BBTOONS: Setting up

Creating a website that is 2.0 complient and easy to use isn't the easiest thing in the world as almost everything is in code... colors become strange collections of numbers and letters, placing text is strange as you move small programs called scripts rather than the actual text itself, it's all very confusing and make a little harder when you sharing your time with a three year old who has just discovered that chucking water at his Dad gets an interesting responce.

I had a few teathing troubles with the website at the start when it came to getting everything working but finally I got it all perfect and working... then all the little images VANISHED! This left me scratching my head and searching through very geeky websites for technical advice until I finally discovered what happened and in a few minutes had it all up again.

Last night I decided I would have to figure out a base style for all the characters, which is tricky when you don't know what the people actually look like... so I started with Davina McCall as a base idea (see above this article). Davina was tricky as she is VERY well known and people have a preconception of what to expect. I could have done a caricature, but I find them funny and also offensive and prefer a more cartoony style, this is also due to the fact I did caricatures of people once and whereas their friends LOVED it, they were a little offended and wouldn't put it on display. the cartoon style works better for me and I have done 'Cartoonitures' of people from all over the world and most are on walls in pride of place. I did three 'Cartoonitures' several years ago who were all in America someplace and then got an email from them all as they put them on their room doors at University and they just happened to all be in the same building, funny as none of them knew eachother until they saw the pictures on the door when they went there for a party and discovered they all did the same thing.... small world indeed and proof that cartoon style works better in my case and I even got a group of strangers to find new friends with a common interest.

Anyhoo.... I have to inlay some more graphics into the website today and tomorrow and then start on some blurb to go on the website so people can get in touch, hopefully with commissions or even a job.

Hopefully will get on TV with the bbtoons this time, in 2006 HUNDREDS of emails were went by fans to Channel 4 and Endamol to get me 'Official', but there was never a reply... fingers crossed for this year. Would be nice to get on the show because as far as I am aware I am the only person actually doing anything like this ANYWHERE. It would be nice to get some media attention on this project as I put so much work into it all and don't actually get paid a penny.

Once the Website hits start coming in I will go on the hunt for sponcors as last time I was getting over 2000 hits an hour and I wasn't even trying really... so should be a LOT more interest this time around, plus with the new way the website is working and doing more professional standard graphics I could get some attention from some of the national press too regarding spot illustrations for their copy.

Right... I am off for a cuppa in the garden, get soaked by a small intergalactic waterbearing child and back to the drawing board later to sink my nose into the code and graphics once more. I should be a NEW MAN in a couple of days as I have spent FAR too much time in the garden and I will be shedding my skin like a snake before too long.... think Body Snatchers but less goo!