Spark-Flow Studio Interview :: Pumpk & Cham and Pai

Directed By: Christopher Wade, Associate Producer: Tyrone "Hydraulic" Selby

Written By: Christopher Wade, Co-Written by Tyrone Selby and Joe Magnanelli

The animated series Pumpk & Cham and Pai is the story of two vagabond scarecrows and a whimsical teenage witch who travel the world to become the scariest monsters that have ever lived!


Caribgem: Hey fellas, can you tell everyone your names


Chris: Christopher Wade


Tyrone:  Tyrone Selby


Caribgem: Where are you guys from? 


Chris: Germantown, MD


Tyrone: Upper Marlboro, MD


Caribgem: What company do you fellas work with and what is your position? 


Tyrone: Spark-Flow Studios, LLC. I'm the associate producer, creative director & writer


Chris: I'm the director and also a writer


Caribgem: Who are some of the writers that contributed to the web comics dialogue? 


Chris: Mainly myself...and the voices running around in my head. My good friend Joseph Magnanelli helped contribute to some ideas here and there. Tyrone is has some tricks up his sleave for future episodes that should be pretty epic.  This looks like a children's cartoon yet seemingly has a very adult way within its context.....who or what influenced it's creation? 


Tyrone: I found the concept of other worldy adventure fascinating and I've been influenced by some very popular shows and video games such as the Final Fantasy series and even Disney's Gargoyles. I love creating storylines that cater to a childs eye, but dialogue and plot that can appeal to adults. For example, one of my favorite cartoons is X-Men. Visually, a child can appeal to the special affects and "creatures" known as mutants, but there are so many adult themes going on like segregation.   


Chris: I like creating goofy-looking characters but I love putting them in very human, even grown-up situations that have caused me great pain personally, even if I visually exaggerate the situations with a coat of paint called "fantasy". From the start, Pokemon the tv series was an influence simply because I loved the idea of going on a grand adventure with your friends, meeting new people, seeing the wondrously dynamic world God has made and finding your place in it, (some of the battles were pretty cool too). With the Pokemon influence in mind, PCPAI wont go on endlessly; I promise there's a centered plot in there, haha.


Caribgem: What exactly is the premise of the storyline?   


Tyrone: It's a tale of two scarecrows (Pumpk & Cham) and a witch (Pai) who set out on a journey to be the baddest monsters in the land...the only problem is they a wimps! Actually, in the last portion of episode 1, Cham says to Pumpk "Let's face it...we're two scarecrows that can't scare crows". And thus, wanna-be magician Pumpk 'Ere Nickele and his assistant Chammallow Squashworth learn how to use real magic from the witch-in-training Pai Hex-Haggle set out on their magic filled journey....or something like that!


Caribgem: These dont look like typical humanoid characters...lol. So what was the inspiration behind the character development?    


Chris:  I put together some designs, mostly of these guys being stitched together, falling apart, incomplete, you know? As if they were searching for something to make them whole again. After that, I put together some names, gave a homeless guy $10 and punched a crow in the face.... well maybe not that last part. But it went from goofy characters to goofy-looking characters with some very human motives: find their home, find a family, find their purpose... perhaps even discover the demons deep inside them. The main tier characters are actually based on different personal quirks of myself, haha. I'll leave it you all to catch them.


Tyrone: I remember when Chris first started this idea for a short competition, where the storyline had to be centered around some type of holiday theme. In an attempt to think of something fresh and trying to stay away from typical holidays like Christmas. Thus he chose a Halloween theme and began character development...that's how we have "Pumpk & Cham and Pai"


Caribgem: How often are episodes posted?    


Tyrone: We try to post the animated episodes every 6 months. We first post on Halloween, and follow up in the spring time with an additional portion of that same episode.  


Caribgem: How long has the Pumpk & Cham and Pai web comic been in existence? 


Chris: PCPAI webcomic has been around for about a year and some change now. Right now it's on hiatus while we concentrate on pushing out more of these PCPAI episodes. It'll return though.


Caribgem: Do you have a fanpage for those interested in updates?     


Tyrone: Sure do, we have an official Facebook page where viewers can go watch new episodes, catch some artwork and even find character designs and so forth! http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Pumpk-Cham-and-Pai/204881996236278 


Caribgem: Tell us a little know fact about yourselves 


Tyrone:  Chris and I have been called multi-talented since we act, do video production, edit, produce, animate, film directing, the whole nine. However, we just do what we do to survive like the next guy. We're both actually writers at heart. Chris wrote so many stories as a kid, and I began as a poet, with a mindset of using them to help change the world (pretty epic right?). That's incredibly naive, yes I know. I actually want people to see themselves in the stories I create so perhaps they can get a little closer to being the people they were meant to be. We both continue to write to this day.


As of now, Chis is actually working with the DC Animator's Group to help build the animation/entertainment community here in the DC/MD/VA area, While I transitioned from co-hosting my own poetry corner to co-directing Soul 4 Reel Film Festival. There's so much Hollywood caliber talent hidden here in the area but it's so overshadowed by big business and politics. We're looking to change that to a large degree. Art still matters and it still inspires. People fear what they don't understand and art can be very frightening if one hasn't the imagination to try and understand it.....our goal is to change the perception of "The Starving Artist", both in the public eye...and within the artists themselves!


And by the way......Chris and I are brothers! LOL


Be sure to follow Spark-Flow Studios on Twitter ---> @Spark_Flow 


-- by Caribgem, Program Director, W.O.W Radio 
Follow on Twitter: @thecaribgem