Showmanship
Yes, Zed’s video backgrounds are strange. If you’re getting kind of a “Max Headroom” vibe, that’s sort of what I was going for.
This one was thrown together at the last-minute, but I like it at least. I’d originally intended it to just be another Zed rant, but I realized that it would be much funnier with No. 1 thrown in at the final panel, and had to create a dingy apartment set for him at pretty much the last second. I managed to find some tables, a lamp, a couch, and a TV, because, that’s just the kind of stuff I have on hand. Of course “having” and “finding” are two different things, but fortunately, I was able to lay hands on what I needed without much trouble.
The hardest part was the wall. Some of the very first “Minions at Work” cartoons were shot in front of a wall made from foam-core board with a strip of brick patterned scrapbooking paper, and those walls showed up in dozens of cartoons. But they were getting pretty badly banged up, and finally they were damaged during our hiatus and had to be thrown away. Fortunately, I’d gotten some new paper (much bigger sheets than the old stuff) and had a piece for foamcore around, so I was able to make a new wall, which you can dimly see in the background.
Originally I’d intended to fully light the set, but I really liked having it lit just by the table lamp and the light of the TV (actually a small LED light placed under the table the TV is sitting on). It’s a little grainy, but I think that adds to the atmosphere.
Thanks again to our Patreon supporters! And thanks to those of you sharing the links to our cartoons. We need new eyeballs for the site. Recruit all your friends! Or drug them, hypnotize them, and make them do your bidding — which is of course to visit the site! (Ha-ha! Just kidding! As far as you legally know!)
– Your Minion Master, Steve
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