As I mentioned in my last post, I'm working on a sooper triple funny called FISH HOOKS right now.
And no, I didn't create it. This guy did:
That's picture book illustrator Noah Z. Jones right there. And while he definitely knows his way around an animation desk, he's never really worked on, let alone run his own sooper big network show before.
That's why Disney hired this guy:
Uh huh... Maxwell Atoms is the Executive Producer/Show Runner/Big Cheese/Judge/Jury/Executioner and Head Pizza Chef of Fish Hooks.
So a while back, he asked me if I wanted to write some stories for the show and maybe do a storyboard.
And OF COURSE I wanted to write some stories! But storyboard?
Uh...
Storyboarding is pretty intense stuff. Especially when you're 'boarding your story from an outline instead of a script. You've gotta be an artist, a writer, an actor, a director, a draftsman, a comedian, a storyteller, an editor, a location scout, sushi chef, lumberjack as well as a 1000 other things. And you've gotta do it all on a deadline!
I tried to talk my way out of it, but Mr. Atoms turned into a were-gorilla and shook me around until I agreed to do it.
And I'm not gonna lie to you... It was HARD and required every ounce of my sooper powers. Aside from doing all the things listed above:
I was drawing characters I had never drawn before...
I was writing dialogue for characters I didn't know that well... (I mean, I KNOW how each of the KND would react to something, but I had just MET these fish!)
And I was doing a storyboard digitally for the first time so I had to learn how to use Toonboom's Storyboard Pro (which, BTW, is pretty awesome).
Like I said... pretty intense. And after a grueling 4.5 weeks, I had to get up and perform my story for the bigshot Disney executives along with the whole Fish Hooks crew. And for me... that's the easy part. I mean... I had to get up and perform a billion KND stories in front of people all the time! But back then, if someone didn't like my story-- I could fire them.
Not so this time around! But you know what?
It went GREAT! People laughed. I got great notes. I didn't embarrass myself (or Mr. Atoms). And no one threw anything at me.
And then I had a (very relieved) week and a half to finish up the board. And during that time... Another job opened up.
See, between Pre-Production (writing, designing, storyboarding, etc) and Post Production (calling retakes, spotting music and sound FX, editing, mixing, etc) Mr. Atoms was up to his vampire-bitten neck in craziness. So now it's my job to help him out! I'm kinda doing a little of everything-- Post Production, Pre-Production, hanging out by the pie table at the Disney commissary, etc.
In other words... I get to work on a fun show, hang out with Maxwell Atoms all day, work with an awesome crew, AND get paid for it?!
Duuuuuuuuuuude!
But don't worry... I've got lots of my OWN projects in varying stages of development! Keep it locked here so I can tell you about them!
"With great power comes great responsibility... But a great burger doesn't always come with great fries."
These are words I try to live (and eat) by. And while I wouldn't say I have great power... I happen to have a lot of sooper friends who do. So I feel it's my responsibility to share their awesomeness... often at a steep price.
Take for instance my eldest son's school auction that was held last June. Through a strategically coordinated rapid-fire assault of begging, bribery, dirty tricks, sycophantic flattery, threats of violence and offers of hot tips to great burger joints I managed to get a whole bunch of author/illustrators to donate books that would be inscribed to whomever the winner choosified!
Or ponder the love from your significant other after presenting him or her with a personalized copy of ROBOT ZOT signed by former Ambassador of Children's Literature Jon Scieszka and David 'No David' Shannon!
Well, one bidder made it a point to grab not one but FIVE of the eight books that went up for auction and I thought I'd share the inscribed pages here to make you jealous.
That Emily, Mary and Jake are some lucky kids, right?
But guess what the most awesomest item that got donated was?
No, not the chance to make a 32 course dinner for sooper famous animator/author/underwear model/mecha warrior mr. warburton... but I like the way you think.
No, the bestest best item that got put up was an advance, unbound copy of Mo Willems' upcoming KNUFFLEBUNNY FREE signed to the person of your choice.
Yup... the winner got to be one of the FIRST to read it before it hits the shelves this September 28th!
I meant TOTALLY REALLY SOOPER AWESOMELY AMAZINGLY OVER-THE-TOP ARMY OF GORILLAS TAKING OVER THE WORLD GOOD!
Talk about someone who has their own distinctive style going! I first saw his work in SPARROW:
And picked up this fun mini-series:
Wow... His texture... His brushwork... His atmosphere... His ROBOTS!
So whilst at Comic Con I saw him standing by a table of his original art (none of which I could afford). He was finishing up a sketch for someone else and afterwards I asked if he could please doodle me up something.
He was... um... perhaps a bit tired after a long day of Comic Conning. But was nice enough to sketch me this:
It's the latest show by MAN OF ACTION, the guys behind Ben 10! And I had a chance to hang out with them in their booth at Comic Con! Specifically, Duncan Rouleau:
We hung out for a long time and talked cartoons, comics, and Cartoon Network. And while we were talking, I made sure he was drawing at the same time! Check out this sketch of Bobo Haha, complete with the cigar that Standards and Practices haaaaaaaates:
But wait... if they say that Bobo can't have a cigar, then how did Mr. Boss get away with it for so long?
I guess evil adult sooper villains have more pull than hyper-intelligent monkeys.
.jpg)
Posts
