Category Archives: animation

BRUTE! interview in Full Moon music magazine.

bluemooncover

was approached by leading Czech indie music magazine, Full Moon, to give an interview about my work with KMFDM, Massive Attack and others.

You can check out the full interview here or read the edited translation here (my replies in bold):

 

 

1) I’m just looking at the Martin’s great painting The Great Day of His Wrath and I am still fascinating by it – by its emotional power and magnificence. What’s the strongest thing on it for you?

 

I first saw it in London and was blown away by its physical size. It’s very ominous and standing next to it made me feel inconsequential that I kept dodging looks at it over my shoulder as we were viewing other works in the same gallery. The shadows are so deep that they feel like yawning chasms ready to suck you in and the sense of apocalyptic scale increases the feeling of vertiginous dread. Martin takes snippets of dreams and then cranks them up to 11.

2) I read that your father was a landscape painter – was it him who took you to the world of art and paintings for the first time?

 

My father was a well-known sea- and landscape painter (as well as an accomplished musician) but I don’t remember him being an avid visitor of exhibitions that much. He took up to the galleries in Liverpool once or twice but neither my brother or I were interested in classical art and sculpture so I guess he gave up. However, he had an astounding collection of art and architecture books which, along with the comics and magazines I grew up with, formed the basis for much of the work I do today. I can remember him teaching me the basics of light, shade and perspective at a very early age but he seemed to let me get on with it after that and concentrated more on trying to get my brother to learn an instrument. Not that I needed any encouragement: no-one could stop me drawing. 

 

3) I noticed that you’re interested in russian constructivists and the italian futurists – are you a fan of architecture? Does it inspire you in your work somehow? I just finished reading a book about Fritz Lang’s Metropolis this weekend and everebody must see that this huge piece of art is very timeless movie which is still inspiring even today. Have you seen it?

 

 I love Cubist and brutalist structures as well as early 20th century skyscrapers and constructivist architecture, especially Malevitch’s Suprematist sculptures and the work of Futurist Alberto St, Elia. In the past couple of years, I’ve taught myself the basics in 3D design and create my own cities and streets for use as backgrounds and in computer game design. I designed most of the buildings in the ZPC game I did back in the 90s, creating hundreds of texture maps and level designs. Metropolis is one of my favourite German Expressionist films and, along with such films as M and Cabinet of Dr, Caligari, inspired much of the work I did  for that title. I find the silhouettes of tall buildings rising from the city smog to be highly evocative.
4) I saw some your new ilustration for tour for KMFDM band with some army vehicle – can you just describe it more?

 

The vehicle I created for the sleeve was a hybrid of several different types of riot vehicle which I morphed together in Photoshop before redrawing it in ink. I wanted it to look funkier and contain some of the fun feeling one gets from a tour bus whilst still retaining the killer lines. 

 

 

 

 

RIP Pete Moriarty 1966-2011

Today, I received the tragic news that my old friend Pete Moriarty, animator and artist, has died following a massive heart attack.

I met Pete when he was assigned to me as lead 2D animator on the KMFDM animation, ‘A Drug Against War’.

As soon as I met the guy, I was struck by this gentle giant’s loving approach to his art and those around him. Working tirelessly over the an arduous three-month schedule, Pete produced hundreds of beautifully-rendered pencils and final ink animation cells for the video within the raucous ambience of our sweaty, ink-stained cavern. It was a glorious time of belly laughs, high-fives and  Chicago’s finest pool halls and Pete’s contribution to the camaderie was as big as the man himself.

So, when the call came several years later to do another animation for the band, Pete’s name was my first recommendation.

Budgets being what they were in those days, Pete stayed at my house in Seattle during the production and became one of the family over the following months. Every morning after walking the kids to school, Pete and I would work our way through a pot of almost-black java and a couple of Cuban cigars on the back porch of our house in Queen Anne,  kicking ideas around and absorbing the view over the Puget Sound.

I remember we once bet him he wouldn’t swallow a spoonful of incendiary horseradish sauce someone had given us (but we’d been too pussy to taste). As I watched the children’s awestruck faces as his head turned a violent shade of purple, I knew we had made a true friend.

The last time I saw and worked with Pete was on the PC/Mac game, ZPC: No Flesh Shall Be Spared for which he and fellow Behemoth John Schnepp animated several sequences, some of which can be seen here.

His sister discovered Pete  in the early hours of 23rd September. He had died as he had lived – at his desk.

Farewell, big buddy. Today, I will toast your leaving with the traditional Jameson’s poured into the River Vltava.

Doodle from 1993


Way back in 1993, I was in Chicago, art directing the KMFDM animation ‘Drug Against War‘ at C-Pop studios. In one room, the techies slogged (doing the animation tweening and compositing) and, in another, much sweatier room, I worked night and day with the cel animation team or ‘inkies’, as we called ourselves.
To keep spirits and morale up, the team and I engaged in Art Wars: denigratory and derogatory cartoons aimed at humiliating the other animators. Pretty soon, we had a huge wall covered with these gems and I am proud to present, courtesy of ace draughtsman, Peter Moriarty (who also worked with me on ‘Sonofagun’ and the ZPC: No Flesh Shall Be Spared game for Zombie Interactive), one of the best.
In between our punishing 36-hour shifts, the team shared a love of pool which we indulged in in bars such as McNeill’s and Hoilday in the city’s Wicker Park area.
Here is one of the crowing cartoons I posted one day after a typical trouncing on the green baize.

KMFDM Animation Frames Unearthed


A fan recently sent me two frames from the KMFDM animation ‘Drug Against War’ which I worked on with H-Gun Studios in Chicago, circa 1993. The top one is a three cel composite (additional inking by Pete Moriarty) while the one below is the basic illustration which was later coloured in Photoshop and animated in Director.

Special thanks to the Bert Bosman collection.

View the video here