FunkMouf Brown is in the house! Or, at the very least, the engaging and musically appealing band is coming to you online in February with a reality show. The brainchild of multi-talented Sean Crisden, FunkMouf Brown is a post-Muppet, adult-focused band that will have its own web-based reality show. While taking a “PG-13” approach, FunkMouf Brown is a wildly energetic series that will have ninjas, robots, pirates, monsters, explosions, and “chaos and carnage” -- all in fun, of course.

Crisden, who assures listeners that the characters prefer not to be identified with the “P” word – for “puppet” -- has created five authentic, funky, rock star types who evoke the music of James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone, Curtis Mayfield, and the Average White Band. All original compositions, a music sample is currently featured on their website, www.funkmoufbrown.com.

The five characters were constructed, despite natural disasters in North Carolina, at the same facility that produces the Muppets. Led by front man FunkMouf, a “funky superhero for adults,” the other characters – and they are all archetypal characters – include the blues man, Graveltroat, who is purportedly centuries old; Leper Skinz, the drummer who evokes ’70s-’80s rockers like Alice Cooper; Baseboy, the group’s romantic and sports fan; and Frank, an “innocent” dressed in his own red superhero costume, who assists the band behind the scenes and does vocals.

The talent behind the talent

While not a ventriloquist, Crisden provides the voices for the five different rock star types. As he makes his living as a voice actor for such big clients as Sony and Fry’s, voice talent is definitely in Crisden’s skill set. He is also a musician, composer, visual artist/illustrator, costume designer, video game designer, and martial arts instructor.

In addition to Crisden’s total commitment to FunkMouf Brown, his wife Jamie, A.J. Alaniz, Barry Finkle, and his cousin Ira form the remainder of the production company. They develop the various costumes for the “band” (including authentic-looking outfits that involve toddler-sized shoes), script the episodes, and build the props.

Crisden is planning to do the filming and production work in Maricopa, recruiting local talent to serve in on-camera and production roles. One of the locations they plan to use is the LaRoca Night Club on N. John Wayne Parkway. Much of the filming will be done right in Crisden’s Maricopa neighborhood.

Jamie and Sean conduct auditions for roles in the series, which are primarily volunteer efforts. And, ultimately, they expect a large number of Maricopans to be involved with the production.

All of this creativity and production takes time. Both Crisdens juggle the demands of FunkMouf Brown with their “day jobs,” as well as spending most weekends preparing the series.

Making it successful

Instead of trying for network acceptance, Crisden has decided to use a “new media” approach to promoting his series, hoping to fuel interest with a fan-based campaign spread by web postings and word of mouth. His effort to promote the series incorporates his full production company, whose efforts to “tweet” and web post are building a following. Although many adults would find the series appealing, the primary demographic for the audience is 18-34, so tweeting and posting is an effective way to reach this target group.

In addition to the web series, they plan to release a seven-song album that will feature their characters’ funky music. All of the music is an extension of the videos, telling stories with the lyrics.

FunkMouf Brown is an accomplished entertainment with tongue-firmly-in-cheek and a sassy, upbeat approach. This funny labor of love is likely to lead a large audience to become fans of this “Funktress of Soulitude.” For Maricopa, everyone can say they knew FunkMouf back before they were famous.

To volunteer as crew, an extra, or as talent (they are especially interested in puppeteers), or to be a local business featured in the series or a music video, contact them at casting@funkmoufbrown.com.