THE MIND EXPANDING UNIVERSE OF BIG LEZ

A couple of months ago, my friend Scott asked if I'd ever watched Big Lez. I confirmed that not only had I not seen it, I had absolutely no awareness of it whatsoever. He didn't give too much away, other than to say that I should watch it because I'd like it. He was absolutely right.

Big Lez is Australian in origin, an animated web show launched in 2012. The majority of the work is credited to Jarrard Wright, who conceived and scripts the show, draws and animates it, provides most of the voices and does the music. An initially crude but brilliantly DIY affair, Wright drew and coloured the show in (of all things) Microsoft Paint and then animates the frames. At the beginning, he even used a free laptop provided by the Australian government when they were trying to promote greater computer literacy. Refinements in technology have progressively made the presentation smoother and more sophisticated, but it remains rambunctiously rough and ready in a slick and seamless world. Indeed, that rudimentary quality is an important part of its appeal.

The Big Lez Show (and the Big Lez Universe - there have been five spin off series so far) centres around Brown Town, a quintessentially rural coastal place that is home not only to hard living Aussie blokes (there are virtually no women in the series) but also to aliens and ancient interdimensional beings, mainly Anthropoidipes Ameriborealis, i.e. Sasquatches. They all live together in raucous and mutually supportive harmony. A massive amount of drugs are consumed. I mean, all of the time. Side quests include an ongoing war with crazed invasive mutants, skateboarding, surfing and sugar gliding tournaments, and lots of gun play. It's preposterous, surreal, violent, foul mouthed - but also good-natured and extremely funny.

If you want a gentle wade into the warm waters of Big Lez, try Donny & Clarence. It will surprise you just how quickly you stop wondering why a balding Sasquatch and a green guy with a head like a jacket potato are doing in the Outback, let alone running a convenience store where everything costs $50. Just go with it, it will more than repay your suspension of disbelief.

If you want to just dive in at the deep end, start with Sassy The Sasquatch. This series provides an origin story to one of the Big Lez Universes best loved characters, an immortal, permanently stoned Big Foot who moves aimlessly through time and space for millions of years before finding a home in Brown Town. This series is both hilarious and genuinely profound - like all great mythologies, it is hugely entertaining but also says something important about the human condition. 

I've been totally converted, and now I'm obsessed enough to start tapping on doors and spreading the word. Next chance you get, investigate further, you'll be doing yourself a big, hairy favour.

IT ANTICS

From the 1975 demonstrational film Finite Elements, made by the Atlas Computer Library with graphic and music by the ANTICS computer system. 

NON-TERRIBLE LIZARDS

 

The Animal World is a 1956 documentary directed by 'the Master of Disaster', director and producer Irwin Allen. After a brief look at amoebas and protozoa, there's a ten minute stop-motion sequence about dinosaurs put together by King Kong man Willis O'Brien and all-round special effects genius Ray Harryhausen. 

This kind of animation can look a bit quaint now, but I'm still able to connect to how thrilling it would have been to watch back when I was less jaded and CGI was the stuff of science fiction. The dinosaurs here are menacing, violent,  rheumy eyed and slobbery: they look tired, desperate, hungry and under pressure. 

I'm 57 years old, but I still have a favourite dinosaur, the Triceratops. I really love those guys.

STOP! HAMMER TIME

 

The comic book industry is nothing is not commercial, so the first Marvel tie in's came early. The Marvel Super Heroes was a 1966 syndicated cartoon featuring five of their superheroes, three of which (The Hulk, Iron Man and Thor) had debuted in Kirby & Lee's annus mirabilis, 1962 (Captain America and Namor, the Submariner had been knocking about since the 1940s).

Produced quickly and cheaply by Grantray-Lawrence Animation, the 'animation' took copies of art from the original comics, then added stiffly moving mouths, darting eyes, waving limbs and the odd mobile silhouette. You couldn't get away with it now, but the cartoons are short and bright and noisy and fast moving and must have seemed quite exciting to children at the time. I still like them now, but then, as we have already established, there is something wrong with me.

In 'The Tomorrow Man', the God of Thunder faces Zarrko, a megalomaniac villain from the 23rd century. It does not end well for Zarrko, or for Thor's half-brother, Loki, who, as usual, is stirring the shit behind the scenes with a big wooden spoon.

THREE SHOTS, FOUR SPOCKS

INBETWEENERS

A selection of backdrops, transitions and incidental details from Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973-74).

SPOILER

Oh no, it's the Phantom of Vasquez!

'Well, well, well, if it isn't our old friend, Bluestone The Great, an ex-magician wanted in six states'

MISC BOXES

From the short Pierre Hebert film 'Around Perception' (1968).

INBETWEENERS

Transitions, backgrounds and landscapes from Filmation's Aquaman cartoon that ran from 1968 to 1970. Here's Orin / Arthur Curry in action. Doesn't look much like Jason Momoa, does he? That's not important, of course, but I do wish DC made better films from their extraordinary back catalogue.