Revisiting my Degree Project from RISD

It's been almost two years since I finished my Degree Project at RISD, and I thought I'd drag it out and talk about its few accumulated glories.

In the Beginning from Katie Wendt on Vimeo.

I was very lucky to have it featured on Cartoon Brew, one of the leading blogs in the animation industry today. It was also screened by Arts Guild New Jersey in multiple locations as part of an animated shorts showcase, along with making it into the Animation Block Party 2011 screening in NYC.

I also received very kind invitations from festival directors to submit to the Insight Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival, and Florida Film Festival, among others. A lack of time and confidence kept me from submitting, but I'm very grateful for the invitations, which were incredibly graciously given.

I was also approached about having 'In the Beginning' included in an American Animation Showcase, which screens at American embassies around the world, and would have involved my traveling with the showcase and discussing my project with both diplomats at other artists. Unfortunately, the Department of State had the final say in the pieces chosen for the showcase, and my piece was declined due to its religious content, which could potentially cause problems in countries whose policy isn't to take religion lightly. This was another offer which, while I was disappointed that I could not be involved, was extremely flattering, and I'm glad that a showcase exists even if my piece couldn't be included in it.

I plan to create another animated short sometime in the near future; one of my graphic novel projects, Cupcake Captive, will probably turn into an animated short. My work will continue to explore and deconstruct preconceived notions of what makes us "different" from one another, and reconstruct it into similarities between us. Through my work I will always seek to encourage people to understand those who they feel most alienated from, and to approach the uncomfortable and the unknown with an open mind and willingness to learn about their world and their selves--to seek both the facts of life, and the truth of life.

Some cleaned up Aztec characters

I've thankfully been making a lot of progress on my Aztec graphic novel's plot and design.

A guy right now only known as 'Gambling Problem'. We first meet him betting a year of his life on a ball game.


The twins are still in the plot, but not as prominently featured since the cast is looking more and more like an ensemble. I forgot to put their ear-plugs in, oops.


Hopefully design will go faster now that I've got the style more solidly laid down. These are pretty basic currently and will be embellished before they're completely finished.

It's Callie and Mark

Callie looked weird alone, so I drew Mark in there. They belong together. Also, mo' color.



CALLIE + MARK 4EVER

Sketchbook stuff: Aztecs, Cupcake Captive, zoo animals

Many Aztec miscellaneous things. Mostly faces. Some of these people are just random citizens, others are main character ideas. Moctezuma is in there, as well as one Spanish guy, some hand gestures for Cortes' translator Malintzin, and so on.


Cupcake Captive costumes and character designs. There were going to be ninjas who were misused porn stars, but I'm not sure they're going to fit into the story anymore. It's also kind of a cheesy idea.



And some animals around the St. Louis Zoo

Sketchbook stuff coming soon

I did a big sketchbook scan this evening and have a lot of Cupcake Captive and Aztec stuff to post, but for now, here's some subway/subway-inspired people:

Even more Ugly Americans: 'Wail Street' storyboards

I only did storyboard revision for this episode, and the shots were ultimately replaced by Mark's Life Improve-matorium fantasy. Originally, Mark was going to be tempted by a perfect suburban family life with Callie, but it made sense to replace it with something a little less intimate, in the grand scheme of the show. But it was also adorable, I didn't want to let the designs of the little Mark and Callie kiddies die, so here they are.








Also, I had a great time in Ottawa at the Animation Festival with the Augenblick crew, and it was great seeing old friends again. See you around NYC or next year in Ottawa, everyone!

More Ugly Americans

Several more animatic stills from Ugly Americans episode 'Ride Me to Hell'.


It kind of got lost in the editing process but Twayne was supposed to be REALLY drunk.


"Here's to the ladies!"


And then the rest of my work for the week got chopped out. Callie leaves the party and calls Mark to voice her worries over replacing her dad and 'taking the snake'. Mark is in Hollywood, in Heather Locklear's dressing room, getting ready to perform in Grimes' "ending" as Jimmy.


Callie calls Mark from the coatroom.


Mark picks up in L.A.


"Tomorrow I'm gonna have to swallow a giant snake, which is gonna totally suck."



Mark tries to encourage Callie, but the conversation is cut short by Grimes.

Ugly Americans Animatics

Storyboard/Animatics from Ugly Americans episode 'Ride Me to Hell'


Mark encourages Callie about her presentation.


Cut. "Go play that game of catch that I never could."


"While I was touching my penis just now, you were touching my heart."


Randall's boxed in as a porno director.


Originally Callie made an angry exit.


And then Randall tenderly held Mark.


Aldermach gets ready to show Callie what taking over for him as CEO of Hell entails. This entire sequence was supposed to be a parody of a scene in Poltergeist II where Craig T. Nelson coughs up some kind of worm monster.


More Poltergeist II inspiration.


More Poltergeist II.


Aldermach shrinks when he coughs up the demon snake.


"To replace me you're gonna have to swallow this thing."


Driving to L.A. (also known as Hell apparently). A rare background design of mine.




Cut: A moment of pure disdain for the common hipster in downtown L.A. Another background design of mine, but it was not to be.

You can see my thumbnails in a couple of the images. Ohhh welllll.
More to come soon.

What's goin' on

I've been working on season 2 of Ugly Americans at Augenblick Studios lately, after getting the chance to work on season 1B last year. The new episodes will air on Comedy Central in June. YOU should consider watching, the new episodes are already shaping up to be pretty crazy.



In my non-employed time I've been working on some personal projects, including my Aztec graphic novel and another smaller comic project that is, for the time being, called Cupcake Captive, about a pornstar who decides to become a samurai.

Here's some Cupcake Captive stuff.



I'm hoping that Cupcake Captive gets me warmed up for my Aztec project, which is going to include a larger cast of main characters now instead of focusing only on the twins. They're still in there though.

The twins, around the time of the main plot and younger.


Here are some secondary and main cast characters. At the top left there's some deity impersonators, and the guys with feathers on their heads are musicians. Bottom left is two different possibilities for Malinche, Cortes' translator and mistress.


And some characters who might eventually be specific people but right now are mostly just miscellaneous possibilities, except for the guy with the beard, who might eventually be Bernal Diaz, one of Cortes' conquistadors who wrote an eyewitness account of the invasion. The guys with all the padding are ball players, who I'm planning on making pretty similar to high school football jocks. There's a weirdly analogous aspect to the Aztec ballgames and high school football, with the prep school competing against the 'public' school.


And here are just some people from the subway. Note that most of them are turned away from me. That's because I'm creepy and only draw people when they aren't watching me.

My Christmas Present to You: COOKIES

I made cookies today to send to friends and loved ones, and the post office closed an hour early so I didn't get to send them. DANG! So instead I'm going to post the super-fancy photo-illustrated recipe.

These are very lamely and nerdily inspired by all of the research I've been doing on Aztecs lately. They're chocolate-chip sandwich cookies with a little bit of chipotle powder in them so they're a little spicy, and the frosting to sandwich them is honey-vanilla-cinnamon buttercream. These are also good without the frosting if it's not your thing.



INGREDIENTS & INSTRUCTIONS

Cookies:
1 1/2 c. + 1 Tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8-1/4 tsp. ground chipotle (for less spice use cayenne pepper or more ginger)
1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened slightly
1/2 c. brown suger, packed
1/4 c. honey
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla extract
~7 oz. chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate mini-chunks)
~1/4 c. granulated sugar

In a medium bowl (save your big bowl) combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, chipotle, cocoa, and baking powder.

In your big bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until it's evenly mixed and fluffy. Add the honey and vanilla and beat until combined.

In a small bowl (or even a shot glass or something), dissolve the baking soda in 1 1/2 tsp. boiling water. I just microwave some water in a coffee mug for 2-3 minutes to get it pretty hot.

Beat half of the flour mix into the butter mix, then beat in the baking soda mix, then beat in the rest of the flour mix. If the mix is going to be too dry and crumbly to roll into balls, add a little more soft or melted butter.

Add the chocolate chips and refrigerate the dough for about half an hour.



Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Roll the dough into 1"-2" balls depending on how big you want your cookies to be. Roll the balls in the granulated sugar and flatten slightly on the baking sheets. Because I wanted to make them sandwich cookies I made smaller, flatter cookies.

Bake for 15-20 minutes depending on the size of your cookies. When the surface starts to crack it's a good indicator to take them out. Let them cool before frosting them.



Frosting:
1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened
2 1/2 c. powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar)
3 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. cinnamon
1-2 tsp. vanilla extract

Cream all of the ingredients together.



To put the frosting on, I cut the corner off of a sandwich baggie to use it as a bootleg piper. Twist the open end of the baggie tightly closed and go to town.





MERRY CHRISTMAS/HAPPY HOLIDAYS!