An issue we're seeing at all levels of university is that many students are simply refusing to do *anything*. They aren't reading the syllabus, aren't following assignment guidelines, aren't engaging with material, ignoring deadlines. And this might seem like old news, but it truly has ramped up.

With the cloud-flare outage it shows how many still use Twitter and that’s just a bit of a shame.

It’s been a good few days for new art and reference books. Now I just need a week to curl up with lots of coffee and biscuits to read them all. Art of Frankenstein Movies of the Silent Years Conrad Veidt Art of Hollywood (production design) Art of Smallfilms (Oliver Postgate & Peter Firmin)

F*ck me! I was doing better (amateur) art for the actual South Yorkshire Coal Board at the age of 16 than this AI generated crap. Many creative jobs in the near future, if they still exist, will be resigned to fixing (wiping the bum of) lazy generative AI.

On this dark and stormy day in Cambridge, England, this hefty gothic tome turned up at the door of my (old dark) house. “The art of Frankenstein.” Concept and production designs from the @realgdt.bsky.social film. What a beautiful book it is!

Going to watch GDT’s “Frankenstein” on the small-ish screen for the second time tonight now that it is on Netflix. Going to enjoy seeing all those costumes, models and props again after seeing them all for real yesterday.

I finally got to visit the London “Frankenstein” exhibition of the costumes, props and art from the Guillermo del Toro film.

I finally got to visit the London “Frankenstein” exhibition of the costumes, props and art from the Guillermo del Toro film.

Just a tiny selection of random cut out art elements from my “Coal Face - The Devil in the Smoke” book. I am going to be creating an animated ‘project’ using the hand drawn cut out pieces. I did something similar for Sony on “MediEvil” a few years ago but want to make something much better/refined.

It's 20 years since @seanphillips.bsky.social and I exchanged a sketchbook back and forth in the mail, a drawn &painted call and response. INTERSECTIONS may be out of print but here is a flip through that sketchbook. You can still find the book out there :)

The WIP head of John Crops from this year’s Halloween pumpkin/vegetable carving. #overthegardenwall

Daytime. Crops is still singing the Blues. 🎃

We made a John Crops for Halloween! Maybe he’ll come alive and sing us a sad song.

It’s that time of year. 🎃

Happy Halloween! 🎃 💀

Wasn’t too excited by the notion of yet another “Frankenstein” adaptation. However, hearing Guillermo del Toro say that Fellini’s wynorrific “Casanova” was one of his four tone/style inspirations for his version had me super intrigued. So I saw “Frankenstein’s” last night and enjoyed it immensely.

A weekend spent in London City of the Dead at Guys Hospital Chapel for a live music performance by Stephen Horne for the Conrad Veidt silent classic “The Man Who Laughed.”

The monster toys are enjoying their warm woolly knitted bobble hats. Pod Person Donald especially so! 😆 Free knitted bottle top warmers from Sainsbury’s juices for charity.

Love these three James Jean posters for Guillermo del Toro films.

Picked up an absolute bargain in an antique Cambridge bookshop this week. A very good condition 1874 edition of the illustrated Gustave Dore “Droll Stories” by Balzac. So many amusing and grotesque medieval illustrations (425 of them). An absolute steal for a tenner!! 😁

Respect to a master of the traditional craft. 🥀

Listening to Tangerine Dream’s “Logos” album reminds me that most of the best epic tracks from the film “The Keep” are on this album and NOT on the official The Keep soundtrack. 😆

Current thoughts.

Saw this (credit where credit is due).

My weekend away from screens. Joyous!

I so miss using my imagination and writing/drawing/game design skills. Will return to the coal face when the time allows.

Let me know your favourite spooky/horror/creepy games (AAA or indie) that are not Silent Hill or Res’ Evil related. Bring on the dark October vibes! 💀🦇🕸️🪦

Finally caught up with “Weapons.” Great creepy modern fairytale. It’s been such a strong year for original horror films.

Interesting thread. The decline of easily available curated print and physical media and barely curated online portals (Steam etc) stuffed full of ‘content’ that crowd out the good and interesting titles is all part of the problem in the past decade. Will only get worse with generative AI dirge.

Hurrah! Got back my lunch break earlier to find this package waiting for me on my doorstep… the documentary film on the (un)making of Michael Mann’s ill fated but fascinating “The Keep.” It’s been such a long wait that I feel that I was entombed in The Keep for all this time! 😅

Jeez… I forgot that America invented filmmaking and movies and all the production craft that goes along with making film productions. 🙄

Hurrah! Got back my lunch break earlier to find this package waiting for me on my doorstep… the documentary film on the (un)making of Michael Mann’s ill fated but fascinating “The Keep.” It’s been such a long wait that I feel that I was entombed in The Keep for all this time! 😅

Last weekend I did an impromptu ghost walk of Britain’s most haunted village of Pluckley. Gathered up my dear spooky friends and off we went… from haunted family crypts, old houses, a bakery and an inn/pub. Chills, tales, a few spooky moments and lots of fun.

M&S has the best Halloween treats! 💀🎃🦇

I was surprised to find this large poster unexpectedly sitting on my doorstep today. 😄

I was so middling on “Alien: Earth.” Some great stuff but very drawn out and the plotting seemed to drag and then rushed by the season climax which is an issue I have with many TV shows. Plus the Alien has so little power left and each film/show erodes the tantalising cosmic horror/mystery further.

An outing today to Pluckley, Britains most haunted village that sports not one or two paranormal entities but 12 of them! Guide books at the ready! 💀👻

Hmmm… Alien: Earth. If this was the Godzilla franchise we‘re now firmly in the late Showa era. 😆 Enjoyable (and weirdly idiotic) on a certain level but a far cry from the industrial working class gritty horror of the claustrophobic original.

One for the cool kids… New badge Monday. 🔥🏔️🏔️

Thank you to those of you that supported my 3 peaks challenge in aid of end of life hospice care. The day started dry and ended up hiking through a rain lashed storm! Yikes! It all went a bit Withnail and I! ‘We’ve gone on a charity hike by mistake!’ Nah - no way, was a worthwhile adventure. 😁

Elon Musk addressing an aggressive Far Right March in London reminds me why I still stay away from Twitter X. Shame many still shill themselves on that platform for hits and likes. But hey, you do you.

Thank you for your donations to my chosen charity. As promised here are four daily storyboard pages from the pre-production work on ALIEN (pre-Scott) for each day I get closer to my goal. I have five more days to go to achieve my goal, so donations to my charity walk are linked in the thread. 🙂

Thank you to those of you who sponsored me for my three peaks hike for charity this weekend. 😊 As promised I will continue to post a bunch of the rarely seen pre-production ALIEN (1977) storyboards from my collection tomorrow in the relevant thread on my Bluesky. Still time to donate if you so wish.

Raising money for a charity that goes towards bereavement counceling. My target is £250 for a charity hike this Sunday. For everyday I get a donation I will reveal more rarely seen pre-Scott ALIEN storyboards from my archive (for fun and a good cause). 😁

Thank you for your donations to my chosen charity. As promised here are four daily storyboard pages from the pre-production work on ALIEN (pre-Scott) for each day I get closer to my goal. I have five more days to go to achieve my goal, so donations to my charity walk are linked in the thread. 🙂

I am raising a small amount of money in memory of dearly departed friends/family and to help those going through bereavement and loss. ❤️ If I reach my goal of £250 by this Saturday I will post a bunch of those rare pre-prod’ ALIEN storyboards here. 🙂 www.justgiving.com/page/jason-w...

I am raising a small amount of money in memory of dearly departed friends/family and to help those going through bereavement and loss. ❤️ If I reach my goal of £250 by this Saturday I will post a bunch of those rare pre-prod’ ALIEN storyboards here. 🙂 www.justgiving.com/page/jason-w...

Four favourite covers (and films) that left a long lasting impression.

More old junk… 1980s rental video sleeves, some of them pre-very. How many of these did you drool over in the local rental video ship? 🤩 Some of these are the very same rental videos that I rented as a kid back in the ‘video nasty’ days. 😁