The Final Episode of MeanMug 'n Slim

If you had told me I would be making this 2 months ago I wouldn't have believed you. I spent the better part of a 3 year relationship with my ex girlfriend taking inspirations from various things we did and talked about and making a goofy cartoon about it.  I never thought it would have to end.  Much like in my real life, it's very hard to imagine continuing on alone. So much so it almost prevented me from creating the final episode at all. I like to make things that are goofy and funny, so to create something so personal and sad didn't feel right at the time. Initially I went through a phase where I wanted the final episode to be heavy hitting and almost hurtful. Thankfully I got over that phase and moved on to just make something that was funny at my own expense; hitting on the humor surrounding a newly single guy. But as I started developing around that idea, the funny parts slowly became less important and almost seemed like a cheap laugh that was covering the real story behind the whole thing. So I made something that pretty much summed up exactly how I felt being newly alone and dealing with it. I just hope that maybe if someone else is going through the same thing at some point, they can watch this and know they aren't alone in feeling that way, and that there is always a tomorrow.

Storyboard for the Final Episode of MeanMug 'n Slim

My girlfriend recently dumped me and for those of you that don't know I my cartoon series, MeanMug 'n Slim was loosely based on our lives.  Seeing as how I'm currently falling through a pit of despair, I found it only fitting to end the series and possibly gain some of my own personal closure on the subject.  I found a beautiful song on the Vimeo Music Store by Nicole Reynolds called Heavy Sleeper.  I listened to it about 30 times today as I quickly scratched out this rough storyboard. As you can see I tend to just draw out the broad strokes, but most of the final product should be pretty similar. Stay tuned for the end of a series...

MeanMug 'n Slim: The Mug

New episode of MeanMug 'n Slim! I tried to approach this one a little different than normal. Usually I work tirelessly to get these finished because I love seeing the end product; however, I consciously tried to take my time with this one, only working on it a little bit at a time here and there. In the end it's all in an effort to produce a higher quality cartoon, so I hope it shows. Enjoy.

The Marathon

Finally got around to making another MeanMug & Slim short, and believe it or not it isn't gun related!  Lisa, my girlfriend and the inspiration for MeanMug, is running the Glass City Marathon this Sunday.  For those that don't know the Glass City is the nickname of my hometown Toledo, Ohio.  Just goes to show how close MeanMug & Slim is to my real life.

MeanMug Loves Guns Episode 5

Yes, it's finally here. Another record breaking episode of MeanMug Loves Guns. This one has yet again pushed the limits of time, now reaching the 2 minute mark exactly. As if that wasn't enough, this episode also pays tribute to one of my favorite movies of all time, Terminator 2: Judgement Day.

Now let's talk a little bit about how I came about this episode. For those of you that follow me, you may remember that my goal is to create 10 episodes in this particular series. I have all the guns picked out already, but aside from that, nothing is pre-planned. So when it's time to start making a new episode, I take a look at my list of guns, and I see what jumps out at me. For the big "mid season" episode I knew I would have to do something fairly epic, and what's a cartoon series about guns without a shotgun? The decision was clear, but there are so many different types of shotguns out there that the possibilities are endless. Do I want a sawed off shotgun? Pump action? Double Barrel? Then it hit me. It hit me like a shotgun blast of rock salt to the chest. Terminator 2 has one of the most iconic shotguns around - the Winchester Model 1887 with sawn-off stock, barrel, and cutaway trigger guard with standard lever loop, known as the "Rosebox Shotgun" (this information came courtesy of Wikipedia. I found out while doing research for this episode that you can find detailed information about the guns of pretty much any film). Not only is it sweet seeing Arnold cock this bad boy with one hand while driving his Harley, but the rose box reveal during The Galleria Scene from Terminator 2 has always been one of my favorite moments in movie history. So why not try and recreate it? Another goal of mine throughout this series has been to work on varying the angles I use in my cartoons to have a more cinematic feel, and nothing gives me better practice than literally building shots based off a movie. Many shots are exact recreations; however, the scene is not shot for shot because that wouldn't be adding anything new. I don't want to give too much away so I'll let you experience the rest on your own. Enjoy and keep an eye out for the next episode.

Working Still from MeanMug Loves Guns Episode 5

If you really know your movies, you can tell where I took this shot from. Otherwise you'll just have to wait to find out.

MeanMug Loves Guns: The Sniper Rifle

Finally completed my 4th episode of MeanMug Loves Guns, The Sniper Rifle.  This is the longest episode yet and for many reasons.  First off, this is the first episode that actually has more than one shot.  It actually has a lot more.  After watching my 2012 reel I knew I wanted to try and mix up my angles a bit more and start to plan my work with a more cinematic eye, ergo the need for more shots.  Although this makes the process of making an episode a little longer, it made doing the audio for this piece more fun because it took place in a few different locations that were all somewhat near eachother.

Now I know people think this is a pretty fantastical premise for a show, but at the core of it all a great deal of inspiration does come from true life. For instance I did own a rusted out El Camino for 7 years and loved it.  Another little treasure that I couldn't possibly make up is this episode's cameo appearance by my uncle Chuck.  Don't believe me? See for yourself right here.  See I told you.

So this makes 4 out of 10 episodes I want to do for this series.  I think I'm going to do 1 more MeanMug Loves Guns and then take a break for an episode outside that realm.  After that I will finish off the next 5 episodes over the course of the next few months, but until then enjoy this now because it's here.

P.S. Party Palms do exist!