Joseph Scarbrough launched what he called "The Scarblog" as a way of cataloging his work over the years, as well as going into greater detail of things on his mind (known as "Unfinished Thoughts").
Now here is a relic from that past that really was from a different time . . . and as a matter of fact, may not have even stood the test of time at all.
TECHNICOLOR DREAMS was my experimental film in its truest form from both an artistic and technical aspect, but at its core, TECHNICOLOR DREAMS was a pseudo-autobiographical deep dive into my creative process as a Content Creator.
As a lot of artists will tell you, and I am certainly no exception to this rule, a sizable hunk of our ideas come to us in our dreams, and a vast majority of the better ideas that I've ever had have been sourced from the cavernous mines of my mind: I have had numerous TV show concepts, and even entire movies come to me in my dreams . . . it's not at all unlike what people have said about THE DARK CRYSTAL being the movie that Jim Henson saw in his head (which also may or may not explain why, at the time, that movie made sense to nobody but him).
Script sample
Still, dreams fascinate me, especially mine, because honestly, I rarely have what I would consider to be pleasant, or even "normal" dreams. That is to say, I would estimate about 98% of my dreams are incredibly lucid, vivid, trippy, disturbing, and borderline nightmarish . . . think of them as if Sid & Marty Krofft shows were written by Stephen King and designed by Salvador Dali. Cosmically, my dreams are just straight-up weird, maaaaan! Like I say, though, in as much as dreams like these are a constant source of the hebejebes for me, every once in a while, I will end up striking gold for an idea for a very ambitious project; at times, it's as if my astral projections are more like astral movie projectors showcasing a mental film festival, and it's from that mental film festival that many of my more ambitious project ideas were born. Ironically, I'm not one of those people who actually keeps a dream journal by my bedside, and that is something I've been reproached about . . . I am very lucky if I can remember all or any of the pertinent details of my dreams without writing them down, because more often than not, I will gradually begin to forget such details of these dreams throughout the rest of the day after waking up. Those that I do remember and have provided me with outlines and treatments, however, have at least made it through the development stages, ranging from scripts being written and characters being designed . . . unfortunately, that's about as far those have gotten anywhere. This is why TECHNICOLOR DREAMS has become the closest things of such dreams becoming a reality.
Designing Dream Sprites
Because of the nature of my dreams and how big of a source of inspiration they are, in February 2015, I finally decided to get a little creative with my own creativity, and do something of a personal deep-dive into this creative process of mine by actually making a film about it, which is why TECHNICOLOR DREAMS is a true experimental film - it didn't necessarily follow a story or a plot, but it was a way of showing how dreams can lay down the foundation from which you can build entire universes for the world of fiction. As a matter of fact, the entire concept of my being visited by a pair of dream sprite was one big alegory to this creative process of mine, with the dream sprites themselves symbolically representing a pair of similar characters for one TV show premise that came to me in a dream as far back as 2007 that I have really wanted to actually create and execute, but has still never seen the light of day.
But TECHNICOLOR DREAMS wasn't just an experimental film from an creative and artistic perspective, because there was also a lot of technical experimentation that went on behind the scenes as well. The production itself was fairly simple -helped by there only being one set: my bedroom- but this time I had some new toys to play with. It was my first production to be filmed in full HD, and also one of my first productions that was edited with a professional editing program: Adobe Premiere. I had already played around with Adobe Premiere with a previous production, THE WINDMILL, just to sort of familiarize myself with certain things I was able to do now that were previously unavailable to me in years past, such as lighting effects. This time, I wanted to try even more things that wasn't able to accomplish before, namely being able to overlay and blend film and video footage with psychedelic imaging to create dream-like sequences.
Editing TECHNICOLOR DREAMS in Adobe Premiere. Oh, hey, that's a nice face, isn't it?
But it was even more than just that. One of the biggest influences on my production work has been the classic single-camera sitcoms of yesteryears that were shot on 35mm motion picture film, which gave them such a rich and distinct look that not only is lacking in many other shows that are shot on multiple cameras that record on videotape, but also severely lacking in this day and age of digital media in general. I have always wanted to emulate the look, feel, and aesthetic of the golden age of television, and now I could finally start doing that. As they say, everything is fixable in post[-production]; figuring out your camera's settings is a good way to achieve a certain look you want to capture on film or video, but it all can still be improved in the editing process. With Adobe Premiere, not only are there presets available that you can use to simulate the appearance of certain types of filmstock, but all sorts of other technical wizardry are at your fingertips to adjust your footage's brightness, contrast, color saturation, and even the framerate, to achieve the desired look you want - even as I previously mentioned regarding blending footage, I could now also employ overlays of grain and film dust to really give my productions that old 35mm motion picture film look I've wanted for so long, and continue to do to this day. Of course, I was still green around the gills in this area, and I still had a lot to learn - I'm even still learning to this day. I have been and probably always will be an artist first and foremost, and a technician second. Whenever I put a new project into action, it always begins from an artistic approach, so my mind doesn't always immediately take the technical aspects into consideration, which is why even as my production work began to improve, it still was far from perfect; I knew about simple adjustments (again, brightness, contrast, saturation, and the like), but I was ignorant and clueless about other technical aspects such as color correction, legal ranges, white and black balances, and so on and so forth . . . heck, even manual exposure and focus were foreign concepta to me at first because I was accustomed to working with cheaper consumer cameras that mostly operated on automatic settings that adjusted to your environment accordingly.
After all was said and done, TECHNICOLOR DREAMS premiered on YouTube on the night of Sunday, February 22, 2015. What was the critical response? It was a mixed bag, to say the least. Truthfully, TECHNICOLOR DREAMS probably became my most polarizing production to date: people either loved it or hated it, with hardly any middle ground. Those who enjoyed the film were able to appreciate it for its originality, and to see the then-visual and technical improvements in my content; those who hated the film found it to be too long, too dragged out, and too redundant. I did attempt to remedy at least one of these critiques: two years later on Sunday, February 26, 2017, I released a redux of the film that shortened its TRT from 18 to 13 minutes, but apparently, that wasn't much of an improvement, and the reception was still mixed. Looking back on it myself, I have come to the conclusion that another major problem with the film was that even though it was, admittedly, pseudo-autobiographical, it may also have been a little too self-indulgent as well . . . even when I couldn't think of a suitable title for the film (I considered such possibilities as THE DREAM CATCHERS and THE DREAM BUSTERS), I eventually went with TECHNICOLOR DREAMS, which was inspired by the Broadway musical JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAM COAT (because my name is Joseph, and because my dreams are so vivid, you could say I dream in Technicolor). I'm not at all saying that this was a vanity project, because I'm not too particularly fond of being in front of the camera as I am behind it, but the way I presented this concept was just from my own personal experience and perspective. While I'm sure there are countless other artists and creative individuals out there who have had similar experiences in finding inspiration for material from their subsconcious, the film may have been a litttle too esoteric that it excluded others and didn't necessarily resonate with a broader or more general audience. Of course, it also could very well have been the simple fact that avant garde isn't for everybody; in fact, most general audiences prefer to be told a narrative story that they can invest in and follow along with, which is usually why such experimental and artsy sort of avant garde filmmaking tends to go unappreciated and/or misunderstood by the average joe. I guess what they say is true, "True art is incomprehensible."
Ten years later, TECHNICOLOR DREAMS really does feel like it was made such a long, long time ago, and admittedly, is not something that I look back on with as much fondness as I do with other productions I've made over the years. Not only does it really not stand the test of time, but even the dream sprite puppets haven't survived: they ended up being damaged and destroyed in storage . . . guess that makes them fodder for the Dead Puppets Society.
Dead as a doornail
In conclusion, as I look back on TECHNICOLOR DREAMS, I wouldn't necessarily say I'm entirely proud of it. I would certainly consider it one of my better technical achievements; artistic, not so much.
This word may be new to you, as it was to me, and that's because it actually is a relatively new word. So, what does "Solastagia" mean anyway? Is it the sense of solace you feel whenever you find yourself nostalgic for a certain bygone era? Is it nostalgia for anything having to do with the solar system? The fall season is upon us (well, it should be anyway), does it have anything to do with a solstice? Actually, no, that wouldn't be the case, because the next solstice isn't until December 21st; must be the equinox I'm thinking of. Okay, so just what does this relatively new word mean exactly? Thankfully, an outdoor theater production, coincidentally entitled SOLASTAGIA, was helpful enough to include the very definition of the word on their poster; so let's take a look. . . .
Solastalgia (noun): A state of homesickness we feel when the places that matter most to us-- our homes, our lands, and our communities-- are disrupted, changed, or threatened.
Ohhh, so that's what this sense of despair and depression is that I feel myself suffering from with increasing regularity over the past decade as I witness our beautiful seasons of fall and winter continually diminish to prolonged summers and earlier springs due to Climate Change year after year. I thought it was just my SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) kicking into overdrive, but it's far more complicated than that! Actually, it's really not that complicated at all; it's really quite simple. I do find myself homesick for the way my home environment used to be, when September through November was a transitional period of the weather gradually cooling off and ushering in the forthcoming winter season, which used to last through the entirety of December through February . . . but for nearly a decade, that has been becoming less and less the case, as we see summer heat continue to linger through almost all of September, sometimes even into October, while spring will begin teasing us throughout January and February before arriving in full force as soon as the calendar turns the page to March. I can even count a number of holiday seasons where it certainly didn't feel like Christmas or Valentine's Day while wearing short sleeves.
But, I digress. This isn't about my annual ranting about Climate Change; this is about an incredible outdoor performance I played spectator to last weekend at Knoxville's World's Fair Park (the same World's Fair Park where in 1982, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL dismissed us as a, "Scruffy little river city," but a title we have worn with pride ever since). The title of the performance? As I said: SOLASTALGIA.
A joint-venture of Cattywumpus Puppet Council and One World Circus, SOLASTALGIA was presented as a three-act outdoor theater program that featured performances by puppets, live actors, musicians, and acrobatic circus performers who could dance on the side of a tall building. Well, you know me; they had me at puppets.
This was an incredibly artistic, eclectic, Avant garde show with heavy undertones regarding climate and environmental changes, social injustices, the adverse effects of governmental neglect, and of course, the future of humanity . . . in short, this is exactly the sort of show that those who lean way over into the right would unironically dismiss as a woke Satanic ritual, and those involved with or attending the show as groomers (particularly this one old man I saw in the audience dressed in a hot pink tank top with a cape that looked like rainbow butterfly wings). Clearly, the people who put this show together had a message to tell, and they were not afraid to deliver their message through vignettes that were rich in biting sarcasm and stinging satire, but also generous in humor and especially heart. A lot of the comments I've read on social media from others who attended the show described it as being extremely cathartic, and that it refreshed and rejuvenated their spirit and soul. I can attest to that - SOLASTALGIA was also something of a veritable lovefest, where concepts and ideals such as peace, love, harmony, unity, and togetherness were also encouraged . . . so, again, in other words, a woke Satanic ritual as others might unironically call it.
That's just the gist of it anyway. As I said, SOLASTALGIA was presented as a three-act program, all three of which involved audience participation - how fun! As a matter of fact, one of the first things we were asked to do upon arrival was fill out a brief little questionnaire that was going to be included in the show; so brief was this questionnaire that there were only two questions: 1) What would you miss the most if the climate continues to change; 2) What is something that needs to be composted in our world today. (For what it's worth, my answers to both were beautiful fall and winter seasons, and hate and division). It wouldn't be until Act II that we would see how our answers would be incorporated into the show.
And now, a rundown of said show. . . .
Act I: The Unraveling Circus This portion of the show is pretty self-explanatory: it was a circus that was unraveling before our very eyes - and not just because of the performances in the act consisting of acrobats raveling and unraveling themselves above the stage in long strands of silky fabric. This was a circus that just fell apart before our very eyes. Why was that? Well, let's see: Food? Check. Shelter? Check. War? Check. Inflation? Check. Taxes? Check. Police Brutality? Check. Climate Change? Check. Low Wage Jobs? Double check! Yep, all of that, and more, were part of the act! During one of their skits, volunteers were brought down from the audience to juggle all of the above-mentioned issues . . . how is that even possible? Simple: all of the issues were scribbled onto different colored dodgeballs, and the volunteers had to juggle them to the best of their ability. Okay, I've gotten a little ahead of myself, but this goes to show you how brave and fearless this show was to take on such hard-hitting issues that impact us so greatly in our modern world, and how much it resonated with the audience who was there (except for those who would probably call this a Satanic ritual).
And it wasn't just those topics they tackled; we were also treated to Capitalism. Yes, Capitalism herself usurped the scraggly ringmaster (who ate noodles out of his hat) and hijacked the circus, promising us in the audience that she would, "Make Circuses Great Again!" (Hmm . . . I wonder where we've heard that before. . . .) As she proceeded to taunt the animal acts with promises of french fries, but they had to work harder for the fries, and even as she put them through such balancing acts, she belittled, insulted, mocked, and ridiculed them, because, hey, animals are expendable, dispensable, and replaceable. Yeah, she really made the circus great again - so much so that the animals and (former) ringmaster came together to subdue her and reclaim their circus. Now that's overturning of power I can get behind!
Frog soup, anyone?
Of course this circus had animal acts! Not actual animals, of course; there is no way a frog could take a dip and nearly die in a boiling tub while a couple of other frogs perform more feats of acrobatic stunts above without PETA burning this whole show to the ground. No, these, obviously, were puppeteers and suit performers who provided us with not just animal acts, but other vignettes as well. One of the most prominent animals featured not just in this act, but throughout the entire show was Grandmother Spider. For those of you who aren't familiar with this figure of Native American mythology (particularly among the Choctaw tribe of Mississippi and Tennessee), Grandmother Spider is a symbol of unity among humanity, that we are all connected to one another by the magical threads of her silk. Once again, I am not so sure that everybody believes in such an ideal, considering there are certain people who seem to believe our society is in need of a "purification process" (you know what I mean; I really don't want to have to actually say it), but those of us who were there definitely sensed the connection - not just the connection the performers made with us as an audience who were engaged by their acts, but all of us collectively as people, we as an audience felt that sense of connection permeate throughout the amphitheater.
Grandmother Spider connects us all with her magical thread
We may be of different generations. . . .
For all the laughs this show provided with its satirical sociopolitical commentary, it could not only hit hard, it could also hit deep. Not all of the skits and vignettes in this show entertained us, they also compelled us to think long and hard about the shape our world is in, and what could possibly happen to it if we don't act accordingly - a message that was spoken in another particularly captivating vignette that dealt with the struggles of trying to adapt and survive in a future where the world as we know it is being ravaged by Climate Change and other politically-charged disasters, as discussed among three generations of women: a teen, an adult, and an elder. There certainly seems to be something of a cultural divide within our society as well, and I'm sure you've seen all of the grief that's arisen amongst the generation gaps: "Okay, Boomer," "Lazy Millennials," "Snowflake Generation," and the like . . . I know a lot of it stems from witnessing different cultural and historical events, and different experiences that one generation may not necessarily understand as well as another, but one thing transcends all generations is that we all share this world, and we all have a responsibility to see to it that the world is a safe place where future generations can live, thrive and prosper . . . but how is that even possible when the world itself in on such a downward spiral? Even our current generations have no clue how to cope with such, and the advice we may receive from previous generations may not seem to offer up much hope. Different generations are not as different as they seem.
. . . . But we're really not so different.
Act II: Funeral for Humanity Remember when I said earlier that audience members were asked to fill out that brief little questionnaire about what we would miss the most if Climate Change continues to ravage our world, and what sort of trash we wish we could compost within our world? Well, that is where we as the audience got to participate in the show once again, as the second act of SOLASTALGIA was a one big funeral march for humanity. Yes, we paid our last respects to humanity as we know it. The frogs and other animals carried with them a coffin, and as the band played appropriately somber and melancholic New Orleans-style funeral music, we were all rounded up, marched out of the amphitheater, and around the World's Fair Park's Viaduct, where we watched as the animals took our questionnaires from a pair of wicker baskets, and laid them to rest within the coffin that was laid to rest upon the water . . . and then set on fire.
But of course, a funeral is not just exclusive to acknowledgement of death, but it also can be a celebration of life, and that was exactly what we celebrated as we made our way out of the World's Fair grounds and over to the nearby Tennessean Building; the impromptu little dance party served as something of a segue into the third and final act. . . .
Act III: Vertical Dancing
The third and final act may have been among SOLASTALGIA's greatest visual spectacles.
After our procession over to The Tennessean building, we were treated to members of the Dragonfly Aerial & Circus Arts Studio descending from the roof to display some amazing, death-defying acrobatics as they slowly danced their way down the side of the building - all the while also accompanied by a shadow puppet show that, once again, sent out loud and clear messages about the sort of social injustices that humanity has the power to defy and overcome. The word "awesome" seems to have lost its true meaning as our vocabulary has evolved (or in some cases, de-evolved) over the generations, but this particular spectacle was truly awesome, and awe-inspiring, in the truest sense of the word.
As the Dragonfly Dancers continued their descent down the side of The Tennessean, a pair of giant light-up puppets arrived on the scene to provide us with the capper for our evening: we followed them out into the grassy area of the World's Fair Park, where we all eventually joined together for a Kumbaya-esque sing-along, which further brought all of us together and connected us as one.
The folks of Cattywampus Puppet Council, One World Circus, and Dragonfly Aerial & Circus Arts Studio managed to put together an incredible show that was full of artistic vision, and unmatched talent to share that artistic vision with us. Those who graced the stage of the amphitheater were an absolute delight to watch, with particular emphasis on the likes of Andreas Bastias (whom I actually recognized from working at a local co-op market), who charmed us with his animal magnetism as a meek cockroach and the nurturing Grandmother Spider; Jake Weinstein, who was a hoot as our sketchy and seedy but ever-so-trustworthy ringmaster; and Rachel Milford, who was a bundle of effervescent energy, and crushed it in each of her numerous roles (even if one those roles was the personification of Capitalism).
I honestly have to say, I feel like I have only scratched the surface in my review of this show, and that's because I pretty much have. There were still many more skits and vignettes than what I've mentioned in this review . . . it's extremely difficult to describe the experience of seeing this show in words or text (it took me several days just to try to write this very review), because it was just that: this wasn't a show, this wasn't an act, this wasn't a performance, this was an experience; you really had to be there and see it for yourself to really understand the impact SOLASTALGIA had on those of us in attendance. And even saying that SOLASTALGIA left an impact on us would be a gross understatement. Remember those books CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL? That's exactly what this show was. Not the books, that is; I mean watching this show was very much like chicken soup for the soul. That's how impactful, cathartic, and refreshing it was. Through it all, there was a sense of unity, connection, togetherness, acceptance, and love among everyone - on and off stage. Even as the show was breaking up, people were hugging and holding onto each other - some were even going up to the performers to hug and hold onto them as well. In a world where there is so much hate and division, SOLASTALGIA was more than a breath of fresh air. As an artist and Content Creator myself, I will never agree with anyone who says art shouldn't be used to make a statement, because this amazing, outstanding, and incredible showcase of visual performance art made statements that everybody should hear out, listen to, take into consideration, ponder and wonder.
So please, take a moment as we did throughout this show, turn to and look at the person next to you, sense the connection you may share with this person, realize that we are all the same, that we need each other, and that we have the power to change the world and make it a better place for not only ourselves, but our descendants as well. Love trumps hate.
The Knoxville Fanboy Expo really knocked it out of the park this year, and I had an incredible weekend getting to meet some amazing Muppet/Henson veterans such as Bill Barretta, Kirk R. Thatcher, Steve Whitmire, and Kevin Clash, but also one of my favorite comedians, Jon Lovitz. I got spend several minutes with Bill, Kirk, and Steve, not just chatting about Muppet matters, but the art of puppetry in general - these guys really make a longtime fan feel more like an old friend, which were the biggest highlights of my day. Unfortunately, I really didn't get to chat with either Kevin or Jon - their lines were kept moving at all times, but it was still such a treat getting to meet them in person. There were still a number of other icons I would have loved to have met also, including Paul Williams, Anthony Anderson, Jaleel White, and Danny Trejo just to name a few . . . but I ran out of funds (Paul Williams alone was a third of my budget for that day) . . . that, and I couldn't find some of their tables, considering the Fanboy Expo had guests occupying all three floors of the Convention Center this year, and I had never set foot into some of these areas before.
Pepe the King Prawn may be an little asshole (Bill's words, not mine), but Bill Barretta is definitely one of the nicest, friendliest people you could ever meet!
Kirk Thatcher said we were going for a PLANES, TRAINS, AND AUTOMOBILES vibe when posing for our selfie.
Met Steve the first time in 2018. . . .
and again in 2024
I already met Steve Whitmire once before in 2018, but I couldn't resist meeting up with him again this year; still such a great guy. As you can see, I brought my old one-eared Ernie with me again.
Elmo and Splinter almost look like they're trying to photobomb my selfie with Kevin Clash, doesn't it?
Jon Lovitz didn't really seem to appear well that day; I don't know if he was feeling under the weather or what. Still didn't want to pass up the opportunity.
Some of Kevin Clash's disguinished colleagues such as Caroll Spinney, Alan Muraoka, Roscoe Orman, Emilio Delgado, and Bob McGrath had previously signed this mammoth book years before.\
MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND was one of my favorite Muppet movies as a kid (and the first one I saw in theaters), and was one I knew each of the Fanboy Expo's guests had worked on, so I had to have them sign this for me. And yes, Bill Barretta signed it in-character as Clueless Morgan.
All in all, one of the best days of my life, and definitely the highest point of 2024 for me. (I would have worn a Jim Henson t-shirt I have for the occasion, but it was hotternell outside, so I dressed cooly to keep from melting).
Oh, and in case anybody asks, no, those aren't actual Kermit and Elmo puppets at Steve and Kevin's tables, they were replicas that were gifted to them by other fans. Steve said that the Kermit replica was actually pretty close to the real thing in terms of size and construction.
Now that the spooky season is upon us, this seems as good a time as ever to promote and exploit The Joseph Scarbrough Universe's resident spook with a new collection of VAMPIRE GIRL merchandise on our new Redbubble store!
At the moment, we have t-shirts, wall posters, notebooks, pins, and even coffee mugs available for purchase, but Redbubble has a number of other products and items to choose from, so if there may be other pieces of VAMPIRE GIRL merchandise you might like to see or may be interested in, you can make a special request!
Of course, there's also still plenty of Steve D'Monster merchandise available as well, get yours today!
http://jscarbrough.redbubble.com
In addition to this new collection of Redbubble VAMPIRE GIRL merchandise, I have also come to a rather tough and difficult decision to part with the artwork from the original VAMPIRE GIRL Production Bible - this includes all of the original penciled and inked pages that made up the 17 strips from 2011 and 2012, as well as all of the individual panels that were drawn for the additional 35 strips of the second season from 2022 and 2023; other official VAMPIRE GIRL artwork is also being offered for sale as well.
These are being offered directly from me, and you have a few different options to choose from; if you are interested in owning a piece of official original VAMPIRE GIRL artwork, you can reach out and contact me.
That's right folks, you can now get your own official Scarbrough merchandise from our new Redbubble shop! For the time being, there is a line of Steve D'Monster apparel and products available, from t-shirts to tank tops, from throw pillows to tin buttons, you can now own a piece of official Steve gear, with more to come soon!
