Joust My Luck - Jacob Lenard (my nephew) Animates In the Tradition of Looney Toons

MARVELS OF MEDIA RECOGNIZES JACOB LENARD'S ANIMATION

My nephew Jacob Lenard’s animation work was honored at the Museum of the Moving Image "Marvels of Media" festival in NYC. His cartoon, Joust My Luck, was screened opening night; he also joined a panel of other autistic artists also recognized for their creativity.

Of course, Jacob's cartoon was the most musically advanced, most humorous and witty. Yes, I’m biased, and it is true. He wrote the script with all the visual jokes and facial expressions, did all the animation, wrote and performed the soundtrack. This one is wordless, but he also voices most of his other cartoons.

According to the Museum: "'Joust My Luck' features Sir Sammy and the Great Rodney of Snobb competing in a jousting match. Joust My Luck harkens back to the slapstick, creativity, and wit of cartoon classics like Looney Tunes and early Nicktoons like Rocko’s Modern Life."

I still adore Mugman, his earliest work, with it’s simple, charming animation and sweet stories. I was even a guest artist voicing Sonia Sunflower in the Plantsy’s World series, a tongue and cheek take on children’s programming. (Alas, I was too far away from the mic, an amateur’s error.)

Jacob is an autistic artist who honed his skills at Exceptional Minds, an award-winning nonprofit academy and studio preparing autistic adults to launch careers in animation, VFX and the digital arts. Exceptional Minds and its partners are building a future where neurodiverse perspectives advance an inclusive hiring culture in the entertainment industry.

Take a cartoon break and dive into Jacob’s world on YouTube.