Who IS Princess Vivian ?!?

2012 was an auspicious year for Snarky The Elf , as she made the
transition from simple single panel gags to sequential narrative . She
also gained a nemesis , the Ice Princess Vivian .

Admittedly , with " Fear The Season " , very little character development or exposition was given Princess Vivian ; aside from the most basic traits of an antagonist . No attempt was made on my part to explain who she was or WHY she wanted to steal Christmas for herself . At the time , it was not necessary . I really had no plans to continue her role beyond that particular story . That she was " The Ice Princess " was just my way of explaining ( to my own mind ) WHY she would be at the North Pole trying to steal Christmas in the first place .

As I began to consider expanding the scope of the Snarky The Elf story concept after the completion of Fear The Season , I knew that I wanted to keep Princess Vivian as a recurring source of conflict , along the lines of an inconsiderate neighbor . I suppose it could be likened to the affluent Drysdales having the hillbilly Clampetts next door - with Snarky and Santa's workshop filling the role of the Beverly Hillbillies .

With the release of " A Snarky Fearsgrieving " there was still very little exposition on who Princess Vivian was , she appeared to aggravate Snarky and display her insensitivity to the Elf Twins , Buttercup and Hunnypie and just add a bit of humor . Within the context of the story , she served to illustrate things that the modest budget of Snarky The Elf could not otherwise . Her role also served to help ME develop her character . I was beginning to understand
her and see the importance she had as to the overall storyline of Snarky the Elf . Princess Vivian had become that missing puzzle piece that connected the entire concept of the " Snarkiverse " .

Culturally we are all very familiar with Santa Claus , Christmas , The North Pole , Santa's workshop , the elves that make toys ; but typically only their activities during Christmas time . The day in day out life of these magical characters is pretty vague and ambiguous , Snarky The Elf is my exploration of what these individuals are up to the rest of the year . Last year's story was the beginning really , as the elves at Santa's Workshop celebrated Halloween at the North Pole .

Life at the North Pole is key to the presence of Vivian , the Ice Princess . Privacy aside , WHY would Santa Claus locate his workshop at one of the most inhospitable environments on Earth ? Scientific expeditions to the region have NEVER found any signs that it's inhabited - let alone by magical elves or flying reindeer . There's some sort of MYSTERY going on there !! Princess Vivian provides that side of the story , a connection between mystical beings living in a cold and hostile land as easily as normal folk exist in more benign climates .

As far as story development goes for Snarky The Elf 2014 , my " want " was to delve deeper into the mystery surrounding Princess Vivian - although I was not quite sure how deep I would be , or COULD be able to go . That changed when I received a gift of costuming from an astoundingly talented doll costumer , Amy Jones , who primarily does western themed outfits , occasionally venturing outside the box ,  http://ajclothiers.com is a place of wonder and excitement ! The outfit I got was " Snow Queen " and it pretty much fit the bill as to all my hopes and desires when it came to Princess Vivian . I had exactly what I needed to take Snarky The Elf forward for 2014 . 

I had alluded in the 2013 edition of Snarky The Elf " A Snarky Fangsgrieving " that Princess Vivian had completed construction of her new palace so it's a fair bet that she is here to stay . She has also " softened " up slightly in character , having adopted a new slave . . . uh , no that's not right - a new " daughter " , an elf named Lollypop . She has also hired a new manservant to replace the previous one who disappeared under mysterious circumstances at Snarky's Halloween .party .

As has become " tradition " between episodes , 2014 Snarky Teezers have introduced two new costuming changes for Princess Vivian - both more demonstrative of her royal lineage , which begs the question " As Vivian is a princess , suredly she MUST have parents - a King and Queen ? " As work continues for the 2014 Snarky Season the answers are to come . . . or perhaps as I am wont to do - maybe I will just pose MORE questions .

Reindeer Games

I suppose it was inevitable , having created a character who happens to be a Christmas Elf  living at the North Pole at Santa's Workshop ; the time would come when I would feel the compulsion to add reindeer to the mix of characters . With the inclusion of the Sleigh House as a story element in 2013s " Snarky Fangsgrieving " it became increasingly clear to me that to fulfill the potential of Snarky , Santa's eight tiny flying reindeer would need to become a reality .

Snarky the Elf ain't convinced . . . 

Were Snarky The Elf a more traditional medium - illustrated , or a more modern one - computer generated this would not be much of an issue ; but since it's a fumetti utilizing dolls one suddenly realizes " It is going to be impossible to find a stock reindeer doll or toy that will mesh with the established reality . "

Building up the body , making antlers and heads

The reindeer will need to be created from scratch . The phrase " Famous Last Words " springs to mind . Of course the easiest approach would be just to make some static sculptures , but when you're telling a story about supposedly real living creatures it's kinda imperative that they have the ability to move - body language helps communicate . The alternative to an actual poseable reindeer would be to create a series of static posed models - but how many would I need ? Five - Ten - MORE ?!? That would be a lot of work for a single artist only able to devote a few hours a week to a project . I decided to approach the task at hand as though I was making a puppet for a stop motion film , a jointed doll , just like the rest of Snarky The Elf's cast .

Sintra PVC sheets , 6mm , used to make antlers

Working with my modest Snarky Budget , which is ZERO ; I rummaged around my parts bins to see if I could find suitable gizmos to build a working armature . As is very typical of me , rather than spend preproduction time developing the concept I just jumped headlong into it . I'll learn as I go . That old phrase " Famous Last Words " comes back to mind . I'm not that concerned with making mistakes since one learns more by screwing up than by performing successfully , and on this project I was treading down new paths so I figured I'd just enjoy the trip and have fun while I was at it .

Sculpey Firm head and laminated craft foam head

The process of building an armature and bulking it up with foam has been surprising simple , although I can see that my makeshift armature likely will not be up to the task it will be called upon to carry out . I'll probably have to fork over the money for professionally machined puppet joints . The beneficial side to this setback is that it has me looking at an inexpensive and possibly simpler method of making a reindeer puppet utilizing craft foam - considerably lighter and possibly just as functional . For me the fun part is playing around with a creative expression .

The shoulder joint is too high - I will need to change it .

Welcome to the Fortress of Snarkitude

Well , it took three months but I did it ; the Snarky the Elf Halloween adventure has been completed and is now online at her website :
Snarky the Elf , specifically A Snarky Fangsgrieving . Considering the setbacks that plagued the production from the outset you might wonder why I bother ? The answer is rather simple , Snarky and the gang at the North Pole bring me a great deal of joy .

Looking back , this new story bears little resemblance to my original plot , although that aspect of the Snarky Halloween Special NEVER changed ; everything that revolved around that plot just got richer and more involved as these silly little dolls came to life and led me into their world . It is indeed quite a departure from Snarky the Elf's humble origins even her follow-up from 2012 Fear the Season . Amusing since the story idea was inspired by an episode of Gilligan's Island . I should probably write Sherwood Schwartz a thank you note ( is he still amongst us ? )

At the beginning of 2013 I was toying with the idea of turning Snarky the Elf into a commodity , but decided that commercializing her would somehow lessen her , the storyline that evolved during the holiday season of 2013 ccertainly put some credence to that decision - considering that ALL three deadlines I set for myself were missed for one reason or another . Business don't be playing that " missed deadline " routine . Snarky is better for that decision despite the " curse " that befell this particular production . I came close to losing hope a few times , but Snarky kept beckoning and in the end won out . I'm learning NOT to argue with her , or not pay heed to what she's telling me or where she wants to take me . Snarky knows even if I don't .

As I begin the process of dismantling the sets and putting them in storage , a somewhat melancholy task considering all that atmosphere they provide my studio ; I can't help but ponder what's next ? Of course , I should confide that as the Snarky The Elf sets are concerned , " storage " is not quite as dismal as it might seem  . . . they are fairly large and akin to doll houses so some actually remain for the most intact , simply relocated to a space that while not conducive to photography still allows them to transform my work and living space to a world that is a bit more surreal than most dwellings .

Plans for 2014 are sketchy at best , although I am definitely beginning to seriously consider new characters , inspired by an originally unconceived plot device from the script , reindeer . It makes sense to me , being that in 2012s Fear the Season ; Princess Vivian's punishment for trying to steal Christmas is cleaning the barn . With 2013s A Snarky Fangsgrieving , the twins hide in the Sleigh House -which required the creation of not just Santa's sleigh but some tack and harnesses for the reindeer that pull it through the sky on his Christmas Eve journey delivering gifts . It's only natural to add some of Santa's trusty team of flying reindeer to the Snarky mix . Buttercup loves the idea , if only because of the " poop " jokes it offers .

As I wrap up Snarky The Elf for 2013 and look forward to Snarky The Elf 2014 , tradition it seems is at this time the best course . Kicked off with the " cast party " shot and Santa indulging his enthusiasm for beer , next came the new outfit for Snarky's resident fashion diva , Princess Vivian - who ALWAYS gets a new outfit at the close of a " season " .

As Ralphie mused in A Christmas Story " the mind boggles ! "

Mehree Cwissmus !!

Halloween For Thanksgiving

When the " muse " struck me at the beginning of October to create a " Snarky the Elf " Halloween story , I figured it would be a snap . That was , of course , before my " artist " got involved . Artists have a way of taking the simplest idea and turning it into the most excessively complicated cluster-( expletive deleted ) imaginable . The plan was to have a Snarky Halloween ready for HALLOWEEN - now we're approaching Thanksgiving and it has YET to go LIVE . Freaking ARTISTS !! 

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 .

Behind The Scenes of " Snarky Halloween "

Maybe it's the PIXIE DUST , but Snarky always seems to come to life when the Disney Christmas Windows get pulled for installation . Perhaps it's just the magic that permeates the air during the impending " holiday season " - struggling to be noticed amidst the commercial madness that assaults us from ALL angles that starts earlier and earlier every year . I suppose it could even be attributed to the VODKA ! heh .

Snarky Halloween MISSED the ACTUAL Halloween festivities , I forgot that when I began her 2012 holiday adventure I was on vacation and had time to work on the story uninterrupted . I can deal with that . Who is to say WHEN Halloween ends ? Santa ? Okay - yeah - Santa . . . which means I still have time . As I did when I revisited Snarky the Elf in 2012 , the 2013 Halloween story also has me creating NEW SETS !! Woo Hoo !! Halloween is a more " personal " time for Snarky , Buttercup and Hunnypie so that meant inventing their space - their GURL CAVES . There is in addition , the hall that divides CHAOS from STABILITY - or the Elf Twins' room from Snarky's .

 

Although you might not suspect , a great deal of thought goes into the creation of a setpiece . You may NOT be dealing with the character her ( or him ) self - but YOU are approaching the space where they LIVE . It is a very introspective environment , it has to reflect the persona that dwells within . Both the bedrooms - that of the elf twins Buttercup and Hunnypie and that of SNARKY THE ELF herself ; needed to convey their individual personalities AND help to tell their story beyond words . designing and building the sets is just as important an aspect of character creation as the characters themselves , often it helps in DEFINING who those characters are ; many times BEYOND what you might have envisioned .

 

During the month of October when I began work on Snarky Halloween I realized that the characters are as much me as they are separate individuals . The twins represent my hopes and dreams and Snarky is my " real self " - needless to say perhaps , their environments encompass my own .

 

There is the whimsical and half-baked world of Buttercup and Hunnypie and the more grounded and pragmatic one of Snarky - very much if you were to take my apartment and separate the real from the imagined - cut it in half and separate it . I'm lucky in that I live in BOTH ! Looking deeply however , you will see signs of each world encroaching upon one another . That's how it is . Or as Katy Perry might intone " This is how we Do ! " She is forever my MUSE .

 

I've taken a little more aggressive route with my patronization of Ms. Perry this time around with Snarky the Elf , incorporating her " iconization " within the bedroom of the Elf Twins - it seemed natural given the personalities of Buttercup and Hunnypie . The simple fact that I came to recognize that both Hunnypie ( the " EVIL " one ) and Buttercup represented the innocent and faithful in me made it very reasonable that she that has become a spiritual and creative MUSE would ALSO find a home within the hearts of the two characters that are the breath of life and strength of Snarky . Snarky may NOT be the mother of the twins , but they are as much her children as those she might have birthed . I have fun with the idea that Snarky would likely NOT like Katy Perry . Love Hate . Sadly , I STILL have been unable to squirrel away enough " disposable income " to invest in casting and moldmaking materials for my " unofficial " Katy Perry dolls - so as yet the introduction of a " Peppermint Princess " is still ambiguously unforeseen in Snarky The Elf's future . Patience is a virtue I am told .

 

 

 

Anticipate some further musings on Snarky Halloween .

Snarky Is as Snarky Does

Dear ol' Snarky has had plenty of time to contemplate her options . MY
intention was to turn her into a regular " product " - Snarky would not play that .

After 2012s " Fear The Season , I had seriously decided to take the  character of Snarky to the next level of commercialism , but in the end decided " that would spoil her " . Fearing that a regular schedule and " 9-5 " might soil the enthusiasm I have for her , I chose to simply let her do as she pleased - which really amounts to ME doing as I please .

I suffered a bout of sciatica recently - had to take a few days off work at Disney to recuperate - and in doing so Snarky was released again ; this time for a Halloween adventure . Despite being a professional artist for well over 30 years , I still have no CLUE as to how the muse of inspiration strikes - but it does and NEVER when you expect it .

I blame it on Katy Perry . God bless her delightful soul .

I do believe Snarky was the cause of my sciatica - she was wedged into my lower back and it took a few days of bed rest for her to claw her way out .

As I mentioned in the initial Snarky Blawg , suredly there is MORE to
Snarky the Elf than just Christmas . . . and she hopes to prove that in her latest and newest tale themed along the Halloween motif . Certainly she makes a darned fine WITCH . . . and accompanied by her companions Buttercup , Hunnypie , Rhubarb the PEENGIN ; and not to forget Princess Vivian . . . the Halloween edition of Snarky The Elf promises to be another looney tune .

I am about two weeks into production , creating some new sets - redecorating the old one  and have plotted out a story that , while perhaps not " original " will certainly have some new " snarky " twists . In the end , hopefully it will be fun - a bit of silliness to take some of the angst out of your day to day lives .

 

Snarky the Elf : Beyond the Holidaze

Snarky the Elf has ever been a " Christmas Tradition " , at least since 2011 , I really don't KNOW the prerequisites for annual celebrations when it comes to traditions . After creating the 2012 edition , " Fear the Season " I did know , however , that Snarky NEEDED to grow BEYOND her " Christmas " persona - she just has that sort of exhuberant personality - just like Katy Perry - she CAN'T be tied down to a single definition . 

She is DEEPER than that .

With the finalization of Snarky the Elf Edition 2012 ," Fear the Season "  I came to the decision that I really NEEDED to take the character beyond her humble beginnings , she needed to grow if solely for the fact that the teachings she brings are so DAMN important - even if they are just the ramblings of a weird individual . Weirdos are what make the human race develop into their greater selves .

With the aforementioned in mind came the consideration " What DO Christmas elves DO after CHRISTMAS ?!? The conclusion I came to was " They take a Long Winter's Nap - how long ? How the HELL should I know - at least til February I reckon . Thus I have begun work on creating Snarky's bedroom , the first point of business being decking her out in Snarky Jammeez . 

Another item for serious thinking was her " arch nemesis " , introduced in " Fear the Season " ; Princess Vivian - a character I think MANY of us can relate to , she is our " Dark Side " . Shallow , rude , to name but a few of her less than positive traits ; it would be a shame to not have her make a return appearance .

Certainly the relationship between Snarky and Princess Vivian will have changed , definitely NOT the antagonism shared between the two from " Fear the Season " but at the least a certain respect should occur between them , it's the stuff of drama afterall . As a writer it is always intriguing to take a VILLAIN and put them in a light that makes you question the nature of villainy . I've always considered the death or elimination of villainous aspects in a characters' life to be somewhat of a " cop out " - how can you be expected to EXPLORE the heart of darkeness if you get rid of it ? And so the character of Princess Vivian will be BACK !!

You can learn even more by visiting Snarky the Elf .