Check out this awesome speed painting video from my friend Mal Semmens. I was so excited to receive this Batboy fan art in my inbox!
Go follow Mal for more incredible dark and funny art!
Batboy Fan Art Speedpaint Video
FREE Horror Comic!
Who’s that at the door? Is it the Sausage Man? Is he dropping off or picking up? You’d better watch out!
I’m very excited to share this short horror comic with you guys! It feels like it had been in the works forever, but now it’s here, knocking at your door. And it’s totally free to read or download as a PDF.
A quick warning, this comic might not be for everyone, it has some gore and some extremely creepy elements. Definitely not meant for kids!
The story was conceived by Tim Vargulish, he’s a funny dude who makes comics, you should follow him on Twitter.
And while you’re at it, I’m also on Twitter, why not stop by and say hi?
IF YOU SIGN UP FOR MY INCREDIBLE MAILING LIST!
How The Grinch Stole Christmas -Museum of the Moving Image
Being that the holidays are right around the corner, I will continue in my yearslong quest to prove that I’m not really a Grinch by sharing with you some photos of a trip I took to the Grinch exhibit (Ironic, isn’t it?) at the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, NY.
This post is a follow up to the one I wrote about Thurl Ravenscroft, the previously uncredited singer of the You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.
How The Grinch Stole Christmas! is a 1966 animated TV special directed by legendary animator Chuck Jones. You might know that I am a huge fan of animation and cartooning (I dabble in it myself) so getting to see behind-the-scenes of this production by the co-creator of Bugs Bunny was not to be missed!
The animated special was based on the 1957 children’s book of the same title by Theodor Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss.) pictured above with director Chuck Jones and Boris Karloff, the voice actor who portrayed the Grinch and also did the narration. You might recognize Karloff from his most famous role, as the creature in the 1931 film Frankenstein.
So there you have it! I think you should put this animated special on your watch list this holiday season, I promise it’ll make your heart grow with Christmas spirit!
“And what happened, then? Well, in Whoville they say – that the Grinch’s small heart grew three sizes that day. And then – the true meaning of Christmas came through, and the Grinch found the strength of ten Grinches, plus two!”
Hey there! I’m Mike, an indie artist and writer. Check out my books or my store! Or just peruse my portfolio. Thanks for hanging out!
M. R. Kessell at the Greenpoint Gallery
Join me tonight! Friday October 27th 2023 at the Greenpoint Gallery in Brooklyn, NY for their annual Dark & Scary Halloween Art Show.
There will be 5 pieces of my artwork on display in addition to numerous other amazing dark artworks to chill your butt!
I will be hanging out all night, so if you are in the New York City area, come down and talk about horror movies, dark art, or whatever.
See you there!
About A Thurl (Ravenscroft, that is)
Continuing in my efforts to be less Grinchy and more Holly Jolly this month, I wanted to talk to you briefly about Thurl Ravenscroft.
“What or who is Thurl Ravenscroft?” I can hear you saying, “He’s from Lord of the Rings, right? No wait, Game of Thrones! Is it Game of Thrones?”
Nope!
“Is it some sort of Nordic death metal band?”
Negative. Although…
The Thurl Ravenscroft I’m referring to was a singer and a voice actor who might best be known(or maybe not) for singing the classic “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch” from the 1966 TV special How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
After a recent viewing, I was shocked to learn that Thurl wasn’t credited in the animated special.
Did they expect us to believe that the narrator, Boris Karloff, provided the vocals?
Dr. Seuss himself felt terrible about the situation and later tried to remedy it with a letter-writing campaign to various influencers of the day, giving credit to Thurl.
I imagine it went something like this:
While doing my brief bit of research I’ve found that people have been asking Google this question: “Did James Earl Jones sing the Grinch?”
That’s a pretty good guess. But no, James Earl Jones did not sing the Grinch, it was Thurl Ravenscroft.
If only there was some way this confusion could have been avoided from the start.
If you enjoyed anything above, please take a look at my Portfolio, my Books Page or my Store.
M. R. Kessell is a dark artist and a writer and illustrator of Batboy comics.
One last thing before I set off on the sea of swirly-twirly gum drops...
In the spirit of the season, I want to share with you a special little animated gif that I created.
Please feel free to share!
Especially if you have ever been wrongly labeled a Grinch.
CLICK HERE FOR A PEEK BEHIND THE SCENES OF HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS!
Click here for more about Thurl.
CHECK OUT MY HOLIDAY MONSTER GIF COLLECTION HERE!
While you’re still here, let’s take a quick look at the lyrics to “You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch”
Verse 1
You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch, you really are a heel
You’re as cuddly as a cactus, as charming as an eel,
Mr. Grinch!
You’re a bad banana with a greasy black peel!
Verse 2
You’re a monster, Mr. Grinch, your heart’s an empty hole
Your brain is full of spiders, you’ve got garlic in your soul
Mr. Grinch.
I wouldn’t touch you with a thirty-nine-and-a-half-foot pole
Verse 3
You’re a vile one, Mr. Grinch. You have termites in your smile
You have all the tender sweetness of a seasick crocodile,
Mr. Grinch!
Given a choice between the two of you…
I’d take the seasick crocodile!
Verse 4
You’re a foul one, Mr. Grinch, you’re a nasty wasty skunk
Your heart is full of unwashed socks, your soul is full of gunk
Mr. Grinch!
The three words that best describe you are as follows, and I quote:
“Stink, stank, stunk!”
Verse 5
You’re a rotter, Mr. Grinch, you’re the king of sinful sots
Your heart’s a dead tomato splotched with moldy purple spots
Mr. Grinch!
Your soul is an appalling dump heap overflowing with the most disgraceful assortment of deplorable rubbish imaginable…
Mangled up in tangled up knots!
Verse 6
You nauseate me, Mr. Grinch, with a nauseous super “naus”!
You’re a crooked dirty jockey and you drive a crooked hoss,
Mr. Grinch!
You’re a three-decker sauerkraut and toadstool sandwich…
With arsenic sauce!
I love that line about the “three-decker sauerkraut and toadstool sandwich with arsenic sauce”
James Earl Jones grinch. James Earl Jones Mr Grinch. Chuck Jones the Grinch. Doctor Seuss Art. Dr Seuss Artwork. You re a mean one mr grinch lyrics thurl ravenscroft.
M. R. Kessell is on Etsy!
Happy October all!
I’m a little bit behind this month due to a lot of traveling and some events, but I just needed to stop in and tell you that I am now on Etsy!
Click here to check out my Etsy shop!
Please take a look and give me a follow. I have my usual assortment of paintings, prints, pins, books and more, just in time for the holiday season. Finally I can offer you worldwide shipping.
Below are some of the pieces available for purchase:
That’s all for now, I need to go work on my Halloween costume! Until Next time!
New Art & Events
Just over two weeks from now I will appearing at the Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market, Rock of Ages show! Saturday and Sunday, September 9th and 10th, 2023.
Check out the full list of awesome vendors here: https://www.trentonprfm.com/vendors-1
I will have some new dark art paintings available, as seen below.
And I will have new limited edition prints available as well. Can you guess who this creep is below?
As usual I will have all of my books, stickers, and prints and pins on hand. Stop by and chat!
HAVE YOU RECIEVED YOUR FREE MINI BATBOY COMIC YET?
JUST SIGN UP FOR MY MAILING LIST!
My Problem with Instant Gratification
Give it to me now. I need it yesterday. I just can’t wait.
I’m not the first person to identify a problem with instant gratification. Maybe there isn’t really a problem. Maybe it’s good to have your wants and needs met immediately and constantly. Life should be pretty perfect then. But maybe you begin to feel entitled to it. You lose patience. You get anxious or angry if something stands between you and your pleasures. You need to eliminate the obstacles. Cut out the middleman.
But, maybe we’re cutting out more than just the man in the middle. Maybe now that you can order a new book without leaving your couch or your bedroom, and have it delivered, without even dealing with a delivery person for that matter, you’re missing out on some actual, real life experiences.
Even walking to the bookstore could expose you to some idea, an image, a scene, or a weird snippet of conversation from passersby. At the store you might flip through a bin of used books and discover some unknown classic that has never been and never will be digitized. The clerk might have some recommendations that the Algorithm couldn’t possibly deliver. They might be wearing a cool T-shirt with one of your favorite bands or an obscure 1980s cult horror film. This could be your new best friend. Or maybe they’re rude and awkward and it’ll result in a good anecdote someday.
But now with instant, next-day, prime delivery, you’d never know.
Speaking of bookstores
If you want to grab some Batboy books and get out of the house, you can head on over to East Side Mags in Montclair, NJ or Desert Island Comics in Brooklyn, NY. Both stores are extremely cool and worth the trek.
Tell ’em Batboy sen ya!
One last thing before you go, have you gotten your FREE BATBOY MINI COMIC yet?
Just click here to sign up for my incredible mailing list and you’ll get it, in addition to some other BONUS MATERIALS and FREEBIES sent out periodically throughout the year!
Meet Batboy This Weekend!
Just two days to go!
Come by and say hi to Batboy (and me) at East Side Mags in Montclair on Saturday May 13th!
CLICK HERE FOR FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE
Bask in the glow of Batboy’s awkwardness and chat with us about your favorite comics, monsters, and junk foods.
All Batboy books will be available, plus an assortment of other goodies, like prints, pins, and stickers.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON THE EVENT FROM EAST SIDE MAGS’ WEBSITE
You must provide your own vegetables though.
M. R. KESSELL 