Shaxpur's Blog

http://kck.st/3zugk0Y In the age of billionaires riding rocket dicks to the edge of space what hope is there for us mere mortals on the ground to realise our own humble dreams? Whatever way you cut it crowdfunding is a fool’s game and I’m nothing but a sucker for punishment. I failed three times in a row to raise any budget for my 1 st film Vinton’s Lot (2019). We didn’t even raise the minimum amount required to withdraw funds from a keep what you raise format. Those three campaigns were a waste of time we didn’t have. The production was being starved of resources in a calculated effort to co-opt creative control of the project. At one point it was even suggested that I use my autism in crowdfunding pitch, but I refused because the idea felt like inspiration porn. Inspiration porn is a phrase coined by late comedian and disability activist Stella Young “ Inspiration porn is the portrayal of people with disabilities as inspirational solely or in part on the basis of their disabil...

A few weeks ago I was given a preview sample of Stu Perrins & Armando Zanker’s ‘Chrono-Cat’ being published by indie comic powerhouse  Markosia and have a confession to make. It was the first time I’ve ever read a digital comic. I’m a traditionalist at heart because I love the tactile feel of paper between my fingertips. That’s why I’ve always been somewhat dismissive of the digital comic format but think ‘Chrono-Cat’ has gone a long way towards changing my mind. Being able to zoom into each panel really shows off the quality of the artwork. I really liked the whimsical feel of what I’ve seen and read. It reminds me of some kind of mash-up of Hergé’s classic ‘Tin Tin’ and vintage cartoons like ‘Biker Mice from Mars’. The title character is sort of like a parody of Rocket from Guardians of The Galaxy or rather a commentary on how that kind of character has become a trope in contemporary sci-fi. The story starts off in a Savage Land setting with our feline protagonist confro...

Megatomic Battle Rabbit  by Stu Perrin’s & Israel Huertas – published by Markosia For context I’ve almost always got a stack of comics by my desk. My six-year-old son is usually too busy watching people talk about Minecraft on YouTube to show any interest in something as old fashioned as comic books. That is until he noticed Megatomic Battle Rabbit. Because it’s billed as a title for all ages, I decided to read it to my son. I’ve read many a great bedtime story over the years, but I’d never tried reading a comic aloud before. It took me a while to realise that I had to apply some dramatic flair to my performance with voices, accents and even characterizations. It’s not a long book but we broke it up over a few evenings. You can see how it was influenced by 80s pop-culture classics like E.T. It was nice seeing my son interested in something other than a screen for a change. Megatomic Battle Rabbit was the first comic he enjoyed, so it will always have a special place in my c...

I’d been looking forward to seeing Lurking Truths’ Land of My Fathers since last year. My interest peaked close too Infinity War levels of excited, and it didn’t disappoint. The show was originally meant to be staged in February at Aberystwyth Art Centre but because of the snow and subsequent theatre refurbishment, the show had to be postponed and relocated to the Castle Theatre. This was the first live theatre show I’ve ever seen in the Castle and to be honest it’s hard to picture it staged in the originally intended venue. The space was far more intimate with an entirely front facing audience. There was this particular lighting effect which two of the actors created by standing opposite each other using handheld torches. The torches were facing the opposing actor which cast shadows on the opposing walls. It was visually captivating in scene, but it wouldn’t have had the same sense of space in the original venue, without the use of purpose-built partition walls to cast shado...

I'm a disabled first year mature student at Aberystwyth University. I'd been looking forward to the Blackhouse event in the Students' Union for a few weeks. My taste in music drifts towards mainstream, so the artists names might as well have been in a foreign language, because I had no prior knowledge of them or their work. I was initially drawn to the event for the Retro Games Lounge provided by Dubtendo, which didn't disappoint. I got to play loads of games I had not played since I was a child. I set the high score in the eighties classic Duck Hunt for the NES, it felt like I was in a Zen like duck killing trance, I got to level seven as my mates cheered me on. We eventually moved on to some of the other games, on some of the other retro platforms provided by Dubtendo. I schooled some young guns in the classic art of Street Fighter on the SNES and battled it out in Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart Double Dash on the Gamecube, whilst a girl dressed as Princess...