When Renee Carter, an 8th grader from Waynesboro, Va., started doodling figures from her favorite television cartoon show, she never thought it would lead to a contract with one of the world’s most prestigious film studios and a meeting with the acclaimed director Steven Spielberg. But that’s Hollywood ...
The unlikely chain of events began in the cafeteria of Kate Collins Junior High, where Renee began sketching characters from “Tiny Toon Adventures,” a syndicated cartoon program produced by Mr. Spielberg.
With the help of two of her friends, Amy Crosby and Sarah Creef, the drawings evolved into a full-length story entitled “Buster and Babs Go Hawaiian.” The plot chronicles the mishaps of two Tiny Toons characters, distantly related to Bugs Bunny, whose vacation turns into a fiasco.
On “a whim,” the three girls created a 180-page illustrated story book and sent it to a local television station that broadcasts the popular afternoon show.
A station employee forwarded the manuscript to Warner Brothers Animation, which produces the program. It eventually ended up in the hands of Mr. Spielberg, who liked the story enough to send his representatives to Waynesboro to make a deal to purchase the story from the three young authors.
Later this month, the girls and their parents will fly to Los Angeles, where they will tour Universal Studios, watch the filming of a television show, and meet with the famous director to discuss the cartoon tale. In addition to their trip west, the three youngsters will split a $250 fee.
The “Buster and Babs” episode will air sometime in the fall.
“I’ve got the entire school watching the show, even the teachers!” says Renee, who plans to pursue a career in animation. “I figure something like this would look pretty good on a resume.”
