"Political Correction" (CalArts, 1995)

• Spike & Mike's Festival of Animation, 1997

My goal was to utilize the beloved 1970's Saturday morning TV educational series as a vehicle for satire of pedantic politically correct grammar.  This earliest of Schoolhouse Rock! parodies predates subsequent spoofs from The Simpsons, SNL, Mad TV, Jimmy Kimmel LIVE and countless others by several years.

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Original Schoolhouse Rock: Interjections (ABC TV, 1974)

In considering which SHR interstitial to lampoon, I ultimately selected "Interjections" not only for its infectious melody, but also because of its economical art direction.  Knowing I would be hand inking and painting my animation onto cels, I favored the stark white minimalism of the backgrounds and characters.

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"Yes Timmy, There Is A Santa Claus" (CalArts, 1993)

• Expanded Entertainment's Too Outrageous Animation Festival, 1994
• Spike & Mike's Sick & Twisted Festival of Animation, 1997

The original concept for my first year CalArts film was a boy opening Christmas presents from Santa and being disappointed with all the crappy gifts. Ultimately I decided to reverse the premise, with the gifts being really cool, but Timmy himself has the problem.  It is a bit of a dark film in retrospect.

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