The journey begins!

 [Edit 2021 - The shockwave file is available HERE on my Patreon]

I've just finished a new Zooniverse animation based on the theme of "future".
[WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD]

Tubba taking a bio-break. Still from the animation

This sequence was taken from page 11 of the Zooniverse movie script that I wrote back in 2005. A few years earlier, Helen Maier and I would have weekly meetings on the Fox studio lot in Los Angeles, with long time friend Richard Raynis who Produces on the Simpsons animation. His office used to be Shirley Temple's bedroom in the little house built for her amongst the giant sound stages. It is now the Simpson offices where the writers meet each season to hash out episodes. Richard, Helen and myself would throw around ideas and brainstorm for the Zooniverse movie, I would bring storyboards that we would discuss and rework. However once Helen and I became full time on Tutenstein our meetings were permanently interrupted. Sometime after I was laid off I began work on the script on my own so that I could maintain a clear vision, keeping Richard and Helen's guidance and suggestions in mind of course.

The Zooniverse script from 2005, and the Zoonimini #3 mock up from 2012

One sequence that Richard wasn't too keen on was the one I've just completed for my latest loop. He felt the '2001: a space odyssey' theme was overplayed and cliched. As much as I agreed with him I was disappointed to throw out a whole sequence that appealed to my sense of humor and one that I had so lovingly storyboarded back in the year 2000. I'm happy to have finally completed it, simply for my personal amusement if nothing else.

Panels from the Zooniverse movie storyboards drawn in 2000

The three Surveyor characters were designed back in 1999. The Zooniverse movie was to be fully CG and I began models for all of the main characters, I also sculpted a CG version of the Surveyor's spaceship, which I've dusted off and have been rendering shots and then hand tracing over them in Flash.

The original sketch of Tubba from 1999

Last Saturday (10th of November) I mocked up the third issue of the Zooniverse mini comic this is a huge breakthrough for me, I haven't been able to focus on roughing out a comic for years, let alone settle on a Zooniverse story to begin new work. I had too many places to start from, I did a coin toss which ended up at the movie script. Then I gave three choices to fans on my Facebook Zooniverse Comic page, the decision was unanimous, they chose:-
Option 2: "How the Kren Patrol met up (which is based off the movie script)". 

So there you have it, Zoonimini #3 will be the movie story, and one sequence from the script (yes I kept the 2001: Space Odyssey sequence) is now my latest Loop De Loop animation for the "future" theme. The new Zooniverse comic has begun... with a bum. Somehow it seems appropriate, like I'm mooning Hollywood or something.