A Revival of Newt Street Pictures
Newton P. Street in a Box
In 1987, a producer named Newton Street found me while I was in dark alley behind a Cuban restaurant animating my first film “The Chore” and gave me 5 bucks to be the producer on it. Thus was born “Newt Street Pictures”. He then went on to produce my second film “My Dog Zero”, but suddenly disappeared amongst a scandal involving zoo animals and canned soup. Little was heard except for odd postcards from south America and remote parts of Africa until recently when I got an email telling me that I had inherited a million dollars and I needed to contact this lawyer in Bali. This email had nothing to do with the fact that Newton showed up at my door, hearing that I had again immersed myself in independent film, and offered his services on “Fish Head”. We were both more weathered than when we worked together before, but I had gray hair and he had an odd hair color that looked as if it was derived from a lather of mole’. I was happy to see him.
Oddly enough, this partnership seems back up and running, and “Newt Street Pictures will once again adorn my films. A grateful reunion indeed.
Dialog tracks are cleaned up and adjusted on Fish Head. Found that Sumatra coffee and just the right amount of new baby sleep deprivation allows for ample paranoid thoughts.
Having fun putting together this new ( and last) class. Love to make a study of the history of gags ( going back to vaudeville), but you can never really put the formula in a bottle. Animation and cartoons are such a bizarre and deranged medium. Very crisp and strange.
We should have a fun summer.
Good News and New Class!
A couple of pieces of good news. We are finally out of the hospital with our baby (phew, over 5 weeks). He is doing great and happy to be home. Thank you to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles for miraculous work. He will continue on to a normal and happy life!
Due to other project commitments, I’m offering one last animation and cartoon class over the summer, with all new lectures and updated material. “The Craziest and Wonkiest Cartoon & Animation Class Yet!” This class spans over 12 weeks so we have more time to add in some animation fundamentals and additional training. This will the closing of classes as I have too many projects that need full time attention. It’s been a great experience. And I have loved all of my students! There is so much talent out there!
Check out the details at http://www.joemurraymasterclass.com/ and http://www.joemurraymasterclass.com/courses/
I’m planning on having a lot of fun with this class. Space is limited (There are already spots filled) and the registration closes at the end of this month!
Hospital window at 3am
I’m not going to go into detail what we have been through this last month, but nobody should take their good health, or the health of their children for granted.
Life goes on.
Lazlo on Netflix!
A few items of note. The first two seasons of Camp Lazlo was added to the repertoire offered up by Netflix. Very cool to finally view the episodes without commercials ( since they have yet to appear on DVD.)
On another note, I recently gave in to an interview on a radio station in Arizona, and it turned out okay. Check it out HERE if you want to take a listen.
Maybe because I’m sleep deprived. ( When your newborn looks like Winston Churchill at 3 in the morning, things are a little dizzy.) In a way, there is closure.
I’m feeling since all of the Rocko DVD’s are out now, I can put that part of my life aside now. No, I am not defined by my past. The successes are just as much an illusion as the failures. My life in TV was good. But it’s saying you “can go now.”
My efforts to give back, with my books and classes ( and kaboingTV, which I pumped a lot of time and money into. The animators got all the money from the kickstarter campaign) now feel at a close. I feel I’ve taught my share. These classes will most likely be the last.
I’m so grateful. But I feel it’s time to open some new chapters in my life. Or close the book completely.
Hmmmmm….
Now that the voice tracks are laid ( pesky buggers) the slow grind of the wheel moves. My head is filled with mapping out an upcoming scene, to the “suck suck suck” of my wife’s breast pump. I start crossing over in the sound becoming a “brain pump”, extracting some of the hard fought creative juice, ( which is never as important as breast milk I might add, but very nourishing.)
The blossoms are out on our peach trees. The cactus are pricks. But beautiful all the same.
