Tag: animation

Mother of the Universe

On April 27, 2015

Really got a thrill from all the people who liked my blog about Star Wars the other day, thanks a lot.

Tonight’s random thought is about He-Man and The Masters of the Universe.

I haven’t been following the current comic book version of THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE so I don’t know if they’ve cover this in their story, but I had a thought while driving tonight. (Yes, animation from the 1980s fills my mind from time to time).

There could be some really interesting stories told about Prince Adam’s mother. She could be a female Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers.

In the original animated series, we learn that Queen Marlena is actually from Earth. That she was an astronaut on an experimental trip to Europa but was knocked off course and crashed on to Eternia. As the story is told, King Randor finds her and eventually marries her.

That’s nice and romantic, but there is so much more that could be told. An Earth Astronaut (probably with military background) lands on a very alien world would want to know her new home and explore it. There would be many adventures she could have before finally marrying the King. Eventually having children who would become He-Man and She-Ra. She might even oppose the king until she finally falls for him (or he for her.)

As I said, Marlena Glenn (her last name obviously not a random choice for an astronaut) should be a female adventure hero like Flash Gordon on the planet Mongo, or Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

I write New Pulp, stories in the fashion of the old Pulp novels and about adventure heroes of the past, Marlena of Eternia would make a great heroine all on her own right standing up there with some of the greats.

There might also be a romantic triangle between her, King Randor, and the man who would become Skeletor (in some stories he’s Randor’s brother, so this would really work).

As a writer “I have the Power” to create adventure stories like this. I may have let that power go to my head.

Kevin Paul Shaw Broden
Four Names of Professional Creativity

San Diego Comic Con 2013 and #Mission818

By kevinpsb4

On July 17, 2013

In Uncategorized

As I write this thousands of people are arriving into San Diego for Comic Con International and many are attending “Preview Night”. I’ve never been there on Wednesday nights. It originally was a special “Preview” for professionals and retailers, but now it has grown to be nearly as busy as every other day at Con.

Shannon Muir and I will attend the convention Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. We are riding Amtrak trains to and from San Diego each day, but it is much more inexpensive and relaxing than trying for a hotel room.

We attend Con to meet up with many of our professional friends and network with many of the companies in attendance.

This year I am bringing #MISSION818 with me.

If you’ve been around my blog long enough, or a regular visitor and follower of my facebook or twitter feed you’ll know what #MISSION818 is. For those that don’t here is a brief description.

Shannon and I are engaged to be married, and I plan to move to be with her in the Glendale/Burbank area, and so my Mission is find employment in or around the 818 area code before our wedding.

I would prefer to find employment with an animation production company or comic book publisher, but am open to other positions and companies in that region.

I am a scriptwriter, having written professional in television animation, and been hired to develop series for independent producers. I am also a comic book illustrator, novelist, and book cover artist.

If I could have the exact job I’m after it would Senior Vice President of TV Animation Series Development, but that’s not going to happen right away. In the mean time I’ll be quite happy to assist the guy in the position now. I’ll even bring my own broom.

For my professional friends on facebook and twitter, you know that as I further my career I tag them with #MISSION818. So, this year I will be wearing a #MISSION818 T-Shirt and you all can find me in the Comic Con crowd. See the photo to know what you’re looking for:

Feel free to stop me and say hi, and like my facebook post. More importantly, lets talk about what I can do for you.

Hope to write a Post-Con Blog next week, or maybe some on spot posts to my facebook page while I’m there and let you all know how #MISSION818 worked out.

Thank you all for the support.

Kevin Paul Shaw Broden
Four Names of Professional Creativity

Pitching Prt 2 – The Bad News

By kevinpsb4

On September 25, 2012

In Uncategorized

Just received an e-mail from the producer I pitched my animation series ideas to.

Unfortunately they don’t fit what he is looking for.

Disappointing, I will admit, but as I have stressed before every one of these meetings are great learning experiences.

I knew they were looking for concepts that would work to an Internet market, but was surprised to learn the actual age demographic they were shooting for.

At least they gave me a reason for the rejection.

It wasn’t that my ideas were bad; they just didn’t have the sharp edged humor they are looking for. Or so that’s how I understand it.

Now comes the next hard part, not letting a rejection get to me and prevent me from doing more.

Because that really is the next order of business, moving forward, working on the next ideas, and pitching to more and more producers. Now I have to discover the next step in the path of my career. Even stumbling blocks can be milestones.

Next, never give up!

Thank you for following along on my #Mission818 adventure, I will keep you informed as it continues.

Kevin Paul Shaw Broden
Four Names of Professional Creativity

Thoughts after Pitching an Animated TV Show. Part 1.

By kevinpsb4

On September 24, 2012

In Uncategorized

BLOG – Animation Pitch

As promised, here are my first thoughts after having the opportunity to pitch an animated series.

This is not the first time I’ve pitched to television. The first time was a live action sitcom that I pitched to two of the cable networks. There was some interest but no bite, then an animated series to one of the educational networks. No bite or response there.

I can’t tell you a whole lot about the current pitch itself because I expect to hear back from the producer with in the week.

Probably the most frustrating thing of the day was that I was late. Late by only a few minutes, but late all the same. The producer wasn’t bothered by this, but it really shouldn’t have happen. I’m prone to showing up places early, so this was really bothering me as I was stuck in snail crawling traffic. But I can’t let that frustration get to me, admit it, apologize and move on. No excuses.

The next thing that came, as it should, was the casual chitchat. The producer was quite happy to show off how his office was starting to look better since they moved in. They even had their sign up since the last time I was there. We then ended up talking about the fly over of the Space Shuttle Endevour earlier in the day. One of those things that everyone was chatting about that day. (I got to see it while it flew over Disneyland.) He also asked about how things had been with me since the last meeting. I told him about my part time job at the college’s foundation and the scholarships they give out.

Let the producer guide the chat, it’s his time and office, so when the moment is right he’ll ask to know what you brought.

Based on what we had discussed during our first meeting I put together what I hoped would interest the producer. The first was a pitch for a complete animated comedy adventure series. That was followed up with two ‘short subjects’.

I’ll admit right here that I stumbled a bit in my transition between one pitch and another. But once I got past that things went smoothly.

When I was done with my three pitches the producer did mention that he had seen something similar to one of them before. Actually, he had seen it a lot, and he explained when he meant. I’m never one to ride the wave of what’s currently ‘hot’. Know that I won’t be pitching any ‘sparkly’ vampires. The concept of my pitch, however, from what the producer had seen, had been on several people’s minds. Sometimes that happens.

This wasn’t a rejection, and he went on to say that after he read more of my pitch packet, if it had a unique enough hook there was still a change.

Sure I might be disappointed, but I did understand what he meant. I look forward to his thoughts.

He did react and know exactly what I was going after with one of the other pitches. So that was good.

The meeting was short, nice, and very friendly. Even if nothing further comes out of these pitches, it was a great learning experience. I now can put more notches into my animation development belt and work on the next one based on what I’ve learned here.

What comes next? More writing, more developing, and more meetings.

That last part for me is the hardest, the networking and getting to know more people to arrange such meetings, but over the last while I am improving with that as well.

This is all part of #Mission818 and things are going along very nicely.

Right now I’m contemplating if there is a way for me to pitch my novel “Revenge of the Masked Ghost” as a live action series. Now to find the right producers that would be interested in talking with me about it.

Thanks all for your support. Hope to tell you more when I hear back from the producer.

Kevin Paul Shaw Broden

Four Names of Professional Creativity

A New Positive Year

By kevinpsb4

On January 10, 2009

In Uncategorized

That’s how I’m looking at it.

Even with a killer headache on the First of the Year (wasn’t able to enjoy the party), and a knee that was in extreme pain for a couple of days after that (have no idea what caused it, and it’s not connected to the headache), this year has started off really well.

This first real week of the year saw me talking with many new professional contacts across the internet. A meeting with a young producer from back east, and a job interview that included a story board test for a Revisionist position at an animation company.

Looking forward to what God and the next week brings.

After Comic-Con 08

By kevinpsb4

On August 2, 2008

In Uncategorized

I’ve been home now nearly a week since the San Diego Comic-Con, boy does time fly. Other people have already posted their thoughts on the Con, and I probably don’t have a lot to add, but here is a small ramble if nothing else.I’ve been attending the con for many many years now, since it was at the downtown convention hall and watched it grow every year since then. The first year I was there the total number was 5000, today we reach over 120,000 people and can’t really get much hire then that.

Even though it was crowded, I wasn’t really bothered by the crowds, I was a crowd to them after all. I won’t even blame the greater influx of Hollywood. Someone the other night said that it was Hollywood was taking too much of the con. But I see all this as part of the same. Sure there is a love of comics that have been pushed into a corner, but truthfully we are all part of the same world of visual story telling. Over sixty years ago there were comics based on movies and comedians like Jerry Lewis and Bob Hope. I think that the important thing in all this is that the world, if for only those four days a year, sees comic books, animation, gaming, television, and movies as equals and all have time to shine all interconnected.

I guess I can say that because I have great dreams to be working in all those areas and see them all the same. Sure writing for a comic is different then for movie, but it is still story telling and that’s what I dream to do. There are those who get into animation as a step towards live action writing, but there are also live action television and movie writers who are now writing for comics because they love.

I haven’t always been the best at networking with people at the con, and the crowd makes it all the more fun at trying it. But I came away from this con feeling much better about things, and making greater contacts along the way.

Didn’t expect my ramble to go in the direction it did, but that’s where it is. I have a passion for story telling, visual story telling, “narrative illustration” as my professor and I called. So I’m going be working in this world right along side the best comic, animation, gaming, and movie giants.

Hope you all had a good time and enjoying your summer.

Development and ReCreation

By kevinpsb4

On April 4, 2008

In Uncategorized

Hi all,

Really didn’t want to take this long to get back to posting, but it happened all the same.

Here are a few things that I’ve been up to.

The final page of Issue 9 of Flying Glory and the Hounds of Glory. I’m currently painting the cover art for Issue 10 and hope to have it up with in the week.

I am also in the process of redesigning my website, but won’t post the link here until it’s finished. Will be really stressing my animation development and production work there.

Things seem to be going better in my pursuit for work. Though I not hired yet, I have been meeting with people from several different studio who are really interested working with me. Yesterday’s meeting could really turn into something fantastic. I also got to pitch another series idea and expect to hear back on it in a month.

Looks like I may be in a gallery show next month, will post all the appropriate information when it’s ready. Have to actually finish the art work itself first. 🙂

Speaking of art, as bonus for sticking with my quiet moments here, I’m posting drawing that will eventually be part of new website. I do most of this type of work, like I do the web comic, on my computer using Painter. So these “pencils” were actually done digitally, I will then “ink” it and paint it the same way.

When I wrote the Title line for this blog, I was thinking in one direction, and then I realized what I really wrote. Don’t know about the rest of you, but thought my writing and art work is done for a job, it is also done out of enjoyment. I love animation, that any hard job is also enjoyment. Creation is Recreation. What do you think?

Stick around, I hope to have more postings soon.

Best,

Kevin