ianboldsworth

Harping On Fraser Tribute Special

Hello there

(Disclaimer - below is referencing something from the olden days of podcasts where we used to write fictional complaint letters to companies to try to get free stuff...it's not just sudden madness - I do appreciate it may not make sense but the podcast is still accessible and explanatory )

Today I am essentially doing some charity work to show what a great guy I am, as I received a letter from...

Sweet Spots & Sociology

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You know that thing I’ve mentioned before about cursed posts?  Yep…if I believed in such a thing then this would be one of them.

Finally getting to the point of sitting down at my desk and writing this has been a proper fuss and battle – lots of non-work stuff to contend with, some Rocky Robot work stuff, and I just took a phone call from a former acquaintance who I have not spoken to for...

Reboot Podcast Episode 11

Hello there

It's time for Episode 11 of the Reboot podcast, where we are back to full strength in the studio.

Sinister things have been afoot though, which we have a very grown up chat about, before talking about when we performed in strip clubs.  Also, finally, listener interaction begins, and I am delighted to say this has happened on Rob's stupid underhanded Patreon not mine.  Anything to ma...

Cabin Fever 11 Jun 22

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Wanna hear me at 9am after being up all night ticking off my to do list? Yeah course you do.

So many mysteries in today's Cabin Fever podcast, including a very anxious wait to see if I do the autoharp or not...It could go either way...I'm revealing nothing here, you'll have to listen to it all the way through to find out.

Or I suppose you could just skip to the last few minutes and find out, and...

Sidebottom Beauty Shots

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So...after the outpouring of love for the Bat-poles beauty shots last week, I thought "Oooooh I've made other dioramas that I could take cool pictures of and that will be another popular post".  Not that I'm cynical.

They haven't come out as well as the Bat-Poles.

This is a Frank Sidebottom diorama that I made years ago, with a figure that I also pretty much made.  Well, I put it together from ...

Reboot Extra Bonus Deleted

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Now, it feels a bit like a filler post this, but I'm absolutely wiped out from the prep of the last three posts.  Been burning the candle both ends on them, and desperately wanted to do a post that wouldn't take me from dusk till dawn to prep.

Also, I have been thinking about this bit of audio ever since the edit of Episode 10 of Reboot, because I was really sad to cut it.  We really over-recorded as...

Secrets Of The Haunted Mansion

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This is kind of an off-shoot post from the All The Fun Of The Fair posts I forgot I was doing ages ago, and it has a bit of recent back story.

So, a pal of mine was visiting Walt Disney World in Florida last week, and - as she had some gentle shopping instructions from me - it was only fair that I be her WDW guide for the trip. Sadly, this was done remotely, so I had to endure endless jealousy as she ...

Tales From Castle Diablo - Full Story - "Baku"

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Short intro from me today, mainly just to apologise for telling everyone it was a bank holiday yesterday when it wasn't (I definitely was told it was), and to introduce the latest full story from the forthcoming collection "Tales From Castle Diablo".

I'm pretty sure I've actually nailed the wraparound story now, which I may take you through at some point, but this is a stand alone tale that shall be i...

Reboot Podcast Episode 10

Hello there

A very happy (UK) bank holiday Monday to you, and here is the latest episode of the Reboot podcast.

It's Episode 10, which is traditionally a monumental episode in my work. Most of the series' I've done have culminated with this episode.  Not this one though, we are just getting going.

Today, Jon is a guest star on the podcast, rather than a (sort of) important part of it like usual.  ...

Cabin Fever 4 Jun 22

Hello there

What lovelier thing to do in the long (UK) weekend than to tolerate me blabbering on in podcast form?

Yes, it's this week's Cabin Fever, and I give you fair warning right now, after all the chatter about gardening mishaps, televisual recommendations, dissecting the Sex Pistols and Johnny Rotten, and an autoharp warm up performance, there is another autoharp performance that is VERY BLUE. 

L...

Beauty Shots - BatPoles Edition

Hello there

As it is a bank holiday over in the UK, I am today going to have a nice relaxing post of images.

By relaxing, I mean I got all the alternate hands and faces for the figures, and just spent the last three hours trying to take proper pictures of the BatPoles with my proper camera and very limited photography skills.  I also really discovered quite how limited the pose-ability is on those figures.  Hot ...

Loopholes

Hello there

I was once contacted by a TV company who were making a show about conspiracy theories.

This wouldn’t have been too long after the culmination of the final series of The ParaPod – “Conspiracies”, and they’d either heard it, or been told about it. Either way, they were checking my interest in appearing in their show.  I’ve no idea if it ever got made.

The premise was that people w...

Castle Diablo - Proof Of Concept Progress

Hello there

It's been slow and steady this week, as I've been trying to muddle through on Tales From Castle Diablo progress.

I was getting a touch on the overwhelmed side, as I've several different things going on at once which are requiring attention, but I've also been counting my blessings to not be sitting here desperately trying to think of a project to do.  All very double-edge isn't it? 

Th...

Artwork - Bounty Hunters Assemble

Hello there

Earlier than expected, I today conclude the Bounty Hunter ink portraits.

So that's two week's on the bounce that I've reached completion stage (not like that) and finished something off (not like that).

Basically, after drawing the last one, I just cracked on with the next one because I felt "in the zone".  I feel in the zone so rarely, that I am bound by it to continue when I am.  So I did. 2022-05-31 10:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post

Reboot Episode 9

Hello there

A brand new week brings a brand new Reboot podcast for you, with myself, Rob and Jon continuing to work through our differences.

I think it's Episode 9.  I can't actually remember if there was a week that we decided was non-canon. Either way, we persevere, enjoying the development of this project, and today bring you a nice fun episode.

That's not to say it isn't without conflict.  In ...

Cabin Fever 28 May 22

Hello there

Now, for some reason, I found this to be possibly the most enjoyable Cabin Fever I've ever recorded.

I honestly don't know why, it's not like it's particularly fun or funny or anything, but it was a pretty deep dive into some emerging "processes" in work stuff, as well as being peppered with reminiscence and topped off with a cracking autoharp rendition as the cherry on the cake.

It is also poss...

ArtWork - Bounty Hunter No.5

Hello there

Slightly late job here as I bring you the penultimate Bounty Hunter portrait which I have just completed at 6.30am this morning.

I'd considered skipping today and replacing it with Sunday, but I honestly thought it was going to be an easy one.  It wasn't.  There's no such thing. You'll see it's not got as much detail as any of the other Bounty Hunter figures.  However, it does have way more dots...

A Special FX Conversation With Stuart Bray (Incl Castle Diablo Progress)

Hello there

Today I bring you another podcast, in part because the one yesterday was so short ON PURPOSE...

Today I have a conversation with Stuart Bray, a special make up FX wiz who is - as I mention several times in this -"proper". 

Here's his IMDB page if you don't believe me:

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0106256/ 

S...

Harping On - The Doors

Hello there

You get back here this second and hear me out thank you.

Today I bring a very special one-off podcasting event where I shall be attempting/trying my hardest to sing four ditties originally popularised by Los Angeles music combo, The Doors.

Not only will I be "singing" them, but I will also be playing along and doing all the music for it, on my autoharp instrument which is surely now tax deductible.  ...

Ongoing Art - To The Bat-Poles! Season Finale

Hello there

It's a rather celebratory moment today as we reach a rare thing here;  An actual conclusion.

Yes, it's the packed - and I really do mean that - season finale of the 1:6 scale Bat-Poles build.  

Will I finally finish? (yes) Will I be happy with it? (yes) Could I have made this video into maybe two or three more if I hadn't stupidly said I would be finishing it this week? (yes)

Stop whateve...

Reboot Episode 8

Hello there

A very happy Monday to one and all, and here is the latest instalment of the Reboot podcast, where we are back to full capacity.

It's a change of pace this week, and really rather heartbreaking as we discuss Rob's absence from last week.  It ended up dominating the episode as we discussed grief and acceptance and lots of lofty ideals.  Then one of us was very disrespectful and there was some...

Cabin Fever 21 May 22

Hello there

Here I come, brandishing a Cabin Fever podcast in your face as is the tradition for a Saturday morning.

In today's fun-filled marvel of editing, I wax lyrical about wandering along the canal, group sex, patron bits, singing, email marketing and other stuff that I can't remember.

In many ways, it's the perfect accompaniment to your Saturday.  In other ways, not so much.

But it's here n...

Artwork - Another Bounty Hunter

Hello there

But Ian, surely Boba Fett should have been the last one?! He's like the main one, we thought it was all building to Boba.

Nope.  I don't need to play by your rules and expectations.  Here's Fett, with two more still to come.

Now, I found this oddly difficult.  I wonder if it was because something comes with Boba Fett as being focal and important, but I wasn't convinced this was going the r...

Ongoing Art Video - Bat Poles Penultimate

Hello there 

Here we are at the penultimate week of the Bat Poles build.

If you want to see me start bright as a button and then endure a very subtle gradual dip in mood, then this is where you wanna be lookin'.

There's a load of painting and weathering and all that kind of sweet stuff, as well as some texturing and sticking it all together.  There's also a race against the night and a race against the ele...

Group Sex - Concept Art Plans

Hello there

Right, this is going to get tiresome - I'm getting a message from Patreon every time I post about this project as it thinks it's pornographic content.  As I explained yesterday, it's not that.  They're just cartoon characters talking about it. 

I mean, I don't even swear on here...

So here is the concept art I did on Sunday for (some of) the characters appearing in the adult animation come...

Work In Progress - Group Sex

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No wait, please come back, that title isn’t a new patreon perk, it’s the name of a project I’ve had on the go in the background for a while which I’m going to explain to you today.

It’s just a working title at the moment, and the fact that Patreon has already flagged this post for containing it, means I will almost certainly dig my heels in and keep it.  I can’t remember if I’ve told you any...

Reboot Not Reboot

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Well, two out of three ain't bad...

Due to circumstances beyond anyone's control, we are at 2/3 capacity this week, but myself and Jon soldiered on and did a companion piece to the Reboot podcast, and that audio file up there is the result.

Plenty of ground covered, and we get to hear even more of Jon's extravagant and sometimes illegal business dealings.  I finally bring some awful things ...

Cabin Fever 14 May 22

Hello there

Here I am, bright eyed and bushy tailed, with my delivery sack full of a new podcast.

Yup, it's the latest instalment of my weekly update blabbery podcast, Cabin Fever, which today regales you with tales of my mum's visit, a day at Stratford-upon-Avon, some very romantic tales from my past, some news about Reboot and collaborations, a chunk of stuff about the Rocky Robot meetings, an...

Friday Artwork Bounty Hunters 3

Hello there

After a brief hiatus for a warranted week of Gilbert, I return to the Bounty Hunters vintage figures portraits.

This week we have... well...there's a slight discrepancy here.  The name on the card of the original figure was Zuckuss. Years later, Lucasfilm announced that this was incorrect, and there had been a mix up with names.  This character was actually called 4-LOM (pronounced Four Elo-Em), whic...

Professional? Part 2/2

(Header description: Me nervously stealing prop popcorn on the set of Red Dwarf during a recording)

Hello there

It’s time for me to conclude the two-parter about professionalism that I accidentally started on Tuesday.

My original plan was to just carry on writing, which I sort of did, but this is a mish-mash of that, amended with some subsequent thoughts.  I mainly want to tell you about the Rock...