Have you tried buying a t-shirt online? It is a lesson in frustration. There are amazing concepts being turned into shirts and then, like small children's balloons, let go into the stratosphere never to be seen again. I am particularly upset about not getting to walk around with the image at left, from huskworks, on my chest. Grrr. I guess I will have to buy a white Hanes wife-beater and like it!

This has been all over the animation blogs lately, so you have probly seen it by now. If not, take a few minutes and absorb this animation treasure, The Thief and the Cobbler. It was obsessed over by the artist, Richard Williams, mangled by The Man, and distributed as a movie that the animator never intended to make.

Now there's a re-edited version, motivated out of love rather than profit, and the roughness of the edges makes it that much better. Stick it to The Man and enjoy it on YouTube for free!! These are amazing times we live in, no? Thanks to Cartoon Brew for waking me up to this.

Movies in the World:

Michel Gondry, leader of the free world, has a new movie The Science of Sleep, and there are now clips available online. Although it is dangerously French, it looks ready to charm the socks off anything else out there.

I mean, really. If you know of anything - besides Ratatouille- that looks better, let me know. As always, get caught up at the Gondry blog.



I guess there is a sequel to Hellboy, someday. I liked the first Hellboy a lot.

Plus, there's going to be a sequel to Elizabeth, which is one of my all-time faves. How funny is that - Elizabeth 2. It will be great though - Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, the whole Brady Bunch from the first one. Except, sadly, Vincent "What-uh?" Cassel.

I just finished watching the original Thing and it was immensely entertaining: everybody talks over each other through the whole thing! Fantastic! The monster was barely in it, but the 50's rapid-fire dialogue totally won me over. Go Thing!!

How many times have you wished you could have two of yourself around: one to get work done, and another you to just sit and noodle with a piano in the corner? This toy is for you, babe: the Pianolina! Not only is it free, and easy to figure out, you can just wind it up and let it play for you, until you grow weary of the prettiness and need to clear your head with some Scissorfight. More fun than dropping a bucket of marbles into a grand piano, and with a similar musical result. Thanks, WFMU blog!

I keep telling people: Le Dernier Cri! It's wicked awesome! I can't quite figure it out, but I imagine some Gallic Fort Thunder. They even have an actual dragon made out of ceramic plates. You are waiting for what???

I'm not totally sold on myspace... there are some fun little confabulations of images and whatnot on some of the artsier pages, and some interesting music to be found. I guess its a blast if you're out looking for confused teens to chat with, or, alternatively, a big gnarly waste of time.

All the same, Frouky wandered over to say hello and I said to myself Hey! I like this person/band/concept! Maybe you will too.

Traumatized kids from around the world have banded together to create this touching tribute to playground art. You, you can just click the images away, but for these kids... they are forever. Erg!!!

Thanks (?) to boingboing.

Will somebody help Kirk and tell him what is in the box already??

What happens to cartoons when they die before they are born? Anybody?

Whatever little blastocysts are left from Sylvain Chomet's abortive attempt at Barbacoa (which sounded absolutely hilarious) must be a far cry more inspiring than all the turds being churned out from major CG animation studios this summer. I would trade 6 "over the hedges" for some stills of the monkey trying not to be eaten in the wartime zoo. Grrr. Anybody? Anything? Hello?

Jean Michel Jarre - Zoolook

I don't know. Somebody says this is Jeunet & Caro? Seems far-fetched. I've always liked this song tho, and the kids in this video seem to really like the robots. Try it, it don't cost nothin.