- Joel Veitch
Joel Veitch is an English web animator and member of the humor website
B3ta . Veitch is owner of the web site [http://www.rathergood.com/ rathergood.com] , where he showcases many of his animations. He is most famous for the use of singing kittens both on his website and on televisionFact|date=December 2007. Joel has also created the Mr. Stabby animations in collaboration withJonti Picking , and his early work includes several instalments ofTales of the Blode .Joel's working pseudonyms include "Crab Bloke" (which is the name of his user account on
B3ta ), "The Crab of Ineffable Wisdom" (used on his website), and Stallion Explosion (as lead singer of the band7 Seconds of Love which he promotes heavily on his site by making music videos for them).Veitch was once threatened with legal action by Gullane Entertainment Inc. for uploading a flash cartoon which was parodying
Thomas the Tank Engine . As a result, Veitch removed the animation from the site. Although the link is still present, it now points to an explanation of why the animation was removed.Several of Veitch's movies, including one featuring a mostly instrumental remake of
Destiny Child 's Independent Woman by Elbow, are played and sung by kittens, practically identical to the ones in theCrusha adverts.Some of Veitch's other movies feature actual songs by artists such as Madonna, with either slightly edited lyrics, and/ or with modified subtitles, and always with fitting, and sometimes mildly disturbing, animations.
In December 2006, Veitch and his band 7 Seconds of Love produced their own version of the "12 Days of Christmas" song, in support of
Tommys the Baby Charity. In January 2007, Veitch reached a settlement with
Coca-Cola after they used music and video very similar to7 Seconds of Love 's song 'Ninja' on one of their adverts in Argentina without permission. cite web | title = Ninja kitten band win Coke battle | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6289933.stm
accessdate = 2007-01-23 ]Commercial work
Veitch is responsible for many adverts and other spots on both British and US TV.
* Switch/Maestro adverts featuring singing penguins.
*Crusha adverts featuring singing kittens.
*Quizno's Subs advertised by theSpongmonkeys (through the song "We love the subs", based upon "We like tha Moon").
*Virgin Trains viral online ads at www.littlerbritain.co.uk, featuring only-barely double entendres about large things wreaking havoc on a "Smaller Britain"
*VH1 promo spots featuring singing kittens with songs such as "Welcome to the Jungle " byGuns N' Roses and "I Love Rock 'N Roll " byJoan Jett .
* The television programme Rathergood Videos featuring his own and others music videos, which aired early in the morning on Channel 4.
* Various animations of his were featured on the Channel 4 music programmeBorn Sloppy .
* Written and composed songs for theCiTV series "Jim Jam & Sunny ".
* Joel now regularly appears as the "Internet go-to guy" for Nuts TV, and appears on Sky News and BBC News as an internet savvy guest.Charity work
* [http://www.rathergood.com/tommys/ "12 Days of Christmas" fundraising song and animation for Tommys the Baby Charity]
Awards
Veitch has received 3
Webby Awards , a Webbys People's Choice Award and a further Webby nomination for rathergood.comReferences
External links
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/blast/tipsandtools/digitaltoolbox/joel_veitch.shtml Watch Joel offer his advice on viral marketing with BBC Blast]
* [http://www.b3ta.com/interview/joel/ B3ta interview and making animations with Joel] – prior to his worldwide kitten success.
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