It's been fun.

I’m super mega crazy excited about doing a new show called 'Basement Tapes' under the banner of BIT POP.

Yes, if you missed all of my hints throughout the last 2 or 3 years, I’m retiring MMP.

It was time. Hell, now that I’ve done it, I see that I should have done it years ago. I was running on fumes, creatively stifled, weighed down by a dozen years’ worth of experiences (some great, some not so great), and basically holding onto it by remembering the way it never was.

I could go on for thousands of words about that, but they’d all be boring and beside the point. I love having a creative outlet. I love sharing the stupid things I think up. I love that doing this gives me an excuse to experience so many trivial things that would be otherwise be so easy to overlook. BIT POP / Basement Tapes is all about channeling that love into something that can be fun for me. (And, hopefully, for you.)

I’ve been chasing enthusiasm and motivation for so long with this, I’d almost forgotten what they feel like. They feel good!

I’ve purposely avoided saying too much about what Basement Tapes will include, because for me, it’s a put up or shut up situation. Intentions don’t mean much. I’m just gonna focus on the content and let the chips fall where they may. If the show stays local, whatever. At least it will be something I’m proud of, and something that brings me joy. And I think that will translate in what you see.

Will say this, though: If you’ve enjoyed the “theme” of MMP and Super Buffet Cinema, you have nothing to worry about. I’m changing names, but I’m still the same guy with the same weirdo interests. I know where my bread is buttered, too. I’m confident that former fans will enjoy the new series. (As for whether other people will? Well, we’ll see.)

I’m cautiously optimistic that Basement Tapes will officially launch in early June. I need some help to bring my silly vision to life. Until then, you can keep up with the progress here, on Twitter or on Facebook. Links to all at the bottom of this page.

I’ll be popping up with random fun stuff in all three places between now and the big day, in the hopes of building an audience above 20 people before the show launches.

Thanks for sticking with me through thick and thin. Stay tuned for something better!

www.facebook.com/basementtapestv
www.twitter.com/RickyHenry
www.rickyhenry.com
www.shopbitpop.com

<3

Oh! Hey! I forgot about this blog!

Check it out guys! It's a Main Moon Production that's actually panning out! This is something else! Also, I'm married now and expecting a kiddo. Cool, huh? So click the link below and come out and support MMSBC! (it's also fun to read the blog archives too!)

http://www.cincinnaticomicexpo.com/guests.php#henry

MMSBC Lives!

I knew I had to make this announcement today, and I think that’s why I didn’t sleep very well. At 4AM this morning I was shuffling around words and phrases in my heard as to how I would open this letter. Sadly, I don’t quite remember exactly how it went, but I remember it being really good and telling myself not to forget it. I forgot most of it, but I’m pretty sure it was supposed to go something like this…

When you have children, you want what’s best for your them. You gave birth to them, you gave them life, and you want to see them grow and succeed. Imagine sending your child to college without knowing how to read…it’s backwards. That’s kind of a stupid example, but I swear I thought of something that sounded better as I was trying to force myself back to sleep this morning. What I’m trying to say is, I gave life to an idea, and I got way too far in over my head. I have a solution now, as to how O make things right, and give my child what I know is best. This is getting really stupid. Okay, what I’m saying is I had a great idea for a feature film, tried to make it on a shoestring budget, ran out of money, and realized two years later that it should have been a graphic novel all along.

There you have it folks, MMSBC is now under development as a graphic novel.

I guess there is no other way to put it. I did things backwards. Making movies has always been an extreme obsession of mine. Up until I was ready to make MMSBC, (which is Monster Management Security Bureau of Cincinnati, for those who do not know) the films of Main Moon (my production company) were just really silly at best. Our first flick, The Looney Norman Big Fish Movie, was a Blair Witch style mockumentary that was a joke about three years too late. Though only funny to about five people on the planet, the film stands out as a success to me because it was the first film that we actually completed. On top of that, we even managed to have a public screening. Following Looney were a couple of short black and white stories about girlfriends and working in arcades, which were met with open arms by a wider audience, and opened the door for me to meet some other fine film makers and actors.

MMSBC was the brainchild of myself and my good pal “Booty” Josh Treadway. I’m not 100 percent sure how, but we got to talking about Sentai as a television genre in Japan. For those uneducated to the brand, Sentai is what we know in the US as Power Rangers or Ultraman. Spandex clad heroes, giant robots, and giant monsters. By the time Power Rangers hit big in the US, I was honestly probably at an age where it wasn’t that cool to watch the show, but I was still hooked. I think it was around the time that a boy would begin taking an interest in ladies, and I was definitely interested in Amy Jo Johnson. I especially loved Power Rangers knock off shows like VR Troopers. My favorite is without a doubt the USA Networks Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters from Beverly Hills! Say that even one time fast! There was something undeniably charming about the mountain of cheese these shows put fourth, and I wanted in on it.

What if Sentai teams were a normal thing in Japan, and each major US city was beginning to adopt a squad?

That was my original outline for a Sentai film back in 2005, when pre production consisted of figuring out how to make helmets out of paper mache. As time passed, and the idea sat on the back burner, I pitched the idea to an actress who had worked on a short film I directed called Bizarre Love Triangle. Her brash and abrasive attitude and lust for success led me to hire her as my producer. This was a girl who got things done. She was rude, vulgar…what am I saying? Why did I feel like this would get me anywhere? It’s simple. She believed in me. She believed in me when no one else would. By 2006, Main Moon was suffering. We didn’t have a TV show anymore, Josh was moving to Florida, Andy was about to get married…it was truly on it’s last leg. I had felt all kinds of pressure coming at me to quit chasing my dreams and pack up everything and kick the Peter Pan syndrome. I was really torn at this point in my life, and because I suppose every good story pulls from real life, this turning point set the stage for the new and improved MMSBC screenplay. To save you from the boring real life version, I’ll just say, everything that was unfolding in the script, happened to manifest in real life as the movie was being made. The difference was I didn’t have super powers to fend off the evil, and I was somewhat defeated in the end. There are several reasons why the film was unable to be completed, and I could write a book on that problem alone.

This is the best possible way to tell my story, and I have met some amazing and talented artists to help me pull of this vision. Due to a few things still being finalized as far as my staff goes, I can tell you that I have done the appropriate edits to the screenplay, and the lead artist is my former student, the phenomenal Chad Schoettle. Chad is a Cincinnati native, who is hands down the most talented comic book artist I have ever met and had the privilege to call a friend. This is the best thing for my story, and the best thing for the fans, who after years of teases, will finally get to see this idea completed in some way shape or form. MMSBC lives. Now if only someone would buy the movie rights…

Ladies and gentlemen...

The future of Main Moon looks good on paper...




...really, really good!

What once was lost...

Reporters were given a rare opportunity this week to see a piece of cinematic history that has laid hidden and thought to be lost for over a year. Those lost scenes came from the classic sci-fi film “MMSBC.”

All this time the can containing the scenes were sitting in the archives of a museum in Buenos Aires, the capital and largest city of Argentina. Investigation showed that before finding its way to the museum the lost original version of the movie, was part of a collector’s private film library and contains scenes never before viewed by an open audience.

According to museum director Paula Felix-Didier, this is the only copy of Ricky’s lost footage and as such is absolutely priceless.

The film may be remade and include these never-before-seen sections, however, won’t be leaving Argentina anytime soon.

“The film hasn’t left the museum and it won’t leave until the city government and the Murnau Foundation decide what to do,” Felix-Didier said in a press release.

“MMSBC” was Ricky's religious/political statement of his day. It was set in a mans heart that was sharply divided between two women. Along with the highly anticipated Donkey Kong The Musical, the lost footage will be seen at MAGFest this year, where we will all celebrate and cheer and riot in the streets at the same time.


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Ciao!

Project BLT 2 begins in aprx. 8 hrs.

I don't know how I plan on staying up 24 hours, but it will be worth it.

MMSBC. Remember that?

It's not dead yet. I'm going to make this under a budget greater than a few thousand dollars, and pay Devon Riley in hookers and several stacks of one dollar bills.

Buy a shirt. The fundraising begins NOW!

http://www.bitpopshop.com

Confused?