In a few short hours, at the horrendously early hour of 4:30 in the AM, I'm off to the airport to begin my journey down to California for the glory that is the San Diego Comic Con. Not going to bother sleeping, I'm usually up 'till about 4AM anyhow. So I'm just going to multi-task and catch some sleep while in transit. Spent the day doing about a million procrastanated pre-travel chores...well, maybe not an actual million...but there were at least a dozen different things. Got my keys to the condo, got my sketchbook, got a PSP that a friend was kind enough to let me to steal, dug through my archives to find some books to get autographed. All ready for a packed week of geeking and networking. And in all likelyhood, networking with fellow geeks.

Along with the help of one of my frequent collaborators, went and shot the opening night of Jesse Buck's new show 'Bubkus'. Nothing fancy in the shooting department, I think the final product will be used for grant applications and media stuff...that sort of thing. The show was great. If you're local, or in Ottawa during it's run, you'd be doing yourself a favour by going to check it out (for all the pertinent info, check out Jesse's website).

Blast from the Past part Two

Where did the name Batturtle Productions come from? Folks actually seem to ask me that often enough, especially when I hand over a business card. Well, like many a name for companies or bands or things, the name is much more interesting than it's origins. I like Batman...I like the Ninja Turtles (the Mirage originals of course). Then came a drawing from my friend James, back when we were in the trenches of Canterbury High School (well...not really trenches, they were nice enough times). About the same time, a doodle was sketched of a Batman logo wearing a TMNT style headband around it's head. Plus, I used to use the initials BAT when I got high scores on video games. Anyhow, somewhere amidst all that, the word Batturtle was born. Mystery revealed!

Final version of a Villains storyboard for the pitch. Crime King scheming and talking to himself moments before undertaking a Christmas themed robbery. The deed is almost complete, the looming deadline is to have the thing done and all printed up before I'm off to San Diego on Monday.

Run for your lives! Crime King has a gun! Save yourself! Oh wait. Never-mind. That's not really Crime King, it's just a drawing of him. Or more specifically, another storyboard rough from the in development animated series pitch. Sorry about that. Call back the police. False alarm.

Now for an actual Batturtle Productions related update: Here's a storyboard rough by Barry Bradfield for the Villains Animated series pitch. A drawing of a disgusted Ghost Man standing by as his room-mate Crime King counts out his thieved earnings from a Salvation Army Santa robbery.

Thirty feet or so up in the air, high above the crowd at the Canadian Opera Company performance at Lebreton Flats last weekend. That's me in the middle.

Happy Canada Day! I hope you have a good one at least, I'll be working two-fold like a chump. In the midst of much business. This week I've been crewing for a big outdoor show of the Canadian Opera Company (it's going to be on Bravo sometime...no idea when). Working the last day related to that on July 1st, then off to tear down a Canada Day stage in the evening. Next on the calender, I'll be follow-spotting for Blues Fest, then some Sound and Light Show stuff on Parliament Hill. If I make it through all that, then I have my San Diego vacation to look forward to.

In more Batturtle Productions centric news: The assemblage of the Villains pitch is going well. Storyboards are being drawn. Scripts are being written. Want to have it done before the end of the month. Also working on a second round of interviews for the Comic Book Connection. Re-interviewing some of the same folks, but getting some more updated info. That too will be done (not the final product, but at least some interviews) before I flee for California as well.