3 AMish...

The best part about having a blog?
It's mine. I make the rules. I can post whatever I want on it, and do whatever I want with it...

Just woke up, I was asleep, on the couch, sketchbook Brie gave me next to me, Chinese Democracy in the CD player... And I woke up out of nowhere. And it hit me.
9/28/10 is 17 years since my brother died.
Some people will use an day like this to mope and throw themselves a pity party. But not me.
Each year it's a day to celebrate.
Celebrate the life I have and be happy to be surrounded by the ones I love. Surrounded by my girlfriend, my family, her family, my cats, the Elmwood crew, my new Paris crew, all my friends, and so on...
I thank all of you and love you... If your reading this that means in some way I know you. As a friend, professionally, and further. Thank you for letting me be a part of your life, I am glad you are part of mine.

I ask you to do the same today.
I ask you to celebrate life. Give a stranger a hug, or call your mom, do something to remind yourself that it's good to be alive.

It's what Micheal would do.

(The pic is stolen from a friends Facebook page... Thanks!)

Monday Song - Could've Gone Mad

I'm so glad that you decided to come
Go ahead make yourself comfortable darlin'
I've got a proposition for you
There's a room available inside of my heart
And I hope it will be taken by you

You can bring whatever you wanna bring baby
Each and EVERY ONE of your friends
And if you want a dog or a big bullfrog
Hell, I've got room for them

'CAUSE I'm so glad you FINALLY decided to come

Another day and I could've gone mad
Another day and it might've gotten bad
Another day and I might have betrayed
Every scruple I have

You cause in me an impossible craving
NO WAY THAT IT WILL be denied
If I decided to make you my religion
I think God would be kind

So I made a wish on a million of THE stars
Registered your name on a few
That way if you forget who you are
You can look up and see a picture of you

I'm so glad you FINALLY decided to come

Another day and I could've gone mad
Another day and it might've gotten bad
Another day and I might have betrayed
Every scruple I have I'm so glad you decided to come

Another day and I could've gone mad
Another day and it might've gotten bad
Another day and I might have betrayed
Every scruple I...

...have to keep ahold of myself
Is that really you or is it someone else
I swear, it looks just like him
I wonder can he see what a state I'm in
Like a broken bridge
GOT TO swing on him
JUST LIKE a jungle gym

Another day and I could've gone mad
Another day and it might've gotten bad
Another day and I might have betrayed
Every scruple I have

Another day and I could've gone mad
Another day and it might've gotten bad
Another day and I might have betrayed
Every scruple I have

I'M SO GLAD, SO GLAD, SO GLAD

DON'T YOU SEE THAT YOU'RE DRIVIN' ME CRAZY?
DON'T GO LEAVIN' ME NOW...UH
DON'T YOU SEE THAT YOU'RE DRIVIN' ME CRAZY?
DON'T GO LEAVIN' ME NOW

Poe

Josh and Todd Want Your Music!

This is me in Books And Music in Plainville, CT... One of the locations of the film

"Josh and Todd: The Story of A Man and His Puppet"

Want your music in an Elmwood Movie?

Check out the link below...
http://joshandtodd.blogspot.com/2010/09/call-for-music.html

And if you're looking for something to do this weekend stop in to Paris In Plantsville and see some puppets, art, and me! I'll be there Saturday!

Elephant - The Collection

Do you know the Elephant Dance?

Monday Song - Wasted Years

From the coast of gold, across the seven seas,
I'm traveling on, far and wide,
But now it seems, I'm just a stranger to myself,
And all the things I sometimes do, it isn't me but someone else.

I close my eyes, and think of home,
Another city goes by, in the night,
Ain't it funny how it is, you never miss it til it's gone away,
And my heart is lying there and will be til my dying day.

So understand
Don't waste your time always searching for those wasted years,
Face up...make your stand,
And realize you're living in the golden years.

Too much time on my hands, I got you on my mind,
Can't ease this pain, so easily,
When you can't find the words to say, it's hard to make it through another day,
And it makes me wanna cry, and throw my hands up to the sky.

So understand
Don't waste your time always searching for those wasted years,
Face up...make your stand,
And realize you're living in the golden years.

Iron Maiden

Sesame Street: A Celebration

A short review of the book "Sesame Street: A Celebration - 40 Years of Life On The Street" by Louise Gikow

Published in 2009 to help celebrate and promote Sesame Street's 40 years of broadcasting this book is the one for the fans, and families as opposed to Michael Davis' book from 2009 "Street Gang".

Full of color and life this is a sight, and a lot of fun to read. It covers all the classic ground, how the show started, who were the people behind (and under it), what the intended audience was to be and so on, with ease and fun.

Some of the best parts of the book were covering the puppeteers themselves, and explaining the changes to cast over the years. Also a great, but too brief, section is on the merchandising of the show.

I would recommend this one to the Sesame Street fan who is looking for a lot of great photos and fun facts about the past 40 years, but if you want a more adult approach check out "Street Gang". The book is worth the price of admission just to look at it (I got a free ticket, it was a gift from Brie! Thanks!) All of the photos are amazing, and many of them I had never seen before, and I have a lot of books on the subject!

Cover Photo Snagged From Muppet Wiki

Brown Bear - The Collection

White Bear - The Collection

Monday Song - Everlong

Hello,
I've waited here for you
Everlong

Tonight,
I throw myself into
And out of the red out of her head she sang

Come down and waste away with me
Down with me
Slow how you wanted it to be
I'm over my head, out of her head she sang

And I wonder
When I sing along with you
If everything could ever feel this real forever
If anything could ever be this good again
The only thing I'll ever ask of you
You've got to promise not to stop when I say when
She sang

Breathe out
So I can breathe you in
Hold you in

And now
I know you've always been
Out of your head, out of my head I sang

And I wonder
When I sing along with you
If everything could ever feel this real forever
If anything could ever be this good again
The only thing I'll ever ask of you
You've got to promise not to stop when I say when
She sang

And I wonder
If everything could ever feel this real forever
If anything could ever be this good again
The only thing I'll ever ask of you
You've got to promise not to stop when I say when

Foo Fighters

Muppets + Prince = Awesome

Something happy on this 9/11...

Paris In Plantsville

Something must be in the Kool Aid over there.

A couple month ago Joe Calvo and I went to the gallery to talk with them about doing screening of Elmwood flicks, and maybe a show in the gallery featuring puppets. One of the Resident Artists suggested we do this, that would be Mr. Joe Bun Keo.
So we went, chatted and took off and hit ConnectiCon a few days later and had a blast.
About a month later Joe Bun Keo (AKA Mr. Sexy) called and asked if I could have something together by labor Day weekend.
"Sure"

So in just over a month we shot a new Steve the Vampire short, and put together an hour of puppet flicks (our greatest hits, perhaps) and I promoted, pimped and prepped the show.
Mr. Sexy and the guys at Paris got to know me pretty well as I was attending meetings and hanging out.

And then the show happened. And it went off without a hitch. And we had a packed house...

So Mr. Sexy Keo asks the other guys if they want to add a new Resident Artist, specifically me.

And they said yes... And I said yes... It's like being married, but without the sex.
So here I am.
Jon Bristol - Creative Director for Elmwood Productions
and now also
Jon Bristol - Resident Artist at Paris In Plantsville.

That's pretty cool!!!

Read more about it on Elmwood's blog too!

Garfield - The Collection

Garfield

This puppet is actually a prototype, direct from Paws, Inc!

Brown Mouse - The collection

Monday Song - Who Wants To Live Forever?

There's no time for us
There's no place for us
What is this thing that builds our dreams yet slips away
from us

Who wants to live forever
Who wants to live forever?

There's no chance for us
It's all decided for us
This world has only one sweet moment set aside for us

Who wants to live forever
Who wants to live forever?

Who dares to love forever?
When love must die

But touch my tears with your lips
Touch my world with your fingertips
And we can have forever
And we can love forever
Forever is our today
Who wants to live forever
Who wants to live forever?
Forever is our today

Who lives forever anyway?

Queen

My Adventures in Puppetry...

Last nite Elmwood Puppets had a screening at a gallery here in CT called Paris In Plantsville.

And I don't believe it could have gone better...

There's a post over on Elmwood's Blog that you can read for more on that here...

But on Puppet A Day I wanted to add a little more. Some thank yous.

Thank you Brie for always being awesome. You are. I'm a lucky man.

Thank you to the whole and extended McDonald family, you're support of my films and puppets amazing me, and means alot to me

Thank you to my folks, Roger and Sue, for also being so supportive!

To the Elmwood Crew - Without you guys wiggling the puppets the screening would have been rather boring!

And to the guys at Paris in Plantsville! You guys pulled it together and I think we all looked good! Hahaha!

And again to Joe Bun Keo... For really making the show happen!

A couple puppets are still at the gallery in case you want to get a look! And we were selling a limited edition DVD at the show, with proceeds going to MDA, there were a few copies left after the show, you can still pick one up at the gallery or email fanmail@elmwoodproductions.com if you want one! Only five bucks!

Wanna see more pictures? Click the one above!

Punching Nun - The Collection

A Classic!

Tonite! 8 PM!

I'll be there, with puppets on display and films featuring the Elmwood Puppets!

Hope to see you there!

Screening! Meet Steve the Vampire and Johnnie Sojive Too!

Screening TOMORROW NIGHT!
At PARIS IN PLANTSVILLE!!!
In Plantsville, CT

Check out the Event Page Here!

Come enjoy the funny and energetic vibes of Jon Bristol and Elmwood Production's puppetry-gone-wild! If you think puppets are old school and boring, well you got it all wrong! These guys give puppetry a contemporary twist that you can enjoy and laugh along to.
...
If you think The Muppets and Crank Yankers were funny, well imagine the two coming together and you'll have the outrageous and quirky story-lines of Bristol and gang.

Jon Bristol will be showing films featuring his many crazy characters in off-beat yet always fun plots that include vampires, brains, and lots of humor. Guaranteed something different, yet very entertaining. Jon will also be displaying several of the puppets used in his films.

Knight - The Collection

Jester - The Collection