Super Sue: The Shim Sham Redemption

I've received a four-page document entitled "Super Sue: The Shim Sham Redemption." There are seven black-and-white illustrations with text. At the bottom of each page is the following:

(c) Jim Keeshen Productions, 1996. All Rights Reserved. Confidential/not for duplication

As in Jim Keeshen's DangerWorld packet, there is no authorship given for the text or artwork. Did Keeshen create Super Sue or is this yet another example of Keeshen claiming copyright for work that he did not create?

According to my confidential source, Super Sue was created by Bonnie Joseph and Barbara Ziering. (The names on the document were added in by the confidential source. "Zeiring" is misspelled). Did Ziering work for Jim Keeshen Productions? Barbara Ziering is a continuing education faculty member at Otis College of Art + Design. She teaches Digital Illustrations for Teens according for the Spring 2006 semester. Here's her brief biography:

Barbara Ziering, AA, American Animation Institute, Los Angeles, California. She has taught traditional Animation at Otis College of Art and Design and was a Supervising Animator with Jim Keeshen Productions. Ms. Ziering is also a Freelance Illustrator.

Of course, who else teaches at Otis but none other than Joddy Nicola, Keeshen's animator on Monkey Love. Notice that Nicola doesn't mention Jim Keeshen Productions, but Keeshen's Studio Animatics. Nicola is teaching Introduction to Animation for Spring 2006. He also continues to teach at Santa Monica College's Academy of Entertainment and Technology with Jim Keeshen. Here's Nicola's biography:

Joddy Nicola, Certificate of Fine Arts in Character Animation, California Institute of the Arts. Mr. Nicola is an animator, director, and writer. He is the owner of Hijinks Animation and has worked with Jim Keeshan Studio Animatics. His client list includes Disney and Warner Brothers.

So, Ms. Ziering was a supervising animator for Jim Keeshen Productions. Remember the Family Guy pilot pitch project which led to a lawsuit by Jim Keeshen against Fox and Seth MacFarlane? When Fox released the Family Guy DVD, there were no credits given for the brief clip. However, our SAVE SMC Blog found the credits and listed them HERE. Barbara Ziering is credited as an animation checker and for her work in digital ink & paint and compositing.

And what do we have here? Bonnie Joseph is credited as one of two production supervisors for the Family Guy pilot pitch! Clearly, Bonnie Joseph also worked for Jim Keeshen Productions. Why did these two talented women not receive the proper credit for either the Family Guy or Super Sue?

Here's an excerpt from Super Sue: The Shim Sham Redemption:

This gives Shim-Sham Sam the idea of how to get the gift certificate. Shim-Sham Sam convinces Ham Radio Hank that he could get unlimited reception if he builds a really huge receiver. Shim-Sham Sam will get him the scrap metal to build one in exchange for the first certificate. Ham Radio Hank agrees in great excitement.

Then Shim-Sham Sam sets up Blames-It-On-James to go door-to-door on a mailbox painting scheme. "Give me your mailbox, and for just 25 cents, we'll have it painted for you!" Bouncin' Bob overhears all this but is unable to tell anyone because he cannot speak.

But do Shim-Sham Sam and Blames-It-On-James get away with their scheme? Read on...



The crowd of former mailbox-owners is growing. Their signs read, "Creep!" and "Weasel!" and "Save the Mail Box!" They are coming toward Blames-It-On-James. Blames-It-On-James panics and screams to Bouncin' Bob, "It's not my fault -- I only did it for Shim-Sham Sam!" Boucin' Bob's eyes get big -- he remembers overhearing the mailbox painting plan!

Finally, Super Sue comes to the rescue. How does Shim-Sham Sam cope with his fraud? Here's the outcome:

Shim-Sham Sam can't stand it. He races out of his hiding place and announces proudly, "I'm the one who came up with the idea. It was my own plan. Blames-It-On-James has nothing to do with it! The great reward is MINE!"

Shim-Sham Sam is nabbed by the crowd and forced to set things straight. Super Sue has once again saved the day.

A story about scheming to defraud innocent people? Sounds like a semi-autobiographical Jim Keeshen Production. This time though, perhaps we should Blame-It-On-James... James Keeshen who once again claims copyright for work which is not his original idea.

-- Des Manttari,
Editor-in-Chief,
Phoenix Genesis

(c) 2006: Phoenix Genesis/MBS LP

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