FuzzyCo

I just wanted to show the proof that we handed in our Challenge editing job.

If you'd like to see our movie, and the 13 others, they're all being screened Thursday night (June 3) at the Biograph Theatre (2433 North Lincoln) -- doors open at 6, the screening begins at 7.

I'm in Colorado for the week. This is the view from my hotel room -- I get to see it for a few minutes in the morning before I go spend all day in meeting rooms. Boo.

If only I had known...

I'm sitting in downtown Denver waiting to go see ACME's new sketch show at Bovine Metropolis, starring my dear friend Kerstin Caldwell (something I didn't realize until this afternoon). That show will be followed by On the Spot, hosted by Carl "Comedy Legs" Wedell. And exactly right now I'm missing my second Chicago Comedy Co. show at the Playground back in Chicago.

There are horse-drawn carriages here. Most of the drivers are dressed in Western gear (plaid short-sleeved shirt, jeans, straw cowboy hat) but one guy is dressed in a big studded-leather-and-puffy-sleeved shirt outfit I'd have to describe as RenFair Pervert. One of these things is not like the others...

It used to be a staple of Bare shows: two old cranky guys who'd end up kung fu fighting super-slow-and-creaky old guy style. Good thing we don't do that anymore, because truth is stranger than improv.

I'll bet you're wondering what a winning kickball team looks like. Wonder no more. James Brown Celebrity Hot Tub Party defeated the Bike Rack Bullies 4-2 to bring us to 2-0-1. More pictures (mostly of post-game drinking) here.

If I had time, I'd make this a roll-over thingy where the super-serious Simon and Emma turn into the hyperactive and keerrazy Simon and Emma. But I don't have time. So just whip the scroll bar of your browser up and down to do it yourself, would you? Suffice to say that my god children are as delightful as possible.

Dog, the short that FuzzyCo shot for The Challenge was the winner... for best writing. I still consider that a win for FuzzyCo -- would anyone have noticed how good the writing was if we hadn't shot it well? (Or Jennifer M. Fah edited it so nicely?) I think not. Anyway, a nice side-effect of the win is that you can watch Dog online (parental/safe-for-work guidance: good-natured profanity, a kinda gross run-over "dog").

(The Challenge consisted of three parts -- the FuzzyCo crew wrote a script, but then handed it off to a randomly chosen team and we were handed one by "Quick and Dirty" (Jaime Pilarski & Lauren Austin). Our script, it turns out, wasn't really filmed -- the crew that got it made a short film about actors sitting around making fun of our script. That is, I suppose, their right. (Their right to be jags.))

Oh, and the winner for "Best Editing", March of the Misunderstood, features the prop that FuzzyCo brought to The Challenge -- Shaun's Mortal Kombat II SNES cartridge.

Erica es una chica.

Antibalas at Hothouse, June 11, 2004 (early show)

Ben's windowshades

Store window somewhere in Chicago.

Jenny Choi at the Abbey Pub, June 13, 2004

Mike Doughty at the Abbey Pub, June 13, 2004

Erica, Erin, Aaron, and I went to the Doughty show. I'm a casual fan of Soul Coughing, but I wasn't really familar with Mike's solo work. It was a pretty good show, except for the super-annoying woman to my left who sang along with every song. Very loudly. I think it's safe to say that Mike Doughty has a unique vocal style. Please let me hear it. It made me very grateful for new songs, because she hadn't memorized them yet.

{More pictures...}

I met a man in alley at midnight last night to sell my roommate's motorcycle.

Unfortunately, at least for the story, my roommate knew about the sale, the man was very nice, and he paid me with a certified check.

Jin and Shaun represented FuzzyCo well in WNEP's Duo Improviso last night, coming in second place. (Cough, cough. Don said, "the Duo Improviso has one first place winner and nine second place winners.") The Duo was held on the set of Loser's Bracket, which explains the boat, bass, and bar in the background.

So... I'm going to Scotland the first week in August to sit-in with Neutrino as they present Neutrino: The Instant Movie at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. I'll be running camera and acting in the movies and running tech and handing out flyers and so on. In other words, the usual.

Neutrino has posted a nifty trailer that features footage from their last two appearances at the Chicago Improv Festival and so has a few Chicago Neutrino Project folks scattered throughout.

Not mere "winners," the James Brown Celebrity Hot Tub Party were victorious over the Burninators, thanks to Rene's "rally belly." And thanks to our ninja-like skills. In this picture we're all posing like ninjas. Except that I think I look more like I'm trying to be "down" with the team. Yo.

More pictures at kicksandgiggles.org (the last four on that page) (Thanks to Erica for taking these pictures)

Nazarin Hamid posted a delightful close-up of sushi on Boochakanan today, so I thought I'd share the incredible ham & cheese on pita from the Flamingo that I've been raving about to all my friends. (Yes, I realize that this is literally a cheese sandwich post. You're just lucky I'm not posting more pictures of my cats.)

Today's lunch sandwich also had melted cheese, but no picture. Instead, two views of that one guy who walks up and down Michigan Avenue wearing his homemade sandwich board. Oftentimes, as today, the signs are concerned with the replacement of the Vice-President with a Russian Spy. During the Clinton Administration he had pictures on his signs that proved that Al Gore had been assassinated and replaced with a Russian Spy (sometimes, a "Robotic Russian Spy"). Another classic, from early in the Bush Administration (before Cheney had been replaced?) was that National Parks are staging grounds for Russian Troops being massed in preparation for an invasion.

A transcription, in case you can't make out the signs at this size:

Front sign:
Initiate DNA testing to verify family linkage of all govt. appointees!!!
Screen out extensive Russian Communist infiltration!!!
Don't let your sovereignty slip through your fingers. Organize now!!!!

Back sign:
--- Personal Opinion ---
My recurring nightmare is that Bush's Russian Communist Double replaces him, & our govt. falls into Russian hands!!!
Recurrent DNA tests of high govt. officials are vital!!! In my opinion, the Bush-Cheney ticket is void because Cheney is a Russian Agent!!! & Kerry is Pres. by default!!!!

Rufus Wainwright at Ravinia, June 18, 2004

I'm really happy about this picture because it was taken from the back of the pavilion, where to the naked eye Rufus looked like a tiny dot on the stage. Hooray for my fancy camera.

This was my first time at Ravinia and it's an experience. Unlike most "pavilion plus lawn seats" concert venues, at Ravinia you can't see the stage from any part of the lawn. Instead, the concert is piped in from dozens of speakers all over the huge lawn. As a picnic venue, it's great. As a concert venue, it's a little odd -- to a degree, the concert might as well be recorded or broadcast from Cleveland or something. Most telling, I think, is that hardly anyone on the lawn clapped at the end of songs.

I spent a few fun hours with Allison and Michael on Saturday, taking photos for their new band, Katy Ditch Kady Ditch. We got all the usual band-in-the-alley and band-on-the-el-platform and band-in-a-bar shots, but we also lucked into some shots with a dragonfly that landed on my pant leg and then stuck around on Allison's finger.

We took a bunch of Holga pictures, too (Allison requested that I bring that $16 piece of Chinese crappy-but-wonderful plastic, which made my little bad-picture-loving heart swell), but those won't be developed for a few weeks.

Katy Ditch won a round of the Uncommon Ground open mic competition, so they'll be competing for a grand prize on Monday, July 19.

Lakeview Lounge was already the official FuzzyCo dive bar, but they get bonus signage points for using two Ns to make an M.

When we were there Saturday night Joe had a shirt that was evidently a one-off with the slogan "Ain't no lake, ain't no view". There is, however, Night Watch. And dancing behind the bar.

We won the award a few months ago, but I just found this picture of us accepting the eFilmCritic.com award for Ted McGillicutty, Man of Action at the Chicago Really Short Film Festival. As you can tell from my formal wear, I was expecting to win an award.

Photo by Erica Reid

James Brown Celebrity Hot Tub Party remain undefeated -- last night the other team had to forfeit (not enough players, I believe) and then picked up some sit-ins and played us and we beat them. Again. Or, anyway. In any case, we won. So we posed as ninjas. It makes sense when you've been playing kickball. I think I've managed a credible ninja pose this time. Or I'm doing the robot.

I reffed for an earlier game last night and discovered that the World Adult Kickball Association official rules PDF is protected so it can't be printed out. Which I think is dumb-city. For an organization whose motto is "it's only kickball" I think they're taking themselves a little seriously.

More ninja/kickball pictures by following this here link.

Allison has posted some more of the Kady Ditch photos I took this weekend.

Surely I'm not the only one who's ever wondered if Col. Crunch out-ranked Cap'n Crunch. If Col. Crunch is in the Army and Cap'n Crunch is in the Navy they're equal in rank.

Of course, Cap'n Crunch isn't even a Captain, he's a "Cap'n".

From the Cap'n Crunch FAQ:

2. After years of adventuring, why isn't the Cap'n an Admiral yet?

It is a little known fact that the Cap'n WAS an Admiral at one time. After a tremendous outpouring from his fans, the Quaker Oats Company decided to promote the Cap'n. But Admiral Crunch quickly became bored with his desk job at Crunch Headquarters. And after a small mishap with the Crunch Berrie and Crunch Biscuit machine (at the hands of two recently promoted new co-Cap'ns) he decided that he was truly the best one suited for the role as the Cap'n. He soon requested his old position again, and he went back to being the best Cap'n that Crunch Headquarters has ever had. He is much happier now!

6. The Cap'n has three stripes, does this mean that he's a Commander?

Actually no. The rule set forth by Crunch Headquarters states that anyone who is in charge of a ship assumes the title of Cap'n. So far, no one's taken charge of any ship better than Cap'n Crunch so he is the only one who officially holds that title.

So Cap'n Crunch is a "Cap'n" in some paramiltary organization run from "Crunch Headquarters". Creepy.

And I'm just assuming that Col. Crunch was really in the Army. Maybe he's one of those Southern gentlemen who just uses the title as an honorific. You know, like Col. Sanders. Judging by the arrow stuck through his hat, though, Col. Crunch has at least seen some combat.

And why can't I find Col. Crunch on the Popsicle site?

Andy Ihnatko had just been talking about it, and then I ran across Joy's states-she's-visited map and there was the link and I started clicking states I've visited and...

I was surprised. Somehow it didn't feel like I'd covered so much of the country. 40 states. So only 10 to go. And they're in two easy clumps (except for Alaska, and I even have family there, though vague plan after vague plan to visit them have fallen by the wayside over the years). Seems doable.

Oh, and here's that link if you want to make your own map.

Ray Koltys will be on Chicago Public Radio's Eight Forty-Eight tomorrow (Thursday, June 24) between 10 and 11 AM central time (schedule subject to change) discussing the current burlesque revival scene in Chicago. Michelle Baldwin, author of the new book Burlesque and the New Bump and Grind, will also be interviewed. Tune to 91.5FM in the Chicago area or via internet (RealPlayer). Hopefully (fingers crossed) he'll plug the Belmont Burlesque Revue, at which Himmerick and Gerdes will be performing this Saturday.

If you are unable to listen then, the story will be archived online (beginning Friday).

You have to hit refresh over and over to see all 20 (or so) remixed Spiderman comics here. (via Die Puny Humans)

Update: Jason points out how to see all 20 without reloading.

Tonight (June 25) at 10:30 pm, Ted McGillicutty, Man of Action will be shown on WTTW (Channel 11)'s Image Union. (And Monday, June 28, at 1 am, too, I guess). I'll be running over to Schadenfreude's last show of their run at the Lakeshore Theater, but I'm TiVoing Image Union for a time-shifted viewing party.

On I Love Books they're asking the musical question What's Your Favorite Word? (via Bookslut)

Mine are pants (that I say, for no known reason, like "pents"), romantical,
and irregardless.

I've just added a performance to the list above -- Bare will be performing this Wednesday (June 30) at The Playground's The Deuce -- a show that showcases two-person improv groups. There are two of us -- check. And we do improv -- check. Done and done.

This building is on the corner of Cornelia and Sheffield. The sign advertising the features of the new condos has the name spelled correctly. I wonder if they've noticed...

Mark Hanner starts the Schadenfreude show on Friday night the same way he starts every Schadenfreude show -- with a prayer.

Schadenfreude at the Lakeshore Theater, June 25, 2004

The radio show is great and all, but there's just something about seeing Mark and Justin pogoing in those wigs or seeing Sandy pull out his yarn-bound copy of The Reluctant Astronaut.

(Photo by Erica Reid)

Himmerick and Gerdes and Rubin at the Belmont Burlesque Revue, June 26, 2004.

I know what you really come to FuzzyCo for -- updates on the standings of my kickball team. Still undefeated! (Same as last week -- technically won by forfeit, then beat them in a unofficial pick-up game.) Evidently, there's another team in the league that's also undefeated, so we'll see what happens when these two titans clash. There can be only one!