best of buds

It was early 1977, and things were pretty swell for Jason. He was a well-adjusted 3-year-old with his own room and a taste for Flintstones vitamins. He was an ambitious child. Recently accepted to the pre-school of his choice, a Montessori man, things were surely looking up.

On February 18th, the world changed. Michael was born, ending Jason's short-lived reign as only child. A legacy ended. Dreams shattered. Unapologetic, Michael proved to be a happy soul, the kind of kid everyone likes. He had fat little rosy cheeks and a kind smile. He cared only for the well being of others, and had dimples that proved it. Devastated, Jason denounced the Montessori educational system and took to spending hours alone in a dark refrigerator box he named Bud. Good ole' Bud.

Concerned her eldest son was having difficulty adjusting, and fearful that a friendship with a moldy box was "unusual", Mrs. Carpenter made an executive decision. Bud died on February 26th, 1977. In accordance with Jason's wishes, and a progressive city sanitation code, Bud's remains were wrapped with twine and laid by the street, where he was picked up, and recycled.

Jason dealt with Bud's passing as best he could. Recreating Bud out of a collection of smaller boxes temporarily dulled his pain, but ultimately proved an unworthy substitute. Sensitive to Jason's loss, Michael helped in the only way he knew how, with a gentle smile. He offered Jason a red matchbox car as a gift, a Camaro. Jason was suspicious. But in the end, his bitterness was no match for the bright-shiny-red-"wheely-ness" of his new toy. Delighted, he accepted his brother's gift, and never looked back.

Jason lost a friend in Bud, but gained a brother, and a real partner. The newly inseparable chums sealed their brotherhood with the traditional wrapping of arms around shoulders. They were happy. And so all was well in the world. To this day, they are the best of buds. As a sign of solidarity, every other Tuesday, Jason and Michael pay respect to a fallen hero. With a ball of twine, a salute, and a tear in the eye, they stand united. Long Live Bud! Re-duce, Re-use, Re-cycle!

After Montessori, Jason attended the School of Design at NC State University, where he studied Art and Design with a focus in painting. Upon graduation, he moved to New York City and worked as a Senior Flash Designer at Betelguese Productions. There he developed Flash animated music videos for artists such as Jewel, STP, Kid Rock, and Rush. In August of 2002, Jason moved to Los Angeles to attend the MFA program in Experimental Animation at Calarts. During graduate school he continued to work on commercial projects for Drew Carey’s Green Screen Show, Sesame Street, and the WB Kids with his brother Michael. Graduating from Calarts in 2006, Jason has moved forward as 50% of Carpenter Bros Animation to direct animation for TV commercials, theme parks, museum exhibits, and retail environments. He lives in Los Angeles where he happily pursues a career in storytelling, and dreams of one day owning a bulldog named Sam. Or a pig, whatever comes first.

Michael studied Industrial Design at the School of Design at NC State University, smiling all the way, with a focus in toy design and animation. After graduation he moved to Manhattan where he worked for Betelguese Productions as a Senior Broadcast Designer. His work there included a series of spots for Nickelodeon, the intro to the Howard Stern Show on CBS, and graphics for Monday Night Football, for which he was nominated for an emmy. Michael moved to Los Angeles in 2002 to pursue a graduate degree in Experimental Animation at Calarts. While in graduate school he worked with his brother Jason on projects for Drew Carey’s Green Screen Show, Sesame Street, and the WB Kids, while also enjoying a brief stint in Atlanta to work on Cartoon Network’s Aquateen Hunger Force. Michael graduated Calarts in 2006 to become 50% of Carpenter Bros Animation and has gone on to direct animation for TV commercials, theme parks, museum exhibits, and retail environments. He lives in sunny Los Angeles where he happily works in storytelling, plays a lot of basketball, soaks in the ocean breeze, and falls off his bike from time to time. Stupid gravity!