THE SIMPSONS NEWS – Confessions of a Simpsons Assassin, Part 1
Simpsons Quote:
“I don’t judge Homer or Marge. That’s for a vengeful God to do.” – Maude Flanders
I’m not exactly sure why but Director Jim Reardon had me kill people. By people, I mean, Simpson characters.
I killed two Simpsons characters for Jim. One of them was Maude Flanders.
The Job
It wasn’t an assignment that was particularly different from any other I’d been given. He just handed me the scenes, gave me some direction as to what he wanted to see me do in them, and then I went to my desk and worked got to work.
Of course there where pretty girls in the sequence, but I spent most of my time making Homer’s belly fat, extra wobbly. Overall, that was the biggest challenge in working on those scenes aside from drawing a ton of crowds.
That said, I DO have a little anecdote to tell about the scene that isn’t known at all.
The Rewrite
There was a rewrite in that particular scene. A revision from what was originally there.
In the original version Homer does his little stomach wobble asking for the t-shirt. Just as the shirt is going to be launched at him, he looks down,
“Ooh, a gumball,” he reaches down to get it and Maude gets hit and goes over the rail.
After the animatic, Homer looks down,
“Ooh a bobby pin,” he reaches down to get it and Maude gets hit and goes over the rail.
It was a fun little assignment. I didn’t really think it would end up being such a big moment in Simpsons history.
E- mail Give Away
Anyone who is signed up to my e-mail list will get a free “thing”.
In this week’s e-mail, I sent out a sneak peek of what that thing is.
As soon as it’s ready, it’s going to be given to everyone on the list. Anyone who wants it can have it if you opt in, but the current group will get it before anyone else, once it’s ready.
If you want to be among the first to get it, sign up now. I’ll send you the e-mail revealing the “thing” if you sign up before next Thursday.
PODCASTS/WEBSITE – The Rotoscopers
How much into animation are you?
If your any kind of an animation nerd at all or WISH to be, your doing yourself a great disservice by not checking out The Rotoscopers’ podcast and website.
You want to know what’s going on in the animation world from a VERY well informed fan’s point a view? Follow:
and Mason Smith as they geek out about anything and everything animation related.
You’ll learn A LOT about animation.
I’ve listen to almost all of their shows and it’s really reminded me of how great the animation industry can be.
Believe me when I say that, when you’re sitting on this side of the fence, you can forget why you got in this industry to begin with. Listening to the passion The Rotoscopers have for animation, is a breath of fresh air.
I like it when there are things out on the net that educate extroverts on what it actually means to be an introvert.
I also like thing on the internet that help introverts have an easier time living AS an introvert in a world run by extroverts.
The video below does both and I love it. It’s also really well done. Check it out:
BOOKS – Dark Rift
I’m currently reading through the manuscript for DARK RIFT, the sequel to my wife‘s book THE TOWER’S ALCHEMIST. I’m half way through the book and it’s really an exciting read.
That said, I’m REALLY being picky about it and I’ve written tons of notes. I want her book to not just be a good read, but a read you can’t put down.
To that end I’m reading the book, looking for ways to really punch up what my wife has already put there.
Sometimes we discuss the book and the story over dinner. We talk about ways she can play things up in the story and make things clearer. It’s really fun.
Especially since I get to come up with ideas without having to actually execute them (which is the hard part).
I made sure my wife told me nothing about the story, so when I read it, I could read it as an audience member. That way, I could gauge whether or not the story was really working well.
The DARK RIFT manuscript has some gut wrenching intense parts in it.
I’m happy to say it is. I just read a part where something really crazy happens to some characters I really liked and I’m like,
“Nooo, that didn’t just happen!” Which I think is AWESOME. That’s the reaction I WANT to have reading the book.
My wife wants to have the book published by the end of October but I don’t think that’s going to happen. Even if I manage to finish reading the manuscript in a week or so, I still need to draw the cover and write the back of the book description.
Once that’s done, we have to plan a proper launch for the book so we can get as many eyeballs on it as possible.
All this stuff takes time do.
That said, keep an eye out for the book. Hopefully, I’ll be ready by next Month.
I’m doing Storyboard revisions on Lance’s show this week. All the other storyboard artists on the show were too busy to help, so they asked me to do it. I’m so happy they did because I’m having so much fun doing it. I’m enjoying going to work again. Doing the same thing over and over for sixteen years tends to get old after a while so doing a different job all together tend to be refreshing. I’ve found myself very focused on what I’m doing. Storyboard revisions can be tedious or fun depending on how much creativity your allowed. It’s an interesting challenge because you’re trying to adjust shots or add shots to an existing show so that they run seamlessly into each other. It’s also challenging working out shots from scratch because your trying to find the best way to tell the story or the joke while working out how to put them all together like a jigsaw puzzle. It’s so fun!
ROLE PLAYING GAMES
Urge to role play…rising….
For my birthday, my compadres (my daugher’s Godparents) got me Star Hero, a table top Role Playing Game (RPG) setting book for the HERO SystemRPG . It’s funny because they got it off my Amazon.com wish list and had no idea what it was for. Star Hero is a book that helps you run a game in any sci fi universe that you come up with. Thing is, getting and reading this book has inadvertently rekindled my table top RPG itch.
What is a table top RPG? The simples way to describe it is, it’s like playing pretend with your friends with rules. Some people like to do Live Action Role Playing (LARP), which is like improve theater, but most people just sit around a table and play it like a board game. Role playing was invented by E. Gary Gygax (who just recently died a few days ago) and Dave Arneson. They were miniatures wargamers. They where the ones who invented the famous (or infamous, depending on who you speak to) Dungeons & DragonsRPG and in doing so, invented RPGs.
When I was in high school my friends introduced me to RPGs through my love of comics. My friends and I played superhero RPGs where we created superheros and played out adventures with them. It was so fun. We had these really involved back stories written up for our characters and it really felt like a giant collaborative story we were all coming up with. It was my first introduction to creative writing and story telling. Since the games took place in our imaginations, they all seemed so much larger than life to me. The system we used to play these games was what is now called the HERO System but at the time was just called Champions.
Getting the Star Hero book really brought back memories. It also made me want to start up a game. Problem with playing RPGs is that they requires a lot of work and a lot of time to play (a minimum of about three hours to play and at least a day to prepare) if you want to get the most out of it. Otherwise you get a lack luster game that feels kinda shallow and dissatisfying. Still, it made me want to play anyway.
BOARD GAMES/VIDEO GAMES
I’ve been playing a play-by-web game of Chase over on the Super Duper games website against someone I don’t know and I’m having a really good time playing it. My opponent is really nice and helpful but he isn’t holding back at all and is just working me over. I really recommend the site, it has all kinds of abstract games you can play. The best part about it is that you can play them on your own time. It’s been a week since the game started and I’ve been making a move a day. It’s great! I get an email whenever it’s my turn, I click on the link in the email, and it sends me straight to the game board on the site so I could make my move. I feel like I’m playing a game without having to spend much time doing it.
Of course, like it always happens to me, I get all obsessive about the game, thinking about it all the time and worrying whether the move I made isn’t going to get me into more trouble. I’m so lame about these things.
Well, it’s clear to me that you are really a cartoon interrupted by reality. Those poor guys need a life, too.
Have you given any thought to any number of podcasted novels? My friend Rob Suarez wrote one which I am enjoying, called Murder by Design. His site also has links to the novels he listens to: http://robsuarez.blogspot.com/
Happy Birthday Maria! I should have written that on your blog but I’ll do you one better and recommend everyone to go to your blog and say happy birthday. Also, I read the post named, Oh! The humanity! it’s really great.
Speaking of great posts, Maria also wrote an article for Rosary Army called The Family that Plays Together… It’s about board games and I love it. Oh, and by the way, when you’re at her site, be sure to pick up one of her books. I just ordered Darknet this Monday. Can’t wait to read it.
Thank you for the book suggestion Maria, I downloaded the first two chapters.
Wow, I can so relate to your obsessions-story. I never imagined that another person could have that same ‘issue’, if I may call it like that. My obsessions are throughout the year, not just when I’m very stressed -or maybe I am always stressed :). I used to play Everquest as well (Taoni, halfling druid) and I played Guild Wars for a while. At the moment I am in the middle of my ‘Rome’-obsession. I watch the TV series, I read books about it, I listen to podcasts about it. I try to emerge myself in that world. I don’t have it at work though. Since I work in a photoshop, I can’t help customers while laughing out loud from Fr Roderick’s jokes
It is so great to hear from another person that he also lives ‘inside his head’. I thought it was just me and that it made me very weird. Well, maybe it does. But at least I’m not alone anymore
Thanks for the comment Yelda. My obsessions are throughout the year as well only they go into overdrive when I’m stressed.
Yeah, in Everquest I played a halfling cleric named Sammo. It took over my life. It was awful, I promised myself I’d never play a MMORPG again and so far I’ve kept that promise somewhat intact (although I once played Flyff for about thirty minutes or so.)
As for the Rome HBO show, my wife and I enjoy that show very much as well. We are currently watching Disk 2 of Season 2. Both the show and your comment set off my “Catholicism obsession” so bare with me.
While watching the show, it’s very cool to see how different Roman people behaved in a pre-Christian world. It’s interesting to see how the pursuit of pleasure and power was something that was encouraged. It gives great context to the world Jesus was born into. It also really makes you realize how radical his teachings must have sounded. In a world were helping people who are sick or in need, who aren’t your friends or family, is seen as a sign of weakness, to have Jesus do so, must have been crazy. It also shows how alien the Romans must have looked at the Jews who held to the Commandment, “Though shall not commit adultery”. It seems that, adultery was one of the things the Romans also encouraged. Then, of course, along comes Jesus and shocks both Jews and Romans by raising the bar still higher by saying:
27 You have heard that it was said to them of old: Thou shalt not commit adultery. 28 But I say to you, that whosoever shall look on a woman to lust after her, hath already committed adultery with her in his heart. ”
They must have felt as angry, indignant and upset as even our modern society does, where lust is used to sell everything. Above all, they seemed to really love to get revenge for every slight done against them. Then of course Jesus comes along and says:
27 But I say to you that hear: Love your enemies. Do good to them that hate you. 28 Bless them that curse you and pray for them that calumniate you. 29 And to him that striketh thee on the one cheek, offer also the other. And him that taketh away from thee thy cloak, forbid not to take thy coat also. 30 Give to every one that asketh thee: and of him that taketh away thy goods, ask them not again. 31 And as you would that men should do to you, do you also to them in like manner. 32 And if you love them that love you, what thanks are to you? For sinners also love those that love them. 33 And if you do good to them who do good to you, what thanks are to you? For sinners also do this. 34 And if you lend to them of whom you hope to receive, what thanks are to you? For sinners also lend to sinners, for to receive as much. 35 But love ye your enemies: do good, and lend, hoping for nothing thereby: and your reward shall be great, and you shall be the sons of the Highest. For he is kind to the unthankful and to the evil. 36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
They must of thought he was nuts. Hmmm, come to think of it, there are many places in the world today that are trying to rid themselves of these teachings, in order to become more like the Romans.
Writing about this stuff reminds me of a quote from G.K. Chesterton :
If you’re obsessed with Rome, I encourage you to read the works of a famous African Roman who had a fascinating Roman life. My uncle August, (A.K.A. St. Augustine of Hippo) . His autobiography, The Confessions is just amazing. He wrote about how he ran away from his mother (who chased after him) as he traveled through out the Roman world, sleeping around with women, and seeking out wisdom from all the famous Philosophers of his day only to find it in the most unlikely place. After finding wisdom, he then wrote about how he saw the Roman world around him. An incident with one of his best friends and his addiction to the blood lust in the Colosseum comes to mind. It’s an amazing book. It’s part theological analysis of the universe and God, and part autobiographical adventure. While I’m on the subject. I also recommend The City of God, which is also by St. Augustine, but this one is his analysis as to why Rome fell (which he lived through). I’ve provided links to the free versions of both books above if you want to read them right away. Just click on the underlined names.
Phew, had to get that off my chest. Sorry. Thanks for baring with me and thanks again for the comments
leah wrote:
Luis, thanks for sharing about your obsessive-thing. I go through phases when I’m really focused on (okay, obsessed with) one thing, too, and I’ll spend all my free time amassing all the info I can get. Until I read your post today, though, I didn’t connect those phases with being under stress, but now I can totally see that. Thanks – that makes a lot of sense for me and is a very helpful insight!
I’m also very introverted and have a hard time coming out of myself in social situations. I find that what I really need to do is focus on developing a genuine interest in other people – each other person is another “self”, another human being with all the dignity and value that entails. Ask them about themselves, see what they are interested in, what their world is like. It can be fascinating and is a great way to get out of the inward-focused interior life I find myself in so often.
Wow, thank you so much for the insight Leah. I think the key word in what you wrote is, “developing a genuine interest in other people”. That is exactly what I need to work on. I’m the most self centered person I know (which shows how interested I am in other people, if I haven’t talked to anyone who is more self centered). Being married and having kids is helping me out with this problem because it’s awfully difficult to stay self centered and still care for them at the same time. Still, it’s a struggle I face everyday. I’ve definitely taken your insight to heart and it’s helped me out a great deal in the last few days. Thank you.
By the way, I’ve been meaning to post this link for some time. It’s an article I read about introverts that really hit home for me. It’s called: Caring for Your Introvert. Take a read and let me know what you think.
If you like what you read, please consider signing up to my rss feed.
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Storyboard Revisions, Heroes, Chase, Birthday, Rome, Selfcenteredness, Caring for Your Introvert
March 13, 2008 in ANSWERING COMMENTS, BOARD GAMES, BOOKS, CATHOLICISM, introvert, ROLE PLAYING GAMES, THE SIMPSONS NEWS, VIDEO GAMES
THE SIMPSONS NEWS
I’m doing Storyboard revisions on Lance’s show this week. All the other storyboard artists on the show were too busy to help, so they asked me to do it. I’m so happy they did because I’m having so much fun doing it. I’m enjoying going to work again. Doing the same thing over and over for sixteen years tends to get old after a while so doing a different job all together tend to be refreshing. I’ve found myself very focused on what I’m doing. Storyboard revisions can be tedious or fun depending on how much creativity your allowed. It’s an interesting challenge because you’re trying to adjust shots or add shots to an existing show so that they run seamlessly into each other. It’s also challenging working out shots from scratch because your trying to find the best way to tell the story or the joke while working out how to put them all together like a jigsaw puzzle. It’s so fun!
ROLE PLAYING GAMES
Urge to role play…rising….
For my birthday, my compadres (my daugher’s Godparents) got me Star Hero, a table top Role Playing Game (RPG) setting book for the HERO System RPG . It’s funny because they got it off my Amazon.com wish list and had no idea what it was for. Star Hero is a book that helps you run a game in any sci fi universe that you come up with. Thing is, getting and reading this book has inadvertently rekindled my table top RPG itch.
What is a table top RPG? The simples way to describe it is, it’s like playing pretend with your friends with rules. Some people like to do Live Action Role Playing (LARP), which is like improve theater, but most people just sit around a table and play it like a board game. Role playing was invented by E. Gary Gygax (who just recently died a few days ago) and Dave Arneson. They were miniatures wargamers. They where the ones who invented the famous (or infamous, depending on who you speak to) Dungeons & Dragons RPG and in doing so, invented RPGs.
When I was in high school my friends introduced me to RPGs through my love of comics. My friends and I played superhero RPGs where we created superheros and played out adventures with them. It was so fun. We had these really involved back stories written up for our characters and it really felt like a giant collaborative story we were all coming up with. It was my first introduction to creative writing and story telling. Since the games took place in our imaginations, they all seemed so much larger than life to me. The system we used to play these games was what is now called the HERO System but at the time was just called Champions .
Getting the Star Hero book really brought back memories. It also made me want to start up a game. Problem with playing RPGs is that they requires a lot of work and a lot of time to play (a minimum of about three hours to play and at least a day to prepare) if you want to get the most out of it. Otherwise you get a lack luster game that feels kinda shallow and dissatisfying. Still, it made me want to play anyway.
BOARD GAMES/VIDEO GAMES
I’ve been playing a play-by-web game of Chase over on the Super Duper games website against someone I don’t know and I’m having a really good time playing it. My opponent is really nice and helpful but he isn’t holding back at all and is just working me over. I really recommend the site, it has all kinds of abstract games you can play. The best part about it is that you can play them on your own time. It’s been a week since the game started and I’ve been making a move a day. It’s great! I get an email whenever it’s my turn, I click on the link in the email, and it sends me straight to the game board on the site so I could make my move. I feel like I’m playing a game without having to spend much time doing it.
Of course, like it always happens to me, I get all obsessive about the game, thinking about it all the time and worrying whether the move I made isn’t going to get me into more trouble. I’m so lame about these things.
ANSWERING COMMENTS
Maria wrote:
Happy Birthday Maria! I should have written that on your blog but I’ll do you one better and recommend everyone to go to your blog and say happy birthday. Also, I read the post named, Oh! The humanity! it’s really great.
Speaking of great posts, Maria also wrote an article for Rosary Army called The Family that Plays Together… It’s about board games and I love it. Oh, and by the way, when you’re at her site, be sure to pick up one of her books. I just ordered Darknet this Monday. Can’t wait to read it.
Thank you for the book suggestion Maria, I downloaded the first two chapters.
Yelda van Eijk wrote:
Thanks for the comment Yelda. My obsessions are throughout the year as well only they go into overdrive when I’m stressed.
Yeah, in Everquest I played a halfling cleric named Sammo. It took over my life. It was awful, I promised myself I’d never play a MMORPG again and so far I’ve kept that promise somewhat intact (although I once played Flyff for about thirty minutes or so.)
As for the Rome HBO show, my wife and I enjoy that show very much as well. We are currently watching Disk 2 of Season 2. Both the show and your comment set off my “Catholicism obsession” so bare with me.
While watching the show, it’s very cool to see how different Roman people behaved in a pre-Christian world. It’s interesting to see how the pursuit of pleasure and power was something that was encouraged. It gives great context to the world Jesus was born into. It also really makes you realize how radical his teachings must have sounded. In a world were helping people who are sick or in need, who aren’t your friends or family, is seen as a sign of weakness, to have Jesus do so, must have been crazy. It also shows how alien the Romans must have looked at the Jews who held to the Commandment, “Though shall not commit adultery”. It seems that, adultery was one of the things the Romans also encouraged. Then, of course, along comes Jesus and shocks both Jews and Romans by raising the bar still higher by saying:
They must have felt as angry, indignant and upset as even our modern society does, where lust is used to sell everything. Above all, they seemed to really love to get revenge for every slight done against them. Then of course Jesus comes along and says:
They must of thought he was nuts. Hmmm, come to think of it, there are many places in the world today that are trying to rid themselves of these teachings, in order to become more like the Romans.
Writing about this stuff reminds me of a quote from G.K. Chesterton :
He also said:
If you’re obsessed with Rome, I encourage you to read the works of a famous African Roman who had a fascinating Roman life. My uncle August, (A.K.A. St. Augustine of Hippo) . His autobiography, The Confessions is just amazing. He wrote about how he ran away from his mother (who chased after him) as he traveled through out the Roman world, sleeping around with women, and seeking out wisdom from all the famous Philosophers of his day only to find it in the most unlikely place. After finding wisdom, he then wrote about how he saw the Roman world around him. An incident with one of his best friends and his addiction to the blood lust in the Colosseum comes to mind. It’s an amazing book. It’s part theological analysis of the universe and God, and part autobiographical adventure. While I’m on the subject. I also recommend The City of God, which is also by St. Augustine, but this one is his analysis as to why Rome fell (which he lived through). I’ve provided links to the free versions of both books above if you want to read them right away. Just click on the underlined names.
Phew, had to get that off my chest. Sorry. Thanks for baring with me and thanks again for the comments
leah wrote:
Wow, thank you so much for the insight Leah. I think the key word in what you wrote is, “developing a genuine interest in other people”. That is exactly what I need to work on. I’m the most self centered person I know (which shows how interested I am in other people, if I haven’t talked to anyone who is more self centered). Being married and having kids is helping me out with this problem because it’s awfully difficult to stay self centered and still care for them at the same time. Still, it’s a struggle I face everyday. I’ve definitely taken your insight to heart and it’s helped me out a great deal in the last few days. Thank you.
By the way, I’ve been meaning to post this link for some time. It’s an article I read about introverts that really hit home for me. It’s called: Caring for Your Introvert. Take a read and let me know what you think.
If you like what you read, please consider signing up to my rss feed.
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