Four Months Later....

I need to read more.

I found some of what I need in an old book by Michael Sells that I got in my philosophy of religion class as an undergrad.

What the hell does philosophy of religion have to with Batcat?

Far more than you'd think.

I've gone back and forth over writing this thesis as an analysis of narrative structures of comedy or the kind of spiritual aspect that I see in absurdist humor.

I keep coming back to the spiritual. I think more concrete theories of comedy have to come into play, as well. But this is what I've realized in that four months: ideally, a Batcat cartoon should function in much the same was a Zen Koan does. Something that uses an established format to intentionally confound rational thought so as to create an unmodulated immediacy between the viewer and the emotional response.

Sells draws the analogy between trying discursively describe the ineffable nature of God and trying to explain the humor of a joke. Any comedian knows that if you have to explain it, it isn't funny. That because laughter is such an irrational, instinctual response, even without absurdity layered on top of it. The Batcat style of humor, or what I am still calling freestanding humor, ideally, would take that one step further. Explanation should not only be detrimental to freestanding humor, but in fact, barely achievable.

My advisor, Tina O'Hailey, recommended a book to me that I have bought but not yet read, which she told me at one point contains a passage regarding a theory of comedy that essentially states that comedy is created by creating and then thwarting or subverting an expectation. Freestanding humor should thwart that expectation itself, either by not turning at all, or by incorporating elements into the punchline that bear no relation to the initial volley of the discourse. I prefer the former, as I envision freestanding humor as a single moment that contains set-up, turn, and punchline simultaneously.

HOLA MUCACHOS!

All right! No more annoying links. Nothing but hot embedded action!

So here are the first couple of animation tests for my thesis film, tentatively titled "The Batcat Project."

Batcat, the erstwhile deposed despot of an indeterminate third world island nation has fled to the United States to avoid prosecution by the U.N. for crimes against humanity. While he waits for theheat to blow over, he cools his heels at the Windy Meadows Maximum Security Animal Shelter, mixing with the other...unique...inhabitants, and doing whatever it takes to avoid death by boredom.

In the first sequence, Batcat harnesses the power of a new skill he's been working on. Some people work out in prison. Some fnd religion. Here, Batcat mixes the physical and the mystical as he discovers he had the ability to move - and destroy - objects with his mind. Unfortunately, his new power only works on objects produced by Oscar Mayer. The exploding weiner will be added in during post-production.

The second sequence is very much still in progress. Eventually, Batcat will smack his ping-pong ball right into the bulls-eye of the target on a dunking-booth/time machine, returning the miniature insurance-selling tyrannosaurus sitting atop the contraption to its proper time.

That may very well be the best sentence I've ever written.

Anyway, I'd love to hear what you think! Enjoy!

Sweet!

That last post is a video my friend Dominic and I made. He used to sculpt cakes. I think this was about as good as anyone could do with a bunch of Kroger cake icing, a toothpick, and half an hour. But this means I can post up videos here directly. How sweet it is. Back in a jif.

actually....

I'm gonna try out this savvy new little trick I just happened upon and see how it works out.

I must run more tests before I can be sure!

I've posted some more footage of everyone's favorite bored and ruthless winged feline over on my site. You can check out the new clips at

www.akablack.com/temp.html

I'd love to hear what you think so far!

Animatic

Two items of note: First I have a new portfolio website, which can be found at www.akablack.com, and second, I have posted an animatic for this thesis film on the site. The Quicktime movie can be found at

www.akablack.com/temp.html

the research portion of the project continues to go slowly, but the film is finally moving ahead. About 2/3 of the first sequence in the animatic is currently in-betweened. I will be posting the current version in the coming days, and new versions as I have them.

hail and saute! (I meant salute, but sometimes typos work for you)

#4&5