Kickstarter

Emmy winning animator Jose Acosta created a short teaser of Edgar Allan Poe's Tales of Mystery.  In it, Poe (voiced by Jose himself) hosts his own TV show, with the intention that an ensemble cast of his historical friends, enemies, and associates will play all the parts in one of his stories.  The short went on to be selected for over 20 film festivals including Palm Springs CA, Savannah, Great Lakes, Texas, Washington DC, Palm Beach FL, The DV convention, and Big Bear CA International Film Fest where it won best digital animated short.  Newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, published glowing reviews.

Hollywood producers have shown interest, but alas, no deal has been struck yet.  We need a full 30 minute pilot episode.

Undaunted, Jose's team of talented artists and animators are ready to make Poe's nightmares into realities. Below, concept artist Saye Gbatu created a set of character sheets.

Now Social Media gives this project a chance to "Rise from the Dead." = )

Audiences are ready for this clever version of Poe's tales, with interesting characters from his real life worked into the plot. The new script, an adaptation of Poe's Hop-Frog is ready to start production.

Called the "American Shakespeare" Poe remains one of the most iconic and best-loved American writers of all time.  Besides writing his famous tales of terror, he invented the detective story, dabbled in science fiction, and wrote some of the most romantic poems in the English language.  He appeals to a wide range of ages and groups, and is often the first serious literary figure that pre-teens and teenagers read about in school. Yet no major biopic or TV series has emerged to showcase his life and works for his many fans.  There is an untapped potential for a huge audience!

While Poe's stories are in the public domain, this particular adaptation is copyrighted for it's unique perspective. The central idea is to use a set of recurring characters from Poe's real life, to play the parts in our adapted stories.

We have established connections with Cartoon Network, PBS, Disney and other receptive distribution channels.  We just need your help to fund this 24-minute pilot episode to show the entertainment value - suspense, terror, romance, and humor - that this idea can bring to audiences.

Other actors we are considered:

Please join our team of Poe enthusiasts, animation fans, and kids of all ages.