New Year Babies.. leyendecker..

Added a few new ones to my collection this year.. I didn't put it in chronological order:-/ Hope everyone has a great new year and an even better 2014!!  oh, also, i dropped a Rockwell in here.. can anyone tell me which one? hahaha


 

 

 

hmmm... one of these things is not like the other..

Cheatin' Update

It's been a while since I've given you, my fans, news about the progress of "Cheatin'".  We were hoping to get the film into the Sundance Film Festival, but alas, they turned it down.  I'm not sure why, but I do know that I've probably shown more films, shorts and features, in Sundance than any other filmmaker.  So perhaps they felt I was over-exposed.

But not to worry - my office manager noticed that Slamdance had a category for alumni filmmakers (we screened "Hair High" there in 2004) so we entered that festival too.  Slamdance loved my film and offered it the opening night slot - Yeah!  It should be a very prestigious night - so our "Cheatin'" crew is flying out to Utah in January to present the film at the U.S. premiere and hopefully get some distribution for the film.

"Cheatin'" will screen at Slamdance on Friday, January 17 at 8 pm, and again on Monday, January 20 at 9:05 pm.

 You can see the whole Slamdance Festival line-up here:

http://showcase.slamdance.com/Film-Festival

And you can buy tickets here:

http://slamdance.festivalgenius.com/2014/films


My French distributor, E.D. Distribution, is now holding preview screenings of the film in selected festivals.  I heard that at one screening, the film got a 3-minute ovation - I love the French!  They didn't feel that the title "Cheatin'" would work in France, so they came up with an alternative title: "Les Amants Electriques", which means "The Electric Lovers".  Perfect!

Also, even though the film is only now entering the U.S. festival circuit, it's already won two prizes at international festivals.  So we feel very optimistic about the future for "Cheatin'" - I just hope we can break the damn U.S. distributors' prejudices against animated films that are hand-drawn, not CGI, and for mature audiences.  I've been banging my head against those barriers for 6 films and I believe that "Cheatin'" is the film to break through.

Keep checking this blog for updates on the film's progress -

Bill

Obscure Namesakes #19

Obscure Namesakes #18

Buttnumb-a-thon

I became aware of Harry Knowles and his "Ain't It Cool News" website a few years ago when we wrote a glowing review of "Hair High" in his blog.  I was amazed by the power of his site and his knowledge of film.

At this year's New York Comic-Con, Harry came by my booth in his wheeled chair pushed by his hot girlfriend and we got to talk about my new film "Cheatin'", and he said he'd like to show it in his "Buttnumbathon".  And what, you may ask, is a "Buttnumbathon"?  Basically, it's Harry's 24-hour film screening held in Austin, Texas at the famous Alamo Drafthouse.

                                 Bill and Harry working out the screening details at NYCC.

He's been holding this weird event for a number of years and it's become so popular that thousands of film fans send in long letters as to why they should be invited to the event, hoping to be one of the 250 or so select few who get to watch Harry Knowles' favorite films.

Because Harry selected to show "Cheatin'", I was awarded a select seat in the theater.  So my executive producer James Hancock and I flew out to a freezing cold Austin to partake in the Buttnumbathon.

Harry has a seat in the back of the restaurant/cinema - where, much like "The Wizard of Oz", his image is projected on the screen as he introduces the films with amazing tidbits of trivia.  His tastes vary from 1950's exploitation films to Hollywood blockbusters - two of the films which Hollywood allowed him to show, because he's such a power in the Geek World, were Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug", which is wonderful, by the way, and Martin Scorsese's "The Wolf of Wall Street", which (along with "Gravity") is now one of my favorite films of the year.

So, if your butt is iron-willed, and you love weird films, please apply to Harry Knowles' 24-hour Buttnumbathon, it'll be the highlight of your life.  I give it an A+.

--Bill

Maverick Philosophy

I found this speech, from one of my heroes, as he was accepting the AFI's Lifetime Achievement Award.  I realized that it reflected my philosophy perfectly:

"There are a few of us left in this conglomerated world of ours who still trudge stubbornly along the lonely, rocky road and this is, in fact, our contrariety.

"We don't move nearly as fast as our cousins on the freeway.  We don't even get as much accomplished, just as the family-sized farm can't possibly raise as many crops or get as much profit as the agricultural factory of today.

"What we do come up with has no special right to call itself better.  It's just different.  No, if there's any excuse for us at all, it's that we're simply following the old American tradition of the maverick.  And we are a vanishing breed.  This honor I can only accept in the name of all the mavericks.  And also as a tribute to the generosity of all the rest of you, to the givers, to the ones with fixed addresses.

"A maverick may go his own way but he doesn't think that it's the only way or ever claim that it's the best one except maybe for himself.  And don't imagine that this raggle-taggle gypsy is claiming to be free.  It's just that some of the necessities to which I am a slave are different from yours."

--Orson Welles

Maureen McElheron's new book

If you know my films at all, then you know about Maureen McElheron.  She's the musical genius behind the wonderful songs heard in "Your Face", "The Tune", and the great "Hair High", among others.

I met Maureen when I first moved to New York and she was performing in a Greenwich Village nightclub.  I immediately fell in love with her voice and her original songs.  Fortunately, we became friends and when I began to create animation, I asked her to contribute some songs for the film.  Her music just seemed to fit perfectly with my style of art and humor.

And speaking of humor, she has a brand new book out, co-written with another friend of mine, Richard Smith - it's called "There Is a God!", published by Tarcher/Penguin Books.

Just so you know, it's not a religious book, although I suppose there's a bit of religion in there.  No, it's about that expression "There is a God" that people say when something miraculous happens - like
"#4 - Watching your toddler take his first steps"
 or
"#261 - Mob justice for the neighbor with the leaf blower"
or
"#270 - He doesn't know they're implants"
or
"#114 - Hitting the lottery 4 months after your divorce is finalized"

Now that it's the holiday season, this is a great gift to get for your friends.

I think Maureen and Richard should receive the Nobel Prize for Humor.  Oh, wait, there isn't one.  Well, there should be.

I give "There Is a God!" an A+

Check the book out here:
http://tarcherbooks.prohost.mobi/144995/show/ec5343a653d829fd9af6cdd4d60fefcf/

and here:
http://www.amazon.com/There-Is-God-Heartwarming-Hilarious/dp/0399167803/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386356231&sr=8-1&keywords=There+is+a+god+1001

Bill

                                   Bill and Maureen at the Traverse City Film Festival, 2012
                                              (my thanks to Brian Harwood for the photo)

Sunday Film Series, Brooklyn, Dec. 15

For all you Bill Plympton junkies who live in the NYC area - I have good news!

I'm having a very special screening of all of my new films, an excerpt from "CHEATIN'", plus some surprise films.  This will be part of the Sunday Film Series in Brooklyn, on December 15, at 6 pm.

I'll end by taking questions - although I won't answer them....just kidding.  Also, everyone who comes will get a free drawing from Mr. Plympton himself.  I'll also be offering DVDs and special prints from my new feature - they make terrific Christmas gifts.

So, tell all your friends to come by.  The screening will be at 61 Local, located at 61 Bergen St. in Brooklyn, $5 admission - and join the festivities.  See you all there!

Bill