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2006 News:

DRIVEN TO DRAW Don't be fooled by the funny pictures:
Art's no laughing matter to Ethan Long

By Mark Hinson
TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT SENIOR WRITER

Sunday, July 20, 2006

Any student expecting to coast through the "Teen Drawing" class at LeMoyne Art Foundation this summer got a big surprise when the new teacher walked into the room.

The surprise's name is Ethan Long, a nationally known illustrator, animator and cartoonist. His credits include such hit children's books as "Tickle the Duck," "Manana Iguana," "Snarf Attack" and "Stinky, Smelly Feet: A Love Story." At last count, Long, who works with writers on most of his projects, has 16 books either in print or on the way to publication.

Don't let the cute titles mislead you, though.

Long, who moved to Tallahassee eight months ago from the Orlando area, is all business when he teaches. His work may be lighthearted, but he's very serious about his art. Working with young students, he said, helps him recharge the creative battery.

"Today's lesson is about drawing things that don't have form," Long, 38, said after carefully draping a dressmaker's dummy with three types of cloth to make it look like a toga.

"I'm going to let you draw it and see how difficult it is. The patterns can be confusing. This is about contours and shapes. It's hard, so just do your best."

The seven teenage students, ranging in ages from 13 to 19, put pencils to drawing pads and sketched in silence for several minutes. Long paced the floor behind them, carefully watching each one's progress.

"I don't let them have iPods or headphones or radios or cell phones or anything like that," Long said. "I learned more in drawing class by overhearing what the teacher had to say to the other students. You're doubling your money by not wearing headphones."

Long halted the class after noticing that most of the students were cleverly steering away from drawing the crumpled wool blanket at the base of the dress mannequin.

"When I was in college, I couldn't draw hands. It was a trouble spot and a weakness," Long said. "But eventually I had to attack my weakness; I had to face it. People try to avoid trouble spots. It's natural. But I will push you into those trouble spots. Attack your weakness."

So, much for goofing off and doodling all summer. Get ready for college.

"He's professional, but he's also very hard-core," LeMoyne student Kara Colvin, 16, said during a break.

Hard-core?

"Yeah, hard-core, as in 'You can't draw a circle. That's not good. Draw that again.' He's good at what he does and everything, but he's cocky," Colvin said. "But by the end of class, you've learned a lot."

"I think they'll thank me later, but they certainly aren't thanking me now," Long laughed. "I like teaching kids. It gives me a chance to connect with artists - unpolluted artists. They haven't been to art school yet, so they're not all messed up. . . . It's a nice place for me to come for grounding. It reminds me of why I started doing this, this compulsion of mine. And drawing, for me, is a compulsion."

A 'Force' to reckon with

With compulsion comes intensity.

Talking with Long takes some keeping up. He's as fast and quick-witted as he is quick-tempered.

"I admit, when something isn't going the way I want it to go in the studio, I throw things," Long said. "I threw a trash can lid on the roof earlier today because I couldn't get things the way I wanted on the page."

That same energy fuels his creativity. Ideas for comic strips and cartoon characters are percolating all the time. Hand him a pencil, and he can whip out an entire family of latch-key kids, each one with a personality profile and personal history. A few minutes later, he can summon a cast of goofy woodland creatures that already appear ready for prime-time merchandising. There's no "down time" in his brain.

"Comic strips take so much commitment, and they're hard to do if they're going to be any good, but I just love the idea of, one day, having a comic strip," Long said. "Writing is the hard part for me. The drawing is the fun part."

Then there's Long's fascination with animation.

In the fall of '05, Long's animated cartoon "Farm Force: Send in the Clones" won the Nextoons: The Nicktoon's Film Festival Viewer's Choice Award.

"Farm Force" tells the story of three farm animals - a chicken named Layla, a pig named Big and Fishstix the fish - who are struck by lightning from a "nuclear tornado" and become crime-fighting superheroes. They do battle with their arch-enemy, Moojo, the mad cow.

"Creating 'Farm Force' and developing the pilot and series has been one of my greatest professional experiences," Long said. "We are currently in development and planning to make 26 half-hour episodes, but are waiting for investors to ante up. There is still a long way to go in the process."

Later this summer, Long is meeting with several studios and TV networks in Los Angeles to pitch other animation ideas.

"My dream is to get work for animation projects in Los Angeles and then work on them here in Tallahassee," Long said.

Long grew up in Pennsylvania and made his way to Florida in the late '80s to study art at the Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota. Eventually, Long and his wife, Heather Long, settled in Longwood, just north of Orlando.

Heather, who graduated from Florida State University in the mid-'90s with a degree in clothing and textiles, fondly remembered Tallahassee and thought it would be a good place to raise a family after she and Long had two boys, now ages 2 and 4.

In December, the Long family - which includes two plump cats named Barnum and Bailey - packed up and headed north. Long also has an 11-year-old daughter from a previous marriage who lives in Jacksonville and visits often.

"It's a busy house, and sometimes it's tough because my studio is here," Long said. "After years of doing this, I know exactly how much time I need for a given project. All I ask for is three hours a day of uninterrupted work. . . . Some days that's harder to come by than others."

Back to the drawing board

Back at LeMoyne, Long continued dishing out his version of tough love.

The running critiques to various students went: "According to this drawing you're sitting over here, your perspective is off. . . . I'm not doubting your shading. It's the structure. . . . You're trying to take short cuts. You haven't learned enough yet to take short cuts . . . You have to commit to the line. You're holding back, don't be timid. . . . You've got to learn the rules and draw realistically before you can break the rules. Later, come back and break all the rules you want."

Colvin, who wants to study filmmaking when she gets to college, cracked her knuckles and went back to the drawing board to fix a problem after Long carefully analyzed her work.

"He's really good on perspective," Colvin said. "He knows how to make angles look. That should come in handy when I get to film school."

"I was used to working with laid-back people in other classes," said fellow student Marshall Blevins, 14. "Ethan is not very laid-back. But I've gotten much better, and it's only been two weeks."

"I think some students took the class just to build up their (art) portfolios (to win awards and scholarships)," Long said. "I'm not interested in building up portfolios. I'm interested in teaching them how to draw."

Be sure to bring a new eraser.

Porchlight Entertainment and Project Firefly, LLC, Have Partnered to Develop Animated Comedy-Action Series Farm Force

Agreement Provides PorchLight Worldwide Distribution, Licensing and Merchandising Rights To Television Series Targeting Kids 6-11

RELEASE DATE: 2006-01-11

Los Angeles. CA – January 11, 2006 — Continuing to expand its animated kids programming, PorchLight Entertainment has partnered with Project Firefly to develop and produce Farm Force, a wacky, off-the-wall series featuring the daring antics of ordinary farm animals turned super heroes. Targeting kids 6-11, PorchLight, Project Firefly, and the shows creator, Ethan Long and producer Robin Cowie will initially develop and produce 26 half hours (52x11 minutes) with PorchLight holding worldwide distribution, licensing and merchandising rights.

“Farm Force is one of the funniest pitches I’ve heard in a long time,” said Fred Schaefer, PorchLight’s Senior Vice President of Animation. “The comic timing demonstrated in the creators’ animated demo is pitch-perfect and absolutely hysterical. I firmly believe the series will reach beyond its intended audience, appealing to teens and parents, fostering co-viewing that will maximize its potential for global success. We are extremely pleased to be working with Project Firefly as we move forward on the show.” Schaefer added, “We’re just starting and Farm Force has already been chosen as the 2005 ‘Nextoons’ Winner in this year’s Viewers’ Choice awards.”

Farm Force is an action-packed animated comedy series about three ordinary farm animals — a chicken (Layla), a pig (Bigg) and a fish (Fishstix) — who gain super powers after being struck by lightning from a super charged nuclear tornado. The fledgling trio of superheroes pledge wing, hoof and fin to protect their farm and the surrounding countryside from the evil schemes of their nemesis, Moojo, the Mad Cow and an array of guest villains.

According to Dominic Carola, President of Project Firefly/Co-director of Farm Force, and Paulo Alvarado, Co-director of Farm Force, “PorchLight Entertainment’s commitment to family-oriented programming makes them a perfect match for us. We are excited to partner with PorchLight to bring our fun and entertaining original characters into the homes of families across the world.”

Robin Cowie is excited to steer Farm Force along in such a positive direction. Cowie, along with creator, Ethan Long, both explain, “ The pieces have all come together. First, we found Project Firefly who brought a level of unparalleled animation quality and professionalism to the project. Now, PorchLight will complement the mix as one of the fastest-growing distributors of quality television programs and movies for the worldwide marketplace.

PorchLight Entertainment is a multi-faceted company focused on the production and distribution of high-quality family entertainment and licensing and merchandising representation for children’s and family brands and trademarks. Since its formation in 1995 by veteran entertainment executives Bruce D. Johnson and William T. Baumann, PorchLight has produced the Emmy Award-winning animated series, Tutenstein, for Discovery Kids and Jetix Europe, Jay Jay The Jet Plane for PBS, and the animated children’s series Adventures from The Book of Virtues for PBS, as well as more than 30 live action and animated movies. PorchLight is currently producing Four Eyes for France 3, Nickelodeon Asia, Nickelodeon Australia and Disney Channel Italy, as well as a series of direct-to-videos for LeapFrog, the leading electronic toy company, among other productions. The company distributes a library of over 175 movies and over 500 episodes of children’s programs. For more information, visit www.porchlight.com.

Project Firefly is a full-service animation studio providing both 2-D and 3-D quality animation for theatrical and video releases, television series, commercials and interactive media. The company generates original content as well as offers world-class animation production support. Project Firefly’s first big-screen feature credit will come in February 2006 with Universal Pictures’ and Imagine Entertainment’s "Curious George," for which Project Firefly was a major contributor, including the animation of George. For more information,visit www.projectfirefly.com.

Robin Cowie is a filmmaker and television producer, credited with producing The Blair Witch Project, several television series and numerous television specials and commercials. Ethan Long is a popular author and illustrator whose children's book credits include "Mañana Iguana", "Snarf Attack" and "Tickle the Duck!"