Welcome to the offical website for John Mcfars!
Feel free to look around and have some fun!
Wait, hold on: What in the world is a "John Mcfars?"
Well, put simply, John Mcfars is an action/adventure/sci-fi series created by Cade Utterback.
It follows the title character, John,
and the antics that pursue in his everyday life.
Of course, John's not the only character around here!
There's an entire cast of people that make up the series.
Other major characters also along for the ride include:
his intelligent brother and identical twin
Shegemi,
who is a mastermind of invention;
their half-bird, half-man friend and neighbor,
Burdey;
and the ever-adorable and oh-so-fluffy
Pingy Popper, John and Shegemi's pet penguin.
You've probably got a lot on your mind. That's okay! I'm here to answer some questions you might have.
Q:
Where do they live?
A:
John and the gang reside in the small, yet bustling, city of ValleyVille, Kentucky.
It's a nice, metropolitian community, rich with kind strangers and a vast, beautiful countryside surrounding it.
Mayor Mike Nelson presides over City Hall, and is a very close friend to the main cast and the people of the city.
Both the ValleyVille Coal Mines and Agricultural Farms provide a nice economy for the townsfolk.
Outside of those fields of work (no pun intended), business booms in the downtown area.
Many offices and multiple-story buildings line the sky of the inner-city, but traffic is never a problem here.
With a population of 35,000, ValleyVille has been home to the Mcfars Family for decades.
All-in-all, ValleyVille is a nice, comfortable small town in the heartland of Kentucky.
And people like John wouldn't have it any other way.
Q:
What do they like to do?
A:
John is an avid fan of anything considered outdated: older TV shows, movies, music, technology, you name it!
You can catch him watching The Blues Brothers any day of the week; or maybe he's jamming out to some Ted Nugent?
With John around, you bet you'll have yourself a good ol' time. He's also crazy about the Atari 2600, his favorite system.
Why not pick up a paddle controller, hit that game reset switch, and join him in a game of Pong?
He's waiting for a worthy opponent...
Shegemi is a man of science. Well, he actually considers himself more of an inventor, as he hates the title of "scientist."
On any given day (and when he's not out adventuring), he's in his underground laboratory, tinkering away at a new invention idea.
Shegemi's also a bit of a businessman, as he is known for selling his inventions under the Mcfars Labs company brand.
His goal as an inventor is to better the lives of all people, and so far I'd say he's doing a great job!
The folk of ValleyVille are really appreciative of Shegemi's dedication to their well-being. (Gosh, what a nice guy!)
Burdey is an animal lover, which definitely fits his character. He is, after all, a literal bird-man.
He's a proud pet-owner of two beagles, and some other small pets, such as his fish, a hampster, and his fire-bellied toads!
Unfortunately, he doesn't have any cats; but if I were part-bird, I wouldn't have any either. In fact, Burdey loathes cats.
Despite this setback, he's able to put aside his feelings when he volunteers at the local animal shelter.
Just because he's an oddity of nature, doesn't mean that he's any less of a person. Er, bird person. You know what I mean.
Jerisa is a kind-hearted young woman that enjoys the finer things - reading, studying, doing research, and helping others.
In her free time, she's often catching up on the latest best-selling novel, or working on her culinary skills.
Don't get the wrong idea, though - she can be laid back, but she still has her share of adventurous qualities.
She's a rocker at heart (she really enjoys Joan Jett), and she'll always ride the scariest rollercoaster in the park!
From rock-climbing to skydiving, Jerisa will always be excited to try something new. A bit of a free spirit, wouldn't ya say?
Julius is the kind of guy that collects jazz records, but doesn't annoy you with his endless jazz knowledge.
He considers himself a man of culture, and would have made a fine Renaissance man with his abilities and interests.
Julius loves to draw, paint, sculpt, and even takes up playwriting from time-to-time. He's even been known to compose music!
He's well-versed in Shakespeare and has studied Aristotle and Plato. He very much enjoys studying history as well.
He's quite knowledgeable, but if there's a difference between being smart and being a snob, he's mastered it. He's not a snob at all.
Pingy Popper is an easy-going penguin, and is John and Shegemi's very cute, very happy, and very fluffy pet.
As a penguin, it doesn't take much to make him happy. He enjoys ice skating in the winter, and getting a tan in the summer.
Despite hailing from a frigid environment, Pingy has adapted to the unpredictable climate known locally as "Kentucky weather."
He is usually very content with just a nice day outside. In the winter, he'll build snowmen and then slide right through 'em!
Pingy is a carefree animal that is always up to play and have fun. Put simply, he's an adorable penguin for two loving owners.
A:
You don't have to care, and I'm not asking you to. The John Mcfars series isn't for everyone.
Heck, no one really knows about it, and that's because it's not a very popular series.
It's more of a passion project than anything else, really. That's how I look at it.
It's just a silly little series with some nice stories from time to time.
There's some comedy, some sci-fi elements, and some adventure for sure!
In short, John Mcfars is an animated series that aims to have fun in any way it can, and any way it wants to.
The characters all have fun, and there's a lot of love put into it all. I've made sure of that. I always will.
So the next time you drive through Western Kentucky, make sure to stop by the hidden, little town of ValleyVille.
I've got some friends that would love to meet ya!
Q:
You've mentioned an animated series.
Where can I watch it?
A:
Well, before I answer that question, I'll tell you that there aren't any real good episodes out there.
I've worked on several different John Mcfars "projects" over the past seven years, ever since I first learned to animate.
None of them have ever really made me happy. None have ever felt as presentable as they should be.
There are approximately 18 episodes in the John Mcfars series so far. Most of these have never been seen by the public.
I have made a few select ones available on YouTube, but again: I'm not very proud of these.
The animation wasn't that great (one of them literally recycled animation from other projects), and the "writing" is awful.
If there is anything positive to say about my old work, it's that I was an imaginative kid and I had a lot of fun making it.
Some of it still warms my heart to watch, but only in private. I'd have a panic attack if I ever saw some of them in public!
Regardless, my goal is to make it all available. There's a section below that houses every John Mcfars "episode" produced.
Because I was so young at the time, some of these "episodes" are very short. Sometimes I think they shouldn't even have been made.
One of them is even an incomplete project. However, every creation needs time to grow and mature, and John Mcfars is no exception.
The "animation" was often made by a 10- or 11-year old, mostly. The "voice acting" was simple and awful. There was no color.
These things used to take 30 minutes to make, tops. Now, as I mature as a creator and animator, it takes several days and months.
So, to answer your question, you may look below to find every John Mcfars episode that I produced.
The epsiodes range anywhere from 30 seconds to 4 minutes, and most of them are awful.
They were produced from 2012 to 2018, with the majority of them being made from 2012-2015.
So, despite all of that, I have made them available. If you enjoy them for their charm, I'm glad.
If you dislike them, I understand. They are not quality works and are nowhere near a masterpiece.
However, they are important to me because they helped me evolve as a writer, as an artist, and as an animator.
I'm proud to say I made these monstrocities, because it meant I could make better things. Speaking of which...
Q:
Are you working on any new John Mcfars projects?
A:
Why, yes, I am! Thank you for asking!
I'm very proud to announce that I am working on a 15-minute animated short film that takes place in the John Mcfars universe.
It's called "The Wiz," and I've been working on it on-and-off for a few months now. I'm very, very proud of what I have done.
I would have more done, but I began attending Murray State University in August, and I haven't had much time to work on it.
Regardless, let me fill you in on the story.
When John and Shegemi prepare for another adventure, Shegemi gets a chance to show off his new invention, the "PocketWiz 3000"!
"The Wiz," as it's often shortened to, is a device with so many wonderful capabilities that a Swiss Army Knife would be jealous!
After hopping in the time machine, they soon discover that there's been a major malfunction - and they're stuck in the past!
John and Shegemi must now find a way to get home before anything dangerous happens. Is it possible with the help of "The Wiz?"
Find out in Cade Utterback's "The Wiz," coming very soon!
Q:
Can I get a "Sneak Peek" at this whole "The Wiz" thing?
A:
Well, sure! I don't mind. In fact, I made a little "sneak peek" a while back for such an occasion!
With that said, enjoy this first look at my upcoming short film, "The Wiz"!
