Wisconsin (partially found Chris Moeller animated short film; 1994): Difference between revisions

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{{InfoboxLost
{{InfoboxLost
|title=<center>Wisconsin 1994 short film</center>
|title=<center>Wisconsin (1994 short film)</center>
|image=
|image=Wisconsin.png
|status=<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span>
|imagecaption=An image from the film.
|status=<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Lost'''</span>
}}     
}}     
Christopher, "Chris" Scott Moeller was an American animator and director for ''The Simpsons'' and the Creator of the 2004 CGI animated ''Sci fi'' series ''Tripping the Rift'', along with Chuck Austen who also pitched two versions of the series' 1998 pilot "Love and Darph".  
Christopher "Chris" Scott Moeller (1967-2014) was an American animator and director. He worked on numerous animated series, including ''King of the Hill'' and ''The Simpsons'', and was the creator of the 2004 CGI animated sci-fi series ''Tripping the Rift''.


In 1994, Chris created a production company called ''Dark Bunny Productions'' and began producing animated shorts. One of them called '''Wisconsin''', introduced the character "Chode McBlob", a purple, tentacled alien that would become the main character in both the pilot and the series for ''Tripping the Rift''. The information on the short film and the film itself could be found on the Dark Bunny Productions website along with other short films, but unfortunately the website doesn't exist anymore and attempting to go onto the site will redirect you to a site called "Huge Domains" where you can buy the Dark Bunny website.  
In 1994, Chris created a production company called ''Dark Bunny Productions'' and began producing animated shorts. One of these shorts was the now-lost '''Wisconsin''', which notably introduced the character Chode McBlob, a purple, tentacled alien that would become the main character in ''Tripping the Rift''.


Furthermore, we can't ask Chris Moeller about the whereabouts of the short film because he died on December, 31st of 2014 after he "lost his long battle with ALS" according to Legacy.com where his obituary was found. No traces of the animated short has ever leaked or archived onto other websites since the site shut down without warning and the short has been completely lost to this day. The only information about the short is that the Chode character was introduced. It is unknown whether or not that "Wisconsin" will ever resurface.                
While a copy of the film exists on a VHS tape at the CalArts library, no master copies have ever surfaced, rendering it partially lost.


==Known Information==
A description of the short on the now-defunct Dark Bunny website reads as follows:


== External Links ==
<blockquote>"It was a quiet evening on a farm in Wisconsin. The ornery farm dog is awakened by a noise in the pantry and goes to investigate, only to discover a purple, tentacled monstrosity stealing a box of candy bars. The dog chases the startled alien through the farm and corners it, forcing it to surrender the candy bars and to beam back to the mother ship. Just what the hell are those aliens up to, anyway?"<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20000303154837/http://www.darkbunny.com/dbfilms.htm Archived version of darkbunny.com from 2000.] Retrieved 22 Mar '21</ref></blockquote>


* [http://www.darkbunny.com/dbfilms.htm Dead link to Dark Bunny Productions website]
Furthermore, Moeller adds:


* [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tripping_the_Rift Wikipedia page on Tripping the Rift, mentioning the short film]
<blockquote>"This is easily my best work and is the reason I managed to get a job in animation. It won the 1994 Walter Lantz award at the Producer's Show and will someday be put on cels and colored (time willing... ''King of the Hill'' keeps me pretty busy)."</blockquote>


* [https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/christopher-moeller-obituary?pid=173759062 Christopher Moeller's Obituary]
It's unknown whether Moeller ever got around to putting ''Wisconsin'' on cels and coloring it, but the above quote was still present on the Dark Bunny site in 2012 (the most recent available version).<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120301023121/http://www.darkbunny.com/dbfilms.htm 2012 version of darkbunny.com.] Retrieved 22 Mar '21</ref>


[[Category:Completely lost media]] [[Category:lost films]] [[Category: lost animation]] [[Category: lost internet media]]
==Walter Lantz Award==
''Wisconsin'' won the 1994 Walter Lantz Award. From IMDB:
 
<blockquote>"Since 1992, California Institute of the Arts Character Animation Program gives its highest-rated student film the Walter Lantz Award; also nicknamed "The Woody"."</blockquote>
 
==CalArts Producers' Show 1993-1994 Footage==
Footage of ''Wisconsin'' is known to exist on a VHS tape of the 1993-1994 CalArts Producers' Show that's held at the CalArts library.<ref>[https://calarts.on.worldcat.org/oclc/39710495 CalArts library record for the 1993-1994 Producers' Show footage that includes ''Wisconsin''.] Retrieved 22 Mar '21</ref> ''Wisconsin'' is the first short on the reel and has a runtime of 3:20.
 
==External Links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20000303154837/http://www.darkbunny.com/dbfilms.htm An archived version of Darkbunny.com from 2000 that includes an image and a description of ''Wisconsin''.]
*[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tripping_the_Rift Wikipedia page on ''Tripping the Rift'', mentioning the short film.]
*[https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/christopher-moeller-obituary?pid=173759062 Christopher Moeller's obituary.]
 
==References==
{{reflist}}
 
[[Category:Lost animation]]  
[[Category:Lost internet media]]
[[Category:Lost films]]
[[Category:Completely lost media]]

Revision as of 10:19, 25 July 2021

Wisconsin.png

An image from the film.

Status: Partially Lost

Christopher "Chris" Scott Moeller (1967-2014) was an American animator and director. He worked on numerous animated series, including King of the Hill and The Simpsons, and was the creator of the 2004 CGI animated sci-fi series Tripping the Rift.

In 1994, Chris created a production company called Dark Bunny Productions and began producing animated shorts. One of these shorts was the now-lost Wisconsin, which notably introduced the character Chode McBlob, a purple, tentacled alien that would become the main character in Tripping the Rift.

While a copy of the film exists on a VHS tape at the CalArts library, no master copies have ever surfaced, rendering it partially lost.

Known Information

A description of the short on the now-defunct Dark Bunny website reads as follows:

"It was a quiet evening on a farm in Wisconsin. The ornery farm dog is awakened by a noise in the pantry and goes to investigate, only to discover a purple, tentacled monstrosity stealing a box of candy bars. The dog chases the startled alien through the farm and corners it, forcing it to surrender the candy bars and to beam back to the mother ship. Just what the hell are those aliens up to, anyway?"[1]

Furthermore, Moeller adds:

"This is easily my best work and is the reason I managed to get a job in animation. It won the 1994 Walter Lantz award at the Producer's Show and will someday be put on cels and colored (time willing... King of the Hill keeps me pretty busy)."

It's unknown whether Moeller ever got around to putting Wisconsin on cels and coloring it, but the above quote was still present on the Dark Bunny site in 2012 (the most recent available version).[2]

Walter Lantz Award

Wisconsin won the 1994 Walter Lantz Award. From IMDB:

"Since 1992, California Institute of the Arts Character Animation Program gives its highest-rated student film the Walter Lantz Award; also nicknamed "The Woody"."

CalArts Producers' Show 1993-1994 Footage

Footage of Wisconsin is known to exist on a VHS tape of the 1993-1994 CalArts Producers' Show that's held at the CalArts library.[3] Wisconsin is the first short on the reel and has a runtime of 3:20.

External Links

References