I just got back from Cartoon Dump‘s first New York show, and in summary:

I met the great and mighty Frank. Despite an introduction from somebody what’s worked with him and Frank’s good natured Frankness, it was the usual fanboy anticlimax as I couldn’t think of anything good to say, and then my camera failed to work when I got to pose with him. But I can say at least that he’s meeting with Joel next week; what for, I honestly don’t know. Also, he really does want to know if you ordered Cinematic Titanic yet. And despite being a regular reader of Cartoon Brew, and having a well worn copy of one of his books, I had even less to say to co-producer Jerry Beck.

The show itself was solid. The awful cartoons are a lot more entertaining with an audience laughing in disbelief than in their online episodes, where they can be more baffling. Between the standard benefits of live theater and the expansion to a full performance rather than the few minutes you get in the online show, the show gets a lot more momentum and the characters rise a bit above their simple textbook psychiatric disorders. I will say I was a little disappointed that during the ‘Dry Heaves’ song, Frank didn’t direct any of his heaves towards our side of the stage (Why didn’t I think to mention that when I was talking to him? Damn you hindsight!) They’ve got shows coming up in New York on February 19th and March 11th, and you should go. And since I’ve already seen it, you cappers who are afraid of running into me there probably don’t have to worry.

Anyway, watch this space for my other encounter of the Brain kind from earlier this week, just as soon as the shadowrama from Mary Jo’s fridge arrives in the mail.

As you’ve probably heard by now, the first episode of Cinematic Titanic, The Oozing Skull (aka Brain of Blood) is now available to order. <kermit>yaaaaay</kermit>. The preview is out (and in lower res on the order page) and it looks great. I’ve previously dismissed the ‘but there’s no Shadowrama’ complaint about other post-mst3k efforts to be splitting hairs, but did it ever feel right to see it again. On the downside, the download option won’t be available until April, and the discs won’t ship for up to two weeks.

[Addendum 12/23]

There seems to be an official version of the trailer on YouTube now:

http://www.cinematictitanic.com/

Wow, this is probably the best news I’ve had in ages. (Sad for me). But it does almost makes me feel sorry for Jim’s little effort. Interesting timing certainly. Go sign up for their newsletter.

[Addendum 6PM] Now that I’ve had time to let this wonderful news sink in, I just noticed this project has awfully familiar initials. I guess we’ll have to start using CT! as a retronym for Caption This! to distinguish it from CT.