TED Ed shorts

It's been a long time since I posted anything significant.

Here's a couple of shorts I designed/animated at Augenblick Studios for TED-ed, the educational branch of TED Talks:

I was also in charge of designing/animating some shorts for Cartoon Network's MAD Magazine show, and earlier in the year was a lead animator on 'Zoolander: Supermodel' which will hopefully be online early next year.

At least it's something

It's Glenn from 'The Walking Dead'! Because I am back from the dead? No. Because real life is time-consuming.

Catching up with my sketchbook posting

I finished a sketchbook up, and began a new one. Most of it is Aztec stuff and Cupcake Captive with some random stuff here and there.
Old sketchbook stuff:
 
Cupcake Captive. Still messing around with faces and hair and whatnot.

 
Misc. Aztec sketches. A kid bored during a class, a woman grinding corn, Moctezuma performing a sacrifice, etc.

 
Sketches of Cortes and Malintzin, his young native translator who later bears him children.


Gladiator sacrifice.

New sketchbook stuff:
 
Cupcake Captive. Some racy outfits, some archery. I didn't realize that archery was becoming the new Thing of the summer when I made her an occasional archer.

 
Misc. Aztec stuff. More ceremonial Moctezuma, more Spanish guys, some random people including a really ugly lady.

 
Misc. stuff that I drew around Central Park, Bushwick, Grant's Farm in St Louis, etc.

 
This was for my friend Lissa's birthday.

Sketchbook gals

Back from when it was cold, all done on the subway.

Ugly Americans animatics: 'Lilly and the Beast'

Some more (probably more than I needed to post) Ugly Americans animatics. In celebration of the great success of 'Mark Loves Dick' (animatics from that to come), here's Mark's ex sticking it to Callie (not literally, but that would sell some iTunes episodes):















































Even Callie feels the sting of rejection by her bf (or her fb), especially when it's punctuated by finding out there's another woman, swallowing a live pigeon, and falling from a second-story window.

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: