[scan of 1998 poster made by unknown artist]
As artists we can tell stories relating the problems of endangered species through animated films, illustrations, and projects of all kinds to humanity worldwide. We can create endearing, lovable characters based upon species which need our help now. We can use our skills to make humans raised with such characters — as their childhood friends — incapable of destroying their habitats, wearing their skins, or not loving them in any way! : ) Whoo hooo!
One small part of the solution.
The idea is, if you can draw, paint, or render a cool character based upon an endangered species — and would like to post it online to publicize your illustration and narrative skills (while still retaining copyright to your work) — please send us an image! Tell us about the personal history of your character, a bit of imaginative background story, and a bit about yourself and your inspiration.
We’ll post characters and stories as often as possible. Hopefully this will turn into something larger than a blog, with broader lasting impact like Sketchtravel or Tortoro Forest.
We’ll be around for a long time, so, maybe you or a group of your friends and colleagues met through similar interests and styles shared in work seen here, will, perhaps, create films, children’s books, and similar projects with cool characters which might help to save endangered species. Maybe ten to fifteen years from now there will have been a few blockbuster films which contributed to funding a wildlife refuge, renovated a zoo or two, and maybe started a few wildlife reintroduction programs.
It can be done. We have the skills.
http://letsdrawendangeredspecies.blogspot.com/ [coming later this summer]