I am wearing underwear today.


There, I have said it. I am wearing underwear today. It’s not a huge statement, but it is the truth that’s hidden beneath my new jeans that are currently choking the life out of my nether region.

Well shit, I was trying to go for a symbolic entrance about how it’s just one layer away from the raw unadulterated truth. But somehow the whole new jeans that hurt to wear thing muddled my start. So I will just have to jump to a new paragraph and just get on with it.

Today I am 36 years of age. Not old, just of age. I am still insecure about my weight, my current job, and where I am going in life. This much has not changed, and it’s somehow not that far off from where I was over 15 years ago. It strikes me as odd that this much has not changed. Yes, there have been a lot of other changes, but these things have not. I still feel fat after losing 30 lbs. I still feel like a dipshit who is stuck in a job he does not love, and I am still not being hoest with myself about who I am. This is where we get to the underwear part. This is the surface, or coverage area that is just above the raw truth. Below all of this is the naked stuff in all it’s glory. And although this might sound like the entrance to some hardcore erotica. It’s not. Just a weird comparison during a short reflective day in my life. The day I turned 36.

We all do this when our birthday comes around, regardless if you hate the day or love it. But I am not going to go into that. This is not about you or anyone else. It’s about me, and where I am at.

Too often I have kept quiet about how I feel and what I think about anything and everything. I walk the proverbial middle road, never concerning myself with getting hit. It’s better to be amiable, even adaptable so that I never offend anyone. All this has ever done is get me into a place of anger. Not at anyone in particular, even if it’s easier. No, I am angry with myself, angry for not saying what I think or feel in the moment and being 100% honest with anyone. And this builds over time. To a point where it clouds everything I want to do. This will not do. So I think the best course of action is to not do this anymore. Ever. It’s time for me to speak my mind and damn the consequences. I think this will help me open up and spend less time worrying about what I think others want me to say, and to just say what I want to. I will start small of course, and build from there. And I think the first thing I will say is that I might not wear underwear tomorrow. Just to see how it feels. And hopefully there are no zipper accidents that might cause me to pause when doing this again. It’s a good start for 36, even if it is symbolic in example. Right?

sincerely,
paulbrianthomas

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by on January 31, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in what the hell is this?
Posted by paulbrianthomas on January 31, 2012

http://www.paulbrianthomas.com/meness/what-the-hell-is-this/2012/i-am-wearing-underwear-today/

I aim to misbehave.

What is it thats starts the trip to where you are going? Is it the first step out your door? Or is it when you begin planning for the trip itself? For the most part I have always felt it started when you walked out the door. No planning, no patience, just leaving and hoping for the best. An adventure.

There are many benefits to this kind of thinking. Mainly the impulsitivity of it all seems to makes you feel free and untethered. And it does, but there is always a cost for this. Not every time, but enough to make most people stop and think. For me it comes late, but either way it’s time. One needs to plan a bit if they want to grow and become more than who or what they are now. This does not mean that I need to stop being impulsive altogether. Just that necessity has made it a priority to take the time to plan ahead more, even if it’s a little bit at first.

To expand this train of thought, I want to elaborate on how I create anything I do. From a simple illustration to an animation or a piece of film. This way you will understand how this impulsive nature has impeded my growth as an artist. I get an idea for my work from all places, in the shower, on the pot, in a car, and even when I am writing this. From there I just start building without any thought of how I will do it. The only thing that matters is creating whatever it is in whatever way I can. At first this is an easy task, everything always goes so well. I have been here before, it’s home. I know the tools, the processes. Here I am a pro. But later, as I get past this part, things get a bit harder. And anymore I seem to get here within a few minutes not hours or days. This is where my concepts and ideas do not jive well with my current toolsets or procedures. At times I can hack my way through this and get past all of the hoopla that is this growing and learning crap. But 99% of the time I get bored or frustrated and look for a way out. It’s about here that my brain rolls out a plethora of new festering ideas that just have to be addressed right now. Every one of these “ideas” has an amazing escape plan, I get out and am free again to do whatever I want. Screw this project, it’s killing my mood man. Time to go. Then 30 minutes later I am writing this blog instead of storyboarding a new animated short. And I am quite sure I will be moving on from this to write a scene from that movie idea I had 2 years ago. The process continues and I will be back here in another 2 hours to work on this for another 3 minutes…

Ok, so it was only 25 minutes, Sons of Anarchy was on and I had to watch that instead of drawing pictures of monsters that I talked about previously. Where was I… Oh, right..

Don’t get me wrong, sometimes in that 1% window I can knock out some pretty damn cool work that takes about 3 months to do, it’s still f___ing cool. But they are all hacks and illusions that are viewable for sure, but they are not great. And let me be honest here, I need to be great. I cannot and will not settle for anything less.

And now we come to it. The core issue here. The one that I think all creative people struggle with, hell I think everyone does. Discipline, hard work, and most importantly planning. When you work for someone or even a company it’s easy, you’re not really left with a choice if you want to earn an income. However on your own work, you never have to. You can just not do it. But the truth is, you must, or you will always just be a dreamer and nothing more. And I will not tolerate that in myself. I have learned far too damn much to let it all go because it’s too hard.

So this is my pledge, to myself more than anything, soon you will see a whole new side to me and a different kind of work. The stories will be more in depth, the characters will be more detailed and fleshed out. And shortly after that I will show you what I can do with film. It will blow you away, I can assure you of it. Gone are the old way of doing things. Now is the time to be great. And to do that I need to get back to work and stop talking about it. Expect less Facebook or Twitter updates then there are now. And trust me, this will be the last blog entry in a long while.

Great things are coming, and I aim to be the one that delivers them to you.

Sincerely,
paulbrianthomas

© paulbrianthomas.com 2011

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by on November 27, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in design, film, illustration, writing
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Posted by paulbrianthomas on November 27, 2011

http://www.paulbrianthomas.com/meness/film/2011/i-aim-to-misbehave/

the distractitorial technology that is world of warcraft

wow
Distractitorial is a serious word, and not something that you use lightly, ever. And especially when you are using World of Warcraft to get away from working. It is nice to take a break here and there, but last time we did that was a few years ago and at that time we took a break not only from creative work but from life altogether for about 3 months solid. So this time we have set rules about how long we play and when. We also decided it was not a good idea to ever get into an argument “in game” when the person you want to get into it with is in the next room. (The reason you want to get into it with them is because 3 cups of coffee and no food makes one a tad bit hangry) There is a reason I am covering this bit of info. I don’t want you to get the wrong idea here, we actually do this as a way to take a break from everything for a bit. Including and especially our creative work. It’s a good thing to have some Geeked out fun here and there. Being a geek is quite possibly the coolest thing ever, especially when you have a geek wife to share it with. Everyone needs a bit of childish fun now and then, and this is ours.

Now to the reason for this post. I am stating here and now to have new animated or filmed content for you every month starting March 1st. The plan is to get it done in the first 15-20 days so I can then get to building my website and working on getting the ball rolling on other projects that are coming up fast. This year I will be rolling out all sorts of new animated shorts and also get a longer short done to submit to Spike and Mike’s Sick and Twisted Animation Festival. It will be called “Everything you ever wanted to know about Pooping and Farting and something about Pee Pee”. Yes, I do know what you are thinking, I am not a grown up, but then again if you are reading this, then neither are you. We are also getting started on the groundwork for a short live action film this year that will be filmed next spring, so look for more on that soon.

I, Paul Brian Thomas, do solemnly swear to get you the twisted and absurd content that you so deserve once a month.

Cheers!

© paulbrianthomas.com 2011

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by on February 28, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in animation, film, ollie russet and misty castle, webdesign
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Posted by paulbrianthomas on February 28, 2011

http://www.paulbrianthomas.com/meness/animation/2011/the-distractitorial-technology-that-is-world-of-warcraft/

no, you are absurd

Let’s skip over the reason behind this title and launch right into the actual reasoning behind this post. The announcement of the next short series I am working on called “wtf.” To sum it up, it’s really just an excuse for me to begin my learning journey into the wide world of Animate Pro from Toon Boom. This lovely little app simply beats the living (expletive) out of Adobe’s wicked step sister flash for animating. Simply put it’s a classic animators dream and a new age hippy animators unshaven lover. At some point when I am not using it I will do a thorough review and show you some little tricks. But for now, just check the links and see what they have to offer. The image below is a sample of what’s next. This series will start with my good buddy Tim Knowlton and later I will be adding another huge voice talent, the amazing Gordon Latta. For now, a little sneak peak of the art from the show, do enjoy.

wtf: uno

Sincerely,
Paul

© paulbrianthomas.com 2011

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by on February 23, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by paulbrianthomas on February 23, 2011

http://www.paulbrianthomas.com/meness/animation/ollie-russet-and-misty-castle/2011/no-you-are-absurd/

it’s a dangerous business, going out your door…

You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.

amybilhornthomas

There are very few people that will actually go out into the world and take the risk to follow their dreams. It may sound cheesy enough, but how many people do you really know that have done it and haven’t just talked about it? For myself, I can say I know one of these amazing people very well, and I know for a fact that it requires a certain amount of stubbornness and a little bit of orneriness that few can match. But below the surface is where the truly gifted and determined nature comes out. And yes, I am speaking of my wife, Amy.

See, Amy decided it was time to walk the walk and stop talking about it. She quit her job of 5 years, cashed out her 401k and began the process of heavy personal criticism, enduring self doubts, and generally making a muck of writers block. Meaning she was essentially off to write her first book so she could prove to herself that she was a serious “writer”. For some, this can be maddening, especially for those of us who already know she is truly a talented writer. But we do understand, that only after a lot of hard work and determination she might finally start referring to herself as a “writer”. We all know she already is, but she needs to prove that to herself. Either way it takes a serious type of courage to quit your job and follow your path. And she is the one to do it.

She has been at it for some time now and has achieved more on a personal level than she ever has before. More than halfway done with the first draft of an amazing piece of fiction and today launching her website after being abused by code 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for 3 months. Amy has come out of the toil that only a writer or creative person knows like an old friend. She has come through unscathed and more stubborn and ornery than ever before. But this time she is out and on the main stage of the internet before jumping back in to finish her book. You and I can expect great things from this one.

Everyone should take the time to read her stories and posts, not just because she is my wife, but because she is a writer. She has an amazing ability with dialogue and a definite talent for making you feel like you know her characters. Most literature can be hard to sink into and make you feel a bit out of place. But her work allows you to feel right at home, but still challenge you to see more than what’s already there. Am I biased? Honestly, I don’t really think I am. Proud, your damn right I am.

Take the time to be amazed, go check her out at amybilhornthomas.com

Sincerely,
Paul

© paulbrianthomas.com 2011

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by on February 15, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in amybilhornthomas.com, writing
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Posted by paulbrianthomas on February 15, 2011

http://www.paulbrianthomas.com/meness/writing/2011/its-a-dangerous-business-going-out-your-door/

what happens…

When a slightly deranged animator hears a group of chickens as they wander around his feet? Oddly way too much for a sane person. My next project takes me into the fascinating world of you average farm. Combining a grammar school field trip and two farmers who seem to have their hands full with running the day to day operations. It’s gonna be a hoot. I would give you more details but it would seriously ruin the fun, but a sneak peak at the logo and a view of Graham and Ray looking bewildered won’t reveal too much.

Do enjoy…

fuKaHf logo

fuKaHf: graham and ray

Stay tuned folks, there is so much more to come. Trust me.

© paulbrianthomas.com 2011

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by on February 11, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in animation, ollie russet and misty castle
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Posted by paulbrianthomas on February 11, 2011

http://www.paulbrianthomas.com/meness/animation/2011/what-happens/

it’s 1:10 am pst and I am done with episode two..

This will be short, episode two is done and I am now going to bed. I told you it would be short

Do enjoy, I have to go to bed now.

Love,
Paul

© paulbrianthomas.com 2011

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by on January 31, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in animation, ollie russet and misty castle
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Posted by paulbrianthomas on January 31, 2011

http://www.paulbrianthomas.com/meness/animation/2011/its-110-am-pst-and-i-am-done-with-episode-two/

they said we were dreaming to big..

I say we are thinking too small. Everyone has to start somewhere, sometime, and for me that starts today.

It’s high time to show you my stuff (you need to grow up). It’s been a long damn time since I have updated this self indulgent little blog. But now I have a good reason, the first episode of Salbucho Meps is done and available for you’re viewing pleasure (or discomfort) it’s your choice. It was actually completed about 4 months ago. But has been shelved in the hopes that I might have the 5 episodes as originally planned complete. This way when Monday the 31st comes around I would have a ton of new stuff to show you. Yeah, that didn’t go as planned. Have faith though, I will have the second one done on time, and as promised. It just makes more sense to show you one today and one later.

Each episode is taking about a month or 2 of total time to do. It may have been spread out a bit so I could like pay attention to my wife and do the whole work thing. Either way one is done and I want you to see it. So go ahead and click the titles, image, or the word vimeo below to indulge me and my odd little hobby. And a little FYI, the links below will actually take you back to my website where you can view the first episode with a proper introduction. If you want to see just the video without my ugly mug, click the appropriate links below the image on the main site and you will be taken to the appropriate place of your choosing. One more thing, I am not going to be one of those “artist” types that goes over the woes of their work, even though I kind of did. And it really did take some seriously hard work and discipline to complete. But I am a lot like you, I don’t care, just show me what you got. So here is what I got. So take a gander below.

The second episode will be done and ready for viewing on Monday January 31st. So be looking here for more details on that soon.You should also expect new content monthly, and weekly blog updates sprinkled here and there with a peppering of how to’s for you creative wannabe’s (no disrespect here, I am one to). My main site will launch soon and have all the content in one place. So do stay in touch and make sure to share me a lot, I do so like to get around (yes I also need to grow up). I also plan on creating some casting calls and announcements for help on film projects so there is that too. And yes, I know, I promised to have these Elmers Theater up for you to see. But I don’t, but I will. Soon. So go take a gander at Jack again, he misses you.

This is really only the beginning..

© paulbrianthomas.com 2011

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by on January 17, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in animation, ollie russet and misty castle
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Posted by paulbrianthomas on January 17, 2011

http://www.paulbrianthomas.com/meness/animation/2011/salbucho-meps-episode-01-is-now-available/

on the lack of use of capital letters in titles

sketches: sketchbook: tnt

It is truly my honest opinion that a word that has to be capitalized at the beginning of a sentence or title or even at the beginning of ones name is nothing more that a word that ought to be in lower-case trying to appear more important than it really is. my name is paul, not Paul, or PAUL. But Paul. And you can argue with me on this and say something like, “This statement is complete heresy! And given the fact that you have done it now 10 times completely invalidates this ridiculous argument!” And my response would be nothing more than, “Whatsup with using complete and completely in the same statement?” Therefore I win.

On the other hand it is not exactly up to code, as one might say, to not capitalize the first letter of a sentence or title. In as much as I know the rules is as much that I don’t really give a flying towel rack. I like the way it looks, and as a visual artist, I have that right. Plus this is my blog and not yours. So there, I win again. That about sums up my feelings and explanations on this, now it’s back to adjusting 43,333 frames of animation to remove a capital letter 43,333 times. No, you’re dumb.

Sincerely,

paulbrianthomas.com

© paulbrianthomas.com 2011

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by on January 16, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by paulbrianthomas on January 16, 2011

http://www.paulbrianthomas.com/meness/writing/2011/on-the-lack-of-use-of-capital-letters-in-titles/

this time I need to get it right

elmer

Ok, so maybe not right. More almost perfect, or even close to…

Yep, this time I need to get things right. I cannot believe it has taken me this damn long to get here. So many friggin excuses and so many stupid side trips. It’s been a hell of a long road and quite a few false starts. But trust me this time, I am nearer to showing actual finished work than ever. My first episode of the hilariotimusly funny episodic shorts called Salbucho Meps and will be available for your viewing pleasure on january 30th 2011. And yes this is my 35th birthday and a marker for where I will go after this… Forward, right? Anyways, this series is meant as a proving ground for my technique and also a way for me to show you what the hell I think about all damn day. Oh, you do want to know, trust me. Some one does. The site will be called “Elmers Theater” and it will be live on the 30th of January of this next year. I am hoping to have at the very least 2 full episodes up for you to see and am seriously pushing for 3, so we will just wait it out. At the moment I have the first one completed and am in the process of working on the second. So the third may be a long shot, but hey, I’m not really doing much else. Soon you will be able to go to Elmers Theater to view these stupendously funny shorts. At the moment you will see Jack. Seriously, you will see Jack. I am not kidding.

Yep, I think I am selling this really well right now. The name for the series might be random and stupid, but if you know me then I don’t need to elaborate. If you don’t then it’s best that I just stop typing here…. See you soon.

© paulbrianthomas.com 2011

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by on November 7, 2010  •  Permalink
Posted in animation, ollie russet and misty castle
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Posted by paulbrianthomas on November 7, 2010

http://www.paulbrianthomas.com/meness/animation/2010/this-time-i-need-to-get-it-right/

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