Hamtragic
So, I'm at the PreSPACE party at the Laughing Ogre in Columbus, OH, and I meet a fellow by the name of Aaron. Nice guy, very personable. We talk about comics a bit, and he happens to mention that he's in the process of making his own movie. I'm sure I responded with something pithy, like, "Oh really?". He went on to explain that he and a bunch of his friends from Detroit were making their own low budget film.
Fast forward a few months, and I get a letter from Aaron containing a batch of his always intriguing mini-comics (including a jam comic that I made a rather poor contribution to...). The letter stated that his movie was done and ready for mass consumption. If I wanted a copy, I could score it for $15 or trade. Trade, eh? Free movie, eh? I'm from Southern Illinois. We don't pass up free. Plus, like I said, I was intrigued. So I sent off a copy of one of my books, and about a week or so later, I recieved "Hamtragic" in the mail.
Before we begin, let me just start by saying I have the utmost respect for anyone that can create and distribute art on their own. I know from experience how rough self-publishing comics can be, and making your own film has to be much more difficult. I still have plans to do my own animated short someday, but those plans have been put off indefinately due to the amount of time I spend working on the comic.
"Hamtragic" breaks down like this. An ancient tribe from South America sends a cursed plant in a cursed vase to America. The plant can be turned into a strange drug. Only one shipment of the drug arrives in America, landing in Hamtrack, MI. Whenever a Community College Math Professor is accidentally exposed to the drug, he transforms into a murderous, yet surprisingly lazy psychopath who must acquire more of the drug at all costs. Chaos ensues.
The film marches to the beat of it's own drummer. It's strangely hypnotic, and there are lots of interesting choices made throughout the filmmaking. For example, the Drug has a voice of its own, which is represented by a number of intricate pen and ink drawings of classic Movie Monsters. Very cool. Also, a couple of what I assume are local Detroit bands pop up at key moments and perform. Various things like that occur throughout the movie, giving the film a definately chaotic, unpredictable vein. The film is obviously low budget, and, presumably, no one in the film has had any training as an actor. Still, there is a definative enthusiasm displayed throughout.
If you're interested in checking out "Hamtragic", their website is located at www.nofunfilms.com.
Fast forward a few months, and I get a letter from Aaron containing a batch of his always intriguing mini-comics (including a jam comic that I made a rather poor contribution to...). The letter stated that his movie was done and ready for mass consumption. If I wanted a copy, I could score it for $15 or trade. Trade, eh? Free movie, eh? I'm from Southern Illinois. We don't pass up free. Plus, like I said, I was intrigued. So I sent off a copy of one of my books, and about a week or so later, I recieved "Hamtragic" in the mail.
Before we begin, let me just start by saying I have the utmost respect for anyone that can create and distribute art on their own. I know from experience how rough self-publishing comics can be, and making your own film has to be much more difficult. I still have plans to do my own animated short someday, but those plans have been put off indefinately due to the amount of time I spend working on the comic.
"Hamtragic" breaks down like this. An ancient tribe from South America sends a cursed plant in a cursed vase to America. The plant can be turned into a strange drug. Only one shipment of the drug arrives in America, landing in Hamtrack, MI. Whenever a Community College Math Professor is accidentally exposed to the drug, he transforms into a murderous, yet surprisingly lazy psychopath who must acquire more of the drug at all costs. Chaos ensues.
The film marches to the beat of it's own drummer. It's strangely hypnotic, and there are lots of interesting choices made throughout the filmmaking. For example, the Drug has a voice of its own, which is represented by a number of intricate pen and ink drawings of classic Movie Monsters. Very cool. Also, a couple of what I assume are local Detroit bands pop up at key moments and perform. Various things like that occur throughout the movie, giving the film a definately chaotic, unpredictable vein. The film is obviously low budget, and, presumably, no one in the film has had any training as an actor. Still, there is a definative enthusiasm displayed throughout.
If you're interested in checking out "Hamtragic", their website is located at www.nofunfilms.com.
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