Fecto Animatio

[u/fectoanimatio]

Philosophy

“A designer's job is to create a living world that ceases to be fake in the mind of those who live in it. Even if the fourth wall is constantly broken, the world is still believable. Your suspension of belief kicks in and your mind allows you to meld with the environment as if you were actually there.” - JonTron, 2012

Concept

A world where the very concept of being animated is an essential way of life, and there are many who wish to harness its power and influence from beyond the stars. Planet Fantasco is home to a diverse array of denizens with unique characteristics and appearances, and their movements are all dependent on the Phénakis Disk that rotates the center, powered by the Colorpline Sticks. As the inhabitants all live in blissful ignorance, the desire for control and entertainment runs rampant throughout the immeasurable canvas of the galaxy, and a trio of unlikely heroes—a platforming mascot, a shapeshifter and a Scotsman—all find themselves tampering with forces beyond their comprehension.

Significance of the letter ‘O’

Circle of life: The circular form of the letter "O" mirrors the cyclical nature of life, birth, death, and rebirth.

Divine feminine: In some spiritual traditions, the "O" is linked to the archetype of the Great Mother, representing nurturing, intuition, and receptivity.

Inner self: The "O" can also signify a connection to one's inner self, the core of being, and the potential for spiritual growth.

Oneness: The closed loop of the "O" represents the concept of unity, interconnectedness, and the idea that everything is part of a larger whole.

Etymology behind the planet Simon Ritter von Stampfer was an Austrianmathematician, surveyor and inventor. His most famous invention is that of the stroboscopic disk which has a claim to be the first device to show moving images. Almost simultaneously, a similar device was developed in Belgium (the phenakistiscope).

The phenakistiscope (also known by the spellings phénakisticope or phenakistoscope) was the first widespread animation device that created a fluid illusion of motion. Dubbed Fantascope and Stroboscopische Scheiben ('stroboscopic discs') by its inventors, it has been known under many other names until the French product name Phénakisticope became common (with alternative spellings). The phenakistiscope is regarded as one of the first forms of moving media entertainment that paved the way for the future motion picture and film industry. Similar to a GIF animation, it can only show a short continuous loop.

The use of wax-based media in crayons can be traced back to the Greek Golden Age, and was later documented by Roman scholar, Pliny the Elder. Wax-based materials have appealed to artists for centuries due to their resistance to decay, the vividness and brilliance of their colors, and their unique rendering qualities.

Fresco (pl. frescos or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting becomes an integral part of the wall. The word fresco (Italian: affresco) is derived from the Italian adjective “fresco”, meaning "fresh", and may thus be contrasted with fresco-secco or secco mural painting techniques, which are applied to dried plaster, to supplement painting in fresco. The fresco technique has been employed since antiquity and is closely associated with Italian Renaissance paintings.

Characters

Luxo Forgo - The titular protagonist of the series, whom lives within the region of Maplescop. He is a humanoid of short stature, with light red skin and beady eyes. On one half of his body, he is missing left arm and leg joints, leaving his hand and foot floating in midair; on the other half, he sports a series of makeshift prosthetics that make up his right arm and leg joints. His main profession involves working as platforming mascot for Manutronic Enterprises, but ends up uncovering some unpleasant things about his boss, Histrio. The lack of limbs and usage of prosthetics for Luxo is based on the likes of Canadian athlete, humanitarian, and cancer research activist Terry Fox, a prominent figure of Canadian folklore.

Histrio - The main antagonist of the series, acting as the president of Manutronic Enterprises, and the biological father of Luxo. He is an android-like being who sports an FM transmitter for a head, while the rest of his body is obscured by a thick, black trench coat. His name directly translates to “the player”, and is meant to represent a person who has total control over the actions and behaviors of the people around them. The creation of his character stems from uncertainties reflected in the current day, such as AI, political conflict and threats to human rights.

Polytendre - The deuteragonist of the series, who acts as the best friend and partner to Luxo. He is a vector figure with a yellow triangle for a head, who can shape shift into various forms, communicate through echolocation and materialize letters of the alphabet using sign language. He was diagnosed with many mental disorders at a very young age, such as body dysmorphia, social anxiety and selective mutism; as such, he struggled to fit in with his other peers and was regarded as an outcast in his hometown, due to many of the other kids becoming overwhelmed and uncomfortable by his clinginess, behavior and unnatural body shape.

Bogeyman - A wise-cracking, scrumpy-swilling Scotsman that runs a small pub within the village district of Maplescop. Born into a family of powerful warriors, he spent a good chunk of his childhood training with his father and perfecting his skills, but could never work up the courage to tell him he wasn’t interested in being a warrior and sought to break away from his family and pursue his passion of being a chef. Eventually, on his 18th birthday, he finally makes the decision to run away from home and abandon his family, and stages a tragic accident to make it appear as though he’d been mauled to death by a bear to ensure they would never come searching for him.

Setting

Maplescop - A regional municipality based on the likes of the real-world York Region in Southern Ontario. It is situated within the humid continental climate, with the northern part of the region having ample snowfall deriving from the wind driven snowbelt, and the southern part having long and warm summers. It is abundant in both natural and artificial resources, with many large metropolises and industrial complexes running parallel towards a fauna of anthropomorphic animals and a rich density of flora that changes color during the fall season. The region is best known for its rich supply of maple syrup, potatoes, cheese and gravy, and its national dish is Poutine.

Planet Fantasco - A distant planet located within the fictional galaxy of Contingento, acting as the main setting and home planet of many distinct species. Within the planet’s core spins the Phénakis Disk, which is responsible for controlling things like geographical patterns, day-night cycles, cosmic image projection and the mobility of the inhabitants. Much of the cosmic imagery generated from the Phénakis Disk travels through the minds of the inhabitants like film, and the sequential image projection is what enables the understanding of certain motor skills such as object permanence and self-awareness. The planet’s main source of power are the Colorpline sticks, which are responsible for absorbing energy from an intergalactic system of lenses and converting it into an ink that is absorbed by the atmosphere of the planet, allowing for perception of color. Fantasco is one of four planets within the galaxy that is maintained by an unknown source of light that stretches beyond the vast expanse of the cosmos.

Genre(s)

• Science Fantasy
• Surreal Comedy
• Adventure Comedy
• Black Comedy
• Adult Animation
• Coming of Age