Security confronts the protesters outside the Carnegie Center in an episode of “Bagged and Bored”
When Matt Gaither of Pixel Brain Productions and the driving force of the well-regarded comedy web series “Bagged and Bored” called looking for a particular location to shoot an episode for Season Two…he thought of the Carnegie Center for Art and History. In 2017, our museum curated and displayed an original exhibition called Pulp Art: Out of the gutter and on the walls which was a contemporary art show inspired by comic books and cartoons. As an exhibition program, the Carnegie Center screened episodes from the first season of “Bagged and Bored” in our Jane Barth Anderson Meeting Room and a relationship with the talented cast and crew of this series began.
Filming a scene from the second season of “Bagged and Bored” in the Carnegie Center for Art and History
“Bagged and Bored” started in 2014 and is an imaginative labor of love among its cast of local actors, stand-up comedians, illustrators, web designers, technicians, and a host of other creative folks living and working in the Kentuckiana community. If you are a fan of pop and pulp culture and proudly self-identify as comic book nerd then you will revel in this world of inside jokes and comedic situations presented in this series. Set mostly in a real life Louisville comic book store, The Destination, its true to life owner, Brian Barrow, has been a steadfast supporter of this project from the beginning.
The series follows the life of main character, Kent Carney, and the odd assortment of employees that help him run his comic book shop. Who knew that such a world could be so full of humorous intrigue and absurd conflicts involving rogue cosplayers to over the top karate instructors? Season One is comprised of seven episodes available to view on YouTube. “Bagged and Bored” was critically well-received and so much fun to do that a crowd sourcing campaign was initiated to help fund Season Two which will have more episodes and is currently in production.
Don’t close our comic book store protest, “Bagged and Bored” Season Two
The imaginary comic book business is fraught with all kinds of threats both real and existential and the characters of “Bagged and Bored” are challenged to navigate each situation. Without revealing too much of the episode’s plot our museum participated in…there is a large “entity” threatening the livelihood of our beloved comic book shop that rates a response in the form of a public protest. The Carnegie Center was asked to participate because our building (New Albany’s original library) has an official architectural presence to it…meaning we represented the headquarters of the bad guys!
Protest signs used in this episode of “Bagged and Bored”
Matt and his cast and crew were professional and concise. We met after hours on a Sunday evening and multiple scenes were shot both inside our building and out. Actors rehearsed their lines and technicians set up lights and audio equipment. It was fun watching the cast improvise various lines and try them out on one another. I don’t know how many jokes I heard about all the “Air Bud” dog movies, but it will be fun to see what made the cut! The Carnegie Center for Art and History was glad to be able to contribute to this creative endeavor and looks forward to viewing Season Two!
Al Gorman, Coordinator of Public Programs and Engagement , Carnegie Center for Art & History
