Baker's Log: Something different... (UPDATE)

Friday, March 15, 2019

Something different... (UPDATE)

cover inks

    The newest project I'm working on is a departure from my usual cheesecake comedy work. While I don't yet have a title for it, my new project is a science fiction adventure story in tribute to Don Bluth. Bluth's THE SECRET OF NIMH is quickly becoming one of my favorite animated films, and it inspires me to produce an animated film of my own. Of course, getting a traditionally animated movie made these days is problematic even for those with the right connections. The industry is geared almost completely toward computer animation today. An independent producer could make a traditional animation feature, of course, but at the hire of an army of technicians and artists. Some passionate fans indeed follow this course -much as Don Bluth and his partners did after leaving Disney in the late 70's. Unfortunately, many of them stall out early in production, as financing becomes tight and the enormous technical requirements begin to replace their initial vigor. Worse, those few traditionally animated films which do make it to completion and actually into release have an unfortunate recent history of financial failure. This virtual lack of returns further stymies most producers who might dabble in the field.

   So, were I to chose the animated film route, it would demand the right production facilities, investment capital, and army of animators required. What I can do instead is draw a comic book. This move admittedly gives me more creative control over the resulting product, though it is a different animal altogether. Still, it should be fun. Rather than my usual femanimal characters (which remain totally human despite cartoon features), I this time embrace the more traditional variety of cartoon mice that come in small size, have fuzzy cheeks, and sport only four digits on their hands. Even at this, my tendency for more human anatomy remains, so I should still offer a somewhat unique visual style despite my efforts to pay tribute to an established hero of animation.

   The story is set in a world in which mice have become the dominant species in the absence of man. The human race mysteriously vanished years ago, a condition the mice would barely recall if not for the re-purposing of much of man's objects to build the miniature world of the rodents. One spunky young lady mouse may hold the key to the mystery, however...

   This is a new approach for me, obviously, but then I couldn't write anything if not for the influence of the Holy Spirit so I'm looking forward to seeing what develops. I hope you'll join me for this adventure, sure to be one of the most unusual in all the realms of fiction!