I bet you thought I forgot about my 100 Frankensteins Project, didn't you? Well, you're right, I did. So it's high time I remedied that oversight.
Here's my version of the Frankenstein Monster from Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein. Peter Boyle put in a memorable performance as the Monster, giving him character and depth without saying a word (well, almost). In fact the entire cast was firing on all cylinders in this movie.
I much prefer Young Frankenstein over Brooks' Blazing Saddles. Blazing Saddles starts out as a satire of westerns but quickly degenerates into a big plotless over the top free for all. Young Frankenstein manages to satire horror movies while still maintaining an actual storyline. It could even pass as a legitimate sequel to the Universal Frankenstein movies. I love the fact that it pokes gentle fun at the source material without ridiculing it. That's a tough line to walk, and the only other movie I can think of that successfully pulls it off is Galaxy Quest .
I saw Young Frankenstein in the theater when I was 14. I begged my dad to take me to see it, and he begrudgingly agreed. When the movie started up and he saw it was in glorious black and white, he almost got up and left. But after a few minutes he got into it and roared and guffawed throughout the entire film, slapping my leg at every joke. I was at that age where I was embarrassed by the fact that I even had parents, so of course I was mortified. Don't worry, I'm out of that phase now.
My dad still laughs uproariously every time he sees the movie, even after all these years. The man knows what he likes, I guess.
Note that in the movie the zipper was on the right side of his neck. I moved it to the left so I could include it here. Artistic license and all that.
Drawn in Photoshop on the graphic tablet.
Here's the original sketch of Young Frank. I thought he was a bit stumpy, so I ditched this one and tried again.
I love that movie and I love Boyle as the Monster. Fantastic job. Your picture, also fantastic.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking into graphic tablets, never used on. Is there one you'd recommend? I don't have Photoshop, but I do have Xara.
These drawings are wonderful. Thanks for the post.
You left out that part in the story where your dad originally didn't want to see it but begrudgingly took you. Then later he ended up laughing more than you.
ReplyDeleteHappy Whisk: Thanks for the compliments!
ReplyDeleteMy tablet is from DigiPro. I bought it 3 or 4 years ago. It's a lower end tablet, and it got horrible reviews on Amazon, but I've never had any problems with it and am very please with it. Unfortunately they don't make that particular model anymore. They sell other ones though.
Wacom is the brand most people think of when they hear graphic tablet. I don't really have any info or opinions about them.
If money's no object, there's always a Cintiq. You draw right on the Cintiq screen, just like you're working on a piece of paper. They're pretty pricey though, around $2000 or $3000.
I've not heard of Xara, so I don't know if it would work with a tablet or not. There is a free program out there called Gimp, which is pretty much a clone of Photoshop. Haven't used it, but everyone seems to love it.
KW: Yeah, I left that part out because I didn't want to write a novel. I guess it's worth telling though.
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ReplyDeleteOne of the best comedies ever.
ReplyDeleteI was born in the same year that this movie was released, i saw it years after, obviously, with a re-release, early 80's, and was incredible.
Very nice work, Bob. ;-)
Thanks, Juan!
ReplyDeleteMovie re-releases are something you don't see much anymore, no doubt due to home video. Personally I'd welcome the chance to see some classic movies on the big screen again.
Thanks you, very much for your reply. I will look into your suggestions. Wow, that other one is high. I'm going to have to keep it on the lower side, price-wise. Again, much thanks for your time. Your work is inspiring.
ReplyDelete