Me and My Shadow, B.O.O.: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations, Dreaming Machine, Dragon’s Lair and many more promising animated feature projects that never made it to screen get their own celebration in a new (free!) digital book, Drawing for Nothing. Written by Ziggy Cashmere (Jacob Pruitt), the PDF presents development artwork, insider info and even click-through access to animation tests for film lovers to enjoy and artists to find inspiration.
The materials were collected from artists’ animation reels, portfolios and resumes, book scans, interviews and beyond. Pruitt and the dedicated team behind the project intend to continue adding chapters as they are completed, asserting “this collection will never be finished.”
New clips have been found from Me and My Shadow by the fan base on a demo reel! Unfortunately they do not have audio, but these are brand new to us. pic.twitter.com/42C0KhyTXk
— Drawing For Nothing (@dfnbook) February 28, 2024
“Every animated film is the dream of someone. It doesn’t matter how stupid, soulless, or unmarketable some of those ideas may be, it was someone’s dream and they wanted to put the effort into making it,” Pruitt writes in the book’s introduction. “Unfortunately, however, things get in the way … This book presents a fraction [of what] has been made for these past films. It explains their stories, productions, and fates. When possible, it credits artists as they should be credited.”
Current chapters cover:
- Me and My Shadow (DreamWorks Animation, 2012-2014)
- Director: Alessandro Carloni
- Cast: Josh Gad, Bill Hader, Kate Hudson, Tom Hiddleston
- Food Fight! (Threshold Animation Studios; 1997-2002, 2003-2012)
- Writers/directors: Joshua Wexler and Lawrence Kasanoff
- Cast: Charlie Sheen, Hilary Duff, Wayne Brady, Eva Longoria, Christopher Lloyd
- B.O.O.: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations (DreamWorks, 2009-215)
- Director: Tony Leondis
- Cast: Seth Rogan, Melissa McCarthy, Bill Murray
- The Incredible Mr. Limpet (Warner Bros.; 1996-1999, 2009-2014)
- Director: Kevin Lima/Richard Linklater
- Cast: Jim Carrey/Zach Galifianakis, Jon Hamm, Kevin Hart, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele
- Joe Jump (Walt Disney Animation Studios, 2005-2008)
- Created by Sam Levine, written by Levine and Jared Stern
- Dreaming Machine (MADHOUSE; 2009-2011, 2011-2018)
- Director/writer: Satoshi Kon (canceled after his death)
- Kon’s first film concept aimed at a family audience.
- Dragon’s Lair: The Legend (Sullivan Bluth Studio, 1983-1984)
- Based on the Dragon’s Lair video game created by Rick Dyer
- Cast: Michael J. Fox
- Jack & Ben (LAIKA, 2005-2008)
- Writer/director: Jorgen Klubien; replaced as director by Barry Cook
- A fully-CG project from the well-known stop-motion studio.
- Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (1978-1981)
- Producers: Al Brodax (Yellow Submarine), Elton John’s Captain Fantastic Enterprises
- Art by: Alan Aldridge
- Based on the album of the same name by Elton John.
- Huck’s Landing (Tom Carter Entertainment, 1981-1983)
- Created by: Thomas D. Carter
- Animators: Floyd Norman, Leo Sullivan, Scott Shaw, Phil Mendez
- Based on Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
- My Peoples (Disney, 1999-2003)
- Created by: Barry Cook
- Cast: Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, Hal Holbrook, Mike Snider, Lou Rawls
- Also known as Once in a Blue Moon, Elgin’s People, Angel & Her No Good Sister and A Few Good Ghosts.
- Larrikins (DreamWorks, 2013-2017)
- Directors: Chris Miller, Tim Minchin (also composer)
- Cast: Damon Herrman, Ewen Leslie, Hugh Jackman, Jacki Weaver, Margot Robbie, Tim Minchin
- Character reworked for the 2018 short Bilby.
Visit drawingfornothing.com to view and download Drawing for Nothing. You can follow the official account @dfnbook on Twitter/X for updates on new chapters, materials and project updates.
[H/T The New York Times]
