Link to Cartoon Series Blog

Kaleb and Luke are developing a cartoon series, posting on the process as they go. Follow along behind the curtain, as it were.

If You Please...

...kindly drop by Every Day Fiction and read my short story, "Fresh Ideas." It's short, I tell you. If so moved, leave a nice comment and a swell rating. Thank you for your support. I will imagine presents and gold appearing on the front seat of your car.

My Java with Madeleine

Met Madeleine from Vasteras, Sweden for the second time. We had coffee in Sherman Oaks and discussed animation, travel and the Kroner. At first, our talk was pleasant, but I made a serious social blunder by mentioning the 1709 Battle of Poltava and the rout of Swedish forces by the Russians under Peter the I. Madeleine took offense at my comments on Swedish sovereign Charles XII. With growing passion, she argued that Charles' heavily outnumbered army pressed the action for most of the fight, finally drowning in a sea of Russian infantry. Delicately, I mentioned that Peter had trained up his army and they were no longer an ill-organized rabble, though some problems persisted. (Peter had difficulty getting the Russians to fire their muskets at the Swedes and not at the clouds which his peasant troops mistook for billowy fiends sent by the Devil to eat them. This was a problem common to northern European armies of the day.) In any case, Madeline slammed down her latte and stormed off after I mentioned the five-year exile of Charles XII in Moldavia following his defeat. So matters between us ended sharply. I hope Madeleine has a safe trip home. If anyone else is meeting her in Southern California, please let sleeping dogs - or exiled Swedish kings - lie. That would be best, I should think, for all concerned.

New Looney Toons?

Coming soon, another attempt to revive the Looney Toons. I recall the last animated TV series, Loonatics Unleashed, as being especially feckless. Still, one hopes for the best. Even a blind hen occasionally pecks some corn.

'Star Wars' If Made in the 50s

via: whoiseyevan

Numbers Game

The producer yesterday liked several of my ideas, but now the ideas must be approved by the execs. A very subjective process. What the producers favor the execs may reject for various whimsical criteria. ("Too many notes.") Fortunately, I brought many ideas, improving my chances of going to script. Hopefully, I'll find out by week's end.

via prestoagitato2

Cracked Link to Lobe Sighting

An old friend appears in this article on brain fails.
Via Tom Ruegger.

Score!

Congrats to Steve and Julie Bernstein and Rob Paulsen for a great performance in Cincinnati.
via Steve Bernstein on Facebook.

Sore Knee and Novel Progress

Walking too fast on too hard a surface. Plenty 'o ice the last few days. Plus I've been cutting down on my Internet time. Excessive on-line use makes it difficult for me to concentrate on things like reading and writing. Fast instant gratification erodes discipline, especially since they've added video to my favorite hot coed sites. My novel has not progressed beyond more 3x5 cards. (I now remember setting Halloween as a first draft completion deadline. My, how time passes when you procrastinate.) Sent the first 70 pages out as a novelette to an English publication. The editor's reaction was similar to his American counterparts: "Where's the rest of it?" In my head, alas. However, I do have enough material to try and get a literary agent. Plus, there's already interest from a small publisher who'd like to see the finished product. (The publisher's business model is small. He may be small personally, but I have no information on that. Nor would his stature effect any of my monetary decisions unless he did creepy things with his height, like hide in baskets then jump out and hit people with a TV tray.) Rare paying work has inserted itself into my schedule. I need to attend to that at once before the novelty evaporates.

Walking Fast

Stopped by a local high school track last night and walked 3 miles as fast as I could. That turned out to be 41:35, a 13:51 pace. Too much, too soon I think, since I'm tired today. But my final mile was 11:28, which is minutes faster than the running pace for my first marathon. The goal is to let the running happen naturally, but I'm close now. Tonight, I'm going to watch a documentary by Werner Herzog on the late Rev. Gene Scott. He was big here in Southern California during the 1980s and 90s. Quite a character; no other TV preacher quite like him. Herzog never has trouble locating fascinating subjects.

So Long, Frank Frazetta

Artist Frank Frazetta died following a stroke. He was 82. I loved his work, particularly the evocative covers he drew for Warren Publications Creepy and Eerie back in the mid-60s. When paperback Conan the Barbarian tales appeared around the same time, Frazetta's work graced the front. The old National Lampoon hired him once to draw a cover. Inside that issue, Frazetta also drew the cover for a satiric comic on a gay Dracula. Ah, well, adieu, Frank. Best wishes and prayers for the family.