stelosanimation

Sketchcrawl 34

2012-01-22T11:42:00.000Z

Another sketchcrawl yesterday. This time At The Natural History Museum

And for a shorter time at The V&A

Ronald Searle.......

2012-01-03T19:37:00.000Z

Searle .The Cartoonists cartoonist and probably my all time favorite illustrator.

Christmas Card 2011

2011-12-04T20:17:00.001Z

This is the design i'll be sounding out to friends this year .

London Drawing Group V&A

2011-10-29T22:10:00.000+01:00

As someone pointed out to me the last sculpture is by the artist Ivan Mestrovic i left out an "R" .
I was quite tired at this point.

Ramoned

2011-10-28T23:01:00.004+01:00

The Ramones animations are having a life of their own. Lost count of the blogs and tumblrs that they keep springing up on. Thanks to Timnapalm among many others for posting them on their blogs and giving them a nice write up.

Sketchcrawl London Oct 15

2011-10-16T12:56:00.001+01:00

London Soho Square

2011-09-18T12:03:00.000+01:00

London Zoo Sketch Crawl

2011-09-18T11:57:00.000+01:00

Gosh Comics Moves

2011-07-30T21:23:00.007+01:00

This was the last day that Gosh Comics operates from 32 Great Russell Street so thought id take a snap of the old place before

One more shot of the inside of the old Gosh

Barbican -Watch Me Move: The Animation Show

2011-06-23T20:11:00.002+01:00

Went to the Barbican to check out the big animation exhibition , The place is a maze, they had these cool digital posts dotted around featuring walk cycles .

Surfs Up

2011-06-20T11:29:00.004+01:00

Yet another project . Been listening to the melancholic Pet Sounds recently and one track in particular.
Brian Wilson seems to be popping up all over the place recently.

More Sketching

2011-06-01T15:57:00.001+01:00

Whenever

2011-05-16T11:32:00.004+01:00

Another image of what i have been working on .

Unblocked

2011-05-14T09:43:00.004+01:00

All the Ramones cartoons that i made stretching back 2 or 3 years are now all unblocked and available to watch again.
Warner Music Group must have come to some arrangement with YouTube/Google i really dont know .
You get a communication from Youtube when they delete or block a video but not when they unblock it.
Happy they're back though . the animation is really 'basic' on some particularly 'Basement' which is a bit painful for me to watch . I didnt have a wacom tablet back then so it was all drawn with a mouse.
I did start on 2 other Ramones cartoons. So who knows maybe if the ban using wmg copyrighted artists really is off i'll complete them and put them up.

Sketches Bits & Pieces

2011-03-02T12:15:00.003Z

A couple of practice sketches one with charcoal and the other with a dip pen, which takes a bit of getting used to.

Slow and Steady

2011-02-10T14:36:00.003Z

Yes still working my way through the Yellow Submarine tribute, i'll do a proper write up nearer the time it's ready . Probably springtime. Looking good though. I'm trying things i've never attempted before, pushing way past my comfort zone. Its the only way to learn and improve i guess.

Batman

2011-02-07T00:01:00.003Z

something else that should see the light of day soon is my alternative credits to the 60's version of Batman.

Gil Scott Heron Legend.

2011-02-06T00:14:00.004Z

Gil Scott Heron passed away recently . I was lucky enough to see him perform live, He'll live on long after, through his work ,music and words. (28th May 2011)

View From A Limo

2011-01-22T23:46:00.000Z

Hitch

2011-01-22T23:42:00.000Z

Sketchcrawl 30

2011-01-22T23:37:00.002Z

Another good sketchcraw The 30th ! .We ended up in the National Gallery . Want to go back and check out the Bridgit Riley exhibition didn't have time today.

Park Sketch

2011-01-19T11:40:00.002Z

Shut Up Little Man

2011-01-15T17:34:00.005Z

An Audio Misadventure
The Sundance Film Festival 2011 starts next weekend. I contributed some animation to one of the films in competition 'Shut Up Little Man'. I think it gets its world premier at Sundance as well . Its about a minutes worth of animation . I haven't seen the film so i'm not sure how it fits in but its a re-make of Orson Welles Frozen Peas outtake that i've had up on youtube for a while. I bust a gut to get it done but i guess its worth it now. . If there was any way to get over to Sundance and see it i would. It should be interesting . I'll have to wait for the dvd or a showing in London
So best of luck to Matt and everyone involved for next week and beyond.

Work Still In Progress

2010-12-27T23:52:00.003Z

Still working on my Yellow Submarine tribute above which is one of the backgrounds. I've had to sideline it a few times but i'm really hoping to get it done by Spring 2011. One of the things i had to sideline it for i'm going to blog about next month .
And nearly got started on the Hendrix video when something interceded But i'm not abandoning it. Hey ! only a few more days till the beginning of a new decade And wont that be exciting ?

Snow London

2010-12-18T17:13:00.003Z

Cant remember the last time so much snow fell in the city. I was in the Apple Store.When i went outside it was like a snowstorm.
Pity its come a week to early.

Happy Fiscal

2010-12-10T23:07:00.001Z

This is probably the card i'll be sending out to friends this year Its Father Fiscal Christmas & his trusty companion Randolph The Ruddy Nosed Rat.

Flat Cat

2010-12-05T20:11:00.004Z

I was driving along a fairly busy dual carriage way the other day . When i saw what i thought was a fox or a squirrel. They don't really have much of a chance on such a busy stretch . But it was neither. It was some poor cat that was grotesquely splayed out as if in a cartoon with its eyes glowing as my headlights shone at it. It had no other sign of injury but because of the extreme cold had frozen in that position. Sorry to begin the festive season with a downer. But it was literally acting as a Cats eye. Weird

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T10:11:00.002Z

I'm not in the US but my relatives over there will be celebrating in a few hours time. I'll get over there to experience it sooner or later. Happy Thanksgiving

Ingrid Pitt

2010-11-24T09:55:00.002Z

Ingrid Pitt passed away recently . She used to come into an Art supply store i used to work in around the early 90's . I think she was working on a book so i helped her pick out some typefaces , she was a really nice person. You here stories about various actors and their ridiculous demands . But she was a charming lady.

Happy Halloween Too Yooo

2010-10-31T13:25:00.003Z

Well doesn't look like i'm going to make my Halloween deadline. I'd rather get things right then rush it through. The videos i upload tend to be slow burn as regards to reaction which is good . I'm trying things that i've never done before and trying to bring elements together is hard but it looks good.Coming home at 4.00 AM after Halloween Party last night probably didn't help either Ha. Have a great Halloween .

Not Quite Night

2010-10-29T10:15:00.002+01:00

Still don't know if i'm going to make the Halloween deadline for the latest video, Also copyright on some of the music may present problems . But here's another preview pic. I'd rather be a bit late and be happy with the results than rush it.
I'll see how its goes .

Sketchcrawl 29

2010-10-16T21:39:00.002+01:00

another great sketchcrawl today the venue was British Museum had no idea that the Egyptian Book Of The Dead exhibit was in full flow. So must've missed a few people, also the cool South African Landscape Garden was bulldozed. Still met up with a few fellow crawlers and spent till 4.00 drawing away . Getting darker now . I miss the summer already.

Near Dark

2010-10-11T01:16:00.005+01:00

This is a screenshot of a project thats nearly ready . I hope so because its a horror theme and it would be good to get it out by Halloween . Its something i wanted to re-make for a while part tribute to Night Of The Living Dead part music video .

Something Else

2010-10-10T17:23:00.002+01:00

So yes another project .. I always wanted to do a video with Jimi Hendrix . I've searched around for a decent bit of Hendrix animation that captures a little bit of the man's music that out of orbit cosmic blues magic, and i cant find any. Not to say my own one is going to be a masterpiece . And im going to try and capture his likeness as much as i can . As a kid i remember staring at the Hendrix smash hits album for ages. And no one ever puts Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell in any of the animation ive seen The Jimi Hendrix Experience was a trio not a Guitarist with a back up band these geezers were damn fine musicians in themselves . So again cant say when i'll get to finish it but ive started it at least.

Its Johnny's Birthday

2010-10-09T20:00:00.001+01:00

Question

2010-10-07T22:37:00.000+01:00

Do you know how many times i ask myself this ?

Popeye

2010-09-22T22:53:00.004+01:00

Been watching a lot of the old Fleischer Popeyes recently. The remasterd dvd's that is . Absolutely crazy stuff. A pity they dont make cartoons like this anymore.

shaggy re-mixed

2010-09-14T22:56:00.003+01:00

From time to time my videos get uploaded on to other people's channels .this one made me smile though. Good Shaggy impression.

Judy Is Back

2010-08-05T23:13:00.002+01:00

For some reason Youtube have unblocked my Judy Is A Punk cartoon .My other Ramones cartoons are still blocked but 1 out of 4 aint bad. Don't know if it will last so watch it while you can . And hoping 1 day they will all be back up on YT.

Sketchcrawl 28

2010-08-03T21:55:00.002+01:00

The sketchcrawl on Sat was great . What i haven't put up on the Sketchcrawl site is here. wish i'd had more time to do more colour work.

Sketch Up

2010-07-29T19:19:00.002+01:00

I've been going out and sketching quite a lot recently. I feel a bit self conscious to begin with but that doesn't last too long.
After having a link to Sketchcrawl for while i've finally decided to go on one. Drawing and animating is for the main part quite solitary,unless you're attached to a Production Company so meeting up and drawing with other people will be cool,
The drawing above was drawn down by the river thames.

Nowhere Man....Don't worry

2010-06-25T09:38:00.003+01:00

If i put every idea i had for the Nowhere Man into the video i made last year then it would run to double the song's length . I think i got to put across everything that i wanted to .There are mistakes in there but imperfections are what makes us human .
The inspiration for the video was one photo of John presumably taken by his then wife Cynthia it's in his home in Weybridge . Julian in is on his knee he's wearing those really big black specs he looks exactly like Sean Lennon and he looks a bit lost, not drugged up just really lost.

Hey Mikey

2010-06-25T09:23:00.003+01:00

Be really fun to do a version of one of the animated interludes that appeared in the Old Jackson 5 Cartoons. I never established wether the Jackson's provided the voices themselves , I know the series was made in England by Halas & Batchelor .
The other Michael,Jackson thing i wanted to do is a bit more involved and personal from an early solo hit, i've been thinking about it for quite a while. I don't just want to do some hero worship fluff Its gonna be real bitter sweet.

Work in progress

2010-06-03T14:08:00.002+01:00

Still working on my tribute to Heinz Edelmann and The Yellow Submarine . Work is slow and steady ,with emphasis on the slow part, still it's looking good . I have to break off every now and then with commitments to my other work. Id really like to get it out by the end of July if possible. Hey ! its officially Summer, cue Rain& Thunder.Actually its rather Sunny in London town at the moment.

upcoming

2010-03-23T00:03:00.003Z

Also working on this, my ode to 70's animation a la Sesame Street. I loved those animated incerpts, Hard to infuse soul into the 3D cartoons that Kids TV is awash with these days, Other than Pixar of course,but they're way ahead of the game and super talented to boot.

Sketches

2010-03-22T23:44:00.002Z

Still slogging away at the Heinz Edelmann /Yellow Sub tribute .a few pics from a sketchbook i've been filling up.

Many Happy Returns Ronald Searle

2010-03-04T00:38:00.003Z

No one can draw a Sneer quite like Mr Searle

Pepperland Revisited

2010-01-15T23:26:00.002Z

I've sort of started on this little project, Its a tribute to Heinz Edelmann and Yellow Submarine .It seems to be expanding all the time as i get one crazy idea after another. All being well i'll finish it before Robert Zemeckis's re-imagining.

Christmas Cards 2009

2009-12-23T14:37:00.003Z

Humbug

2009-12-02T11:16:00.002Z

I love Ronald Searle's illustrations to Dickins A Christmas Carol. Recent animated versions (i have'nt seen the Jim Carey/Zemekis version) tend to be bland and uniform. Nothing tops Richard Williams 1971 TV short . I always wanted to try animating a tiny bit but only got round to trying out character designs like the above . Its so hard to capture Searle's drawing style and then animate it. Uli Meyer (umbackagain.blogspot.com) animated a walk cycle of a character from Dick Deadeye which was spot on.
I'll get something done hopefully that doesnt look too bad to share.

Bapa

2009-11-30T13:16:00.002Z

The music video for Bapa was featured on the main page of Youtube last week resulting in a massive increase in recorded views.
Goes to show Build it and they will come eventually. I'm more used to a slow burn of months but both is good.I really wanted to do all the animation in pencil but time did not allow.

At Night

2009-10-30T22:24:00.003Z

looks a bit better , i'll more than likely trash it (no space) so this will be a nice record of it Happy safe Halloween folks.

Happy Halloween

2009-10-30T22:17:00.003Z

Made up this haunted house for Halloween from a bunch of boxes poster paint and tape. Loosely based on the Addams Family abode i figure if i put a bowl of sweets near it i wont have to awnser the door while i'm watching 'Mad Monster Party' or something

Gurrumul Bapa Video

2009-09-29T22:46:00.002+01:00

Here is the full video to Geoffrey Gurrumul's Bapa which i contributed some animation. Various parts were rotoscoped and composited in After Effects by Mike & Will. A haunting beautiful song.

Gurrumul

2009-09-12T21:22:00.003+01:00

I've nearly finished animation work on a video for the amazing Geoffrey Gurrumul. I say nearly it could go on for a bit longer tidying things up etc . I hope its ok ,the song is amazing i really hope i've done some justice to it, Hopefully i'll upload some more screengrabs and sketches soon and i'll put a link to the video right here. And if you do'nt know who Geoffrey Gurrumul is Google the name.

In the meantime...

2009-08-22T10:45:00.002+01:00

I've not been able to upload anything in a while due to work , but if you're one of the few people who are annoyed at Youtube disabling the Judy Is A Punk cartoon,that is still featured on my Channel this is for you. And another one for good measure.

Ramones Cartoon Judy Is A Punk @ Yahoo! Video

Ramones Cartoon Commando @ Yahoo! Video

Heinz Edelmann RIP

2009-07-21T22:22:00.002+01:00

I just found out via Cartoon Brew that Heinz Edelmann passed away. Year after year i continue to be amazed by his work for Yellow Submarine. As Bob Godfrey said in the UK at least there was before Yellow Submarine and After Yellow submarine, Financially a disaster but critically and design wise an overbearing success.
I made one tribute to Yellow Submarine a few years back and would really like to do something in that vein again as a tribute to a design legend.
Bless You Heinz

.......It was 40 Years Ago Today

2009-07-20T00:44:00.001+01:00

Sooner Or Later

2009-06-24T23:42:00.002+01:00

Hope to have some new things uploaded in a while. Meanwhile here's a screenshot of somehing upcoming

Beatle Drawings

2009-04-10T11:17:00.004+01:00

A few Sketches and a Pen & Ink line drawing for the Nowhere Man video. The latter inspired by the Revolver Cover of course.

2009-04-06T23:58:00.002+01:00

One of my favorite times of the year. Days getting longer and warmer (well within the limits of British weather) I've been working on a few things i actually finished 2 videos weeks ago but have been holding back,maybe as a result of what happened to some of my previous Fan Music videos. working on a third one that's not necessarily music based but deals with a Major Pop culture Icon . I'll reveal more soon . Thanks for browsing

Early Daze

2009-02-15T14:17:00.008Z

Still working on this,though its still early days...

Orson Animation

2009-02-13T22:55:00.002Z

So here it is. I've been wanting to animate this for a long time. Orson Welles was an amazing fella so i wanted to tag on the Shadow bit at the end. Its funny to think that there's a whole generation of people who only associate him as the voice of 'Pinky' from the 90's cartoon 'Pinky & The Brain' even though Orson was long gone and they used a talented voice actor.
Anyway hats off to a genius.

Orson Peas blooper

2009-02-08T22:48:00.004Z

And here's one of the other pieces. Its the out take of Orson's Frozen Pea's ad I blogged about it last year so i think it's high time i finished it off.

Work in progress

2009-02-08T21:39:00.003Z

I'm working on various things with a view to getting something uploaded soon. One music related video features these two guys.

Another one bites the dust

2009-01-24T09:56:00.002Z

looks like all The Ramones videos are going to be taken down eventually,I'm sorry to say. If the situation ever changes between Warner Music Group and Google/youtube i will of course put them up again. But i would'nt hold your breath. Thanks to everyone who commented on them .99'000 views wow.

Alan Aldridge

2009-01-02T22:09:00.007Z

Caught the Alan Aldridge exhibition on New Years day. It was a cold Dank day in London and i needed a splash of colour .Best known for Beatles Illustrated Lyrics,Elton John's Captain Fantastic and illustrating The Butterfly Ball . Also had his short Animation Adventures Of Rollo playing on a monitor. Cool exhibition ends late Jan http://www.designmuseum.org/exhibitions/2008/alanaldridge

Deleted

2008-12-31T00:28:00.006Z

Sorry folks it looks like the video to Commando has been taken down. It was a Fan Video and i made absolutely no money from it . Maybe if id just uploaded the track and stuck an Album cover in front of it that'd make things ok. Or maybe there's an official video on the way . Which is fine by me. I did try uploading to another site but as soon as it was up it was taken down. So someone really does'nt want it available. The other three videos i've produced are still up on my channel and are freely available at the present but if the copyright holders dont want them around then there's nothing i can do about it. And will sadly mean i wont be producing anymore, which will be a real shame because they are fun to do and people get pleasure out of them.
Nothing more to add except have a Great New Year. Peace

Christmas Top 20 Countdown

2008-12-14T14:00:00.002Z

t
BBC are bringing back Christmas Top Of The Pops for a one off Here's what i'd like to see as a countdown

Drunken Santa Card

2008-12-14T12:25:00.004Z

2008-12-13T20:24:00.002Z

thought this would be a nice change form all those fluffy Snowmen apart from Raymond Briggs's of course. which is genius.

Christmas Cards

2008-12-13T20:11:00.003Z

I'll try and post some card's i've sent to friends over the years here's the first

Oliver Postgate:Pogles Wood,Noggin,The Clangers,Ivor The Engine,Bagpuss

2008-12-13T18:24:00.008Z

There have been quite a few Blog postings about the passing of Oliver Postgate ,thought i'd add my own. If you're from the UK and you're of a certain age Oliver Postgate's name and voice are as familiar as The Queen's. I watched Pogle's Wood at Nursery School The Clangers At Infants and though i'd never admit it at the time Bagpuss while being off sick from Secondary School.
What i'm still aware of is how organic all of his and his creative partner Peter Firmins work seems even now.
I went with some friends to a big Animation festival in Cardiff 97 or 98 ?the big draw for the festival was the presence of ILM. The Phantom Menace was upcoming and the main event hall was packed with people waiting to get a whiff of the new Star Wars film or maybe even some stories of the early groundbreaking days . A representative from ILM preceded the event by såying he could not talk or say anything about the new Star Wars film but he was going to give us a talk about a film equally as exciting... 'Flubber'. You could feel the energy and excitment drain out of the hall as he proceeded to wow us with just how they got a green glob of slime to bounce around the screen. The following day we went to the same hall which was maybe a quarter full and there on the stage was Gerry Anderson ,John Ryan ,Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate. Repectively creators of Thunderbirds, Captain Pugwash and The Clangers. After a Q&A session we could go down the front and after a sheepish request from someone to have a closer look at Bagpuss., Out came the puppets from various Sports Bags . John Ryan had original artwork from Pugwash and all of them were not precious about their creations being manhandled. They just looked really proud .
Oliver Postgate's films had a spot either at lunchtimes or early evening preceeding the news. If anyone remembers 70's Britain with any clarity it was'nt always cheerfull or pleasant place to be so those films were 5 or so minutes of much appreciated charm.
Someone in the audience at Cardiff said "'Thanks for my Childhood' I thought that was bit corny at the time,but man am i grateful for those films and the people who made them.

Jolly Season ?

2008-12-02T22:35:00.003Z

Finally at the season where we're meant to be Jolly . Doing some 'other' work which is not fun or cool. Years back i saw this incredible short film from the National Film board Of Canada. It may have been shown on The ITV Schools programme Picture Box.Thats one of the good things about the weird wide web nearly everything you half remember is just a few clicks away. Check out this amazing film . Grant Munro's TOYS

Jerky Boys

2008-10-31T00:25:00.002Z

The later Jerky Boys recordings were kinda laboured and puerile,. But the first album Cd ,Cassette whatever Was fast hit em hard hilarity. With Phone Pranks very much in the news in the UK at present i put up one of my favourite Jerky Boy moments

Basement Revisited

2008-10-31T00:03:00.002Z

At some point there will be a longer version Of Basement uploaded,Ideally it should be for Halloween but that's out the window for this year . Sometime in the future though.It will include a tribute to one of my favourite Horror films the seminal NOTLD

Its Halloween !

2008-10-31T00:00:00.003Z

Finished

2008-10-25T00:00:00.002+01:00

My new Ramones Video is finally finished and should be uploaded either later today (Sat 25th or Sun) i planned to have it done weeks ago but. Stuff happens. Its a video of 'Chain Saw' with some added bits. I Had lots of fun planning it out.Not so much fun trying to figure out how to actually achieve what i wanted to . Still if anyone reads my blog let me know what you think.

"Along Dawn's Highway Bleeding"

2008-10-01T22:29:00.002+01:00

And this is a sneek peak at one of the scenes.More to come.....

Spooky Season Has Arrived

2008-10-01T22:17:00.003+01:00

I've been busy trying to finish off various bits of animation . Including another Horror themed video again featuring Da Bruders aka (The Ramones) Hoping to have it out in a couple of weeks Maybe sooner .

...To East Berlin

2008-08-25T18:18:00.002+01:00

Sheb Wooley's Pet

2008-07-09T14:43:00.003+01:00

Sgt Rawk

2008-07-09T11:10:00.003+01:00

Brooklyn

2008-07-09T10:59:00.002+01:00

ink and digital colour

One Two Three Four !

2008-07-07T21:21:00.001+01:00

Ramones Cartoon Commando @ Yahoo! Video

Storyboard

2008-07-07T14:37:00.006+01:00

Pretty much all the things in the second proper storyboard is in the final animation . Apart from the appearence of Alfred E Nueman. And a cameo of Jules Feiffer's Munro character .It didnt quite fit in.

Rough Storyboard

2008-07-07T14:30:00.005+01:00

This is the first rough storyboard i scribbled down on a train towards the end of last year (2007). I was going to put in a prologue with Johnny way back in 1968 watching Walter Kronkite's classic CBS News report following the Tet Offensive in Vietnam,saying that America was heading for a stalemate. I can only guess what Johnny's feelings about this would have been. I only dropped it because i thought it would slow things down. Fast in, Slow out ?I dont know if it would have made things better.

COMMANDO

2008-07-07T13:22:00.003+01:00

This version of another Ramones song has been up on Youtube for a couple of months, so i thought id put up some storyboards and better quality framegrabs.

There were a few things i had to exclude because they just would'nt fit into the length of the song.

Caricatures

2008-06-16T11:59:00.002+01:00

These guys were popular at the time i sketched them. Some of them still are

Inspiration

2008-05-25T20:27:00.004+01:00

Ishibashi Mitsyuki and Osada Yuko's video 'Jack Nicholson' for the Japanese punk band Bloodthirsty Butchers was a big inspiration. I came across an article in 'Shots' magazine and bought the onedotzero 4 Dvd in which it was one of many animations featured. Its limited animation but executed brilliantly. The Graphics are really strong

Judy Is A Punk

2008-05-25T20:18:00.002+01:00

So this was the result. It's been up about a year now. But the animation was purposely jerky and the more it seemed (hinged) the more it made me laugh. Its been altered in After Effects to give it an oldish look.

Ramones Cartoons

2008-05-25T19:23:00.002+01:00

I always thought it would be fun to do an animation to a Ramones song. So inspired by all those Saturday morning cartoons like The Osmonds,Jackson Five,Josie And The Pussycats as well as The Beatles of course. I did just that. Did you know The Beatles Cartoons were'nt shown in the UK (and only then in a truncated version) till the 80's ? The Beatles were kind of embarrassed by them. The first animation was to the song Judy Is A Punk. which i rediscovered when i saw 'The Royal Tenenbaums' its a great track.

Orson

2008-04-08T23:13:00.000+01:00

I found an old audio clip of Orson Welles berating a studio engineer which cracks me up . I did a quick sketch of the great man and would love to do an animation of it, time permitting.