Melonpool Film

This blog is still active

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Troop) — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 10:28:00 -0800

So... I know it's been awhile since I posted to this blog... certainly, the Quickcast thing over at Quick Stop Entertainment has taken a big chunk of time lately, but the plans for the Melonpool puppet film just had a big boost... More on that later!

Mayberry interviews Billy West

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Troop) — Sat, 8 Apr 2006 00:45:00 -0700

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In what could be Mayberry's closest brush with stardom yet, the intrepid puppet interviews voice actor Billy West (Futurama, Ren and Stimpy, etc.). They discuss fame, fortune, puppetry and the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con.

There's an Alien in my Room!

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Troop) — Thu, 6 Apr 2006 18:56:00 -0700

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Yesterday, I was supposed to go to Legoland with Danielle McCutcheon and her son Nicholas. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), the weather didn't cooperate and we were rained in.

Now, back when Danielle, her husband Dan and I were in high school, we made tons of Star Trek movies (among other video masterpieces) and recently, Nick has become a big fan of the Muppets and my little Melonpool test videos. What to do... what to do...

And, as luck would have it, I had both the Mayberry puppet and my video camera in my car, so we hatched upon a plan to make a little puppet movie. Be sure to stick around for the bloopers!

Wall o' Script!

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Troop) — Mon, 3 Apr 2006 00:20:00 -0700

I did a lot of work on the script this weekend. I'm writing it as three Acts -- each of which can stand on their own as a separate "episode." If I can film it all as one film I will, but more than likely, the first act will be filmed and possibly parts of the third, and we'll do the second and rest of the third depending on the response to the first part.

I'm really jazzed about this project... and I think you will be as well! I was going to post some of my notes, but was afraid they might reveal too much about the story. Hope you'll be satisfied with a blurry photo instead. ;)

Mayberry interviews Erik

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Troop) — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 20:32:00 -0800

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Mayberry iconducted some interviews at a fundraiser for the Waldorf School of Orange County last weekend. Among his victims: Erik Przytulski, the puppeteer of Ralph (as well as the composer of just about every Melonpool-related music ever made).

Why does Radio Shack make me feel like a criminal?

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Troop) — Sun, 19 Mar 2006 13:03:00 -0800

Why is it that every time I go to Radio Shack, I leave feeling like I'm a criminal? I ended my three-year boycott of the store yesterday (because of the way I was treated the last time I was there), out of desperation.

I needed an RCA-to-mini plug adapter to test a microphone system for the puppets. Simple enough, right? I went into the store, know exactly what I wanted. I managed to navigate to the wall they kept the cables and adapters on and started looking. Within seconds, a clerk showed up and practically stood on the same ground I was standing on.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Yeah -- I'm looking for an RCA to miniplug adapter."

She looked at me with the blankest expression I've ever seen. "An... RCA what?"

How can you work at Radio Shack and not know what an RCA plug is?! It's like the most basic of cable attachments. You pretty much have a mini plug, a microphone jack or an RCA plug on the back of any piece of stereo equipment manufactured within the last 30 years!

Anyway, I turned and there it was. "Oh, here it is," I said, as I grabbed one off the hook. I started to walk to the register and she tailed me. Then, I realized I wanted a different adapter as well, and turned back to the wall. I swear, within seconds, she was right there in my face again. I got the impression she was there to make sure I wasn't about to shoplift something.

Finally, I got out of there for $17 (three adapters and a 9-volt battery... what a deal). I felt like I couldn't find what I wanted, the staff knew nothing and I was overcharged. What kills me is this was the exact same treatment I received the last time I was at Radio Shack three years ago... and it was a different location and different clerk! This can only lead me to believe this is part of the training process for all Radio Shacks.

I guess it'll be another three years before I darken their doors again. Either that, of I'll go to Best Buy.

The News Breaks!

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Troop) — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 17:32:00 -0800

The Digital Strips podcast put up an interview with me from the New York Comic-Con a few weeks ago that has some information on the puppet film I'm working on.

Luckily, you don't even have to listen to the entire podcast, since I'm the first one up. Dave Kellett and Kris Straub get enough attention with their own podcast ... take that! Try and steal my thunder, eh?

Too many ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Troop) — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 12:18:00 -0800

Well, I started rewriting the movie script last night. I think people are really going to enjoy this.

But, as often happens, just as I start going on one project, another one starts to enter my brain. I keep having ideas about continuing the regular Melonpool strip again. I wonder if there's a happy medium I can find? Maybe I can work on the movie four nights a week and the strip three?

I suppose any time devoted to either project is better than the amount of time I've been spending on them, huh?

Melonpool Meets the Shnook

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Troop) — Mon, 13 Mar 2006 18:31:00 -0800

View video!

A few months ago, I helped fellow DIRECTV refugee Michelle Brodeur build a puppet based on a children's book series she created. Anxious to try her hand at puppetry, we made this little ditty. Enjoy!

What happened to the comic?

noreply@blogger.com (Steve Troop) — Mon, 13 Mar 2006 15:42:00 -0800

Some of you may have noticed that my comics haven't updated since Christmas. Don't worry. It'll be back sooner than later. You may have noticed that I've been doing a series of interviews and puppet tests in the meantime. Those will continue over on this site, probably sporadically at first.

So, what the heck am I up to? I'm gearing up to make a direct-to-DVD puppet video. It's been something I've wanted to do for years, but up until now, it's always seemed like an impossibility. Recent developments make it seem a lot less like a pipe dream, however, so it's full steam ahead.

This blog will chart the progress of the film, which I hope to have available by the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con. Hopefully this will be interesting to some of you ... and maybe inspire a few others to follow their dreams.