Joe Murray's Journal

I was going through some old files and found these original sketches I did for the “Where’s Lazlo?” storyboard. This special was great to work on because it was a flashback episode showing how the characters met, and started a lot of their quirks. What was interesting was, a lot of their character evolved over the seasons, and we were able to incorporate character traits in this 3rd season flashback, that didn’t actually exist when I first created the characters. That’s why it’s so difficult to do a pilot episode introducing all of the characters as they will be for the rest of the series. Some characters ( like Samson) started out as distant background characters and later started having episodes revolve around them.

Unlike a one shot film where the characters have to remain consistent through the film, in a series the characters can grow,, change friendships ( like kids do) and even get married and have kids ( Like Filburt and Dr. Hutchinson).

Had a good Memorial Day weekend. Computer is back, up and running. Looking forward to getting back to work.

And can I say this one more time? I don’t know anything about a Rocko DVD or Lazlo DVD set coming out. I promise to post something the minute I hear anything.

” Working out of your own discovery…out of your own realization… Who’s going to want it? WELL.. you may be surprised. It’s a very difficult decision to make.. to do this thing that is an experiment… the creation.. bringing forth a form that was that was never brought forth before.

Now I found it in writing sentences. You can write that sentence the way you would have written it last year. Or write it in a way of an exquisite nuance… that is writing in your mind now. But that takes a lot of waiting for the right word to come.”

-Joseph Campbell

Have you ever had a project that is just screaming to be made, but sometimes makes no sense to your career or financial responsibilities ? Or it really does, but maybe you just can’t see it right now. This Fish Head project feels that way to me at times. I often feel like the Richard Dreyfuss character in Close Encounters of the Third Kind who keeps building that mountain out of mashed potatoes and mud, but doesn’t understand why. His family thinks he’s crazy, and finally runs away.

When something feels right, it just does. Sometimes it’s not for us to entirely know why.

Okay, well,, sigh of relief. Remember when I heard a “pop” when I turned on my major industrial animating computer back on March 19th? Didn’t know what it was, and the computer kept working, so I thought I would just keep an eye on it. Well,, that was apparently the power motor, that decided to keep working ( for some unknown reason) until tuesday. Then it said good-bye. The good news is, it’s still under warranty and is being replaced. Should have it back today.

Remember when we got along without computers? I firmly believe they are living breathing entities, and, like co-workers, work best when they are treated with respect and not yelled at. ( My computer doctor backs this up). Treat them nice, and they will return the favor. I think my computer kept working with a sick motor for a while until he felt like I needed a break. I used it to catch up on stuff I’ve been putting off.

I illustrate this post with a still from a film I made called “The Affair” (2002) about a man’s relationship with his computer. This is after he put it back together again with tape and was happy.

I’m happy too.

I can’t recall where I found this quote. It’s been on my board for a while.

The key question is simply stated by Gail Sheehy: “What are you prepared to give up in your material life to try to make your dream come true?” Put another way, what resume-building, brand-name experience are you willing to forgo to make that dream come true? And if not now, what are you waiting for?

Give it up man. We all need your gift.