Instant Runoff Voting "Elect-a-Date" cable airtimes

If you live in Minneapolis and have cable (lucky you!) keep an eye out for a one minute version of "Elect-a-Date" starring the Big Time Attic Players.

10/31 -- FSNO -- "Pride Fighting Championships" (12:15 pm)
10/31 -- CNN -- "The Situation Room" (3:20 pm)
10/31 -- CNBC -- "Mad Money" (11:46 pm)
11/1 -- CNBC -- "Squawk Box" (5:46 am)
11/1 -- CNN -- "American Morning" (5:49 am)
11/1 -- ESPN -- "Sportscenter" (6:15 am)

Note -- these times are subject to change.

I don't think any of BTA's Minneapolis denizens have cable, so if you see one of these spots let us know how it looks!

BEHOLD!

I made this M.O.D.O.K. (Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing) costume over the past few weeks for a friend who didn't know what to be for Halloween. It was pretty easy. It's just foam and fabric and dummy arms and legs. Attaching the arms and legs went a lot smoother than I thought it would, but is a little hard to explain without detailed photos.

I also made this Hercules costume

Saucy opening this Monday!

So most of you know that we were asked to concept, name, design etc. etc a burger restaurant. We've been working on this for a couple of months and it's opening this Monday! The owners have been great at follow-through on the concept and the finished product is looking almost exactly like we've envisioned it. It's a proud moment.

So this week people will be able to try:


The overhead sign.


The interior. It's still under construction and behind barriers so I wasn't able to get the whole storefront.



Tim and Max...food stylists. It's a little too DIY to take your own food shots, but we're under some crunches. We had some success and with a lighting upgrade we should be able to get what we need for the menu boards.

Digital Menu Boards

One of the challenges with Saucy was that we wanted to try digital point of purchase displays, partly to be hip, but it also makes a lot of sense as there is no corporate office sending them updated food photography and promotions. It's very expensive for single stores to get good looking posters and back-lit displays designed and printed. It's pretty likely they'll order an extra case of fries rather than a new promotional display.

With digital displays, we can update the board from 100 miles away with the latest food photos and ideas. They're regular ol' LCD computer monitors chopped-up and mounted to the back of the menu board with cables running to a regular ol' PC with multiple video cards. The application that runs the monitors and all of the videos were created with Flash. It works really well and they can still use the computer for general office stuff. It's certain that eventually all franchises will use this system...it gives the head office great control over the brand. If you have restaurant and found this post because you googled "digital menu boards," we can help you out. :)

Here's a work in progress. Vinyl will be added:



Everyone went nuts creating fun interstitials...here are a few:

More Gorilla pizza

Here is the Gorilla pizza box in action for the first time:

The dream of dreamlessness

It seems to me that certain times annually bring about certain moods, like a tide carrying in an emotional season. Not like this could ever be scientifically verified or anything like that, but well, I guess I sometimes wonder if somewhere out there in the world, is my very own scientist working in his humorless, steel-encased laboratory on this particular case just for me.

But that's just crazy, astrological hippie-talk so I asked Kevin what he thought.

Instant Runoff Voting cartoon to be on cable!

Residents of Minneapolis that are also subscribers to cable TV, be on the lookout for a Big Time Attic cartoon on your TV next week! Sometime between Tuesday, Oct 31st and Monday, Nov. 6th, our cartoon (extolling the virtues of Instant Runoff Voting using a Dating Game-style show with anthropomorphic ballots) will run on the following stations: CNN, CNBC, ESPN, and FOX Sports. We don't know when. No one does.

Marvel at Max and Julia's animation! Swoon at Jason's music! Cheer for Kevin's storyboarding! Get all emotional at Kevin's, Julia's, Max's, Tim's, and Zander's acting! Appreciate FairVote Minnesota's patronage! Do what you have to, but vote November 7th, and look at the bottom of the ballot for Instant Runoff Voting!

King Of All Pizzas

Here is a look at our MITM Gorilla pizza boxes fresh off the press. They're used to deliver a two and a half foot pizza by a guy in a gorilla suit. (not shown) If you're in Eau Claire, Wisconsin...have a party tonight. If you're not..start a franchise!



Here they are First Amendment print shop:


The positives used to burn screens.


Wes lining everything up.


The burned screen on the press...ready for ink.

Some seedy pictures

Here are some more pictures from our pumpkin carving party. Thanks for being a great photographer, Zander!


Tim and I carving away


Britt's mad carving skills


Kevin and Tim agreeing to meet up later that night and make out


Max's pumpkin is really happy about something


Shad being adorable


Kevin blowing my mind with his laser powers

The 288 Hour Comic Book Challenge Chapter One

Hello, Friends. As millions of you already know, I have accepted a challenge from Steve Stwalley to produce a graphic novel in 288 hours. It's like the 24 Hour Comic Day event, but hurts more. I completed the first chapter over the weekend, from 7pm on Friday, October 20 to 7pm on Saturday, October 21. If all goes according to plan, look for a new chapter around the end of each month. And if all REALLY goes according to plan, I'll draw the final chapter during the 2007 24 Hour comics day event in Minneapolis, shoulder to shoulder with the evil mastermind who concocted this scheme: yes, once again, Steve Stwalley.

New website already old thanks to great news!

So check out our new website that launched a couple minutes ago because it won't be the same for long.

We found out that we're no longer under non-disclosure with Cartoon Network! We've been Cartoon Network projects with Ham In The Fridge design for the past two years and can now show the work online. It's been kind of a bummer to not be able to talk about it as we've put literally thousands of hours and hundreds of drawings into this work, some of our best stuff, but then couldn't show it off.

So keep an eye out as we roll out these drawings and designs over the next few weeks and give us lots of feedback. We're very very excited.

Give up?

It's a new web site!!!

On Friday, Big Time Attic will officially shed the old site and launch a bran' spankin' new'un! Except the blog ... that ... will ... pretty much be the same.

Check it out at 3PM in two days ... We think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Clue too

Prepare your eyes to behold your second clue regarding the completely ungeussable surprise that is forthcoming on friday.

The first part of the name of the thing being announced is "new" ... and the last part is "site".

To add to the confusion, here are some of the things we might NOT be revealing:

newly found site
news site
new digging site
new parasite
N.E. webs site
new schleb site

Blog day delayed for repairs ...

Wow, I've sure been crappin' out on blog day. Sorry about that folks. I guess I've just been so busy with a super duper secret awesome reveal for later this week that I suppose I forgot all about my little comic "strip." (But not comics in general, dears!)

I can't show you what I mean, it being such a sweet, sweet surprise, but perhaps it's best if I merely ... wet the appetite? Maybe this visual clue has a thing or two to do with the clandestine operation ...

Painting

Here's a painting I did, check it out:

A chilling night of fright!

Friday the 13th was the 1st Annual BTA Halloween Pumpkin Party! Here are the ghoulish results of a few minutes of fairly easy work.

And here's a spooky picture I took of a werewolf while riding my bicycle.

FallCon 2006

Tim enjoyed every second of the con. Every. Second.


"Action City Max" made a brief appearance.

Shouting only encourages Steve Stwalley.

Apparently no one told Sam Hiti that the Twins are finales.

Tim and his monster.

So Close You Can Almost Project: Romantic Smell it.

Just found this photo over at the AdHouse Forum. Either that's one hell of a photoshop job or Project: Romantic is all printed up! Pairs with The Glenlivet and tears.

"Dealing with Women" on Atomfilms.com

Hey guys, I know everyone is sick of me talking about it, but that dumb short I made ("Dealing with Women") just went live on Atomfilms.com and I get paid like 5 cents everytime someone watches it, so I'd be much obliged if you clicked on it and then left the room for 4 minutes. Also, you can read all the negative comments people leave about it! Hooray!

http://www.atomfilms.com

It's on the main page under "Drama" (for some unknown reason).

Hex on you!

Ever wonder what the heck those six digit color combinations are that you see everywhere on website source codes or in Photoshop? Well I sure did, so I took a break from my busy work-a-day lifestyle and googled it. Here's what I found, in song-form:

"A hex is a rainbow, you know that it's true,
Representin' every color with Red, Green, and Blue.
But you might get confused at the code for lime green,
'Cause the hex you want is calculated on a base of sixteen!

Start with zero, one through six, then seven, eight, nine,
But hey there, Friend, make "A" your "ten" and you'll be just fine!
B is eleven, C is twelve, D, E, and F follow suite,
Before you know it, you've got sixteen -- rooty-toot-toot!

The first two numbers of the hex are for red,
Double F's if it's alive, or snake eyes if it's dead!
But if the value's in between, what are you to do?
Divide the RGB number (zero through two hundred fifty-five) by sixteen, put that in the first decimal spot, and then throw the remainder in the second decimal spot. i.e. an RGB red value of 178 would be B2 because 16 goes evenly into 178 eleven times (B) and you have a remainder of 2.

[chorus]
Hex on you!
Hex on you!
Hex on you!
Hex on you!"

Alright, so the ending wavered a little bit, but I think the chorus pulled it right back together. Song aside, if you really want to learn what those hexes are all about, check out the wikipedia entry. You'll feel 0000FF if you don't!

FallCon and NCS Weekend Events

FallCon is this weekend over at the MN Fairgrounds. Those of you with money to burn will want to check out three brand new books we'll have on hand: Max's graphic novel "Commune," Zander's 24 hr comic "The Lost Penguin of Elephant Island," and my 24 hr comic "A General Theory of Love."

Details at MNCBA.com

Also, Cedric emailed us with the lowdown on what's happening locally this weekend with the National Cartoonist Society, whose members include Bill Amend (Foxtrot), Michael Jantze (The Norm), Tom Richmond (MAD Magazine), and Jerry Van Amerongen (Ballard Street):

1. Friday night (tonight!) 6-8pm there will be a "meet the cartoonists" gallery opening at MCAD. The exhibit, called "eyeToons" features over 80 cartoons and illustrations from members of the National Cartoonists Society.

2. Saturday 1:00pm - Panel discussion at FallCon entitled "Ask the Cartoonists!". Discussion will focus on the future of cartooning, impact of the internet, breaking into cartooning, working with publishers and syndicates, and Q&A from the audience. Panelists are Michael Jantze, Tom Richmond, Jerry Van Amerongen, and Cedric Hohnstadt

3. Saturday 7:30pm - MCAD Auditorium - Slideshow presentations by artists Michael Jantze, Tom Richmond, and Jerry Van Amerongen. Tom talks about his experiences as a parody artist for Mad Magazine and it's a great presentation.

Some Shanks Quickies

I found these old scans while cleaning out my computer. Thought I'd air them out. These were made on the plane to San Diego last year.

First Ammendment Party Pics.

Here are some photos of opening night at the First Ammendment Gallery.


Designer Amy Jo and Bjorn make me a shirt.


Blackbelt print-maker Jenny Schmid talks to Tooth.


Doomtree's P.O.S and Paper Tiger


Vincent Stall and Dan Schlissel play "King Mini Comic" in the Stand Up Records warehouse.


Wes and Letta make shirts for the kids.


My wife Anna and Dave Schroeder.

Despite all motivation, we press on.

Many have said that 'My 4 Bosses' has not escaped the irrelevance of 'My 3 Bosses' and that not only does it no longer reflect a true group dynamic, but that it is also dumb.

My response to such comments has normally been a blank stare, or possibly, a nodding endorsement. I don't remember all of the times. Anyway, this clever and insightful episode should help put to rest all fears of My 4 Bosses being a weekly forray from the land of nonsense.