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Dear Jack: Webisodes 3, 4, 5 of Jack-Man: “One Bitten, Twice Nice”; “Backyard Brawl”; “Farmers’ Market”

4 years, 6 months.

Dear Jack: Webisodes 3, 4, 5 of Jack-Man: “One Bitten, Twice Nice”; “Backyard Brawl”; “Farmers’ Market”

Dear Jack,

Friday morning you woke up at 5:30 and wanted to watch something on the Kindle. I explained that it was still time to be asleep, but if you didn’t want to lay in bed for another 30 minutes until it was time to get up; that you and I could make another Jack-Man episode instead.

It seemed like the better option to you, so Webisode 3 was born…

So from 5:30 to 6:30 AM Friday morning, the two of us were filming while Mommy got ready for work. Then you and I had to hurry to get ready for school and work ourselves.

While I do plan to record most webisodes outside, we made this one mainly inside; as Green Meanie sends Monster Man into Jack-Man’s closet to scare him.

I wanted this episode to be a bit more on the thrilling side. I wanted to see Jack-Man confronted with one of the most familiar (imagined) fears of young children: discovering there is a monster in the closet.

Hopefully, this story line is unique in that there actually is a threatening monster in the closet. But of course, Jack uses his quick thinking to utilize a way to quench the enemy.

Obviously every superhero series has an edge of darkness to it. In this webisode, I wanted to introduce a more intense combat scene with the scariest villain yet.

The audience is seeing that while Green Meanie isn’t one to physically attack Jack-Man himself, he prefers to send members of his infinite henchmen army to attempt to defeat Jack-Man.

Green Meanie is more evil and greedy that he appears. After all, he has access to a Monster Man!

Dear Jack: Webisodes 3, 4, 5 of Jack-Man: “One Bitten, Twice Nice”; “Backyard Brawl”; “Farmers’ Market”

It is becoming evident that Jack-Man isn’t in this alone. That is why in Webisode 4, “Backyard Brawl”, we meet Jack-Man’s cousin and fellow superhero, Super Calla; which is short for Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. However, Green Meanie also brings his family along, which leads to an epic fight in Jack-Man’s backyard.

We were able to do this webisode thanks to my family being in town for Memorial Day weekend.

Dear Jack: Webisodes 3, 4, 5 of Jack-Man: “One Bitten, Twice Nice”; “Backyard Brawl”; “Farmers’ Market”

And actually, last Saturday morning while they still were driving in, you and I shot Webisode 5, “Farmer’s Market”, at the Franklin Factory. It was the first time we did a webisode in front of the unassuming public.

I think my favorite one so far is Webisode 4, “Backyard Brawl.” It was a lot of fun for our family!

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: Webisode 1 of Jack-Man- “Here, Kitty Kitty”

4 years, 6 months. 

EP1 Title Card

Dear Jack,

This past weekend, you and I shot our very 1st official episode of our new web series, Jack-Man. You were great! Here it is:

As the writer/producer/director/video editor/theme writer & performer, I can confirm that you (as the main lead) did very well following my instructions, scene to scene. I am very pleased with how “Here, Kitty Kitty” turned out.

I re-recorded the Jack-Man theme song, changing some of the lyrics, from the Toyota Sienna version I did for our homemade commercial.

Here are the new, official lyrics:

“Jack-Man, who will fight for justice?

Jack can, he really likes bananas

That man gets his superpowers from them

Jack-Man, knows just where to hit ‘em

When it comes to creepy villains

He packs a punch and eats a healthy lunch

Jack-Man!”

This is the 1st of many, many webisodes I hope to record with you. I plan to create a large collection of “creepy villains” (mainly played by me) for you to encounter.

In this 1st episode, the main underlying plotline of the show is revealed: Green Meanie attempts to get children hooked on soda, which in the words of Green Meanie, “is filled with sugar, caffeine, and weird chemicals.”

Soda is Jack-Man’s kryptonite, where has bananas and water are what gives him his super powers; those of which will slowly be unveiled as future episodes are released.

I’m not exactly sure who the demographic of the show is going to be. My assumption is that Jack-Man is designed for young children. Hopefully kids will like it; and hopefully, parents will deem it safe enough for their children to watch.

Obviously, being part of the super hero genre, there will be swashbuckling action… but if I do it right, our show should still be age appropriate for kids who would want to watch it.

We’ve already filmed the 2nd episode as well, which I plan to release in the next few days.

This is fun!

Love,

Daddy

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A “Religiously Neutral” Easter Toy Drive

A “Religiously Neutral” Easter Toy Drive

This morning, I invite you to laugh with me today regarding the uber politically correctness of the advertisements I recently discovered for a toy drive. (I have purposely censored the name of the organizations involved and their logos.)

The concept is simple, according to the flyers:

“Bring the toy, game, or other item to one of our drop-off locations… Donations will go directly to patients of families at [organization] and used to create Easter baskets for the kids.”

That is the only time in the two flyers which make up the advertisement where it mentions Easter by name, but it is very clear in the phrasing that the idea is to make “Easter baskets”.

On the next page of the advertisements, there are a few specific instructions, including this one:

“All donations must be politically and religiously neutral.”

A “Religiously Neutral” Easter Toy Drive

So it’s a “toy drive” in which people donate toys to make “Easter baskets” from a “religiously neutral” perspective.

Confused? I think I am…

It appears as if the people behind the toy drive are using a tradition from an explicitly religious holiday, acknowledging the word Easter (which refers to resurrection of Jesus Christ, one of the most equally popular and yet debated events in the history of the world) but are asking people to deny any reference of the event.

I get it that most Christian holidays ultimately become commercialized. However, I’m not too worried about it as long as it ultimately leads to conversations about why those days are celebrated in the first place.

But this, this is just laughable because it very awkwardly attempts to be… safe.

Granted, I’m participating in this “religiously neutral” Easter toy drive. I donated a gift for the cause; despite the clumsy phrasing on the flyers.

After all, it’s the Christian thing to do.

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Dear Jack: Your New Pet Spider At School

4 years, 4 months.

Dear Jack: Your New Pet Spider at School

Dear Jack,

When Mommy and I got married nearly 7 years ago, I quickly learned that one of my roles was to kill the spiders in our home.

Of course, I knew it’s not wise to kill every spider. After all, certain spiders like granddaddy longlegs are there to prey on the other spiders that may actually be harmful to people.

Dear Jack: Your New Pet Spider at School

So I had to teach Mommy that you definitely want to keep a few spiders in the corners of the house; like having a cat in the barn to catch the mice.

Therefore, it is not in my nature to kill a spider simply because it’s a spider. Unless it’s poisonous and/or potentially harmful to people, the worst I’ll do to a spider is move it outside.

Dear Jack: Your New Pet Spider at School

As my son, you are the same way. Your teacher at Rainbow Child Care Center, Ms. Aimee, sent me this note:

“Last week Jack found a very tiny spider. Instead of smashing it (like what a typical child would do) he wanted to save it from being stepped on. I helped him move the spider to a safe place by the fence where it could be free in the grass.

Jack then decided that our new spider friend needed a house! So he searched the playground for items he could use to build the house. He found rocks, mulch, and grass (so he could eat in the comfort of his home).

The next week he made sure to check the spider’s home every day, to see if it came back. We found a spider web today and came to the conclusion that he must have been playing on the play equipment!”

Your teacher also sent me some pictures of you at school from this past week, ranging from “Dr. Seuss Day” to St. Patrick’s Day.

Speaking of St. Patrick’s Day, I’ve got some pictures of my own to share, so be on the look-out for that…

Love,

Daddy

Dear Jack: Your New Pet Spider at School

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Dear Jack: Why I Dressed Like This On St. Patrick’s Day

4 years, 4 months.

Dear Jack: Why I Dressed Like This On St. Patrick’s Day

Dear Jack,

I think it’s safe to say that St. Patrick’s Day was just as much fun for me as it was for you. You enjoyed your party at school and seeing your teacher dressed up.

As for me, I had a lot to prove…

Dear Jack: Why I Dressed Like This On St. Patrick’s Day

Last year the office manager where I work asked me to wear my vintage green corduroys on St. Patrick’s Day. Half-jokingly, I responded, “Only if you promise to put me on the cover of the monthly company magazine.”

And so it came to pass…

So for the past year, I have been known as the “official leprechaun” of our company, despite my Mexican and Italian heritage.

Dear Jack: Why I Dressed Like This On St. Patrick’s Day

However, a coworker in the corporate office in Kentucky (I am in the Nashville division) publically challenged me to a duel; the winner to be determined by social media.

In other words, he was challenging my title.

So to make things interesting, I made this video:

I challenged him to wear “leprechaun tights”. I suggested that if he were willing to man up by wearing tights, surely the people on social media would declare him the winner over me.

As for my wardrobe, my favorite description I heard from a coworker was that I looked like either “the dictator of Candy Land or a gangster in the land of Oz.”

Dear Jack: Why I Dressed Like This On St. Patrick’s Day

However, my efforts fell flat when compared to my challenger, who to my surprise, indeed wore tights.

Not the kind of tights I expected him to wear, but he definitely wore them. And a wig.

Plucky O'Guinness

So in the end, he won the official title.

But in my mind, I won the psychological aspect of it: I got a grown man to dress up in ladies’ tights and a wig.

Your Daddy is a clever guy… but I think you already knew that.

Love,

Daddy