I’m a pepper… but not for long. The Dr. Pepper lunchboxes I bought in bulk are metamorphosing into something much more sinister.  (These boxes are being used as props in many of Rochester Movie Makers’ short films this summer.)

First, all the shiny metal parts are masked off with blue tape.

Then I break out the primer.

It takes a few days to apply coats of primer and spraypaint.  I often get bubbles and drips of paint.  If they’re really bad, I sand them down, but since these lunchboxes are meant to look old, I’m not troubled too much by a rough surface.

Next, my friend Frank prints my artwork on sticky vinyl and I apply it to the boxes.

A little acrylic paint is dry-brushed on for an antique effect, especially on the metal to make it look rusty.

Mad Monster is not the only design.  Here’s a look at some artwork I did for the short “Boxed In,” which has a sci-fi/magical plot. The first piece is a space image crossed with some atomic imagery, combining the macro and micro worlds.

The next two are Nalli and Hitchcock, two “Boxed In” characters in cartoon form.

The film “Lunchbreak” requires a Bride of Mad Monster box. After sketching a feminine version of the loveable green guy, I inked and scanned her to Photoshop. I’m now halfway through coloring — no texture or shading yet.

This Saturday, July 10, Tulsa will be home to Oklahoma’s Underground Horror Filmfest. The event will feature music, horror hosts, vendors, and movies movies movies.

One block of films is being programmed by my internet friend, Craig Mullins of Unfilmable.com. The theme? H.P. Lovecraft Cinema, of course.

This means I’m happy to announce another public screening of Subterranea’s The Other Gods. In addition, here’s what else will be playing:

- The Silver Key a film by Gary Fierro and Conor Timmis (CT)
- H.P. Lovecraft’s The Book a film by James Raynor (United Kingdom)
- At the Reefers of Madness a film by Brian Clement (Toronto, ON)
- From Beyond a film by Michael Granberry (CA)
- Frank DanCoolo: Paranormal Drug Dealer a film by Andrew Jones
- The Crimson Robe a by Russell Welch
- Elder Sign a film by Joseph Nanni
- plus clips (House of Black Wings, Pickman‘s Muse), trailers (Lovecraft Paragraphs, Colour from the Dark, Dirt Dauber, The Terrible Old Tran) and teasers (The Seventh Shadow)…

For more information, visit the Underground Horror Filmfest on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter

It’s film festival season again in Rochester, and this year’s 360 | 365 George Eastman House Film Festival looks pretty promising.

I’ve been involved behind the scenes — I manage the website and I was on the short film panel — but there’s a ton of features I haven’t seen yet.

I encourage all film fans to check the schedule and come out to support the festival!

Here are some recommended events:

AMERICAN GRINDHOUSE
Thursday, May 06, 2010 9:45 PM
Dryden Theater
and
Saturday, May 08, 2010 7:30 PM
Little Theatre – Little 5

A history of exploitation films in America. I’ve been captivated by this genre for the last several years, which is why I jumped at the chance to provide some animated titles for the doc. Director Elijah Drenner will be in attendance.

MADE IN ROCHESTER
Little Theatre – Little 1
Thursday, May 06, 2010 6:45 PM

Here’s your chance to see the best films from the 360 | 365 Shorts Contest, plus films from Michelle Cardulla, Stan Main, Dave Marshall, and last but not least… Mike Russo’s VIRGIN FANG, starring yours truly as Draculess the timid vampire.

ADULT SHORTS: Hidden Worlds
Little Theatre – Little 1
Thursday, May 06, 2010 9:00 PM

ADULT SHORTS: Private Lives
Little Theatre – Little 5
Saturday, May 08, 2010 5:00 PM

These are the two shorts blocks I helped curate.
We watched about 130 entries, then chose the 15 we loved. Trust me, these are some great films.

WE CAN SHINE: FROM INSTITUTIONS TO INDEPENDENCE
Curtis Theatre
Sunday, May 09, 2010 3:00 PM

My student, Adrian Esposito, has completed his third documentary feature, and this is the best one to date. In We Can Shine, he shares the dark history of institutions for the disabled and how improvements have been made in recent years.

FREE PANELS

Local filmmakers should take advantage of the panel events at the festival, including the following:

Demo: RED CAMERA
The Austin Connection
Screenwriter’s Panel
Screenplay Live!

MUCH MUCH MORE

As if that’s not enough, I want to take in the following as well:

THE S FROM HELL
GONE WITH THE POPE
WAKE IN FRIGHT
THE SECRET OF KELLS
IT CAME FROM KUCHAR
CELL 211
HARRY BROWN
A CONVERSATION WITH THELMA SCHOONMAKER
THE RED SHOES

See you at the fest! Visit http://film360365.com for schedule and ticket information.

360 | 365 on Twitter

Click for a closer view.

Here’s the artwork (so far) for the lunchbox props we’ll be using in the Rochester Movie Makers summer shorts. I’ve got a few things I still want to touch up, but I think it’s pretty close.

But that’s only the beginning! At least two shorts are going to require additional lunchbox characters. I’ll have to jump into those next.

If you have any interest in seeing the long hours of Photoshop painting that went into creating Mad Monster, check the links below.

Part 1:
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/6388643

Part 2:
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/6442320

Part 3:
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/6445273

For this year’s Rochester Movie Makers Summer Shorts, we are introducing a linking motif. For those who wish to take part in a larger anthology film, our writers are incorporating a MacGuffin — in this case a red lunchbox. We wanted to give that lunchbox some personality, so I proposed some fictional branding. It’s important to avoid copyright issues (like if we used a Spider-Man lunchbox) so our prop will be emblazoned with the MAD MONSTER identity.

I’ve spent the last couple days working on the perfect retro font style for the Mad Monster. My goal is for the box itself to be a product of the monster mania of the 1960s. Universal monster movies were playing on TV to kids who’d never seen them before. Their popularity led to Aurora model kits and publications like Forrest J. Ackerman’s Famous Monsters of Filmland.

I imagine that a character like Mad Monster would have appealed to those kids. He appeared on lunchboxes, but is now almost completely forgotten. Those lunchboxes are prized collectibles today.

To find the right inspiration for the design, I looked at magazines, toys, and comics of the era. I especially examined the covers of Famous Monsters. I like the the letters in the left column interlock with each other.

I also thumbed through an issue of today’s greatest horror publication, Rue Morgue. Check out the font used in the lower right, for the name Paul Naschy. The spiky serifs seemed like a good way to go.

After countless drawings, I scanned my favorite treatment and applied color and texture. The next step will be adding the monster character. (The font had to be done first so I would know what shape he’d be leaning against.)