Tomorrow

Here are some projects of mine in various stages of conception and/or production. My intention is to complete each of them at some point, but in the meantime, take a glimpse at what's on the back (and front) burners.

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SHE'S GOT PMS ... Completed!
A short web cartoon about the monthly flow. I've been wanting to make a character-driven music video for years, and legally it's easier to use a song you write yourself.

WHO IS JIM HENSON? ... currently being pitched
An animated documentary about Jim Henson consisting of one-on-one anecdotes told by people who knew him; these anecdotes will be animated in Jim's own drawing style, as seen in the book Jim Henson's Designs and Doodles. Download a PDF of the written prospectus. If you are interested in contributing to this project or would like more info about it, please contact me. Read updates on my blog.

STONED WHEAT ... Completed!
A short web cartoon about crackers getting high on life. Walt Disney made 7 dwarves into identifiable characters in under 2 hours. Can I do the same with 4 crackers in under 2 minutes?

THE DUCK PROJECT... currently in production
One animated film in the works is a short vignette based on a character I created for a school newspaper -- a duck who can't pick up a girl to save his life. There's nothing particularly unappealing about him, but it just never occurs to him that they're human, and he's waterfowl.

THE FUNKHÄUSER TEAM PROJECT
Another short animated film on the stovetop spoofs the children's television formula of a group of happy-go-lucky charmers working together to save a creature in need. In my character-driven version, the characters don't cooperate, don't get along, and don't learn anything.

THE CAMPUS-U PROJECT
Based on characters I developed as the comics-page editor of SUNY B's school paper, here's a bizarre show about life on campus. Parties with fellow social outcasts, school protests, freshmen from outer space, Celibate Eddie, angry monkeys with mallets ... you know, the usual.

THE CRITTER-THEATER PROJECT
A group of forest critters entertain themselves in the woods by putting on theatrical presentations of the classics, from Shakespeare to Mark Twain. It never goes quite as planned, and like a hurricane, things spin gradually out of control.

THE TV-TOON BOOK
In the 1980's, children's cartoon shows were little more than 30-minute advertisements. I credit Disney TV animation with returning the spirit of entertainment to kids' animated TV in the late ‘80's. "Gummi Bears," "Ducktales" and its predecessors all the way up to "Darkwing Duck" brought back richness of character and the value of a well-told story. In the spirit of writers of many "behind-the-scenes" books, I'd like to take a peak, via interviews, into the process of making a kids'cartoon show and hear firsthand how these shows came to be.

THE SHABBAT PROJECT
The Jewish people usher in their day of rest, Shabbat, the way one would a queen or bride. Jewish melody and pastel imagery will be used to paint a delicate portrait of "L'cha Dodi," the most enchanting prayer of welcoming in the sabbath. Romantic, whistful, sobering and intoxicating, like the feeling of falling in love, imagery of Jerusalem and twin candle flames will take the viewer into the words of L'cha Dodi.

THE TEMPEST PROJECT
Shakespeare's play comes to life, illustrated or animated, as toon anthropomorphic animals play the parts. The richness of character, the slapstick, the mysticism, the deception and the romance all lends itself to a great film/graphic novel. The original dialogue will not be changed at all, just whittled down. This is a project I've been gradually building as an exercise in drawing ever since I was in high school. To be tackled when I'm satisfied with my draftsmanship.

THE TONAL UNDERGROUND PROJECT
A documentary about the subway musicians of New York City. Interviews with these men and women will be interspersed with documenting the director's efforts [mine] at earning one month's rent as a subway musician. Original soundtrack by the participants.

THE REZ PROJECT
In the summer of 2003, in response to the US invasion of Iraq, I was spurred to visit parts of my own country I knew little about. I spent a month on a South Dakota reservation and collected video-taped interviews with Native Americans about life on the Rez. I had aspirations to edit together a film about cultural and religious identity as an urban Jew visiting this community. But time was short, and a career in animation waits for no man. One day I'd like to go back finish the film.

THE FIREMAN PROJECT
I lied. There's no project. I just want to be a New York City fireman.