The Pinkertons Are Coming...

We've just launched the trailer for the penultimate episode of Vultures 'Attack Of The Pinkertons'.

We've kept up the idea of using the trailers to bridge the gaps (and there have been long, long gaps) between episodes. But this one is kinda short and sweet. Which after the last few talk heavy trailers is a nice change. Although the Dragnet thing is very overdone at this stage, it was something we really wanted to indulge ourselves with. So here it is!



'Attack Of The Pinkertons' is just abouts finished and we're still beavering away on its sister episode 'The Long Goodbye' which will be taking a bow 2 weeks later on October 4th. And that'll be us done. But instead of me going on about it, here's the synopsis from the website:

"Entitled Attack Of The Pinkertons, the episode sees the newly unemployed gentlemen detectives of V.P.I. reacting badly to the Pinkertons opening for business. Unemployed and underground (well, in Tennyson’s house), Vultour and McGrain are intent on eluding the clutches of their old friend Natalie Blaise. Tennyson however is looking for a peaceable resolution, no doubt with a strong mug of scald and a chat involved. However, Natalie Blaise doesn’t seem to be open to dialogue. The Pinkertons are making their presence felt. And people are getting hurt. Can V.P.I. regroup and fight back? Will Natalie Blaise emerge from the shadows to explain herself in a long winded villainous fashion? Or is she merely just misunderstood? And what will Tennyson do to fill in the unemployed hours?

All these questions and more will be answered when the action packed denouement of the Vultures series goes online on the 20th of September.

All will be finally resolved two weeks later when our final instalment The Long Goodbye brings the series to a close on October 4th."

This episode is probably the one we're least complainy about. The first couple of episodes have suffered from all pratfalls associated with doing something as a part time project but with the last 3 episodes we've had a chance to refine it and get closer to what we want to achieve.

We'll be ramping up the promo campaign for the two final Vultures episodes in the coming weeks. Ideally, we'd have Pinkertons attacking people on the street but we're not too sure what the legalities of that just yet.

Von Bizmark 'London'

Over at Mycrofilms, we've just produced the first video for Kilkenny rockers Von Bizmark. It's for their 'London' single which is currently sale in Tower Records and Heartbeat City outlets around the country.



This was my first time getting to cut my teeth on a music video. I learnt a lot of lessons. For example, it's hard to get those women in silver hotpants to show up for any old video. And always keep the camera with you on sunny days. Always.

Without the hotpants and car washing scene, we just had to settle for the boys in Von Bizmark rocking out. Another fine editing job from Mr. Alan Slattery. And thanks to the Von Bizmark lads for working up a real sweat.

Meet Quint Quigley

Quint Quigley (Kevin Mooney)

The profile for the fugitive stoner from 'The Adventure Of The Hidden Microfilm' has just gone online over at that very page.

Quigley was one of our favourite characters on page. We'd never had anything as exciting as a fugitive to work with and we wanted to flesh him out into something different than what we'd done before. So, yeah, stoner comedy and fart jokes. Voila, there he is. And we liked the idea that a fugitive who initiates a chase episode would in fact be completely brain fried and slow.

Our grand plan was for Quint to be the resident tech nut for V.P.I. Kinda like their equivalent of Q in the James Bond series. Hence, the name. Q central. But we never really got around to loading Quigley up with all the cool homemade implements that we wanted him to design. And he never did get to give V.P.I. cool gadgets to fight the Pinkertons with. But we did manage to get him across as a stoned and paranoid conspiracy theorist. So at least that base was covered. And thanks to Kevin Mooney for keeping that moustache for 3 months. Legend.

Quigley will be making his return in the forthcoming 'Attack Of The Pinkertons'. There'll be more announcements on that tres soon. In blog form! In the meantime, enjoying getting to know Quint a little bit better.

Thanks to Ross Costigan for another lovely profile capture in our ever expanding micro universe.

Meet The Hardy Lads

Shane and Nicky Hardy (Peter O'Connor and Geoff Warner Clayton)

A character profile for these two young scamps just went online over on the Vultures website.

Introduced in Episode 5 'The Adventure Of The Hidden Microfilm', the Hardy's are two young scamps caught keying cars by Janine. Janine evidently saw something in them as she's recruited them to help her out with her own detective business, The Janine Drew Agency. You can find out more about these thick yet enthusiastic teens here. And you can watch The Janine Drew Agency in action here.

The boys are obviously based on teen detectives The Hardy Boys, much in the same way that Janine is partly based on Nancy Drew. We thought a modern Irish, slightly stupid and chav friendly version of the characters might be a nice twist. Spot the difference:

And yeah, there's a bit of Scooby Doo in there as well. It's a good look though.

There'll be a lot more from this lot in the upcoming Vultures 'Attack Of The Pinkertons'.

Remember Me In 1983

Remember Me In 1983 is a new exhibition of nostalgic artwork by Kilkenny man Mick Minogue and it opens this coming Thursday night in the Coach Road Studios, Coach Road, Kilkenny. This is a lovely space where Mick has exhibited in the past but not to the degree that he will this week.

The exhibition is based around old tv series and cartoons from the 1980's and Mick has created some beautiful, bittersweet and tragic pieces of art from these much beloved staples of our 1980's childhoods (Check out Death Of Superted... it'd bring a tear to an oul shtone). He has been working on this series of paintings for the past year and on the eve of the Kilkenny Arts Festival he's showing it off. His excellent gig poster for The Lion's Mane last year was another great taster of what this work is. Also keep an eye on the lovely teaser poster campaign he has running around town where you can snatch glimpses of Mick's take on He Man and Ghostbusters.

What I'm reeaally excited about is the Saturday morning opening Mick is hosting this coming weekend. Complete with breakfast cereals, old cartoons and pyjamas, it's going to be some serious childhood regression for any of us kids of the 80's. I can't wait for 1983. I missed it the first time.

The revolution will not be televised...

Once Upon A Time In The Glorious Revolution is a short western set in the bloody days of late 17th century Ireland. It was written and directed by Sean Clancy, a director who seems to be able to do anything and everything. Even make the tea. And a fine brew it was.

I got to spend some wet and wild, midge infested days in County Leitrim. And if any county in Ireland lends itself to a western, it's Leitrim. Mountains, lakes and valleys up the jacksie. I was a lucky man to play a part in it, along with my old Vultures mucker Pete McGann. And there's nothing a lad likes better than running around fields and mountains firing guns and jumping in ditches.

The final version is being cut and readied by Sean at the moment. But in the meantime I got my paws on a couple of stills: