Dear William H. Frake III,

Don’t worry.

Hugs,

Rafael

Be kind to each other this Holiday Season!!!

Feliz Navidad peoples.

Love-Rz

THE 80′S… neon wetsuits and Winchell’s doughnuts. Waxing your Timpone, Hayward, or Burke on the sidewalk.  The mixed smell of damp alsphalt, low tide and fast food garbage. Oingo Boingo seeping, “ONLY A LAD…” from a car stereo.  I was such a scrawny little grom.

I would paddle out southside at the Huntington Beach Pier.  The plan was to sit with the rippers and watch them go.  Then I’d snatch the leftovers on the inside, copying what I saw.  That’s how you learned.

On the ultra-early mornings this rare stunt would develop.  A few dawn patrolers would use the lingering cover of night, slip over the rail and jump off the pier, skipping the paddle out all together.  Everyone in the lineup would hoot, and throw those ear piercing whistles you hear at concerts or ball games.  It was rad.

Sometimes the lifeguards would call the cops.  Sometimes they pretended not to see anything.  It all depended on who you were.  The fine was something like $100 + a court date.  You know, public safety.  Whatever cops.  Getting away with a pier jump had to be the best.

Friends said I “nailed him” with this one.  There wasn’t any nailing, no nailing went about, that’s disgusting.  I wonder if he has the drawing on his fridge still.  What’s up Patrick– if you see this.

I decided to give it an update.  We used to jam together in a band that met random Thursday nights, more as an excuse to drink Tecate than to make a record.  His wedding video contains impressive footage of me dancing like a imbecile to James Brown, embarrassing everyone within an 8 foot radius.  I wish I could destroy those parts.  Patrick is a really talented artist and musician who also works in animation.  He is in my Amigos section–>

Tony Maki : storyboard artist. The walking whisperer of panel-dom. Don’t let those limbs fool you. Mad skills.

Three amigo jailbreak
no wives
host fired up BBQ
toasty dogs
the dart game breaks winter
and jump starts el spring-o

HISTORY. I’m so happy! January 20, 2009!!!

I’m re-posting this from back in February. It’s going to be a tough for our next president, but with Obama in charge and a democratic congress, I think we can get back to being progressive, innovative, and establish a new relationship with the rest of the world. PEACE and LOVE, PEACE and LOVE…

On Wednesday there was a super fun lunch with Cindy, Karen, Moroni and me in White Plains. We pitched each other story ideas, just like the amazing lunch they had one day at Pixar. (Yeah, exactly like that, except every idea was about farting). After lunch we invaded the farmers market and scored a big ass watermelon- plus some pistachios. We chilled the melon and cut it up in the story room. Funny- as we walked into the building, about fifty people asked us if we had vodka in it. Never heard of that. Hmm… have to try that sometime.

A big salute to superstars Ed Robbins, Danny Williams, and Erik Malvarez

We’re gonna miss you guys at Blue Sky. ¡Un bien viaje hermanos!