To my eyes, this is the prototype for the pilot episode (read: "Season 1: Episode 1") of a 30-min cartoon sitcom called "The Hunk & Grody Show." For two years I tried to get this animated. But I got conned by animator after animator and now my animation budget is gone. No one involved in the video production of my precursor “Ticket Studs” episode from years ago was available, or I would have just hired them. So I made the video this way just to get the pilot out there in some form and so the actors would have something to show for having put up with me. I drove them pretty hard.
John did the character and set design (which, if I do say so myself, is second-to-none), but I didn’t have the budget to have him do much more than that. So I brought in Brittany to do some illustrations of various scenes to fill out the video, and she knocked it out of the park as well.
I jettisoned the Haunted Doll Factory from previous versions of the series because I thought it too fringe. Also, in previous versions of the series the concept was for an ensemble cast, the idea being that Candy and Summerspring would be the girlfriends of Hunk and Grody and have screen and story time equal to said. But ultimately I think what makes the series is Hunk and Grody. So I elevated Hunk and Grody and made it mainly about them. Most of the episode concepts that I have in which Candy and Summerspring would have been the leads are easily transferable to Hunk and Grody.
Created, written, directed, produced, & sound design by Mike Smolev
Character design, set design, illustrations, & characters in the title card by John Colquhoun (JC) https://www.jcolquhoun.com/
Illustrations & background in the title card by Brittany Brevard (BRB)
https://brbportfolioandchannels.ju.mp/
Voices:
Ms. Moneygrabber, Wealthy Wife, & Various Adults & Kids by Tricia Brioux
http://www.triciasvoice.com/
Candy Sweetheart, Summerspring Fallwinter, Brontosaurus Girl, & Various Kids by Finty Kelly
https://www.fintykelly.com/
Grody Ogreman, Hiring Man, Wealthy Husband, Teenage Jerk, & Various Adults by Adam Sartain
https://adamrsartain.wixsite.com/adamsartain
Hunk Brickbody, Urgent Announcer, & Various Adults by Mike Smolev
Tricia Brioux recorded at her home studio, Toronto, CAN
Finty Kelly recorded at Big Orange Sheep, Brooklyn, NY
https://www.bigorangesheep.com/
Adam Sartain recorded at Voice Trax West, Studio City, CA
https://www.voicetraxwest.com/
Mike Smolev recorded at Taylor-Made Productions, Caldwell, NJ
https://www.facebook.com/TaylorMadeProductionsNJ/
Audio mix by Taylor-Made Productions, Special Thanks to Glenn M. Taylor
Audio SFX, select video clips, & "Vintage Hand Holding Pocket Watch," licensed from Pond5.com
Character design, set design, illustrations, & characters in the title card by John Colquhoun (JC) https://www.jcolquhoun.com/
Illustrations & background in the title card by Brittany Brevard (BRB)
https://brbportfolioandchannels.ju.mp/
Voices:
Ms. Moneygrabber, Wealthy Wife, & Various Adults & Kids by Tricia Brioux
http://www.triciasvoice.com/
Candy Sweetheart, Summerspring Fallwinter, Brontosaurus Girl, & Various Kids by Finty Kelly
https://www.fintykelly.com/
Grody Ogreman, Hiring Man, Wealthy Husband, Teenage Jerk, & Various Adults by Adam Sartain
https://adamrsartain.wixsite.com/adamsartain
Hunk Brickbody, Urgent Announcer, & Various Adults by Mike Smolev
Tricia Brioux recorded at her home studio, Toronto, CAN
Finty Kelly recorded at Big Orange Sheep, Brooklyn, NY
https://www.bigorangesheep.com/
Adam Sartain recorded at Voice Trax West, Studio City, CA
https://www.voicetraxwest.com/
Mike Smolev recorded at Taylor-Made Productions, Caldwell, NJ
https://www.facebook.com/TaylorMadeProductionsNJ/
Audio mix by Taylor-Made Productions, Special Thanks to Glenn M. Taylor
Audio SFX, select video clips, & "Vintage Hand Holding Pocket Watch," licensed from Pond5.com
