The Project Project

Weekly Interview Part 1: James Call

2010-07-16T17:52:00.000-07:00

Check it out!

I started my new blog, the one that was last weeks project.

The projected sort of evolved. Now the idea is to gather questions from peoples friends to ask them then post them along side a bio and pictures both sent to me by there friends.

Here's the first one where in James Call discusses his potential as a dictator, the bad assness of Irises and Angels and his dislike of rambling pop ballads from the early-seventies

http://10questions-skinnyd.blogspot.com/

A New Direction! Spotlight on My Friends!

2010-06-28T14:58:00.000-07:00

For the next few weeks I'm going to shift focus for this blog.

Recently I've been sort of reaching out to the "network" of artists I've collected through the years for various projects and it struck me just how vast it is and, not to sound to cheesy, how grateful I am for that.

So for the next few weeks, instead of an update on a project every week, I'm going to do a spotlight on one of the artists I know.

As part of this I want to also add a short email interview. I want to ask everyone a bit about there art but, just to keep it interesting, I also want to add some questions that are completely unrelated to anything they do. Like "what is your take on Jehovah's witnesses?" or "What's the best way to cook shrimp?"

I'd like it if anybody out there could send me some suggestions for questions. In fact I'm thinking I'll email a bunch of people each week and ask them what they'd like to ask this weeks artist.

Look for the first interview next week!

Year 2 Week #14 Yes! There will be no Prom this year!

2010-06-14T14:01:00.001-07:00

Yeah between Cultures of Wonder, The big Sleepwalker's trilogy, buying a house and working on my two projects with James there's no time for a Prom this year.

In the meantime check out Ren Dodge's crazy project that was at every Mishap event in 2008

The Human Polaroid

and look someone stole my idea

The Flux Factory Science Fair

Next week check out my other blog for more Pho'!

Year 2 Week #11 Whale Fall (The Whale Carcass) - Comic

2010-05-30T22:25:00.000-07:00

This is one I've actually worked on a little.

Here's the original post: http://gotprojects.blogspot.com/2009/04/week-13-i-gotta-little-off-because-i.html

Since then I've decided I'll call the comic "Whale Fall" which is the name that oceanologists call a dead whale that's fallen to the deep sea and become it's own ecosystem

Below is the layout I started for the first issue. Most of the dialogue is really just there as a placeholder none of it's really done.

Page 1
A five panel page. Each panel a is of equal size stretching horizontally across the with of the page.

This page is our only glimpse of the whale’s life before it dies and becomes a setting for our story. I’d like to give the whale some distinct personality. I’m somewhat apposed to thought bubbles so I think what we’ll use is captions as if the whale is narrating the story from beyond the grave. Maybe even we’ll continue this into the rest of the story with the whale having some commentary on it’s own decomposition. Or maybe this is too far out. Also there will be some dialogue between the whale and the others of his/her pod.

Panel 1
An Idyllic scene of the ocean. Far from land with nothing but blue water and a burning yellow sun. In the center of the panel we see a whale tale breaching the water.

Other Whale 1: I was in the south sea yesterday.

Other Whale 2: Oh yeah.

Other Whale 1: Yeah it was nice.

Caption: Something doesn’t feel right.

Panel 2
Below the water we see a small pod of three or four whales swimming together. The two other whales exchange light conversation. Our whale is silent.

Caption: Is the water suddenly getting colder?

Panel 3
Closer now to the whale as it’s fallen a little behind. Most of the frame is filled up with our main whale. Possible the tail of another whale can be seen all the way to the left.

Caption: Perhaps I just need to sleep a little.

Panel 4
Our whale is alone in the frame. It fills most of it, but there’s enough space on either side of it to suggest it is now entirely alone.

Panel 5
A close up on the whale so it fills the entire frame. Far to the right we see it’s gigantic eye is closing.

Page 2
Pretty much the same layout as page one except this one has only four horizontal panels of equal size.

Panel 1
The whale now dead slowly dropping through the water. Possibly he’s twisting around. Behind him we see the flora and fauna of the area just below the sea. I’m going to do some research on what grows at what depths.

Caption:
100 feet below the ocean’s surface.

Panel 2
Somewhere else in the ocean the sleeper sharks are hanging out. Talking about investments and good places to eat lesser species. Maybe some motivational speaker they saw recently. I really like the idea of them being sort of corporate predators.

Sleeper Shark 1: On my own I projected 150, 200 a week but together we ate the whole school. True synergy.

Sleeper Shark 2: Yeah but now your tied into this relationship. It’s going to drastically lower your market share

Panel 3
The Whale floating dead through the water. Again the surrounding suggests the depth.

Caption
800 feet below the ocean’s surface.

Panel 4
The crabs or crustaceans hanging out. I still haven’t picked which crustacean I want to go with or there personality. Still working on it.

Although check this guy out: http://www.seasky.org/deep-sea/giant-isopod.html

Page 3
Same exact layout as two.

Panel 1
Once again the whale is seen floating down through the water.

Caption
1300 feet below the oceans surface.

Panel 2
The Osedax worms. I think these are going to be out mystical type creatures.

Some things about Osedax worms:

They exist only on whale falls. This begs the question how do they get from one whale fall to another?

The answer to this question came when scientists realized that all the full grown worms where female. They then discovered that each female has 50 to 100 microscopic larval males living inside it.

So now they think that when all the resources run out on one dead whale the females just die and release all there eggs and all there little males into the current where they drift until they find another dead whale.

In an effort to humanize these creatures I’d like to give there eventual demise a sort of religious mass suicide thing.

Like they somehow know when it’s time to go and how to find the next whale.

Not sure what they’ll be doing in this panel exactly but probably something to suggest there running out of resources on there current whale fall. There preparing to let go.

Panel 3
The whale is almost a the bottom of the sea. The ocean is cloudy with micro-organisms and sea cucumbers.

Caption
2014 feet below sea level

Panel 4
A close up of two sea cucumbers talking. These creatures make up 90% of the macro-fauna in the deep sea. I’m thinking this means that there our sort of proletariat. The working stiffs of deep sea life. I figure in this panel there just sorta bullshitting, talking about hot female sea cucumbers or how much they hate some other species.

Page 4
This is a big splash style page with four small panels in each of the corners.

Splash Page
The Whale seen from above. Where looking straight down at it as it’s corpse hits the ocean floor. There is a sort of blast radius of debris and water currents flying out from where it’s landed. It looks similar to when a meteor hits the earth.

In large lettering we see the title: Whale Fall!

Panel 1 (Up Left)
The sharks are seen reacting to the vibrations. One of them makes a snide comment about it.

Panel 2 (Up Right)
The Crabs have there reaction. Not sure what it will be since I don’t know much about the crabs yet.

Panel 3 (Down Left)
The Sea Cucumbers react. “Hmm... Time to go to work” or something like that.

Panel 4 (Down Right)
The Osedax worms react by celebrating and dying.

Year 2 Week #10 or whatever. Arthur Bell - Play, Movie, Comic

2010-05-18T18:36:00.000-07:00

First off. If anyones reading this thing. I've decided to only post to one of my blogs a week. Either this one or the food one:

http://theeatingproject.blogspot.com/

I just don't have time with sleepwalkers, School and Cultures of Wonder to do both so I'll only post to this one once every two weeks.

But I'm going to still try and keep up with the idea of working on the projects I posted during the first year in the same order.

So without further ado... the progress I've made on The Arthur Bell project.

First off I came up with the rather bazaar idea a while back that I would incorperate all the real people throughout time who are named Arthur Bell these are the ones I found

The Dancer

The Whiskey Maker

The Botanist

The Radio Personality

The Saint

The Gay Rights Activist

Along these lines I also wrote the following scene about a guy names Arthur Bell (who may be a reincarnation of his namesake) meeting with a sort of immortal mystical hollywood character named "Johnny"

A cafe somewhere on the sunset strip

Arthur sits with a Johnny, a mysterious sort of Showbiz character.

Johnny: Oh this fucking life. How do you live this life? (to the waiter) Scotch please and water. Nothing to eat. Not now maybe later. (back to Arthur) god it’s like all anyone wants to talk about these days is marriage. Brad and Angela “TomKat” and the fucking alien baby of there’s what’s it’s name Sufi or something? No I don’t think Brad and Angela are going to get married I mean their going to marry but their not going to be married you know what I mean. There will be a wedding that’s for sure. I know these people. Brand and Angela and Vince and Jen and whoever else. There all fucking each other. Hell I’ve fucked each one of them and I’m not even good looking. That’s like all these people do. They fuck more than they act. They are fuckers. Anyways… marriage who has time for it? All those shots in the magazine are staged. I know I’ve been there when they shoot them. Those ones with Brad and the little mohawk kid I was there when they shot those. They got that kid from a casting agency that specializes in orphans. Actually the agency adopts orphans but…

Anyways… Arthur Bell that’s what you where asking about yeah haven’t heard that name in a while. Fucking marriage again. His marriage made him. He married well as they say. That’s where he got his initial round of funding if you know what I mean.

(The Waitress arrives with his drinks)

Johnny: Thanks honey. (to arthur) you want any food? Booze?

Arthur: I’m fine. Maybe coffee.

Waitress: Coffee. Sure. (to Johnny) How about you? You want any food now?

Johnny: Sure I’ll have a salad with bacon.

Waitress: We have a few salads that have bacon.

Johnny: You choose. Whatever just a salad with bacon on it. A bacon salad.

Waitress: How about a warm spinach salad?

Johnny: Whatever.

(Waitress leaves)

Johnny: (without missing a beat) Arthur Bell had a huge following here in LA and up north. He claimed it was like 500,000 people but it was more like two, but still 200,000 people is a shit load of people.

Arthur: How do you know how many people he had…

Johnny: I don’t really it’s just an estimate. A guesstimate as they say. I looked more like 200,000 than five. I knew Arthur Bell. I knew a lot of those guys.

Arthur: Wait that’s… how old…?

Johnny: I knew Jim Jones too. He was a fucking asshole. Total speed freak and sexual deviant. When the whole Kool Aid thing happened I didn’t even bat an eye. I was like “that’s what you get for taking your orders from a guy like that. You go to South America with to build a workers paradise based on Benzedrine and Sodomy and what do you expect to happen?”

But I digress… Arthur Bell was not an asshole or a sodomite or a drug addict he was a believer. People say he did it for the money that he was stealing from these people but I say he did it out of fear. He truly believed there where 10,000 families that have, throughout history conspired to rule the world and that he was part of a sacred secret order that has been working in secret to keep them in check. He also believed that there where little metal men beneath the earth but you know…

Why did you want to hear about Arthur again. I don’t remember if Eric said.

Arthur: Well see, my name is Arthur Bell, I mean...

Johnny: Oh okay. I guess that’s as good a reason as any. You where curious about your name sake.

(The waitress arrives with salad and coffee)

Johnny: Thanks sweetie. Bacon looks delicious. (to Arthur) You sure you don’t want anything else? It’s on the studio.

Arthur: No thanks. Hey can I ask you something?

Johnny: Sure that’s what I’m here for I guess.

Arthur: How do you know all this stuff. I mean, I’m sorry but who are you?

Johnny: What did Eric tell you?

Arthur: Uh… he just said he knew someone, Johnny, he said he knew a guy named Johnny who could help. He didn’t really tell me much.

Johnny: Isn’t that just like Eric! So mysterious. So aloof. Only as much information as you need to know right? I bailed him out of jail once. Did you know that? He used to think he was some sort of Gangster. Fuck one night in city jail cured him of that right?

There’s really not all that much mystery to what I do. I’ve just lived in L.A. all my life so I know it really well. You know I was born here and I never left. I’ve never been anywhere else. I mean I’ve been to Pacedena a couple of times but besides that I’ve never even left the county. So now I know things about the city and people come to me and ask me questions and I answer them and they give me things or do things for me. Pretty simple stuff. No big mystery.

Arthur: I don’t know about that.

Johnny: Yeah well, enough about me. We’re here to talk about Arthur Bell and I guess we’ve discovered that you, in fact, are Arthur Bell.

Arthur: Well I’m a Arthur Bell.

Johnny: Right. Good point! There must be hundreds of you out there. I knew one I think that made Scotch.

Arthur: Scotch?

Johnny: Well yeah I didn’t know him but I knew of him. Bell & Sons whiskey. First blended scotch to really get any attention. It’s okay I guess. I don’t know I’m fine with Dewer’s. It has a comforting watery taste.

Arthur: I’m not much of a drinker.

Johnny: Yeah well who is? (he toasts to Arthur then finishes his drink) Arthur Lowler Osborn Fosntain Bell. Let’s see. He was born somewhere in the midwest, sometime in the 1910’s I imagine, I don’t know much about that stuff. If it doesn’t happen in LA well… you know. Anyways he came here in 1934 and founded Mankind United and The Church of Jesus Christ and the Golden Rule. I can’t remember which came first or whatever but they where really the same thing. A cult dedicated to the overthrow of the worlds “hidden rulers”. It seems that since time immemorial there’s been 10,000 families who’ve controlled everything, big surprise there huh? Well Arthur Bell, the other Arthur Bell, was working for the other side, the good guys, he was working for these people called the “Patrons” and these guys have been around as long as the Hidden Rulers have, they’ve been keeping them in check. Standard good and evil shit, real epic stuff. According the Arthur they’ve been fighting this spiritual war in secret for the past few centuries and maybe even longer. He even claimed every so often that America’s Founding Fathers and even the Apostles where actually “Patrons”. However Arthur himself was not a Patron. He was something else. He was “The Voice”.

Arthur: The Voice?

Johnny: (very serious) The Voice. (laughs) No but seriously why do you want to know all this shit? Are you working on a script. I could get you a meeting. You know who would be great? The Coen Brothers. I’m going hunting with them this Friday. Want to come?

Arthur: I don’t really hunt.

Johnny: Neither do they. That’s why it would be fun. It’s fun to do things you don’t really do. Do you want some of my bacon? (Not allowing Arthur to respond) No seriously what are you talking to me for? I mean let’s take this to the studio. Get a real expert on it. Some asshole who’s entire job is to know shit like this.

Arthur: Isn’t that what you do?

Johnny: Fuck no!

Year 2 Week #9 Sleepwalkers Theatre/Piano Fight Fourth of July Cinco de Mayo Benefit

2010-05-03T21:59:00.000-07:00

So last year’s corresponding post was the Sleepwalkers theatre depression party. For this year’s one I’m gonna post something about our upcoming, differently themed, party.

Through all my life as a party planner/promoter I’ve wanted to have a Fourth of July party on Cinco de Mayo or even better a Cinco de Mayo party on Fourth of July. I just always thought the absurdity of mixing the dates of these two up, since the name of both these holidays has the date in the title, was hilarious.

This year it looks like I’m going to get my wish. On July 3rd sleepwalkers theatre is teaming up with our fellow local theatre company PianoFight to throw a “Cinco de Mayo 4th of July Party”. Not sure what this is going to mean right now but I’m thinking Pinata’s filled with crappy americana artifacts of some sort, mariachi bands playing classic rock and “sombrero fighting”… or whatever.

Not much more info about it now.

More updates closer to the date.

Year 2 Week #9 Puppies and Kittens Calendar - Calendar

2010-04-24T20:25:00.001-07:00

This is one I've always wanted to do but probably will never get around to

Here's the original post: Puppies & Kittens Calendar

Every day, almost 16,000 children die from hunger-related causes--one child every five seconds

Year 2 Week #8 Struggle - Comic Book

2010-04-12T16:44:00.001-07:00

The corresponding project from for this week from last year is too dorky and unfeasible for me to even approach right now. I mean I still think it's a pretty good idea but I don't think I'll be writing for Marvel any time soon.

So instead I'm going to post the "pitch" for a comic I've been working on as an editor with James Call. It's story of politics and intrigue in an afterworld peopled by famous movers and shakers from all through history.

Here's James' pitch:

Struggle [working title] is the story of politicing, deal-making, war, business, espionage, and ideological battles, in the afterlife. Set at first in the Sixth Circle of Hell, where heretics go,Struggle begins as three great departed figures of history - President Lyndon Baines Johnson, Huey "the Kingfish" Long of Louisiana, and Julian, apostate Emperor of Rome - rëenter political life in the land of the dead. These figures may not have eternal rest, but they have all the wiles and saavy that they did while alive, not to mention the same impulses that drove them - both the noble and the impure.

Witness the fiery dueling campaigns of the Kingfish and a certain frustrated painter from Munich as they compete for the Governorship of the Sixth Circle! Watch LBJ give "the treatment" to every last legislator in who stands in his way to bring civil rights to the despised Bashanites! See oil reporter Wanda Jablonsky have cocktails with the Mongols and survive! WAR! DEAL-MAKING! SCANDAL! This one has it all, folks!

Year 2 Week #7 12 Angry Batmen - Play

2010-04-04T13:41:00.000-07:00

Okay so this idea really doesn't need that much really doesn't need much work. I'll repeat the concept:

The Idea is simple, we want to put on a production of the play 12 Angry Men by Reginald Rose played entirely straight but with all the actors dressed as Batman.

And here's how the Character breakdowns would look:

Batman #1 (The Foreman): A high-school assistant head coach and costumed vigilante, doggedly concerned to keep the proceedings formal and maintain authority; easily frustrated and sensitive when someone objects to his control; inadequate for the job as foreman, not a natural leader and over-shadowed by Batman # 8's natural leadership.
Batman #2: A wimpy, balding bank clerk/teller/Batman, easily persuaded, meek, hesitant, goes along with the majority, eagerly offers cough drops and batarangs to other Batmen during tense times of argument; better memory than # 4.
Batman #3: Runs a messenger service (the "Wayne Enterptises" Company), a bullying, rude and husky Batman, extremely opinionated and biased, completely intolerant, forceful and loud-mouthed, temperamental and vengeful; estrangement from his own teenaged son causes him to be hateful and hostile toward all young people (and the defendant); arrogant, quick-angered, quick-to-convict, and defiant until the very end.
Batman #4: Well-educated, smug and conceited, well-dressed stockbroker & crusader of the nigh t, presumably wealthy; studious, methodical, possesses an incredible recall and grasp of the facts of the case; common-sensical, dispassionate, cool-headed and rational, yet stuffy and prim; often displays a stern glare; treats the case like a puzzle to be deductively solved rather than as a case that may send the defendant to death; claims that he never sweats.
Batman #5: Naive, insecure, frightened, reserved; grew up in a poor Jewish urban neighborhood and the case resurrected in his mind that slum-dwelling upbringing and his never ending war on crime; a guilty vote would distance him from his past; nicknamed "Baltimore" by Batman # 7 because of his support of the Orioles.
Batman #6: A typical "working man," dull-witted, experiences difficulty in making up his own mind, a follower; probably a manual laborer or painter or dark knight; respectful of older batmen and willing to back up his words with fists.
Batman #7: Clownish, impatient salesman (of marmalade the previous year), a flashy dresser, gum-chewing, obsessed baseball fan who wants to leave as soon as possible to attend evening game; throws wadded up paper balls at the fan; uses baseball metaphors and references throughout all his statements (he tells the foreman to "stay in there and pitch"); lacks complete human concern for the defendant and for the immigrant juror; extroverted; keeps up amusing banter and even impersonates Adam West at one point; votes with the majority.
Batman #8: An architect, instigates a thoughtful reconsideration of the case against the accused; symbolically clad in white; a liberal-minded, patient world's greatest detective who uses soft-spoken, calm logical reasoning; balanced, decent, courageous, well-spoken and concerned; considered a do-gooder (who is just wasting others' time) by some of the prejudiced batman; named Wayne.
Batman #9: Eldest batman in group, white-haired, thin, retiring and resigned to death but has a resurgence of life during deliberations; soft-spoken but perceptive, fair-minded; named Matches Malone.
Batman #10: A garage owner, who simmers with anger, bitterness, racist bigotry & a hatred of criminals who are a superstitious cowardly lot; nasty, repellent, intolerant, reactionary and accusative; segregates the world into 'us' and 'them'; needs the support of others to reinforce his manic rants.
Batman #11: A playboy millionaire, speaks with a heavy accent, of German-European descent, a recent refugee and immigrant; expresses reverence and respect for American democracy and costume adventuring, its system of justice, and the infallibility of the Law.
Batman #12: Well-dressed, smooth-talking business ad man with thick black glasses and a black cowl; doodles cereal box slogan and packaging ideas for "Rice Pops"; superficial, easily-swayed, and easy-going; vacillating, lacks deep convictions or belief system; uses advertising talk at one point: "run this idea up the flagpole and see if anybody salutes it"

Year 2 Week #6 The Mishap Talent Show - Party

2010-03-29T15:01:00.001-07:00

This weeks project was to do some work on the Mishap Talent Show.

I contacted four venues about doing something there.

The Make Out Room

Amnesia

Cafe Du Nord

and

The Uptown in Oakland

I haven't heard back from any of them yet but it's only been a couple of days.

I also intend on contacting Cafe Du Van Kleef soon about maybe doing it there.

Year 2 Week #5 A Perfect Memory - Play

2010-03-21T20:56:00.001-07:00

Alright this one from my post over a year ago Perfect Memory. I've done very little work on it. I wrote a first scene a while ago and managed to edit a little over the past week. It's not all that good. I still like the idea but it's becoming very apparent that what I need is a story and some characters. If anyone has any suggestions I'm totally open.

Here's the first scene I came up with:

Act 1: College

The Mid Ninties

Scene 1

A dirty college students apartment. The stage is split into two large rooms. The first is the kitchen/living room The second is Sean’s bedroom. There is a door leading between the two rooms. There are also two other doors in the Kitchen that lead to unseen rooms. One for the bathroom. One to the outside world.

Both rooms are covered in filth. The general detritus of college life. Paper, booze bottles, dirty dishes. The floor of Sean’s room is covered in dirty clothes.

As the lights rise we see Sean, a slightly shabby but good looking guy in his early twenties. He is lying unconscious on his bed. He is fully clothed and lays on top of the covers.

After a few second in silence the phone begins to ring loudly.

Sean opens his eyes and looks around dazed. He is extremely hung over. He rolls over and searches the floor with his hands for the phone.

Once he finds it he picks up the receiver and hangs it right back up.

Sean lays back down. After a few seconds just as he’s drifting back to sleep the phone rings again. He waits for five or six rings before sighing and picking it up.

Sean: Hello… Hey, um what’s up?… No… I don’t really remember last night all that well I think I actually blacked out… okay, I guess… Wait I kinda need a little more sleep… I… okay… yeah… no… like two hours I guess… what’s all this about anyways? Did I do something?… Um… okay that’s good… no I’m fine I just need some sleep… yeah just like two hours okay… cool… later.

Sean hangs up the phone and looks a little worried for a few seconds then lays back down to drift back to sleep.

Blackout

Scene 2

Same apartment two hours later. Sean is pretty much in the same position as the opening. He is fast asleep.

There is a loud knock at the door. Nothing happens. A few seconds pass then a loud doorbell rings. Sean sits up groggily but quickly. He sits on the edge of his bed trying to wake up. The doorbell rings again.

Sean: (To himself) Jesus fuck. Hold on I’m coming. (He throws a robe on and goes to answer the door in the living room)

Terry, a young man about Sean’s age enters, dressed in fairly nice casual clothes, he caries a tape recorder. He is in an excited state.

Sean: Hey come on in. What’s up?

Terry: Hey… I huh… how are you?

Sean: Okay. Hung over.

Terry: Yeah. (abruptly getting to his point) How much do you remember about last night?

Sean: Huh… not much. (he attempts to do some remembering then decided he’d rather not) I remember some broad strokes but most of it’s a little blurry. Did I do something? Do you want some coffee?

Terry: No thanks. I don’t really drink coffee.

Sean: Well I’m gonna have some (goes to pour himself some). So come on what did I do.

Terry: Well you started telling us stuff. Stuff about about you and Carrie.

Sean: Shit.

Terry: No… it wasn’t like that. I mean it was but that’s not why I’m here. I… How do I explain this? You told us everything that happened.

Sean just looks mortified

Terry: No not like that. I mean sort of but that’s not what’s awesome. You see at first you just told us about the break up. Then you told us about how you met. Then you started describing your first conversation and you where like explaining it word for word. I figured you where just being romantic and depressed and shit but then you started going off about other stuff. It was like you could remember every word you’d exchanged with her. Like every word.

Sean: Fuck sorry that sounds irritating.

Terry: Yeah it was but it was also amazing. Eric wanted to take you home but I’ve been learning about this stuff. About memory and stuff and I wanted to do some tests.

Sean: Tests?

Terry: Yeah. Not much. So last night. I asked you to tell us about something else. Another conversation. You told us about these girls you’d heard on the train earlier that day. I recorded it.

Sean: Wait what the fuck are talking about? What’s going on?

Terry: I think you have like super photographic memory or something.

Sean: Huh… I don’t know man I can’t even remember what happened last night.

Terry: Will you just try something?

Sean: What?

Terry: I just want you to repeat word for word the conversation you heard on the bus yesterday. The one between the girls. You know what I’m talking about.

Sean: No.

Terry: Something about skaters and rockabilly and something.

Sean: Oh okay. I guess I know what your talkin’ about. Where should I start.

Terry. Hold on. (he reaches into his bag and get’s out a tape recorder. Presses record.) Okay. Just start anywhere.

Sean: (He’s skeptical but too hungover to argue) Okay… Huh let’s um… so at first there where just two girls, pretty normal looking, and the first thing I think I heard her say, the thing that caught my attention she goes: “He has like a naked lady tatooed on his belly” and the other girls says “does he have a pot belly” and the first girl says “no” then the other one asks “is he a rockabilly?” and she says “no I don’t really think so” and then they say something about him being a skater.

Terry: What does she say?

Sean: Something… I…

Terry: Try and remember just say what you think it was.

Sean: Okay one girl says “No he wears like skater clothes only he’s not a skater. He doesn’t skate. And he’s like 27 and he dates this girl who’s like 20” and the other girl goes “Yeah, that’s total skater boy.” then the first tries to say something.

Terry: What?

Sean: (Totally irritated) Just something. She says like “Only he doesn’t…” but the other girl cuts her off and says “He doesn’t skate. I know but he’s a skater boy type.”

Terry: Then.

Sean: (Still irritated but at some point he decides just to dive in) Then the subway made a bunch of noise and I couldn’t heat them. When I could hear them again the first girl is asking the other one. “So you don’t know if your brothers gay?” and the other girl goes “Well it’s never really come up. He’s 24, he’s never really had a girlfriend. He’s kinda into fashion. He eats really well except when he’s depressed then he eats chocolate chip cookies. But he likes video games a lot so that sorta throws the whole equation off.” Then there’s another loud noise I think and…

Terry: (stopping the tape recorder) That’s fine. Stop there. Listen, Terry, I asked you about that same event last night and I’m pretty sure you explained it with the same exact words. I want to listen to both of them now and see but first can I ask you something?

Sean: (starting to realize what he might have just done) I guess. Yeah. Sure. Sure.

Terry: Do you really not remember anything from last night.

Sean: I remember some but…

Terry: No I want you to take a second and just try. Really try. Do you really not remember what you where saying? How you got home? Did you really forget anything at all?

Sean: (Takes a few long seconds to try) No.

Blackout

Year 2 Week #4 Inside the ACLU - Film

2010-03-14T18:46:00.001-07:00

I haven't really spent any time thinking about this one over the past year.

I did a little brainstorming this week and came up with a few little concepts. It's still a very nebulous thing.

Here's the original post: http://gotprojects.blogspot.com/2009/02/week-4-inside-aclu-playshort-story-or.html

Here's my notes:

The ACLU was originally a group of fiercely libertarian lawyers who banded together in the colonial united states. They where instrumental in the founding of the country.

There original leader was present at both the signing of the declaration of independence and both continental conferences.

Something happened during the revolutionary war in that made it essential that they be erased from the history books.

They've operated since then as a sort of clandestine branch of the United States government.

Not sure why they ever felt the need to create a public face.

Sort of like the Freemasons, every ACLU lawyer knows there are secrets most just don't really know what they are.

All scenes take place in super hippy dippy "progressive" settings. Especially the really sinister stuff. Maybe the first time we see get a glimpse of their darker side is at Cafe Gratitude.

We could get totally absurd and have Amnesty International and Doctors Without Borders be rival shadowy empires.

Each regional branch of the ACLU has a distinct character and purpose.

The Oregon branch is much more cultish than the others. They hold tight to old rituals and practices. The other branches are a little freaked out by them. They in turn look at all other branches of slightly heretical.

The LA branch is totally fixated on celebrity. Very much like scientology they actively recruit people from the entertainment world with whom they share some but not all of their secrets. Most other branches see them as essentially a rogue element and never associate with them except when unavoidable.

The Chicago branch is the paramilitary center. They are the people who continue the work started during the revolutionary war, whatever that was. They have the closest ties with the government.

Their main offices in New York are really just for show.

The real power center is in Butte Montana.

Year 2 Week #3 The Patchwork Girl of Oz - Film

2010-03-09T21:28:00.000-08:00

I can't figure out how to make a text attachment to one of of these things so I'm just going to cut and paste the first few scenes that I've written up from this project.

There pretty rough and I'm not sure how the formating will transfer but here goes:

Prologue
Ext. Night an Old out of use Hollywood lott

As we pan in toward a building on the lot the first thing we see is a large cobwebbed sigghn with the Z in O. Oz symbol.

We pan past that and into a sort of broken down old cabana on a out of use Hollywood lot. As the camera pans through a bunch of old relics of the past 50 years. We see an overwhelmingly large amount of them are pieces from past oz movies. Some from the MGM movie if we can get them. Even some from the Wiz maybe.

Voice Over
Many years ago, through the kindness of Dorothy of Kansas, afterward princess Dorothy of OZ, a humble group writers and film makers where appointed the Royal Historians of OZ with the honor of Chronicaling that wonderful fairy land.

But after making 48 movies, 44 play and 182 books and countless other works of imagination about the interesting but queer people who live in the land of OZ, the historians learned with great sorrow that by an edict of the supreme ruler, Ozma of OZ…

As we pan out from the old Ozcot sign we see that it’s now the signet above the gate to the royal palace of OZ. Where we see Ozma holding court talking inaudibly to a great assemblage of her subjects. The Lion, the scarecrow, the Tin man and the Wizzard are all there as well as Aunt em Uncle henry, Dorothy and Toto. Also in addentance are some less familiar inhabitants of OZ, the hungry Tiger, the shaggyman, the Wizards amazing Piglets, The shaggy man, the Sawhorse even Jelly Jam.

Voice Over
All communication with the OZ would be cut off and…

We see the gates of OZ which opened a second before to let us in close in our face.

Voice Over
Her country would there after be rendered invisible to all those who lived in the outside world.

The Screen goes black

Voice Over
The Children who had learned to look for the stories of the happy people inhabiting that favored country where as sorry as the historians that there would be no more stories about OZ.

Cut to:
A series of scenes of children furiously writing letters. Pages flying through the air. Mail heading into mail boxes.
Voice Over
They wrote many letters to the historians asking if he didn’t know any adventures that had happened before the land of OZ was shut off from the rest of the world and he did. But it was not enough.

More scenes of children writing, first with feather pens then typwriters, using a telegram machine then finally sitting at a computer writing and email.

Voice Over
Finally one of the children inquired why we couldn’t hear from princess Dorothy by electronic mail. Which would enable her to comminticate with the historians whatever happened in the far off land of OZ without them having to see her or even know where the land of OZ is. That sounded like a good idea so the historians all got together.

Cut to:
A group of writers, filmmakers and such, maybe even a few people who worked on the 1939 film. There’s a few showgirls from the staged version, hopefully a quincy jones look alike or someone else from the Wiz. There all standing around a computer mumbling, poking at it, trying to get it to work. Finally a twenty something young man in sweats and a t-shirt sits down and starts typing.

Voice Over
And got themselves a computer. Regestered themselves a email address and started sending Dorothy messages through cyperspace.

Now it wasn’t likely Dorothy would have a computer or ever be looking for emails but one thing the historians where sure of and that was that the powerful sorceress Glinda the good would know what he was doing.

For glinda had a big book…

Cut to:
Glinda standing in her chamber reading her big book. She is beautiful and serene, interested in what she’s reading but never surprised.

Voice Over
In which is recorded every event that takes place anywhere in the world, just the moment it happens. And so of coarse the book would tell her about the email address.

Cut to:
Glinda walks from her chamber swifly down the beautiful hall in her palace to dorothy’s room down the street. Dorothy’s room is a little more modest but still nice.

Voice Over
And that is how Dorothy heard that the historians wanted to hear from her.

Cut to:
Dorothy and the shaggy man contructing an elaborate “computer” out of emeralds and sticks and huge vine like wires.

Voice Over
Luckily there was a shaggy man in the land of OZ who knew how to build a computer and connect it through the air it the internet. The result was that the Historians begged so hard to be told the latest news of OZ so that they could tell it to the children of the outside world.

Cut to:
Dorothy kneeling at the feet of Ozma in her thrown room.

Voice Over
Dorothy asked permission of Ozma and Ozman graciously conceded.

The camera pulls away and tranvels down the halls of the palace sweeping outside through the emerald city in all it’s splendor.

Voice Over
That is why after ___ long years of waiting another OZ story in now presented to the children of the world.

Titles Run

While the titles are running the camera continues to sweep through the country side slowly pulling farther out as it goes eventually we see the whole map from obove with it’s four colored blocks surrounded by the deadly deasert. It appears now like a traditional map with titles and everything.

Title:

The Patchwork Girl of OZ

As the credits continue to roll we pan in on Munchkin land the large blue block on the western side of OZ. As we pan is we begin to see details once again slowly we see a model of a forest inside muchkin land, as we continue it turns into a real forest. Paning through the forest we eventually reach a small clearing with a little house of the Munchkin style, painted all blue with a tall pointed roof and little points all the corners of the roof.. On this particular munchkin house however the paint is peeling and even some of the little poity parts have begun to slope. The front yard of the house is completely desolate with nothing in but a decreped old “Bread Tree” drooping and leaf less with just two odd looking loaves of bread hanging from it’s branches.

The door of the house opens and a young munchkin boy Ojo walks leasurely out side and picks one of the loaves of bread. He’s dressed in traditional munchkin attire. All in blue with a tall pointed hat and little points on his shoes with bells on them. Ojo’s clothes like his house are faded and worn. Some of his bells are missing.

Loaf in hand we follow Ojo back through the front door of his house. As we pass the front window we see looking out of it an old man Unc Nunkie. Inside the house there is nothing but an old chair a small table and a tiny bare kitchen.

Once inside Ojo goes quickly to the kitchen and starts digging through the cuppards. He find nothing and runs back to where Unk Nunkie is sitting.

Unk is an old munchkin man with a long bears and white hair. He wears the same style clothes as Ojo but his are much more worn.

Ojo
Where’s the butter Unc Nunkie?

Unc
Isn’t

Ojo
Isn’t any butter? That’s too bad Unc. Where’s the jam then?

Unc
Gone

Ojo
No jam either? And no cake, no jelly, no apples, nothing but bread.

Unc
All

Ojo sits down next to Unc Nunkie on a little stool. They both look out the window.

Ojo
Nothing grows in our yard but the bread tree and there’s only to loaves of left on that tree and there not ripe yet. Tell me Unc, why are we so poor?

Unc just looks at him

Unc
Not

Ojo
I think we are, what have got?

Unc
House.

Ojo
I know, but everyone in the land of OZ has a place to live. What else Unc?

Unc
Bread.

Ojo
I’m eating the last loaf that’s ripe.

Ojo begins to wrap up the rest of the ripe loaf in a blue handkerchief.

Ojo
Here I’ve put aside your shar, Unc. It’s on the table so you can eat it when you get hungry. But when that is gone what shall we eat?

Unc just shakes his head.

Ojo
Of coarse, no one starves in the land of OZ either. There is plenty for everyone. There is plenty for everyone you know, only if it isn’t where you happen to be you must go where it is.

Unc just starts to look a little disturbed.

Ojo
By tomorrow morning we must go where there is something to eat, or we shall grow very hungry and become very unhappy.

Unc
Where?

Ojo
Where shall we go? I don’t know, I’m sure, but you must know, Unc. You must have traveled in your time because your so old. All I’ve ever seen in the land of OZ, Unc Dear, is the view of the mountain to the south.

Ojo motions all around as the camera pan around to the huge mountain looming outside there back window.

Ojo
Where they say the Hammerheads live-who won’t let anyone go by then. And the mountain to the north.

Ojo motions again and we pan around to the Northern window with it’s mountain.
Ojo
Where they say no one lives.

Unc
One.

Ojo
Oh yes! One family lives there I’ve heard. That’s the crooked magician who is named Dr. Pipt and his wife Margolotte. One year you told me about them. I think it took you a whole year, Unc, to say as much as I’ve just said about the crooked magician and his wife. They live high up on the mountain and the good munchkin country where fruits and flowers grow just on the other side. It’s funny you and I should live here all alone, in the middle of the forest, isn’t it.

Unc
Yes.

Ojo
Then let’s go away and visit the Munchkin country and it’s jolly good natured people. I’d love to get the sight of something besides woods, Unc, Nunkie.

Unc
Too little

Ojo
Why I’m not so little as I used to be. Why I think I can walk as far and as fast through the woods as you can. And now that nothing grows in our woods that is good to eat we must go where the food is.
Insert:

A shot of the the withered weird forest outside the house.

Inside the house Unc is seen looking out the window at the woods. Looking dejected. Behind him we see Ojo biting his lip nervously then giggles and goes about his day.

Cut To:
Int: Later in the Day Inside the House
Unc is still sitting in the same place looking out the window. Behind him Ojo is seen lighting a fire in the fireplace.

After lighting the fire Ojo slowly walks up beside Unc and hands him a piece of bread.

Ojo
Eat your bread Unc and then we will go to bed.

Unc does not respond.

Cut To:

Int: Inside the house later that night
Unc. is still sitting in the exact same place looking out the window. Behind him we see Ojo asleep in his bed. Slowly we see a few streaks of light move across Ojo’s face signifying the beginning of dawn.

Unc reaches down and puts a hand lightly on Ojo’s shoulder. His eyes open slowly.

Unc
Come.

Ojo jumps up and starts franticly running around the room putting on his traditional munchkin clothes.

“blue silk stockings, blue knee pants with gold buckles, a blue ruffled waist and a jacket of bright blue braided with gold. His shoes were of blue leather and turned up at the toes, which were pointed. His hat had a peaked crown and a flat brim, and around the brim was a row of tiny golden bells that tinkled when he moved.”
Cut To:

Ext: Morning outside Unc and Ojo’s house
Long shot looking at the house as if from the forest.
Ojo and Unc emerge from the house and walk toward us Unc walks slowly and deliberately while Ojo runs ahead and back over and over like a cartoon dog.

We follow them as they walk along a path that leads them into the woods and finally to a fork in the road. One way leads along the flat ground, the other leads steeply up the hill. Ojo running a head instinctively follows the flatter road after a few yards though he looks back and notices Unc is not following. Unc points up the hill. Ojo runs back to him.

Unc motions for Ojo to sit on a log with him. They sit and Unc pulls out the small piece of bread they have left and rips off two small parts. He hands a small piece to Ojo. They eat it in silence.

Once they’ve eaten there morsels Unc raps them up in a handkerchief and points up this hill.

Unc
Up.

They begin to ascend the hill

Fade to Black

Scene 2 The Crooked Magicians House

Ext. Day a Clearing in a Forest
Ojo and Unc slowly emerge from the forest into a large clearing with a house in it. This is the crooked magicians house.
 “a big house, round, as were all the Munchkin houses, and painted blue, which is the distinctive color of the Munchkin Country of Oz. There was a pretty garden around the house, where blue trees and blue flowers grew in abundance and in one place were beds of blue cabbages, blue carrots and blue lettuce, all of which were delicious to eat. In Dr. Pipt's garden grew bun-trees, cake-trees, cream-puff bushes, blue buttercups which yielded excellent blue butter and a row of chocolate-caramel plants. Paths of blue gravel divided the vegetable and flower beds and a wider path led up to the front door.”

Ojo and Unc take a few seconds to admire the house then walk up to the front door and knock.

The door opens and Dame Margolotte; a pleasant faced munchkin woman appears.

Ojo
Ah you must be Dame Margolotte., the good wife of Dr. Pipt.

Margot
I am my dear and all strangers are welcome to my home.

Ojo
May we see the famous magician Madam?

Margot
He is very busy just now, but come in and let me give you something to eat for you must have traveled far in order to get to our lonely place.

Ojo
We have. We have come from a far lonelier place than this.

Unc, Margotlotte and Ojo enter the house and close the door behind them.

Year 2 Week #2 The Missing Person

2010-03-01T12:58:00.000-08:00

I’m already a week behind on this project, partially because I opened a play this week, but mostly because I haven’t really done any work on this weeks entry in years.

Still I took the time to sit down and at least draw up the first outline below.

There’s a lot of details missing but looking at it like this I actually think I might be able to make a go at writing it.

Act I

Scene 1: Our main character, a private detective who we’ll just call Frank for now, meets the wife of the “missing person”, a wealthy San Francisco socialite, who for now we’ll call Arthur. The wife gives Frank Arthur’s diary and makes it clear she wants to hear nothing about what’s written in it.

Scene 2: Frank meets a friend at a bar and tells her about the assignment he’s received to find a missing socialite. They have a few drinks and the friend reads a little from the diary.

Scene 3: A short scene back at home with Frank and his girlfriend. We see him lie a little to her about how much he drank at the bar and with who. She then goes to bed and he reads aloud (or maybe with voice over) another short passage from the diary.

Scene 4: Frank interviews Arthur’s best friend Robin. Robin is entertaining, charming and not very helpful. He believes that Arthur is probably just off on a little mid-life crisis binge.

Scene: 5: Frank interviews Arthur’s sister not sure what she tells him but whatever it is is leaves him with a pretty good idea what path to follow.

Scene 6: Frank alone reads from an especially debaucherous entry in Arthur’s diary. The passage includes details about Franks double life and his other house in Oakland.

Act II

Scene 1: A meeting in Oakland with the young family friend who lives at Arthur’s secret house in Oakland. Their meeting opens more questions and leads Frank farther into the rabbit hole of Arthur’s secret life.

Scene 2, 3 & Maybe 4: Frank believes he has discovered Arthur’s location and follows the clues farther in that direction. I’m not sure what direction this will be but it brings him back to re-interview the people he’s already talked to. Eventually, after reading a particular entry in the diary, he realizes that his path was misguided.

Scene 5: Frank returns to Arthur’s wife to tell her that he’s reached a dead end, arthur is probably far away and if he kept looking it would probably be very expensive and possibly lead nowhere. Arthur’s wife pay him for the work he’s done and says that she’s received peace of mind and won’t require any more of his services. She just wanted to know if he was coming back and now feels since he won’t be she can move on.

Scene 6: A year later. Frank is in Oregon with his girlfriend on vacation. He goes into a bar to ask directions and finds himself face to face with Arthur, the man he’d spent months looking for. They talk for a while.

This is the first time we actually see and hear Arthur. He should be in many ways very different than the image we’ve formed in our mind during the play. For Frank he’s somewhat of a disappointment. Sadder and more petty than his diary and friends made him out to be. Arthur asks Frank if he can help him get his life back. Frank tells him he doesn’t think that’s a good idea. That his life is gone and his family has moved on.

In the end Arthur is left sitting alone on stage with a drink.

Year 2 Week #1 Cultures of Wonder

2010-02-15T12:57:00.000-08:00

This is the single project I have, by far, done the most work on over the past year. Since last year, when I posted my first post to this blog, I’ve collected a great group of artists who’ve helped me develop a fully fleshed out brand new ancient culture:

The Thulans.

We know where these people live, what they believed and how they interacted with the world.

Here’s a wiki showing a lot of the work we’ve done: http://thulans.wikispaces.com/

We’ve also started talking about how to present the first exhibit. We’ve drawn up an initial blue print of what it will look like. We’ve also started developing some stories about how we got all these artifacts and why a exhibit on the Thulans is important at this time.

We’re going to have a small preview of the exhibit at the Science Fair in April.

It looks like the big final show will be at Lobot sometime in October or September.

Week #52 A New Approach to this Blog - Blog

2010-02-08T17:29:00.000-08:00

This entry marks my 52nd (mostly) weekly post to this blog.

For over a year I’ve posted a new idea for a project (almost) every week. It’s really helped me to get this stuff out of my head. Some projects have really taken off. Others never made it much farther than this blog.

Now that I’ve reached my goal of doing 52 posts I’m going to change my format slightly. For the next year I’m going to go back over my posts and try and spend some time each week working on one of the projects then, every monday, post my progress to this blog.

I’ll follow the same order as I originally posted them. For instance next week (Year 2: week #1) I’ll post my progress on this blog's first post “Cultures of Wonder” the next week I’ll work on the second one “The Missing Person” and so on.

Some, like Cultures of Wonder, I’ve done tons of work on and I’ll just find a way to present that progress. Others, I haven’t even thought about since I posted them, for those I’ll sped an hour or two working on them then post what I’ve. Then there are those that won’t fit into this new approach; the events (mostly sleepwalkers plays) that look place and I’m necessarily done with. For those weeks I’ll go back to the old format and post a new project.

In honor of this new approach I will also change the name of the blog. From now on it will be known as “The Project Project”.

Week #51 Poems for New York Times Headlines from the First Decade of the Second Millennium - Poetry Book

2010-01-31T17:56:00.000-08:00

Here’s a project I’ve actually been working on for years but for some reason took me this long to post to the blog.

The title pretty much says it all. I’ve been writing short poems based on the headlines of the New York Times for the past nine years or so.

I figure this will be my last year since I wrote the first one in 2001, here it is:

6/4/01 “New York Greatly Altered By AIDS”

No more dancing in the streets

No more fucking at the turnstiles

Now all we’ve got is the straight dope

Hookers who faint at the sight of blood

And the soldiers who love them for it

I want to have one poem for every season of the last ten years. An even forty at the end. A perfect size for a book.

I’ve given up on this project a few times then picked it back up so I’ll have to go back and fill in a few seasons. Good thing we have the internet!

Week #50 A New Movie Musical (Possibly The Mishap Movie) - Movie

2010-01-24T23:34:00.000-08:00

So, because there’s something very wrong with me (or possibly very right depending on your perspective) I bought a collection of old movie musicals on DVD from half price books (hey it was only $10 for 50 movies, that’s like 20 cents a movie!)

After watching a few of these I realized that most of the plots seemed to contain the same basic few steps.

Step 1: Two young men who may or may not be brothers head out into the world to make a name for themselves (usually at least one of them is a songwriter allowing for an easy pretense to segue into musical numbers.)

Step 2: They meet a wholesome, pretty, likable, witty young woman whom they both develop feelings for.

Step 3: They get some sort of opportunity for a big break. While preparing for it they meet all sorts of quirky characters who help them on there way.

Step 4: They have a falling out over the girl.

Step 5: In some way the girl manages to bring them back together usually aiding them on there way to success at the same time. (i.e. planning a big concert and inviting a major talent scout then convincing both the friends/brothers to play the concert without them knowing that they’ll both be there until the last minute.)

I’ve always liked movie musicals but most of the recent ones have left me a little cold. None of them seem like really unique pieces of art in their own right. Most seem to be either new stories with music from an established pop band (i.e. Momma Mia, Across the Universe) or movie musicals based on stage musicals based on films that weren't musicals (The producers, hairspray).

What I’d like to do is a movie with an entirely original plot as well as songs. A revisiting of the old form as described above but in modern times with modern sensibilities.

I don’t write music or know how to make a movie so this one probably won’t progress much past an idea unless someone else wants help out.

It did occur to me while I was writing this that this could be the perfect format for the Mishap Rock and Roll Movie I wanted to make. We could have have James Call and Ryan Beebe be the two brothers coming to the big city to make it big. How could we go wrong?

Week #49 The Spam Mail Coffee Table Book - Book

2010-01-18T15:54:00.000-08:00

So this weeks project comes straight from the brain of the illustrious James Hughes Call.

The idea is to make a glossy, thick coffee table book that contains the best spam-junk mail sent to either his or one of his associates emails.

The book would be about 30 to 40 pages with the text from the Spam on one page and the an illustration inspired by it by Adam Beebe on the page facing it.

I think this would be a pretty awesome object to have exist. I’m not sure if any of us have the actual motivation or money to get it printed but I’m sure it will be mentioned in my book “Greg Travis James Call Greg Travis” and in James’ one man show we’ve been working on.

Even if we never make a large run it would be worth it to just make a few now that places like cafe press exist.

My favorite piece so far is one I just got the other day in my very own inbox:

show me the way

What's going on

I knew that I stuck my focus particularly on the local store that I failed to take you into consideration. But it's not very late for me as I saw through the http://docs.google.com/doc?id=dcdn4kwd_0dfb8mrfq you insisted about last time. For another time you are accurate...I was able to benefit from the same quality of tablets at a much practical charging.

Defined insurgencies Veteran hindsight opening Cascade Jersey, reporting mountain Intelligence Griffin or Revenge.
Read image release warehouses mis, escalate.

I'm look forward to talking to you later
Otman

Week #48 This World and After - Play

2010-01-11T13:09:00.000-08:00

This coming summer Sleepwalkers Theatre is undertaking it’s most ambitious project to date:

This World and After

a trilogy of three plays all by playwright J.C. Lee making up our entire fourth season.

Each play deals with the end of our world in a different way.

The first: “The World is Good” is about a woman dealing with her brothers death while living in what very well may be the end times: the 1990’s.

The second: “Into the Clear Blue Sky” is about a your girl living during the apocalypse who swims to the moon to find her father in order to deal with a very personal event that’s torn her family and the entire world apart.

The Third: “The Nature Line” follows another your woman on her quest to birth a child in a post-apocalyptic world were any form of human contact is associated with death and destruction.

These plays are going to happen but we still needs tons of help. From finding someone who can act as a visual dramaturge to someone to build a giant seahorse and make doves fly out of a desk on the moon.

Let me know if anyone out there wants to give us a hand.

Week #47 History Choose Your Own Adventure - Websitr

2010-01-04T14:14:00.000-08:00

Yet another idea I came up with while talking to James Call. This one we actually talked about in person, as he's visiting the west coast this week.

The idea's fairly self explanatory and has probably been done before in some capacity still it's too good of an idea not to write up.

The essential concept is to use the old "choose your own adventure" format but apply it to world history. The website would simply follow history then at crucial moments it would give you a series of options as to what should happen next. Like the "Nazis win the war" or "Bill Clinton is impeached" or "Alexander never left Macedonia"

Depending on what option you choose we tell you what would happen next and what the world would look like.

This is an idea that's really perfect for James but I think to make it really work it would have to be a huge website so we'd need a lot of people's help. It would be awesome if we could get Mike Webber to work on the site so it could look something like this.

Week #46 The Making of the Making of… - Movie

2009-12-20T22:43:00.000-08:00

While looking online the other evening at the upcoming movies I was taken aback by the high percentage of them that where either based on another medium (usually comic books or video games) or a straight up remake of another film. The one that made me wonder if I was living in an evil alternate reality was the Robert Zemeckis motion capture remake of “Yellow Submarine”.

Having just ranted about this for a while my girlfriend Kirstin suggested that this weeks project be something about this subject. Her idea was a remake of a “making of” movie.

I liked the idea a lot and immediately thought the perfect one to do would be Heart’s of Darkness, the making of Apocalypse Now. We’d cast a full group of people to play Francis Ford Coppola, Brando, the weird tribe of people who had to play severed heads then we’d direct based it entirely based on a transcript from the original documentary.

Another more ironic idea would be to do one of a lesser known movie. Netflix’s first response to a search for the phrase “The making of” was “The making of Westword”. I’ve never seen that particular documentary but I’ve seen Westworld and I can only imagine how awesome the making of it was.

Another idea, to get even more meta, would be to do a dramatized film based on the making of “RKO 281”, the movie about the making of Citizen Kane. Now that would be far out!

Week #45 James Call’s World - Conceptual Art

2009-12-12T16:11:00.000-08:00

So I didn’t have any idea what to post for this week so I asked James Call if he had any ideas this was his response:

"Yeah I think the backgrounds in Super Mario Brothers 1 and other famous video games should be filtered out (like, filter out blue or black, etc.) and replaced with congressional hearings, documentaries about torture, etc. I also think old episodes of Love Connection should be randomly interspersed in the middle of any given television show, especially news programming, like someone needs to invent a machine that does that. I also think occupying an entire city block and populating it entirely with cats and dogs - only humans allowed are caretakers, who can only visit - should happen.”

My idea would be to either work this into my ideas for project #25 (The James Project) or #37 (Greg Travis James Call Greg Travis).

Either way I think the best way to do it is to document these ideas as if James had already done them complete with pictures of there completion and critical/popular responses to them.

Week #44 Mishap Trading Cars - Trading Cards

2009-12-04T16:57:00.000-08:00

This is an idea that actually belongs to two other people.

The idea is simple and fairly self explanatory. Trading cards with pictures of all the various members of Mishap Productions. The front having a picture and name of the member on it and the back containing facts and statistics about the person.

The first person to attempt this was James Call. He made a bunch of them back when we where living in New York. He used to hand them out at German Cars Vs. American Homes shows. You can see mine here. Or the Beebe brother’s one below.

A couple months back Kirsten Goldberg (Aka KGB) had pretty much the exact same idea. She sent out an email about it and we bounced a bunch of ideas back and forth. Eventually we decided it would be cool to make them like Magic the Gathering cards where we’d all have weird statistics like “smarmyness” and special abilities “exeptional sleeping power”.

We never got around to making the actual cards but it’s never too late. The idea just keeps seeming better and better.

Week #43 - Monthly Dinner Parties - Event

2009-11-30T16:58:00.000-08:00

A while back me and my close friend Kirsten Goldberg set up a private cooking company called Brandywine Cooking. Kirstin Cummings made an awesome website, we did one dinner party, even made business cards. Then we sort of ran out of steam.

This year at the Mishap Prom Kirsten brought up the idea of Brandywine doing a monthly dinner party. At first we’d just do it for friends and family, charging little over the cost of the food, then when we start to really figure it out, we’ll raise our prices a little and open it up to the outside world.

We had our first one of these parties last night.

This was the menu:

Local Dungeness Crab and Chick Pea Fritters with Persian Cucumber and Yogurt dipping sauce

Shaved Fennel and Honeycrisp Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette

Mushroom Braised Lamb with Gremolata

Tangerine and Honey Roasted Roots

Assorted California Cheeses Curated by Kirstin Cummings

Warm Spiced Quince with Ricotta and Pink Peppercorn Cream

and here’s a picture of Kirsten with the lamb:

The party went wonderfully, if it was maybe a little strenuous but we learned a lot. I think we need to bring in at least one more person to help with the cooking and serving.

I want to have another one in either late december or early January. Who want to come?

Week #42 The James Hughes Call Show - Performance Piece

2009-11-19T22:40:00.000-08:00

For the past ten years or so I’ve been promoting and producing the music of James Call. Either in the guise of the Missing Teens, German Cars Vs. American Homes, James Call Erotic Photo Hunt or just plane James Call, I’ve booked show for him, produced albums & done pretty much every promotion thing I could think of.

Recently it occurred to me that maybe we’ve been going at the wrong way. Maybe James isn’t a rock star, maybe he’s a performance artist.

I’ve loved James’ recordings for years but what’s always really sold him is his performances. Nearly everyone who’s ever seen him has loved him and recently his performances have become a truly ecstatic experience. They’ve also become more and more conceptual.

My idea, which I’ve been running by James every time I see him recently, is to have James perform with semi-scripted banter between his songs. We’d bill him as a sort of musical motivational speaker and he’d perform every weekend for three or four weeks like a play. He’s be aided by video, a power point presentation and maybe even celebrity guests.

James of coarse would have to do most of the writing (hopefully aided by at least one of the Greg Travis’) so the content would really be up to him. I figure we could have either a band or pre-recorded music or a little of both.

Obviously this was all reliant on James but if we could pull it off I’d be totally down to produce it here in San Francisco and maybe in New York possibly even in connection in some way with Sleepwalkers Theatre.

Week #41 Larry’s Idea for a Comic - Web Comic

2009-11-17T13:45:00.000-08:00

Originally when I started this blog I wanted to feature some projects by other people. Alas this never really worked out.

However last week I received the following email from my good friend and fellow comic book geek Larry Luna.

I decided to make it this weeks project:

“I was thinking a good idea for a comic strip would be for any group of us to all tell the same true story but all from our own perspective. For example, with out seeing or being influenced by each others strips we would each write/draw a strip telling a funny or interesting story we all experienced. So if there were four of us at said "story" we would end up with four different versions/strips of that story. I got the idea when I talked to james about the time I punched him in the balls. Hearing his perspective was hilarious, so I think that should be our first strip, The mishap prom where the prom king got socked in the balls mid performance by a drunk mexican and a dog ferociously barked from the audience. I think this should be one of many random web comics on a webcomic blog we need to finally start.”

It’s a good idea and one everyone involved in is really excited about. What I need to do my part of this comic is find someone to draw it. Preferably someone who wasn’t there and doesn’t know the people involved. That way we can add a whole new element the Rashomon angle of this project.

Week #40 Everyones Gay in San Francisco - TV Show

2009-11-10T16:15:00.000-08:00

I was out to dinner in North Beach for Larry Luna’s birthday the other day. Somehow in the middle of dinner the topic of Homophobic attitudes toward the Bay Area came up and I developed this little idea for a police drama.

In my story a New York cop gets transfered to San Francisco after a misunderstanding regarding his sexuality leads to constant harassment by the other officers.

In San Francisco he reluctantly investigates a series of murders in the San Francisco gay community. Throughout the coarse of the show he slowly starts to discover that literally everyone in San Francisco is gay. It turns out the murders he’s been investigating are part of a large conspiracy against a group who want the whole city to “come out of the closet”.

In the end he catches the murderers but in the process he inadvertently forces the whole city to go public. Everything works out in the end and the cop ends up living happily as the only straight person in San Francisco.

The show would obviously be a satire of both the bay areas appearance to the rest of the world and the “slowly unraveling conspiracy” genre.

There’s probably no way I’ll ever make a TV show but if anyone else wanted to, even as “webisodes” I’d be totally stoked.

Week #39 Celebrity T-Shirts - Conceptual Art Project 0

2009-11-03T10:50:00.000-08:00

For five years straight, from June 1st. 2002 to June 1st. 2007, I wore t-shirts with some sort of comment written on them in black sharpie. See week #29 for more details.

After five years of trying it explain to people why I was “ashamed to be white” or hearing about how I wasn’t a total “failure” because my sperm made it to the egg first I decided I’d had enough.

I still enjoy wearing my shirts from time to time however. I especially enjoy the ones that comment a bit on celebrity. One of the big things I was trying to explore with my shirts was why people wear what they wear. My thesis is that $30 band shirts are really just saying “I like this band, talk to me if you do to”. Why not just cut out the $30 and write the bands name on your shirt?

One of the last shirts I made took this idea one step further. I decided to make a shirt for a semi-celebrity that I loved but I would never by able to buy a shirt that celebrated. I made a shirt that simply said “Brian Doyle Murray”. I enjoyed wearing that shirt almost more than any of the others.

I’ve decided to start making my shirts again. Not wearing them every day, just now and then. All these shirts will just have the name of someone who’s work or life I wish to celebrate.

So far I’ve got one that says “Peter O’Toole”

Some more I’m gonna make:

Harry Dean Stanton
Shelly Winters
Shock G
Randy Quaid
The Man-Thing

Week #38 Mishap For Hire - Service

2009-10-25T22:08:00.000-07:00

For the past fifteen years or so me and a bunch of my friends have put on shows and released records and books under the banner of “Mishap Productions”. Over all this time we’ve developed certain skills that aid us in the promotion of events and products.

We can take a poster or postcard from concept to printing in under a week. We know enough visual artists and graphic designers to create pretty much any promotional item. We know all the places to send a press release or put up a poster.

My idea is to offer these skills as a service to other independent artists out there. We’d offer any level of promotion you need. From developing and executing an entire campaign of print and web promotions to simply doing small amount of postering for you. Depending on how much you want to spend, what you’ve already done or can do yourself and how many people you want to reach we’d be able to accommodate pretty much anything.

All I’d need to really get this going is a dedicated website (maybe this one) and some fairly good copy for facebook and craigslist and I bet I could really get this thing rolling.

Week #37 Greg Travis James Call Greg Travis - The Emails from New York During the First Decade of the New Century - Book

2009-10-18T22:36:00.000-07:00

Recently I received this email from a guy named Greg Travis who I’d only met once or twice:

Vermont

Will you write a song called vermont

Or will you waste your FREE TIME.

What an opportinity you have and you don't even realize it.

Make something. CREATE SOMETHING.

Draw a picture and give it to someone.

Take your time doing it.

Make it PERFECT.

Call someone on the telephone.

Remember These?

Make it a priority in your life to make it to Vermont at some point

To bask in the colors of the leaves.

-GT

Oddly enough Greg has a half-brother also named Greg Travis. This Greg Travis I know much better I got this email from him recently:

Dicko Asscock & The Mind Police
> Live @ The Paladium
> $8

Dr. Wehrner Milliner And The Atrocious Techniques
w/ opener Tilly Jones of Magna Carta Cumshot
http://com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com/index.htm

At the Williamsburg Hôpital, corner of Wythe & Tégument

(2,000 P.M. Twentieth drink free. May-December love affairs get in
free. Special all-night shows on quarterly tax deadlines. Sixtieth
drink free. Space heaters available on request. No clapping. 2.5
baths, eat in kitchen, access to good schools. Murder, she wrote.
Tilly Jones appears courtesy Children's Television Workshop. Caution:
earplugs. Four dead in Ohio. I can't believe it's not yogurt. What
the hell is up with Jarmusch these days? You can't find good help
anymore.)

That email was forwarded to me from James Call. Both Greg Travis’ where in James’ band at one time or another.

James sends me things like this:

July... a time when people's thoughts turn to hot eggnog and presents under the tree. But did you know that July is also Rick James Awareness Month?

Rick James was born in a city we call Buffalo, 30 degrees below, but he didn't remain there long, soon entering America's hearts and minds as one of our premiere recording artists.

Rick James recorded several of his finest records at the Record Plant in Sausalito, CA (in my very own Marin County, back before the yuppies took over), where later Huey Lewis & The News would record the album "Sports"*. He was famous for simply dictating his assorted bass, horn, guitar and synth lines to his backing band, a la "No, it goes duh-doodledoodledoodledoodle-duh-duh-duh-DOOT," etc. From such non-traditional directions, Hits were made.

Though James is well known for capturing a 24-year old girl in his basement, typing her up for 6 days, forcing her to perform sexual acts, and burning her with a crack cocaine pipe, often overlooked is his even more horrific torture of Motown group the Temptations. James kept the Temptations in an environmentally sealed chamber and would only release them to bark terrible commands at them, such as "TEMPTATIONS SING!" It is alleged that James kept the Temptations alive by feeding them the flesh of lesser Motown groups, including the Spinners and the original Bar-Kays.

Though most well known for his super-hit "Superfreak," which would later be sampled by Stanely "M.C. Hammer" Burrell in the form of "U Can't Touch This," Rick James has produced countless hits along similar lines. Today, we present to you two quality examples of Mr. James' more frenetic work. Enjoy.

* August is Huey Lewis awareness month.

I’ve been receiving emails like this from the three of them for a long time. I’ve been keeping them in a little folder on my computer called “web art”. I wasn’t sure what else to call it.

After receiving Greg’s “Vermont” email I was inspired to put them all together as book for the rest of the world to enjoy. I thought I’d bind it and market it sort of like one of those books of letters between famous people.

The fact that two of the people where named Greg Travis just made it that much better.

All I’d really need to put this together would be copies of illustrator and photoshop and maybe someone who actually knows how to use them. Then I just need to wait until the end of the decade and I’ll print up some short runs of them.

Week #36 The Apartment - Comic

2009-10-11T17:38:00.000-07:00

Way back in the early days of 2001, shortly before 9/11, I was living in New York City with Adam Beebe, James Call and James’ then girlfriend Barbara P. King. Three very creative people.

One night, right after we’d finished showing Barbara the last episode of Twin Peaks, we all got inspired and huddled together in front of my computer to create a surrealist story of our own.

We had all recently become very interested in comic books so we decided our story would be a comic. Although James and Adam we’re very good artists neither of them had the patients to draw and entire realistic comic book so we decided we’d create a photo comic. A comic book made up entirely of posed photographs and word bubbles.

The comic we developed was pretty awesome. It starred the four of us as roommates who wake up every morning in our apartment with no memory of how they got there or exactly who they where.

We did a couple of shoots for it but never got very far. I’ve included the whole script we came up with for the first issue below. It’s pretty awesome stuff.

Considering that we all live in different cities now (except me and Adam) there’s little chance we’ll ever finish it the way we wanted to. Still if we got some interest or inspiration we could always “recast” or have someone draw it as a normal comic.

“HOUSE” or “APARTMENT”

NO THOUGHT BUBBLES, NO NARRATIVE

We are stuck inside house : we never know what is going on and we always forget things.

There is something very bad outside, keeping us in!!!

Every morning, a different character is reading the newspaperr about a terrorist attack, India-Pakistan War, etc. This ALWAYS IS NEW to the characters, and the reactions of the characters to the news is revealing about their character, but always an “initial shock”

Perhaps there is a House of Consciousness to match the House of Ignorance?

Hearing screaming, but never recognizing it; as if screaming is alien to the charac ters, as infants

Characters are terrorized by outside weather

Barbara realizes hunger, and enters outside, sees an evil small girl. Upon returning, there is food in the house; Barbara begins to realize something about outside world, but the other characters deny it, and even to Barbara it is a mystery. For example, when she returns, the others say, “But, you were just in the bathroom,” and then she begins to doubt herself. Thus she is left with a sense that something is wrong (e.g., spidey sense), but cannot quite place it...

Children are evil. Animals are good.

Other characters enter and exit the household

plate breaking randomly in four pieces

CHARACTERS

Characters often use nicknames: “Dad,” “The Girl,” “That Asshole,” and “Junkie”

James (Enron)
- level headed, silent, strong
- Christian (moderate); strong moral system
- right wing; prepared for whatever happens
- Speaks many languages and knows literature; reads a lot

Damian (Ratso)
- drug addict; genuinely unhealthy
- feels dread when not on drugs

Barbara (Miss)
- high alert; curious; alarmed; “danger sense”; haunted by demons; ESP; i.e., archetype of “aware” hero (Dale Cooper, the Matrix guy, Peter Parker, etc.)
- visions

Adam (Sim)
- aloof jerk; cynical and bitter (like Jason Hogg or Albert)
- Manipulative. It is a habit and he manipulates without reason.
- Spontaneous, irrational
- Adam arranges chairs and other objects. Perhaps reflective of personality?

Relationships:

NO ONE EVER KNOWS why they relate to each other as they do, and the actions stemming from their relationships often come as surprises

Barbara and James are in a romantic / sexual relationship; adolescent
Barbara once had romance with Damian; Barbara (unconsciously) wants to maintain friendship but Damian (also unconsciously) wants to put the past behind.
Barbara and Adam = Brother and Sister
James is caring towards Adam, who tries to manipulate him but cannot, because of feelings of latent guilt
James and Damian disapprove of each other’s character.
Adam is slowly ruining Damian’s life, but Damian thinks he’s a great guy

When certain things are said (in presence of all characters), every character leaves the room and forgets what has just happened. Perhaps this reminds them of past disturbing incident?

Someone finds toilent clogged; all go into bathroom to stare. Someone then says, “Can you please leave? I’m trying to take a shower.” They’ve all forgotten what happens

Regional slang distinct to house

People occasionally raise memories, which scares them all who stop

It does not occur to the characters that they were children! The demons are all children... if childhood memories emerge, they upset all the characters

Talking dogs?

James turns into bowling ball?

Barbara sees face in window

People who come over are treated innoculously
They live outside “the city”; which city is never noted

As story continues, Barbara gains more consciousness, the story heats up... as it does, James, Damian and Adam vanish or go away.

One recurring character continues to check for Barbara’s pregnancy. These shots are MINIMAL, OFFSCREEN and MYSTERIOUS (completely to audience and even to most of the characters!)

Bill Clinton as potted plant?

Ana? as recurring character who brings basket of drugs. Relationship with Damian? (he would be ignorant, but not her)

Adam is always alone.

Tore as James’ incredibly right wing friend? dressed in fatigues.. SCRIPT - Story breakdown

1. Adam by himself, waking
2. Damian by himself, waking
3. James and Barbara by themselves, waking
4. Adam gets newspaper, sits in kitchen
5. Damian enters, and Adam says “blah di blah” (about the news event)
6. Damian says, “What’s news?” and looks inside empty cabinet (back of head shot)
7. Adam reacts “blah di blah” while Damian opens refrigerator; we see it is empty
8. Shot of Adam opening empty milk carton, while Damian responds dully from off-panel
9. Barbara’s hand
10. Barbara and James, silent; hand in same position. Barbara is contemplating hand.
11. Barbara’s face, confused (wondering if she is married)
12. James and Barbara, looking at each other, confused, feared. Barbara states “We’re not married.”
13. Another silent panel. SAME SHOT as last panel, as both characters contemplate situation.
14. Same shot. James says, “There’s a pain in my stomach,” and gets up out of bed.
15. James enters kitchen, and greets the others. All four characters are seen (Barbara seen through door). I.e, this shot is from hallway outside of bathroom. James says “Hello,” and the other two respond.
16. James tells others, “The young lady is in my bed.” The others respond. The dialogue should show that this event was unexpected and a revelation.
17. Barbara enters kitchen. She is surprised to see Adam and Damian. Adam, Damian and James are having a conversation about what they are going to do today (although they have no idea, and no idea what there is to do)
J: “So, what are you gentlemen going to do today?”
A: “Same thing I always do: Nothing!”
D: “There’s something I have to do today.”
18. Barbara walks into Adam’ room, looking for the bathroom.
A: “Do you have work?”
D: “I don’t think so, not today.”
A: “I’m not going to work today either. My stomach hurts.”
19. Barbara exiting Adam’s room.
B: (outloud, but not to others) “I thought this was the bathroom!”
20. Barbara walks to real bathroom.
D: “Way to go, Einstein!”
J: (laughing) “I can’t remember the last time either of you went to work!”
21. Three guys, uncomfortably laughing. (Barbara in bathroom)
J: “Or myself for that matter.”
A: “Where do you work?”
J: “The city.”
22. Barbara exits bathroom.
B: “I tried to vomit, but nothing came out of my mouth.”
A: “Do you have a problem with vomiting?”
J: “Mind your manners.” (to A)
D: (jokingly) “Yeah, shut up punk.”
23. All of them in the kitchen.
D: “I feel like I haven’t eaten in three days.”
B: “You haven’t eaten for three days. None of us have.”
24. All walk silently into living room.
25. All have sat down, and all are quite serious.
J: “None of us have eaten in three days.”
A: “Yep.”
B: “Well, shouldn’t we do something about it?”
A: (condescending) “We should eat.”
26. Same shot. Barbara alarmed.
B: “Wait. Where is the food?”
A: “The food’s outside, lady.”
J: “Some respect.”
D: “Someone has to go get food.”
27. Adam’s face. Angry, shocked.
28. James’ face. Concerned.
29. Damian’s face. Worried, queasy.
30. Barbara’s face. Alarmed.
B: “Well I am not going outside!”
31. James’ face.
J: “I don’t think it prudent for any of us to leave.”
32. Damian’s face.
D: “Fuck no.”
33. Adam’s face.
A: “Why don’t you guys go. I’ve got something to do.”
34. Same shot as 25-26.
D: “You don’t even know what you have to do!”
J: “Be considerate. We all have things to do.”
A: “Listen General, you don’t even know what ‘doing something’ is!”
B: “Be quiet be quiet be quiet!”
35. Same shot. Silence.
36. Same shot.
J: “Miss, are you alright?”
D: “Yeah, what is it?”
A: “That time of month again, or just crack?”
37. Damian gets up and goes to bathroom. James gets up and heads towards kitchen (Barbara looks at him). Adam goes as well, to finish reading newspaper.
D: “I’ve got to take my medication.”
A: “Maybe I should take your medication too.”
38. Barbara and James.
B: “Enron, where are you going?”
J: “Just... to...”
39. Damian emerges from bathroom with pills in hand
D: “Where is my tequila?”
B: (Holding bottle, very confused.) “Right here...”
40. Kitchen. Adam reading newspaper with James looking over shoulder.
J: “Say friend, what’s in the news today?”
A: “Nothing you’d like, understand or be interested in.”
J: “What is of interest to one man is of interest to all men. No value can be assigned to knowledge.”
A: “Totally. Write a book.”
41. Damian takes pill with liquor, as he walks back into living room. Barbara watching intently. Damian does not look at her.
42. Damian and Barbara in living room. Damian is irritated that she is watching him.
D: “I do this everyday, you know.”
B: “You do?”
D: “Oh.”
43. Barbara thinking.
44. Damian and Barbara, still in living room. Damian is leaving to another room.
D: “Where are my cigarettes?”
45. Barbara thinking.
46. Shot of the door.
47. Closer shot of door.
48. Still closer shot of door.
49. Damian re-entering living room.
D: “It’s time for you to go get the food. And get me some cigarettes while you’re out there.”
50. Barbara enters kitchen and begins putting on coat, etc.. James is still looking over Adam’s shoulder.
J: “Will you be doing the crossword?”
51. Barbara has put on coat and the others notice her. Damian enters from living room.
J: “That coat looks very becoming on you.”
A: “If I was on you, I’d be coming too.”
52. Different angle shot. Adam, Damian and Barbara laughing hysterically. James with arms crossed.
J: (under his breath) “Honestly.”
53. Laughing ends. Barbara nervous.
54. Barbara and door. Barbara looks at it.
55. Barbara’s face.
B: “Well, I’m going now.”
56. Shot of the others. All are nervous.
D: “It’s for the best.”
J: “Yes, that’s true.”
57. Shot of the handle of the door.
B: “Goodbye.”
58. ALL BLACK.
B: “See you later.”
59. Diagonal shot of hallway. Barbara is walking through it.
60. Same shot. Barbara is getting closer.
61. Same shot. Barbara is incredible close; perhaps so close that not her entire body appears in the shot (i.e., just her arm, face, etc.)
62. Shot of front door, from inside perspective. Perhaps with back of Barbara’s head?
63. Barbara’s hand on front door doorknob
64. Adam, Damian and James are standing and looking at each other. Their look should suggest that they are either concerned and worried, or perhaps conspiring!
65. Outside shot of front door. Barbara is sticking her head out, looking around.
66. Shot of Barbara’s face. She is stunned; she is looking up at other floors of building.
67. Shot of upper floors. Shot from Barbara’s perspective (i.e., person standing outside of front door looking immeadiately up)
68. Shot of Barbara’s eyes. (concerned; she senses something)
69. Same shot; Barbara’s eyes now blink, or seem weary.
70. Blurry shot of Barbara’s eyes, closing.
71. Shot of Barbara passed out on porch from little girl’s perspective. A small tuft of hair - the top of the girl’s head - can be seen at bottom of shot to establish her presence.
72. Upwards shot of little girl from from ground. Perhaps Barbara’s body can be seen on the ground from this perspective.
73. Close up on Barbara, waking up dizzily. Body or upper body.
74. Same shot. Barbara is horrified.
75. Straight-on shot of little girl. Now she holds a birthday cake.
76. Shot of Barbara with hand on the door.
77. Shot of hallway. Barbara entering door in haste.
78. Shot of Barbara stumbling to the ground.
79. Barbara crawls forward along ground. (upsetting angle perhaps)
80. Barbara reaches up to open apartment door.
81. The door is wide open. Barbara can be seen on the ground. The others are there in the kitchen. They are sitting around a table laden with good food. They look overjoyed.
J: “Just in time for dinner!”
A: “Manga manga!”
82. Shot of turkey carving or salad being tossed. Wine glasses are being toasted.
83. Shot of Barbara standing. She picks up a glass of wine but looks confused.
84. Same shot. Barbara is standing with a grin on her face and her glass of wine.
85. Toast? The toast should either be an old corny toast or perhaps foreshadowing.

The girl skips away. then she will re-enter to find her happy roommates with a huge dinner. She will suddenly be fine again, without knowing why, and remembering little.

Week #35 Zombie Town Opening - Play

2009-10-06T14:13:00.000-07:00

This week is another project that’s well on it’s way to completion. In fact it’s a play that opens this Friday.

Zombie Town!

This is a Mockumentery play about a town overtaken by Zombies written with amazing a skill by Tim Bauer (The writer of last years hit “Magic Word”, otherwise known by the line I repeated over and over “Machesco”).

As far as a project for me this week, besides just opening the show and saying my lines, my real goal is to try and sell out our opening weekend.

So if you wanted to know what weekend to come... this is the one.

There will be Jello Shots!!!!

You can buy tickets here

Zombie Town
A documentary play, by Tim Bauer
Developed by the Catharsis Collective
& the people of Harwood, Texas

Watch our trailer video here
Exclusive promo comic by Larry Luna here & here

Opening Weekend Only!, a special pre-play screening of:
Hum Pop, a zombie short film by Yuri Baranovsky
Zombie Town
Fridays & Saturdays
Oct. 9th - Nov. 7th

The Exit Stage Left
156 Eddy @ Mason

(close to bart,
google maps proves it)

Shows: 8pm tix: $14 - 20
$1 zombie cocktail jello shots
Zombie Pin-up calenders for sale!

Reservations:
415 913 7272

www.sleepwalkerstheatre.com/tickets
($16 online)

Directed by
Tore ingersoll-thorp

with Alex Curtis,
Drew Lanning,
Damian Lanahan-Kalish,
Ariane Owens,
& Ian Riley
Special Guest Zombie:
Clay Robeson

Musical Accompaniment:
Emily Haltom (fiddle)
Ryan Beebe (banjo)
Lights: Ty McKenzie
Set: Ariane Owens
Costumes: Sarah Roland
Resident Texan:
Susan Brashear
Zombie Museum
curated by:
Hillary Frederich
Publicity: Erica Lewis
Artwork: Rob Sachetto
Video Trailer:
Sam Barnett

"zombie attacks are all fun and games... until they happen to you"

This production made possible in part due to generous contributions from Michael and Natalie Riley, Lucy and Larry Parks, David and Amy Kalish, Steven Cummings, and Ingrid Woods. We love you guys!

Week #34 - Zombie Comic - Comic Book

2009-10-02T12:32:00.000-07:00

This ones kinda cheating since it’s actually pretty much finished so it’s not a project I want to do, it’s a project I’ve done.

Still I’m excited about it because, short as it is, it’s the first time I’ve had anything I’ve written turned into a comic (Drawn by the exemplary Larry Luna).

It was also made to promote a Sleepwalker’s play I’m in that I’m super excited about:

Zombie Town: A documentary play about Zombies! Running at the Exit Stage Left,156 Eddy St. San Francisco Fridays & Saturdays Oct. 9th - Nov. 7th

Here’s the comic:

Week 33 Experimental/Naturalism - Play

2009-09-22T12:13:00.000-07:00

Last week we closed a show at the San Francisco Fringe festival. Our “sister” company Dark Porch was also doing a show called “Cockroach”. I went and saw it last week and it gave me an idea.

There show was an experimental movement piece with text, a meditation on homelessness and schizophrenia. It was very well thought out and performed. Still these sort of shows aren’t really my bag, I found myself drifting during performance.

The idea that came to me while I was watching there show was this:

A play in two acts. The first act is a sort of experimental performance thing like the Dark Porch show. All poetry and dance, an abstract meditation on a few characters and there relationships. Then the second act is all naturalism. The same characters, the same relationships presented the way sleepwalkers does best; a realistic slice of life.

I’m not sure what relationships and situations would work best for this but I find the structure totally intriguing. It would be an awesome thing for for Sleepwalkers and Dark Porch to do together. Or if anyone reads this maybe they could find a way to do it.

Week #32 Through the Looking Glass - Novel

2009-09-14T15:01:00.000-07:00

A few months back I took a trip to New York city to attend a concert for my friend James Call’s 30th birthday. As a matter of coincidence that also turned out to be the same weekend that another old friend of mine, Mike Garlington, was passing though the city on his way back from Europe.

The trip was chaotic, fascinating, nostalgic, debaucherous and quite painful all at the same time. I slept so little and consumed so many damaging substances that I was having auditory hallucinations on the plane ride home.

The events of the trip seemed to all fit into a basic theme for me. They all reflected something I’d been thinking a lot about recently. What happens to all of us who’ve been spending our twenties behaving like it was a second adolescence when our bodies can’t keep up? What happens when the illicit desires we’d been slave to in our youth start to fade away and lose there luster?

I’d been wanting to write a novel about this for sometime. I’d written a few parts of a screenplay a while back about this subject. Interestingly a good part of the screenplay took place during the main characters return to New York. I suppose the city represents to me the hight of my youthful hedonism.

To add a little structure to this project I thought it would be good chance to do another thing I’d always wanted to do; base a story on Lewis Carroll’s less read sequel to Alice in Wonderland, “ Through the looking Glass and What Alice Found There”. I always had a soft spot for this book and it’s dream like plot with less well know characters made it an easier choice then it’s more popular predecessor.

Right now this idea is still mostly a nebulous blob existing more as few journal entries than anything else. I think the idea would be to follow the structure of the Carroll book for the stuff taking place during the weekend but also to include extended flash backs on my past with these people. The chances of me ever writing a whole novel are fairly slim but still writing the idea here makes it actually feel doable. Who knows!

Week #31 Breakupocalypse Fringe Show - Play

2009-09-07T15:15:00.000-07:00

This weeks project is one that’s well under way and will in fact be presented to the public this Friday.

My theatre company Sleepwalkers Theatre is putting up a show at the San Francisco Fringe Feastival called “BREAKUPOCALYPSE”. It’s two plays in 30 minutes, both written by Maria Ferrari and both dealing with the subject of break ups.

I get to play a sort of stoner slacker dude, it’s the first time in years I’ve got to use my own mannerisms in a show. It’s a lot of fun.

Here’s our press release blurb for this thing:

Two exploding relationships in under twenty five minutes.

Written by Maria Ferrari

Runners [funny :)]

In the middle of a marathon, recent exes Hunter & Liz have one last knock down, drag out fight. While running. The whole time.

Directed by Tore Ingersoll - Thorp

With: Ariane Owens & Ian Riley

The Ugly City Game - [sad :(]

“The thing about cities is- you feel like they love you back…”

After a colossal heartbreak, Paul takes solace in the parts of Chicago others overlook.

Directed by Amy Marie Haven

With: Mallory gross, Tore Ingersoll - Thorp, Damian Lanahan - Kalish, & Leia Layus

The unjuried format of the Fringe Festival allows the artists to have total creative freedom when producing their work and provides for a unique theatre going experience. As a result of this boundary-free approach to creating theatre, the Fringe has become a popular development tool; encouraging artists to take risks, explore ideas, pose questions and tell their stories in new and exciting ways.

The complete schedule and descriptions of Fringe shows are available at www.sffringe.org

Please come see it! It’s Awesome!

Week #30 Reviewing the Reviewers - Website, book

2009-09-01T13:54:00.000-07:00

I was pretty swamped last week with the Mishap Prom so that's why there was no post. But now I'm back (if maybe a day later than I would have hoped.)

This week's project is one that's still very much in it's larval stages. I came up with it a while back when I was looking for the phone number for the Li Po Lounge. The Li Po is a drinking establishment in Chinatown very close to my heart; after all this is where my theatre company Sleepwalker's Theatre was essentially formed. Still it is not a place oozing with swankyness, nor does it try to be.

It is my belief that all forms of criticism should be based on whether a project or place succeeds in what it's attempting to do. Therefore I was a little peeved when I saw on the Li Po Yelp page, next to some glowing semi-ironic ones, a few reviews disparaging it's dingyness, criticizing it's bathroom and even one that mentioned the "pervy chinatown ruffians".

After my initial irritation I began to wonder a little about the people who wrote these things. Where did there impulse to criticize come from? Where does that impulse come from in any of us?

To answer these questions, as well as give reviewers a little taste of there own medicine, I thought it would be cool to create a website where we review the reviewers. As a start I thought we'd review each person who's posted regularly to Yelp in a very methodical way. Read all their reviews and point out recurrent themes and make thesis's about where there impulses and quarks came from.

The natural extension of this would be to write a small book where you review famous critics in mainstream media the same way they review movies, books, food and music.

I'm not sure how hard this would be to do as a website but I do know the amount of work it would take to actually write the reviews might not be worth it. Still if this website existed I'd read it.

Week #29 The Anti-Fashion T-Shirt Project - Conceptual Art

2009-08-15T17:19:00.000-07:00

For five years straight I wore only T-shirts adorned with something I’d written on them in black marker. The things I wrote on the shirts fit into two basic categories. The first category was self-deprecating remarks like “I feel vaguely guilty all the time”, “I’m weak” or simply the word “Ugly”. The others where things I wanted to express to the world but had some sort of fear that kept me from doing so; comments like “I’m ashamed to be white”, “I do Drugs and I Vote” or “I want to Kill Tom Hanks”. All the comments where stated as “I” statements, these where my feelings not facts about the external world, there was no way anyone could disagree with them.

The essential concept behind these shirts was two-fold. The first thing I was trying to do was examine the nature of fashion. I came to the conclusion that fashion was a way we non-verbally tell the world something about ourselves. My idea was to see what happens if we bypass all subtlety and just write what we feel on ourselves.

The second level was based on my belief that most of what we try to express to the world through fashion are positive traits. We are trying to tell people “I’m confident”, “I’m interesting” “I’m well adjusted”. These are usually things that are not entirely true about ourselves. With my project I wanted to make fashion that expressed the opposite, that said things about ourselves we maybe didn’t want the world to know. Thus “Anti-Fashion”.

The project it’s self is long over, it ended on July 1st, exactly five years after is started. The project was both entertaining and enlightening but after a while I just didn’t want to explain myself all the time.

I still have the shirts though and I still wear them from time to time (There’s over fifty of them in my closet). There’s pictures of models wearing them, videos of Anti-Fashion shows I’ve done even an award I got for “Best use of First Amendment Rights of 100% Cotton” from the North Bay Bohemian. I even sold some of them to people on eBay.

What I’d like is to find some way to show the project to people as a finished product. An experiment that ran it’s coarse. I’m not sure how to go about it but it would be nice to have something to show for it

Week #28 Better Biographies - Book

2009-08-09T23:17:00.000-07:00

This weeks project is one I just thought up but I'm kind of exited about it. Three separate things inspired it:

1) When I was in New York recently I bought a tiny little hard cover book from a street side book seller about Sarah Michelle Gellar. Despite my deep love for buffy, the mere existence of the book was ludicrous. Also Sarah Michelle Gellar had just about the most boring life story ever.

2) I was reading my book of short film biographies, the biographical dictionary of film, and I came across of the director “George Stevens”. He directed Fred and Ginger in Swing Time, Montgomery Clift in "A Place in the Sun" and the story of christ in the Greatest Story Ever Told. He also shot some of the 16 mm footage of the liberation of Dachau.

3) Recently, with my Cultures of Wonder project and a few others in this blog, I’ve gotten more and more interested in creating fictions and presenting them as part of the real world.

I thought “what about writing fictitious biographies for real people?”. That way we could make Sarah Michelle Gellar as interesting to read about as George Stevens. After all public peoples life stories are usually told with an eye for entertainment, why not just cut out the editorializing and invent the entire thing.

I’d want to do about 20 of them and present them as a book. I’d love to have twenty different writers work on it, one for every celebrity. Maybe I’d even get someone to illustrate it with portraits supposedly commissioned by the celebrities, although that might be too silly.

Week # 27 Shows at Lobot - Event

2009-08-02T20:53:00.000-07:00

Ryan Beebe, my old friend and co-conspirator asked me recently if I’d be interested in booking shows with him at Lobot Gallery, a venue and art space where he lives.

The idea is simple enough. He’s got a great space and it’s open most weekends, we might as well start filling it with people and music.

We’ll be starting small, one show a month starting in early October and then moving to a biweekly thing in the beginning of the year. These wouldn’t be huge shows just something to keep us busy and keep the art/music world in Oakland thriving.

We met the other day and we both agreed that the thing to do would be to make them theme show. Kinda like the Mishap shows but way more layed back.

We need bands, art and films. Oh and we need a name for our project something simple that doesn’t commit us too much to any one aesthetic.

Here’s the themes we’ve come up with so far:

Tropical (in the Winter of coarse)
Black Coffee (Where we serve coffee)
Jumpsuit Party (Me and Ryan got thrown out of one these once)
Outer-space Cocktail Party
County Fair
Dance Contest
Dance Marathon
South of the Border Party
Talent Show (Ryan did one of these for his birthday it was bad ass)
Roller skate Party
70’s Porno Party (Biggest mustache contest)
Movie Monster/Vampire Party (Not around Halloween)
Christmas Party (In summer)
Art’s and Crafts
American Gladiators
Bouncy house (in the house)
Laser Tag (All we needs the equipment)
007 Party

Let me know if you guys can think of anything else.

Week #26 Written on the Bathroom Wall - Blog

2009-07-25T12:41:00.000-07:00

I don’t know how to drive. I never learned. Because of this I spend a lot of time walking around and sitting in coffee shops. I also spend a lot time in bars but that has nothing to do with driving or not driving.

During my adventures in the outside world I end up visiting a lot of public restrooms. And one thing almost all public restrooms have is graffiti.

Pope John Paul II (The good pope) once refereed to graffiti as “the soul crying out against indifference”. I’ve always loved this quote but really if all you have to “cry out” is “Rakkyr2” or “Suck a dick” then maybe you deserve to a little indifference.

Still, out of all the graffiti I see, at least once a week I see something truly amazing like the this:

Inspired by my girlfriend Kirstin’s blog and my new digital camera I’ve decided to start a new blog where I post something I’ve seen on a bathroom wall once a week. I’m working on a backlog right now so I won’t end up in a situation where I’m searching public restrooms for graffiti. I’m also working on figuring out how to get my photos off my camera. I’ll probably start this thing in a month or so.

I’ll let you all know.

Week #25 (Now with Pictures!) The James Project

2009-07-21T18:39:00.000-07:00

I’ve known James Call for a good deal of my life. I met him in high school. I’ve lived with him for four years in Queens. I’ve traveled with him to China. I’ve spent way too much time talking about comic books with him.

Seeing James perform recently in New York I was struck as I usually am by what a truly unique creature he is. It reminded me of a project I’ve wanted to do since my last days living with him.

James creates endless amounts of things. Music, drawings, writing, scraps of paper with strange notes on them. He once made a large flow chart of all the ways he knows his friends. He’s also responsible for shit like the map below.

What I want to do is take all the stuff James has created in his entire life and, in the tradition of a few of my recent projects, invent an entire history as if we didn’t know James. Like an anthropological study of who we think this person is based entirely on all the object and documents we found in his room.

Or alternatively and even better we can give all his creations to someone who truly doesn’t know him and have them come up with a biography for him. We should be able to find someone I mean isn’t that what the internet is for?

Week #24 The Mishap Movie - Film

2009-07-13T19:28:00.000-07:00

Having recently watched Rock & Roll High School again I got inspired to make a rock & roll movie. Films like Help, The Girl Can’t Help it, Tougher than Leather even Spice World have alway held a special place in my heart. Movies with flimsy plots and often just as flimsy acting. Films set up to highlight the music of whatever artist or artists it was made for. Movies that, although not the best craft wise, are always fun to watch because you can see the people making them are having so much fun.

I want to make one of these for Mishap Productions. My only real concrete idea of what I want it to be is that I’d like to have all the people even vaguely connected to Mishap both play a role and perform in some way.

A couple of ideas I came up with while talking to James Call about it over the past few days:

A classic film noir where all the Gomorran’s play gangsters and the Missing Teens play cops

A gangster story about a power struggle due to the death of the mob boss “God”

Shooting on both coasts but presenting them as one city so characters would get in the subway in NYC and get out in San Francisco.

Stealing overdramatic lines from other films to insert in at inappropriate times.

Most of these where just stuff we came up with while bullshitting. I’d really like to make one of these movies some time. We wouldn’t have to come up with much of a script just some basic ideas then start shooting. I have a camera. What I really need is a very patient editor.

Week #23 New York Food Blog - Blog

2009-07-05T21:54:00.000-07:00

Starting today I’ll be in New York City for the next two weeks. I’m subletting a place in Williamsburg with my girlfriend Kirstin of little art project blog.

The four years I spent living in New York city where the years my love and fascination with food grew the most. This fact combined with the fact combined with the fact I’ve always wanted to become a better food writer lead to this weeks project.

For the next two weeks me and Kirstin will each post a daily review of the food we ate that day to our new blog “the eating project”. I hope to cover everything we eat from our dinner at Nobu we already have reservations for to the trip I plan on taking to my favorite souvlaki stand in Queens.

With any luck it should be interesting to see our different perspectives on our shared experiences. At the very least me and Kirstin will become better food writers and you readers will have some great recommendations and some vicarious food thrills.

Check it out here: http://theeatingproject.blogspot.com/

Week #22 A Biographical Dictionary of Comic Books - Book

2009-06-27T19:22:00.000-07:00

Anyone who’s ever lived with me or spent a long period of time at my house is familiar with the Biographical Dictionary of Film by David Thomas. It’s been in my bathroom for about 10 years.

For those of you not familiar with it. It’s a book that covers, in alphabetical order, everyone who made there life in films. These lives are covered as sort of critical biographies. There criticisms more than they are lists of facts from peoples lives. Therefore of George Lucas’ later Star Wars films he has this to say “maybe someday robots will watch them” of Michael Bay he has opens thus “In the summer of 2001 there was a story going around hollywood that Michael Bay was seriously depressed.” and ends like this “We may respect his suffering, but we know this: ours is greater. And he has millions as medicine.”

There’s positive ones as well. Some beautiful writing on Welles and even Chronenberg. But the nasty stuff is really the best.

My idea is to create the same thousand page epic but for lives made in comic books. Create a true critical analysis of comic book creators from Stan Lee to Art Spiegelman to Rob Liefeld.

Just like the film book I’d attempt to cover everyone who’s really made there life in the art form. Naturally I couldn’t get everyone but there’s easily over a thousand I could name right now who’ve made the medium what it is.

There’s already a great book by called Slings & Arrows: Comic Guide, a critical assessment of over 2500 titles. But there’s nothing out there to cover the people that made these comics.

Naturally this is a huge undertaking and also a rather expensive one. I’ve read more comic books than most people on earth but still there’s some major gaps in my reading. It would make sense to have a partner or partners but what makes the film book so good is that it’s all writen in one voice. Maybe we could get away with two distinct voices.

Week #21 More Music No One Will Ever Hear Redux - The Boxed Set

2009-06-18T23:05:00.000-07:00

So after my last post I got an email from the esteemed Greg Travis #1; former member of German Cars Vs. American Homes and co-creator of this crazy shit: http://narrative-inscription.com/. 

Greg had tried to get me to make a Mishap Boxed set a couple of years back. His idea was to make it real classy and try and pass it off as an art item. At the time I put it down to him slightly fucking with me.

When Greg emailed me again after my last post to re-assert his need for a Mishap Boxed set I got a sort of idea.

What if I combined my last two projects? Made a mishap boxed set where we entirely made up our history and identifies. Along with CD’s of all our music there would be a large full color book explaining the history of the bands, the inspiration for the songs and the bio’s of the artists; all entirely fictional.

Naturally there’d still be a pretty limited market for it. Still I really like the idea more of the compilation or boxed set as a conceptual art project then just a collection of songs. It would be even cooler if we could get people we don’t know to write the stories about us.

Week #20 - More Music No One Will Ever Hear - Album

2009-06-14T22:29:00.000-07:00

The title is one Mishap Productions has used a few times for compilations of music made by people involved with us. Some day I’d like to put out a semi-real record under this title, a sort of retrospective of the entire mishap musical history.

It would include everything from music we made in high school to the tracks from the newest Gomorran Social Aid and Pleasure Club and Missing Teens Albums plus a few tracks from bands who’ve played the prom. I’d like to get it mastered and print a small run of it.

The ideas not really the most original or complex. Probably something that only a small group of people would be interested in but still it would make me really happy to have made it and to own a copy.

Week #19 The Music Review as Fiction

2009-06-08T16:15:00.000-07:00

Here and there throughout my life I’ve tried my hand at music reviewing. A while back I actually did it pretty regularly for a fairly main stream blog. It occurred to me while I was reviewing that, in trying to keep my review interesting, I’d always seek some sort of context usually related to the band’s past or there “story” sometimes related to the place I perceived them as taking in the musical landscape.

I got better at reviewing but I always felt a little creatively stunted by the form. I couldn't find an original approach to it. Then it hit me; why not just make up an entirely fictitious context for the review and use that to explore the effects of the music. The idea would look something like this:

The Missing Teens- Music for Young Adults

The Missing Teens originally hail from the badlands of South Dakota where front man James Call’s family were the first to own any sort of musical instrument. The Call’s used this advantage to corner the musical world in the Northwest creating the core-core genre and guarding there monopoly on it using the most cut-thought of business practices.

The youngest and brightest of the current Call clan, James Hughes Call, splits his time evenly between living as a much loved New York impresario and acting as CEO of Core-Core InCorePorated in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

The missing teens, a group James put together from the greatest musicians in the Northwest and the most promising socialites of New York City, have released there debut album with the much awaited “Music for Young Adults” a return to the families core-core roots.

The subject matter of the album spans all facets of the Core-Core magnets well documented life. From “Drive Up Hill” about James’ time working on the peace process in Sri Lanka to “Andy and Miranda” a song rumored to be about the lost weekend he spent in Morocco with Brad and Angelina.

and so on....

Hopefully I’d could get a venue with an already built in audience to start doing these. The other option would be, if someone else was interested in doing this with me, we could create a website devoted to just doing these reviews. Or maybe I could just start posting them to the Mishap Blog. Anyone got a CD they want reviewed?

Week #18 Bay Area Alphabet - Poetry series and book

2009-05-27T17:20:00.000-07:00

For the past few years I’ve been working on a series of poems, one for every letter of the alphabet. Much like my past Subway Poems (published as Crippled by Depression #1) these are all little snapshots of people I see as I wander around. Unlike the Subway Poems these aren’t exclusively girls and there all people from the Bay Area.

All the poems are based on alliteration here’s a few examples:

F
Four foreign girls
Heading for the beach
Too frilly and fresh
For the F bus

S
Silly sleeping girl
Slightly seems like she might
Be giving herself
Scoliosis

T
Tired two-year-old toddler
Trying to tell me something terrific
But she doesn’t know how to talk

I’ve got at least two of most letters and more of some (and no x’s or z’s). I hadn’t really thought about these in a while but recently a new magazine asked me if I had any locally themed stuff and I thought of these. Taking a look at them now I’d love to finish them, all I really need is someone to help me edit and someone to illustrate them. Maybe I could get 26 different artists, one for each letter. That would be awesome!

Week #17 El Chupucabra- Movie

2009-05-24T13:02:00.000-07:00

This is just a sort of starting point for an idea I came up with a couple of years ago. A monster movie as a metaphor for immigrant rage.

This would be a story of legendary south American monster The Chupacabra transplanted to a Central Valley farming community. My idea is a story that has the Chupacabra killing cruel farm managers and owners acting out the collective rage of the local migrant worker community.

I haven’t really come up with a full story. I like the idea of the monster being conjured involuntarily by the sub conscience anger of the oppressed. Maybe it would even be a member of the local farm owner’s family who turns into the beast at night.

I really haven’t come up with much for this idea but if it was done I think it would be best as a pure genre movie with all the well known b-movie trappings. If it was played too seriously that would just be ridiculous. I think there was a very similar X-Files episode but I’m pretty sure I thought of it first.

Week #16 Crippled by Depression- Comics Anthology

2009-05-12T21:38:00.000-07:00

Crippled by Depression was originally a comics anthology me and Adam Beebe wanted to do for years. The idea was to have a cover like an EC comic but instead of saying “Tales from the CRYPT”, It would be “Crippled by DEPRESSION”, and all the stories would be about people unable to live up to there potential. We even toyed with the idea of having like a slob guy as the host in the place of the Crypt Keeper.

A few years after we came up with the idea we actually sort of used the title to cross-promote our one-off zines, crippled by depression #1 was 22 Poems about Girls I saw on the Subway and #2 was Adam’s documented foray into online dating “Why Don’t Nobody Love Me?”.

Still I’d like to do the actual comic some day. I know Adam drew a three page thing for the inside, James Call has been writing a sort of monthly thing and Larry Luna drew a cover a while back which was pretty awesome. I guess it’s mostly up to me to take the reigns and do this if it’s gonna get done but if there’s anyone out there making comics let me know, if we get enough content I could put it together pretty easily.

Week #15 The Devil You Know (Maybe not the Title)- TV Show or Comic Book

2009-05-12T16:34:00.000-07:00

This is an idea I came up with over ten years ago while I when I was just out of High School. I’ve given it a lot of thought over the years but I can’t seem to find the right approach to it.

This is a story about the Judeo-Christian-Islamic devil. There’s been a lot of versions of the Devil over the years but this one is the one that does god’s bidding, traveling around in human disguise testing people by tempting them towards a life of sin.

The concept behind this story is that the apocalypse is coming and the devil, as an agent of god, knows this. He comes to god and asks for a reward for his service. He wants to live the last ten years of creation as a human. He’s spent so long wearing human forms and pretending to be human he wants to know what all the effort was for before it’s over. God sees no reason not to grant his wish.

We’d start with the Devil in human form suddenly taken with fear and uncertainty, having suddenly lost his connection to god, for the first time in his existence not knowing what’s coming next.

As we follow this newly humanized devil through his exploits, discovering what it is to be human, we also see his memories, in flashback, all the adventures he’s had tempting mankind throughout history.

The way I see it this thing would work best of either a TV show or a comic book, that way there could be an ongoing story taking place in the present as well as a self contained story each episode or issue taking place in the past.

I don’t really know where to start on this project. I guess if I just started writing some of the short stories from the past that would be a good start. If anyone out there likes the idea I’d love to hear from them, I’m pretty much open to anything.

Week #14 The 6th Annual Mishap Prom

2009-05-04T18:53:00.000-07:00

For those of you who know me (pretty much everyone reading this blog) you already know what the Mishap Prom is. Put simply me and my production company Mishap Production">Mishap Productions have been putting on a prom themed party every year for the past six years with bands and art and people dressed up like there going to there high school prom.

We started in a tiny gallery space and over the years we’ve grown bigger and bigger so that we now have about 200 to 300 people at every event. We’ve moved around a bunch but the last couple of years we seemed to find a home at 12 Galaxies. Unfortunately as soon as this happened they closed there doors due to both the poor economy and San Francisco’s dying live music scene.

So now I’m left once again looking for a venue. I want to do the show sometime between mid-July and late August. I’m willing to consider smaller places, places in the east bay and warehouses but wherever it is it needs to hold at least 200 people, have a place for music and art and have a decent sound system. Any suggestions?

The venue is the most important thing but I also need to find three to four bands and some artists. I’d love to get some new people involved if anyone knows anyone.

This year I’d like to do a real cheesy prom photo thing too and I need any help I can get with that.

This project is way less up in the air than most of the other ones. This will happen one way or another. I don’t want to break a six year tradition but to make it as good as it deserves to be I need as much help as I can get. Let me know if there’s anyone out there who’s got any ideas.

Week #13? (I gotta little off because I had to go to NYC and put on a benefit) The Wale Carcass- Animated Feature or Comic Book

2009-04-30T12:31:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. There was a dark room near the front where they played a series of short little 15 minute films about deep sea life. One of the features was about the whole ecosystem of life the develops over decades on a sunken whale carcass at the bottom of the sea.

The night before I’d watched the Pixar movie Ratatouille and although I found it perfectly charming I found myself wondering why it really needed to be animated. It seemed to me that, with the obvious exception of the anthropomorphic rats, the story and it’s narrative devices seemed pretty conventional. I thought it would be much more impressive to see animation move in new directions, not just get better at looking like other cinema, but to do new, substantially different things.

The next morning I saw the whale carcass video and it clicked. This could be a perfect project for animation. Imagine a movie or a maybe even a mini-series that told the tale of the rise and fall of this whole society that exists on the decomposing body of a whales’ body. In my mind this would be a story that starts with the death of the whale and ends with the last organisms either dying or having to migrate because there resources (The whale carcass) have run out.

I do think it the creatures in it should be slightly anthropomorphized but it should in no way be a kids story. More like a rise and fall of the Roman Empire but with different classes and races being portrayed by different species. There’s a lot of opportunity there to explore how close society and politics relate to the simple natural order of things.

I’m obviously not an animator or even much of a visual artist at all. I have no idea where you’d start with a project like this. I just thought of this and it seemed like a pretty cool idea so I decided to put it out there. If anyone knows an animator or anyone close to that feel free to send this to them. I suppose it could also be done as a comic book but this sort of thing is more common in that medium, it seems it would be a whole new thing for the world of animated features.

Week #12 Arthur Bell,Movie, Play or Comic Book

2009-04-13T23:36:00.000-07:00

A couple of Thanksgivings ago I was staying at a cabin in Tahoe with my family. In the room I was staying in there was a Time/Life book about cults in america, I think it was from the “Mystery’s of the Unknown” series. Everyone went to sleep before me so I ended up reading the whole thing.  

What I discovered reading this book was that there was a major breakout of occultism centered in LA during the 1920’s. There where a few well known modern established religions that had there birth here such as the Nation of Islam and the Jehovah Witnesses but what really captured my attention was the more marginalized utopian cult’s that seemed to be popping up everywhere like “I AM” and the one I’m particularly fascinated with “Mankind United”.

What I found particularly interesting about these cults was there apparent sincerity. Money was taken and not accounted for, utopias where promised in return for long hours and never achieved, but through all this there was a distinct absence of the sexual exploitation and violence the seemed so tied up with the cult’s of the 60’s and 70’s. These Utopiasts of the 1920’s seemed to really believe in what they where doing, even if it was insane and inevitably lead to bankruptcy hearings.

As I noted before the one I’m really interested in doing some sort of story about is Mankind United (Later Christ’s Church of the Golden Rule) and particularly it’s founder and leader Arthur Bell. Arthur Bell appeared on the cult scene in the mid twenties with the release of his paperback pamphlet “Mankind United”. According to Mr. Bell there was a group of 10,000 families who have been conspiring since very early times to consolidate all the wealth in the wold and enslave the rest of us. In the envisioned future of these families, a group who the book called the Hidden Rulers, everyone would live in giant skyscrapers with the rulers living on the top floors and the rest living below.

The only reason the Hidden Rulers haven’t achieved there dystopian goals is that there is an equally old opposition, a group called only “the Sponsors” (Aparently short hand for there full name “Sponsors of The International Institute of Universal Research and Administration”). Through out history the Sponsors have operated entirely in secret foiling the Hidden Rulers from plans at every turn. There membership, although highly secret, is rumored to have included a couple of presidents and maybe even a few apostles. The Sponsors achieve there work in the world with the help of individual agents as well as there organization “The Universal Service Corporation”.

The Sponsors also have a plan for this world. A future classless Utopia where everyone works for four hours a day, four days a week, for four months a year. They have a forty day plan on how to achieve this heaven but it can only be announced to the world when Mankind United's membership reaches 200,000,000.

The public face of all of this. The man who spoke for the Sponsors as well as the Universal Service Corporation was the author of the book’ Arthur Bell. He served as there priest, recruiter and for all intensive porpoises avatar. He referred to himself as “the Voice”.

Besides his comparatively low level of sleaziness what really lit up my imagination about Arthur Bell and his cult was how close his ideas came to seeming right. Besides his childish proclivity for round numbers (10,000 families, 200,000,000 members, 4 hours, 4 days ect.) there’s no denying that over time money and power has been consolidating into the hands of fewer and fewer people. Plus with mechanization it’s appearing that shorter and shorter work hours may be the only way to go.

On top of these sort of generally accurate anxieties there was also the case of the Universal Service Corps.’ only publicized field activity; one where they destroyed a prototype of a device the hidden rulers wanted to place in everyones house, a screen, very much like a television, that would vibrate your eyeballs out of your head. Then in the beginning of WWII Arthur Bell was finally arrested by the infamous house on un-American activities for sedition. His crime was spreading literature that said that the war was a conspiracy to consolidate the world’s resources into the hands of a few countries. Which of coarse, with histories perspective, is what the war ended up doing.

Arthur Bell was completely insane of coarse. He believed there where tiny metal men who lived underground and did the bidding of the hidden rulers, he also claimed he could be in multiple physical places at the same time. Still I believe the best approach to a story about him would be to take it all as the truth even the things I just mentioned. I good story would start with the things we all see to be almost reasonable and then lead into the less easy to swallow ones.

Of coarse I’m not sure exactly what the story is I’d like to tell or even what medium is best for it. I’ve sat down and tried to write a few times but I don’t know where to start. I’ve done tons of research but I can’s seem to find a format for it. I do think it should be a film or a comic book since I think the visual aspect of the era would add a lot to it. If anyone else seems this is as ripe for exploration as I do I’d love to hear any ideas anyone has.

Week #11 Sleepwalkers Theatre Depression Party

2009-04-02T20:21:00.000-07:00

This weeks project is something already in the works but still something I need plenty of help with.

This is a Depression themed party being thrown as a benefit for my theatre company Sleepwalkers Theatre. It’s going to be going to be held on April 18th at Lobot Gallery in Oakland. We’re having some homemade beer, moonshine made on the premises, a whole bunch of art sold all for under $20 and some depression bands (Hopefully the Gomorran’s will play at midnight). As well as a few performances by the company

What I need now is a couple more bands, I’ve got a few leads but nothing nailed down. As much art as possible (It would be great if people could donate it). And more than anything I just need people to spread the word and get people out there. It should be a pretty awesome party with everything we’ve got going.

Week #10 Puppies and Kittens Calendar

2009-03-29T21:09:00.000-07:00

A simple enough sort of post-ironic, cognitive dissonance kind of idea. What I want to do is make a simple calendar with pictures of puppies and kittens at play just like the ones you see at any bookstore. Below each picture will be some text in large sort of white bubbly letters. But instead of saying something cute like “Hang in there” it will say a disturbing fact from the modern world like “One in twelve people worldwide is malnourished, including 160 million children under the age of 5”.

A simple enough idea which I may get around to doing some day. I think it would be a pretty hilarious thing to have around and just sell at Mishap events. Or maybe even try and sell them at a few independent book/gift stores. If anyone else out there likes the idea and wants to do it I’m down with that. You can even say you thought of it yourself.

Week #9-Mishap Poetry Contest

2009-03-23T14:33:00.000-07:00

A few years back I’d started writing taking my poetry more seriously. I’d started submitting it to contests and magazines all over the country. I noticed after a while that so many of the contests seemed like sort of scams where everybody would send there entry fee and the people who won would get a small amount of that money as a prize but most of it would just go straight into the pockets of the people running the contests.

It occurred t me that it would be interesting to have a contest where you got a little more back if you won. Where the money sent as an entry fee really went to something real. Me and Ryan Beebe of the Gomorrans came up with an idea to have a poetry contest where the top five winners get there poems recorded as songs on an album we then released and sent out to all the entrants. We could try and do like one a year.

I’ve always really dug poems put to music like Elvis Costello’s “drunk man’s praise for sobriety” and the one Ryan did a while back from the Emily Dickinson Poem “My life closed twice”. I think it would be a really good way to bridge the gap between the literary hipsters and the music hipsters.

In modern times I guess music doesn’t really exist in a physical form as much so it would probably make more sense to make it a website rather than a CD. I’m still into the idea of CD’s so I may just want to make a few for sentimental reasons if we ever do this thing.

This idea came to me and Ryan about four years ago and we never really progressed with it. Writing about it now it actually seems like a pretty cool idea. If anyone out there wants to partner up with me on it all I’d need is like one persons help to get this thing going.

Week #8 Hero Story-Wolverine Comic

2009-03-16T18:46:00.000-07:00

As anyone reading this probably already knows I’m a total dork. This idea really does point that out better than most things. This ones more for the uber-geeks out there, if you’re not into comics it will probably be partially incoherent.

It’s an idea for a Wolverine comic that I’ve had in my head for a while. It’s not something I could really execute since it kinda’ needs star Wolverine who is a property of Marvel Comics but it would satisfy me just to get the idea out there.

The basic concept is that Wolverine is sent on a mission by a collection of Marvel’s magical experts, Dr. Strange, Dr. Doom maybe even Brother Voodoo. They send him to China to a sacred monastery hidden in an Oasis in the heart of the Gobi desert. He is told to assassinate the Monk who runs the monastery.

Once in china he meets up his enemy from Japan the Silver Samaria who tells him that the mystics sent him to aid Wolverine on his mission. Probably we’ll meet the Silver Samaria when he saves Wolverine form some Hand assassins or something. Wolverine reluctantly travels with him across china.

I haven’t really come up with any details here in the middle there probably needs to be a couple more events.

In a forest on there way to the Gobi Logan and The Samaria find a small village of elf like people. These peoples entire life span is only one year each. Allowing them to breed and adapt faster than humans and giving them a totally different outlook on life and death.

When we meet this village they are being threatened by a terrible creature that devours life force. It eats away peoples life a year at a time. The Silver Samaria ends up giving his life to satiate the creature, knowing that one of him will save forty of the villagers. In thanks for saving there village the elf like people send there warrior princess, who lives for much longer than the others, to travel with Logan.

Once they get to the edge of the desert they are led to the monastery by some sort of wacky guide I haven’t thought of yet.

As they get closer to the Oasis they start to notice strange things. The Hand Ninja’s that attack them don’t dissolve like they usually do, Logan’s wounds aren’t healing quite as quick and the blossoms that usually close at night remain open.

Once at the monastery Logan finally learns the reason he’s been sent to kill this monk. The monk has been engaging in rituals to stop the cycle of life and death. Nothing will die and nothing will be born, people will stop aging, cells will stop splitting. His rituals have already begun and there effects can be seen emanating from the location of the monastery.

After a brief fight with the Monk, and a bunch of expository dialogue where we learn what his plans are, the monk uses his magic to fatally wound the elf princess. She lies broken nearly dead but unable to die due to the monk's magics. Wolverine is thrown into a blind fury slashing away at the monk with abandon. When he comes back to his senses he’s surprised to find that the monk stays dead and the elf is allowed to die as well.

As wolverine is about to head out, carrying the body of his friend back to her people, Dr. Strange shows up. He explains to Wolverine that it had to be him who went of this mission because he is himself a dichotomy of life and death. A man who can never die but is responsible for taking and saving the lives of so many others.

Not much anyone can help me with on this one. Unless someone wants to draw it with me and send it Marvel as a submission. I suppose if someone really liked it we could just change the characters and make it our own.

Week #7 12 Angry Batmen-Play

2009-03-09T21:12:00.000-07:00

Alright, this one’s kinda’ a throw away, although it’s a really good idea that someone should do sometime. It would be truly genius. It’s an idea for a play I came up with James Call of the Missing Teens.

The Idea is simple, we want to put on a production of the play 12 Angry Men by Reginald Rose played entirely straight but with all the actors dressed as Batman.

That’s it that’s my idea for this week. I can’t do much better. I opened a super awesome play this weekend called “The Short and Happy Life”. If anyone’s reading this you should go see that, it’s pretty much one of the best projects I’ve ever been involved with.

Week #6 The Mishap Talent Show

2009-02-23T14:15:00.000-08:00

This is an idea for an event I'd like to put on like one of our Mishap Proms or Science Fairs. The idea was inspired by a birthday party for Ryan Beebe I went to last year at the Happiness Hotel.

The concept was fairly simple, when we arrived at the party there was a sign up sheet where you could write your name and a talent you intended to present. When your name was called you’d go up in front of everyone and perform an example of your talent. People really came through with some awesome talents; there was a dance routine, a couple of songs, someone gave out free financial advice and I did a monologue from a one man show I’d done recently.

What made this more than a free-for all karaoke or open mike was the presence of “Celebrity Judges”. We had a panel of three or four of our more boisterous friends critique and rate each performance like a sort tongue in cheek American Idol. In the end the winners all got bizarre home made gifts.

What I want to do is recreate this in a night club setting. Basically just taking this same format and making it a little less casual by having a few local semi-celebrities as judges. As well as a few ringer performers, people we know will be performing that we can put on the flier to get people in the door. Plus I think we’ll have the sign up sheet at the door and whoever signs up to perform gets in free.

What I need to do this is basically just a good space for it. Of coarse I need performers and judges but I think those will fall into place once I have a location. If you have any suggestions please email them to me or post a comment here.

Week #5- Perfect Memory-Play

2009-02-17T13:32:00.000-08:00

This is an idea for a play I’ve been knocking around in my head for the past few years. I never really created an outline for it. I wrote the first scene a few times but it never really seemed right. It’s more of a broad concept than anything else.

The overarching concept is to explore the idea of memories, specifically which memories we choose to hold onto and which get flushed. I want to explore this using the device of a character that has a completely perfect memory. He can literally remember everything.

My idea is to open the play with the main character in college, waking up hung-over after a party. It turns out that while he was drunk the night before he started relating literally every moment he spent with a girl he had a crush on down to the minutest detail. It ended up really freaking her out. Even better maybe we’ll show this scene in real time as the opening scene. Either way the next morning he’s contacted by someone who was at the party who is working in a neuroscience lab. This person tells him that it’s completely impossible for a person to remember that many things. They do some tests on him then discover that he’s an anomaly, a person with a perfect memory.

From this moment on we follow the main character through his entire life. There will be scenes from his life played out as well as monologues given as if he’s being interviewed by the neuroscience department that’s been studying him.

Our hero’s life should be very much like our own. He can remember everything, still there are things that stick in the front of his mind and the things he can’t let go of just like anyone else. He makes many of the same mistakes that anyone else would but when asked to remember them and reflect on them in his interviews maybe we can find a little more insight.

I’m open to any input on this or even someone just stealing the idea and doing whatever they want with it. I’ve written a few little scenes here and there but nothing very solid.

Week #4 Inside the ACLU- a play,short story or movie

2009-02-07T17:44:00.000-08:00

Not sure what exactly this would be. It’s just a concept I came up with the other day; sort of a world in which a story could take place.

The idea is that we would have a main character who is searching for someone or something that they really need to go on with there life. Whatever it is they are searching for it leads them in an unexpected way to the ACLU.

As the story continues as our main character’s journey takes them deeper and deeper into the inner workings of the ACLU. In this world the ACLU is a sort of Byzantine labyrinth of secret dealing, bizarre squabbling factions and strange rituals.

The reason why I want to use the ACLU for this, as apposed to say the Free Masons is that it’s so ridiculous and unexpected. They are such a well respected and pristine group among the artistic liberal world that suggesting anything clandestine or dark going on with them is almost sacrilegious.

I also really like the idea of taking an organization that exists in reality and making up a totally fictitious version of them; much like the version of the FBI that David Lynch created in the world of Twin Peaks.

The idea came to me while watching Nick Broomfield’s documentary Kurt & Courtney. At one point he goes to an ACLU dinner in L.A. where Courtney Love is speaking. The ludicrousness of her speech and the idea of her of all people speaking at an ACLU dinner made me wonder if it was something idiosyncratic of the LA branch. Then I started imagining all the other branches rolling there eyes. Then I started wondering what quarks other locations would have.

Anyways it’s just an idea, a starting point, if it sparks anyone’s imagination feel free to straight up steal if for part of something else or contact me and maybe we could brainstorm together.

Week #3-Patchwork Girl of OZ-Movie

2009-01-29T15:28:00.000-08:00

I’ve always wanted to do a film adaptation of the book OZ book “Patchwork Girl of OZ” by L. Frank Baum. My idea would be to do the whole film using no CGI. We’d use puppets, models and real setting as well as costumes and make-up for the human shaped characters. I’d also like to keep the rather antiquated dialogue of the original script as much as possible.

I don’t want to describe the whole plot of this book, there’s a pretty good synopsis of it on Wikipedia. It’s got some great characters that, with the right people involved, we could make look awesome. It also takes place in the land of OZ we’re familiar with from the 1939 film version of Wizard of OZ we've all seen. Including the Tin Man, Dorothy and the Scarecrow (Who falls in love with the titular Patchwork Girl)

I want to shoot all the exteriors in the forests of Northern California. Get some real circus performers to play a bunch of the parts. Most importantly a gymnast for the Patchwork Girl

There have been a few film versions of this that have been done through the years mostly by super OZ fans. The most notable and the one I’ve actually seen is the silent version which is pretty awesome.

Not much else to say about it. This would be kind of a huge collaborative effort but with all the whining about how bad CGI looks I think there’s a whole generation of people who can build this kinda’ stuff out there.

I’ve written a couple of pages of the script already.

Week #2 The Missing Person- Play

2009-01-25T21:09:00.000-08:00

This is an idea I had about a year ago for a play. I guess it could be a movie but I think it works best on stage.

The story follows Aaron Davidson, a young private detective living in San Francisco with his girlfriend. We begin with him being hired by an extremely wealthy woman to find her husband, a man I think I’m going to call Walter. The woman and her husband are members of the highest echelon of San Francisco Society. The woman makes it clear that she doesn’t want the police involved. She gives Aaron all of Walter’s diaries which she says he can read but she doesn’t want to know anything that’s in them.

Reading the diaries Aaron finds out that Walter is living a double and even to some degrees triple life. He is almost an entirely different person depending on where he is and who he’s with. As part of his other life he even has another house up north and a fairly serious drug problem.

Aaron sets about interviewing all the people in Walter’s life who each give him totally different images of the man. We also hear in Aaron’s voice read some excerpts from the diaries showing that Walter also has a very different image of himself than anyone else does.

During the play Aaron should also show a few different sides of himself. Mostly ones he doesn’t show to his girlfriend. I’m not sure what those will be or if I’ll just get rid of this idea and have him be totally blank a’ la Thompson from Citizen Kane.

The last scene in the play takes place a year or so later after Aaron has given up the case. He is up in Oregon on vacation and walks into a bar where he encounters Walter in person for the first time. It is a chance encounter and it’s also the first time we see Walter in person. With the right casting he should be physically very different than any of the impressions we’ve got of him from the people in his life. Aaron confronts him and they have a brief interlude where we learn that Walter simply took off believing he could lead some sort of life free from the constraints of society. I think I’ll have Walter sort of beg Aaron to help him move back and get his old life back. Aaron does not think it’s a good idea. Everyone is doing fine without him.

The idea is obviously very Citizen Kane in structure but the theme is slightly different. It’s about how we are so much more in the eyes of other people than we can ever be totally on our own.

I’ve written a few scenes and I have a basic outline but I really need some input and maybe even someone to help me write some of the dialogue since I’ve never actually written a play before.

Week #1 Cultures of Wonder-Book and Exhibit

2009-01-16T21:16:00.001-08:00

This is one of my favorite ideas. I’ve been kicking it around for almost five years and some of you might have already heard about it. I think it’s a good one to start out with since it’s one I really can’t ever do entirely on my own but it would be a shame if it never got done.

The basic idea is this: To invent a series of whole new “undiscovered” cultures. First we’d make up everything we can think of about these cultures; traditions, history, diet, religion and whatever else we come up with.

Then we write a sort of pseudo-anthropological article about each of them complete with an account of how they stayed undiscovered for so long and how they then where discovered. Along with the account there will be sort of national geographic photographs of the cultures. I’d also like to build physical objects (tools, art, clothing) that where created by the cultures.

The eventual outcome as I see it would be both a book and hopefully a traveling exhibit. The book I picture is sort of like a Time/Life book with lots of pictures, drawings and diagrams. The exhibit would be like a natural history museum exhibit that we could move easily from gallery to gallery.

The stylistic idea would be to make all the cultures as believable as possible without sacrificing any of the fantastical elements of the project. I’ll need tons of collaborators to pull this off; Writers, sculptors, photographers, artists and really just anyone who can contribute to the idea. This is one of the ideas I feel very attached to so I’d like to remain sort of in charge of it but I would love it if someone else wanted to help me produce it as well.