SIX MORE FAVORITES

There are so many other projects I’m proud of that don’t fit as easily into the main buckets I centered around – but to be merciful, I kept this compilation at the ever-listable, listicle limit of six (sorry, German tradeshow print ads… you’ll live on in my heart).

1) Toppers Pizza: Voice Messages

This is all about Tom Kane – an incredible voice actor who I can’t believe had to say words I wrote for playful, mildly brash pizza chain Toppers. His voice has been with me my whole life, from The Powerpuff Girls to gosh-dang Yoda to The Eric Andre Show, Oscar broadcasts and more. He sadly had to retire early for health reasons and I’ll forever cherish having some of these batches of pizza-related phone line nonsense he took on with wonderful enthusiasm.

2) Culver’s: Kid’s Meal Packaging

There’s no greater joy in the world than making a child chuckle. My niece and nephew both chuckled at this bag before I told them I wrote it, so it’s an unrivaled success. Also great: Casting for and recording ten different phone messages from the voice of Scoopie as an easter egg for the bottom left of the bag. (877-898-WAFL if you’re so inclined.)

3) Culver’s: J.J. Watt Surprise & Delight

J.J. Watt was coming back to the University of Wisconsin to give a commencement speech, so Culver’s wanted to send him some goodies, a nice note and a list of jokes as potential material for the speech – with the lofty thought of getting a mention. No, he didn’t say Culver’s by name, but heck if he didn’t talk about “fried cheese curds and chocolate custard” 48 seconds in.

4) Chuy’s: Green Chile Festival

Chuy’s used to have an annual Green Chile Festival and we did a lot of rad work for it – menus, social, in-store activations, stickers and more. But the one thing that lives in my mind forever is the “educational page” from the 2019 menu. For that piece, we boosted our pep rally theme with classic notebook doodles. The MOST IMPORTANT contribution to the world I’ve ever helped make: a chile pepper “Cool S,” lovingly made by my art director friend Aaron Randall.

If there’s one link you click on my whole website, please make it a visit to the Cool S on the bottom left of the white menu page. (You could read the copy too, but you don’t have to.)

5) Doctors Without Borders: Summer Games Done Quick Promo

I actually never worked on our client Doctors Without Borders until the pandemic happened. Diving in at that point was a crash course in the power, potential and responsibility of what we do. I worked on some quick-turn, heavy stuff, but also got the chance to turn things out like this promo for a video game speed-running fundraiser that I already knew and loved. It’s always fun making work that’s so tailored to something specific – and of course the animator Scott crushed it.

6) Boys & Girls Club of Dane County: “Hearts for Helping” Fundraisers

I’ve been lucky enough to work on four of these events that raise some big bucks for the BGC in the Madison area. My favorite might’ve been the “A Storybook Celebration” installment, which included a legit 10-foot tall storybook put together by a local artist that operated as a photo booth.