hentai animation preview Demetri Martin PENCIL

arts and entertainment weekly
Nation
Animation
The Animators
Dominate in Film,
on the Web and
the Campus
PENCIL MILEAGE CLUB
Drawing It Up One Page At A Time
hentai
the dark side of japanese animation
animation
preview
2007 animated film lineup
Demetri
Martin
the homemade animator
2
daily.titan
BUZZ 01.29.07
Drawing for miles pg.4
The Pencil Mileage Club illustrates it all as one of the
campus’ biggest groups and offers it’s members industry
insight and the rest of us some damn good art
Animes Slutty Sister pg. 5
When sex and cartoons clash, Japanese Hentai shows off
the darker side of the world of animation
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Jickie Torres
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Adam Levy
DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING
Emily Alford
Buzz Film Preview pg.6
From gluttenous Ratatoulle to Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles, take a look at 2007’s animated film lineup
Demitri Martin pg.8
The Daily Shows resident trendspotter knows what’s cool
and draws it up at home
WHAT’S THE BUZZ p.7
Read about who wow’d us and who bored us in the latest
releases of music, movies and more
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING
Beth Stirnaman
PRODUCTION
Jickie Tores
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
Sarah Oak
The Daily Titan 714.278.3373
The Buzz Editorial 714.278.5426 [email protected]
Editorial Fax 714.278.4473
The Buzz Advertising 714.278.3373 [email protected]
Advertising Fax 714.278.2702
The Buzz , a student publication, is a supplemental insert for the Cal State Fullerton Daily Titan. It is printed every Thursday.
The Daily Titan operates independently of Associated Students, College of Communications, CSUF administration and the
CSU system. The Daily Titan has functioned as a public forum since inception. Unless implied by the advertising party or
otherwise stated, advertising in the Daily Titan is inserted by commercial activities or ventures identified in the advertisements
themselves and not by the university. Such printing is not to be construed as written or implied sponsorship, endorsement or
investigation of such commercial enterprises.
Copyright ©2006 Daily Titan
daily.titan
INTERSECTION:
Daily Titan Staff
[email protected]
BREA BLVD
Downtown Brea has all of the
typical attractions of an entertainment
center: dining, theaters and shopping.
But there are a few little secrets about
the rich history of Brea that even
long-time residents will be surprised
to hear about.
In the February 2006 issue of
Sunset Magazine, Brea was named the
“Best Bounce-Back Burb” and one
of the top five cities to live in the
nation.
But what does Sunset mean
by “Bounce-back”? By their
definition, Brea falls into the
category of “Towns that create
or resuscitate a downtown,
ending the reign of strip malls.”
When the Brea Mall moved in,
Downtown all but shut down due
to its inability to compete with the
juggernaut. Locals soon began to want
an alternative to the mall, something
outdoors that included new, modern
N
Best Out-of-the-Ordinary Restaurant:
Daphne’s Greek Cafe
The bright colors of the restaurant and the non-stop
Greek music that make you feel like an extra in “My
Big Fat Greek Wedding”. And the food was delicious.
For beginners, try the “Daphne’s Combo,” which
includes a chicken kabob, gyro (beef and lamb), rice
pilaf and Greek salad with pita bread. Don’t forget to
get the Baklava for dessert. Two people can eat for $20
bucks.
WednesdayOne Republic
Becker Amphitheater
12:00p
ThursdayThriving Ivory
TSU pub 12:00p
ThursdayCynthia Ellis, Flute
Meng Concert Hall
8:00p
Best Out-of-the-Ordinary Gift Shop:
Color Me Mine
Why not be a bit more thoughtful when shopping
for that special gift to give someone you care
about? The shops array of undecorated pottery is
paint-it-yourself. Who wouldn’t love their
morning coffee in a mug that reads, “I Love You
Schnookums”? And if you ever break up, just paint
over it. Better yet, you can go make yourself a mug
praising your wonderful self.
Serious rantings and pop culture
complaints of the best (and worst) of
the week’s events that can’t help but
make you scream ... WHAT THE F!
1. Paris Hilton has another, yes another,
sex tape that got leaked to the Internet.
Seriously Paris, WTF?
2. They found a prehistoric shark off the
coast of Japan. Why do the Japanese have
to be the first at everything?
3. Dr. McHomophobe released a
statement this week that yes, in fact he
did call TR Knight a “fag.” Wow, Isaiah
Washington we wanna give you props for
admitting it but then again, we don’t.
Weird.
4.The fast food industry is upset that
Kevin Federline is portraying a Burger
King employee in a new Super bowl
comercial. They say K-Fed is bad for their
image.
3
BREA BLVD
BIRCH ST
Michelle Ascencio
BIRCH ST
&
BUZZ 01.29.07
5. Katie Holmes announced that she
won’t be reprising her role as Rachel
Dawes for the next installment of
the Batman movies. We announce
that Scientology is actually good for
something.
6. YouTube got served with a subpoena to
reveal user information for someone who
posted the season premier of Fox’s 24 on
the site before the network even aired it.
Wonder if Jack Bauer could solve that one
7. Sundance swag makes the list for most
expensive celebrity gifts from the festival
to date. WTF? I thought the independent
films were the broke ones.
housing such as lofts. In the late 1990s
the renovation of the downtown area
began, and the Downtown Brea as we
know it was born.
Two city landmarks reside
in Downtown Brea: the “Brea
Welcomes You” sign and the Brea
Clock. According to the City of
Brea’s official Web site, the sign was
initially erected over Brea Boulevard
in 1934 and remained there until
1994 when a truck piled into the
sign. It was restored and now sits
on the corner of Birch Street and
Brea Boulevard. In 1975, the Brea
Clock was placed on Birch Street to
advertise a clock shop in downtown.
Like the sign, the clock was damaged
when a car plowed into it. It was
eventually restored and now sits
on the corner of Birch Street and
Madrona.
This area is rich with history
and offers enough for an entire
night of entertainment. Just about
anything a person could want is
located in this little section of Brea:
great shopping, Starbucks, live
entertainment, a huge selection of
restaurants ranging from fish and
chips to Argentinean steak. And of
course there’s a Starbucks.
There is something here for
everyone,
the
(subjectively)
normal to eclectic alike. Instead
of gravitating towards the typical
restaurants and entertainment, why
not do a little digging and discover
something new?
4
daily.titan
BUZZ 01.29.07
Drawing
BUZZ
Calendar
It Up
Sample Sale
Tuesday 4:oop
Luxe Hotel Bel Air in Los
Angeles is hosting an event
with over 30 designers selling their wares at huge
discounts. Pay a fee to get
in but sample the exlusive
brands at cheap prices.
With industry connections
and a funny moniker, the
Pencil Mileage Club Rules
the Drawing Board.
Animal Safety
Sunday 11:ooa
Artist Bill Burns’ traveling
exhibit Museum of Saftey
Gear for Animal arrives at
Grand Central Art Station
in Santa Ana. The collection pairs Burns’ tiny constructions like hard hats for
birds and casts for squirrels
with written descriptions
of animal rescue efforts.
African Aesthetic
Thursday 6:oop
Spanish Stage
Friday 8:oop
Nilo Cruz adapted Spanish Pulitzer Prize winning
poet Pedro Calderon De La
Barca’s Life is a Dream for
the stage in South Coast
Repertory’s new production.
Picture Portrait
Saturday 6:3op
The Orange County Chapter of the Heart Gallery
unveils it’s 2007 collection
of portraits. The organization is aimed at presenting art to raise awareness for adoption and
foster children programs.
image provided by Chris allison/katzenjammer studios
by erin tobin
Daily Titan Staff
[email protected]
In 1997, the Pencil Mileage Club
obtained its first few inches.
Now, only 10 years later, it has
become one of the largest clubs
on Cal State Fullerton’s campus,
boasting an average of 80 to 100
members.
“When we started, it was a tight
group of animation students,” said
Dana Lamb, the adviser for the club.
Lamb said the club was the brain
child of Mike Williams, who at the
time was an animation student at
CSUF, after he got together a group
of friends to attend an animation
competition.
“I felt there should be some
sort of unity among art students,”
Williams said.
The scope of the club has widened
over the years and has attracted
students interested in not only
animation but also comic books,
video games and theme park ride
design, Lamb said.
“It’s a collaboration of artists
interested in the entertainment arts
that extends from video games to
your cell phone,” Lamb said.
The club focuses on bringing
the entertainment arts industry to
anyone interested.
“We have various events to
acclimate new students, to get them
into the industry,” said Chris Allison,
the club’s current president.
Williams, who now works as a
freelance artist for Nickelodeon,
Jazz Band
February 6 8:oop
The Philharmonic Society
of Orange County presents the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra led by Thad Jones
image provided by Chris allison/katzenjammer studios
said this aspect of the club has
Yet, competition still plays a
helped him and others.
strong role in the club.
“I met a lot of people who
“Every meeting we have a
are secure in the
drawing challenge,”
industry,” he said.
said Allison. “We’ll
Lamb said the
pull things out of a
These students are
opportunity
for
hat. The topic could
animation students constantly getting
be anything from
to network with better as artists. We
cowboys to aliens.”
not only successful want to give them a
In addition to the
members of the social outlet.
drawing challenge,
industry,
but
Dana Lamb Allison said the
one another, is
Pencil Mileage Club Advisor weekly Wednesday
important.
meetings at noon
“These students
in Visual Arts room
are
constantly
189 are used to go
getting better as artists,” Lamb said. over upcoming events. While the
“We want to give them a social meetings aren’t mandatory, Allison
outlet.”
said they are usually attended by
Membership is open to anyone around 20 people.
who can bother with filling out a
What may draw more people is the
form and paying the $40 annual club’s reputation of having interesting
fee. In addition to several drawing speakers from the industry.
sessions with a live model, members
“Some of our biggest events are
also get the opportunity to take when we have a guest speaker,”
part in different drawing excursions Allison said, bringing up the time he
to places such as the L.A. Zoo and got to meet Jim Smith, the co-creator
The Block in Orange. Lamb said of the cartoon Ren & Stimpy.
these trips allow the students to
“I got to hang out with him after
practice capturing motion without the event,” Allison said, mentioning
feeling odd and selfconscious about the show was one of his favorites.
watching people.
Lamb said the premier speakers of
“You have to be drawing a lot to last year were a group of animators,
get good,” Lamb said, “The students artists and others from the
just fill sketch books. They are really
committed people, determined to
get into the industry.”
SEE PMC - PAGE 8
“
“
Black Artists on Tour and
their exhibition The African Aesthetic will participate
in Riverside Metropolitan
Museum’s Art Walk. The
collection explores perspectives on American life by
African American artists.
daily.titan
BUZZ 01.29.07
PORNIMAE
The Sluttier Side of Japanese Animation
“
Anaya, a member of the Cal State at the Erogenous Zone in Fullerton
Fullerton Japanese Anime Club, who also asked that her last name be
said he believes there is so much withheld, said that most people who
more behind the cartoonist’s pick up hentai at her store are men.
sketches.
“I see girls drawn to it because
“Exaggeration is a device the cover is animated and it looks
commonly used by cartoonists and friendly, but I think once they
caricaturists to get
actually see that
certain reactions
it is often very
from the audience;
violent,
and
the nature of the I see girls are drawn to includes monsters
desired reaction it because the cover is
that split apart
from the audience animated and it looks
their sex partners
is
commonly
with their large
friendly.
dictated by the
tentacles,
they
plot or issues
become
turned
of
thematic
off,”
Michelle
importance within
said. “But I think
– Michelle
a specific series or
it really depends
Manager,
Erogenous
Zone on whether you
movie,” he said.
“Monsters
are watching it for
create an exterior
entertainment or
portrayal of how
to get off.”
we
normally
When in search
view real-life rapists; young girls for hentai, there’s likely a larger variety
make it easier to create a feeling in an anime store than an adult store
of sympathy from the audience,” because the genre is still a growing
Anaya said. “The combination niche in the adult video market.
thus becomes like the artistic style
Hentai’s tendency towards
of Tenebrism used in the Baroque pedophilia and extreme violence
period in which light and darkness has caused certain groups to call
co-exist within the same frame to for censorship and regulations of
create the effect of drama.”
its circulation.
According to Anime Japan
“Most of the sexual restrictions
employee Matt, who asked that his are most likely made by Christians
last name be withheld, hentai is who are likely to be offended by
widely enjoyed by women despite them, as opposed to Japan where
the violence.
Shinto is the main religion, which
“About 60 percent of people has not placed as many of such
who purchase the hentai here are restrictions,” Anaya said in a followgirls and 40 percent are men. Series up e-mail interview.
such as Sexfriends and La Blue Girl
In the world of hentai anything
are the most popular for women,” can happen, which makes it
Matt said. “I think it is because it possibly the happiest or the most
focuses more on the storyline than perverted place on earth.
the sex.”
or the worst, most perverted
Michelle, a 32-year-old manager place on earth.
“
“
U.S., the earliest forms of hentai
in Japan date back to the 19th
Daily Titan Staff
[email protected]
century with a piece entitled “The
Dream of the Fishman’s Wife.” The
story illustrates an octopus taking
While some may put their bets advantage of a young woman with
for the future of this world in its sizable tentacles.
hybrid cars or religious salvation,
Hentai has changed artistically
there is a growing popular belief and technically since then but
that sex ninjas will one day save the still maintains a couple of certain
Earth. If you are an anime fan, this themes which include young girls
idea may have crossed your mind having sex with monsters, existing
– or been tattooed on your soul.
cartoon characters and other young
Anime is the style of animation girls.
created in Japan and seen here in
The thematic violence often
the U.S. in shows like Naruto found in hentai is usually caused
and Sailor Moon. Animation may by a sex-hungry monster with large
be considered for children here, tentacles that may, every now and
but anime is a medium aimed at then, be very large penises. This
many segments of society in Japan, sex-starved monster generally rapes
including adults.
young girls, making this kind of
In the world of anime, where hentai a target for debate.
fantasy rules, it only makes sense
For example, when La Blue
to for carnal desire to be fulfilled Girl came to the U.S., the editors
by teenage sex ninjas such as Miko changed the heroine’s age from 16
Mido, the heroine of the erotic to 19. Hentai is also known to take
series La Blue Girl.
existing characters from different
Anime pornography is called cartoons and have them engage in
hentai. It is loosely
sexual activities.
defined as anime
In
addition,
imagined
and Monsters create an
some hentai artists
tailored
toward
are
fascinated
exterior portrayal of
adult issues – most
with young girls
commonly sex and how we normally view e x p e r i m e n t i n g
real-life rapists.
violence.
with their sexuality
J a p a n e s e
and
regularly
subculture
has
include storylines
embraced
this
Gabriel Anaya of self-discovery.
CSUF Anime Club member The anime world
philosophy
by
conceiving
the
has termed this use
wild world of
of underage girls
animated
love
in a storyline as
making, usually
“Lolicon,” which
taking form in an assortment of comes from the name of a popular
sexual acrobatics.
series featuring young women that
Although hentai is a fairly drew a lot of attention.
new niche to adult viewers in the
Senior English major Gabriel
by jazmine Graza
5
photoillustration by Mark Mendez
“
6
daily.titan
BUZZ 01.29.07
BUZZ PREVIEWS:
Animated Films of 2007
by jickie torres
Entertainment Editor
[email protected]
The world of animation has it in for 2007. Lion’s gate already gave
audiences Happily N’Ever After. Disney Pixar and Dreamworks all make
their standard appearances on the silver screen, but Fox, Sony and even
Cartoon Network are vying for cartoon audiences with highly anticipated
big screen versions of some major crowd pleasers. The feature length
Simpsons movie has been dangling its carrot since summer ’06. Aqua Teen
Hunger Force has its Adult Swim fan club waiting to jump into theater seats
while Shrek creators hope to complete their powerhouse trilogy with Shrek
The Third. The Buzz compiled a list of this year’s animated features for the
casual cartoon fan to the hardcore animation freaks.
4HISISWHEREYOU
YOUFOUNDTHE
TOOLSFORSUCCESS
Aqua Teen Hunger Force:
The Movie
Cartoon Network
Release date :TBA
Talking fries and cursing
meatballs? What started out as a
Space Ghost Coast-to-Coast skit about
unhappy fast-food items storming
the show became an Adult Swim
hit. Cartoon Networks has been
toying with the idea of releasing a
big screen version of their late night
television hit. The satirical toons
are in post-production and message
boards everywhere are holding their
breath.
The buzz: Internet predictions
abound but the latest rumor pegs
March 16 as the final release date.
Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles
Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date: March 23
While preteens and their parents
are likely familiar with the redesign
of the Turtles since early 2002,
mass theater audiences will be
introduced to the fresher, sleeker
and computerized mutant ninjas
with this release. The teens are back
again in New York saving the city
from evil henchmen.
The buzz: Warner Bros. should be
in for a cash cow with this one. The
film will attract current fans as well
as the older, more nostalgic ones.
Meet the Robinsons
Walt Disney Pictures
Release date: March 30
4IBSFUIFNFNPSJFT!
4ITAN9EARBOOKCOM
(FUDPOOFDUFE
3IGNUP5PLOADPHOTOS3IGNFRIENDSYEARBOOKS
3EARCHFOROLDCLASSMATESANDSOMUCHMORE
Disney offers this futuristic tale,
adapted from a book by William
Joyce for it’s family oriented fans.
Tom Sellick, Harland Williams
and Kelly Ripa lead the cast. in
the movie, a young boy jets to the
future to learn about his life and his
family
The buzz: Disney execs are hoping
for an Invincibles repeat
Delgo
Fathom Studios
Release date: TBA
Delgo is a fantasy flick ala Lord
Of The Rings where a group of
unlikely fantasy characters must save
the world from evil. Fredie Prinze
Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt lead
a sugary cast of creatures friendly
voices.
The buzz: Delgo is buzzing as an
underdog fave especially in light
of the small crew that hopes to
compete against industry big-wigs
like Disney.
Paprika
Sony Pictures
Release date: TBA
On the heels of Howl’s Moving
Castle’s widely received and
applauded American release, Paprika
is positioned as one of 2007’s only
animae offerings. Acclaimed director
Satoshi Kon, a name well-known
in animae circles, offers this sci-fi
thriller about a machine harnessed
by therapists that is capable of
stealing a patioents dreams.
The buzz: Animae Nation already
called this film a favorite for the
year.
Shrek The Third
Dreamworks
Release date: May 18
Dreamworks
has
multiple
pictures on the boards but Shrek is
certainly their golden boy. This time
around the lovable ogre and his
wife Fiona search for a new king to
take seat upon Shrek’s inherited and
unwanted throne.
The buzz: After one and two, the
money’s in the bag with this one.
The most interesting speculation
revolves around Cameron Diaz and
Justin Timberlake’s (who plays the
prospective new king) promotional
tours.
Surf ’s Up
Sony Pictures
Release date: June 8
Just when you thought you’d seen
every animated penguin movie there
was, Surf ’s Up sneaks in with a film
about more tuxedo feathered friends
entering a surfing contest.
The buzz: Can the viewers really
take another flippin’ penguin movie?
Ratatouille
Pixar
Release date: June 29
Pixar’s 2007 film about a rat in
France with food on the brain has
all the key ingredients of a classic
Pixar hit. Lovable animals, a clever
and ironic plot should leave kids
and adults happy.
The buzz: Director Brad Bird (The
Incredibles) has another shot at an Oscar.
The Simpons Movie
20th Century Fox
Release date: July 27
Fox has positioned this highly
anticipated film for summer
Blockbuster primetime. With
Simpsons in it’s last run, even jaded
and disillusioned former fans are
pining at the movie posters.
The buzz: Fox hopes to cap off
The Simpsons lore with a hit but
others are afraid of an X-Files sized
let-down.
Bee Movie
Dreamworks
Release date: November 2
An all-star cast voices this familyfriendly flick about life’s goals and
revelations. Jerry Seinfeld voices
the hero while A-listers like Rene
Zellweger, Matthew Broderick,
Chris Rock and Oprah Winfrey lend
their pipes as supporting drones.
The buzz: While some herald the
big name cast, others are worried it
may be an Antz repeat.
daily.titan
BUZZ 01.29.07
THEBUZZ
WHAT’S
music
What Demons Do To Saints
Beneath the Sky **
File Under: Just Noise
Extreme
death metal
fans
will
appreciate
the intensity
of the debut
album from
Be n e a t h
the
Sky.
The album, titled What Demons
Do To Saints ,will be released on
January 23rd through Victory
Records. The Cincinnati based
sextet blends a heavy dose of extreme
death metal with the occasional
melodic breakdown. However, this
formula loses its appeal throughout
the record and each song begins to
sound vastly familiar to the track
before, making the album sound like
one long continuous jam session.
The lyrics are almost never
understood, being delivered with
an annoying screech and vomit-like
noise. Listeners are berated with
generic and pretentious metallic
riffs that only please the loyal
genre fans, but leave other listeners
with headaches and nausea. For
those who crave extreme metal,
continue to get your fix from
bands such as Shadows Fall and
Lamb of God, because this album
is just more of same … if not less.
-Vincent Cabrera
Daily Titan Staff
For Those Who Have Heart
A Day to Remember
File Under: Good for Nostalgia
There is definitely something
refreshing about A Day To
Remember. Not because their
music, lyrics or image are
unique, because let’s be honest
– we have all heard this stuff before.
They’re
memorable
mostly
because they refuse to abandon a
style of music that in many minds
is now considered “played out.” But
there’s no need to kid ourselves;
this is the same run-of-the-mill
post-hardcore music that has been
saturating the music scene for the
last four years. These guys sound
exactly like 15 other bands that are
out right now, see: Atreyu; Finch;
From Autumn To Ashes; and As
I Lay Dying. But just because it’s
derivative doesn’t mean it’s bad.
a day to remeber Photo courtesy of Victory Records
movies
SMOKIN’ ACES
Universal Pictures
File Under: Dead On Arrival
Smokin’ Aces, the latest film
from writer/director Joe Carnahan
really should have worked. At first
glance the film had a great cast, a
talented director in Carnahan, best
known for his 2002 Tom Sizemore
flick Narc, an interesting, although
not very unique, plot, and a great
locale – South Lake Tahoe. But as
this movie easily illustrates, all the
potential in the world can still end
in a complete and utter mess.
On the surface the film looked
like a lighthearted hit-man movie
along the vein of films like Pulp
Fiction, Snatch and Lock, Stock,
and Two Smoking Barrels. In reality,
it couldn’t have been more different.
Where those films were funny,
engaging, smart and entertaining
without trying too hard, Smokin’
Aces simply fell flat. This is mostly
because the plot involves so many
characters and such little attention
paid humanizing them or making
the audience care. When certain
events happen, nobody really gives
a crap.
The second glaring weakness is
that the movie has no consistent
tone. The first two-thirds are spent
trying to convince the audience to
believe in a bunch of psychos with
big guns attempting to take out an
FBI snitch. During that period of
time there are a couple of well-shot
action sequences that are interesting,
but in the final act, for no apparent
reason the drama is laid on thick,
and the big so-called plot twist is
revealed.
Ultimately, big drama and plot
twists really had no place in this
film and its insistent inclusion was
distracting. In the end, the audience
was left walking out of the movie
scratching their heads. If Smokin’
Aces hadn’t had multiple personality
disorder it could have been a good
film. So unless you have ten dollars
and two hours to waste, it might be
a smarter move to stay home and
pop in a Tarantino flick.
-Shaelan Bowers
Daily Titan Staff
7
?
The album is actually pretty
good. There’s some great guitar
work and drumming, and the lead
singer’s voice is one of the better
ones you’ll hear from a hardcore
band. “Fast Forward to 2012” and
“Show ‘Em The Ropes” kick the
CD off in a big way, and the rest of
the album doesn’t disappoint. So all
you post-hardcore junkies out there
might want to snag this one, that
is if you are not too busy applying
your eyeliner and spiking your hair.
- Shaelan Bowers
Daily Titan staff
For the record
ISSUE DATE: 1/22/07
Last week The Buzz incorrectly
identified bassist Matt Maust as
guitarist Jonnie Russell in the
detail photo of the Cold War
Kids feature on page 6. The Buzz
apologizes for the error.
Comedian, Trendspotter,
Animator?
The Daily Show star muses about his role on TV, his
upcoming special and his own brand of animation
Washington Square News
New York University
(U-WIRE) NEW YORK On a crisp fall day at Ohio State
University, Demetri Martin walked
deliberately across the campus, clad
in his signature tan blazer with
microphone in hand.
For “The Daily Show with Jon
Stewart,” Martin dedicated his
recurring segment, “Trendspotting,”
to the phenomena of student clubs
on campus.
Martin sat over a Scrabble
board, pointing a microphone
at an undergrad clothed in a red
shirt with the words “Word Nerd”
emblazoned across the front.
“You guys have an agenda and
stuff?” he asked.
“No,” the club president said,
trying to keep a straight face. “We
just play Scrabble.”
“Is it like – first order of business, we
need more vowels on this campus?”
Martin, 33, is no stranger to letter
games. While an undergraduate, he
spent his time in a fractal geometry
class constructing the palindrome,
“Dammit I’m Mad.”
Martin’s simple, almost absurdist,
outlook on the details of the everyday
has lent itself to an idiosyncratic
comedic style, making him one of
what The Onion’s A.V. Club calls “a
new breed of comics.”
After four years at Yale, Martin
took a summer off to be a camp
counselor in North Carolina. In
September 1995, he enrolled at
the NYU School of Law on a full as the Boston Comedy Club.
scholarship. Martin remembers
Despite the misgivings of his
NYU President
family, Martin
John Sexton.
kept hitting the
“He was a I’m actually – probably
circuit until his
good storyteller,” ironically –not very
big break on
Martin
said
Comedy Central’s
trendy. I don’t have any
in a telephone
“Premium
interview
with TV channels, I don’t read
Blend” in 2001.
WSN. “He had a newspapers or magazines,
Accolades and job
beard and he was I just walk around and
offers rolled in.
outgoing.”
His stand-up
look at things or Google.
But only one
special
“If I” won
– Demetri Martin
semester shy of
a
comedy
award
Comedian
getting his law
in Edinburgh,
degree, Martin
Scotland,
and
took a gamble
was
quickly
and dropped out
adapted into a
to pursue a career in comedy. His British television special. He also
first gig was at the Comedy Cellar scored a gig writing for “Late Night
on MacDougal Street, then known with Conan O’Brien.”
“
“
By Jared Irmas
His biggest break came last year
when he was offered a recurring
spot on “The Daily Show” as their
resident “trendspotter.” As a roaming
correspondent, Martin tracks down
the new, hot trends in his sardonic,
childlike persona.
“I’m actually – probably ironically
– not very trendy,” he said. “I don’t
have any TV channels, I don’t read
newspapers or magazines so much. I
just walk around and look at things
or Google.”
His newest special, “Demetri
Martin. Person.” will be broadcast
on Comedy Central on Jan. 29. The
hour will be commercial free. Instead
of advertisements, Martin’s stand-up
is interspersed with cartoons.
“It’s my own homemade
animation,” he hastened to add.
PMC: animation club
(From page four)
Nickelodeon series Avatar: The Last
Airbender. Lamb said that the series
was a favorite among the animation
students, pointing out that several
of the university’s graduates have
been working on the show.
The event featured a panel
discussion, but didn’t end there.
“Even afterward, [the speakers]
stuck around till midnight,” Lamb
said. “They went over portfolios
with students. That’s typical fun.”
Avatar isn’t the only place former
members of the club have ended up.
Alumni have gone on to work on
such movies as The Matrix and Ice
Age 2, in addition to those who work
for some of the biggest household
names in the world of animation
like Disney and Nickelodeon, Lamb
said. Others, like Garrett Shikuma,
work for video game companies like
Electronic Arts.
“If you Google the Pencil
Mileage Club it will show up on
some professional resumes,” Lamb
said, “We’ve been trying to build
a network.”
The club also gives members a
chance to showcase their work in
an annual film festival, held each
May. Family and friends are invited
to enjoy a wide variety of short
animated films.
“The film festival is probably our
biggest pull of the year,” Allison said.
“A lot of the students work on their
submissions individually, so you get
to see what everyone’s been doing.”
While Lamb said this semester’s
current schedule has yet to be
finalized, there seems to be little
doubt that the club will slow down.
go online to the
multimedia section of
dailytitan.com To check
out an animated shorts
by members of Pencil
MIleage Club and katzenjammer studio