A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to ToonTown By Vivien Lasken

The year is 1938 and times are hard in the US, even here at Caper Cartoons. Maybe especially here at Caper. You’re just starting to get off the ground; opening numbers for movies, theaters buying the rights to the animations you put out. People are starting to know your name. But the Great Depression has hit hard, funds are tight, and there’s rumors circulating that the boss might have to cut staff… again. You haven’t been paid in weeks. But then again, you didn’t become an animator because of the paycheck. You love it, right? It's worth it…. Right?

So you’ve got a deadline. Big theater, The Charleston, wants one of your animations tomorrow. The team has been slaving away; ink and paint girls up to their elbows in ink, artists drawing til their hands go numb, and writers pulling out their hair trying to make the jokes come together. You thought you had something coming together, but you knew, deep down, that it was a dud when you handed it over to the man himself. The boss took one look at that piece of sad animation and scrapped it on the spot.

Tonight’s the night. One of the Caper Brothers, Art Caper, has locked the lot of you in the studio with a padlock and chains and you’re not leaving until you’ve got something completely new finished. The clock is ticking and nothing is harder than comedy on a deadline.

That’s if you all don’t kill each other first.

This is a sincere larp about silly people. It will largely be light-hearted and funny, with moments of genuine poignancy. Come prepared to laugh and have feelings.

Your characters are making a cartoon, but that does not mean you have to be an artist! You're welcome to draw, or not!, as you prefer. Game time will be divided between a gamified making of cartoon, office politics, and goofing off.

Costuming is strongly encouraged.

Content Warnings Content warnings include period-appropriate sexism and homophobia, illness, mention of Nazis & war, and financial troubles typical to the Great Depression. The sexism and homophobia will be background radiaton more than play.