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Creating Dinotopia paintings has often led to strange parties in my backyard.
In the spring of 1991, I invited a whole bunch of friends to pose for a painting of a dinosaur Olympic event called Ring Riders. The painting appeared in Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time,
Each kid chose which hat or headdress they wanted to wear. I played both actor and director while my wife Jeanette worked the camera.
One mom made a bunch of pastries and handed them out. I used that moment in the final painting.
Using chairs and cushions and cardboard rings as props, the kids took their positions, imagining they were riding on the backs of the dinosaurs. It helped when it I acted it out first, hamming it up a little to try to get them to loosen up.
A group with mismatched costumes and with varying levels of enthusiasm acted out the part of the crowd watching the sporting event. I’m sure they could sympathize with modern actors who have to emote in front of a greenscreen.
This form of group acting works especially well with young people. Chance moments and improvisations can take your conception to another level. ------ Related post on using photo reference, link. Thanks, Nancy, Jake, Aliza, Judy, James, Mike, Joey, Morgan, Justin, Franklin, Jeanette, and everyone else who took part!
11 Comments on Backyard Posing Party, last added: 5/22/2009
Boy, that looks like it would have been a fun party to attend! I can imagine that your friends got quite a thrill when they saw the fruits of their modeling appear in the book in 1992. It would be quite an pleasure to be able to see that they made some contribution to the creation of "A Land Apart from Time."
What an exciting time those kids must have had. I only wish my young son, who was a Dinotopia fan, was your neighbor at that time. We spent many nights imagining your world.
it seems to me when they were filming the dionotopia series show, that would have been an amazing time to do tons and tons of reference photos and sketches. i'm guessing you had tons of people dressind in full costume along with lots and lots of sets. did you take tons of reference photos and sketches?
i'm guessing you would have gotten enough imagery and reference to last you for another 10 diontopia books, haha.
Erik, Ring Riders is about 75 by 100 cm, or about 30 by 40 inches.
Eric, I only visited the set of the Hallmark movie once, on a day when the extras weren't around, but from the stills they sent me, the costumes were spectacular.
awwww - too much fun! Thanks so much for a peek into your process. All of my kids and I thoroughly enjoy your books - so much that they're falling apart at this point. Wouldn't have it any other way.
And I, as an artist, appreciate your blog tremendously. Thanks for taking the time to do it.
When American illustrator Tom Lovell (1909-1997) painted the standing soldier for The Continental Insurance Company, he researched the weapons and costume at a museum and did a charcoal study from a nude figure to understand the pose. The studies appear surrounding the finished illustration in this page from an article in North Light Magazine.
Here's how Lovell himself described the process:
The requirement here was to create an heroic, slightly larger than life embodiment of a man who could be identified with dependability and authenticity and at the same time be real. This was done to replace the original trademark figure used for many years by the Continental Insurance Company.
Before consulting a model, I drew this basically strong figure, to be certain he would not be overpowered by his equipment. Research in depth was done at West Point Museum under the guidance of Col. Frederck P. Todd, then curator. The painting later won a gold medal at the Society of Illustrators Annual National Show.
--------- Image is trademark of the Continental Life Insurance Companies.
Leif Peng's excellent illustration art blog "Today's Inspiration" has been doing a feature this week on Lovell , drawing from the 1956 American Artist profile by Norman Kent.
The material in this post was drawn an article "Tom, The Unswervable Lovell," in the North Light Collection, Volume 2, 1979, a compilation from the North Light Magazine.
Lovell is one of my all time favorite artists. Like you , I have his book , which is a constant source of inspiration and challenge.
But here is a point that I think generationaly we were not taught, especially when I was in school. And that is the depiction of the Heroic.
The conceptual view of the hero and gallant male figure was downplayed when I was in school as being cliched. Maybe it was an Art Center thing. I also look at the men of Andrew Loomis and illustrators like him were taught to idealize the form.
Of course the case could be made that photography took over the heroic, such as fashion ads and that illustrators shifted to the spectrum of Realism...so to speak.
I am seeing a return to this and the resurgence of Animated features has injected new life to those who are skilled at drawing. Men like Lovell and Loomis are sought out for their art knowledge again!
Do you remember how animation virtually died in the late seventies and early eighties?
I think it's interesting that he did an unclothed study even for such a mundane pose. I wonder what important nuances were visible in the nude study that couldn't have been observed by going directly to a clothed figure. Was he following the older academic process of drawing the unclothed figure from life, but posing the drapery on a mannequin?
Great post on one of my favorite painters/illustrators. While I enjoy the Lovell book, the images in the back made me wish the book had just been on his illustrations instead of his fine art.
Frank--great observation about the heroic quality in Lovell's book, which reminds me of the movies of that era. I suppose that goes in cycles and we might see more of such idealism in the future. Victor, he implies that he got other reference of the clothed figure later, but I don't know if it was photos or drawings. I think he did the nude study to get the action right. Armand, yes, the Lovell book is made up of almost entirely of his Western work, which is nice, but I love the amazing range of his magazine illustration work even more.
I received a letter from Tom when I was 16 and on the first page he drew a man's head in three stages. From a ball and jaw line to the complete head in the third drawing with tone. Progressively adding detail. The first thing he said was construct what you want to draw, just like your illustration. Do you have a copy of the North Light publication? I think it would be a great blog entry. Tom
Not known to many, as its existence remained a mystery to me till quite recently, but there is a large collection of his work in the most unusual place. The Family Basha owns a vast array of grocery stores in AZ. Eddie Basha's aunt was an artist, and when he was a child would draw him pictures to keep him occupied. When he became a multi-millionaire from the grocery business, he and his aunt began to collect art. The entire collection no resides at the Bashas' corporate offices. They have nearly 1000 pieces of art, and pertinent to this conversation, they have several large scale Lovell's. What is even more fascinating, is that next to the large format paintings that they own, is the fact that they also display next to them the same size large format completely rendered charcoal drawings. Amazingly delicate in their rendering, and complete to the last detail.
Interesting thought that there is a 'cycle of idealism or heroism' in art. Well, I guess even Obama adds his share in making a heroic pose fashionable again. Or as it was said in the fair and balanced show 'The Colbert Report': "Noticed how in every photo, Obama seems to be 'looking into the future'?"
How do you get a mermaid to pose? Like unicorns and dragons, they are fantastical creatures, not entirely of this world. I wanted my mermaid painting to look real but not in a literal or material sense.
Although in previous posts (here, here, and here and here) I’ve suggested using photography for figure reference, when it comes to mythological or storybook beings I prefer to use life studies rather than photos because I feel freer to be guided by my imagination.
I did two studies, one in charcoal and one in paint, both directly from the model. In the charcoal study I concentrated on the basic linear gestures and on the soft lighting of the form. I also started thinking how to join the human form with a fishlike tail and how to bend the tail so that she could ride “sidesaddle” on a tamed sea creature.
I recalled from my experience snorkeling that skin tones appear cooler in water than they do in the air, and the side planes of the figure fall away to a bluish hue, lit from all directions by scattered light in the water. The color study above, made with the model in front of a blue cloth, allowed me to start exploring this unusual and magical color quality.
In both studies I took the first step toward my mental image, making changes in what I was seeing and not copying the model literally.
19 Comments on Model to Mermaid, last added: 3/7/2009
Haylee: What? Gold? This is news to me. Thanks so much for letting me know. The competition at Spectrum is really tough--I always feel like I'm hanging by a thread to get anything in!
Thanks for sharing these -- I especially like the charcoal.
I'm curious, what sizes are these studies? And the finished piece?
Also you solved the color issues nicely based on your memory/ experience. Nowadays, I would pobably play with a photo in PS to get the affect of water on the subject and couple that with other reference to create a palette.
But I wonder if there is a way to create the effect in the studio? One of the ways they used to shoot underwater model work for movies was "dry for wet" using a combination of colored filters and smoke and diffusion scrims.
I suppose that would require you also give the model hazard pay.
hey jim! I also compliment you on winning the Spectrum gold. I've painted a fair amount of mermaids in the last few years, and I can never get why people keep splicing a fish and a mammal together. Why wouldn't a mermaid be totally mammalian? Like not cold-blooded below the waist, and warm-blooded above the waist......minor detail, I suppose............
Thanks, everybody! What a surprise and a delight. I am especially glad if it brings attention to Maison d'Ailleurs, the science fiction museum in Switzerland that created the poster. Both they and Spectrum are doing great things to promote fantastic art.
Daroo, the charcoal study is 9x12 and the oil study is 8x12. The finished painting is 20x24, if memory serves, and it was painted in 1989.
I didn't blue-filter the light model, but that would have been an interesting experiment.
Jeff, yes, the more you think about the logic of mermaid design, it takes you down very interesting roads, and away from the traditional image of the fish-human.
Donato Giancola, the brilliant artist who announced the awards on the Spectrum video himself came up with one of the most memorable recent designs for merfolk:
Gorgeous painting! I was stunned by it when I first saw it. The bottom colour study is wonderful as well, it reminds me of a symbolist, post impressionist painting.
When I painted a mermaid for a picture book there was a huge disagreement on what she should be wearing. They were really pushing for a sweater!
I'm sure you've heard of Weta, your latest post made me think of this -- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/4839818/Disabled-woman-given-mermaid-tail-to-help-her-swim.html
beautiful painting! I wonder a bit that she doesn't have any sort of saddle, or apparatus to help her stay on. not that I've ridden a lot of aquatic lizards myself, but it seems as though it would be difficult for this underwater undine to stay attached to something this... undulatory, especially if I didn't have any legs to grip with...
but none of that stops me from enjoying the picture!
I know this finished piece. A friend of mine owns it. Only, I recall it being smaller than 20 x 24. Did you also make a study that was smaller roughly 8 x 10, but very close to this final, refined, details worked out. I remember the shelled bikini. I'm pretty sure it was the same piece and if not a very similar one in the series.
...this is just beautiful. For some reason I've been endlessly drawing mermaids since December - and yet I never thought of this approach to the lightning in the skin!
Wow, James that is a beautiful preliminary drawing you did for this piece. Finished painting reads beautifully as well. Congrats on the Spectrum gold as well.. that sounds like a huge award!
Hey, Michael, it looks like I'll be coming to Toronto during the week of the 20th, and I'll mention on the blog soon the exact dates of my talks. Hope to meet you, and I love your plein air paintings.
The hard part about painting a kid from life is getting him to hold still for more than ten minutes. Here’s a trick. Set up a full-length mirror behind you so that your subject can watch you work. They will be captivated for at least two hours if you’re lucky. That’s how I painted this picture of my son Franklin when he was seven years old.
12 Comments on The Mirror Trick for Kid Portraits, last added: 10/27/2008
Just a little while ago my wife's grandson Cooper was drawing at our kitchen table and on impulses I started to sketch him using the crayons he had out.
I was only able to get a few seconds of posing time, and later when the missus saw the results she was grumpy.
That is a wonderful tip, never would of thought of that.
His expression is amazing! His gaze is telling so much, like he is really out there concentrating on something. It makes me want to sit beside him so I can also take a look. I love it. :o)
There's something very captivating about watching a drawing emerge from a blank canvas or paper.
When I draw in front of my class I've noticed that the process of drawing captures and holds the class's attention for comparatively long periods of time.
Singing and drawing: that's what kindergarten should emphasize far more than is common these days.
James and Craven, I can relate to the frustration of quick portrait sketches that don't work out. For every sketch that I publish on this blog, there are two or three lame efforts that I'd be embarrassed to share. But that's the way it goes when you try to sketch life on the run.
Arecol, thank for your very nice compliments. I'm sorry, I'm not able to do commissioned portraits right now.
Dan, I totally agree that watching someone draw is spellbinding. One of my illustrator friends, Mike Wimmer actually draws a demonstration portrait of a student in front of his classroom, which is very brave both for the model and the artist.
Another thought about this mirror trick is that you don't necessarily need a mirror. You could use a camera and a monitor if you're technically set up for it.
It would be natural to assume that when John Singer Sargent painted a portrait, he had everything his way. After all, he was the most sought-after portrait artist in the world. You’d think he could set everything up exactly the way he wanted it.
But in fact he often had to overcome huge obstacles. His resourcefulness under trying conditions makes his accomplishments all the more admirable.
On Tuesday we visited the Biltmore estate in Asheville, North Carolina, the sumptuous mansion of American millionaire George Vanderbilt, above.
In 1895, at the height of his powers, Sargent came to Biltmore at the invitation of Mr. Vanderbilt to paint a full-length portrait of Biltmore’s landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.
But Olmsted was not in good shape. He had been injured in a carriage accident in Central Park, and was beginning to suffer from dementia. His sons were running his business in New York. His wife was insistent that Sargent paint Olmsted to look healthier than he really appeared. She worried that if he looked weak, it would injure the business.
When Sargent arrived, the estate grounds were a muddy, barren construction site, not the verdant wilderness suggested in the painting. Sargent found some mountain laurel for a very unconventional portrait background, and he depended on one of Olmsted’s sons as a stand-in for the figure.
Sargent also painted Richard Morris Hunt, Biltmore’s architect. Hunt was also in very poor health, and could not stand for long periods. He died later in the same year.
Hunt’s wife also had demands. She insisted that Sargent paint him looking robust and young. It was hard to get Hunt's availability to pose. The trip from New York took a week by train.
The Biltmore itself was still under construction, most of the building covered with scaffolding, so Sargent had to imagine how it would look. Instead of showing the whole building, he used a corner of the structure as a backdrop, just enough to suggest the Gothic revival flavor.
Jeanette and I found the exact spot where Sargent posed Hunt. You can see exactly what Sargent was looking at. He pushed the architecture back a bit to introduce the ornate balustrade at the upper left and the second column at right.
The canvas is almost 8 x 5 feet. It was painted on location, far from the artist’s comfortable studio. Sargent had to travel with his entire setup, and had no photos to fall back on.
Because Hunt couldn’t hold the jaunty pose for long, a surrogate stood in for the body. The head had to be painted in a completely different location. The reason it looks pasted on is because the light on the face is coming from the left, whereas the rest of the picture is lit from the right, as it is in the photo. I don’t know why Sargent set up this contradictory lighting, because it compromises the painting, and keeps it from being as successful as the Olmsted portrait.
Nevertheless, despite the obstacles, Sargent scored two brilliant works, masterpieces of economy of handling and originality of design.
Tomorrow: Rain Work
10 Comments on Sargent at Biltmore, last added: 3/20/2008
Interesting backround info on those portraits! I've been to Biltmore a few times and never paid much attention to them. Will you be stopping anywhere in NC for book signing?
James Gurney said, on 3/20/2008 6:32:00 AM
Meredith: I signed last night at Malaprops Books in Asheville, NC--sorry to miss you.
Meredith D. said, on 3/20/2008 6:34:00 AM
Oh well...I'm about 7 hours away in eastern NC anyway! Hope you enjoyed the mountains. Did you get to do any Plein Air landscapes?
scott said, on 3/20/2008 9:59:00 AM
great post!
sargent is one of myfavorite painters. not only for his incomparable skill but also because of stories like these. he overcame obstacle after obstacle and often suffered the whims and requests of subjects who tried his patience and often were looking to be represented as something other than what they really were. many of his portraits have an almost sarcastic feel to them because of it.
“A portrait is a painting with something wrong with the mouth.”
scott said, on 3/20/2008 10:02:00 AM
or, "“Every time I paint a portrait I lose a friend.”"
hehe
Eric Orchard said, on 3/20/2008 11:22:00 AM
Amazing insights into these works. I'll never look at them the same. Wonderful quotes Scott!
=shane white= said, on 3/20/2008 2:18:00 PM
Interesting how Olmsted being a landscape architect is surrounded by concrete and no greenscaping.
I remember reading about Frederick Law Olmsted in the book by Erik Larson, Devil in the White City. The man was famous for his NYC work and was hired for the Chicago Worlds Fair around the turn of the 20th century. The stress of that experience aged quite a bit and purportedly added to his declining health as well.
Nice breakdown of that Sargent piece though.
=s=
Lizzie said, on 3/20/2008 2:45:00 PM
Those paintings are one of the reasons I've always loved the Biltmore - it's cool you're in NC! Gonna stop by Charlotte by any chance for a signing?
a. fortis said, on 3/20/2008 5:22:00 PM
I've always really enjoyed Sargent's portraits. Thanks for these tidbits--I don't know either of these portraits well.
Tom Scholes said, on 3/20/2008 8:51:00 PM
Very interesting, thanks!
Gwen Buchanan said, on 3/21/2008 8:08:00 PM
this was great.. I learned so much Thank you.
emile said, on 3/31/2008 10:29:00 AM
Thanks for this James, your work is great and it's a real pleasure to be able to receive such a wealth of information, in such a positive manner!
Thank you to everyone that watched the "Home" video and to all the wonderful people that left such nice comments, it means so much to me and David Tobocman! I really love the song a lot because it is so hearfelt. If you missed it you can catch it at the bottom of this post. Today for Illustration Friday's "theory" my submission reflects that according to the theory of Chinese Feng Shui, there are 8 types of auspicious houses that can give people solid financial status, harmonious family relationships, good public relationships and happy marriage status. Tea house and cup made from clay and glazes.
25 Comments on Illustration Friday: theory, last added: 3/13/2008
Wonderful post, love the tea gear and the video is beautiful! I'm gathering that it is your artwork? What a cool experience it must be to create an animation! And with such lovely artwork.
Janice said, on 2/15/2008 9:37:00 PM
the teapot is great... You always have such cool and creative responses to the task of the week!
ddskier said, on 2/15/2008 9:42:00 PM
Valgal,
The teapot reminds me of the pen holders (which I still use at work btw). Love it!
xoxox
--dd
johanna said, on 2/16/2008 12:26:00 AM
how lovely! it'd be nice to have a tea set like that
Faruffa said, on 2/16/2008 4:34:00 AM
I like this video, I particularly love the combination illustrations and music, and this song is perfect for your sweet illustrations, now it's my YouTube fave, I can't lose it
ms. froggie said, on 2/16/2008 7:20:00 AM
good GRACIOUS, lady, you make TEAPOTS, too? ohmyohmyohmy....
loved the video and the perfect song, vallie...just the thing to make a smile.
Krimo said, on 2/16/2008 8:17:00 AM
Lovely Thé Theory, Val!
Dot said, on 2/16/2008 11:05:00 AM
i love these. so clever!
rbaird said, on 2/16/2008 12:21:00 PM
How cool is that!
andi butler said, on 2/16/2008 3:06:00 PM
so beautiful Val, your talent never ceases to amaze me!!
a : )
Kate said, on 2/17/2008 1:49:00 AM
That was the perfect way to end my night. So sweet. I loved seeing all of your beautiful houses, and the song was like a wonderful tribute to your work. I especially thought the pancake house was very clever...I had never seen that one before.
viola said, on 2/17/2008 5:20:00 AM
thank you for your comment on my blog... I like your work! ...Sorry for my english! bye
Toni said, on 2/17/2008 7:42:00 AM
Val you never cease to amaze me. I love the video! So so cool.
Janet said, on 2/18/2008 8:57:00 AM
Awww!...the little teapot and cup...so cute! and the combination of the wonderful song with your lovely houses....they go so well together!
Traci Bixby said, on 2/18/2008 7:30:00 PM
Your work is just so amazing and heartfelt!! Love it!
Ellen Byrne said, on 2/18/2008 8:49:00 PM
Amazing, amazing, AMAZING!!!!! I am completely blown away!
Tizzalicious said, on 2/19/2008 5:20:00 AM
That's very sweet!
I love the video, and I love ANYTHING tea related :P
carla said, on 2/20/2008 6:36:00 AM
Beautiful teapot and cup! Your work is so gorgeous and you always seem to have the perfect thing to show:>
Brine Blank said, on 2/20/2008 8:26:00 AM
Great pics to go along with the song...I really like the deer scene how the broken up trees look like skyscrapers with the sunset reflecting off their windows...great!
Zórdís said, on 2/20/2008 2:15:00 PM
Your are wonderful Valerie. Very smart video and great work!
Kind regards,
teri said, on 2/20/2008 2:41:00 PM
the video rocks the HOUSE-er-i mean HOME!!!! love it so much!!! teri
Kstyles said, on 2/21/2008 8:30:00 AM
You are so freggin creative!
PS You have a love and peace dove waiting for you at my blog.
DesigningFairy said, on 2/21/2008 10:35:00 AM
Oh Val, what a fabulous Val movie! Such a happy feeling in my chest. The words so sweet, the pictures so happy and inviting. You brightened my day.
sketched out said, on 2/21/2008 8:49:00 PM
Sheepers, there's no end to your talents and skills. Reallyl lovely and whimsical.
Love the video last time I saw it, but had to see it again. Very nice. Thanks.
Diana Evans said, on 2/22/2008 8:15:00 AM
that video is wonderful...the song is perfect for each and every shot of your work...and it's so nice to see all your paintings together in a story like that....
what a great one...I am sending this to all my friends..
The Brown Bookshelf has had a great start to 28 Days Later! In the first five days of our launch, we have featured interviews with Christopher Paul Curtis, Michelle Meadows, Dana Davidson, Rita Williams-Garcia, G. Neri, and Sean Qualls.
In January, I researched and read everything I could get my hands on about Rita Williams-Garcia. I learned a lot about her and her writing career as I prepare questions to ask her. Last week, I received her responses and I loved them. Her personality shines through and you don’t just learn about her journey, but she lets us know about one of her peers, Jacqueline Woodson.
She shares with us what music helped her write her books as well as how a box of Jiffy cornbread inspired a short story called “Clay.”
As I researched, I realized that her first novel Blue Tights was published 20 years ago when I was in the 7th or 8th grade depending on date of publication. But to show just how much perseverance matters, she first started writing Blue Tights in 1980 when I was a kindergartener.
A number of authors and lit groups have aligned themselves with our mission and are championing our cause including author Cynthia Leitich Smith who featured all 5 of us in an interview last week. Check it out!
I respect all of my African American children’s literature peers and trailblazers, but that respect has deepened thanks to The Brown Bookshelf.
0 Comments on 28 Days Later Off to a Great Start as of 1/1/1990
Wild stuff is happening in the cosmos--a heads up for any of you folk who are evenly remotely sensitive and may be feeling it. I wrote about this in my psychic blog.
I've been forced to rest and lie low and I couldn't resist blogging at this time! I'm having deep urges to play with clay! Coincidently, my daughter brought me play-doh. Remember play-doh? Now something I am artistically not good at is working with clay. So, I am thinking that is the perfect thing to play with right now. I am also wanting to paint. I have a big canvas I bought that is just sitting there waiting. A great book I found at the church of Barnes and Noble is Finding Your Voice for painters. Love the writer's style of writing and the art is wonderful, especially the art of Peggy McGivern. She's someone I'd love to have over for tea to talk color and composition.
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In the spring of 1991, I invited a whole bunch of friends to pose for a painting of a dinosaur Olympic event called Ring Riders. The painting appeared in Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time, 
Each kid chose which hat or headdress they wanted to wear. I played both actor and director while my wife Jeanette worked the camera. 
One mom made a bunch of pastries and handed them out. I used that moment in the final painting.
Using chairs and cushions and cardboard rings as props, the kids took their positions, imagining they were riding on the backs of the dinosaurs. It helped when it I acted it out first, hamming it up a little to try to get them to loosen up.
Boy, that looks like it would have been a fun party to attend! I can imagine that your friends got quite a thrill when they saw the fruits of their modeling appear in the book in 1992. It would be quite an pleasure to be able to see that they made some contribution to the creation of "A Land Apart from Time."
I have the book open in front of me and I find it difficult to estimate the original size of that painting.
Could you help me out?
I have always liked the light and MOVEMENT that you captured in this painting. I remembered studying it for hours....
great post.....
Oh, the parties I could have when planning my next comic!
What an exciting time those kids must have had. I only wish my young son, who was a Dinotopia fan, was your neighbor at that time. We spent many nights imagining your world.
Thanks for a backyard view of your process.
it seems to me when they were filming the dionotopia series show, that would have been an amazing time to do tons and tons of reference photos and sketches. i'm guessing you had tons of people dressind in full costume along with lots and lots of sets. did you take tons of reference photos and sketches?
i'm guessing you would have gotten enough imagery and reference to last you for another 10 diontopia books, haha.
Jim, I love it!
I loved the pics of the guys at the OMB posing for Saurian Stairway.
what fun!
Erik, Ring Riders is about 75 by 100 cm, or about 30 by 40 inches.
Eric, I only visited the set of the Hallmark movie once, on a day when the extras weren't around, but from the stills they sent me, the costumes were spectacular.
awwww - too much fun! Thanks so much for a peek into your process. All of my kids and I thoroughly enjoy your books - so much that they're falling apart at this point. Wouldn't have it any other way.
And I, as an artist, appreciate your blog tremendously.
Thanks for taking the time to do it.
My favorite part is the guy with the triceratops puppet.