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I'm closing out the year with a little tribute to a great lady. Thanks for the music, Aretha.

You want to hear her now, right?

Courtesy of TantanBrown

It's time to take a holiday break with family, but Melissa's Kitties will be back sometime in the spring. 

Happy holidays, everyone! 

Emoji

Before they were the inseparable pair we all know them to be now, it was not love at first sight for quiet Comet and opinionated Ashes. But Comet warmed up to his new housemate eventually. (There was never any doubt: Ashes is irresistible.)

Emoji: September 17, 2018
(Illustration Friday topic: June 8, 2018)

Guinea Pig

Comet is a good sleeping buddy.

Guinea Pig: September 17, 2018
(Illustration Friday topic: May 25, 2018)

Squirrel

Ryo-oh-ki and his new friend bonded over their matching tails.

Squirrel, October 5, 2018 (Illustration Friday topic: June 15, 2018)

Green

Our green-eyed kitties are watching...

Green, September 18, 2018
(Illustration Friday topic June 1, 2018)

Music

The kitties are gettin' down to some funky music by the master.

And, here's the real thing. The video quality may not be great, but it's all about the music and outfits anyway. Turn it up! 

"Higher Ground" by Stevie Wonder, live on The Beat Club, 1974

Johnny Kitties: Celebrating Johnny Depp Film #55. Sherlock Gnomes (2018)

[What is Johnny Kitties? See Johnny Kitties: Celebrating Johnny Depp for all the details. Visit the Johnny Kitties page for a full list of Johnny Depp's filmography and links to all previous Johnny Kitties blog posts.]

"I became addicted to watching these animated films when my kids were little....Well, cartoons break all the laws, don't they? That's the beauty – seeing those parameters broken and trying to figure out a way to break the parameters of cinema in that same way, so that a character can be potentially accepted in the same way Wile E. Coyote is when he gets crushed by a boulder and they cut to him with a little bandage on his head." Johnny Depp

Sherlock's on the case. 

When garden gnomes Gnomeo and Juliet (James McAvoy and Emily Blunt), their families, and friends move from Stratford Upon Avon to London, they struggle to adjust to their new home. After an argument leads them out of their yard, Gnomeo and Juliet return to find it empty and ruined. In this sequel to 2011's Gnomeo & Juliet, they help Sherlock Gnomes and Dr. Watson (Johnny Depp and Chiwetel Ejiofor) rescue all the missing garden gnomes in London, including those closest to their hearts. 

I love happy surprises.

It occurred to me the week before Sherlock Gnomes was released that I should see Gnomeo & Juliet first; luckily, I found it on TV. While it's clearly for little kids, I thought it was really cute. I loved its spin on Shakespeare's tale, and I was shocked to discover its great cast – including Emily Blunt, James McAvoy, Michael Caine, and Maggie Smith – let alone that Elton John produced and provided a bunch of music for it. How did I miss this one? 

When Sherlock Gnomes came out, I had become recently unemployed because of unexpected budget cuts and project delays at my newest job. Johnny came to my rescue, as usual, lifting my spirits with this silly and sweet sequel. Out of nowhere was an online article offering free tickets to a preview of Sherlock Gnomes at a local theater. I'll take it! 

By the time I arrived, a line of mostly parents and well-behaved kids had already formed, but once in the theater, I slid into the second row, which was full of adults who were there at their own will. I guessed that they were either Johnny fans or movie critics. That night, this cartoon really made me laugh with some funny lines from friends Benny (Matt Lucas) and Nanette (Ashley Jensen) and Sherlock's arch-nemesis Moriarty (Jamie Demetriou). When I saw it again at home to work on Johnny Kitties, I didn't laugh as often (maybe because I was more focused on finding the inspiration for my illustration), and I thought that Moriarty's evil plan was just that. 

Still, I really appreciated the film's message about the importance of prioritizing family and friendship over everything else. I enjoyed meeting new characters too, including Sherlock's old flame Irene (Mary J. Blige). This film has plenty of funny, vivid moments: I liked seeing London, including Chinatown and various galleries, from the gnome perspective on their adventure in the city. "London offers so many great scenarios in so many different locations that it seemed it'd be great to use London as a backdrop," producer Elton John says. "It's a love letter to London, really." Of course, I also loved all the Elton John songs and special gnome-style appearances. 

Apparently, Elton and Johnny are old friends. (Of course they are.) Elton asked Johnny to join this cast and sent him the script. "I didn't expect the script to make me laugh out loud," Johnny says. He and director John Stevenson worked collaboratively throughout the recording sessions, improvising and adding more humor wherever they could. For his fun performance, which was recorded in 2015, Johnny was inspired by his favorite Sherlock, Basil Rathbone. "There have been so many variations of the character of Sherlock Holmes," he says. "I wanted him to sound as if he were pointed very sharp, that he was sharp-angled. His brilliance came out of clumsiness in a way. I wanted Sherlock's voice to be like a razor blade. It could cut through anything annoying – anything he found annoying." I hear it!

The Kitties peak into Sherlock's mind.

All of the Lucky Cats in the Chinatown scenes would have been a fitting choice, but my favorite scenes in Sherlock Gnomes invited us viewers into Sherlock's mind. These detailed black-and-white scenes were a refreshing contrast to reality and showed how Sherlock processed information from the outside world. I laughed when Sherlock lost interest in Gnomeo's ideas and floated into a daydream until he stopped talking. We've all been there, done that. Here are Ryo-oh-ki, Tyrone, and Mew as Dr. Watson, Gnomeo, and Juliet while Gordon, as Sherlock, imagines where he'd rather be right now. 

What's next? I am pacing the floors, waiting to see Johnny in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, which will be released next Friday, November 16! See you there! 

All images © Paramount Pictures and Metro Goldwyn Mayer, Inc., Pictures; illustration © Melissa Connolly

Giant

Some of Ryo-oh-ki's haircuts are an acquired taste.

Giant (Illustration Friday topic: May 11, 2018)

Transformation

Sometimes, Ryo-Oh-Ki gets haircuts, Edward Scissorhands style.

Transformation
(Illustration Friday topic: April 27, 2018)

Hairy

Ryo-oh-ki wins this contest.

Hairy (Illustration Friday topic: May 11, 2018)

Outer Space

Recently, I read that a French cat named Felicette was the first and only cat to travel in space. In 1963, she flew about 100 miles and experienced weightlessness before returning to Earth.

Mini looks a bit like her and is proud to honor this heroic trailblazer here, but she has no plans to follow in her footsteps.

Outer Space (Illustration Friday: June 29, 2018)

Pink

Did you know that these are two of the original Pink Ladies?

Illustration Friday: Pink (April 20, 2018)

Crown

Here, the girls rule! (They picked their own crowns.)

(Illustration Friday: Crown, April 13, 2018)

Koko

This is a late tribute to Koko, the smartest and sweetest of all gorillas. My sister and I grew up watching Koko, amazed by her capacity to learn and love. She was friendly with everyone, including cats.

Photo Credit: Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

Here, Koko and Comet enjoy a sunny afternoon.

(Illustration Friday topic: Monkey - April 6, 2018)

Mushroom

Photo by Jamie Davis Smith

In February, I saw the Burning Man exhibit at the Renwick Gallery. While I've never been interested in attending the Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert, the creativity of this celebratory exhibit was inspiring.

I brought the Kitties to show them my favorite pieces – including the giant, colorful, moving mushrooms – but they were only interested in climbing.

(Illustration Friday: March 31, 2018)

Here's more about the Burning Man exhibit, if you want to stop by to check it out. It closes at the Renwick Gallery on January 21, 2019.

Video courtesy of the Renwick Gallery, Washington, D.C.

Utopia

These are words to live by.

(Illustration Friday: May 4, 2018)

Rose

Don't forget to stop and smell the roses once in a while.

(Illustration Friday: March 26, 2018)

Twins

Best buddies, Norman and Mini aren't related, but they're definitely twinsies!

(Illustration Frieday: March 16, 2018)

Talisman

I have my own lucky kitties.

(Illustration Friday: March 9, 2018)

Piano

Every once in a while, Tyrone channels Thelonious and takes over the piano.

"The piano ain't got no wrong notes." Thelonious Monk

(Illustration Friday: March 2, 2018)

Knight

I struggled with this Illustration Friday topic because I didn't want to dress the Kitties in armor or promote any cat fights. In the end, it didn't matter because none of them got past playing with the chain mail.

(Illustration Friday: February 23, 2018)

House

Cue the music.
"Our house is a very, very, very fine house with two cats in the yard..." Crosby, Stills & Nash

(Illustration Friday: February 16, 2018)

Olympics

Although it's summer now, Tyrone is still talking about the Winter Olympics. After watching hours of the events on television, he'd run outside to practice his favorite sport in the backyard. I think he's almost ready to qualify.

Illustration Friday: February 9, 2018

Blue

Happy first day of summer, everyone!

This isn't a very summery illustration, but I just finished watching "Genius: Picasso" on National Geographic Channel, so maybe this is a tribute to his Blue Period.

(Illustration Friday: January 26, 2018)

Mythical

In Mew's studies of Japanese legends, she came across the bakeneko, or changed cat. This supernatural creature has shapeshifting abilities and is often depicted dancing with a napkin on its head. 

"The Bakeneko of the Saskibara Family" from the Buso Yokai Emaki by Yosa Buson

Here, Mew tries to evoke the spirit of the mythical bakeneko. I think it's working.

Illustration Friday: February 2, 2018

Johnny Kitties: Celebrating Johnny Depp Film #54. Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

[What is Johnny Kitties? See Johnny Kitties: Celebrating Johnny Depp for all the details. Visit the Johnny Kitties page for a full list of Johnny Depp's filmography and links to all previous Johnny Kitties blog posts.]

Happy birthday, Johnny!

Johnny Depp, Murder on the Orient Express premiere, 2017

"This is a group that really got on. The rapport and chemical connection between all of these people was significant – unusual in my experience – and they worked together very well as a team, handing everybody their moment." Director Kenneth Branagh

Everybody, watch your back. 
This remake of Agatha Christie's classic murder mystery, Murder on the Orient Express, boast an all-star cast and beautiful scenery. Detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) boards the glamorous train with an eye on a vacation, but he ends up leading an investigation on board after a passenger is brutally murdered overnight. When an avalanche blocks the train on the tracks in the snowy mountains, everyone is trapped with the murderer on board. Don't worry, the world's greatest detective is on the case.  

I had a plan. 
When this movie came out, I had a lot of unexpected things going on in my life. I just finished a rushed job search to avoid an expected layoff situation. I got a new job before that happened but struggled to adjust to everything about it. All of my daily routines were thwarted for months, and I was still struggling to create new ones. Johnny couldn't have shown up at a better time to cheer me up over Veteran's Day weekend!

"I do remember reading Agatha Christie books as a kid and loving them," Johnny Depp says. "The detail with which she approaches her books and these characters and her observations is astonishing."

I've never read any Agatha Christie books, but I know Detective Hercule Poirot is a beloved recurring character in many of them. When I saw the 1974 version of Murder on the Orient Express years ago, I didn't understand the appeal of this goofy detective with his ridiculous mustache, over-the-top quirks and accent, and odd behavior. He doesn't fit in with any of the people around him, but maybe that's the point: he views the world differently, and that makes him the world's greatest detective. I think he's starting to grow on me. I rewatched the 1974 version recently and liked it better, but I also fell asleep. In any case, in this updated version, I was more interested in Johnny's character, Edward Ratchett. 

Per my usual weekend routine, I stayed up too late Friday night and got up too early Saturday morning to walk over to yoga class. I walked home to drop off my yoga mat, change my clothes, and eat a quick breakfast.  Then, I walked quickly to get to the theater. I had 5 minutes to spare until the next showing, and only one seat was available – in the front row. I considered this fate, took it, and got popcorn. 

About 30 seconds into the movie, an alarm went off in the theater, telling everyone to evacuate the building. We stood outside in the cold November sunshine, eating our warm popcorn until we were let back in without any explanation. When we got back in our seats, the movie resumed where it had left off – but with only the sound working and not the picture. By then, I reacted with a huff that made the person sitting next to me laugh. (I was thinking that this whole experience represented the highs and lows of my employment adventure.) A staff member came in to tell us that the movie would start over in a few minutes. By then, my popcorn was half gone.

The last time I saw Johnny at the movies was in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. In that movie, Captain Jack first appears more drunk than usual, and it made me sad because I immediately and irrationally thought of all the gossip I'd been reading about Johnny's real-life personal problems, and I wondered how he was really doing. This time, when Johnny showed up as Edward Rachett, a mobster arriving to board the Orient Express, hearts were shooting out of my eyeballs. He looked like a movie star! The look made me think of Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca! This role reminded me of Johnny's fantastic turn in Public Enemies. I loved the scars on his face. I loved the accent. I loved the clothes. I loved everything!!!

But I fell asleep – right at the end when they reveal the murderer!

Let's see this movie again. 
Netflix sent me Murder on the Orient Express as soon as it was released on DVD. This time, I had no trouble staying awake, and I loved it for many reasons. 

• I was thrilled when I heard Johnny was involved with this project because it was to be directed by and star Kenneth Branagh. I couldn't wait to see them act together. They only have one scene, but I'll take it. Shooting the scene resulted in several versions full of improvised moments. "I wanted him in awe," Kenneth Branagh says. "For me, it was a master class to be had as an actor and director – watching actors of tremendous technical accomplishment, clear charisma, and fine talent. To have somebody of Johnny's stature come in and so generously play this darker character, and see him enjoying playing it. And, across a day and a half of improvisation, to really feel his freedom in front of the camera was quite intoxicating to watch and to play with. There was nothing you could do improvising that would throw him." 

• My favorite part of this movie isn't even fully in it. On the DVD, however, you can find the extended scene, during which all of the characters are introduced and board the train. It's one continuous shot that follows Hercule Poirot from the bazaar across the street, to the train station, to the ticket agent, onto the train, and down its slim corridor, where he meets various passengers on the way to his bunk. I loved how it was choreographed. Well done, director!

• I was excited to hear about all the other great people who signed on for this movie: Judi Dench, Michelle Pfeiffer, Penelope Cruz, and Willem Dafoe had all worked with Johnny before, and I liked the idea of this reunion. Also, hearing that Derek Jacobi was in the cast made me nearly as excited as Kenneth Branagh. Everyone is fantastic, and all of these interesting characters have full backstories. The film feels like a play with this ensemble cast confined to the space of the train. Everyone seemed to work well together, and no one stole the spotlight. By all accounts, this was a happy set and it shows – except during the murder scene.

The kitties did it. 

I couldn't decide on one scene to highlight from this film, so this illustration is a compilation. I loved when Edward Rachett (Johnny Depp/Gordon) opened some mirrored cabinets and stared at himself for a few seconds. I imagined he was reflecting on whatever he'd done, and I liked seeing all the angles. The threatening letter is revealed in a different scene. Also, I wanted to include a few of my other favorite people, so here Edward Masterman (Derek Jacobi/Comet) brings Mr. Rachett his coffee while Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh/B.J.) and Caroline Hubbard (Michelle Pfeiffer/The Mother Kitty) lurk outside his doorway.

Johnny's also busy rocking! 
These days, you can catch Johnny on tour with his band, Hollywood Vampires. I saw online that – obviously for me – he's singing David Bowie's "Heroes" during the shows! (You heard me right: he's singing it, up front!) Check out the tour schedule for a venue near you. 

What's next? 
In March, Johnny was in theaters lending his voice to Sherlock Gnomes, a cute sequel to Gnomeo and Juliet. The DVD will be out soon, so the kitties and I will get to work. 

Image credits: Johnny Depp photo ©  John Phillips/Getty Images; all film images © 20th Century Fox; illustration © Melissa Connolly

Five

The Kitties are good with numbers.

(Illustration Friday: January 19, 2018)

Guitar

Gordon is singing one of my favorite songs. He's so talented.

(Illustration Friday: January 12, 2018)

Here's a nice acoustic version of the song, if it's now in your head too:

"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" George Harrison 

Cirque du Soleil's Love video (2016)

The Letter A

This one was obvious, especially to Ashes.

(Illustration Friday: January 5, 2018)

The Kitties are joining Instagram!

Hi everyone,

Yes, I'm still here!

My blog schedule has not gone as I planned in 2018! I was having some unexpected technical difficulties for a while with Photoshop Elements, which magically fixed itself. Also, I'm adjusting to yet another new (temporary) job while looking for a new (permanent) job. This situation has been consuming most of my thoughts, but I am still drawing and will have more to post here soon.

I'm going to develop a website for the kitties, too! (Right now, I need to decide on a template. I like them all for different reasons.). The new website will be called The Mother Kitty, after the cat who started it all. I'll get there slowly but surely.

In the meantime, you can join the kitties @themotherkitty on Instagram! There, in addition to some of my personal images, I'll post artwork that span this blog's existence – more than 10 years worth of kitties. This will help me sift through hundreds of illustrations and pick the favorites to feature on the website.

This transition will be a process, so bear with me. I may need to your help along the way to pick designs, drawings, and website features, so stay tuned to the blog for updates on my progress.

Also on the blog, I'll get back to posting more regularly drawings inspired by IllustrationFriday.com topics; another Johnny Kitties tribute, celebrating Murder on the Orient Express; some reviews of recent shows that I attended; and more.

Thanks for sticking with me. Happy spring!

Johnny Kitties: Celebrating Johnny Depp Film #53. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)

[What is Johnny Kitties? See Johnny Kitties: Celebrating Johnny Depp for all the details. Visit the Johnny Kitties page for a full list of Johnny Depp's filmography and links to all previous Johnny Kitties blog posts.]

"When you watch these films, you get this feeling, this sensation that anything can happen." Brendan Thwaites, "Henry" in this latest installment of the Pirates franchise

"Not only is it huge in scope, but we're dealing with iconic characters and iconic ships and elements. I felt there was some sense of magic, walking on to that set." Co-Director Joachim Ronning, on getting started on Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales


Captain Jack's past does more than haunt him. 
Down on luck, Captain Jack Sparrow realizes that he made a mistake as soon as he traded in his magic compass for a bottle of rum at a local bar. This compass, which has been Jack's prized possession in all of the Pirates films, points him in the direction of what he wants most. A fellow crew member gave it to him years ago while on the ship of Captain Armando Salazar (Javier Bardem), who was ruling the Spanish seas and killing all the pirates in his path. To stop him, young Jack trapped the evil captain and his crew in Devil's Triangle, where they were all killed. Jack got away with their ship.

Now, what Jack didn't realize is that giving the compass away triggers the release of these angry ghosts. Free to seek revenge, Captain Salazar sets out to kill Jack and find the mythical Trident of Poseidon so that he can break his curse and control the seas. A few other people are looking for the Trident for their own reasons too, so it's a race to see who finds it first in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Directed by Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg, this adventure revisits old friends and introduces new ones, who represent the next generation of Pirates of the Caribbean.

It's not just the same old same old.
It's hard to believe that five Pirates of the Caribbean movies are out. The first three, which I consider the originals, told one continuous story. The last two were independent stories, and I really enjoyed them too. What I love about this installment of Pirates of the Caribbean is its mix of both old an new. "I think what we've done here is come up with new angles, new surprises," Johnny says. "I think it will have the surprise, the element of surprise that the first one had."

The film opens with a young boy on a mission. It's Henry Turner, son of Elizabeth (Kiera Knightly) and Will (Orlando Bloom), and he's determined to break his father's curse. Will and Elizabeth drove the story of the first three Pirates of the Caribbean films. When we last saw them, they were forced to part ways because Will had to captain The Flying Dutchman under a curse that only gave him a single day every 10 years to set foot on land. Henry doesn't want to wait that long, so he meets his father at sea and tells him his plan to find the Trident of Poseidon, which has the power to break his and all other curses of the sea. Of course, to do this, he'll need the help of Captain Jack Sparrow.

Although Will tells Henry to give up and stay away from Jack, he spends the next 9 years looking for Jack and working toward his goal. Henry (Brendan Thwaites) also meets a young woman, Carina (Kaya Scodelario), who is arrested for witchcraft just because she's a girl who happens to be smart about astronomy and horology. I like her! She agrees to help Henry because she also wants the Trident of Poseidon to reveal mysteries from her past. Javier Bardem makes a great scary ghost pirate. "He's full of rage and the need for revenge," Javier Bardem explains. My favorite thing is how his hair is always floating as if he's under water.

That brings me to the great special effects, make-up, and costumes. The Pirates of the Caribbean movies always show me something I've never seen before, and this one didn't disappoint. All of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies have great stunts, special effects, and ghosts in them, and I appreciate that they are all so detailed and different every time. In this one, I love how the decaying ghosts (including the sea creatures) look and move. I have no idea how they achieved some of the underwater sequences. It's all movie magic! "It's in the craftsmanship and the detail," Kaya Scodelario says. "It's very easy to lose yourself and feel like you're in another world."

What about Johnny?
I know, I didn't talk about Johnny here at all. I'll admit that I didn't enjoy finding Captain Jack overtly drunk in the first few scenes. I used to completely forget Johnny was Johnny when I watch his movies because I get lost in his character. These days, though, with all of Johnny's personal drama in the last couple years, I'm always watching his new movies irrationally wondering if he's seems okay and thinking I'll be able to tell either way. Seeing him act drunk so well isn't helping my sanity, though I realize this drunkenness is necessary for moving the story along. You know Captain Jack has hit rock bottom when he trades his compass for a bottle of rum!

But this has nothing to do with why I didn't mention Johnny sooner. It just didn't occur to me, and that's a good thing! As always, Johnny is fantastic as Captain Jack. They were very welcoming in that creative way, and they were very happy to be there in that creative world," Johnny says of his directors. "They really let me do some very strange stuff, and they'd just laugh. An actor's responsibility is to give a director some options. They got some options." I soon got wrapped up in his latest adventure. (He also gets one of his most famous friends to make a musical cameo.) I must be so used to the captain by now that I focused on the other ingredients that make this movie fun.

I really like the fulfilling story, which dips into Captain Barbossa's past. It reminds me of the original saga, and I was just as happy to find out more about Will, Elizabeth, and Hector. New characters showed up in a similar mold to those we know so well. Henry will grow up to be just like his dad, and Corina is a strong woman who handle things herself, just like Elizabeth. I like that this film brought some closure to the original story but also left room for new ones. Like Star Wars, this could go on forever – and you know Captain Jack will always be there too, looking for a bottle of rum and maybe saving the day.

The Kitties try out the pirate's life. 
The Kitties aren't big fans of water, but they couldn't resist riding The Black Pearl's anchor. Here, with Mr. Smith (Tyrone) at the helm, Captain Jack (Gordon) leads the way to the safety of the ship as the parted sea is slowly closing in. Not far behind are Henry (Comet) and Captain Barbossa (B.J.). Captain Barbossa grabs Carina (Lily) just in time to save her from falling into the hands of Captain Salazar (Norman), who is hot on her heels. (These are some of the how'd-they-do-that special effects I'm talking about!)

What's next?
Johnny joins an all-star cast on a train in Murder on the Orient Express. I hope he's careful because someone dies.

 All images © Walt Disney Pictures, except for the illustration © Melissa Connolly