A Tribute to Lemmy Kilmister, by Robert Valley (and Metallica)

Robert Valley, one of the (if not thee) most inspired animators/illustrators currently working, has crafted a mind-melting eyegasm tribute to the mighty Lemmy Kilmister.  It's maybe a bit unusual that it's in the form of a video for Metallica and their new track "Murder One," but, hey, however this masterpiece needed to be conceived and delivered into the world is fine by me.  it's worth noting that Valley animated this entire piece in Photoshop.  fucking Photoshop!  who does that??  (eventually i will get off of my ass and put together a feature on Valley's work... everything he has touched is golden.)


feel free to enjoy the video with the Metallica soundtrack, or, if yer like me, it might be a bit more appropriate to hit mute and  have some of Lemmy's sounds to chase it down with.

recommended alternate soundtrack

1830s animation with the Phenakistoscope

Forty years before the advent of motion pictures, and eighty years before the development of modern animation, creative minds were already attempting to make a series of static images magically move for an audience.  One of these earliest pioneers was Belgian inventor Joseph Plateau, who created the Phenakistoscope in 1831.  His device used images on a spinning wheel that, when looked at through a slit onto a mirror, created the optical illusion of movement.  The phenakistoscope was considered a novelty or a child's toy at the time, since only one viewer at a time could look through it, but the basic formula for motion pictures was officially in place.  in 1871, Eadweard Muybridge would use a series of successive photos to make the first movie, "The Horse in Motion," and in 1914, Windsor McCay would become one of animations most prominent pioneers with "Gertie the Dinosaur."  The work of Plateau helped pave the way. 

Richard Balzer has been compiling and digitizing many of these early phenakistoscopes into GIFs, as well as other early animation devices like zoetropes, fantascopes, and thaumascopes. Without his effort, this art form would likely have passed into the ether.  please go to his website HERE and his Tumblr HERE to see more and to gather more information.

"The Maxx" - (Mtv Oddities 1995) and the Maxximum Sound comic soundtrack (Animated Alligator 1993)

Sam Kieth rose to prominence as a comic book artist in the mid/late 1980s, most notably co-creating The Sandman with Neil Gaiman.  His intensely detailed and anatomically warped drawings made him a fan favorite, but by 1993 he bailed on mainstream comics and joined the independent creator-owned Image Comics, where he created The Maxx, one of the era's most original books.  In 1995,  The Maxx was adapted into thirteen 11-minute animated episodes for Mtv Oddities.  Kieth's idiosyncratic art style, right down to the panel layouts of the book,  and surrealistic story was almost perfectly captured.  The Maxx could quite possibly be the most faithful comic book-to-animation-or-film translation ever.  The series was released on VHS in the late 90s, and finally showed up in 2009 on dvd, but only as an Amazon "made on demand" dvd-r of poor quality.  Apparently, Amazon has now made a better quality dvd available, with full episode commentaries and interviews with Sam Kieth (get it HERE).

It is worth noting that The Maxx animated series was preceded in 1993 by The Maxx: Maxximum Sound soundtrack cassette, an audio dramatization meant to be listened to while reading along with the first three issues of the comic series.  Produced and directed by Stephen Romano of Animated Alligator, Maxximum Sound was made available with a coupon in The Maxx #4.  This production acted as a demo of sorts that helped convince Mtv to bring the animated series to life.

here are the first five episodes of The Maxx,  as well as the Maxximum Sound soundtrack HERE.  all are here for scholarly review only, of course.

Recently, IDW has published The Maxx: Maxximized, the entire reissued, remastered comic series, as well as The Maxx: Artist Edition. 

HERE is an interview with Sam Kieth about the reissues and what's in the future for The Maxx.

Aeon Flux (dir. Peter Chung - Liquid Television shorts 1991-92)

in 1991 and '92, Aeon Flux first appeared as a series of six wordless short films on Liquid Television, Mtv's animated anthology.  Peter Chung's bizarre sci-fi vision was drenched in kinky sexuality and violence, and popped off the screen like nothing else at the time.  The dramatic figures were always contorted into spidery Egon Schiele-style poses, Chung's boldly surrealist style of storytelling always kept the viewer engaged but disorientated, and the animation still crackles with pure electricity 20 years later.  a masterpiece.

later, Aeon Flux evolved into an even stranger thirty minute weekly series on Mtv, complete with dialogue and a wider and more complex storyline, but those episodes do not hold a candle to the initial six short films.

Aeon Flux - Pilot. 01 from muhgre on Vimeo.

Aeon Flux - War. 02 from muhgre on Vimeo.

Aeon Flux - Gravity. 03 from muhgre on Vimeo.

Aeon Flux - Leisure. 04 from muhgre on Vimeo.

Aeon Flux - Mirror. 05 from muhgre on Vimeo.

Aeon Flux - Tide. 06 from muhgre on Vimeo.

Fire and Ice - dir. Ralph Bakshi 1983

the Ralph Bakshi sword and sorcery classic, modeled after the work of Frank Frazetta. check the backgrounds painted by a young Thomas Kinkade, who had not yet evolved into the artistic scumlord that he would later become.

Tomorrowland: Disney in Space and Beyond (1955-57)

"welcome to the beginning of the future..."

in the mid 50's, Disney produced several fantastic episodes of Tomorrowland for ABC. these primetime specials brought the Space Age into every American home and helped greatly in garnering support for an ambitious space program which is still one of humanities greatest accomplishments. Ward Kimbell was the producer/director of these and they are full of clearly presented facts with absolutely brilliant modernist animation.

still essential for all children, and their parents alike.

Mars and Beyond (1957) *show starts at the 1:50 mark*




Man in Space(1955)



Man and the Moon(1956)

Star Wars: the Clone Wars (2003-2005 microseries)

in 2003, Samurai Jack creator Genndy Tartakovsky was given the task of creating all new Star Wars shorts that would run between shows on Cartoon Network, and then later a series of longer episodes for season 2.  it was fucking amazing.  it doesn't get much attention now, and some of that might be on purpose by Lucasfilm since the newer CGI show came out.  but when i was drawing The Clone Wars for Dark Horse Comics a few years back, these were the shows that inspired me (much to the fan's disappointment haha.  cartooniness is not exactly what SW fans are looking for). it's classic Star Wars that has the same spirit of the original films. enjoy.

Mike Ploog

some killer work from one of the undisputed yet under appreciated masters of comic and fantasy art, Mike Ploog.

The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb (directed by Bolex Brothers 1993)

there are no words to describe this shockingly bizarre stop motion film.  it kinda says everything it wants to say all by itself.

released in 1993 from the bolexbrothers, a British animation studio headed by David Borthwick, The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb uses stop motion techniques with the animation as well as the live actors.  it's a disorientating viewing experience, for sure.

*editor's note:  the film on it's own can maybe get a bit, um, tedious at times, so if you are looking for some Head Medicine-approved audio/video goodness, i highly recommend synching this up with Tool's Aenima (the whole album is HERE)

the Amazing Screw On Head pilot

the fantastic animated adaptation of the mike mignola classic comic book, the Amazing Screw-On Head, done as a pilot for the Sci Fi Channel in 2006.  stupid bastards didn't greenlight it for series though, and, like most great things, was forced into cult classicness.

Dried Up

the senior thesis film from Kansas City Art Institute animation graduates Jeremy Casper, stuart bury, and isaiah powers. this film won a silver medal in the Student Academy Awards. it should have won gold. jeremy and i will be collaborating down the road. that should be fun.

dried up from jeremy casper on Vimeo.