The Animation Page

Here are my favorite animations created for Frozen Grin. I came to animation late and am self-taught on Flash. I'm no Miyazaki, but there is something fabulous in a Frankensteinly way, about watching your drawings take on motion and sound.

Losing Laika
This is an early piece, Flash was giving me fits and bombing my little Imac. But I still like the story.


Susitna Story
From 2009, This story was written for We Alaskans Magazine in the eighties as an experiment with the comics form. It works much better as an animation, narrated by my pal Frank Gerjevic.


Oblivion 1964
A look back at the Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964, seen through the eyes of a five-year-old me


Frozen Shorts
A collection of tragically brief videos that was runner-up for a Golden Oosik at the Anchorage International Film Festival two years ago. Damn you, Mary Katzke!


What it's like Having Parkinson's Disease
Big fat omnibus of shorts explaining what Parkinson's is like.



Parkinson's Disease and Exercise



My Six (Known) Brushes With Death

Film Fest Rebukes Tinsel Town, Picks Second D-S Flick

In a move that industry observers called brave, uncompromising, and perhaps suicidal, the intrepid selection committee at the Anchorage International Film Festival chose "XT and ME" for inclusion in its Snowdance program of Alaska films.

The animated expose, not starring Matt Damon, nor Julia Roberts and without a special appearance by Wallace Shawn in a tour de force performance as the star-crossed little alien, is an unflinching, gut-wrenching look at the seamy underbelly of Hollywood itself.

Piling laurels on the shadowy and reclusive director, who goes only by the name Peter Dunlap-Shohl, the committee also added his animation "Susitna Story" to its Snowdance selections. Susitna story is still slated to screen in the festival's animation division as well.

When reached for comment, the unassuming director plugged the upcoming performance of the band Whiskeyjacks at the downtown Anchorage Pub McGinley's, muttered something about realizing a lifelong dream to appear as a member of a Pogues cover band, and then abruptly hung up. More proof, as if any was needed, that life in Alaska is getting stranger by the hour.

Lost in Translation: Sarah Palin Captioned for B.S. Impaired

The Alaska Flag song, Corrupt Bastards Verse

Back in the early 60's, students at Turnagain Elementary School would start the school day with a flag raising ceremony during which the assembled multitude would raise their shrill little voices in a rousing chorus of the Alaska Flag Song. Then we'd skin a moose and turn the meat over to the lunch ladies to make into stew for our afternoon meal. Often in winter, we'd watch Dr. Bill Mills' classic film about the dangers of frostbite. This included graphic footage of how to deal with the resulting "blebs", which resemble overgrown red grapes. Invariably at least one kid lost his moose stew. Sometimes more hapless tykes would join in, for the second choral performance of the day.

I never got frostbite, and I never forgot the Alaska Flag song. But this ain't the Alaska of the sixties, and the song was desperately in need of an update, given the Alaska we live in now. Reluctantly, I took on the job, adding today's panhandling politicians to the gold panners of yore. Who needs a frostbite flick? Now you can get nauseated singing our state song!

Note: This originally appeared in the Anchorage Daily News, where it prompted complaints to the publisher. That's keeping your eye on the sleazeball folks!