Forestland

So for those of you who don't know...Forestland was a cartoon idea my friend Luke and I came up with a loooong time ago. It started as a project that we were trying to develop ourselves on Cartoonretro.com, until some studios started to show interest. It didn't work out as a pilot or anything, which is probably good because I don't really think either of us were ready for our own show (and I still don't think I am). I'd love to make a short someday with these characters though.

Here is Smek with her sisters Feebee and Doodltote. This is a new drawing...I'm out of practice drawing them, so they got kind of generic.

OK!!! WARNING TIME!

Below is some really old stuff...please be kind!
These drawings were for our story bible that we showed around, probably from around 2003 or so.

LIL' SMEK

So Smek is the main character of the show...she's like a good natured but feral child who doesn't have anything to do all day but run amok in the forest. I designed her but Luke drew the BG above (he also came up with the names 'Smek' and 'Forestland').


Theres no school in Forestland so most of the characters are pretty dumb.

Smek is active...she's a tomboy type who will act on whatever urge she is having at the time, be it to prod something mysterious or poke you in the ear or make a weird loud noise.

Lil' Smek is also brave and will eat anything, so long as it doesn't have little hairs and seeds all over it (like much her creator, Smek hates strawberries). She loves to eat rocks and dirt and onions.

DIMJIM

Drawing by Luke!

Dimjim is Smek's second in command. He's a real little shit, you know the type. All his teeth are mangled from other forest kids punching him in the mouth.


While Smek finds herself in trouble by being overly curious, Dimjim gets into trouble by being a little jerk. He's one of the smallest creatures in Forestland but he makes up for it with his huge tantrums and evil tricks he will play on you. He secretly looks up to Smek and will put up with whatever poking and prodding she pesters him with. Sometimes he does the noble thing and looks for someone smaller to pick on.

DULMAR

Drawing by Luke!

Dulmar is Smek and Dimjim's biggest fan and is extremely loyal to them. Dulmar isn't very bright or nice smelling but he's a good commodity to have around because he's the only one big and strong enough to get them out of trouble. Dulmar trusts his trouble-making friends completely and will do whatever they ask.

Luke's drawings here, too...

Dulmar is forever grateful to Smek and Dim because they are the only forest-folk who don't mind his weird smell. The source of the strange odor is a constant concern and mystery to Dulmar. Smek thinks it has to do with him residing under a woodchuck tail for a home, but Dulmar firmly rejects this idea as nonsense.

These are Luke's too...I really can't draw this guy...

One thing Dulmar has going for him is that he is the only even tempered and pleasant character Luke and I made for this project.

Smek and Dimjim encounter Dulmar for the first time

SMEK'S SISTERS

Smek also has two sisters. Her older sister is FeeBee, who is everything Smek isn't- polite, girly, and well groomed. FeeBee has made it her job to help all the misguided creatures of the forest, including her sister. FeeBee isn't a snob on purpose, it just comes along with being the cutest thing in the forest.

FeeBee is so adorable and easy to love that even the animals are constantly asking for her hand in marriage. She's always nice about turning them down. "Oh, I'm sorry Mr. Beaver but I can't marry you! I'm SO flattered that you would leave your wife for me! It's so thoughtful!"


Not much is known about Smek's younger sister Doodltote other than that she has a strong affinity for bees. She wears a little dried up bee carapace instead of clothes, and can even will the wings to fly her around sometimes. She can communicate with the bees of Forestland by doing a frenzied little bee dance.


We had a lot of stories and ideas written up and my two favorites involved these characters:

Retarded tree by Luke, little friends by me

The Stupid Tree! Every forest has it's "wise old tree" that gives smart advice and reminds you of your favorite grandpa. Forestland has a stupid tree as well! He tries his best to provide inspiring anecdotes and age-old knowledge to the young innocents of Forestland, but always ends up furthering everyone's misery instead. He's also an angry stupid, and gets flustered easily. He's always babbling to himself and getting leaves in his mouth.

By Luke of course

Another character is this nasty old frog who has the hots for FeeBee. He's completely repulsive and shameless as well.

One day this comely prince shows up to Forestland and sweeps FeeBee off her feet. Who could this handsome stranger be??? Does he have a secret past?



OH I guess I should add that Smek and her pals are like tiny little people. And they live in a forest! Like Smurfs only their mushroom houses don't burn down every other episode.

Here are the very first drawings of Smek. Looking at these now I want to make the current Smek design way weirder! I like her strange proportions and that weird hat!



Those designs came about after I'd gone through a weird phase of drawing weird noseless fairy girls (2002?).


And before THAT was the real start of Forestland, when I was working on a retarded little project I was calling "Root Fairies." I don't remember anything about this idea except that the main fairy granted punishment instead of wishes. I don't know if roots had anything to do with this idea. These things are really old, 2001 perhaps.


WELL THATS IT!
I hope you guys liked this post, I hope someday I can do something with this project. I gotta learn a lot more though if I'm gonna do a short on my own. For good measure here are some more Smeks, drawn with markers before we'd figured out her color scheme.



Thanks fer looking all the way to the bottom! I love you!