So I have been delving into the depths of my memory to try and remember the details. But through some very trying career ups and downs it’s hard to be really clear about some of it, so this is my best guess. Suffice to say that back in 2007(ish) after myself and Simon Jowett had been trying to get our little show, Jeff(as it was then) the Chef, placed we seemed to hit a bit of a wall. Everybody thought it was a great idea, but we couldn’t actually make it happen…
At that time I went back into comics for a while. Probably drawing more Transformers and some Power Rangers I seem to remember. My stint in TV wasn’t coming up with any new work so it was back to a bit of comics and any other illustration work I could get. I also got a good gig in a games company designing environments for some games based on the ‘Ologyworld’ books published by Templar Publishing. I loved that job and interesting the art style that I developed while there was to appear in a couple of other key projects. But more of that another time.
So, I was looking for more illustration work. I needed to get a bit more stuff into my portfolio that wasn’t comics. I fancied the idea of breaking into the world of children’s books illustration. While looking through the stuff I had in the studio I took a look at Jeff the Chef and decided to rewrite the pitch document as though it was a pitch for a children’s book. The content was good and I was pleased with the illustrations. – If I find them I will post some so you can see what those early designs were like -. Anyway, with my redesigned portfolio sorted I started to make appointments to see people. One of those appointments was with Mary Vacher who was then at Random House Publishing. I can’t remember how I got her name but nevertheless I had an appointment to go and see her. It was a good meeting and she was lovely to talk to. She did say, however, that my work was not particularly suitable for children’s book illustration. Well you can imagine my thoughts. I felt like I had got to the point in my career where I was literally going round in circles. Nothing seemed to quite fit. I wasn’t right for kids books, my comics career was all but over, I was finding it hard to get any more work in games or TV. but then, as the meeting ended she said. “this is interesting though”. She was referring to the Jeff document. And then she said, “It’s really nice and could be a nice book for someone, but… it looks like it ought to be a TV show”. I smiled and told her the background of the project. Then she said something that was to MASSIVELY shift things. One of those moments that changes everything. She said, “Do you know Oliver Ellis”. I didn’t, so she gave me the contact details and said, “give him a call and let him know I sent you” (bless her). The following day I did just that.
The meeting with Oliver (who was at that time working for Target Entertainment) was great. He really liked the idea and suggested that we talk about it more and some possible changes to it. Further meetings happened with him and his work colleague, Helen Howells. And… they optioned it! This was amazing. A second chance. Jeff had found a new home and these guys were serious. They handled projects like Postman Pat and Rory the Racing Car. It felt like Jeff was going to be among the right people. During that time Simon (Jowett) and I had many meetings with Oliver. We reshaped things, came up with new characters, talked about how it could be produced, went to see stop-motion supremos, Cosgrove Hall Films and model makers extraordinaire, McKinnon & Saunders. These were amazing times. At McKinnon’s we saw the models they were making for Fantastic Mr Fox and at Cosgrove we saw Postman Pat in production. Jeff had always been conceived as a stop motion show and it looked like we were finally going to make that dream come true. Of course, a major broadcaster needed to be signed up but surely… surely that would happen? right?
Then… another blow. TARGET were shutting their doors, or being taken over or something. But either way, they didn’t want Jeff. No idea why but that was it. Jeff’s new found home was closing it’s doors.
But, there was light at the end of the tunnel. Oliver and Helen had always worked well together and had decided to team up and go it alone and set up their own company. As part of their exit from TARGET they had been told they could take Jeff with them. They asked if we would be willing to sign with them and their new company. It was great of them to ask us, but they were new, with no track record as a company. But we had faith in them, as people. They loved Jeff as much as we did and they were great people to deal with. So we went with it. It was all now very uncertain but it still had a chance. But it wasn’t going to happen in a hurry. Oliver and Helen had a company to build first.
back to the day job…
Next: More ups and downs and complications and rejections.
Back of the Oven! Part5
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