I first realised that, indeed, everything really is more fun with monkeys, when I was a kid and witnessed the insanely wonderful TV show known as “Lancelot Link – Secret Chimp”. It was basically Get Smart (not surprising considering 2 of the shows creators had previously written for that series), but with chimps instead of humans. They wore human clothes, drove cars, carried guns, and many other human things. As a child this grabbed my imagination and never let go. Lancelot and his partner Mata Hairi were part of APE (Agency to Prevent Evil) and were always fighting Baron von Butcher, leader of CHUMP (Criminal Headquarters for Underworld Master Plan).

I’m honestly not making any of this up, it’s all very real.

A few years ago now the series was released on DVD and I actually squealed with delight when I found this out. Bare in mind that I’m a bearded thirty-something guy who often draws sinister images of a gas mask clad fighter bashing up zombies and dealing with the emotional impact of his own violence, so yeah, NOT the squealing type. Of course I went and grabbed the DVD set as soon as it hit the shelves, however, I was nervous. The things we remember enjoying from our youth don’t always age well, and sometimes they aren’t anywhere near as cool as we remember them to be.

Lancelot Link, however, is still one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. And before anyone writes in to complain, yes, I know that dressing animals up as humans and making them act like this isn’t a common thing anymore, and is considered by many to be cruel. But I can’t change the past, and it’s not happening anymore, so shut up and let me enjoy this absolute gem of pure whacked out joy.

I challenge anyone to watch an episode of this series and not be left grinning like a fool. Even if the main story doesn’t grab you then the mid-show entertainment most definitely will. You see, in each episode they featured a musical number. But this wasn’t just any musical number, it was performed by an all-chimp band who went by the name of “The Evolution Revolution”.

Genius. Absolute fucking genius. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen a tripped out psychedelic chimp band rock out with total abandon.

So does Lancelot Link – Secret Chimp hold up after all these years? Hell yes. And how could it not, especially when you look at some of the episode titles, like “Missile Beach Party”, “The Dreaded Hong Kong Sneeze”, and “The Temporary Thanksgiving Turkey Truce”.

This show, along with others like Sigmund And The Sea Monsters, The Banana Splits, Cool McCool, and more, were like crack to my childhood brain.

They filled me with energy and happiness and fuelled my imagination in some crazy long-term ways. They still do, and I can’t thank them enough for it.

Without them I probably wouldn’t have created half the things I have, be it with t-shirts, comics, or toys. There’s no doubt in my mind that when I first put a comic page together featuring a monkey flying through the air to kick some ass Lancelot Link was behind the scenes in my brain, guiding and encouraging me. And I’m sure he was there when I used that panel on a t-shirt, and changed the speech bubble to be “SUPER VIOLENT MONKEY TIME!”.

And now “SUPER VIOLENT MONKEY TIME!” has grown to become an art/toy/comic project (where I’ve teamed up with a custom toy making genius who goes by the name of KidAkira).

Thanks Lancelot and Mata Hairi, you’ll always be my favourite chimps.

Matt

Join me next time when I trace the origin of another creative obsession/fetish….MASKS!

It’s been a crazy month for GritFX with our new look website going live and several New GritFX T-Shirt designs now available! A mammoth week will close what’s been an exciting time for us!

What does this all mean for you?…. GIVEAWAY TIME!

This time we’re giving away 2 prizes to the first 2 names that are drawn from the entries! That’s right! We won’t just have one winner… we’ll have two!

First name drawn will win a GritFX t-shirt of their choosing + a signed A4 “Too Many Monkeys” print by Matthew Dunn.

Second name drawn will win a GritFX t-shirt of their choosing.

Here’s what you have to do to win:

Leave a comment right here* on our Magazine before 10AM GMT on Monday, August 2nd, telling us what your favourite GritFX t-shirt design is.

* also taking entries on our Facebook fan page.

We’ve even made it easy for fans to view all designs on the GritFX T-Shirts website with our “Browse All” page.

That’s it!
Now raise a glass with us and celebrate what lies ahead… 

And if you found us through Tee Gazette or IWYS – tell us in your comment!

 

Rules:

- Anyone can enter from anywhere. Fans under 18 years of age must have parental permission to enter.

- YOU MUST COMMENT BELOW TO ENTER THE DRAW - Two winners will be selected at random on Monday 2nd August.

- If you are chosen, you will be notified via email. Winners must respond within two days. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.

- Winners gets to pick any t-shirt designed by GritFX T-Shirts. Select from: Popcorn Classics – Movie & TV Inspired T-Shirts; Culture Shock – Pop Culture & Humorous T-Shirts; Magic Bullet –Mythology Conspiracy and Weirdness on T-Shirts; or our LOST TV Inspired T-Shirts.

- Prize selection excludes Long Sleeved T-Shirts, Sweatshirts and Hoodies.

Too Many Monkeys by Matthew Dunn - First name drawn wins this signed A4 print & a GritFX T-Shirt!!

“Morally Reprehensible!”

Those two glorious words ring in my ears as I sit down to watch Kick-Ass, the latest comic book adaptation to get the big screen Hollywood treatment. These are the words Roger Ebert, the messiah of film criticism used to describe the film. If only the marketing department had the foresight to include Mr Ebert’s quote on every poster, trailer and TV spot promoting the movie, Kick-Ass could have broken box office records. An endorsement like that is priceless in today’s rather dull and predictable film landscape.

I don’t know about you, but there is no better way to assure my ass will be first in line buying a ticket than to describe a movie as “Morally Reprehensible”. Overused film-critic phrases like, “The Must-see film of the year”, “Oscar worthy performances” or “A real crowd-pleaser” don’t seem to get bums on seats anymore. “Winner of 14 Academy Awards, including Best Picture!”…meh..so what? Is that the best you can do? What else have you got for me? “This film is morally reprehensible!” Whoa, this I gotta see. You can count me in. “Suzie, hold all my calls”. Sign me up. I’m down.

Call me shallow, call me shameless…hell, you can even call me “Morally Reprehensible”. It aint about that. Like most of you, I have become increasingly tired of modern-day, pedestrian movie making. These flash-in-the-pan, over-hyped buzz films that try to lure me by wearing their candy-colored, 3D-laced frilly jumpsuits and their over-the-top, big-name-celebrity emblazoned knickers – they just tend to leave me unsatisfied. These films are usually so disposable, safe and lifeless that by the time you’ve brushed the popcorn crumbs off your chest and stood up to leave the theater, you’ve forgotten what you’ve just watched.

Kick-Ass is a blast. It’s fun and silly in all the right places. Sure, it’s bloody, and yes, sometimes it is excessive in its portrayal of violence, but it always keeps its comic-book tone, separating it from being disturbing or unsettling. This is firmly ingrained in fantasy. It isn’t a kids film, it is simply a film with kids in it. If you don’t think kids should watch it, don’t let your kids watch it. It’s always been that simple.

Perhaps Kick -Ass really is worthy of being deemed “Morally Reprehensible”. Is that such a bad thing? This is cinema. Some of the most brilliant films ever made drift into morally reprehensible territory. Like all art-forms, films are supposed to challenge us. If they didn’t, our multiplex’s would be full of Jennifer Aniston/Katherine Heigl romantic comedies playing non-stop across twenty-five screens every day of the week.

…..and as far as I’m concerned, THAT would be morally reprehensible.

By Adam Fay
Read more film reviews by Adam at http://iseefilms.wordpress.com

Pics: Filmofilia.com; bscreview.com; daemonsmovies.com; shockya.com

I predict a major reappraisal of the work of J.J. Cale when he shuffles off this mortal coil. (I bet the same thing happens to his fellow Oklahoma native, Leon Russell too, but that’s another story). For over 40 years Cale has remained on the periphery, making his distinct atmospheric Tulsa Blues, showing no signs of wanting to court further fame or fortune via endless touring or media interviews. Even in this era of fashionable ageing-rocker-mega-tours, Cale has always remained a kind of mystery man, despite a cult status that could easily be capitalised on. Instead, he has chosen the quiet dignity of going about his bluesy business outside the parameters expected of musicians of his ilk. He has become a timeless enigmatic Mr. Cool that the Claptons and Knopflers can only envy and do covers of. And this sense of myth and mystery that surrounds the man is in the music too. His music is drenched in sunsets and midnights and empty roads and lonely rooms, populated with lovers and losers and gypsies and junkies, fuelled with that incisive Zen wisdom that makes The Blues the pure art-form that it is. I fell in love with his music back in 1997, and it was due to this, his first album, the aptly titled: Naturally. The album is half an hour of simple structured brilliance. “Call Me the Breeze”, “Call the Doctor”, “Don’t Go to Strangers”, “Magnolia”, “Crazy Mama”, “After Midnight”, you can’t go wrong. Every song is a part of the magic. Even if you don’t consider yourself a fan of blues, I’d urge you to listen to this, because ‘the Tulsa Sound’ that Cale came to personify is a unique mix of Blues, Country, Rock’n’Roll, Jazz and Folk, and its highest moments are even greater than the sum of its parts. It’s just great music, plain and simple. His clean guitar tone; his weathered, whispered vocals; the soft swampy rhythm behind…damn, it’s good stuff. And when J.J. sings the loaded portent: ‘After midnight, we’re gonna let it all hang out…we’re gonna cause talk and suspicion, give an exhibition, find out what it is all about’, well, who wouldn’t want to wait up for that. I’ll brew us some strong coffee, we don’t wanna miss a thing.

by Decoy Spoon

Pics: zenekucko.blogspot.com; bbc.co.uk; oklahomarock.com; last.fm; dreamchimney.com