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June FableFriday: Gary Goldberger, President and Co-Founder

“I like to get my hands dirty. Sometimes I know just enough to be dangerous,” Gary Goldberger, FableVision’s president said as he laughed. “Don’t put that in. Okay, fine, you can leave it in.”

As a sculpture and physics student at Clark University, Gary wanted to be an animatronics artist and make robots for movies. He’s a self-proclaimed Star Wars geek and even wrote George Lucas a note when he was younger trying to get an internship. Years later he did the same cold-call reach out to Paul Reynolds at CF Video (Paul is now FableVision’s CEO) – but unlike Lucas, Paul took his call.

A college-aged Gary showed up for his interview at CF Video in what is always described in FableVision lore as “the world’s most wrinkled green suit.”

“As a college student, I wasn’t wearing a lot of suits—that was my only one. And I had purple hair…I’m pretty sure everyone thought I was a ‘little bit off’—luckily, Paul saw past the suit and the hair.” Gary’s video chronicling the adventures of a group of oranges captured Paul’s imagination, and Gary started a six-month internship at CF Video that turned into a year and a half.

Paul introduced Gary to his twin brother, Peter H. Reynolds, who at the time was working at Tom Snyder Productions. “My collaboration with the Reynolds brothers really solidified when I met Pete – he would dream something up and I would make it happen. And we’ve been doing that for the past 18 years.”

One of Gary’s all-time favorite collaborations with Pete was on the award-winning animated film The Blue Shoe, a sweet and emotionally-stirring love story between an unlikely pair: a Blue Shoe and a Green Boot. “We worked nights and weekends for months in between our regular client work to make this film because we loved the story – it was a true labor of love. I am just as proud of it today as I was almost 20 years ago.”  

Gary was a founding member of FableVision when it was created in 1996. For over 18 years, FableVision has been a media development studio on a 200-year mission to move the world to a better place through story, media, and technology.

“We haven’t outgrown that mission but we have grown in our capabilities and reach, and have found other people to join that mission,” he said. “Everyone here wants to be here and believes in the mission. That’s part of what makes us so special.”

From animation to websites to online games and apps, Gary has a unique perspective into all things FableVision. He serves as executive creative director on many of our projects, oversees the day-to-day running of the Studio, and isn’t afraid to get down-and-dirty on projects. As June’s FableFriday, Gary gives a look at his passions – at the Studio and in the great outdoors.

What is the secret to FableVision’s success, and what do you see for the future?
I truly believe it’s the people that come to FableVision – the talents that they bring, the passions that they have, and the joy they bring to everything they’re working on…that’s why we’ve been successful.

In the beginning we were a bunch of artists running around with a lot of great ideas and intentions but without a ton of organization. We started to see real success once Karen Bresnahan [FableVision’s executive producer] came on and helped us implement production processes. Our project management skills and processes to this day are really tight and well-oiled, and we always strive to find that perfect balance of artistry and efficiency. We are very proud of that.  

Our next chapter is to continue to do the important projects that we’re doing, but to have more reach. We’ve put a strong focus in the past year on building our Original Properties division in television, long-form animation, gaming, and other media. We recently “put out our shingle” to let the world know we are growing with this new direction. We’re building out more capabilities so we can handle larger projects and have even more services for new and existing clients.

You’ve held just about every position at FableVision: artist, animator, developer, creative, even number-cruncher! What kind of insight does that give you into the products we create and the leadership you provide?
We’re a small company and everyone here has to wear multiple hats in one form or another. The upside of my having worked in so many roles over the years is that when people are having challenges, they can come and tap me on the shoulder. Most likely, I’ve faced a similar problem myself and found a solution, even if it might seem a little out of left field. I love sitting with folks and tackling a challenge together, it’s always great to see what different perspectives can bring to the table.

The one downside to having tried my hand at so many different things is that it could be easy to fall into a micro-managing role. But you have to step back and let people do their own thing. I work with amazing people that I trust absolutely. They get things done and they get them done well.

How do you stay on top of new technology?
I am fascinated by new technology, and I love playing with whatever the newest thing is as soon as it comes out – sometimes even before if I can be a Beta tester. My learning time is from the time my family goes to sleep to right until I go to bed. So instead of watching TV, I’ll just be up playing – learning a new programming language, making an app, Beta testing a new database. It sounds geeky saying it out loud, but it’s really fun for me.

If you want to learn something you find the time. I sneak reading tech books, watching video tutorials, or listening to podcasts into little pockets of free time. There are so many different resources out there that there’s nothing you can’t teach yourself.

Let’s talk about talent. Any advice for people looking to work in this industry?
Don’t wait. Just begin. Start with a small project you can finish. If people have something to show what their passion is, something that shows they took initiative and had the drive to follow it through – not even perfectly – that speaks volumes to me.

What makes a good game? What makes a good learning game?
I know a game is good when I can’t stop thinking about it and I have to go back and keep playing it. It doesn’t have to have a multi-million dollar budget or insanely realistic graphics. If I become emotionally invested in a game, that’s a good game. It doesn’t have to be story-based, but if it hits that emotional need, it’s a winner.

I was playing Destiny for a long time with my son, Gordon, and my brother-in-law. So that was an emotional connection outside of the actual game that made us want to play it. When I was at PAX East earlier this year I played Divide by Sheep with my daughter, Tatum, for hours. It is one of the most delightful learning games that I have ever seen. It has a great balance between humor and story and a completely seamless way of integrating learning and action. Honestly, I wish we made that game.

Zoombinis is another game that has everything going for it. Zoombinis has story and then the puzzles are addictive and suck you in. As you go through the game, you realize you are learning the underlying logic concepts. I can’t wait for us to finish developing that game so we can show it off to the world.  

You’re a big hobbyist. What’s on your plate for this summer?
Beekeeping is my new obsession. I count the days until I get to open the hives and see what they've been building. I’ve wanted to keep bees ever since we got our house. My mom got me a beekeeping suit six years ago and I figured, what better reason to wear it? My kids help me too. It’s been great because they’re so fascinated, they’re as excited about it as I am. It’s a whole ecosystem that’s fun to explore together.

I’ve also been into woodworking for a long time. I took some classes at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education. I just made a pine dining room table. My friend had these huge pieces of wood that were so raw you could see the chain saw marks. We each made a table from them. Nick Offerman has this article in Fine Woodworking Magazine—doesn’t everybody read that?—where he made a jig with a router, so we created Nick Offerman’s jig to mill our boards down. We made everything from scratch. It was a fun project. Also, I should mention that I love Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman’s character on Parks and Recreation) SO much.

Favorites:
Games to play with your kids: Settlers of Catan, Agricola, 7 Wonders
Motorcycle: My favorite bike that I’ve had was the Seca 650 – we went cross-country together. I’ve always wanted a Triumph or a Ducati (I have an affinity to the Monster).
Way to take your coffee: Black
Book: Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
Musician: Bob Dylan
Snack: Beef jerky
Vacation spots: The birth-place of the donut: Camden, Maine. We went there last year, and it was great to spend time unplugged and relaxing with my family. The Poconos are awesome. Newport, RI is an old favorite. Fly-fishing in Montana is really beautiful and peaceful. 

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My mother and I read...

To celebrate Mother’s Day, we’re giving a nod to our favorite storytellers and bedtime-story readers, our moms. FableVisionaries share their favorite books their moms read to them or turned them on to. To kick-off, our Creative Director, Leigh Hallisey, shares a story about her mom’s influence on her love for the written word.

My mom is a bookworm. (As am I, as is my daughter. Nature or nurture, it’s awesome.) Our house was always full of books, and our weekly ritual growing up was going to the library to trade in our giant stacks for fresh new ones. It’s not surprising that I was an early reader, snuggling up next to my mom every night on the couch with our books and our miniature schnauzer — named Dickens, after Charles.

The first book I learned to read was Are You My Mother? by Dr. Seuss, right around when I turned four. She was so excited that as soon as my dad got home from work, she had me read the book to him. He’s a little more pragmatic, and suggested that I had memorized the book and wasn’t actually reading.

Dad, what were you thinking? Never challenge the mother lion when it comes to her cub’s genius! So my mom swapped that book out for There’s a Wocket in My Pocket, with the same result: I read and Dad doubted. He finally brought over the evening newspaper and pointed out a few simple words, which I was able to read and finally convinced him that my mom and I weren’t just masterminds of an elaborate parlor trick. My mom saved my whole collection of Dr. Seuss books, and it was amazing to turn those same, though slightly yellowed and musty, pages when I read them to my daughter, transferring not just the sound of the words but the love of them as well.

Andrea Calvin, Brand and Development Strategist
As my childhood was filled with books, it’s hard for me to pick just one book that my mom and I read together. I could talk about The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood. It was the first book I read on my own. Then again, after reading the book with my mom every day for months, I had it memorized. She still has the well worn, shipping tape-repaired copy. As I graduated to chapter books my mom and I would read together before bed. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi was my favorite. The titular character is independent woman traveling by sea to England to America when crazy things start to happen. Then there’s the infamous reading of Anne of Green Gables — the series we started and she finished on her own. 

Bill Gonzalez, Producer
My mom read us all the classics of our era like Go Dog Go, Cat in the Hat, and Make Way for Ducklings. She also gave us an appreciation for art and dance. (Portrait of Bill by Marianne.)

Peter H. Reynolds, Founder
My mother bought us a copy of Charlie and Chocolate Factory for our birthday in 1968. It was the first chapter book that really grabbed me and had me reading and re-reading. Roald Dahl became a favorite and a mentor for me. He was a grown up with an imagination fueling mountains of stories. Our mum knew how to inspire us!

Taryn Johnson, Production Artist and Animator
When I was a kid, my mom gave me a book she had read many times over when she was growing up. The book was called The Happy Moomins and was filled with magical stories about the Moomin family and their friends, and the adventures they have when they find a magic hat owned by the Hobgoblin. She told me she re-read it as many times as I did, and loved looking over the illustrated map of their world. I cherished the book and its characters as much as she did! The Moomins and their stories are a special thing my mom and I share.

Keith Zulawnik, Lead Artist
My mom used to read The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree with me, and the spread that I'm attaching actually inspired me to want to be an illustrator! Look at all those awesome little rooms!

Sarah Ditkoff, Communications and Development Strategist
My mom read The Little House on the Prairie series to me when I was little. I loved the Ingalls family and how the wild landscape surrounding them became a part of their family too. My mom actually just bought an antique coffee grinder in Maine. Ma Ingalls ground up wheat in their coffee grinder to make bread so they wouldn't starve.

Jordan Persson, Production Assistant
My mom and I read more books together than I can count. Starting at a very young age, she would read to me at bedtime, introducing me to Roald Dahl, Astrid Lindgren, and more. When I was older, she took me to book signings: Lemony Snicket; Terry Pratchett (pictured); Brian Jacques; Eoin Colfer; anyone we liked who would be appearing in a several-state radius. It was surreal to realize that all these stories I had taken for granted as An Unarguable Part of the World came from people who cast shadows in the light of day like anyone else. Later this month, my mother, my father, and I will be flying to England to attend a convention featuring British author Jasper Fforde. It'll be like old times.

Alyssa Graca, Marketing Intern
Growing up, my mom and I had a nightly ritual of reading together before bedtime. I didn’t start out as the best reader, and so my mom had to have a lot of patience helping me get through stories without getting frustrated at learning the new words. One of the earliest books I remember loving to read with her was The Monster at the End of This Book. As a kid (and even today), I loved the interactivity the picture book encouraged with the reader; Grover literally tells you to stop turning the pages in order to prevent getting to the end – and you know how well kids love to follow directions! Interactive books like this one really helped me develop a love for reading, but none of that would have happened without my mom encouraging me along the way.

Paloma Diaz-Dickson, Art Intern
When I first learned about this blog post, I emailed my mom about it and this is what she said: "I always tried to make books a part of your life whatever stage of life you were in. I even read to you while you were in my tummy.”

I brought a few of my favorite books back to Somerville last time I went home to Bolivia. I figured there's a reason I chose to bring these books, and not others; some of them just have gorgeous illustrations or touching stories, most of them have both. Some of them teach a valuable lesson, others simply entertain. I credit my interest in illustration to this early exposure by my mother (and father) during story time.

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May FableFriday: Taryn Johnson, Production Artist and Animator

An explorer by nature, Taryn Johnson believes that art and science don't have to be exclusive. As a student at Hampshire College, Taryn designed her own curriculum – one that included both art and science – giving her the flexibility to explore both.

“Art is a way to share and express the things that really stuck with me from my classes, and science was a source of inspiration in my art classes,” she explained.

This fusion of her passions would shape her senior thesis and eventually lead to an internship at FableVision Studios that evolved into a job as a production artist and animator.

Her quirky style, unique perspective, love for animals, and zest for learning makes Taryn a valuable addition to the FableVision family. But it’s her ability to learn new things quickly – from video editing, to animation, to programming – that makes her a go-to-person in the Studio. As May’s FableFriday, Taryn shares how she keeps the sense of wonder instilled in her from the ocean prevalent in her creative process today.

At Hampshire College you studied animation and marine biology, how did you strike a balance between art and science?
I was always seeking to combine the two and that culminated in my senior thesis. I spent the year making interactive animations about marine science. There was a plankton “microscope” where you could continue magnifying a dish of water to see animated critters inside. I made a geologic timeline to show the scale of Earth’s history, and all the strange animals that have lived in its prehistoric seas. There was also a piece about sea otters and their importance as keystone species.

How do you find that your interests in art and science are used in your job at FableVision?
One of my favorite things about science is sharing the things I learn, and that happens all the time at FableVision! I have a special fondness for the projects related to animals, marine biology, and evolution, but all of the work we do is fun. Each project brings with it something new to learn.

You’re like a Swiss army knife, able to do many different things on a variety of projects. What are your typical responsibilities?
I enjoy learning how to do something, and I pick things up quickly, which I think has led to my diverse collection of skills. It’s great because my role on a project is always changing, and I’m always learning something new. Some of the tasks I have include character animation, animatics, motion graphics, design, special effects, video editing, illustration, sprite sheets, optimizing art files, and even programming! I think working on so many different sides of a project gives me a better understanding of each part of the process, and in turn, helps me do a better job at the portion I’m working on.

Can you walk us through your animation process? 
This depends a lot on the kind of animation. For some styles of animation, I’ll take the character design, break it into pieces, and rig it… kind of like a puppet! Other projects require more drawing, or are more motion graphics based – moving text, shapes, and designs around the screen in a way that conveys information successfully, but looks nice, too. Sometimes I take illustrative backgrounds and add a little motion and light to make it feel more dynamic… like a waterfall with mist, or a flock of birds in the sky. I really enjoy taking artwork by the illustrators and adding my own part to it.

What has been your favorite FableVision project to work on?
I enjoyed working on the Mission Animal Rescue videos we did for National Geographic Kids. It was a combination of animation and video, so I was either animating, or watching through footage NatGeo sent us of lions, wolves, elephants, and polar bears. I learned so much about the animals and the threats that face them. And, I truly felt like I was contributing to an issue I personally care about.

Another project that stands out to me is the Fish Identification app we made for the New England Aquarium. The ipad app helps visitors identify and learn more about the fish and other animals in the Giant Ocean Tank. Working with New England Aquarium was great, and it was so rewarding to visit the aquarium and see something I helped make in action!

 You are our resident Zoombinis super fan, can you share a bit about why you love this game?
The closest thing to video games I had growing up was educational computer software and Zoombinis was one of my favorites. I spent hours, with a friend of mine, playing that game and solving the puzzles. We had a plan to get every single zoombini to Zoombiniville. It’s such a great game because it integrates math and logic into a story in such a way that the player hardly realizes they are learning. It’s a challenging game, while still being fun. The narrative also drew me in. We would make up stories and drawings about the zoombinis and their journey.

What inspires you?
The ocean, the mountains, nature… little unheard stories that haven’t been told. Things from my childhood still have a lasting impact on me - the books I read, the animals I liked, the places I explored. It’s not so different now. I think books are probably my biggest source of inspiration though. Reading and learning still stirs up in me the inspiration to create, or share, or change the world.

You’re a big outdoor enthusiast! Tell us a bit about your hobbies.
I love being outside! I ride my bike to work almost every day, which is such a pleasant experience (except for the potholes). Getting around the city by bike is such a great way to be environmentally conscious, get exercise, enjoy the weather, AND get where you’re going faster. Even biking in the rain can be fun!

My interest in learning new things has led to a lot of hobbies. I’m always trying to split my time between yoga, climbing, camping, and sailing. And finding time to spend indoors reading, writing, or playing guitar. I love snow! My dad took me skiing a lot when I was a kid, so in the winter I ski and snowboard. Or just make snowmen.

And you sail a lot, right? Is this one of the reasons why you’re interested in marine biology?
I grew up near the ocean, and went sailing often with my family. Besides day trips, we would spend a few weeks every summer exploring along the coast of Maine. I was always poking through tide pools at barnacles, snails, and other odd creatures. And on the open water, looking out for porpoises, harbor seals, or the occasional whale. We saw a Mola mola soaking up the sun once, and looked it up in our fish guidebook because we had never seen anything like it. I remember making a “periscope” out of a cardboard milk carton and saran wrap to peer at the strange things growing under the docks while my dad did work on the boat. My sister and I even managed to catch a jellyfish once, but it didn’t look like much once it was out of the water. The ocean was this great, mysterious place, always changing, and continuously full of new things to discover. I think that stayed with me as I got older, and I’ve kept that fascination for the strange and vibrant world that exists underwater.

Favorites

Hobby: Playing my guitar or getting lost in books
Animal: Pangolin!
Ocean animal: Octopus! Or nudibranchs, they are fascinating.
Movie: My Neighbor Totoro – I watched it all the time with my sister as a kid.
Picture book: Stellaluna by Janell Cannon. It’s about bats!
Ocean book: The Sea Around Us by Rachel Carson
Game: Our Dungeons & Dragons campaign! I play a half-elf rogue who has a pick-pocketing pet monkey.
Music artist: St. Vincent
Health food: Avocados!! And broccoli.
Non-healthy food: Mac n’ cheese

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A Night Powered by STEAM Thinking at FableVision Studios

Oh, what a night! FableVision and The Reynolds Center for Teaching, Learning, and Creativity gave creative educators a peek behind FableVision Studios’ curtains where all the magic happens!

Special guest Miss Massachusetts, Lauren Kuhn, one of five STEM scholarship recipients at Miss America, introduced Peter H. Reynolds and Paul A. Reynolds, co-founders of the Reynolds Center and FableVision. Don’t let the tiara intimidate you, she’s the sweetest!

Attendees got an exclusive look at a wide array of STEAM-themed items:

  • HUTCH Magazine, a magazine filled with submissions from kids in grade K-6. HUTCH is published semi-annually under the direction of Peter H. Reynolds, with the help of the Blue Bunny Bookstore, and his nonprofit foundation, the Reynolds Center. The magazine features stories, art, poetry, book reviews, travel logs, and interviews submitted by kids.
  • Zoombinis! Through a partnership with TERC and the Learning Games Network, FableVision Studios embarked on a journey to relaunch the classic ’90s game for today’s generation. Through Zoombinis, players learn important life skills such as algebraic thinking, data analysis, theory formulation, and more in a fun, engaging setting. Get a sneak peek of this remastered game before it’s launched later this summer!
  • Fab@School Maker Studio, a digital fabrication software tool with curriculum support that is helping turn elementary school classrooms and libraries into dynamic makerspaces. What a cool tool!
  • International Dot Day, a global festival of creativity, courage and collaboration inspired by Peter H. Reynolds and his bestselling book The Dot, celebrated by nearly 2 million students, teachers, and librarians in schools around the world last year.
  • STEAMthinking.org, featuring online, creative resources for educators introducing the STEAM approach into their classrooms — including Peter and Paul Reynolds’ new STEAM-Powered Adventures of Sydney & Simon in Full STEAM Ahead published by Charlesbridge Publishing.

Head to our Facebook page to see more photos from last night! A big, giant, heart-felt thank you to everyone who came out. You are all amazing. With extra thanks to the Blue Hills Bank Charitable Foundation for their generous sponsorship of this event and the Reynolds Center programs.

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FableVision celebrates National Pet Day

In honor of National Pet Day, FableVisionaries share stories about our furry (and techy) FableFriends. To kick-off the celebration our Tech Director, Brian Grossman, has an interesting memory about a family pet. 

As a parent of three children, life always seems hectic. The prospect of taking in a pet is somewhat daunting. That, in conjunction with the fact that I am allergic to most furry creatures, has left the Grossman household petless. But there was one exception.

About 10 years ago, when my oldest of three was just starting Kindergarten, we had a pet. A betta fish. Named Norman. Norman met the necessary criteria for success in the Grossman household: he had no fur and required minimal care. 

We took care of Norman for slightly over two years. He lived in a bowl on our kitchen table. One day, shortly after his two-year birthday, we noticed that Norman was lethargic. He wouldn’t always eat the few specks of food we left in his bowl and he seemed to be hauling fin. It was at this point that my wife and I realized that Norman would likely pass from this world to whatever kingdom lies at the end of our toilet pipe.

We saw this as an opportunity. The concept of death is not easy to grasp for young children. So we waited, attentively monitoring Norman’s health. 

I was the first to see Norman belly up in his bowl on the morning of his death. I informed my wife and we put our plan into action. We pulled the kids aside and stepped through each of the carefully crafted, kid-digestable points we had outlined:  

All creatures eventually die.
It was Norman’s time to go.
Death is permanent.
It’s not something to be afraid of.

My wife and I regularly exchanged glances during the discussion — we were putting on a clinic in advanced parenting skills — we were successfully tackling one of the more challenging teaching moments for our children. After a Q&A session that included weighty inquiries like “Can we get a red fish next time?” and “Have you seen my blankie?”, we went into the kitchen for breakfast.

Norman clearly did not get the memo.  

Not only was Norman not dead, but he was dashing around in his bowl, arguably more alive than he had been in months, devilishly energized by the fact that he had unravelled our greatest moment as parents.

 
 

Alyssa Graca, Marketing Intern
“Meet Hunter! These photos are the closest most people will get to having a look at him...he tends to stay hidden whenever guests are over our house. When it's just my family, however, you can't get him to stop meowing. For a cat named Hunter, he does not live up to his name – even a little mouse is enough to send him running!”

Andrea Calvin, Brand and Development Strategist
“Jackie is a 18-year-old fluffy cat that was born under a porch. She enjoys naps, scratches under the chin, treats, and chow mein noodles. Her day begins promptly at 5:30 a.m. with a can of cat food and ends at 9:30 p.m. when she finds her spot in the bed. The hours in between are spent napping, snacking, and looking at doorways. She is a complex cat.” 

Taryn Johnson, Production Artist & Animator
"When I was seven, I picked out a little kitten from the pet store display, and she was my cat for the next 20 years! I named her Pixy (with a 'y' because my sister and I both have y's in our names). She was a great cat, and a close companion throughout all those years."

Michael Fogarasi, Associate Producer
"I have two Dachshunds but they live with my parents in Germany. Ivy is the black one and Filbert is the brown one. I miss them both very much."

Leigh Hallisey, Creative Director
"Our family has more pets than people (4 to 3)—we really should have our own Buzzfeed newsletter. We have, in chronological age, Vanilla Chinchilla  (14), Fable the guinea pig (7), Splat the cat (3), and our newest four-legged family member, Knuffle the dog (6 months). It’s hard to describe the uncomplicated joy that these animals bring to my life. If you are ever in need of some pet therapy—a wet nose in your eyeball, a flurry of whiskers tickling your face—the petting zoo is always open for business."

Danielle Gillis, Producer
“This is Darby. She's my pug niece. Her favorite things to do are: eat, chase squirrels in the backyard, hunt for scraps of falling food in the kitchen, snuggle, and stare at you one hour before dinnertime waiting for you to say ‘are you hungry?’”

Paloma Diaz-Dickson, Art Intern
So this is my cat, Mamma T. Cat, usually referred to just as just Cat or The Cat. She spends most of her time pondering the very important, and extremely often asked, question "WHO'S A KITTY?!" Also, quick shout out to my first pet, and only dog I've ever had, Kahlua. A beautiful and sweet Siberian Husky that enjoyed the tropical weather of Bolivia. She lived for 16 years and was part of the family and will always be my favorite dog ever. 

Alice Kim, Marketing Intern
“My beagle Candy likes to bury herself in blankets and thinks she's a princess. Even though she's almost 10 years old, she will still poop on the carpet when we don't take her outside. And she’s convinced that the Kim family hierarchy goes (from top to bottom): Dad, Mom, my older brother, her, and then me.”

Gary Goldberger, President
"This was taken by my son, Gordon, of Holly."

Loren Lee-Flynn, UX/UI Designer
"This is Baxter. He's a distinguished gentleman of twelve years old, and yes — he's just as smart as he looks. He's very particular, so if he likes you, you should consider it an honor."

Cecilia Lenk, Creative Strategist
Boodle – Everyone's Friend (2002-2015)
“Boodle, Boo, the Boo loved everyone (including all cats and squirrels) and everyone loved him (except most cats and squirrels). Named after the famous line in the original 101 Dalmations animated movie ‘We want our Boodle!’, his joy was infectious. Every day was the absolute best day ever. If you were grumpy or tired, Boodle quickly changed your mood for the better. He was always part of the fun – from sleeping absolutely in the middle of the kitchen when someone was cooking, to playing with his crew of dog buddies down at the park, to jumping through snow drifts. A true epicure, he loved to eat cucumbers, enjoyed the occasional bone, and was always available for a tasting when cheese was present. We miss our Boodle.” 

Didi Hatcher, Lead Animator
“Our pet Bogdanka has a story behind her name. I used to read my husband stories from a folk tale book in Bulgarian, so he could practice his Bulgarian. In one story, the prettiest girl in the village was called Bogdanka. When he heard the name, he cracked up laughing, and declared it the ugliest name he'd ever heard. To him, it sounded like ‘bog’ and ‘dank’...not a very pleasant association! He said that we HAD to name something Bogdanka. I would not sacrifice a daughter, so we agreed on a pet. (Though informally she goes by Kitty instead.)” 

Jordan Persson, Production Assistant
“I never had a real pet growing up, but I had a huge collection of virtual pets when they were big. My first was one of the Tamagotchis – a Christmas gift from my grandfather – and I was hesitant to activate it. I knew that it would eventually ‘die’ and that I would probably be heartbroken when it did. Sure enough, 26 days later I woke up to find that my on-screen pet had sprouted wings and was flying through an infinite starry sky. I've heard that in the later models, they removed old age as a cause of death. It was a powerful teaching tool, though. Some things are inevitable, and all you can do after they happen is hold down A and C to move on.”

Do you have a pet story to share? Leave a comment!

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