The Muffin Man: A GPT-3, Dall-e 2, & Frank Zappa Collaborative Storybook
Table of Contents
Attention Conservation Notice
A Frank Zappa / Captain Beefheart song extrapolated into a story with the help of GPT-3 and Dall-E 2. This is probably funnier if you listen to the song first.
Preamble
Listen to this first:
Go on! I'll wait. It's not that long
For this post, I took the lyrics and entered snippets of it into GPT-3 with the prompt "continue this story" (for the Muffin Man Story) and "continue this chorus" (for the Muffin Man Song).
Once everything was generated, I made Dall-e 2 prompts from the story that GPT-3 wrote. I decided to show all 4 image results to avoid cherry-picking any of them. Consider them a choose your own adventure picture! I also didn't change any of the text in the story, and gave GPT-3 complete control over the output.
The end result is this visual storybook. Full authorship goes to Frank Zappa, GPT-3, and Dall-e 2 (not necessarily in order). I am merely an expositor who is very excited about the capabilities of GPT-3 and Dall-e.
- All text with this color background is from the original Frank Zappa song
- All text with this color background was generated by GPT-3 with the aid of the text preceding it
The Muffin Man Story
The Muffin Man is seated at the table In the laboratory of the
Utility Muffin Research Kitchen with a cup of coffee and a
muffin on a plate in front of him.
He is wearing a white lab coat and has a serious expression on his face. He is looking at a laptop computer that is open in front of him and he is typing on the keyboard.
prompt: Muffin man wearing a white lab coat with serious facial expression sitting in front of laptop in laboratory with a cup of coffee and a muffin daguerrotype 1800s vintage
Suddenly, the door to the lab bursts open and a group of armed men rush in.
The Muffin Man looks up in surprise as the men surround him. One of the men, who is wearing a black ski mask, speaks.
prompt: muffin man looking surprised surrounded by group of armed men in black ski mask expressionism
dall-e doesn't like the armed men part
"We know what you're up to, Muffin Man. We know about your research into the utility muffin. We're here to put a stop to it."
The Muffin Man looks at the men calmly and takes a sip of his coffee.
"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you're too late. I've already perfected the utility muffin. There's nothing you can do to stop me."
prompt: muffin man designing a secret muffin on a chalkboard in the style of edward hopper
The man in the ski mask looks at the Muffin Man for a moment, then nods to the other men.
They all raise their guns and point them at the Muffin Man.
prompt: group of men in ski mask in a circle pointing at a muffin etching scary
"Very well," the man in the ski mask says. "If that's how you want it, then you'll die here in this lab." The Muffin Man closes his eyes and prepares for the inevitable.
But then, there is a loud crash as the window of the lab explodes inward. A figure dressed in black flies into the room and attacks the men, taking them all down before they can even react.
The figure stands over the Muffin Man, who is still seated at the table. The figure removes its black hood, revealing a face that is both beautiful and fierce.
prompt: muffin man closing eyes as woman crashes through the window with an explosion cartoon dark room laboratory
"I'm sorry I'm late," the figure says.
"I had to take care of some business."
The Muffin Man looks up at the figure, relief and gratitude written all over his face.
"Thank you," he says. "Thank you for saving my life."
"Don't thank me," the figure replies. "Thank the utility muffin."
prompt: muffin man thanking woman with a sigh of relief dark room laboratory in the style of miyazaki
Reaching for an oversized chrome spoon he gathers an intimate quantity of dried muffin remnants! And, brushing his scapular aside proceeds to dump these inside of his shirt
He turns to us and speaks:
"I have been perfecting the utility muffin for
years. And now, with this final ingredient, my work is complete.
The utility muffin is now the most powerful weapon in the world.
There is nothing you can do to stop me. Some people like cupcakes better. I, for one care less for them!"
prompt: muffin man dumping flour inside of his shirt while holding an oversized spoon colored pencil detailed
Arrogantly twisting the sterile canvas snoot he poots forth a quarter-ounce green rosette Near the summit of a dense-but-radiant muffin Of his own design
He farts out a quarter-ounce green rosette Right onto the floor!
prompt: muffin man dropping a quarter-ounce green rosette of frosting onto the floor of a dark laboratory pastel art vibrant
The other scientists in the room gasp in horror as they realize what the Muffin Man has done. He has created a weaponized version of the utility muffin, and there is no telling what sort of damage it could do if it fell into the wrong hands.
The Muffin Man laughs maniacally as he sees the looks of terror on the faces of his colleagues.
He knows that he is now the most powerful man in the world, and there is nothing anyone can do to stop him.
prompt: muffin man laughing maniacally in a dark laboratory while holding a large muffin with scientists watching in the background comic book art
Later he says:
"I have always loved the smell of fresh baked goods in the morning."
prompt: muffin man in the style of Apocalypse Now
"Some people, some people like cupcakes exclusively
While I myself I say there is naught
Nor ought there be nothing so exalted
On the face of God's grey earth As that Prince of foods...
the Muffin!"
prompt: muffin man holding a large muffin wearing a crown lavish well-preserved oil painting with gold
Muffin Man Song
Girl, you thought he was a man
But he was a muffin
He hung around till you found
That he didn't know nuthin'
prompt: a man revealing that he is actually a muffin to a woman baroque painting 17th century
He was a fraud and a sham
And you feel kinda dumb
But at least you got out before
He could do any more damage
prompt: a con artist showing a muffin to a group of women symbolist painting
Now the Muffin Man is on the run
From the law and from everyone
He's a wanted man, but he's not giving up
He's got a plan to make a comeback
And this time he's going to be the top muffin man
prompt: a man on the run from the law with wanted posters on the wall holding a bag full of muffins art nouveau high detail
Girl, you thought he was a man
But he only was a-puffin'
No cries is heard in the night
As a result of him stuffin'
prompt: man stuffing muffin mix into his shirt in the middle of the night oil painting realism
He was a fraud and a sham
And you feel kinda dumb
But at least you got out before
He could do any more damage
prompt: man playing the guitar in front of a stadium wearing a muffin costume expressionism painting 1979
Now the Muffin Man is on the run
From the law and from everyone
He's a wanted man, but he's not giving up
He's got a plan to make a comeback
And this time he's going to be the top muffin man
prompt: man performing a drum solo in a stadium wearing a muffin costume surrealism painting 1979
Girl, you thought he was a man
But he was a muffin
No cries is heard in the night
As a result of him stuffin'
prompt: man playing the electric bass in a stadium wearing a muffin costume pop art painting 1979
He was a fraud and a sham
And you feel kinda dumb
But at least you got out before
He could do any more damage
prompt: man singing into a microphone in a stadium wearing a muffin costume with dramatic lighting painting cubism 1979
Now the Muffin Man is on the run
From the law and from everyone
He's a wanted man, but he's not giving up
He's got a plan to make a comeback
And this time he's going to be the top muffin man!
prompt: utility muffin in a dark laboratory abstract expressionism painting