animated series

2015 updates!

February 26, 2015March 13, 2015 Alex Schumacher

2015 is off to a roaring start, hence the lack of updates. There’s a lot of exciting things in the works and, while there are some I am not at liberty to divulge too much information, here’s a rundown of what I can share.

The Guitarist kickstarter will (hopefully) be coming your way next month from the good people at Under Belly Comics. CW Cooke and I have been wanting to share this story with everyone for some time and have now been lucky enough to find a publisher who is not only willing to distribute this crazy book, but allowing us to do it our own demented way. Maybe they’re insane. Along with our talented colorist Jeremy Kahn, we’re looking forward to bringing this tale of epic madness to you later this year. Here’s a sample page :

Recently my time has been occupied by storyboarding thanks to my agent and the very cool DreamWorks TV (yes, that DreamWorks). I was hired to board an episode entitled Wish Delivery of their series Astrid Strudelman: The Unicorn Whisperer, created by Thessaly Lerner, aka The Ukulady, with animation by Will Guy. They’ve been fun to work with and it’s been a killer experience so far! I’ll be sure to update when I have more information as to when the episode will air. Without giving away too much of the story, here’s a look at some of the work in progress.

There are also a ton of short stories in the works, some being pitched to literary magazines and journals, as well as a novel being developed. Excerpts from both may be posted soon on the writing page, so keep an eye out.

That’s all for now, folks! Hope everyone else out there is having a great 2015 so far as well.

End of year project updates

December 15, 2014December 15, 2014 Alex Schumacher

Very merry greetings to all! I do hope your holiday season is great so far, and would just like to take the time on this stormy winter day to give everyone an update on projects of mine to look out for in the new year.

My new picture book, and follow up to The World’s Crummiest Umbrella, is in production now. It will be published by Wandering in the Words press and is tentatively slated for a spring 2015 release. Without divulging too much of the story, I wanted to share a peek of the main character from this whimsical little tale. Here is a quick sketch from my collection of character designs and story notes:

As shared in a previous post, Under Belly Comics has picked up The Guitarist, the new graphic novel series from CW Cooke and myself. The story and artwork are currently undergoing some cosmetic overhauls as we put together the rest of our creative team. Check back here often for production art and updated on release information. This is going to be one wild ride, and to whet your whistle, here’s a teaser image brought to you with backgrounds by colorist Melch Valimento.

There are also some exciting developments which have occurred recently in the animation industry. Unfortunately there isn’t much that I can share as of now, but I’ll reveal that there are some series pitches submitted to networks as well as other opportunities which have presented themselves that may serve as entrance into the field. Hopefully there will be more to share in the new year, so for now, send your good vibrations my way and think happy thoughts.

2015 is going to be one exciting year! Happy holidays y’all!

Drawing on dogs… For inspiration.

July 28, 2014July 28, 2014 Alex Schumacher

Not actually drawing on them, though that may be funny too. As they are, dogs are hilarious, disgusting, oblivious, and wonderful for observation and zany ideas. Fun and whacky drawings like these help to keep the creative juices, and sometimes slobber, flowing. Enjoy and/or be horrified how closely some of these may hit home.

Cats can be funny too I s’pose… It’s just far less common. A cat in a situation like this though? Hi-Larious!

I know I’ve been teasing at it for some time, but the publisher will be ordering the proof for my first picture book and we will be one step closer to getting those babies in your hot little mitts! More news to follow so stay close, visit soon and stay gold.

Memorial Day catch up

May 26, 2014May 26, 2014 Alex Schumacher

Howdy folks! Here’s what’s been going on at studio Schumacher the past couple weeks…

Last weekend was the great Big WOW! convention in San Jose which just seems to grow exponentially every year. It’s wonderful to see as there has been a definite void in Northern California cons since Wondercon moved to Anaheim a few years ago. I was there on Sunday squatting at booth 410 with my cartoonist pals Betsy Streeter and Bridgett Spicer. It was a lot of fun and I’ll definitely be attending again next year. Thanks to everyone who came by and hope everyone had fun.

At the “Fun Booth” with the 4 Non-Non Blondes (L-R): Jen, Betsy, Bridgett and yours truly

By the end of the day we were all a little loopy and the idea of zombie toast came up sooo… I drew it.

As of this weekend I have finalized all interior art as well as the cover for my very first picture book, The World’s Crummiest Umbrella, to be released soon by Wandering in the Words Press. It will be available to purchase through the website as well as on Amazon. Check back here as I will be announcing the exact release date very shortly. There are some other exciting picture book/children’s literature projects in the works so this is only the beginning.

I have also been diligently working with my agent on animated series projects and pitches though there isn’t too much that I can share at this point. We are talking to a few networks you may have heard of though… I’ve already said too much. Just know there is a lot of thrilling things in the works which I hope to be able to share with all of you lovely people very soon. Thank you for all the support and love throughout the years!

On a final note, I hope everyone has a safe and happy Memorial Day. While we enjoy our beers and BBQ let us take the time to remember what this day is actually about. Thank you to all the service men and women who bravely gave their lives defending our freedom.

It’s almost spring…

April 30, 2014April 30, 2014 Alex Schumacher

… And I just cannot believe how fast 2014 is cruising along already. I know there has been a lapse as far as updates on this site as I focused for a bit of time on some music and songwriting (check out my music site here), but rest assured I have not been resting on my laurels on the cartooning and writing front. Here’s a bit of a rundown on what’s been happening lately here in the studio and beyond:

First, I can’t believe I haven’t shared photos on this site from my trip to LA a couple months ago! My agent booked me some really amazing meetings with some of the best animation houses on the planet and I couldn’t be more grateful. There was lots of confidential (and awesome) stuff going on in theses buildings so there are unfortunately no interior pics that I can share. While there I met some wonderful people, talked about some potentially very cool things and I look forward to sharing more as the journey continues and hope to have some news for y’all soon! In the meantime, here’s the photo tour:

A little victory drink… It’s not every day I have meetings with BIG studio execs!

If you haven’t had the chance to check it out already, my guest chapter for Betsy Streeter’s Neptune Road is live right now! This is a great sci-fi comic series and I am very proud and humbled to have been asked to take part. Click on the image below to read the chapter with accompanied by my artwork…

Next up on the boards is the release of my first children’s picture book, The World’s Crummiest Umbrella! I’m very excited to finally have the chance to bring this story to families everywhere and none of it would be possibly without Wandering in the Words Press. They are great supporters of artists and truly believe in the people they partner with and their work. The book will be available soon and I’ll be sure to break the news here first as soon as I know!

Thanks for the continued love and support y’all! I truly appreciate it and creating wouldn’t be worth it if there weren’t at least a few folks to enjoy it with me.

Happy New Year!

January 6, 2014January 6, 2014 Alex Schumacher

Hi there folks! Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and that 2014 is going great for you so far. This is shaping up to be one of the most exciting years for my professional life ever. To kick it off here are just a few of the projects that will be available soon:

First off is Neptune Road, a science fiction comic about people (read: misfits, hackers, criminals, lost children…) living on Neptune. The comic is an experiment in collaborative cartooning devised and written by my badass cartoonist pal Betsy Streeter. Each episode is drawn by a different artist and will be presented on this page from time to time. Each episode is self-contained, within a larger story arc. I have been commissioned to provide the artwork for episode 5 which will be appearing in early February 2014. I’ll update with an exact date of release when I have one. See more on Betsy’s Neptune Road page.

Next up is a project I’ve had on the shelf for some time and will see the light of day early this year thanks to Jennifer Chesak and all the amazing folks at Wandering in the Words press! You may be asking yourself, “which project are you talking about”? It’s my first children’s picture book! I don’t want to reveal too much before our actual promotion campaign begins but I’ll share a teaser image to whet your appetite. I snapped this pic whilst working on this illustration the other day:

Last, but definitely not least, I am gearing up to pitch several animated series which I have been developing over the past year with the help of a talented, extremely knowledgeable and all around swell fella who happens to be an agent in LA. Of course, with the industry being the way it is this labor of love may amount to absolutely nothing. However, this is a very exciting time for me and as well connected as my friend is I hope to have some exciting news for you in the very near future! If nothing else we’ll have some great new properties to pitch in other forms of media.

Happy 2014 everyone!