After months of dipping my toe into the water over and over (and over again) to see if it felt right for starting my next project, I think I’m ready to make the plunge. In fact, I’m actively diving. I hesitate to write this post, because it means I really am In It again, and have to do the hard work of making a wishful thought into a meaningful (and frequently messy) reality. This project is already ambitious, and as I’ve worked on the script it’s only grown more so. Arte’s Curio Shop was meant to be a “small” project before this “big” one - and Curio took 10 months to complete!
Like last time, I want to log the progress for my own personal records and as a thank you for those who are giving their money, attention, encouragement, and especially money to make this project a reality. Y’all rock!
SO… what are we making? We’re making an idea I’ve been kicking around for a few years, letting the concepts roll up like a big snowball in my mind, which is an appropriate metaphor since we’re making North Pole Air Control!
If you follow me on social media, you’ll know I have a couple of reindeer who I draw each Christmas, and after the second year of drawing them they already seemed to know who they were and were petitioning for a show. I hesitated to begin, mainly because this story of nobodies in their young twenties was rather autobiographical, and as such, I didn’t quite know how their story should end. But after this summer, I have a good idea of where their story is going, and I ought to publish at least some of it while I’m still in my twenties.
(Sorry to those who were wanting more Bearpuncher - I do have plans for that story but they involve WAY more time and money than I have at this current moment.)
North Pole Air Control is about two reindeer who desperately want to be part of Santa’s team, but are stuck watching them from the sidelines (or specifically, the airport.) Holly’s the delighted newbie working alongside Ivan, the guy with all the experience and jaded weariness that comes from being in the workforce for two. whole. years. It’s gonna be zany, funny, musically inclined, comfortingly nostalgic while embracing some new tricks I’ve learned. It’s also going to be my first “show.” By that I mean that I intend to release multiple shorts featuring these characters a’ la Bigtop Burger. I’m looking forward to me and my audience getting to spend more time with these characters and diving back into something more narratively driven. By Christmas of 2025 I’m hoping to have at least two episodes ready to air.
Where am I at now, in August of 2024? I have about a dozen things halfway or mostly done.
The script for ep 1 and 2 is 90% finished. I’ve been tweaking it with advice from friends but the core conflict is in place and it’s mostly dialog tweaks at this point.
The characters, since I’ve been drawing them for years, are pretty much designed but need work defining trouble areas. I need to find a way to consistently draw Holly’s curly hair. And of course the reindeer’s legs have been a puzzle, finding a design that would allow them to dance, sit in chairs, walk on four legs, and not look terribly uncanny during any of it. And should deer wear pants? These are the questions, people.
I was able to hire one of my former Wingfeather coworkers to design the air controller tower, but probably need to do a few final tweaks or relinquish my perfectionism and move ahead.
I’ve storyboarded the theme song and roughly planned the episodes, but still need to find partners to spearhead the musical element of the show.
All in all, we are solidly in the pre-animation step. Although there’s plenty ahead of me, it’s honestly been refreshing to just get back in the habit of carrying a project a couple steps forward each day. For the past couple months I’ve felt like my inspiration level’s been at 0, and while I still feel that way, I’m gonna start walking and try to end up somewhere interesting!
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So let’s go! Flights for the North Pole departing… now!
-dh
