As another 'sweeps month' begins, so, too, does my latest series of 'photo-ops' - pictures of yours truly teamed up with other personalities (anthroartists, illustrators, animators, fursuiters and folks of other unique talents).

I begin my May, 2011 presentation the way I'd begun my February, 2011 presentation: with a 'group shot' of talented anthroartist friends. From left to right, we have Funimal, MKaz, Frenata, and RobCat. This photo was taken at the home of the middle two subjects, when they had resided in Deland, FL - Circa the mid-1990s.

I knew Frenata, going back to the late 1980s, when I first saw her artwork in the 'funny animal' APAzine "Rowrbrazzle", and I wrote to her via 'snail-mail' - occasionally including a drawing of my own of some of her characters. She would suggest that I contact (then) editor Fred Patten, and become a contributor to "Rowrbrazzle"(which I eventually became, and still am to this very day).

During the early 1990s, Frenata left "Rowrbrazzle" to join the digest-sized fanzine, "The Dallas Brawl Update" - in addition to her already being a member/contributor to "Huzzah!" (another APAzine). Her husband MKaz also left "Rowrbrazzle", to pursue a career in animation (having already worked on such TV shows as "Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures", "Tiny Toon Adventures", and the first season of "The Simpsons"). The two of them relocated from southern California to central Florida, to open an animation studio (with the help of another talented anthroartist, Ken Mitchroney of "Space Ark" fame).

When I'd moved down (from Reading, Pennsylvania) to south Florida in 1994, Funimal would take me to places all over the 'Sunshine State'. On one such outing, we drove up to Deland (in central Florida), where I got to meet MKaz and Frenata for the first time. (I'd already met Ken Mitchroney in late 1993 at a comic book show in Philadelphia). I not only got to take a guided tour of the animation studio, but I also saw a lot of cartoon memorabilia (from other well-known animators) in their own home.

Not wanting to miss an opportunity like this, I took out my 35mm camera for said 'group shot'. (I forget if Ken or someone else took this picture of the four of us.)

The Deland animation studio did fairly well (making commercials and even a 30-minute TV special "A Critters' Christmas"), but not enough to show a profit. The studio closed down in the late 1990s, with its founders moving back to the West Coast: The Kazalehs returning to southern California, while Ken Mitchroney (and his wife Beth) moving to central California. (Ken continued to work on animated fare - most notably at the Texas-based O-mation Studios - for TV shows such as "Back at the Barnyard" and "Planet Sheen").

Mike, having past comic book experience (e.g. "Captain Jack" and "Critters" for Fantagraphics and "Ren & Stimpy" for Marvel), currently works for Bongo Comics on issues of "Futurama" (based on the Matt Groening cartoon show).

I'll have plenty of additional 'photo-op' surprises during the month, so watch for them...

ADDENDA: 24 hours after posting this photo, MKaz officially joined "FA". Check out his classic stuff...