MrBiffo

UPPER TIERS: INSIDE THE BUNKER

No real commentary on this... just my heavy breathing (hot!)... but here's a bit of footage from inside one of the Wolf's Lair bunkers. I think this was the one where visitors stayed - including Mussolini.

Not many of the bunkers were accessible, mainly because they'd collapsed in on themselves when they were blown up, but we entered a couple of others, flew the drone inside one, and I also got some footage inside the basement of Göring's villa, which was horrible for reasons we'll re...

KIND OF LOST FOR WORDS...

I'm writing this literally less than 2km from The Wolf's Lair - the Nazi complex where Hitler spent more time than anywhere else during WW2. Appropriately, or inappropriately, it's from our bunker-themed Airbnb (see above). I just tried to upload a video for the upper tiers, but... the wifi here is pretty rubbish. I'll do it tomorrow or once we're back on Wednesday.

Today was unexpectedly int...

ALL QUIET ON THE EASTERN FRONT

We made it to the border and back. It was - quite literally - Baltic. First time for both of us that we've seen the sea frozen. I don't know what the finished videos are going to end up like, but this has been - hands down - the most fascinating trip I've ever done. Properly mind-bending... and I love Poland so much. We've done our best to capture as much of it for you as we can, and bring you on the trip with us. Tomorrow is our final full day of filming, and the location is a doozy - the gr...

PHOTOS FROM DAY WHATEVER-IT-IS

Happy Saturday! Thanks for still being here for another month. Hope you're all having a good Saturday. We managed to make it safely to Gdansk - and we're very glad we did. Gorgeous city, with a complex history. Filmed some stuff at the place WW2 kicked off, then went out for pierogi (finally). That was a mixed bag alas. Sanja's choice of filling was a bit weird, and we had to get chocolate afterwards to remove the taste. The next 48 hours are big filming days, with visits to a bunch of differ...

DISPATCH FROM THE FRONT

Morning! We’re still alive. We didn’t get many pics yesterday – just video. Today’s pretty much a travel day as we head north, and tomorrow we’re visiting the border with Russia. Let’s hope WW3 doesn’t happen between now and then, though with the way things are going I reckon there’s a 50/50 chance. The area we're going to doesn't have the best track record when it comes to being a-pl...

BACK ON THE ROAD

So. Back on track more or less. We've completely changed our schedule - cancelled some stays, and booked where we currently are for an extra day. And we're rethinking the filming schedule after the drama last night, and the fact that the footage we've already filmed is absurdly epic.

Overall, today has been a really good day - thanks to Sanja's biggest fan, Jerek, getting us back on the road. I mean, the whole trip has been good so far, barring a couple of hours last night. Jerek was o...

PO-PO UPDATE

The Good Samaritan from last night has said he managed to find us a tire. So... we can continue onwards.

I also learned - through trial-and-error - that calling numbers here from our UK phones is hit-and-miss... but works through WhatsApp, and that was the issue with being unable to get through to the damned emergency assistance line last night.

We've been recording Patreon videos during the trip, talking about the experience so far - and I'll try and get some uploaded in the nex...

POLAND PICS... SO FAR...

Greetings from Po-Po. All was going so well... we shot some brilliant stuff today - even managed to get the drone working - and then we got the mother of all flat tires an hour's drive away from Wroclaw, where our hotel is.

Which led to the discovery that 1. Our rental car has no spare, and 2. The rental company - Flex To Go (no, me neither) - doesn't answer their 24hr technical assistance hotline. Thankfully, we managed to get the car to a petrol station, and through the miracle of Go...

SATURDAY BLOG: PO-PO

So! Hello. Happy Saturday. We should have some sort of Patreon-only video for you this weekend. We’re also going to keep the Let’s Plays going while we’re away, so you should have another of those. Hopefully they can tide you over until the next BIG thing – which is only a few weeks away now.

Sorry we didn’t get you a main channel video as planned this week. Our intention to film was...

UPPER TIERS EXCLUSIVE: PIGITISER

Continuing to share odds and sods that we're working on behind the scenes.

This is another piece of music for the upcoming vids. Again, with this I started wanting to evoke John Williams, and it kind of evolved into its own thing. I'm aiming for cinematic, epic - that sort of guff.

Below is a logo for what will hopefully be the next one (sorry: it's not a Fat Sow spin-off). My back is a lot better, but still isn't 100%, so today's filming plans have been shifted to tomorrow. Hope...

EARLY ACCESS: SID MEIER'S PIRATES!

This is one that has been requested by a few of you... and it was a good request. Of all our Let's Plays, this is probably the most chaotic yet. Sting would be proud.

Also: we're hopefully filming tomorrow. HOPEFULLY. Enjoy!

SATURDAY BLOG: IT'S ALL ABOUT COMMUNITY

Happy Saturday, gang. Don’t normally post on a Saturday, but… we’ve made some of our older main channel videos public again after un-listing them last year, and we’ve put up some new playlists on both our channels to make everything easier to find.

I know making the older videos unlisted upset some people, but as I’ve probably explained before, we were seemingly ONLY getting pushed o...

BEANUS LIVE: YOUR HELP NEEDED

Hello, gang. So! We’re trying to book Beanus Live for later this year, and… Harrow Arts is pretty much booked out. There’s a small chance we might be able to get it on the 13th September, but we won’t know until next week – as the bookings person is off sick.

So, we’re looking at other options. It’s complicated, because we know you all love hanging out with one another, and because we know most of you have to come quite a distance to be there. 

One of the option...

EARLY ACCESS: HERE'S ANOTHER ONE!

What the heck - why not have another one? Features more Bamber, worms, Sticklebricks and "blanging".

EARLY ACCESS: KNIGHTMARE LET'S PLAY

Here's a surprise (not least to us) - the first of two unscheduled Lets Plays! With my back all busted up we can't get out to film, but Sanja and I can sit on a sofa and play another teletext adventure game that I did the graphics for back in 1993.

It's the usual chaos, with multiple tangents. There'll be another one for you imminently.

UPPER TIERS: KNACK-BACK PADDYWHACK

Hello, gang. Firstly, my back is still knackered. Just standing up hurts. So! We've a couple Let's Plays for the Digi Level 2 channel on the way. You should have those soon.

Also, I'm using this enforced unable-to-get-out-to-film time to work on other parts of the upcoming videos.

The Top Tiers had a preview the other day, and here's another for you. I've written something like an hour of music for the Polish episodes. As I've said before, they'll each have a completely different...

PATREON EXCLUSIVE: Q&A - plus a giveaway!

With my back all messed-up, in this exclusive chat we answer questions from our supporters - discussing everything from toys and games, to getting arrested, upcoming Digi plans, Beanus Live, a Digi book, and... we inevitably touch upon the current elephant in the room.

OH! And win a postcard from us. And possibly a replica Digi bunker door which oozes orange pus...

We might be doing a Biffo's Brain this Sunday. Depends on the back, and when we end up filming - but pencil it in. W...

MONDAY BLOG: TWANG!

Morning all. Happy Monday.

So, best laid plans and all that… we got up early on Saturday to head out to film. I sat on the edge of the bed, and… TWANGGGGG. Put my back out.

Can’t even blame it on age –I’ve had back issues since I was 21. It’s just the family curse unfortunately. We did try – we got as far as the train station, and it was pretty clear I couldn’t really walk.

So… I spent the rest of the weekend dosed up on painkillers, doing very little, and ...

BEANUS LIVE: UPDATE

This still isn't 100%, but I can tell you it WON'T be happening on September 22nd, as Harrow Arts has something else on that night.

But... I thought I'd explain why it seems to have come out of nowhere.

Basically... we'd been planning to do a Digi-related live show next year. However... we met up with Gannon yesterday, and he told us he wants to do a Cheapshow live in 2026.

There's too much crossover with our audiences to sustain two shows in a year. Maybe we could've d...

BEANUS LIVE... PROBABLY!

Hello gang. So! We've been talking and batting around some ideas.

If we did a live show later this year - just one night, back at Harrow Arts Centre, probably in September - would you be interested, and can I get a show of hands?

We think it would be probably be Digitiser Presents: Beanus: Live (or Beanus and Friends, that kind of thing). The Golden Bean was my favourite part of past Digi Lives, and ALWAYS overran, because I want them to just keep going. I've thought for years ab...

BEEN A LOTTA BLOGS - ALSO: A REQUEST OR TWO

Morning all. Been a lot of blogs lately, eh. I’m either sorry or you’re welcome (delete as applicable). This is what happens when I get to the end of a big project – it’s like my brain unspools, and everything comes spilling out.

SO! Quick-ish one to update you on our plans.

We’ve booked our Po-Po jaunt at last. We’re going for 8 days at the end of this month/beginning of Mar...

UPPER TIERS EXCLUSIVE: DL2 BEHIND-THE-SCENES!

Here's an exclusive compilation of moments I've managed to salvage from various bits and pieces we recorded behind-the-scenes while making Digi Level 2. Most of the backstage footage is quite dull - just set-up, and chit-chat, but there are some good moments here. Also - a little sneak peek at some Drong's Challenge!

Warning: it does contain some grim taxidermy stuff, which didn't end up getting used in the show - specifically some crow's eyes and a dog's placenta. I'm sorry. I don't kn...

THIS IS ALL

Just a quick one to say thank you to those of you who have upped your monthly Patreon pledge after the events of the past week. I hadn’t asked for it, and absolutely did not expect that, but there have been so many of you now that I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed by it in all honesty.

I still feel like I’ve done something wrong in some way, without meaning to, so to have any level of support at all right now means a lot.

I woke up feeling incredibly down today – which isn’t...

BEHIND-THE-SCENES OF DL2

Mmmmorning, all.

This week I'll try and get some sort of pre-order sorted out for those who missed out on the DVD tiers in the Digi Level 2 Kickstarter. You'll be able to order Digi Live 2, if you want to. The artwork for the covers is underway, so I should have that to show you soon. 

I've begun work on animating the title sequence for Drong's Challenge, and Jerden Cooke has...

THE END IS HERE

The next - and final (for now) - ep of Digi Level 2 goes live in less than an hour, and we'll be in the chat. Hope to see some of you there. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NJ4X-btNRk

DIGI FACES... THE RECKONING

So. Welcome to February. Thanks if you’re still here. Sorry, this is probably going to be another big blog post. You’ve had a lot this week. You don’t have to read it.

Anyway. 

We lost 20 patrons this month – half of them since Digi Level 2 went up and I posted about the use of AI. So, that is, one way or another, a clear message to Sanja and I.

Not every exit survey mentioned AI (though some did) – some it was for the usual financial reasons, another said it ...

SIR, IT IS FRIDAY

Aaaaaand… as you were.

We’re off to see the grandsons for a couple of days, as Bruce turned three this week. From us he’s getting a Playmobil combine harvester to go with the tractor we got him for Christmas (he is obsessed with farm equipment – his mum and dad actually bought him some fake grass for his birthday so that he can “harvest” it), a scooter, a couple of books, and – Sanja is insisting this is just from me and nothing to do with her – a fart machine.

Wha...

ONE LAST THING

There's one last thing I want to say on this issue of AI, and why this is personal to me, because I've now had pushback from a few of you. I get that I'm being a bit defensive about it, but y'know... been a tough few years.

Traditional TV in this country has been GUTTED by streaming and YouTube, and TikTok and all that - they, like AI, use data centres. They don't just work by magic. There's an energy and carbon cost, same as with almost everything we do. That plastic tat you buy? WAY w...

AI'VE GOT SOMETHING TO SAY

Hello, all. Thanks for all the lovely comments so far on the finale. Below is something I just shared on Kickstarter, which I thought you might fancy reading:

I want to address something which I feared might be controversial, and which we got a comment about last night saying it was "ruining" Digi Level 2, and kind of try to explain where I'm coming from.

I'm obviously very aware that AI divides people, and I completely get why. I've wrestled with my own conscience around it over ...

EARLY ACCESS: DIGI LEVEL 2 - THE FINALE

Here it is, kids! Gorge yourselves.