Scottish Ninjas

[Sly Studios]

Synopsis:

A thousand years ago

A well liquored Scott wandered the seaside, discovered a mysterious bottle and drank its contents.

Unbeknown to him, it contained the trapped spirit of an ancient Japanese warrior!

Now with two spirits, the way of the Scottish Ninja was born!

He adopted three young orphaned lads to train in the ancient ways.

Now grown, they are sent to America to find their place in the world.

Once there, they begin their quest for booze, adventure, and the American dream!
______________________________________________________________________

-Scottish Ninjas Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DW8hEIcT0H8)
-Aidan Character Vignette (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T96eQvKIhZI)
-Finn Character Vignette (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALUFCnsOkuM)
-Lachlan Character Vignette (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5jeIiJvixQ)
-Dave Character Vignette (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyrxV-kGLeo)

What do you guys think?

We are putting the final touched on a 20 minute pilot episode of Scottish Ninjas. But before we release it to the world, we are looking for some feedback and to talk shop with fellow artists and animation lovers.

All thoughts, questions and impressions are welcome. :)

[Andrew T. Hingson]

Being a huge fan of the Ninja Turtles I find any odd combonation involving the word ninja to be entertaining and this is by far no exception.

Really great animation in the trailer. I'm looking forward to seeing how you use this concept to create a compelling story.

[Shredder565]

Being a huge fan of the Ninja Turtles I find any odd combonation involving the word ninja to be entertaining and this is by far no exception.

Really great animation in the trailer. I'm looking forward to seeing how you use this concept to create a compelling story.

Only thing funnier would have been Australian ninja's :)

[Andrew T. Hingson]

I dunno... I don't think even Aussie ninja warriors can top the hillarity of Scottish ninja warriors. The kilts alone make for a lot more visual gags.

[Antiyonder]

It looks to be funny, but ultimately I'd have to see a full episode. If the show becomes another "cartoon with excessive content for the sake of making things edgy", then I probably won't follow.

[Alph]

It's too bad the trailer didn't have any voice acting. A major part of what makes a show entertaining is the voice acting, so it would have been cool to see (er...hear) some of it in action.

[Andrew T. Hingson]

The character interviews he linked to have voice acting. Seems like a good cast.

[Sly Studios]

It looks to be funny, but ultimately I'd have to see a full episode. If the show becomes another "cartoon with excessive content for the sake of making things edgy", then I probably won't follow.

I have the exact same concerns when it comes to many cartoons these days. I can assure you that almost nothing we do on the writing side of this cartoon is done purely for edge sake. I don't believe in telling a joke if it forces a character to betray their true nature. Our humor mostly comes from the personality of our characters and how those dynamics react with the different situations they face.

On the story side of things, we are going to be dealing with some deep mythos established early on. Such as the ancient Japanese warrior trapped in the bottle. How did he get in there? Who killed him and trapped his soul? And how does such a warrior react sharing the body with an old, Scottish codger? Another theme we will tackle in the story is the adventure of immigrating to the new land and being a fish out of water. Seeing big city life through unjaded eyes. And of course there will be love, betrayal, and mysterious people from their past. Not to mention comical new villains, and supporting characters being introduced through out. So I can assure you that we have put a lot of thought into the story arcs and not just the edgy humor.

I want the humor to be the reason people first tune in, but I want the story to be why they keep watching. :)

Thanks for all the great comments. I'll post some more content here soon.

[Andrew T. Hingson]

"The humor is what you tune in for but you stay for the story" now that's an excellent goal in making a new cartoon.

The story certainly sounds interesting and I'm all for more fish out of water and awkward situation comedy. The animation is quite good as well so the overall package (no pun intended) looks really well executed.

Looking forward to your pilot episode.

[King_of_doom]

Odd yet looks funny and entertaining, i like the style animation they use here.

[Manhunter]

I think Finn has become my favorite just from his character vignette.

So which networks are you aiming for?

[Sly Studios]

I think Finn has become my favorite just from his character vignette.

So which networks are you aiming for?

Adult Swim is of course a logical fit, so that will be a clear objective. But FX has come into our radar ever since learning about Archer. We have some connections at Fox, but weren't sure how useful they would be, since I never thought the FOX network would be interested in a show like this. But now that FX has put it's hat in the animation ring, I may have to pursue those avenues now. We will also pursue Comedy Central. Spike TV possibly. Microsoft's xbox market place content execs have already shown some interest. And while not as lucrative as television, it would allow more creative control. And with the relatively successful story of "The Guild" as well as xbox signing a deal with ESPN, Microsoft seems to be carving a place for itself in the world of distribution. So we may entertain that possibility as well.

[Sly Studios]

Here are some character model sheets.

http://www.scottishninjas.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/AidanTurnAround-1024x662.jpg

http://www.scottishninjas.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/FinnTurnAround-1024x662.jpg

http://www.scottishninjas.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/lachlanTurnAround-1024x662.jpg

http://www.scottishninjas.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/DaveTurnAround-e1264308981240.jpg

[felixthunder]

I like the look of the animation,but the one question i have is are any of team behind this scottish at all ?

It lacks steak pies and string vests to me.


I hope it does not turn out like Seth Mcfarlane's Scotmans,because that was more of an insult than anything else.


Good Luck with it i hope to see this on tv one day :)

[Sly Studios]

I like the look of the animation,but the one question i have is are any of team behind this scottish at all ?

It lacks steak pies and string vests to me.


I hope it does not turn out like Seth Mcfarlane's Scotmans,because that was more of an insult than anything else.


Good Luck with it i hope to see this on tv one day :)

Those are all valid concerns. And yes, there are Scottish members of the team. Plus a dash of Irish. We even have a member who is a Jeet Kun Do instructor (but not Scottish). So we will be blending in plenty of Scottish folklore and Asian philosophy into the concept. I am not a huge Seth Macfarlane fan, so let me assure you this will not be his version of Scotsmen. There is meat behind the concept (or rather under the kilt), I can assure you. :) We've already plotted out multiple seasons worth of story arcs and created an in depth mythology behind the concept. We are sticklers for in depth story telling and character development. This will be anything but a shallow concept. We are aware that the concept of "Scottish Ninjas" is not enough to sustain a successful series alone. It is simply the vessel to tell a good story.

[Ghostbuster Man]

Good luck with the toon.

[Sly Studios]

Just uploaded a new animation.

The Executioner character vignette (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJEZXaUhkUs)

[Sly Studios]

360 degrees of EVIL!

http://www.scottishninjas.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/HexsonTurnAround.jpg

[Andrew T. Hingson]

"Don't tell my wife" nice. Bad guys with fetishes for their weapons has been done plenty of times before but you gotta love it when it's done well.

[Sly Studios]

Here is some background images showing the world of the Scottish Ninjas.

http://www.scottishninjas.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/policeBarracadeBG-e1265167139614.jpg

http://www.scottishninjas.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/maltLiqourBG-e1265167129325.jpg

http://www.scottishninjas.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/SNbackground-window-e1265167080902.jpg

http://www.scottishninjas.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/BathroomBG-e1265167100575.jpg

http://www.scottishninjas.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/regalHotelBG.jpg

[Andrew T. Hingson]

I love the TMNT reference and that's a disgustingly accurate bathroom. :sweat:

[Sly Studios]

I love the TMNT reference

Ya gotta love the easter eggs. :) Now the real question is, which TMNT is it? That will forever remain a mystery!

[Andrew T. Hingson]

Well... judging soley on the facial expression as one must often do when reading the black and white comics... I'm gonna say Michelangelo. But perhaps that's personal bias speaking. :anime:

[Sly Studios]

Yes, I can indeed see Michelangelo be associated with a glory hole. But then again, Donatello spends all that time alone in his lab...and the quiet ones usually are the strangest. ;)

And with that said, here is the newest character vignette!

A Moment With A Scottish Ninja - Evil Ninja (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36Pm37iKmt0)

Enjoy!

[Sly Studios]

The Pilot episode is done and our promo DVD's are hot off the press! :proud:

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs395.snc3/24059_316168905893_98862775893_4072381_457678_n.jpg

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs435.ash1/24059_316168940893_98862775893_4072384_2053365_n.jpg

[Andrew T. Hingson]

LOL "A Very Scottish Pilot"

Look's awesome.

[JasonFox]

I real visualize this being on FX, I see myself sitting down watching Archer followed by "Scottish Ninjas". Good luck with your Cartoon hope to see it somwhere!

[Sly Studios]

I real visualize this being on FX, I see myself sitting down watching Archer followed by "Scottish Ninjas". Good luck with your Cartoon hope to see it somwhere!

You read my mind! Ever since news of Archer, FX has been on our radar big time. Hopefully they give Archer time to grow, so that an animated series (and an eventual block of animation) is a viable programming option for them. They've done such a great job with their programming, that they have become the HBO of basic cable. We would be proud to have Scottish Ninjas be part of the FX family.


LOL "A Very Scottish Pilot"

Look's awesome.

I also enjoy the tv rating for the pilot...TV-WTF? It's really the small, subtle things that make life worth living. ;)

[Andrew T. Hingson]

I real visualize this being on FX, I see myself sitting down watching Archer followed by "Scottish Ninjas". Good luck with your Cartoon hope to see it somwhere!

Oh yeah... that would be a good pairing.

But with Adult Swim expanding again that door might be more open than ever.

[JasonFox]

Oh yeah... that would be a good pairing.

But with Adult Swim expanding again that door might be more open than ever.

Ye I see this as a prime-time cartoon not a late-night or childrens programming so with [AS] coming at 9pm it could fit.

[Jackson54]

Here is some background images showing the world of the Scottish Ninjas.







http://www.scottishninjas.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/BathroomBG-e1265167100575.jpg



Leeroy Jenkins? Man, they thought of everything.

[Sly Studios]

Leeroy Jenkins? Man, they thought of everything.

We try. :)

[Sly Studios]

We uploaded the opening titles to the pilot episode. You can view it HERE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HS8DP7B7U5U)

[Sly Studios]

Any Toon Zone members live near Seattle and/or attending this years Emerald City ComiCon? If so, keep an eye out for two guys in kilts and black Scottish Ninjas t-shirts. As those will be us goofy creators of Scottish Ninjas walking around, promoting the cartoon, and possibly giving away some Scottish Ninjas goodies. We would love to bump into some fellow Toon Zone members. Of course bumping into someone while wearing a kilt could be extra awkward...

[King_of_doom]

Any Toon Zone members live near Seattle and/or attending this years Emerald City ComiCon? If so, keep an eye out for two guys in kilts and black Scottish Ninjas t-shirts. As those will be us goofy creators of Scottish Ninjas walking around, promoting the cartoon, and possibly giving away some Scottish Ninjas goodies. We would love to bump into some fellow Toon Zone members. Of course bumping into someone while wearing a kilt could be extra awkward...

Too bad i don't leave in Seattle or else i would go, anyway like the rest i totally dig the TMNT reference you guys add.

[Andrew T. Hingson]

Any Toon Zone members live near Seattle and/or attending this years Emerald City ComiCon? If so, keep an eye out for two guys in kilts and black Scottish Ninjas t-shirts. As those will be us goofy creators of Scottish Ninjas walking around, promoting the cartoon, and possibly giving away some Scottish Ninjas goodies. We would love to bump into some fellow Toon Zone members. Of course bumping into someone while wearing a kilt could be extra awkward...

Please... kilts are like traditional wear for PAX enforcers.

I don't usually make it to EC Comic Con because I always forget to go but I'll make a point to go this time. And by goodies do you mean the pilot episode cause I'd love to see it. ;)

[Sly Studios]

Please... kilts are like traditional wear for PAX enforcers.

I don't usually make it to EC Comic Con because I always forget to go but I'll make a point to go this time. And by goodies do you mean the pilot episode cause I'd love to see it. ;)

True, and even though a kilt would usually garner attention, once you add cosplay into the mix, a kilt is totally boring.

As for the goodies. We'll have tons of free Scottish Ninjas postcards with info about the show...which also doubles as a mail in contest drawing for a free dvd and t-shirt. We will also have some DVD's and t-shirts there with us. But if you want to bypass the contest and get one of those immediatly that may require a donation. :)

I hope to see ya there, Sketch! We will be attending both Saturday and Sunday. You may see a few guys with Scottish Ninjas shirts on, but if they are wearing pants, they are not the creators, but rather the crew. But you are more than welcome to chat it up with them as well. :D

[Sly Studios]

Thanks to everyone who came up and said hi to us at the Emerald City ComiCon today! We'll be back at it again tomorrow, wandering around in our kilts and Scottish Ninjas hoodies. Anyone who walks up and asks us about the pilot will get a free copy of it (while supplies last). :)

[Andrew T. Hingson]

Couldn't make it there for Saturday but my buddy and I should be able to make it for Sunday.

[Sly Studios]

Couldn't make it there for Saturday but my buddy and I should be able to make it for Sunday.

Keep an eye out for us, good sir.

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs504.snc3/26515_367885670893_98862775893_4223784_2090445_n.jpg

[Andrew T. Hingson]

I think my buddy up and left without me and I can't quite bring myself to drive to Seattle and pay 20 bucks to get in plus parking for the remaining hours. But I hope you guys had an awesome time spreading the word.

[Sly Studios]

Here is the first clip from the pilot episode. It is titled "A Lovely Bunch Of Coconuts". In this clip, Aidan comes face to face with the deadly Executioner for the first time. Hilarity and carnage ensue!

Scottish Ninjas™ Clip #1 - A Lovely Bunch Of Coconuts (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ei3glEbPY0)

[Sly Studios]

Check out this thrilling scene from the pilot episode of Scottish Ninjas™! In this clip, The Executioner says hello to Finn's "lil friend", and is introduced to Lachlan's fists of fury. In return, The Executioner introduces Lachlan to his "sweet angel".

Scottish Ninjas™ Clip #2 - Sweet Angel (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlLaRL7Rj_o)

[Sly Studios]

The Scottish Ninjas got themselves their first bit of press! Matt Phelps, staff writer for the Kirkland Reporter (http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/east_king/kir/entertainment/90300252.html), wrote an article for the publication all about the rise off the Scottish Ninjas!

In this (http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/east_king/kir/entertainment/90300252.html) masterpiece, he details the creation of the cartoon, and spotlights it’s creators.

I dare say this is the best work of his career, and will garner him numerous journalism awards. :)

Click Here (http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/east_king/kir/entertainment/90300252.html) to read the article. If it gets enough traffic, the story will be bumped up to a larger publication and spread the word of the Scottish Ninjas to even more unsuspecting souls! BWA-HA-HA-HA!

http://www.scottishninjas.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/creatorsArticle.jpg

[Sly Studios]

Another action packed moment from the pilot episode of Scottish Ninjas™! In this clip, Lachlan continues his fight with The Executioner. The battle is hard! The competition is stiff! And it comes to an end early?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8p9ltOVxX0 (http://www.toonzone.net/forums/Another%20action%20packed%20moment%20from%20the%20pilot%20episode%20of%20Scottish%20Ninjas%C3%A2%C2% 84%C2%A2%21%20In%20this%20clip,%20Lachlan%20continues%20his%20fight%20with%20The%20Executioner.%20Th e%20battle%20is%20hard%21%20The%20competition%20is%20stiff%21%20And%20it%20comes%20to%20an%20end%20e arly?)

[Sly Studios]

Say hello to the channel 2 Action News team, in this latest clip from the Scottish Ninjas pilot!

Scottish Ninjas™ Clip #4 – Action News! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEHFsfdVrGg)

[Sly Studios]

It's another thrilling moment from the Scottish Ninjas pilot episode! In this clip, Finn wakes up after his prior encounter with The Executioner, only to find that he's out of the frying pan and into the fire!

Scottish Ninjas™ Clip #5 - Stand Off (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufFT1k9pUZo)

[Sly Studios]

We were recently interviewed for a podcast called "Seattle-Geekly". You can listen to it, HERE (http://www.seattle-geekly.com/2010/05/show-notes-%E2%80%93-episode-62-%E2%80%9Cgeek-grab-bag%E2%80%9D/). Our segment lasts about 20 minutes and starts around the 29 minute mark. We talk about the inspiration, characters, the designs, and other fun topics regarding the cartoon.

[darkdetective]

I'll be honest, the humor isn't my type. Still, I hope you guys make it. The industry needs fresh blood. Plus, if you make it, that means I've got a shot someday.:D

[Sly Studios]

I'll be honest, the humor isn't my type. Still, I hope you guys make it. The industry needs fresh blood. Plus, if you make it, that means I've got a shot someday.:D

Indeed! A success for one is a success for all!...maybe...hmm...now that I think about it, Seth McFarlane making $100 million bucks hasn't helped me one bit! Where's the trickle down effect?!

*shakes fist at the heavens*

[Sly Studios]

I am covering two things in this post.

First, a new clip from the Scottish Ninjas pilot episode! In this clip, we see The Executioner at his darkest, as he learns what happens when you mess with family!

Scottish Ninjas™ Clip #6 - Get Your Filthy Paws Off Me! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWR6g_x7s-E)

Second, We recently submitted Scottish Ninjas in Animation Magazine’s 2010 “Pitch Party Contest”. What is the “Pitch Party Contest” you ask? You can read all about it, HERE (http://www.animationmagazine.net/pitch_party_2010.html). But to make a long story short, the top 3 winners get an advertisement of their cartoon printed in the August edition of Animation Magazine, and the top winner gets to pitch their cartoon directly to an executive of their choice. Voting has now started and we ask that if you are a fan of Scottish Ninjas, to please vote for our cartoon. Click HERE (http://www.animationmagazine.net/pitch_party_2010_vote.html) to visit the voting page (http://www.animationmagazine.net/pitch_party_2010_vote.html). All entries are in alphabetical order, so scroll down until you see our kilted heroes. Check the box directly under our ad. Then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the “Submit” button. Winners are decided on July 2nd.

Spread the word! VOTE SCOTTISH NINJAS! (http://www.animationmagazine.net/pitch_party_2010_vote.html)

http://www.animationmagazine.net/images/pitch_party_2010/Scottish%20Ninjas.gif

[Sly Studios]

Any Toonzone members in the Seattle area? If so, the Seattle branch of ASIFA will be having a screening of the Scottish Ninjas pilot followed by a Q'nA session with the creators. It's taking place on Wednesday July 14th at the St. Andrews Pub. The fun starts around 7pm and is free. So any Toonzone members in the Seattle area, feel free to come down and join us for some fun!

And lastly, here is another bit of animation. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Embk1ZeB6iE

[HEATXZ]

This is very good :anime:
I hope this gets to be on TV

[Sly Studios]

This is very good :anime:
I hope this gets to be on TV

Thanks for the well wishes! We hope it gets on tv too! As a matter of fact, we are one step closer. We are pleased to announce that the Scottish Ninjas pilot episode, “A Very Scottish Pilot”, is among the official selections for the 2010 Independent Television Festival (http://www.itvfest.org) in LA!

ITVFest, is the premier festival in the world for independently produced television pilots and webseries. It is the festival where up and coming talent in television and new media can show their wares directly to a live audience and meet with industry professionals.

The festival takes place from July 30th – August 5th at LA’s Laemmle Sunset 5 theatre. Our cartoon will be screened on Aug 3rd along with a block of 3 other animated pilots starting at 6:30pm. If you happen to live in the LA area and would like to join us at our LA screening, you can get passes HERE (http://www.readyticket.net/webticket/webticket2.asp?WCI=BuyTicket&WCE=ITVFEST26,080320101830,5,35,,0). These passes let you see all 4 animated pilots, not just ours...which adds up to approx 2 hours of entertaining toons.

We hope to see some toon zone members at the screening! Please stop by and say hi. We'll be the ones in the kilts and Scottish Ninjas t-shirts. :)
http://media.ec2.bside.com/festivals/images/itvfest2008/l/itvfest2008_l.png (http://www.itvfest.org)

[Sly Studios]

Reminder to all. Our LA premiere screening via ITVFest is happening tomorrow, Aug 3rd at 6:30pm. It'll be screening at the Laemmle theatre at 8000 Sunset Blvd. Please come out and support the cartoon if you are in the area. There is some interest from various studios and networks and the more people who come to support the show, the better we look to the big cheeses. And with a little luck, it'll sell out. You can get tickets at the box office of the theater. We will be screening with 3 other cartoons. Stop by and say hi...we'll be the guys in the kilts.

[Sly Studios]

Sorry for the lack of posts lately (not that anyone was looking for my posts :)). We've been super busy since our LA screening. We've made some great progress since then.

Anyway, I was finally able to pull myself away from work to post this next image. This came my way not long ago and it blew my mind. A fan of Scottish Ninjas, who lives in Florida, is officially the first person to make a costume of one of our characters. Check it out! Censored bar and everything!

http://www.scottishninjas.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/fanMadeAidan02.jpg

Talk about being humbled. It fills my eyes with tears of joy and terror...

[Sly Studios]

We are proud to announce that Scottish Ninjas will be playing at this year’s Maelstrom International Fantastic Film Festival. MIFFF (http://www.mifff.org/) is the premier Pacific Northwest weekend long event devoted towards independent and international genre film making.

It takes place Sept 17-19 at McCraw Hall in Seattle, Wa.

Scottish Ninjas will be playing during the “Animation Shorts” block, on Saturday Sept 18th at 12:00pm.

This block contains 12 different cartoons, totaling 92 minutes of animation bliss! Tickets are only $10 and you can purchase tickets to MIFF here! (http://www.siff.net/cinema/reserve.aspx?FID=209&id=8001)

This will be our last public screening for awhile, as we will be focusing our energy towards the business of getting Scottish Ninjas on TV. So if you are in the Seattle area, be sure to come out, enjoy the show, and say hi to the creators Rob and Beau (me)! You can’t miss us, as we'll will be out there in our usual utilikilt attire.

[Sly Studios]

We have a new Scottish Ninjas short webisode titled "Life After Death?" It's a tasty haggis stuffed full of death, resurrection and unexplained miracles. Please enjoy this dose of gratuitous violence and existential conversation…in kilts. :)

Scottish Ninjas - "Life After Death?" Webisode (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jDvyAI6NlI)