John Whitney, A Pioneer of Computer Animation

John Whitney: "Catalog" (1961)


John Whitney: "Arabesque" (1975)

John Whitney (1917-1995) was an American pioneer of computer animation, who created his 1960s works (surprisingly looking a lot like 1990s rave videos -- nihil novum sub sole?) with a mechanical analogue computer, adapting a WWII M-5 Antiaircraft Gun Director and combined with multiple-axis rotating cameras. By the 1970s Whitney had already switched to digital processes. (Whitney was also responsible for the animated title sequence of Alfred Hitchcock's 1958 Vertigo, after the design of Saul Bass.)

[via Feuilleton]

Album Art War

Album Art War by Ugly Pictures

The Genius of Kenny Everett!

Opening credits to a typical Kenny Everett episode

Kenny Everett (1944-1995) was a British madcap TV comedian who came into prominence in the 60s as a radio DJ. His Kenny Everett Video Show / Video Cassette was shown here in Finland in the early 1980s as Videoviihdettä. Featuring the hilarious Captain Kremmen sci-fi parody animations and such memorable characters played by Kenny Everett himself as Cupid Stunt (below) and Sid the Snot, this show with its combination of some wacky post-punk era anarchism, snazzy graphics & Pythonesque animations, contemporary pop culture (such people as David Bowie performed there) and lots of conservatives-scaring sexual innuendo (Everett's irreverent sketches and the steamy performances of Hot Gossip dance troupe) remains in my memories alongside even Monty Python's Flying Circus. Show some reruns, please!




More Kenny Everett search results @ YouTube

Also the risque dance troupe Hot Gossip was a mainstay at Kenny Everett's shows:


Hot Gossip and 'Sleazy' (performer not mentioned)


Hot Gossip and Flying Lizards' 'Money'


Hot Gossip and Blondie's 'The Hardest Part'


Hot Gossip and 'Hot Pink Coat'

More Hot Gossip search results @ YouTube