Tutenstein: Main Character Line Up July 2002

This is the first true line up that I sent to the Executive Producers at Discovery Kids for approval. Tut by this time was finalized and needed no changes, but as you can see the rest of the cast went through varying degrees of overhauling.

The security guard, Walter Jacobs was my least favorite design, the Producers wanted to see him as a slacker, "Along the lines of Shaggy from Scooby Doo". When they saw this design they requested shorter hair and a worried look, which made him a little more original, later on they decided to make him taller. Professor Behdety survived with minor notes, unlike Dr. Roxanne Vanderwheele who went through some back and forth until her final design was approved. I was happy with this version. Same with Cleo Carter, I loved this version but the Producers wanted to fiddle with it. She went back and forth until in frustration I did a simpler more angular sketch which they liked, and became the design you see in the show. Luxor is obviously very different, I figured a sandy color might suit the theme, but he went through a few variations as well.

It's all part of the process of trying to read the minds of non-creative people (who think they are creative). However looking at the glass half full, consider that I was guessing, I was making up these characters from nothing, and how most of them are close to their final designs.

It's like shooting darts with a blindfold on, except it's with a pencil on a blank sheet of paper and you have to guess what people are thinking who could fire you at any moment... no pressure.