I get asked that question from time to time when people are poking around
my blog and see the link to this one.
So here's a quick overview of why this is here and what it's here to do.
First, a little history. In 2004 I got a job a
Blick Art Materials and met
Gabe Finkinstein on my very first day there. We hit it off right away. We both had similar interest (comics, movies, women, etc...) and got pretty close (not in a gay way, well, most of the time at least!). After working there for two years I moved on to a new career (in the insurance industry, blah) while still plugging away with the puppet flicks. And Gabe and I became even better friends. I count him among my closest and even think of him as a little brother. He's family to me. At my new job I met
Ricardo Davila, a filmmaker also. He and I would shoot the shit on all kinds of projects and possible film ideas. We bonded over
Newcastle and he got to know Gabe also.
And everyone who gets to know Gabe loves Gabe. He's just that awesome.
OK, let's get closer to now... While getting to know Gabe I learned he's never been very successful with women. Thing is, he should be.
Jim always says "How is it he doesn't have a girlfriend?".
And I figured out why; Lack of Education.
So we as a group all pulled him under our wings and have been showing this man the ropes. We really have no idea what we're doing, but we make it look like we do! During all of that Ricardo and I came up with the idea for a documentary about Gabe where we set him up on blind dates and follow him, then chat with him and the dates after about how it went, kinda like the show
Blind Date. We were gonna set up accounts on Facebook, myspace, etc to get possible dates for him too. And at that time I set up this blog also to follow the production. But since then we kinda dropped the project. I wasn't comfortable putting my friend on display and in a possible meat market.
So the idea and title stuck in my head. And one day I though, "Man that would make a good comedy". Four days later I finished the first draft of the screenplay. I had a few concerns. Do we do this as a puppet film? Do we do it with actors? Animation, perhaps?
Well, it's gonna be puppets.
We're a long way off from actually shooting this flick, but we'll keep on posting here as the production goes on. I'll be sharing some puppet designs pretty soon. Gabe is on board as a puppeteer (as Gabe, of course) and helping with the puppet design. Another Elmwood family member, Joe Calvo, is also co-producing the flick with me... I'll also keep posting the goofy pictures here too...
Cheers!
- Jon
And just to give you a taste, here's and excerpt from the current draft of the script...
The scene takes place at a comic book shop where Gabe works...
Cut to the entrance of the shop. A girl in her early twenties comes in. Her name is Scarlet. Yup, she has red hair.
Collin looks up as she comes in
Scarlet
Hey Collin!
Collin
‘Sup Scarlet? Must be Tuesday. I’ve got your holds.
Camera cuts over to Gabe, he looks over to the door, we see Scarlet and Collin chatting, Gabe turns to the camera.
Gabe
That’s Scarlet. You don’t see too many chicks like her in comic shops unless they come in with their boyfriends or husbands. But she’s a comic fan. And she likes good comics too, not any of that lame American Manga crap a lot of women read…
Amy walks by and smiles
Bite me…
Gabe- still to camera
Anyway… I met her when I started working here, she was kinda dating Collin back then. After they spit she kept coming and she spends a lot of time here. I think it’s cool that they are still good friends. We give her a real hard time, I mean she’s got red hair and her name is Scarlet. I mean, c’mon… She’s like a walking G.I. Joe action figure!
Cut back to the counter, Collin pulls a bunch of comics from under it and plops them down, Scarlet starts flipping through them
Collin
Big week for you. But no G.I. Joe comics.
Scarlet
Hahahaha…
Danny and Gabe make their way to the front to say hello.
Gabe
I see you, but where’s Snake Eyes?
Danny
Or Duke?
Scarlet - smiles
Shut up.
Collin
That always bothered me.
Gabe
What?
Scarlet
I know, in the G.I. Joe cartoons Scarlet was with Duke and in the comics she was with Snake-Eyes.
Collin
Exactly.
Danny
So she was the slut of G.I. Joe. Gives a whole new meaning to the joy division
Scarlet
That’s fucked up, Danny.
Gabe
Even I’m not laughing.
Danny - smiles
What? Hehehe…
Scarlet
I’m gonna do some shopping.
Collin
Have fun, you should have been here yesterday, it was Fire-Crotch Discount Day
Scarlet
Too bad I shave.
She walks off.
Danny
I don’t know about you two, but I just got a boner.
Gabe
Yeah.
Gabe has just released his first book! 
