Sedelmaier Productions has summoned his creative crew to produce a series of vitally important cartoons depicting the heroic actions of the Maxim Ranger as he strives to show man how to protect his precious sense of manhood in these perilously confusing times. The heroic figure is an animated icon for MAXIM MAGAZINE, the highly successfully mens entertainment publication.
The Maxim Ranger is a guardian of man. His mission is to prevent men in their prime from falling prey to a new disease that is advancing unseen across the American landscape Mantropy. The stories heralding his efforts recently debuted on the Internet www.mantropycontrol.com, part of MAXIMS effort aimed at preserving what few shreds of masculinity men have left today.
The animated lessons are cunningly disguised to look like the powerful and exciting Saturday morning cartoon fare young men nostalgically recall from their innocent days as children. In each cartoon a man is rescued by Maxim Ranger from horrible compromises like scooters, fauxhawks and inline skates.
Crispin Porter + Bogusky, the Miami-based advertising agency generated the ideas to help preserve American masculinity. Titled NOWHERE FAST, THREATENED HAIRITAGE and WALK LIKE A MAN, they play a key role in MAXIMS efforts to fight for the rights of men to be men, which includes an effort to petition the Department of the Interior to place man on its endangered species list.
This satirical approach is perfect for the Sedelmaier crew, which has brought TV viewers The Ambiguously Gay Duo on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE as well as many other great SNL shorts, in addition to many spots mimicking or paying homage to cartoon and graphic approaches from decades past.
The CP+B team had referenced 1970s and 1980s Saturday morning cartoon shows as the graphic sensibility they desired.
We basically created this genre! Our work on SNL and Cartoon Networks Adult Swim helped establish this sort of animation as an adult fare, says J. J. Sedelmaier, who served as director, head designer and producer on the project and whose studio provides the animation.
While other animation houses had approached the assignment as a Flash project, Sedelmaier said he felt that Flash would actually drain the creativity out of the idea. It was just too modern, he explains. What this needed was a kind of retro approach, and thats what we took. The animation is conventional 2D drawing with painted backgrounds, and, while we utilized digital ink-and-paint to render this, it has a decidedly low-tech feel.
Sedelmaier used USAnimation Opus for digital ink-and-paint and QuickTime for tests that needed to be sent for approval.
At Crispin Porter + Bogusky, credits go to exec creative director Alex Bogusky; associate creative directors Dave Schiff and Alex Burnard; art directors Alex Burnard and Mike del Marmol; copywriter Dave Schiff; exec producers Rupert Samuel and David Rolfe; and producer Dan Ruth. In addition, Eddie Alonso of CP+B composed music for THREATENED HAIRITAGE.
At J. J. Sedelmaier Prods., the studios crack animation SWAT team includes J. J. Sedelmaier, himself, a self-described grizzled veteran of MTV, SNL and Comedy Central work, who served as director, head designer and producer; exec producer Patrice Sedelmaier; designers Dave Lovelace, Dan Madia and Claire Widman; editor Jason Gottlieb; background artists Mike Baez, Irene Cerdas and Gene DeCicco; animation, color and production manager Todd Cronin; digital ink-and-paint artist Andrew Friz; and assistant John Bonnarrigo.
Rob Fielack at Nutmeg Audio Post did audio post and sound design. Additional post-production work was performed at 2150 Editorial by editor Jeff Sternberger and Smoke artist Mike Nonelle. It was exec produced by Mike Charves. Music was by John Nau and Andrew Feltenstein at Beacon Street Studios.
J. J. Sedelmaier Prods. lair is located at the top of 199 Main Street in the landmark Bar Building, White Plains, NY 10601. The firm (www.jjsedelmaier.com) is represented for commercials in the midwest and west coast by Liz Laine Reps and on the east coast by Andy Arkin at Blah Blah Blah.
