Intrepid

 Hi everyone,

Happy Inauguration Day! As we begin a new era in the United States, let us be intrepid in our choices, words, actions, love, and kindness towards others. We can make the world a better place for all of us.

I didn't have this in mind when I drew the illustration below. My inspiration actually came from Drew Barrymore (and my cat). I found out about Drew's new daily talk show – launched amid the pandemic in late September – and set my DVR for it because who doesn't like Drew Barrymore? 

At first, I must admit, the overt joy, love, silliness, weirdness, and hippie-dippie positivity that is The Drew Barrymore Show was a shock to my tired, heavy system. But I kept at it and now look forward to this mood board of a show, as she refers to it, as my time to decompress with a cup of tea. It's a daily shot of sunshine, whether you want it or not. 

One day, Drew showed up carrying her personal, giant dictionary and unveiled the show's first Word of the Week: Intrepid. This revelation made me gasp because I had been trying to think of a way to revive my blog with new drawings. 

Until 2019, a website called Illustration Friday posted a new word every Friday that served as my inspiration for a weekly drawing challenge. I had been doing this routinely since 2006 and, eventually, I saw the site repeat some terms, which was disappointing. (Sometimes I drew something newly inspired by the repeated word, but usually these repeats inspired nothing new for me.) 

As a result, some weeks, I skipped the drawing challenges and, as time went on, I found it harder and harder to feel motivated to draw and post because of other things going on in my life. Then, I unintentionally took 2019 off from drawing anything, and my typical schedule faded away. It was during this time that Illustration Friday's website disappeared. You may have noticed that new posts since then has been sporadic at best. 

In my attempt to start fresh in 2021, it occurred to me that I could come up with my own inspiring words of the week, creating my own drawing challenge and schedule. A few hours later, Drew Barrymore showed up with her dictionary and gave me this word – intrepid – to kick things off. 

What are the odds? (This is one of the many reasons I love Drew Barrymore!) This happened before Thanksgiving, and I don't think she has introduced another Word of the Week since then, but still: Thank you, Drew Barrymore, for blowing the dust off and sparking my imagination! 

According to Merriam-Webster, intrepid means being characterized by resolute fearlessness, fortitude, and endurance. Here, Lily faces her own daily challenge – a brave leap from our comfy lounge chair to her trusty window seat. 

   

She makes it every time. Go, Lily! 

Until next time, be intrepid, friends...and, also, still keep your distance, wear your masks, and wash your hands! 

Love,

COVID-19 Prevention, Kitty Style

Hi everyone,

The kitties have a public service announcement. See below and follow these simple rules to save lives. You know it's serious when cats are willing to get their paws wet.

Be careful out there,

It's Walter, again

Hi everyone,

It's time for a new portrait of Walter, who has grown from a tiny, fuzzy kitten into a sleek, lanky, handsome stud. (That's how Emily describes him anyway – sometimes.)

Happy (almost) summer!

Walter 2020

Johnny Kitties: Celebrating Johnny Depp Film #56. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (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.]

"The Wizarding World is a mirror of our world, and we're talking about a period in Wizarding history when there was a rise of what I would call Wizarding Nationalism, if you like, so it's a form of a populist hero, a very populist hero. He's a very different baddie. Grindelwald's far easier to like, which makes him quite dangerous." J.K. Rowling

"Grindelwald, to me, represents a side of the Wizarding World. He has the power, the magic of the wand, and all that, but I think, more than anything, he seems to have a psychological edge on most." Johnny Depp

What's happening? 

In 1927 London, Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) escapes imprisonment and gets to work winning over followers, most of whom are unaware of his true goal to have pure-blood wizards ruling over everyone else. Professor Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) is on to this scheme and enlists his star student, Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), to help him stop Grindelwald. To help him stop Dumbledore, Grindelwald finds Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller), who has turned up in Paris. In Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, the second installment of the Fantastic Beasts franchise, almost everyone picks a side as these two leaders prepare for the ultimate battle for supremacy.

How did we get here?
I've never read the Harry Potter books, and I only binge-watched the movies a few years ago, even though I tried watching them with my nephew several times before. Every time I tried to watch the first Harry Potter movie, I fell asleep within five minutes. I realized that this happened because I had no idea what anyone was talking about, using the unique terms of Harry Potter's world. I tuned out conversations as if they were in a foreign language. Once I got passed that initial confusion, however, I loved the Harry Potter movies just as I thought I would! The trouble with binge-watching them is that they have now run together in my head. I am still a Harry Potter beginner, who is always a bit confused and too unfamiliar (so please be kind if I mix up some details).

Still, it was magic that made me catch up on Harry Potter just before it was announced that Johnny signed on to star in the Harry Potter prequel franchise Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and four more related films, uncovering the past of beloved Professor Dumbledore and his rival. Don't you agree?

I didn't create an illustration for 2016's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the first Fantastic Beasts movie, which premiered in 2016, because Johnny was only in it for about two minutes. My options were to draw either the back of his head or an action shot of him being whisked away to prison.

I liked this dark adventure in the Potterverse. Newt Scamander arrives in New York to find a lost magical beast and save it in the fantastic beast sanctuary hidden in his suitcase. While there, things don't go exactly as planned.

This film sets up the Fantastic Beasts saga's characters: In addition to Newt, there's his love Tina (an American witch who tried to get him arrested, played by Katherine Waterston), a baker named Jacob (Dan Fogler), and his love (and Tina's sister) Queenie (Alison Sudol). The dark side of this movie stems from troubled teen Credence (Ezra Miller), who was adopted and subsequently emotionally and physically abused for years by his crazy mother (Samantha Morton).

Credence meets Percival Graves (Colin Farrell), who promises to get him away from her if he helps him locate a child with great powers. But it turns out that Graves is evil and Credence is the child with great powers. Credence is possessed by an obscurial, an abstract dark entity. When his rage gets the best of him, the obscurial takes over and causes destruction all over New York.

In the end, Credence is gone. Graves is arrested, and his true identity is revealed: Graves is really Grindelwald!

Now what? 

Are you confused yet? (The Pirates movies seem so much easier to explain than these ones!) I must admit, I liked Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them better than Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. This time, instead of the language putting me to sleep, the special effects did. Don't get me wrong – some of the special effects are really cool! But my admitted newness to and unfamiliarity with this magical world made it harder for me to follow the story, and I found some of the special effects to be too, too much.

Who cares? Johnny looks great! I love his spiky bleach-blonde Billy Idol-ish hair, weird David Bowie-esque eyes, and black outfit! This is a wizard I could get behind, if only he were a good guy. Most of the time, he walks around looking like a menace and gets his followers to do his dirty work while he makes enticing speeches to convince everyone to come over to the dark side. It was a slight letdown after dreaming about Johnny sharing scenes with Jude Law, but I guess I have to wait.

Who's the bad guy?

My favorite part of this movie is the first 10 minutes before the title even appears. The film opens, showing Grindelwald imprisoned in London's Ministry of Magic. He looks weak and defeated with long gray hair and expressionless face, as he watched a fly spark off of the invisible bubble that he's trapped in.

He's been there for six months, and it's time to transfer him back to New York to answer for his crimes. I love how he literally floats up the stairs in chains, past the other jail cells, and ultimately escapes amid stormy skies from the carriage drawn by flying dragon-horse-like creatures, who intended to transport him to America. He was just waiting for the right moment to make his move.

I think The Kitties got it.



Where is Johnny?

© Reynaud Julien/ABACA/INSTARimages.com

Last year, Johnny was touring with The Hollywood Vampires, who released a second album, called Rise. For this album, Johnny wrote several of the songs, and he also sings David Bowie's "Heroes," which the band performed on TV first on Jimmy Kimmel Live and then on The Late Late Show with James Corden.

Then, Johnny went to Europe, publicizing his next film Waiting for the Barbarians (which will be out on demand and DVD this August). He made stops at the Venice Film Festival and received a silver plaque and tribute, presented by Catherine Deneuve, at the 45th Deauville American Film Festival.

This year, everyone's at home because of the global pandemic. Johnny's been in France and he joined Instagram! Also, today is his birthday; happy birthday, Johnny! Later this summer, the third installment in the Fantastic Beasts series should begin filming.

What's next?
Johnny is The Professor, someone who learns to appreciate and live his live to the fullest in the time he has left. 

All film images © Warner Brothers; illustration © Melissa Connolly

Stay home!

Hi everyone,

I know it's been a while. I have lots of kitty illustration ideas in my head, but I struggle to find time and motivation to get them on paper. I wonder if the pandemic-induced stay-at-home order will help me get back on track.

I've been lucky to work at home during this weird time. Lily is loving it, though I think she secretly wonders what's going on.

Lily is all about her routines, and the pandemic has messed them up. But bed time is still our favorite time of day.

Every night, Lily snuggles up against my chest, wraps her front paws around my arm, talks, purrs, and kneads whatever is nearby (my arm, my pillow, the mattress, the air). She turns around often to see if I'm still awake and, if so, rests her chin on my hand, and purrs for some cheek rubs. This routine sometimes goes on so long that I'm considering adjusting my bedtime to accommodate it and my need for more sleep.

If anything good is coming out of this pandemic, it's the recognition of those around us and how we are helping each other get through it – hospital workers and volunteers; essential business and city workers; teachers, caregivers, and pet sitters; flight attendants for essential travel; restaurants staff offering takeout; entertainers who have found ways to reach us from their own homes; and, of course, friends and family members, including our ever-loving animals.

Thanks, Lily! This one's for you.

Keep safe and at a safe distance, everyone. (Lily knows that she's breaking the rules here.)

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)

Johnny Kitties: Celebrating Johnny Depp Film #48. Into the Woods (2014)

[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 on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in early 2015

Here's the latest Johnny Kitties tribute....

The one thing I love about this film is there's so much entertainment. It's so much fun – the joy, the ride of it. – Director Rob Marshall

It's so far beyond anything you could have expected because it is. You know all these characters from your youth in a deep way, but when they come to life in this sense, you get to know more about them, and it's even spookier and it's even funnier and it's even weirder. It's a brilliant idea. It's beautifully put together. – Johnny Depp

Go to the Woods!

In this film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's musical, the fairytale characters that we all know and love come to life and coincide in a new adventure. Cursed by the Witch (Meryl Streep) to remain childless, the Baker (James Corden) and his Wife (Emily Blunt) head into the woods to break her spell by finding four requested items in three days' time: a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn, and a slipper as pure as gold. On their journey, they find an indecisive Cinderella (Anna Kendrick), contemplating the prince (Chris Pine) she's met at the ball; Jack (Daniel Huddlestone), to whom they give some magic beans; and Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford), who runs into trouble with the sly Wolf (Johnny Depp) on the way to her grandmother's house. The Witch, too, has her own set of problems, including trying to keep her restless daughter Rapunzel (Mackenzie Mauzy) safely hidden away in a lonely tower. Directed by Rob Marshall, Into the Woods takes you on a high-spirited, entertaining ride that turns these familiar stories into something modern, fresh, and more relatively realistic. It turns out that happily ever after isn't always how things end. 

If at first you don't succeed...
I first saw Into the Woods in Ohio with my parents just after Christmas. It was my dad's idea, but soon after the lights went out, he fell asleep. My mom stayed awake but her first comment after the movie ended was, "That was a little long." I admit, I felt that was true. But maybe it only seemed long because the screen was small and far away from where we sat; everyone around us in this packed little space had noisy colds, kept fidgeting, and walking in and out of the theater; and dad was snoring. It wasn't the best experience, especially when Johnny showed up 20 minutes into the movie and was finished about 5 minutes later. 

I waited until Into the Woods came out on DVD to see it again in my apartment, where I gave it my full, undivided attention. That's when I discovered that this movie is actually a really good one.  

What's to Love?

Stephen Sondheim with cast members at the
Into the Woods world premiere in December 2014

The music. I was unfamiliar with Into the Woods before I saw this movie, even though it debuted on Broadway in 1987 and has been popular ever since. While I knew it was a musical, I was still surprised by the amount of singing involved. Everyone sings, and they sing together seamlessly, even when they're their scenes take them to different locations to focus on their own life stories and problems. Sixty musicians recorded the songs in a studio with the cast; the recordings were then blasted on set during the scenes while the cast belted the songs out again, singing along to the recorded versions. The extra layer of coolness here is that what they sang on set while filming was also recorded and, for the final product, both versions were mixed together to make the singing match best with whatever is happening in the scene. "When we need the [studio] recordings, we have them; and when it's live and working, we use that as well," producer Marc Platt explains. "What you get is a seamless marriage of the two, but you get performances that are so brilliant." 

These impressive songs are unmistakably Stephen Sondheim's with their fast-paced, clever lyrics and challenging melodies. I loved how they moved the stories along; you really had to listen for that reason. "It's a very lyric-heavy piece, and in those lyrics is the story," Rob Marshall explains. "That's how Stephen Sondheim wrote it. That's how he writes. He writes as if it's a scene. Everything's a scene; it's not a number." Producer John De Luca concurs, "There's relentless intelligence in Stephen Sondheim. The lyrics – every time you listen, you hear something new." 

The direction. Rob Marshall is good at directing musicals, and this one doesn't disappoint. "He's very true to his vision of the author's work. His approach is very pure, and he's out there to make something beautiful, affecting, artistic, emotional," Johnny says. Here, he creates a world and puts you in it. The camera takes you into to the action, like when it follows the jerky movements of the Wolf spying on Little Red Riding Hood through the bushes. It sweeps you along with the music, moving like a dancer to Stephen Sondheim's orchestrations. 

The movie isn't so long as it is packed with stories. At times when story lines conclude, others begin, which left me wondering how this thing was going to end. Yet, from start to finish, you're never bored because Rob Marshall keeps all the pieces moving in an environment that becomes its own key character. "How the woods sounds and feels, the sonic texture of it, was a vital ingredient in bringing the world alive and making it feel vibrant and specific to the story being told at the time," Marc Platt explains. These woods may be intimidating, but plenty goes on in there to keep us well entertained. 

The cast. This all-star cast is impressive. Meryl Streep earned her 19th Oscar nomination for playing the Witch in this movie and it's clear why: she's the best witch out there. In this movie, everyone shines. I particularly liked James Corden and Emily Blunt as a desperate yet determined couple on a mission. Newcomer Lilla Crawford was also fantastic as Little Red Riding Hood. 

It must have been difficult for cast members to take such popular characters and make them modern and uniquely their own, but each is fully realized with gusto. "It's visually fun and emotionally satisfying," Meryl Streep says of the film. "But it also has this other thing that is what engages us as artists and makes us want to bring everything we can to it." They all definitely bring it, but no one stands out and above the rest in my eyes (well, Meryl Streep and Johnny aside). As Rob Marshall says, "It's all about the piece and all about the ensemble – everybody working together to create this magic." 

The Wolf. While short, Johnny's performance as the Wolf is a memorable one. He sings one song, "Hello, Little Girl," while sneakily eyeing his unassuming prey. Who knew Johnny would ever sing another song on film after Sweeney Todd? "I was very excited to do it," Johnny says of the role. "I was honored and somewhat proud that not only Rob [Marshall] and John [De Luca] wanted me to play the Wolf, but Sondheim again believed in me to play the part and to sing his notes. It's one of those moments that you realize you will never in  your life have an opportunity like that again, as an actor or as a musician; it's kind of a joy to approach, even though it's incredibly daunting." 

Before the movie came out, I saw Johnny's costume and immediately thought of the Big Bad Wolf character in the classic Tex Avery cartoons I grew up watching, like this one. It turns out that that's what Johnny was going for: a cool '50s-style wolf in a zoot suit, who could be seen more as a villain than the literal animal. "The idea with the Wolf is that he is the Wolf of Little Red Riding Hood's imagination, so we didn't want to put Johnny in a wolf suit or give him a fur collar," costume designer Colleen Atwood explains. I can really see that cartoon inspiration in Johnny's appearance and performance. He brought that Big Bad Wolf to life, and I love it!

Watch out, Kitties!
Here's Johnny's key scene, becoming acquainted with his next meal (Mini). 

It's too bad that I couldn't fit my favorite part of this scene in here, when the Wolf sneaks some quick sniffs of the goodies in Red Riding Hood's basket while her gaze is turned, but these lyrics take up a lot of room. Stephen Sondheim's wordy, but in the best way. These lyrics are killer. 

What's next? 
One of my dreams came true when Ewan McGregor signed on to costar with Johnny in Mortdecai. We'll celebrate this dreamy pairing, among other things, next month on July 9th!

Photo credits: All film images © Disney Pictures; photo of Johnny Depp © ABC; cast photo © Kevin Mazur/WireImages.  

Fall, Take 2

Hi everyone,

As I did for summer, I've updated the Melissa's Kitties banner this season to include our newest kitty Tyrone. (He's already getting excited about winter.)

What do you think?

Best,
 

Contraption

An enthusiastic helper, Tyrone adds some flair to Simon's latest contraption. While their project in the garage remains a mystery, this collaboration is bound for glory.

(Illustration Friday: June 6, 2014)

Welcome, Spring!

Hi everyone,

I can't remember the last time I felt so sick of Winter. Since we've had two days in a row of Spring weather, I hope it's here to stay. To celebrate, I stuffed my heavy coats in the closet and made a new blog banner. Let me know what you think of it...

The Kitties have been working the garden ever since the last bit of snow melted; I'm impressed!

Enjoy the warmth,