School is IN SESSION!

Click on any pic to make bigger. It's official!

I'm attending the School of Bakshi.

My textbook/HOLY Bible is Unfiltered: The Complete Ralph Bakshi.

My classes are his films.

I am a devout student of the Bakshi Arts.

Last week, I got one of those "Once in a lifetime" type phone calls.

It was Ralph Bakshi, himself. CALLING. ME. !!!

I had to take that phone call in the bathroom of all places. It's embarrassing, but I'm not kidding. Without going into it too much, my family and I are in the midst of tough times and had to move into a smaller place. So sometimes my brother has to sleep in my room... and don't get me wrong, I love my brother, but boy, he's a SNORER! I had no choice but to duck into my bathroom.

I had to call Ralph's number back as he had let it ring 2 times and hung up.

Me: "Hello? Someone called me from this number?"
Ralph: "It's me, Jeaux. Ralph! C'mon- Wake up! Let's talk business."

Ralph is a true New Yorker. Still on top of his game, witty as hell, and very snappy. You gotta be fast to keep up w/ him. So we talked for a bit. I was taking notes, using my sink as a desk while sitting on my toilet for a chair. Some makeshift office!

I got the go ahead from Ralph to start working on a new animation project he's developing! Ralph has been working on painting for the past 15 years, and this will mark his return to animation! This is going to be BIG!!! It's amazing that he wants me to be a part of it! It still hasn't fully hit me yet.

My role will be to develop, art direct, animate, and design Start and End title cards for the project, and I couldn't be happier doing so!!!

Time to get to work.
I called a good friend from school, Moises Jimenez, who I immediately thought of to help out on this project with me. We met up at a local taco stand here in the valley, El Indio Azteca, to talk the project, chow down on some quality tacos, and research us some Ralph.

Me & Moses & Ralph!

Lookie what my brother bought me!

A) To celebrate this occasion! And B) Cause I'm broke.

The recently released Coonskin on dvd! Thanks James!

Here's something I think I can show you...

This is 1 of 2 title card concepts I shared w/ Ralph. More like a sketch in a sketchbook. Not finished or set in stone in any way. Ralph really seemed to dig them!

In his words:
"OHHHHHH MY GOD HOW PERFECT YOUR GREAT LOVE THEM BOTH RALPH"

Thanks Ralph! Glad you dug em!

I will be posting and documenting my journey in this project as I think it will be an important event, not only in my career- but in the fact that Ralph is making his animation comeback!!!  So please watch this space.

Also, if you are on tumblr- make sure to follow Fuck Yeah Ralph Bakshi a site I contribute to and run! 

Next Post: Office Space and Jazz Elevators
-Jeaux

Oh yea! I almost forgot! Guess what?

I'm also art directing for my pal Von Kreep and his company Swamp Ape Studios! We're gonna be coming out with some bad ass kooky kreepy stuff in the near future!!!

How cool is that?!?