Mr. Bill, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE's often crushed clay character, will be returning as a conservation spokesman in a Louisiana state public service announcement aimed at teaching people -- especially children -- how Louisiana is losing its coastal marshes and swamps, reported the ASSOCIATED PRESS. Launching next summer, the campaign will also feature Mr. Bill's gang of "Estuarians" -- Salty the Shrimp, Eddy the Eagle and others. "Mr. Bill America's Wetland World Tour" will be a Website featuring lessons, games and other activities.
Walter Williams, Mr. Bill's creator and New Orleans native, said, "I wish I had a quick three-word synopsis for it other than maybe Mr. Bill says 'Ohh, nooo!!! -- the coastal erosion.'"
"Our hope is to draw worldwide attention thanks to Mr. Bill," said Valsin Marmillion, a campaign consultant for "America's Wetland," an initiative formed by Louisiana Gov. Mike Foster to build national support for the issue. "Mr. Bill is a generational bridge. So the parents understand it and the kids get the newness of the Estuarian characters. Because Mr. Bill always finds himself in difficult situations, he becomes a natural spokesperson for the 'Don't be a loser' theme of the campaign."
With only a budget of $1.5 million a year, landing Mr. Bill, who has appeared in national commercial campaigns for Pizza Hut, Ramada Inn, Lexus and Burger King, is seen as a big break for "America's Wetlands" project. The organization has also come to an agreement with the makers of Tabasco hot sauce to put the "America's Wetland" logo on their products.
Williams created the Mr. Bill shorts on a Super 8 camera when he was a teen. The skits ran on SNL from 1976 to 1980. In 2002, he made a one-hour documentary titled THE NATURAL HISTORY OF NEW ORLEANS, which aired on PBS.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
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