Heading home after coffee

3:00 pm
A sunny but cold afternoon in the Vondelpark. Just after a coffee date with Merel.

Protest!

Leidseplein, 5:00 pm
About a week ago, all through the Netherlands there was a loud protest against government plans to cut back severely on culture and the arts. I was at the Leidseplein to yell with about 20.000 others against these plans. I also made a video-impression of the event.

Walking down the stairs at Tuschinski

Saturday, 2:30 pm
Walking down the stairs at Tuschinski, the greatest cinema in Amsterdam, after watching a very interesting documentary with Liselotte. 'Getuige 1 Minuut', the new film by Hans Heijnen.

Coffee @ De Balie

Having a coffee with Marcella at a crowded De Balie. We are sitting on a lovely couch, very relaxing. I look left towards the door enjoying my caffè latte, while Marcella is talking about her little kid. A great way to spend some time on a cold Friday afternoon.

I Amsterdam, You Amsterdam

Friday afternoon
Tourists posing at the 'I Amsterdam' Sign at the Museum Square

The long and sandy road

Roemer Visscherstraat, 2:30 pm

Camera 101

Ilse teaches our colleagues a lesson, in how to use the camera that is.

Autumn is here

A few weeks ago:

Now:

Video: Groovy Pigeons

Some people say that there are too many pigeons in Amsterdam. And I agree: a lot of them are sick. Its not quite a scene from 'The Birds' yet, but when you walk on Dam square and a big group of pigeons fly at you at eye level, it sometimes seems like it. Still, this little cozy scene gave me a happy feeling.

Daily Webhead: Groovy Pigeons from Michael Minneboo on Vimeo.

Abstract footwork

Part two of Matt's Birthday Bash in Utrecht.

Matt's Birthday Bash

Saturday Matt Baay, a comic book artist and a friend of mine, celebrated his 32 birthday. In a gay bar in Utrecht, as usual. It was a lot of fun.

Here's the birthday boy himself.

Rob is auditioning as a modern type of Robin, the Boy Wonder.

Euh... no comment. But it looks like Rob and Paul are playing the old gay bar game find the nipple or something. Marloes is the referee.

The Devil likes to read

OBA, 5:00 pm
Comic book artist Jeroen Funke reads the story of Mariken van Nimwegen during the opening of the exhibition Mooi is dat at the OBA. (See the video-reportage I made here.) Oh Jeroen is dressed up as the devil, this is not his usual attire. At least I think its not. Who knows, maybe he dresses up like the devil all the time.

Dio strikes a pose

Janskerk, 1:00 pm
At the Kunststripbeurs (comic book art fair) in Utrecht, comic book artist Dio strikes a pose? Or is he looking at some wall crawling spiderbabe?
By the way he also sells T-shirts like the one he's wearing. I've got one too since Maarten van Rossem - the guy on the shirt - is a hero of mine.
Check out my video on the art fair here.

Found Footage Animation

Theater Kikker, 12:00 pm
During the Holland Animation Film Festival my former professor Edwin Carels gave an interesting lecture on found footage animation. I interviewed him about it for the VPRO Gids. Check out the article here.

Freelance buddies

De Engelbewaarder, 5:00 pm
Having a drink and eating some bitter balls (type of croquette served as an appetizer) with my freelance buddies Fee Naaijkens and Jasper van Vugt.

Keith as a caricature

ABC, 4:00 pm
I think by this time they've changed the window display, but when I walked by the American Book Center a couple of weeks ago, this great caricature of Keith Richards made by Stanley Heinze was hanging in the window to promote the autobiography of this guitar playing legend. A book which I still haven't read by the way :)

Dirty rotten vandals

Van Limburg Stirumplein, 11:50 pm
Apparently some guys still get bored and try to cope with boredom play destruct other people's property. I really don't get such a state of mind. Or was this broken glass meant as an abstract piece of street art?

Waiting in the night

Van Limburg Stirumplein, 11:50 pm
Waiting at the tramstop late at night can be a cold and lonely experience.

Party on, Wayne

Westerunie, 10:00 pm - The VARA 85 party.
A while later at the celebration, a band played requested songs. One could pick up the phone and ask for a request. The band knew a lot of tunes, but if they didn't know the song you wanted to hear, the phone line got disconnected.

Have your cake and eat it

Westerunie, 9:00 pm
Last week, my part time employer the VARA celebrated its 85 years anniversary. At one point a big cake was brought into the room and a singer got out of it. She sang a song about, who would have guessed, the VARA history. All in all it was a very enjoyable evening.

Heads on display

Spui, 5:00 pm
The Athenaeum bookstore on the Spui had covers of Cahier du Cinema on display. A lot of famous heads in cinema in one place. The picture of Victor van Dort, the character of the animation film Corpse Bride, caught my attention. I didn't buy a copy though, since I already have a couple of books on Tim Burton films.

One-eyed monster

Leidseplein, 5:30 pm
Somehow this one got left in the vault. I took it on the day before Halloween and thought the one-eyed monster was kind of funny.

This one is about you Rob

A personal (?) message on a billboard. "Rob is a sweetheart" it says. Good to know.

A scream

A self-portrait by artist Joep Buijs hanging in the window of his gallery. I find the picture quite striking, especially since the window reflects the city also. Sometimes the city will make you scream. On a bad day it's busy, polluted, crowded with assholes and filled with psychopathic taxi drivers. This is of course also the case on good days, but one seems to notice the bad things less in those blissful moments.

Shoes looking for their owner

Leidsegracht, 14:00
While taking a stroll in downtown Amsterdam, I came across this pair of shoes. Did the owner suddenly abandon them or is this a rare case of spontaneous combusting?

Lonely Bear

Stadhouderskade
A lonely bear forgotten by its owner or does he guard the a small construction site?

Spui

Het Spui, 11:40
A view of the Spui square I took just after I visited the American Book Center, where I decided that I wasn't going to buy the autobiography of Keith Richards. At least not at the moment: I have a big pile of comics and books waiting for me at home and I just finished the Rough Guide to the Rolling Stones not so long ago. So I've read enough about the Stones for now.

Wall-art

Huidekoperstraat, 12:00 pm
I went for lunch with Merel Barends at Cafe Kale. Across from the cafe someone did the arty thing on the wall. It looks much better now.

Harry on the front page

The Dutch writer Harry Mulisch died of cancer last Saturday. It was in the news on Sunday, so the front page of 'Het Parool' had a big picture of the writer on its front-page. I can't say that I was a particular fan of Mulisch's writing, but he is considered to be one of the greatest writers in the Dutch language. Also by himself, he wasn't known for having a small ego, that's for sure. But I'll take people's word for it when it comes to his writing skills. Still, I thought it was a nice gesture of the paper to put the portrait of Mulisch this big on the front page.

Video: Zombie Walk

Daily Webhead: Zombie Walk Amsterdam from Mike's Webs on Vimeo.

The video about the Zombie Walk as promised.

"Brains!"

Dam, 2:00 pm
On Halloween afternoon, a Zombie walk took place in downtown Amsterdam. About twenty-five people showed up to walk the streets dressed up like a zombie, yelling "BRAINS!" I admire people who dare dress up like this and walk in public like a loony. Personally, I wouldn't want to be caught dead wearing make-up like that or any kind of make-up for that matter. But it was quite a sight and got different responses from the shopping public. Since it was such a busy shopping day this Sunday, it sometimes was hard to see the dressed up zombies between the crowds of the zombies of consumerism.

I shot some video of the Zombie Walk and will put that online later this week.