Hello everyone! I know this was some kind of a not too average post, but I wanted to share my updates and what I’ve been doing this first portion of the year.
A ton has been going on with me lately, as well with my family, which is why I haven’t posted anything regarding the Kaleo Fox Graphic Comic #1 - Strike Out and other animation tests lately. I am going to be real with y’all, like I said, I’m not intending on quitting social media or anything, it’s that I find it a real strain to post or freelance on these social media forms every day, including DeviantART, Newgrounds, Instagram and Bluesky. It’s not fun anymore due to how time consuming art is just for likes, shares and clout. You figure why a ton of stuff is happening to me? Not only I focus on outside activities like cycling, hiking and working out, but I also had to fight tooth and nail to get professional jobs in my field, but so far not only there are jobs that may not be a good fit for my skills, but also jobs I applied to don’t hear me back. It’s quite common these days due to the job market going down and all that snuff. Speaking about other hobbies outside the internet, to me, these activities as mentioned, like going out to nature is more important than just sitting behind a screen. I feel that social media can make people act up and get into wrongdoings, with growing egos, greed, envy, and lust, which in return diminish creativity. When you spend too much time posting something, or post every day to get more “views” and whatnot, it doesn’t end too well. That is why taking frequent breaks and maybe schedule a time to post is crucial, rather than just rushing a piece every day with other things in the way. And not to mention the algorithms make it harder to reach to a wider audience, and we can’t enjoy posting art at these days, but of course we all know that begging for likes, comments and shares can be counterproductive, especially to the viewers who may find it annoying. Someday I might have to make my own website for artworks, concept arts, animations, blog posts, and commissions called PlaToon Studios, even if I already have a portfolio site under my name, despite it taking trial and error, but who knows if social media could get even more bare bones?
Update on the Kaleo Fox #1 - Strike Out: You probably wonder why I haven’t posted regarding the graphic novel I mentioned earlier last winter. I feel unmotivated to progress through Kaleo Fox - Strike Out, due to a lack of interest, confusion on how the story will go, contradictions with scenes to make up the story triangle, and too much frame meddling. Maybe I will make the first comic book issue, but it’ll most likely contain three or four episodes on this one, much like a mini-series/strip show in part (like Western animated shows back in the day have their own strip shows as part of toy sales and whatnot, but I don’t usually focus on toy sales). But I am not sure if the first pilot episode will be intentionally a 30-60 page graphic novel, I mean others like Serafina Skunk and The Mammal Spies. Speaking about The Mammal Spies, I haven’t done drawings and artworks for a long time. I will get to redesigning characters and possibly the whole lore soon, if improvement is key, and when I will come back to making more Mammal Spies content.
A few months since graduation from university, I am finally starting new animation tests now, with a Kaleo Fox short animatic in the works. However, these take long, depending on the best possible visual creative route I should take, and if I don’t get so bored from stress that I always drift off into space. I also have plans on my list for the year, depending on how my work-life balance goes:
- Kaleo Fox - Where Do I Go? (Animatic)(IN PROGRESS)
- Kaleo Fox’s Introduction (Lip-Sync Test)
- Jabez Jackal Animation Test
- Kaleo Fox’s Walk Cycle (Animation Test)
- Never Spy My Plan!! (Grosso Skunk Animatic)
- Big Ferocious Dog (Kaleo Fox Animatic)
- Kaleo Fox’s Wildtake (Animatic)
- Whitzer Wolf’s Explosive Experiment (Animatic)
- I’m Da Great Masked Offender! (Parodic Animatic)(POSSIBLE)
There will be more to come if I’m done with these animatics, depending on how my 2D animation skills will go further. Regarding 3D, I have Kaleo Fox’s house in progress, which will be used with Maya. As my Autodesk student subscription will expire by the end of August, I will have to export the whole process into Blender, which I am learning how it works because it’s a different workspace compared to Maya’s. Not sure how long it will take, but hopefully I might have it done by the end of summer, or midsummer, depending on what events are happening. I will let you guys know how it will work and if it is ready to be posted.
And when the time is right and if I’m feeling well off, I will be making more works now. It doesn’t mean Kaleo Fox - Strike Out will be next, or cancelled permanently, but I just wanted to let any of you folks know what’s going on regarding personal matters, why I only post digital artworks and the Kaleo Fox Webcomix quite frequently and my realization with social media and how it can affect me as a cartoonist. If you would like to hear more about the series I’m planning to make, here are the episodes I have in mind, for strip show/graphic novel only. I will adapt them to TV show episodes, but this will be for the far future, if we get our hopes high for indie animation to flourish at some point.
(For the updated version of the Strike Out graphic novel cover, with the mention of Other Stories)
- Kaleo Fox Episode 1 - Strike Out (RESTARTED)
- Kaleo Fox Episode 2 - Stinky Stupid Skunk In Town
- Kaleo Fox Episode 3 - Good Fox, Evil Fox
- Kaleo Fox Episode 4 - Rocket Science Fail
Since I am getting more commissions underway, I will be closing commissions for a while until I get caught up with finishing them. But I may update the commission prices to make them a bit more affordable, as possible!
And so that is all the updates I have for now, have a good day! ^^
~ TheEnderToonist 2025
