Hey, animation is done.

In the spirit of keeping people up-to-date, animation for the the quarter-hour pilot was finished about two weeks ago. Can't really say why there wasn't an immediate update littered with exclamation points, but we assure you, this is most exciting news. There's still a fair amount of audio to be done, but I feel comfortable revealing the final image from the pilot to a deserving public.

Spoiler Alert: We fade to black.

In other news, I also managed to put together my animation reel between then and now. This actually does contain some AXES footage (and a bunch of other cool stuff), so to those who haven't seen it, please check it out.

 

 That's all for now. Keep your eyes and ears open, because there will be some sort of screening/viewing opportunity of the completed show in the near future.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First Act Nearly Compl- WHAT IS THAT?!

It's true. After nearly 18 months of work, Episode 1: Act 1 is very, very close to being done. A few little animation tweaks need to be made, and there's still some sound and music left to bring in, but we've pretty much got a watchable little piece of entertainment.

Now because animation is a pretty solitary process, I occasionally go insane. These bouts of madness manifest themselves in many different ways: unintelligible babbling, self-flagellation, conspicuously smelling people, baking cookies for the wrong holiday...the list goes on.

And sometimes I just do this:

This is an animation frame exported directly from Flash, and there is indeed something off about our good friend the Slumberjack. Every time I see this drawing, it becomes more odd and a unsettling, but I will not be changing it for the final animation.

That is because the camera will not capture any of this tomfoolery, cutting the frame off at the beefy Trogdor arm. Sometimes it's just fun to do stupid drawings to let off steam, and I wanted to share one.

There are actually a lot of little Easter eggs that will be on screen the final version, but in the meantime, this will be our little secret...

Silly Human Sounds

  Well, it's been over a year since production started on AXES, and we're about to meet a major milestone: The halfway point! That is, the first act of two is very nearly done, and I don't think I find that disheartening. The good news is, this 15-minute chunk works nicely on it's own, perhaps even as a standalone pilot. More on that as it develops, but in the meantime, who wants to read a lil' filmmaking lesson?

  For those unfamiliar with the dialogue recording process for animation, there is an odd yet necessary practice of recording various grunts, groans, and screams for each character. On top of sounding like bizarre pornography outtakes, these miscellaneous exclamations do serve a greater purpose.

  Without these noises, our fight scenes would be awkwardly stoic, smaller moments would seem empty, and our characters would lose some of their personality. Without them, AXES wouldn't feel right, and you, our devoted audience, would notice. Also, I wouldn't have been able to make the following embarrassing little compilation featuring our talented cast. What good sports, I assume. Enjoy.

Empty Walls

People stop me on the street pretty much, like, all the time, asking if there's any conceivable way they could contribute to AXES. My typical response is to tighten my parka, disguise my internationally-recognized voice, feign deafness, and punch them in the neck - but not today! So far, AXES has been a pretty small operation, but now we could really use your help. That's right, you know what's coming...

I am proud to announce our OFFICIAL KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN!

Okay, not really. In all seriousness, Kickstarter is a fantastic site and has helped many deserving folks, including some great friends of mine. I wouldn't count it out of the production's future, but money is not what AXES needs right now. (Note to all: I will not reject money.) No, what AXES could use is a different kind of help. Let me explain.

This is Finn's room.

Yes, it's supposed to be depressing, but it shouldn't be boring. One movie poster isn't nearly enough to showcase Finn's blaxploitation obsession, so these walls need to be filled with some original, hand-crafted sight-gags.

As is the case with most things, these posters take a lot of time to create, and there is quite a bit of wall space. So really, what it has taken me a really long time to say is: We want other people to make funny movie posters so we don't have to.

If you'd like to join the ranks of "A Clockwork Black" and "Shaft Saves Christmas," either email us at axesofevilofficial@gmail.com, send a Facebook message, or utilize some other logical form of communication. We'll give you all the details. Anyone who wants to help out, (in addition to having their poster scotch-taped to Finn's wall), will also be featured here and get a special thanks in the credits.

Still Groovin'

For those keeping track, it's been three months since the last update. Just thought I'd bring attention to that.

Production hasn't stalled, but nothing too new or exciting has been going on. Sadly, AXES did not win the NYTVF Pilot Competition, but we are currently exploring a handful of other, more vague avenues that I'll hopefully get the chance to talk about later. Regardless, congrats to the finalists, though I'm sure they're all probably jerks and also cheaters.

But enough about those sellouts. There are more important, bigger congratulations in order, as our very own King Solomon, known by day as Erik Cheski, is engaged...

...to be married!

The happy punims. And to clarify, Erik is on tour with SOUTH PACIFIC, not the actual Navy.

 That's all, see you in three months.

Screening with an Audience

  This past Sunday, against the stiff competition of the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards, the AXES OF EVIL pilot preview screened in front of a crowd of one solid dozen! Featuring the footage submitted to that pilot competition I've been droning on and on about, the screening was organized quickly, before AXES could possibly be eliminated from that pilot competition I've been droning on and on about.

I forgot to take pictures, but this was pretty much how it went down.

  Composed of AXES fans and members of the cast, the audience was a great group, and the response was indeed enthusiastic. Some highlights: "Congrats, it looks awesome!""So funny, can't wait to see what happens next." "I laughed my axe off!""Where's my credit?"

  Most gratifying was the flurry of unforced laughter throughout the nine-minute preview. It's tough to step back after spending an hour matching mouth movements to a joke you could have sworn was funny six months ago, but regardless of where AXES goes from here, there's no better measure of success than a reactive audience. That and money.

  In all seriousness, though, thank you to everyone who made it! Your laughter is why we're doing this in the first place. To those who couldn't make it, this won't be your last chance - there's definitely more to come. Much love.

Deadline Passed! (A Good Thing.)

It's done, it's over, we made it! The submission period for the NYTVFCCPC, (not an officially recognized acronym), has now officially ended. We've received confirmation that the AXES OF EVIL application has been received and that all materials are in order, so now that wonderful waiting game can begin. The 25 finalists will be announced sometime close to February 29th, but even if AXES isn't among them, it was great to have some sort of deadline to aim for, instead of just animating into an endless void.

Of course, there's still a bunch more work to be done, but now, after having this deadline looming over the production for about four months, I think it's time I went to sleep.

Until next time, good night everyone...

Official Logo (Great for T-Shirts)

And now, it is my great pleasure to present to you all:

The official possibly temporary but for now totally official logo for AXES OF EVIL!

I mean, it could always use more axes, but I thought we'd go for something a little more elegant. You know, because I take myself too seriously.

If you were directed here from facebook, this really isn't news - the logo being my profile picture and all - but there's more fun coming soon!

Initial Homestretch

Well, the aforementioned comedy pilot competition deadline is just over a week away, and the actual animation is finally done. 

!

Now I just need to put on a little bit of sheen, assemble the entry materials, and of course, finalize the SOUND, courtesy of Axes co-creator Sean Brogan. I just thought I'd take a short break from working on this thing in order to provide a quick update, which I'm now realizing is not really a break. I should probably go to the bathroom or something.

Anyhoo, here are some more screen captures. Salivate away, and expect another update at the end of the month.