Freaking Artist : C. Bradford Gorby
13 years ago ( hmmm , there's an auspicious number ) I was seeking a way to continue my work in comics using 3 dimensional imagery - I tried 3D graphics , but longed to utilize " real " 3D objects ( some would call them dolls ) ; I blame my childhood of watching Ray Harryhausen movies for this - you can NEVER replace truly practical special effects . There is an inescapable and intangible reality to things that ACTUALLY exist alongside us in this world . A good friend and fellow artist , Philip Lane had inspired me with his stop motion films using action figures for direct to DVD films Storm Cloud and Storm Cloud 1.5 , something I was not equipped to follow , but could at least pursue in a different format .
The Twins' bedroom set
Fumetti , which is a comic book format utilizing photography of real actors in place of drawings was something I could accomplish , and so my work eventually navigated towards that incarnation . It was at its core the same as stop motion animation - it simply eliminated the frame by frame animation and used simply " key frames " to tell the story - just like comic books . Right up my alley .
Snarky the Elf's bedroom
Creating three new sets for Snarky Halloween did not seem to be a Herculean effort , after all I had created 3 sets the year before for Snarky Christmas , I failed to take into account that the new sets for THIS new adventure were far beyond what I had created previously as far as scope . So what big deal . As an artist and creator you have to take into account that these things are going to be used A LOT - and in future works as well , so they have to be perfect ( or close , at least ) . These are not 1 shot throw-aways .
Come and Play with Us Snarky
I ended up spending ALL of October and half of November putting together the Snarky Halloween sets , way past my initial deadline and beyond the Halloween Holiday . . .but for Snarky The Elf - it's not so much the actual holiday that is concerned , but the spirit of it . Holidays are sorta timeless .
Snarky the Elf
I was able to start principle photography on November 10 , 2013 and THAT is when DISASTER struck . A brown-out succeeded in goofing up my computer and rendering me somewhat " impotent " as far as importing and editing imagery . I'm currently in the midst of sorting thru the problems . Snarky will NOT be denied . Art is 10 % inspiration and 90 % slogging through BULLSHIT - so that's where I am at .
Buttercup and Hunnypie
My goal at this stage of the game is to have Snarky Halloween ready to go ONLINE by Thanksgiving - which will be another auspicious date . I am still hopeful for an early Christmas Miracle . . . ;)
The main set , decked out for Halloween
Given the situation , one might ask " Why bother ? " I'm not getting paid for this - surely there are alternative ways to spend my free-time . It is unlikely that the mass audience will even be aware of a " new " Snarky story . . . why waste my time ? Artists have passions , storytellers have a NEED to tell stories and I am both an artist and a storyteller , I am not so full of myself to think that my stories have any real relevance or that they make some sort of profound difference ; they are intended simply as entertainment - perhaps with a subtle message that might be received and taken away by those who pursue them . In the end they are just a small side of myself that I wish to share .
Princess Vivian returns to add a little SPICE to the mix .
I also have taken a slight bit of " self-indulgence " to work Katy Perry into this years' Snarky - just in keeping up with prior storylines . . . or so I will tell .
This year , we are going to hear Snarky ROAR !!
Hopefully I live long enuff to complete the Snarky Halloween project .
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