Gustafer Yellowgold returns with musical moving storybooks

Gustafer is the creation of New York-based illustrator/songwriter/musician Morgan Taylor. The shows feature Taylor's story-songs complete with animations and karaoke-style subtitles projected on a large screen and mellow live music.

Taylor's work explores the world of Gustafer, a little yellow guy who dropped to Earth from the sun and now lives the Minnesota woods. He lives in a cottage with his pet eel; a tuxedo-wearing pterodactyl; and a dragon named Asparagus who loves corn on the cob. In his spare time, Gustafer enjoys jumping on cake and punching cheese.

It all sounds a little bizarre and psychedlic. And it is. But it's set to some really catchy pop music that's found fans from kids to adults. Taylor has opened for WILCO and had his own off-Broadway production.

We're huge Gustafer fans in my house and have seen the show at least twice - at The ArtsCenter in Carrboro and the N.C. Museum of Art. The show returns to The ArtsCenter in Carrboro at 11 a.m. Sept. 25 and will feature a sneak preview of the fourth in the series of Gustafer CD/DVD sets called "Gustafer Yellowgold's Infinity Sock" where Gustafer searches for the universe's longest sock.