WHO IS READY FOR AN ANIMATED SERIES?
Well… I, for one, am ready for someone to pick up Charmy’s Army as an animated series. Work is still underway for the extreme transformation. The series will evolve into a show resembling a mixture of Spongebob Squarepants and the Animaniacs. I love the zaniness of the Animaniacs… while at the same time I am not a fan of the fact there is no rich character development. Wakko, Yakko, and Dot are basically the same, crazy character. They have quarks that slightly differ, but their development possibilities are stuck in a rut.
Now, you may say that I am crazy, but Spongebob Squarepants is quite rich in character development. Yes, the cast has not changed in nearly three decades. Look closer. They all have their own unique personalities. These traits set each character apart, driving fans to relate to the characters. Once your fans can latch onto a character or two with a personal attachment, you begin building a legacy. Another cool point is that the characters do not have to resonate with the fans personally in order to develop a fandom. Characters can also remind people of close friends and family. The more character development and variety one offers, the bigger chance for success.
In today’s comic strip, Davy (me) hires a specialist who has worked with many cartoons who have transitioned from books and comics into the world of animation. Annie Maytor has her hands full with the gang, as you can probably imagine. This will be a three-week storyline, with 18 comic strips, but only two of the comic strips will run in the weekly newspapers. I will also only show the two printed comic strips on the website. Why? Because I am still working on them. That, and I am going to hold them off for a future treasury collection exclusive.
THE TRANSFORMATION TO ANIMATION MEANS A NEW NAME
Wait! What?!? Charmy’s Army get’s a NEW NAME? Yep. The animated series will focus on Weaver, Frenchy, Flimp the Chimp, and Charmy. There will not be one character outshining the other, though my gut is telling me that Frenchy is going to be the fan-favorite. The name Charmy’s Army may get a mention somewhere in the mix, but its meaning will be just a nob to the classic comic strip. I spent MONTHS exploring new names for the comic strip. I thought the new name was settled twice… only to have second thoughts.
Inspiration always hits me out of nowhere. I can be on a walk in my neighborhood, pulling weeds in my flowerbeds, deep into a good movie on television, sound asleep at 2:00 o’clock in the morning, or working on a complicated spreadsheet at work and BAM!!!!… Something pops into my head. I quickly write it down and go about my routine. So long as the idea is written somewhere, I am good to go when my schedule clears up for some creative time.
The only time I find the creativity lacking is when I am down in the dumps about the lack of real success I’ve seen with my comic strip. The animated series is my latest “grasp at straws” for any sign of real success. I have watched newspaper after newspaper drop Charmy’s Army and their comic strip line up from their publications. I am down to a run in only two newspapers. I have been hitting up a ton of papers in the past six months, roughly 350 newspapers, and I have only received responses from two publishers. Both of the publishers who responded passed because they are just too small. Rejections are rough… but silence is deadly. I have never been so unmotivated to create cartoons in my life as I am right now.
The one saving grace came in February from the Texas Chapter of the National Cartoonist Society. They featured me for the month of February on their Facebook page. This recognition made me feel like someone of importance actually saw something in me. For the entire month, I was on cloud nine. Ever since the month of February closed, I have been back in my rut.
So my cartooning journey needs a new opportunity. Newspapers are never going to make my dream come true. I have tried the syndicates and none of them have responded to my submissions in the past three years. Remember, I said that silence is deadly. The fact that I cannot get a syndicate to send me a rejection letter actually speaks volumes. As sad as it may sound, I am just not going to ever become syndicated… and syndicates hold all the control when it comes to appearing in newspapers. I am never admitting defeat. I have a huge fanbase online, so I will continue producing Charmy’s Army until I physically cannot create my comic strips. I enjoy what I do and will continue for years to come.
Again, I refuse to admit defeat. So I am working up an animated version of Charmy’s Army. This new animated series is called… Antlanda. The name of the series will also be the name of the city where Fort Hill is based. The animated series will still surround a troop of army ants and a monkey in Fort Hill, but the episodes will take place away from the base. The military life will only be a hook to offer a little diversity for the series.
The animated series is added that needed spark I have been missing this year. I am hoping that the new possibilities will give me the hope and personal drive I once had a few years ago when I climbed the mountain and had Charmy’s Army running in twelve weekly newspapers. My goal is to have an outline for the animated series prepared by the end of the summer. Animation is super popular right now, so the possibility is there… so the dream is still alive.
-Davy
SEE MORE STRIPS… ENTER CONTESTS… and HAVE MORE FUN!!!
Charmy's Army - The Comic Strip 