Shem Andre Byron

We’ve given you a dozen lessons, 12 techniques to sharpen your skills. We don’t keep an even dozen pristine inside a carton, we expect you to crack these ideas and mix them on your canvas. A tidy kitchen produces no taste. Break all these lessons and make your canvas messy.

As the Tutor’s masterpiece grows, so should the art homework you produce as his loyal students. In Lesson 11, we examine how to utilize the the subtlety of highlights. The Subjects eyes glistens with highlights. What does she see?

For over two months, you have followed in the footsteps of The Tutor. You have gained power from his words, vigor from his actions. His backhand has been heavy with the sting of discipline to make you stronger but hands have to sides and soft is the side that deals with the details; the glorious, glorious details.

Share with you I shall, Lesson 9. The masterpiece progresses. The Tutor strokes lovingly his canvas, treating his subject with the relentless care she deserves. What other colors will splash upon his work and adorn his project?

Friday morning was a day of dreams for me at Comic-Con.

I woke with the roosters in San Diego to have a meeting with the heads of the Gaslamp Theater, the kind host of The Tutor’s premiere.

There I screened the film by myself, alone in a four hundred and fifty-seat auditorium. Cradled by surround sound, I watched the movie and lost breath. My cheeks hurt from a lengthy smile as I exited the cinema, satisfied with the film’s impact, I headed for the convention vendors’ floor.

I roamed the floor with 130,000 rabid fan boys and girls. Costumes dazzled, cameras flashed, the sensory overload tried to distract but it couldn’t divert me from my goal, to meet my childhood hero, Ralph Bakshi.

Ralph Bakshi influenced me greatly as an artist, as a writer and as a director. He revolutionized animation in the early 70’s by dealing with mature, sophisticated subject matter targeted specifically towards adults. I saw his film Wizards when I was 9yrs old. Smart, edgy it merged fantasy, history, theology and mysticism into a sensitive, riveting, character driven, epic mythology. I was never the same after the exposure to his work, from then on; I knew I would become an artist.

Searching for my mentor on 11 acres of the Comic-Con floor proved to be a challenge but like a homing pigeon being drawn to its coop, instinct prevailed. There he sat, a legend, an icon. I sauntered to his table, picked for purchase an authenticated animation cell from his film Wizards and reached for the courage to speak with him.

Before I could embarrass myself with a stutter, I was saved; Mr.Bakshi spoke first. He saw my professional Comic-Con badge and asked what I was working on.

I told him about my film, The Tutor, explained it was being debuted the next evening and expressed my gratitude for his influence on my work. He hugged me, autographed my cell and congratulated me on my premiere.

As I left his table and looked back at this 72-year-old man, surrounded by four decades of his work, all I could see was youth, Ralph Bakshi made me feel young.

Greetings and salutations pupils, we have a treat in store for you today. Grab your popcorn; this installment is a double feature.

Our first film is an invitation. You are privileged to receive a summons to The Tutor’s Gallery, an art show featuring work made by our fan base, The Students of The Tutor, our crew, The Professionals of The Tutor, and a live art lesson preformed by your host and captor, Terrance Zdunich, The Tutor.

This one night only event is happening Saturday, October 23rd, 2010 and will feature the film, The Tutor in its entirety along with Repo, The Genetic Opera preformed with a live shadow cast.

Don’t be tardy!

Our next feature is Lesson 8 of The Tutor.

The tension grows, the art progresses, the subject is becoming more beautiful with every stroke.

Enjoy!

Perspiration glistens my upper lip as I feverishly tax my G4 Macintosh far beyond its capacity by editing our film, The Tutor, for its Comic-Con July 24th debut. We have just received word that Dread Central, the biggest horror website in the country, will be doing a live webcast of our premiere, exposing our film globally. For now, Lesson 7 of The Tutor has launched to get you through the shakes and shivers of withdraw before Comic-Con.

For all you procrastinators, dawdlers, stragglers and dilly-dalliers who have not witnessed the splendor of the first six lessons of sHeM aNdRe bYrOn and Terrance Zdunich’s new film, The Tutor, I have done you a solid.

Here now, presented in one full block, I give you episodes 1-6 edited together in one piece without childproof locks. Catch up on your homework and become a pupil of The Tutor.

A subject needs to be chosen, but how does one choose?

My Plastic Heroes,

I’m proud to announce, tickets are now available to see sHeM and Terrance’s new film, The Tutor, showing at Comic-Con in San Diego, Saturday July 24th along with Repo, The Genetic Opera.

Witness live on stage, the stars and creative forces behind these projects, Terrance Zdunich, Darren Bousman, Alexa Vega, Bill Moseley, Darren Smith and sHeM, as they discuss their films with the attending audience.

You may purchase tickets now at Fandango.

Those who grace our seats will be privy to unseen footage and an announcement that will knock their socks off.