They're Back..........Maybe?

So it has come to my attention that Matt Groening's sci-fi comedy Futurama might be returning for the second time. Ok? I'll start off by saying that I've always been a fan of Futurama. It's one of my favourite projects of Matt Groening, second only to his yellow nuclear family. This series encompassed Groening's brand of provocative humour, but it managed to be strong in its own right. I admired how its world-building presented a variety of imaginative and wacky predictions, however, these predictions would also be used as satire on our culture and society in general. But the social commentary always took a back seat to the clever storytelling and the humour that was applied to certain tropes. The characters could be funny, but they could be multi-layered too. For example; Bender may have a questionable moral centre, but he remains so likeable. Like how he considers his co-workers to be his friends, even if he doesn't wanna show it. Not only could you feel for them, but they were made stronger with great vocal performances. It explains why it still has a dedicated cult following to this day, whether or not they're fans of the sci-fi genre.

But unlike Matt's long-running series, Futurama has the distinction of ending not once, but twice. When it had its rebirth (the first time around) it was like the show had never ended. Sure there may have been a few alterations, but I felt the Comedy Central era was just as great. I also believe it ended on a high note, it really tied up everything while also being kinda open-ended. However, I considered the possibility that we might return to the "World of Tomorrow" for a second time. But with these recent revelations, I must ask; do we really need to?

This may be a hot, spicy take but I feel the series did all that it can. As much as I greatly enjoyed the Comedy Central era, I'll be honest I thought its well of ideas was beginning to run dry. I feel the last season provided closure for the characters, so I'm glad the series ended before it lost its momentum. And I'm glad it didn't end up like other shows that have passed their prime and gone on longer than they needed to. I know this may sound hypocritical of me, considering I'm still a fan of 'The Simpsons' in its modern era. I'm in the minority that's willing to give the new episodes of that series a chance, no matter what. So what it had its share of duds over the years; if a show has been on air as long as Homer and his dysfunctional family have, it's bound to happen. And that's the concern I have for this possible revival, because the more episodes that are made, the chances of them being consistently good are less than likely.

However, I could be wrong on this. There's a possibility that these new adventures might be just as good as it was, if not better. That's a best-case scenario. Worst-case scenario, they might lack the inventive spark it had. I might depreciate the whole series in my eyes. Also; considering Groening is still busy working on 'Disenchantment', he obviously won't be prominent in the production of these new episodes. I just think he needs to focus on his current airing projects. This series could take the franchise in a completely new direction, that we might welcome with open arms.

So those are my thoughts concerning Futurama's potential return. I just feel the series had its time and I don't see any reason for it to come back around again. Only time will tell if it will see the light of day or not, or if it'll even have the same charm. Maybe it's time to give new show ideas a chance or if you're going to revive old properties, why not the ones that didn't get a proper conclusion. Otherwise, we'd just be repeating the past rather than moving forward. But I digress. So tell me your thoughts on this, are you looking forward to seeing Planet Express again, or are you hesitant? Let me know if you think this idea is as farcical as any of the show's predictions.

Once upon a Timmy Progress

For as long as I've been on Blogger, I felt I've not been using it as I hoped. You see, I started this blog to showcase the progress of my artwork and discuss topics I found interesting. I hoped that it would help me in my journey as an artist. However, I feel like I've neglected it over the years, as most of my entries were dedicated to my trivial thoughts. So to maintain content on this blog, I'm going to start off this new direction with a recent piece of mine.

You may have noticed I've talked about the cartoon 'Fairly Odd Parents'; very frequently. I've discussed what worked and what didn't work about the series. I've also stated how people wish it didn't overstay its welcome (whether they be fans or not). I did so with concern because it was still a part of my childhood; I hoped it would conclude better than it did. Even if it was hokey and silly, there was a time when it was more than just 'fairly' good. So I decided to put the effort I put in critiquing the show into practice. What do I mean by that? I decided to make my own version of the series, as Butch Hartman would put it; it's the characters in the Milo Coco style!

It was a fun exercise to take existing characters and adapt them to a storybook-like approach. My aim was to take what I liked about the cartoon and apply my own sensibilities. I started with the characters; at first glance, it might seem like I'm taking these simple geometric designs and making them more lifelike. But I did my best to capture the personality traits of these characters.

I had to work out the body proportions and what facial features to emphasise. With Cosmo and Wanda, I like their characteristics enough, but I would draw inspiration from other fairy characters; so to add to their features. I liked meddling with their exaggerated hairpieces. 

I also enjoyed drawing Crocker; I tried to capture his deformed, decrepit appearance as well his manic expressions and body movements. 

After the characters were all drawn out, it was time to figure out their poses and where to place them. The same would apply to the watercolour effects.

I would then produce further studies to see what poses to put the characters. I would also experiment with tones and textures, trying to add highlights and details with the different brushstrokes. When I had sketched out the roughs and final layout drawing, I would experiment with the watercolour. As soon as the final illustration was done, I would take it to Photoshop to fix the colours and lighting.

Furthermore, I did this project out of fondness and appreciation for Fairly Odd Parents. Not to necessarily fix it, but to represent what it did right. The series had a charm that was all it's own, it's just a shame how it's reputation was tarnished. I wanted to offer my interpretation of this comical fairy tale, as my own creative exercise. The show showcased many morals; but one lesson I learned from it, it's to leave good enough alone to not let it stay too long.

Paula Rego Tribute

It saddens me to inform you that Portuguese artist Dame Paula Rego has passed away.

For those who don't know, Rego was the first artist of that nationality for me to be exposed to. Being half Portuguese myself, I couldn't have found anyone better. I've always admired her work, as she was one of the few contemporary fine artists to project narrative into her works. What I found intriguing about her work was how her style would evolve, each series of pictures would project themes and topics that were personal to her. Rego would make her models project bold emotions through body language and expressions.

I will take consolation in the fact she kept drawing and creating up to this point. Because her works not only left an impact on me but the Portuguese art scene in general. And I hope future generations will take note of this.

RIP 
Paula Rego
1935-2022

Top 10 Female Artists

Well, it's been a while since I've made a fresh top 10 list, hasn't it. Sorry if it's been so long; but it's hard to compete with the number of lists the Internet has to offer. So to get into the habit of posting more on this blog, I'm going to use for its original intention, to analyse the techniques of paintings. In honour of International Women's Day,  I've decided to list the women artists that I admire. As I'm all about gender diversity, I believe those female artists can be just influential, aspiring and talented as male ones. This list will cover artists who've worked in illustration, animation and fine art, once again, this is based on the artists that I look up to the most, so its all subjective. 

10. Marcia Williams

Many of you may not who she is, but I'll give you the skinny. For over 30 years, British illustrator Marcia Williams has adapted classic stories into comic stript form. As a child, I was an avid collector of her comical retellings. Looking back on them, there's a simplistic charm to how she's able to make these amazing stories in a manner that children can both understand and enjoy. From mythology to the works of William Shakespeare, she has also tackled history. Her use of ink and watercolour would evolve from being simple and child-like to a comical style. She offers a light-hearted take on these stories, as she adds her own quirky sense of humour. These little jokes still manage to hold up as well as the art and storytelling. She definitely puts the comic in comic relief. If you're like me, you probably discovered these stories and/or historical figures through at least one or two of her stript styled renditions.

I'm always interested to see what Williams has to offer, there's just a charm to her simplified versions; that actually formed my own sense of humour. It's always fun to re-visit her from time to time.

9. Sandy Nightingale 

Here's another artist you might not be familiar with, but I've discovered through second-hand books. Her
earlier works adapt poems and fairy tales for young readers, but what makes her versions effective is her distinctive character design. Which is done with such finesse and detail that convey strong expressions. But her work managed to get much more colourful and expressive over the years. Her collaboration with writer Sandi Toksvig has such quirky mannerisms and smooth tones and values that I aim to use a similar approach with my own artwork. Nightingale is an example of an artist that needs more attention than she gets. I can imagine you saw her illustrations as a child, and again as an adult. 

8. Susan Young

You may not know her by name, but if you've listened to a lot of music in the 90s, you might have seen her animations. I learnt of her when she actually made a lecture at my university years ago. She has worked with the likes of David Bryne and did advertisements for Levis. What struck me about her animations was the colour and fluidity. The movements are both expressive and believable. Young's use of effects and metamorphosis display such colour to these beautifully energetic sequences. 

Although she did not do anything during the 2000s, she was able to fall back on her studies in psychology. She has been able to return to filmmaking by representing the human psyche through autoethnographic effects. If you wish to explore her works for yourself, check out her website and Vimeo for some truly enigmatic sequences.

7. Pauline Baynes

I believe the fantasy genre today owes a lot to Baynes. Her ink and colour plate illustrations for J.R.R Tolkien and C.S Lewis (respectively) have managed to bring Middle Earth and Narnia to life. Her character designs convey such believable charismatic posing, while the backgrounds make you feel like you're stepping into the page. She was able to work with a variety of colour palettes, from simple to detailed. Baynes could also evoke the spirit of medieval miniatures, making the fantasy worlds immersive.

6. Rene Cloke

Although I was born and raised a millennial, I was still able to discover the illustrators from before my time. Rene Cloke is mainly known for her artwork for children's literature and greetings cards. Her depictions of mystical fantasy beings like fairies and elves are so full of whimsy. There's such a fluidity in her character design and brushstrokes that helped formed the building blocks of my own individual style and sense of world-building. Both her children and animal characters are drawn in a cute and quaint fashion, that manages to stay charming after all these years. Whether it be her illustrations for Enid Blyton or tales from the public domain, Cloke could deliver her magic touch to each story in her own fanatical way. And although some of her works may be products of her time, generations of children are likely to be enchanted by her whimsical creatures,  

5. Faith Jaques

From the very first time I saw the works of Faith Jaques, I knew there was something unique and special about her. There's such a quint charm to Jaque's illustrations that would resonate with me, in a way they made me take books seriously; as a medium and an art form. When I was trying to form my own style, I looked to her for inspiration, there's something so distinctive with how she drew characters and the attention to detail to make them pop out. Whatever the size of her artwork, you could feel the mark makings in every aspect of it. The characters display such gestural posing and distinctive facial features that encouraged me to explore spot illustration. No matter how long the material, or how old I get, the illustrations of Faith Jaques still hold up in my book.

4. Hilda Boswell

Yet another illustrator from before my time, just like Rene Cloke; Hilda Boswell's book illustrations have such a whimsical charm to them. Though she may not be as big a household name as Kate Greenaway, I believe she deserves to be held in much higher regard. When I discovered the books she illustrated at a very young age, I remember being enchanted by her use of luscious colour and expressive draftsmanship. This was an artist who could work with a range of different media, from her tonal application to her flat opaque colours. Boswell's illustration captured such emotion and body language that make the characters come alive. There's a beauty to her expressive characters and colours that embodies the last century, but it doesn't feel overly saccharine. Looking at a Boswell illustration is like an illustration paradise. I could go on about how much of an impact she left on me, but I'll just say she is definitely worth looking into if you want to go into children's book illustration.  

3. Frida Kahlo

It seems typical of me to include the most renowned female/Latin artist who ever lived, and that I'm half

Latino myself. But there's something so fascinating about the life and works of Magdelena Carman Fraida Kahlo y Calderon. At face value, the fact that an artist's body of work mainly depicts themselves may seem egotistical. But Kahlo's self-portraits say a lot about her pain and personal experiences. Like a lot of Mexican folk art, Kahlo's paintings are very surreal and take inspiration from Aztec mythology. Her use of vibrant colours and tonal application give her pictures their own language. These surreal depictions of herself reflect her personal growth and resilience, you can tell she used art as therapy. People have given many interpretations of these surreal elements, reading them as symbols for good reason. She remains an influence on female artists and Mexican culture as a whole.

2. Georgia O'Keeffe

When it comes to colour and tonal values, its Georgia O'Keeffe that planted the seeds for my approach to such. This is a painter who needs no introduction. O'Keeffe depicted both natural forms and architectural buildings on a large scale. Each floral painting showcases a variety of tones, she would capture the essence of her subject, taking sections of it and turning them abstract. People have theorised that her paintings contain innuendo to a woman's genitalia, but I for one see them as natural exploration. Whatever way you read into her work and how you interpret it, you can still admire the strokes that went into such an impression.  

1. Paula Rego

While I do understand modern art, I can't say I'm personally a fan of it. But one artist from the modern era that's using the medium to convey a narrative, and one I still admire to this day is Portuguese artist Maria Paula Figueiroa Rego. Being half Portuguese myself, Paula was the first artist I discovered of that nationality. She was also my earliest exposure to modern art in general. This is an artist whose work has evolved so much, going through many changes. Paula has worked in a variety of media, She has taken inspiration from folk tales and interpreted them in an avant-garde fashion. But she has also reflected themes that are personal to her, such as feminism. She captures raw human emotion through body language and facial features. She's able to exaggerate reality that she even features models that she herself constructed. Her works can tell a story, whether it be through mannerisms or symbolism and I hope more people will look back on the legacy she's left on the Portuguese art scene.

And those are some of my favourite female artists, they're many other amazing artists I could have given an honourable mention to. But I'll go into those another day. As always, tell me if you agree with my choices or not. And discuss your favourite female artist as well. Now if you excuse me, I got to think of a better way to close out these blog posts.

What Cow and Chicken Means To Me

If you were a child in the 90s, there's a chance you watched Cartoon Network in its early days. This channel got its start broadcasting a library of animated shorts from Warner Bros and MGM respectively; as well as Hanna Barbera's vast programming. But it wasn't long till the channel started creating its own original programming, their first wave of shows was called the 'Cartoon Cartoons'. One of these shows that helped build their empire was Cow and Chicken. The show was about these interspecies siblings, who would be put into various scenarios. But as each episode goes on, these situations would get crazier, they would often have encounters with a devil called the Red Guy. This was a show I watched a lot on the channel as a child, there was something to its characters and settings I adored. However, as my interests shifted away from it, I would want more out of the kid's shows I watched; but is there something about it that people are forgetting to appreciate?

On the surface, the stories might seem nonsensical, you might even think they sound absurd. I mean a 

young calf has a fully grown udder, and a boy fowl is called 'chicken'. But that's just the type of bizarre logic that the show lives by. By removing realism, it can make for more interesting stories. If you're willing to buy surreal ideas like talking farm animals eating pork butt and potatoes for dinner, you can buy this too. As long as it can pull you in with its bizarre logic and antics with the relatability of its characters. The lines are delivered in a way that gives the stories their own spice and flavour. The show also contains gross-out humour, I may have criticised other shows for using that brand of humour, but it works here. A lot of it involves meat products, as well as innuendo. People often compare its comedy to 'Ren and Stimpy', but I feel the show offers its own approach to that style of humour. I'd dare say this show did a better job with this trend of grotesque wackiness. I was worried that it wasn't the masterpiece I remember it to be. The gross-out doesn't bother me much as it's not the main focus, the real meat of the story is how it plays with tropes and your expectations. I love the show so much I don't question its logic or sanity. But the way it pushes things to an extreme also applies to how it's drawn. The designs on the characters and backgrounds give them a distinctive style, the features make them look strange, but they fit with the world they live in. The movements on the characters don't go overly surreal, there's a weight and restraint to the fluidity that make the motion and physical humour effective. It's really the comedy and stories that carry the visuals.

Looking back, the two lead characters have such a strong dynamic. Cow may be overly cheery and optimistic but she can also get emotionally attached to certain characters. She's always looking out for her older brother, despite all the pain and mayhem she puts him through. But she also has a superhero identity to help out those in need. Chicken is the more cynical and aggressive protagonist in contrast. His attitude and manic energy is reflective of young boys. His reactions to the character's stupidity and to his setting make him the straight man, he is able to work off Cow extremely well. But I think the character everyone remembers the most is The Red Guy. He makes for a comical antagonist who likes to mess with our main characters, as he serves as the catalyst for the situations. He appears in a wide variety of personas depending on the story, it's always interesting to see how his schemes turn out. His deviousness is a joy. What makes him so funny and memorable is his flamboyant mannerisms and fierce remarks, part of that comes from Charlie Adler's voice performance; he's able to give off such a vociferous range when portraying these characters. The supporting characters also have their share of funny moments, like the human parents who are seen from the waist down. There's also the main character's cousin, Boneless Chicken who has a deprecating sense of humour; he doesn't let his handicap hold him back. 

It is one of the funniest TV shows of the late 90s, without a doubt, it showed David Feiss as a pioneer in the field of animation. It's shows like Cow and Chicken that prove that they don't necessarily need to be deep or complex or have story arcs to be great. You just have to be good at what you do, and what this cartoon does is make me laugh. And if you can tell engaging stories and portray compelling characters that'll draw you in while also making people laugh; that's an impressive feat. Coming back to this show made me see how humour can be just as important a factor. It's worth going back to for some bonafide laughs. 

But the question remains, would I replace Gravity Falls on my favourite animated shows list for this? Well, while Cow and Chicken has been in my life longer than that show has, Gravity Falls just has the right balance of humour and lore. Gravity Falls may contain details and plot points for the viewers to decipher, but you can tell the makers of C&C tried to connect to a specific sense of humour. Dipper and Mabel may have a similar dynamic, but they're fleshed out throughout, but that doesn't make the ones from C&C any less charming or well written. It also has ambiguously LGBT characters, but C&C had ones long before, in a banned episode may I add. Gravity Falls did open up to mystery and world building for children, C&C did the same for mine and other people's sense of humour by presenting a wild part of it. Well, depending on what mood I'm in, I could like one or the other either way.