Marc The Crab: Episode 5 (My Crab Will Go On)

Yes, Marc the Crab is still dead… but what he didn’t realize, when he jumped to his death from that 4 inch step, is that even though he turned into a has-been, he was still loved by those closest to him. And thus, the crab will go on… through flashbacks, and arteries… or whatever other place you people want to put him. I personally prefer a box…

This episode was slightly more complex, since most of the footage was actually shot intentionally for the video. Something that takes an entire day to shoot, will only end up being shown for half a second once things are edited. Thus, the cruelty of filming when actually planned is not being able to show what really went on. Like missing Keeya’s “Ebony” name tag… or Ed’s (aka Philipino Prostitute) tag that simply read “María.”

I have to thank my friends (and Marc The Crab’s) for going out of their way to help me with this. It was actually quite fun… and I must say I have a new-found respect for Ed. Once you see the video, you’ll know what I’m talking about.

The actual technique was laying past and present images on iMovie, creating some sort of absurd parallel action effect. One of Marc’s funeral, and the other one of his girlfriend Mega Megan releasing his ashes into the wind. The humor is found in how overly redudant a double funeral really is. My favorite parts are the flashbacks, and me exorcising Geary

Special thanks to Celine Dion for the pop ballad…

Cheers,
-Alex

Fall 07 – Character Design – The Different Faces of Sphincter

After being satisfied enough with the Mantis hot bodies (Coco ended up being more flat, while Brenny and Charona are more “round-figured”), it is time to move on to the many faces of Sphincter. As many of you know, he’s one of the funniest characters in the pilot, because it is up to him to deliver the most outrageous lines in each scene.

The following is a design exploration on who can he end up being.

This first one I really like. He has that weird mix of Freud meets Mr. Miyagi… which is why I like him a lot. He’s one of those first character I decided to actually go for the “slanted” eyes approach, rather than the dots I had originally thought of.

While the first page has more of a facial variety, the second page explores Sphincter’s possible posture. My first take on him was of a hunched old man… a decrepit monk (similar to Master Splinter)… and even though you might see him here looking more “alive,” this approach is already being rejected as I think it.

The last one, I was just doing a free-style exploration on things that don’t really make sense. I got tired of drawing rats and mutated animals with 3 legs came to be. Personally, this exploration I find to be more hillarious, but really… what am I going to do with a rat’s head on the body of a sea horse snake.

Soon enough, you’ll be seeing a flash version of these drafts. Let me know what ya think.

-Alex

Port+folio

This is the flash gallery where you’ll get a glimpse at the best of my artwork… including photography, graphic design, and video art.

GALLERY

Click here to view my updated port+folio.

INTERACTIVE

I included some screen shots above on interactive pieces like websites and flash games; below are the links to those files.

1.Alternative Weddings is a wedding planning company aimed at the GLBT community.
2.Veal or No Veal is a small spin-the-wheel game in which the user can explore different ways of killing a calf.
3.Mantis in Pantis: Fun at the Market is a promotional animated video for my Mantis In Pantis series.

Don’t forget to visit my actual video channel in YouTube. There you’ll find animations, video art, the Marc The Crab adventures, and other goodies you shouldn’t miss.

Enjoy,
-Alex

Fall 07 – Identity Developement – Mantis in Pantis Promo

Heads up! The girls are at it, yet again… this time at the supermarket. They cannot keep their claws to themselves… nor their starving fangs off men’s necks.

Alex says:

I had a lot of fun creating this promo for my tv series, Mantis In Pantis, which is still on its early production stages. Read the pilot here, and tell me what you think.

Who the f*ck are the mantis?

The Mantis are crime fighting super heroes that live in Silicon City (known by many as the “new” New York), the most rotten place in America. They handle criminals that regular government officials cannot manage. Once upon a time they were regular insects, but because of a tragic prescription pills accident, the mantis became as big and as smart as humans. Watch them date, watch them go through therapy, watch them fight, and most importantly, watch them flaunt those tight little… claws.

-Alex
think.alexetism.com

doodled portraits

As many of you know, instantmatic art can be one of the most enjoyable. Similar to photographs, they remind us of the moment in which they were created. Even better than photographs, they capture the actual impression carved into our subconscious by a moment of clarity. Here I’m including the doodled portraits my friends or myself have drawn at a particular moment in time.

The first one is drawn during a magical night of life and love during Burning Man 07. I kept on taking pictures of my group, yet they didn’t turn out as magical as I expected (in fact, we looked horrible… and crazy looking). The reality that could be captured by the camera, wasn’t the same as the one that we were living in our mind. Thus, the creation of this portrait. In that particular night, 5 of us submerged into a wonderful journey that I can only describe as one of the best moments of my life. I’m not one to be “altered” all the time, but sometimes, as my friend Kai says, you’ve just got to “open ya mind.”

The second one is “submitted” by my friend Abe during one of those nights in which you are out and hungry, yet there’s nothing open but diners. So, as I was doddling a “Buy My T-Shirt” idea…. Abe was staring at me doodling me. I don’t need to say that it turned out quite fabulous. A true example of the copy of the copy. Now, that I’m uploading this photo, it becomes the copy of the copy of the copy. Thank you God for abstract thought.

The third session is done on one of my favorite souveniers.. coasters. This one comes from San Diego. Sitting at a bar, my friend and collaborator Cat drew me on one side, and I drew her on the other side. The drawings turned out disastrous (because it was a bad idea to use a wet coaster)… but the idea remained a pretty cool one. Looking back at it, maybe it is two sides of the same “coastered” coin?

Now, this is my favorite favorite. Also made by Cat. This time on actual paper, and idealizing me slightly… she simply nailed my profile. I just love how notebooks have that quality that unifies everything you do by the penetration of ink through different pages. It is a drawing decorated by past and future journal entries. In a world where all of our experiences come through us without a context (a never-ending present tense), ink splattered reminds us where whe’ve been, and what came after.

This one is made by someone I used to know, and I can only imagine that this person doesn’t want public credit for this amazing drawing (if the person does, then I’ll “update” this entry at some point). So, as we say in Spanish… with this portrait, I’m naming the miracle, yet not the saint. This art piece is another example of a copy of a copy of a copy. Based on a photo, turned into a drawing on cardboard (a medium I wish to get more into), and now a photo again. Kinda like recycling, eh?

Now, nothing says you’ve lost it like sitting on a curb where cars are going really fast… a curb that can easily be missed by a drunk driver/senior-citizen/tourist, killing you in an instant. Marc and I thought it would be a good idea to just sit on a Market St. intersection and watch the cars turn away last minute. As we sat, and sketched… these are the images that came flowing that boy’s fingertips.

I hope you guys enjoyed this entry dedicated to the exploration of hand-drawn portraits. They definitely connect you more to a memory than the memory itself. Why is that? Maybe it is because they objectify an experience that would remain subjective otherwise. It is when we deflower the virginity of a journal page, that we seal the memory as an actual fact, taking away any doubts of it being a dream.

-Alex

p.s. Anyone who wishes to submit their own portraits that document a moment in their lives (or our lives if I was there), feel free to send them my way.