Utica Cartoon

Utica Cartoon: Hotdog Champeen is a pilot created by Fran and Will Krause and directed by Fran Krause for Cartoon Network. The pilot premiered on Cartoon Cartoon Fridays on July 13, 2001 as one of ten contenders for Cartoon Network's Big Pick 2, the winner of which would become the next Cartoon Cartoon. The pilot landed in last place, thus it did not win The Big Pick, and was not picked up by Cartoon Network to become a full-length series.
== Background ==
In 1999, Fran Krause directed the short film Mister Smile while attending the Rhode Island School of Design. The short was included in several film festivals around the world and received many awards. At a Swedish film festival, the short caught the attention of Cartoon Network development executive Linda Simensky, who invited Fran to pitch a pilot for Cartoon Network.David B. Levy (2010). "Animation Development - From Pitch to Production". 
During the spring of 2000, Utica Cartoon was originally pitched as Utica Zoo, a concept involving the rivalry between animals from a local zoo and kids from a nearby school.David B. Levy. (September 9, 2007). "The Brothers Krause". Animondays. Retrieved August 4, 2022. After many revisions, the concept turned into Utica Cartoon. Two screen tests involving the main characters were made to convince executives that Fran and his friends could voice their characters themselves. They temporarily disagreed with this idea, reasoning that Dan sounded more like a surfer than a bear. Fran explained that they were based off imitations of their friends, conversational tones and deadpan included. The network let them go through with the idea.Fran Krause. (August 22, 2001). "Utica Cartoon Apology." rec.arts.animation. Retrieved August 4, 2022. After the pilot was greenlit, Fran and his brother Will flew from living in a basement in New York City to Providence with Mike Overbeck, and Jesse Schmall to start production in the winter of 2000.Will Krause. "Utica Cartoon". Will Krause. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
The plot of "Hotdog Champeen" was inspired by a conversation with Will's friend involving a strategy to beat a local hot dog store's record by using "a blender and a can of Sprite".
=== Production ===
The crew obtained "a little cottage from 1754 that [they] rented from a local preservation group". However, the building was "terrifyingly haunted and had a possum in the basement", along with cold weather conditions freezing the roads and making it difficult for the team to park.
Due to companies closing or shifting away from cel-based animation in favor for digital ink-and-paint, they couldn't supply the team with equipment to make the pilot. One of the xerographers they contacted asked for 45 thousand dollars, which they declined.Fran Krause (August 23, 2001). "Utica Cartoon Apology." rec.arts.animation. Retrieved August 4, 2022. Because of this, Will Krause rented a xerox machine and brought a light table, a cel drying rack, and a camera stand, all of which were built by himself.
A year earlier, Cartoon Network requested Fran to send them a 35mm print of the pilot once production was complete. Utica Cartoon was filmed in 35mm and was the last traditional film that Fran directed. They completed the cartoon in mid-June, a month before it was scheduled for release. When they were making a copy of the film to send to the network, they replied with "We need a print?", which suggested that Fran's future works would have to make their way to digital instead of tape.
== Release ==
Utica Cartoon premiered July 13, 2001 at 8 PM EST on Cartoon Network as part of The Big Pick 2 on their Cartoon Cartoon Fridays block. It was met with acclaim in regards to its slightly mature outlook and dry humor, something that original Cartoon Cartoons lacked, though its artstyle and indie animation were usually brushed off. 
After the broadcast of the pilot, a website (uticacartoon.com) was launched, which included the full pilot, a clip, the screen tests, and several Flash games based off the characters that were uploaded daily leading up to August 26, 2001.
It was revealed on August 26th that it lost to Kids Next Door. It didn't make it to the top 3 (KND, Kitty Bobo, My Freaky Family) and it was confirmed by Fran Krause that it landed at last place. 
== Legacy ==
Years later, albeit largely forgotten, Utica Cartoon still remains a cult favorite amongst a couple of Cartoon Network fans, and is even compared to the likes of similar modern CN shows like Regular Show, which premiered a decade later.
Many people assume that the pilot didn't reach out to others as much as the other pilots did was because of its obtuse art style and awkward/dry humor. In a 2009 interview with Fran and Will Krause, they suspected the reasons why the short didn't take off were because "it wasn’t made with kids in mind" and the fact that it started off with two characters playing a board game.Amid Amidi. (April 15, 2009). "The Upstate Four: An Interview with Fran and Will Krause". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
Fran and Will Krause were given another chance years after Utica Cartoon's premiere in 2001 with their 2008 pilot The Upstate Four, which features another appearance of Dan Bear (with Jesse Schmall reprising their role)KrauseBrothers. (December 17, 2008). "Upstate Four 1". YouTube. Retrieved August 4, 2022. and an unfinished pilot about "a completely Clapper-automated house going ballistic when a clap-happy game show comes on the TV"Tom Warburton. (April 10, 2009). "Le Brotheres Krause". Warburtonlabs. Retrieved August 4, 2022., both of which were passed due to different management shifts during both cartoon's production.
The main characters of Utica were also planned to make a short cameo with the original voice actors reprising their roles in the 2018 Frederator pilot Tyler & Co., but the scene was scrapped due to time limits.KingKibble. (June 20, 2019). "KingKibble on Twitter: 
'@genegoldstein fran and his buds..." Twitter. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
== References ==