Ah, GIMP. Any creative who’s ever balked at Adobe’s pricing will have a fondness for the ridiculously named GNU Image Manipulation Program. GIMP for short, the free, open-source program has endured as one of the best Photoshop alternatives for those who want to edit images without forking out for a hefty monthly subscription fee.
The software was built as a class project in 1995 by Spencer Kimball and Peter Mattis. Originally for Unix-based systems, it now runs on Windows and Mac as well as GNU/Linux and offers a full array of painting, colour correction, cloning, selection and enhancement tools. It even has AI capabilities through third-party plugins and extensions.
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Dustin Grissom is a filmmaker from Indiana now living in Los Angeles. He’s been blending his twin passions of film and puppets through the creation of an Instagram account about the life of Pork Johnson, a puppet pig with his own backstory.
Pork moved to Los Angeles hoping to achieve his dream of becoming a Muppet star. Alas, things didn’t quite work out for him. On his Instagram account, we see his frustrated pursuit of stardom, from unsuccessful auditions to gigs as a presenter and ventures into directing.
Finally, he’s making his bid for Oscar glory with an unlikely starring role as Spencer Kimball, creator of the legendary GIMP software. Dustin says he was inspired to make the trailer as he used the software himself when he was getting started in graphic design and photo editing and couldn’t afford Photoshop.
“It’s a parody trailer that plays itself seriously – this is Pork Johnson’s big Oscar push!,” Dustin says, adding that people are already praising Pork’s “chilling” and “memorable” performance.
GIMP The Movie might have a niche audience – it reminds me of Saturday Night Live’s obsession with the Papyrus font, but the fun blend of puppetry and humor is a beat-perfect tribute to “the guys who make the canvas” for digital creatives. And many will agree: keep it free, man!
You can follow more of Pork Johnson’s adventures in his bid for Hollywood stardom on his Instagram account (see his ‘auteur’ Comic-Con documentary below)
Also see our Photoshop vs GIMP and Krita vs GIMP comparisons.
