Please note: Normally I keep the blog and the news section of the site seperate, but I'm making an exception as this might be of interest to both sets of readers- so this appears reproduced from the news page.

Waaaay back in 2005, I produced Trailer Trash IV, a little piece called Sense and Sensibility and Zombies- combining period drama with zombie movie at last. Fast forward to today when I learn (via Slashfilm) that a book called Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is to be released in April and that Hollywood producers are allegedly fighting for the rights. It's probably unlikely that the author of the mash up book has ever seen my animation or ever heard of monkey pirate zombie (the Internet is an awful big place) but it does seem like a pretty big coincidence. Even if I did think it was a rip-off there wouldn't really be anything much I could do about it, so I'm justgoing to have to assume it's a big ol' coincidence. And it would make an awesome movie. However I'll be watching out. If this guy's next project is Leprocop, there will be trouble!

Something's different....

Yes the blog is looking subtly different today. This is not a new look but an in between stage. As I reported on the main site recently I am fiddling around doing some redesigning that will end up with a whole new look, for the whole site. By the way the blog will get a whole facelift so the way it's looking today is no indicator of how it will look when the new MPZ launches!

From this point on, all blog posts (excluding this one) will be posted not only here, but also in the new look news centre. Longer posts will be published in full here with the first paragraph or so being reproduced on the news page. Why am I doing this? So you'll be able to see at a glance when this page and others has been updated without needing to check all the pages separately. The new integrated RSS feed can be found here

Hitting UK cinemas this week is Run Fatboy Run , a film that I'm chomping at the bit to see, but which bizarrely I wasn't even aware of little more than a month ago. It's particularly bizarre because not only do I like to keep on top of what films are coming out ( I read movie magazines and websites avidly) but also it stars and is co written by Hot Fuzz and Shaun Of The Dead star Simon Pegg. So how it managed to stay under my radar until I saw the trailer in front of The Simpsons Movie, is beyond me. It's a bit of an odd thing- it's set in London and features a largely British cast but is directed by David Schwimmer (a.k.a. Ross from Friends). But it looks like a hoot and it stars Pegg, ace comedian Dylan Moran and Hank Azaria who voices about half of the cast in The Simpsons. So it's sure to be worth a look, hopefully I'll be able to update you soon!

While I'm here- watch out for changes here at Monkey Pirate Zombie- some of which will affect this very blog.... but in a good way, promise! Watch this space...

I've just got hold of Daz3d, a completely free 3d graphics programme. It's dead exciting. Don't worry Monkey Pirate Zombie isn't going into 3d rendered animations that take 4 years to make, but if I produce any artwork that looks half way OK, then I'll be sure to post it on the site!

This week is a busy one for me so I made the tough decision to not rush to get my latest animation finished for entry into the competition. I'm really pleased with how it's going so I want to make it the best I can. I have other plans to bring it to a wider audience too. Your first chance to see it will most likely be as part of the new-look podcast... Incedentally the podcast subscriber numbers have shot up in the past couple of days. If you are one of the new subscribers and you heard about it from somewhere then please drop me an e-mail or comment! I'm keen to know what's caused this sudden boom!

The TV screening has not necessarily lead to a massive uptake in visitors to the site (seeing as the address wasn't published or broadcast anywhere) but it's certainly had other impacts. Not least the effect it's had on me. I'm now diving headlong into my animation and I have so many ideas cropping up all the time, I just can't stop. I'm working on an animation as an entry to a competition- if I were to win it would be great exposure. In the more realistic event that it doesn't get chosen (or finished in time) then obviously it will show up online sooner rather than later. I'm really pleased with how it's looking so far- probably my best looking animation to date so I can't wait to finish and show you guys the result. But you and I both are going to have to wait a while. I'm sure we'll cope though, there will be plenty of stuff to entertain us in the meantime.

And so it finally Happened. After running the site for more than 3 years I finally took my first steps into thew world of pro animation by getting an animation on TV. Not just TV, but terrestial TV to boot, on the spin-off of one of the highest-rated shows in the country too (for their shame). b So if you missed it (not being British would certainly be a valid excuse) yesterday Big Brother's little brother played out with my animation. Top TV bloke Dermot O'Leary even said my name on TV! It was very odd and I'm still in shock. I'm probably not going to shut up about this for a while. In the meantime those who were unable to watch should check out the news page.

This month marks the first anniversary of this blog, so I thought it's time for a bit of a rejig. And I'm rather chuffed with how it's looking, but I'm probably going to continue fiddling. In fact I'm almost too chuffed with it, because I'm now thinking maybe I should make the news page look like this too, but I'm not sure if that would make things confusing. I've even thought of merging the two, so site news and blog posts would be in the same place. I'm not sure, maybe I'll just integrate elements of this redesign into the news page and leave it at that. I hate decisions. Which is why (hey, check out this neat segway) I have decided to ask readers of my regular comic Back To the Drawing Board how I should mark the publishing of the 5oth cartoon. So if you want to be involved you can vote here. It's democracy in action!

If you've checked out the main newspage recently you'll know that I'm close to getting my first piece of animation on TV. Unfortunately I'm not entirely sure when it will be airing, but it will be most likely be some Sunday in the next few weeks. If I get more concrete news it'll be posted on the newspage.

This blog is undergoing a make-over please bare with me while I fiddle with the design!

EDIT/ by which I of course mean bear with me. I'm not asking you to get naked with me..*Not all of you anyway.


*may be reassesd on a case be case basis if you happen to be a foxy lady

This is most irregular but I'm really going to have to insist you check out the news page... there's big news that you're going to want to hear!

Sheesh, how ace was the Season 3 Finale of Lost? Pretty damn ace, that's how much! The genius of the show is how it always manages to always say just on the right side of completely maddening- just when you think they're never going to tell you anything, they throw in a revelation or a plot twist that blows you away. And the final two episodes were full of such moments- it's going to be a long old wait until the next season!

[ beware! the following paragraph contains spoilers highlight text to read ] Charlies' "shock" demise was hardly a big surprise- being signposted for weeks and weeks- but it was doubtless a great, memorable and noble exit for a popular character (albeit one I was never particularly keen on). The flash-forward was a real humdinger of an ending though, because we really have no idea how the next season will unfold!

In unrelated news, I'm working on an animation project that will keep me busy for the next couple of weeks, so the update department might be a little lacking- providing I don't get too distracted.

At long last the seventh episode of Happy Bunny is now here on the interweb. The reason for the delay? You see this episode features a character based on a real person, and I wanted to make sure the lady in question was the first to see it! This episode features Claire Bear who is inspired
by Mopizo's Biggest Fan as a Big Thank You for all her support( and just for being generally fantastic -if you're reading this, it's all true! x x x). It's also a Big Thanks to all Happy Bunny's fans, (this originally being his 2nd birthday special) that sees the poor bugger get a little bit or luck at last- and also redresses the balance a little for those of you of the female persuasion!

I'm back online at last! You never realise how reliant you have become on the magic of broadband until it is cruelly taken away. Or is that just me? This is just a quick post to let you know I'm back, new stuff will come later...

Fans of the main site which this blog spun off from (and if you only read this bit, why not check out the rest?) may be pleased to know that as well as other things I've been working on the latest episode of what must be Mopizo's most loved (or liked at least) series*. It's going to be monumental. Well maybe not. But it hopefully is payback for fans of previous episodes (and one in particular, you know who you are ;-)) and it might make you chuckle. Results soonish hopefully!

(*and no, I'm not telling you what series if you haven't guessed)

I've had a productive few days, and have a new couple of things ready to show you. However for top secret reasons I can't show (most of) you the result quite yet. But soon my patient ones, soon. Right now I'm all creative-d out and must sleep.

Down there on the left at the bottom there is now a working subscribe button for the blog that takes you to our xml feed. I don't really know quite what that means, but I think if that means anything to you then you'll understand. I haven't quite worked out the main site news feed yet, so bear with me.

Ok, my latest animation is still underway, but I have been slightly lacking in the creative energy required to work on it this week. Hopefully there will be a day next week when I have the time and the inspiration at the same time- lately I've been feeling fired up and creative at the wrong times when I can't do much about it. But it is coming.... honest.

A new animated project is underway. Not part of any existing series, it'll be a surprise when it's done. More details soonish. In other news, have you seen the first full length trailer for the Simpsons movie? Very exciting!

Ok so I changed my mind slightly- the new home page is up already, in case you haven't seen. This is at leats parly cos I'm not sure what I'm going to be doing with this blog and the newspage, or even if I'm going to rejig them at all. But the most important bits are up now, so I can shortly start work on a new animation...

I've been working hard on the new look, and I'm somewhat chuffed with how it's progressing, even if I do say so myself. I won't jinx anything by giving a time estimate, but I'll gradually start replacing the old pages soon, finishing up with the homepage itself. I hope you guys are going to like it....

As you may already know, suburban ninja ep 6 has now gone up. It was frankly ridiculously overdue, with the work on re-dubbing and editing the episodes started about a year ago. This however was the only episode that I completley remade scrapping the entire original episode 6. This was because it was the only episode I was entirely unhappy with. The first time I made episode 6 I had become completley bored of Stanley and so hence I possibly killed him off at the end (I say "possibly" because his fate was not quite clear, so I could go back on it if I changed my mind later). When I later decided the series had some merit after all, I decided I didn't like the ending, hence the decision to completly replace it. It was also quuite interesting to go back into making the series after a long break. I have often had a bit of a love-hate relationship with the series and often think there's not much mileage in the idea. But I felt I owed it to myself ( and any fans of the series) to give it a proper ending. Because, I at the time of writing am not planning on making any further episodes. (Although Dotty will definitley be back!) Never say never though. I might suddenly change my mind, because frankly I'm like that. Also if you do feel strongly against me calling time on Stanley's quest, then let me know via email or comment, as I do like to listen to my public!

Would it be tempting fate terribly if I told you that the ridiculously overdue sixth episode of Suburban Ninja is nearing completion and should be ready in a matter of days? It would? Then I won't. That was a close one.

Sorry there hasn't been any new animations online this month, but hopefully the wait will be worth it. I've got quite a few projects planned, and some underway. The new look will probably be the biggest thing for the moment. I've decided to wait until the whole things ready rather than put up each bit as it's ready. I really like the way it's looking so far, and hopefully you will too! I won't put even a guess how long it will take, but I've got something to keep you going nearly ready!