Take Bob’s Burgers, for example. Do those Mission-style Victorian buildings in the background art look familiar? That’s because they were designed by local artist Sirron Norris. The character design in the show was done by none other than Jay Howell.

Regular Show, a hilarious Cartoon Network show about a couple of 23-year-old dudes who are also animals, features the writing/storyboarding talent of local indie comics darlings Hellen Jo, Calvin Wong (my bro!), and Minty Lewis (additional voice talent)! I have it on relatively shaky authority that pages of Mission Mission may have been source material for the cutting-edge fashions in this episode:

More recently, Jay Howell has announced his own show on Nickelodeon called Sanjay and Craig… with and additional Mission bonus: music by thee Oh Sees!! Check out the awesome promo for it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7nP1p7MARw

Granted most of these jerks have moved to LA to, you know, actually make a career out of art. Zinefest doesn’t pay the bills. Still, let’s take every opportunity to claim all the credit for their talent just like Modesto tries to do with George Lucas.

Budget Rock 8 starts tonight with a kick-off party at the Eagle Tavern starring Cheap Time and Hunx and His Punx, and ends Sunday night with hearthrobs the Gris Gris and Thee Oh Sees at Bottom of the Hill.  The festival features a collection of shows from some pretty big deal Bay Area garage-influenced bands.

Shows move back and forth between Thee Parkside and Bottom of the Hill Friday on.  The biggest hoopla of the weekend appears to be a pair of reunion shows by The Mummies Saturday.  Catch ‘em while they’re hot!

I’ve been meaning to see Hunx and His Punx at some point, as I find their music videos mesmerizing.  An example:

Phewf.  Yeah?

[From The Bay Bridged]