As I explained in this guided tour of my production offices in 2009 for the intro to my second book Motion Picture Purgatory Volume 2, “we eat, sleep, breath, & live our vocation,” illustrated by a pair of coworkers being pumped a percolating brown mystery broth down their throats for inspiration before jumping into the simmering vat from whence the gooey gravy came. “It’s our calling & the alphabet soup that is this daunting field can occasionally provide warmth & comfort, however fleeting. But as the exchange of ideas comes to a climax, room has to be made to allow the growing pains of our thesis to burble forward & take on a life of its own.” And we’re still very much open for business, so please do drop us a line. The artwork, minus any text or titles, was actually originally drawn for Montreal artist Eric Braun’s limited edition embossed self-published comic zine 106U #7 in 2003. (To see images full-sized, click on them to open in a new window & use the magnify function).
HOW MOTION PICTURE PURGATORIES ARE MADE page 1: First a conference must be held over at Motion Picture Purgatory headquarters involving radar beams from key personnel sending out feelers in search of our next topic. Full concentration is necessary in order for our chosen satellite to put their finger on the pulse-beat of what’s currently being made available for our perusal out there. Juices begin to flow as research department locks in, gathering info & ingesting the task at hand, while our creative division attempts to tap into the fruits of their labour. It’s “all systems go” once orders have been successfully sent out & contact is made so a direct pipeline to the flickering lights of the cinema may be established.
HOW MOTION PICTURE PURGATORIES ARE MADE page 2: An encouraging hand lets our captivated reporter know that the capacity for crosschecking is just a heartbeat away if need be, in one eyeball out the other. Bulletins are routinely telegraphed to cross-pollinate a multitude of conceptual approaches that may or may not be calculated to compliment the theme being explored. Once all our information’s been gathered, preparations are made for brainstorming sessions anticipating the blossoming of a panoply of presumptions to pick apart. A symposium sampling the flavours that encapsulate what the silver screen has to offer ensues, an unpleasant undertaking more often than not but we’re professionals.
HOW MOTION PICTURE PURGATORIES ARE MADE page 3: After pooling our resources, a watchful eye arranges an extensive immersion to help fully grasp what ramifications reviews of any given work may sustain. Fully hooked into our assignment, the lonely process of pondering the inevitable must get underway whether it’s to be an agreeable endeavour or not. We eat, live, breath, & sleep our vocation, it’s our calling & the alphabet soup that is this daunting field can occasionally provide warmth & comfort, however fleeting. But as the exchange of ideas comes to a climax, room has to be made to allow the growing pains of our thesis to burble forward & take on a life of its own.
HOW MOTION PICTURE PURGATORIES ARE MADE page 4: Exuberance often accompanies trepidation once a concrete argument has mutated thoroughly enough to become palpable to the senses & rife with potential consequences. Awkward baby-steps are gently encouraged but profusely monitored in order to avoid unforeseen premature ejaculations, temperance being a key factor at this junction. Only once our monster’s been successfully assembled, unleashed, & telegraphed into the ether can we proudly raise our heads & finally find cause for celebration. Boldly we move forward, servicing our loyal fan-base with the kind of quality manufacturing that’s come to be expected out of the trusty Motion Picture Purgatory foundry!
Original art for sale (as they were drawn for 106U #7; a silent strip without any text or titles, just four panels per page): all four pages for $400.00 CAD. Includes final inks & B&W pencil preliminaries both on 8 ½ by 11 inch paper. Postage & framing not included. Motion Picture Purgatory Volumes One & Two available at FAB Press. For original art info, contact Rick Trembles @ ricktrembles (at) hotmail (dot) com.
