User:Wierd Studio Bunch

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The Weird Studio Bunch

The Weird Studio Bunch, aka Big Underwear Comics, aka Thee Unpopulars circa 93-94ish. With the then Miss. Nicky Wise.
Publication information
Publisher Deadline Publications
First appearance Atom Tan Fanzine No 1
In story information
Base(s) The Factory Night Club & J.B's Worthing & 23A Ashdown Road & Cissbury Ring
Member(s) Jamie Hewlett, Philip Bond, Alan Martin, Glyn Dillon, Mat Wakeham, Ash Whiting, Ben Whiting, Ben Allerton, Mat Elias, Dave Mitchell, Thor Hailey, Glive Gibbins, Augie and Shelley Taylor, Mrs. Money Octopus, Mr. Market Gardener, Mr. Dodgy, Mr. Wonky and The Groovey Goggle Gang.


Contents

[edit] The Weird Studio Bunch

The Weird Studio Bunch (also known as Big Underwear Comix) were an roughly anarcho-psychedelic arts collective based in Worthing, UK in the late 1980s, early 1990s. loosely founded around Alan Martin, creator of Tank Girl as well as other comic artists such as Glyn Dillon and Mat Wakeham. Based at 23A Ashdown Road, Worthing this melange of individuals, including Ash Whiting, Ben Whiting, Ben Allerton, Mat Elias, Dave Mitchell, Glive Gibbins, Augie and Shelley Taylor, Thor Haley, David Milne Watson, Ollie Fenton, Sarah Callaghan, Mrs. Money Octopus, Mr Market Gardener and the slightly disturbing Gary Hepinstall (Mr Dodgy) - Who it is rumoured, died in a gunfight in Devon some years ago. This morally loose philosophical arts group were dedicated to the exploration of the psychedelic experience and re-interpreting the world through the rose tinted lessons of the 1960's, albeit rearranged, re-appropriated and regurgitated for the heady times of the second summer of love, via Sidmouth International Folk Festival and all night Raves.

In debt to the Merry_Pranksters, The Diggers and The Weather Underground of the late 60's. With no intention of paying the debt back the group experimented with LSD and other substances, such as banana skins, crisps and "Magic Mud" (tm). They also formed a band 'The Unpopulars'.

[edit] The Unpopulars

Disgusting and then quazi-famous pop journalist/gimp/scenester Jon "Fat Beast" Beaston described this band as "Intelligent shit", which all involved agreed was fair comment whilst shotgunning beer, staplegunning their own heads and smacking each other with cricket bats. He invited The Unpopulars on his Strollercoaster tour, then realised this was a pretty bad idea and eventually sacked the band because they weren't really trying and forgot to bring any instruments that worked.

The Unpopulars on Myspace

[edit] Action Alley

Other activities various members of this group engaged in were unintentional street theatre, environmental sculpture, Kite Flying and creative disorder.

As well as designing club interiors. Such as the - now closed - Factory Nightclub in Worthing with Jamie Hewlett and Glyn Dillon the group also put on parties in and around Worthing.

They also undertook work with Patrick Treloar of Wow Enterprises on the now infamous Rave Board Game as well as ingesting heroic doses of the drug L.S.D.

[edit] Good Pictures

Alan Martin, Glyn Dillon, Philip Bond, Mat Wakeham and Jamie Hewlett all variously contributed to the now defunkt, Deadline Magazine as well as 2000 AD, Crisis and created a great number of fanzines.

Comics and Characters

Tank Girl, Wired World, Planet Swerve, AtomTan, Mr Wonky, Hewligan's Haircut, Good Pictures, Circle Sky, AtomTan, Booga's Treehouse Club.

[edit] Unpopular Humourism

A methodology wherin aspects of low kitsch are (re)mixed with aspects of the higher formal arts. The straight "Pop" method of using found objects to convey deeper ideas is the foundation to construct a holistic remixing of visual cues or conceptual methodologies.

Taking modern culture as a starting point and utilising the idea that absolutely nothing is sacred and that everything should be sampled, stolen, copied and plaigerised in order to make visual art. Giving high value to funny, tasteless, bad, worn out, obsolete or otherwise unpopular iconography and breathing new life into it by re-contextualising and re-presenting.

The idea is centered around the paradoxical paradigm that;

Really "cool" stuff looks totally crap and really "crap" stuff looks totally cool.

Or The Cool-Crap Continuum

[edit] Where Are They Now?

Alan Martin, is now currently writing novels, sitcoms and childrens books and has published some fabulous all new Tank Girl material with Ashley Wood and Rufus Dayglo. Mat Wakeham is a media creative, psychic warrior and screenwriter, Ash Whiting works in new media and plays guitar in Falling Out Of Cars as well as genning up on all things esoteric, Glyn Dillon is a screenwriter, artist, film director and illustrator and Ben Whiting is a sailor on charter yachts in Cannes.

[edit] Where Are You Now?

If you were a member of the Wierd Studio bunch then why not do a search for Ash Whiting on Google.. Get in touch you losers.

[edit] World Record Holders

Glyn Dillon holds the world record for number of Salt 'n Vinegar chipsticks in the mouth at once... About 64.

[edit] External Links