Match Game 2026

I sit in the contestant's chair on the set of a game show from my childhood.  Familiar theme music vamps. 

"Doot.  Doo.  Do-da-doot-da-doodle.  Doot.  Doo.  Do-da-doot-da-doodle..." 

Johnny Olson's voice rings out, "Get ready to match the stars!"  Not real Johnny.  He died forty years ago.  Ai Johnny.  

"Squidward!"  Do-da-doot-da-doodle...

"Velma!"  Do-da-doot-da-doodle...

"Peppa Pig!"  Do-da-doot-da-doodle...

"Minnie Mouse!"  Do-da-doot-da-doodle...

"Krusty the Clown!"  Do-da-doot-da-doodle.... 

"And Penny Proud!  As we play the star-studded Match Game 2026!  And now your host, Geeeeene Rayburn!"

Longtime host Gene Rayburn bows.  Also Ai, also longtime dead.  The theme music fades under fake audience applause.   Ai Gene circa 1975 clutches a long, thin microphone.  His two hands become three, then hooves, then salamis. He introduces me, reading from an Ai index card that alternates between card and conch shell.

Maya's Bracelet

Maya's mom is my very dear friend.  When I was working on Shimmer & Shine back in 2017,  she would send photos or videos of little Maya dressed up as one of the genies.  So cute.  It was Maya's favorite show back then.  On occasion, I'd send Shimmer & Shine swag with a little note from "the genies".  I even got the actress who played Shimmer (or was it Shine?) to record a special voice message for her.

When I heard Maya was becoming a bat mitzvah, I couldn't believe it.  Poof!  She grew up.  I couldn't attend the event, but wanted to get her something special.   This is where Chloe Kono comes in.

I met Chloe at a group art show last year.  She had an assortment of whimsical jewelry made from precious metals and gems.  I found her to be a kindred spirit, and we became fast friends.  I'd been wanting to create something with her.  Maya's bat mitzvah is where these two paths would meet.  

Breaking Bob

Breaking Bob is the third of my unintended series with the mice Bob and Ray.  This time around, Bob becomes a  M.I.C.E. agent.  Any similarity to real life events is purely intentional.  

 

After 42 years in the animation business, I still love the process of making animated films.  It's a bit like a slow motion improv, where I keep adding and subtracting things as I go.  

I hand animated this using Adobe Animate software.  I don't build rigs, but rather, approach it like old school, limited animation.   It's fully animated when necessary, with held levels where possible.  This may be my last project using Adobe Animate, as the company has announced its discontinuance.  The bastards.  I recorded the voices myself, using a Yeti microphone and Garage Band software in my clothes closet.  I used filters in Garage Band for audio effects.  The music and most of the sound effects were taken from a Hanna-Barbera CD I bought decades ago.

It's dark humor - a reflection of our times.  I hope you enjoy the short, and that it may inspire fellow artists to make their own statements.   

-Steve  

The Dead of Winter

This is the Xmas card I drew up for the holidays; dark humor, but that’s where we were at the end of 2025. A week into 2026, here we are...

I’ve made my own holiday cards for over 40 years. This is the first time I’ve done a follow up version. But here we are.