Just a friendly reminder to everyone that Duck ♥ Teslacoil will be showing in Los Angeles this Saturday at the Feel Good Film Festival. The show starts at 6pm at Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd, in the Rigler Screen Theater. Tickets are only $10 and that includes three other films along with Duck ♥ Teslacoil. Plus, it’s the Feel Good Film Festival, so you know it’ll be super fun.
In fact, if you find me before the show and I’ll give you a free ticket! It’s like a leprechaun game. See y’all there!
This past weekend was the conclusion of another rousing session of Journalism Workshops at Ball State University. While I haven’t been to the workshops for a few years now, I still like to reminisce about teaching InDesign to high schoolers and consuming an unhealthy number of ICEE drinks from the Atrium cafeteria. Of course, nothing paints a better picture of the ‘shops than a classic cartoon I made back in 2006, entitled Teen J-Squad.
An obvious take off of Teen Girl Squad by Homestar Runner, Teen J-Squad was originally intended to serve as an “edutainment” video to illustrate various graphic design concepts to my students. However, it quickly devolved into a cascade of absurdities and slap-stick humor. Still, the jokes contain a surprising amount of commentary on the culture and politics of high school journalism. So in honor of its three-year anniversary, I’ve uploaded a somewhat “remastered” version of Teen J-Squad to YouTube. Enjoy!
This past weekend I visited New York City for the first time, and while I nearly collapsed from carrying my luggage with me everywhere I went, it was a thrilling trip. I was in town for the Animation Block Party in Brooklyn, the first major venue to screen Duck ♥ Teslacoil alongside the work of well-known professional animators and studios. I got to town a day early to get my bearings and rid my system of any general tourist urges. The Empire State Building, Times Square and Grand Central Station — I had them crossed off before sunset. That evening I journeyed up to southern Connecticut to visit fellow Purdue University alumnus Jac Piette, who works at Blue Sky Studios. This was a terrific opportunity to talk to a real professional in the modern feature animation industry, and it fit the theme of the weekend perfectly!
The following day was the Duck ♥ Teslacoil screening, so after spending the afternoon exploring Wall Street, the World Trade Center Site and Battery Park, I took the subway to Brooklyn and arrived at the Brooklyn Academy of Music for the last night of the Animation Block Party. I finally got to see Duck ♥ Teslacoil on a big screen and hear how a large audience responds to the film. After the show, I mingled with fellow filmmakers and School of Visual Arts alumni well into the night. I’m amazed how naturally I connect with other people who work in animation — it reassures me I’ve finally chosen the right path.
I’ll spare you the details of the third day, when I spent 19 hours stuck in the La Guardia Airport, but rest assured it has a lot to do with why you haven’t seen this post any sooner. Despite that, my first visit to New York was certainly worth it, and I’m left with a strong urge to visit again… as soon as I find another good excuse.
