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VancouverHome » News animator » Verne Andru has worked for Hanna-Barbera and Nelvana, and now wants to bring his own character Halbert 'Hal' Lighter to the silver screen. So how does a one-man animation studio find the money? Andru's strategy is to build Hal's fan base by publishingGetting his aadventures buzz on the web and in comic books, and then, with luck, use the buzz to woo investors. Vancouver animator Verne Andru has worked for Hanna-Barbera and Nelvana, and now wants to bring his own character Halbert 'Hal' Lighter to the silver screen. So how does a one-man animation studio find the money? Andru's strategy is to build Hal's fan base by publishingBy James Careless his adventures on the web and in comic books, and then, with luck, useMarch the 19, buzz 2007 to woo investors.

By James Careless March 19, 2007

Vancouver animator Verne Andru has worked for Hanna-Barbera and Nelvana, and now wants to bring his own character Halbert ‘Hal’ Lighter to the silver screen. So how does a one-man animation studio find the money? Andru’s strategy is to build Hal’s fan base by publishing his adventures on the web and in comic books, and then, with luck, use the buzz to woo investors. Vancouver animator Verne Andru has worked for Hanna-Barbera and Nelvana, and now wants to bring‘By establishing his own character Hal through Halbert webisodes ‘Hal’ Lighter and comicto the booksilver sales,screen. I willSo havehow doesalready a one-man created ananimation studioaudience find for the the money? product,’ Andru’s he says. strategy ‘Meanwhile, is to build since Hal’s I am fan rendering base by publishingthe animation his adventureslayouts in on the webhigh-resolution and in comic color, books, the preproductionand then, with will luck, already use the be buzz done to when woo Iinvestors. am looking for funds. An audience in place and the preproduction in the can? For investors, it’s a no-brainer!’ ‘By establishing Hal through webisodes and comic book sales, I will have already created an audienceAndru has for written the product,’ the screenplay he says. for ‘Meanwhile, 420, the would-be since I amfeature rendering debut the of hisanimation lead stoner, layouts Hal, in who high-resolutionfights evil with acolor, barmaid the preproductionand an alien. Hiswill nextalready step be is doneto break when 420 I am into looking 13 chapters. for funds. ‘I first An ink it in audienceblack-and-white, in place which and the I publish preproduction to the web,’ in the he can? explains. For investors, ‘I then color it’s thea no-brainer!’ chapter and publish it as a comic book, which is distributed in stores in Canada and globally through Amazon.com.’ Andru has written the screenplay for 420, the would-be feature debut of his lead stoner, Hal, who Sofights far evil Andru with has a barmaid spent two and years an alien. on this His project. next step ‘The is tofirst-chapter break 420 comicinto 13 has chapters. been shipping ‘I first ink since it in Octoberblack-and-white, 2006,’ he which tells IPlayback. publish to ‘I the am web,’ now workinghe explains. on the ‘I then second. color With the chapterthe process and publishnow ironed it as a out,comic I expectbook, whichto pick is up distributed the pace.’ in stores in Canada and globally through Amazon.com.’

SoIf the far feature Andru hasfilm spentdoesn’t two come years together, on this heproject. plans ‘Theto put first-chapter all 13 chapters comic on has a single been DVD,shipping and since to sell Octoberdirect to 2006,’the public. he tells Playback. ‘I am now working on the second. With the process now ironed www.verneandru.comout, I expect to pick up the pace.’ If the feature film doesn’t come together, he plans to put all 13 chapters on a single DVD, and to sell direct to the public. www.verneandru.com

BUZZBUZZ he calls “herb.” When Hal smokes it, he is able to manifest what he thinks about in real life. I’m eventually going to combine all A ReAl of the webisodes into a feature film I’m going to call 420.

He reminds me of DC’s Green lantern, with an emphasis on the HeRo green, only he can control reality. Holy smoke! It’s Captain Cannabis isn’t the alien also a main character? to the rescue! I wanted Captain Cannabis to look very By JAsen T. DAvis professional, so I had to split the project into pieces to keep down costs. The next part of the series he Captain Cannabis will deal with Okee’s backstory. online comic is a series of 13 webi- Captain Cannabis has some sodes presenting the deep, occult roots. i’ve adventures of Halburt noticed a lot of references to T Lighter, a.k.a. Captain Buddhism, Hinduism, Gnostic Cannabis. Equal parts cynical philosophy and Tibetan comedy, life-affirming realism mysticism. and superheroic fantasy, this Yes, the point is that we are a mind-altering animated comic spiritual consciousness stuck delivers an enlightening jolt of in a physical body. Right now, THC-infused social commentary. many people just want things for Comic Relief Verne Andru is the creator themselves and don’t care about Captain Cannabis isn’t and writer of Captain Cannabis. anyone else. When you get into the only THC-powered His previous experience includes the higher realms of spiritualism hero. Back when Chas- working on the legendary cult there is a point where you have ing Amy hit the screens classic Rock & Rule, one of the to ask, “What is the real truth?” stand is that hemp, the parent in 1997, comic fiends many heavy metal-infused Okee and Hal ask this question. plant of marijuana, is the reason were introduced to animated films that were so Okee is meant to illustrate the that Western culture exits in Bluntman and Chronic, prevalent during the ’70s and struggle our consciousness [faces] North America. The first industry a series based upon Jay early ’80s. Since then, he’s to rise above the material world. in the colonies was building and Silent Bob. In the worked with heavyweights such He represents the inherit weak- ships, which needed hemp for film, Jay and Silent Bob as Hannah-Barbara, Disney and ness of man and keeps falling into rope. Because it expanded and Strike Back, the movie Industrial Light & Magic. matter. That’s our struggle. became financially viable, this rights to Bluntman and Andru was able to step away Halburt Lighter, a.k.a. allowed Europeans to come Chronic were sold to from his magnum opus long Captain Cannabis, is going over and invest in America. Back Miramax and the titular enough to share a few words through the illumination phase then, hemp and marijuana grew characters attempt with CULTURE about life, the of becoming enlightened. In everywhere. It actually required to stop the movie. universe and Captain Cannabis. the first comic, he’s just a basic a lot of work to eradicate. Throughout it all, we’re guy who doesn’t think beyond Why is it illegal? Money. You not sure exactly what How would you describe his next joint or beer. He goes can grow cannabis anywhere. their super powers Captain Cannabis to some of through a spiritual awakening by Because of that, you have a are . . . our readers who might not smoking pot. product that is uncontrollable. have heard of your art? Well, why do we have laws? To This is the story of a down- How does Captain Can- control us. The question is; what and-out roadie named Halburt nabis reflect your personal jurisdiction does the DEA have? Lighter. Through a series of mis- beliefs about the subject It’s under the control of the IRS, adventures, he and his girlfriend of medical marijuana and not the FDA. It has nothing to do end up in Vancouver, where a the legalization movement? with food . . . it’s about money. spacecraft shows up to help Why is something so useful Earth. Okee, the alien on the still illegal? spacecraft, has a magical plant One thing people don’t under- captaincannabis.com. 36 CULTURE • JUNE 2011

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