New Musical Express, April 11, 1981

Bibliography   72 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 UK & Ireland weeklies UK & Ireland magazines UK & Ireland newspapers US newspapers US rock magazines US music magazines US magazines US alternative weeklies European magazines European newspapers Canada  •  Mexico  •  Asia Australia  •  New Zealand South America  •  Africa Blogs  •  Fanzines  •  Books Online publications NME   1952 October 17 1953 December 18 1973 July 14 1974 March 30 1976 November 6 1977 March 26 1977 April 9 1977 July 23 1977 July 30 1977 August 6 1977 August 13 1977 August 20 1977 August 27 1977 September 3 1977 September 10 1977 September 17 1977 October 1 1977 October 8 1977 October 15 1977 October 22 1977 October 29 1977 November 5 1977 December 17 1977 December 24 1978 January 7 1978 January 21 1978 January 28 1978 February 11 1978 February 18 1978 March 4 1978 March 11 1978 March 18 1978 March 25 1978 April 8 1978 April 15 1978 April 22 1978 April 29 1978 September 16 1978 September 30 1978 October 21 1978 October 28 1978 November 11 1978 November 25 1978 December 2 1978 December 9 1978 December 23 1979 January 6 1979 January 13 1979 January 20 1979 January 27 1979 February 3 1979 February 10 1979 March 31 1979 April 7 1979 April 14 1979 May 12 1979 May 19 1979 June 2 1979 June 9 1979 November 24 1979 December 1 1979 December 22 1980 January 5 1980 January 12 1980 January 19 1980 January 26 1980 February 9 1980 February 16 1980 March 8 1980 April 5 1980 April 12 1980 June 14 1980 June 21 1980 June 28 1980 August 16 1980 August 23 1980 August 30 1980 September 6 1980 September 20 1980 September 27 1980 October 4 1980 October 11 1980 November 22 1980 December 6 1980 December 20 1981 January 3 1981 January 10 1981 January 17 1981 January 24 1981 February 14 1981 February 28 1981 April 4 1981 April 11 1981 April 18 1981 May 2 1981 May 16 1981 June 6 1981 June 13 1981 June 20 1981 July 4 1981 August 8 1981 August 29 1981 September 5 1981 October 3 1981 October 17 1981 October 24 1981 November 7 1981 November 14 1981 November 28 1981 December 19 1982 January 9 1982 January 16 1982 January 23 1982 January 30 1982 April 3 1982 May 15 1982 May 22 1982 June 12 1982 June 26 1982 July 3 1982 July 31 1982 August 21 1982 September 11 1982 September 18 1982 October 30 1982 December 25 1983 January 8 1983 January 15 1983 February 26 1983 March 12 1983 May 28 1983 July 2 1983 July 9 1983 July 30 1983 August 6 1983 August 13 1983 August 20 1983 September 3 1983 September 10 1983 October 1 1983 October 8 1983 October 15 1983 November 19 1983 November 26 1983 December 10 1983 December 17 1983 December 24 1984 January 7 1984 January 14 1984 February 4 1984 April 21 1984 April 28 1984 August 4 1984 August 11 1984 September 29 1984 October 6 1984 October 13 1984 October 20 1984 December 15 1985 February 23  1985 March 23 1985 March 30 1985 May 4 1985 May 11 1985 May 18 1985 June 1 1985 November 30 1986 January 25 1986 February 1 1986 February 22 1986 March 1 1986 May 31 1986 July 26 1986 August 2 1986 August 9 1986 August 16 1986 September 13 1986 September 20 1986 November 29 1986 December 20 1987 January 24  1987 January 31 1987 February 7 1987 February 14 1987 June 6 1987 June 27 1987 September 19 1987 November 7 1987 December 5 1988 January 2 1988 May 14 1988 June 4 1988 September 24 1988 November 19 1989 January 28 1989 February 4 1989 February 11 1989 February 18 1989 February 25 1989 April 22 1989 April 29  1989 May 13 1989 May 27 1989 June 24 1989 July 1 1989 September 16 1989 October 28 1991 May 18 1991 June 8 1991 July 13 1991 July 27 1991 August 3 1991 August 17 1991 September 28 1992 May 2 1992 September 26 1993 January 23 1993 March 6 1993 March 13 1993 October 30 1993 December 11 1993 December 25 1994 February 26 1994 March 5 1994 April 30 1994 May 28 1994 July 2 1994 July 9 1994 July 16 1994 November 12 1994 November 19 1994 December 24 1995 April 8 1995 May 13 1995 May 20 1995 May 27 1995 June 17 1995 August 19 1996 May 11 1996 June 29 1996 July 20 1998 May 2 1998 October 3 1998 October 10 1998 November 14 1999 May 1 2000 May 3 2000 July 24 2000 November 3 2001 March 8 2001 March 23   2001 March 28 2002 April 20 2005 February 5 2008 May 30  2013 September 14 2015 October 23 2015 Special Edition 2018 June 18 2018 July 27 2020 October 3 2021 March 28 2021 July 18 2021 October 27 2022 May 30  2023 February 18  — Cucumber splices Cynthia Rose The animated face of rock goes on show Rock has recently welcomed more and more animators into the ranks of its interpreters – think of Animation City’s part in The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle, the telly’s endless compilation ads, and the memorable visualisation of Costello’s ’Accidents Will Happen’, shown on The Old Grey Whistle Test. The Costello film (see illustration on right) was produced by Cucumber Studios – Annabel Jankel, Kevin Attew, and Rocky Morton, who met at the Guildford School of Animation then re-met in ’76 to form a company out of mutual dissatisfaction with their commercial experiences. The “hyper heyday” of punk found all three living on a houseboat in London, from which they ventured forth to shoot 16mm records of emerging bands, which they intercut with animation of their own. Early viewers like The Clash, and The Jam were, they say, more interested in selling records. So the early Cucumber work depended on everything from cheap-label compilation ads to commercials for Nigerian aspirins (“our first job and it was in Swahili”). Their frustrations finally found an outlet when Radar Records commissioned ‘Accidents’. “They had no control over it whatsoever – they just gave us the money and asked us to come back with the film. It was incredibly low budget, it’s limited animation and very graphic but it was designed specifically for that.” Cucumber also handled the single’s bag, with its graphics printed on the inside as if there had been some “accident” at the printers. The Costello film broke a lot of ice for the company, but the trio still find their desire to apply the original techniques they discover to rock is often frustrated. So they continue to explore new frontiers via commercials which, ironically, offer them artistic freedom and money to underwrite their own films. “We are determined to create our own market,” says Annabel. “But record companies are put off animation because they don’t understand how broad it is and all they can think of is ‘we won’t see so-and-so’s face’, Of course there’s no reason why you can’t – we’re very involved with live action, combining it with special effects done largely inside the camera without any artwork.” Cucumber’s latest ad (50 seconds for Pifco) was done in a computer – “info was fed into the computer and a laser scanner drew out the design on to film at the rate of two hours per frame. It’s the most state-of-the-art commercial around just now.” “There’s no better springboard to the imagination than rock,” says Rocky. “The problem is that video can be done so quickly and cheaply that real cowboy outfits are springing up everywhere and creating rubbish which is dull and shabby and doesn’t sell records.” Cucumber’s prime areas of interest lie with special effects, computer animation (“with all these ‘hi-tech’ bands around it’s odd that they seem to be the least interested and the most intimidated by it”), and consistent involvements with sympathetic artists for substantial periods of time. “We’d also like to be in at the beginning with anyone completely unknown, if we really liked their music.” The three say they draw inspiration from painters (Francis Bacon, Schiele) and films (Eraserhead’s animation was a big influence) rather than other animators. “The problem there is that animation is very specialised and very technical. So it attracts enthusiasts, but mostly of the old Disney and cartoon schools. Animation is so much broader than people think – most audiences who saw Star Wars have no idea how much animation they say.” A good selection of rock-related animation – including Cucumber’s show reel with the Pifco commercial and Costello film – can be seen in the Neal Street Gallery’s Animation Show. Located at 56 Neal St, London WC2, the show is open Mon-Sat from 10am-6pm until April 25. Cucumber Studios also have a TSB ad (a 60-second example of live action combined with animation by computer) currently on show in cinemas throughout the UK. Tags: Cucumber Studios  •  Accidents Will Happen  •  Old Grey Whistle Test  •  Annabel Jankel  •  Rocky Morton  •  The Clash  •  The Jam  •  << >> New Musical Express, April 11, 1981 Cynthia Rose profiles Cucumber Studios. Images Clipping. Cover.

External links

• NME.com
• Wikipedia: NME