An update from Sgt. Stubby’s writer/director and Fun Academy founder, Richard Lanni, on our studio’s latest endeavor to make YOU a part of Stubby’s on-going animated adventures.
Happy Thanksgiving friends, and what a busy year it’s been!
With all that’s transpired since Stubby’s initial release – over forty film festival selections, premiering on HBO, opening in theatres across France – and the great things we have in store for the future, we thought it was time to provide another peek behind the curtain and shine the spotlight on our brand new offering: THE STUBBY SQUAD.
We’ve called our fans The Stubby Squad for some time now, and you have taken that name to heart! We could not ask for a better group to share our love of Stubby; our fans are loyal and have kept our story going even when it seemed the world was against us. You stood up for Stubby when he was in theaters; later, you rallied the troops and helped us gain a distribution deal with Paramount, bringing the brave little dog’s charming and poignant tale to people everywhere. It is safe to say that our current and continued success relies on you!
That’s part of why we’ve created our new premium membership platform, the Stubby Squad. It’s a place for our fans to gather and have access to all new Stubby content while we work on his next on-screen adventures. It’s also much more than that.
Members of the Stubby Squad will have unlimited access to new and continually-updated original productions, including In the Pawprints of History, a documentary series following the real Stubby’s journey through France; a chance to learn the art of French cooking from our very own Chef Gaston; downloadable teacher’s guides and age-appropriate craft projects; and much, much more.
We’re also pleased to share Stubby & Friends, a weekly comic strip created in conjunction with celebrated children’s author Scott Christian Sava (Spider-Man, The Dreamland Chronicles) that will be available for everyone who visits the Stubby Squad!
The Stubby Squad will also feature unprecedented access to the studio’s creative team, including production blogs, filmed segments and podcasts – or “Squadcasts,” if you will – as they go into production on new films and television series, as well as fan forums where the community can directly interact with the production of Sgt. Stubby’s future on-screen adventures. We’re trying to change the world of entertainment and your voice is a vital part of our mission.
Beyond the Stubby Squad, we love hearing from new fans who have discovered our little hero’s story. While we are no longer available on Wal-Mart’s shelves, you can still find Stubby for purchase on Amazon, iTunes, Vudu, Google Play, and YouTube Movies, as well as online-only sales through Walmart, Best Buy, and Target. You can also rent from your local RedBox or stream the film on HBO Now.
Our Fun Academy Shop is full of items to help you bring Stubby from the big screen into your home, and there will be more “member’s only” items available in the Stubby Store.
But we’re most excited about making the Stubby Squad a reality and allowing our fans to be a part of the action. Your membership to the Squad provides all the perks and original content mentioned above, but it also makes you a part of history. With your continued support, we can continue creating our unique blend of story-driven, information-rich films and programs for all ages to enjoy.
Sincerely,
Richard Lanni, Sgt. Stubby writer/director/executive producer