Monday, November 22, 2010

UP Fair wrap UP (Pt. 1)

Leann and I are back from Lexington, Kentucky. Back from the majesty that was the very first UP FAIR! So many nice people to thank. So many friends to thank. Lots of new friends met. Kevin Cross and Raul Aguirre, jr (my Ghettomation co-podcasters), you were missed, but a blast was had! Where do I begin? First off, I'd really like to say thanks to my good friends Justin and Leslie Stewart for having Leann and myself at their home. I'd also like to thank all the organizers of the UP Fair for making this such positive experience.

My booth at the Carnegie Center. Simple, colorful, efficient. Like me. Yeh?

I was selling prints and DVDs. Everything I needed fit into one tiny suitcase.

This was the view as you walked into our sales room (there were two rooms). The other room was bigger, but or room was filled with love. Love that filled our hearts with songs of joy. Songs that made the birds jealous of our joyful love and fulfillment.

The view from my table. Justin Stewart (Left) and the lovely Kim Holm. Yes, we laughed, we cried, and we talked about highly intelligent topics just as you would expect from someone of my high caliber of intelligence, right? In short- we had a huge fun.

I showcased my animation at the "Up with Ghettomation" screening/Q & A". We had some technical difficulties with the projector (actually the center's laptop was messed up) at first, but the Up Fair staff came in like gangbusters and Jerzy and Ann Drodz let me use their laptop to play the DVDs. Also, BIG THANKS to Pat Higgins for lending me his audio cable. He was the hero of the day, too.

I showed: March of the Swizelstik Army, Freakdaddy, Alphanerd, Mama I'm a Thug and about 10 really short cartoons. I debuted some stuff that has never been seen in public. Stuff that isn't on YouTube. Stuff who's name we cannot say out loud. I was thrilled with the response. This was very re-affirming that my method of animation is completely "for the people". It's all about telling a story. Whatever works. I was happy with the way things played. Aren't I always, though....after all this time?

We had a good turn out for the animation show. I was pretty impressed that folks asked questions after each film. That was really a nice feeling. I hope I answered everyone's questions to their satisfaction. I counted 16 people at the height. There were lots of workshops going on at the same time, so I think the folks that showed up were genuinely interested in the cartoons and the creation methods. That and their feet were tired and they just wanted to sit down somewhere.Finally...Krishna Sadasivam! I met the man in person. What a warm and wonderful brother from another mother. We laughed, we cried, and we talked Flash animation love/hate. It was pretty dang awesome. I knew I would like this guy and he did not disappoint. Love ya, KS!

Look- It's indie creator Ryan Dow. I'd heard his voice on various podcasts and such but didn't know what he looked like. I was sitting there, selling him a DVD and totally clueless. Finally, I asked his name...then I felt like..Duuuuh. Ryan is one of the most laid back, nicest guys you could ever meet.

I made lots of new friends and drew pictures of them. Hopefully they are all still my friends after seeing their pictures. This is Holly (photographer). Super nice.

Yes. Me and the mighty Norwegian Kim Holm. Crazy? Yes. Funny? Even more so. Kim and I hit it off big time. He is insane and lovable. He also resembles the Shroud of Turin, slightly. Here's the big reveal: He's a sweet guy and really unbelievable talented. His art is amazing. Glad to meet you Kim. He also taught me to say Brutal Kuk (PS...don't ever say that).

The man, the myth, the co-organizer...Jerzy Drozd! We had a really nice chat about how well everyone was getting along and how good it feels to have artists meet each other. This was my first time meeting each other in person, and neither one of us mentioned "Gee...you're taller than I thought you would be in person. At least not out loud. Thanks for helping this happen, Jerzy. It was a great experience.

The Carnegie Center is beautiful. There is so much to tell. I'm getting tired of typing though. I'll have to post some links to some other blogs. I haven't even mentioned the pre and post events yet....sheeeesh!

And finally, the after party at Brian and Sarah Turner's house. Those people are the saints of Lexington. Truly nice and wonderful hosts. Thank you so much. Here you see the kind of riff raff that congregated there. (L-R) Justin Stewart, Kim Holm, Me, Crouching Mark Rudolph, and Krishna Sadasivam.

Stay tuned for part two......

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice report JImbo. Cool photos. Looks like a fun time and lots of talented people. I am glad your talk went over well.

Jim Lujan said...

So many talented artists in Lexington...I mean the locals too. Great town and a really positive experience.