :30 Second Bunnies will be hosting the "Starz! Hare-Raising Halloween Marathon". Starz has also commissioned several Bunny shorts. Check out the trailer here. Jennifer has also been selected in the "Internet Series" category at the Ottawa International Animation Festival. The Luna Brothers (link via Mike) Wulffmorgenthaler is a hilarious web toon that I just discovered. (link via Brad Fitzpatrick)

While thumbing through the Newspaper: "Spooky Halloween Fun and the Man who is Disgraced by Them" ... Clio Chiang is an animation student at Cap College in Vancouver. Remember to check out the daily sketch blog too. Elwood H. Smith is an illustrator and animator who lives in New York. He has a very unique style that is both quirky and endearing. Atomic Cartoons and Cartoon Network's Atomic Betty has a new website. I haven't seen the show, but the art is pretty. Brad Fitzpatrick is another illustrator and animator from the Northeast. He has a sketch blog too, as well as a hearty collection of nice links. Here's a story that I heard on NPR this morning. It talks about Michael Eisner's prediction that he won't be getting his contract with Disney renewed in 2006 (way to peer into the future Mike) and the reports that Yahoo CEO Terry Semel is the leading contender for the job. ... There hasn't been much activity over at the Pencil Haus... well, other than my posts... then again I'm the one with no life.

Weekend Adventures: "A Jellybean Filled With The Sugary Vigor Of Life" ... Hope everyone had a nice weekend. Saturday Amanda and I met with a real estate agent and began our first official outing house hunting. When the dust had settled we had seen ten houses or so. We saw some we enjoyed and some that we didn't care for that much. All in all it was a fun afternoon. We won't be purchasing anything soon... as a matter of fact we'll be signing another lease with our apartment complex for several more months while we look. Wish us luck. ... Gary Taxali Fafi Andrew Bell ... Here's a sad article about Dauphin Island (where we visited earlier this summer) and the havoc that Hurricane Ivan reeked on it. (Link via my Mom. Thanks Ma)

The Remains of My Yesterday: "A Random Page of Thoughts" ... Mike Milo is an animation director, character designer, storyboard artist, illustrator; a jack of all trades. He has a new toon up over at Cartoon Monsoon called The Jackalope Boyz. Go and watch it and when you're done, vote for it. You'll feel good about yourself and are guaranteed to lose four inches off your waist line ;) ... This afternoon, during an afternoon break outside from the computer screen, Stephen dropped this fun filled fact on me. Bill Tolany, my boss, and his wife invented a game called Dibs. It's quite fun from what I hear. I'll have to go and pick this one up soon. Read more about Bill and his game here. ... The Tesoros Trading Company is a local store here in Austin that is full of all kinds of treasures. Dan Goodsell is the creator of Mr. Toast. He has some fun stuff. Here's a map of Springfield! Joy! Very cool studio called Studio AKA in London.

Last Nite's Barely Memorable Dream: "The Cupcake of Death Takes To The Ring This Saturday! BE THERE!" ... Stephen has been adding to his once abandoned blog. Check it out. His Late For Work strip is fun. ... Mark Bodnar Julien Blanc Justin Wood Mark Atomos Pilon Camilla Falsini (via FWAK)

Cartoonbrew has posted a quote from Oscar Grillo announcing the sad passing of Legend Frank Thomas. :(

Spoils of a Holiday Weekend: "Fall is coming" ... Hope everyone had a nice Holiday weekend. I know I did. We didn't do much, but it was nice to have that option. Yesterday, during an impromptu trip around the local shopping center, I purchased a couple DVD sets. The first was the 2nd Season of Rocky & Bullwinkle. I watched the first episode last night and laughed a number of times; a success in my book. My other purchase would probably be considered controversial by other people. I bought the first season of that lively alien sitcom, ALF. Though some people find this show to be annoying and quite "nerdy", I loved it as a kid... and I still do. While watching the pilot episode last night, I realized that the show takes a lot of liberties. It never explains how and/or why ALF, having just landed on this strange planet only hours earlier, is so accustomed with everyday human life. Maybe they'll explain it throughout the season... I still have 24 episodes to go. After walking out of the store with my sack of digital joy in hand, I began to feel bad about myself. "I'm such a geek! I just bought ALF on DVD! How will I ever be able to look my family and friends in the eyes again?" Just then, the clouds parted and God himself said "Jared, look to your left... NOW!" I turned my head to find a normal turquoise colored Toyota parked near my vehicle. On the back bumper, placed in a manor in which to attract attention, was a simple white-text-on-black-background "Xena for President" bumpersticker. A smile spread across my face. I could by every ALF season that comes out on DVD and still be cooler than that guy. :)

Things that are said in passing: "A Forbidden Love" ... Since moving to Austin last March, I've discovered the joy of NPR. Not only is it a fascinating mix of news coverage, interviews, strangeness, and wonder over the air waves, but you can also enjoy past shows through their website. Here are a few jewels that I've found lately: A reflection on Vince Guaraldi's timeless soundtrack to "A Charlie Brown Christmas" The inspiration behind Mike Mignola's Hellboy A Ray Harryhausen interview ... Interview with Jennifer Shiman, creator of those oh-so-funny 30 second movie spoofs featuring rabbits. Be sure to check out her latest: Aliens and Jaws. ... Left Lane Cartoons Ojingogo by Matthew Forsythe (via FWAK) ... This is the cutest little puppy I've ever seen... it almost makes me sick, it's so sweet. It looks just like a panda! (via Don) ... I've ben posting pretty frequently over @ the Pencil Haus. No one else has though... I'm not sure why that is since we all agreed that we all share in an equal amount of life lacking. No one had better not have gone out and gotten a life...

Happy September 1st everyone. It won't be long before we'll be covered in leaves from the balding trees and readying ourselves for Peanuts Holiday Specials... or at least I will. ... Lately, the more and more I read up on it, the more I want to learn the art of making my own paper and hand printing print making. These two companies are responsible for this new itch of mine: Buenaventura Press Pressure Printing ... I didn't watch Dreamworks' and NBC's Father of the Pride premiere last night. I couldn't bring myself to it. I'm not sure why that is... I just have no interest in it whatsoever. I'll have to read the reviews this morning. Did anyone out there see it and care to share their thoughts on the matter? Feel free to email me, chat with me, or post a comment.