#Toxic Frog / NAAUG
2 messages in this thread
Regarding Messages #135489 and #135582:
If you have any influence, and I suspect you do, I hope you can route your
traveling show through this neck of the woods in the not too distant future.
In my own small way, I'm helping reinvigorate the local economy and
increase awareness of the power and potential of the personal computer and
its role in the area's future development.
I'd gladly serve as an advance man and herald your arrival.
Rumor has it, that our beloved governor, Edwin Edwards, (Mr. Controversial)
will be stepping down from office after the first of the year, before his term
has expired, in order to head up a company responsible for installing and
managing a fiber optic ring around the city. ( Lt. Governor, Melinda Schwegmann,
wife of a supermarket czar, will become our new governor, if this true. )
So,
It looks like we're actually moving into the future, though not without the
same weirdness that seems to mark everything in the home of Mardi Gras.
Thank you so much for the background on Toxic Frog. Sounds like my kind
of company. I enjoy learning how company names come about.
/* We're a weird company. We walk into most offices in jeans and tie-dye,
we aren't cocky but we have no wish to do work for jerks, and we don't
play the corporate shuffle game. */
This just doesn't play in New Orleans. At least, that's been my experience.
Suits wanna see suits. They can't see past the attire. Even if the stuff
on the screen makes them look like they inherited the mantle of Armand Hammer.
/* … a profitable hobby so far for something that started out as "fun". */
I trust that it is still "fun."
And if there is ever an opportunity for me to get involved in the fun
and games, consider me interested. Your attitude is refreshing and
makes me yearn for my California days. Although I must confess, I
don't have any tie-dye in my closet. I am, however, considering
making some additions to my present wardrobe. <G>
I've ordered my secret decoder ring.
If it wasn't clear from my earlier message, my interest/skill is not in the
CAD area. I do work with several proficient CAD types. I also lean on others
for the more spiffy 3D Studio stuff.
My strength is in Animator Pro and kiosk programming. I am moving as fast as
I can to acquire stronger skills with 3D Studio.
And I am looking forward to Animator Studio and the fruits of the Mediashare
acquisition with great anticipation. Thanks for the chat.
One quick question for ya…. Where is Toxic Frog located?
Or more to the point, where do you call home?
Kevin Gibson
Animation Nation <tm> -=Where the beer and the cantaloupe play.=-
P.S. If you were successful in venturing down here prior to SIGGRAPH
'96 we could meet and discuss ways of optimizing your presence for
that prestigious event when it rolls into town along with its throngs
of followers. And I'd gladly give you a personal tour of the
birthplace of jazz.
/* If you have any influence, and I suspect you do, I hope you can route your
traveling show through this neck of the woods in the not too distant future. */
Cities for certain are Denver and Houston. If you'd like NAAUG to show up
closer, you need to send a post to Janet Leavitt at the NAAUG address (she's
tabulating requests, I don't what the city counts are up to right no) and let
her know. I appreciate the offer for helping out.
/* Thank you so much for the background on Toxic Frog. Sounds like my kind of
company. I enjoy learning how company names come about. */
Company Name = Company Image
If name is curious, ambiguous, weird, company can diversify. People
remember the name and they don't know why.
/* This just doesn't play in New Orleans. At least, that's been my
experience. Suits wanna see suits. They can't see past the attire.
Even if the stuff on the screen makes them look like they inherited
the mantle of Armand Hammer. */
Most clients will put up with any image if it doesn't reflect on their
own image and the work shows undeniable competency.
/* I trust that it is still "fun." */
Oh yeah. My wife is a complete technophobe, and even shee likes
looking at our work from time to time because "it's neat". It's a
constant battle to keep reminding her it's a job. The checks are my
only proof.
/* And if there is ever an opportunity for me to get involved in the
fun and games, consider me interested. */
TFM just added our 4th person. We're in no rush to expand, and we want
to make sure that every new employee is pumped, understands the tools
inside and out, and has an insatiable desire to do killer work
without anyone asking him/her to. Mike McGraw, Greg Schutz and now
Tammy Carpenter and myself are the current team. We all live in
different cities. We do all our work over modem with remote clients.
Some have never even seen but one of us. Doesn't matter, the work
(results) are all that matter.
/* Your attitude is refreshing and makes me yearn for my California
days. Although I must confess, I don't have any tie-dye in my
closet. I am, however, considering making some additions to my
present wardrobe. <G> */
Suit and tie works for certain situations. I have no wish (the others
might) to do corporate work. There's too much non-corporate market
for me to get into. If I walk into a law firm and show the last
accident reconstruction we did and the owners say anything about my
casualness, I thank them for their time or tell them our previous
client(s).. often competition… have more important things to dwell
on. I actually had to tell a law firm owner in Las Vegas two weeks
ago "look, this isn't about me personally, it's about you and your
image. Stop worrying about mine and let's focus on yours.
/* I've ordered my secret decoder ring. */
Visa or Mastercard, please.
/* If it wasn't clear from my earlier message, my interest/skill is
not in the CAD area. I do work with several proficient CAD types. I
also lean on others for the more spiffy 3D Studio stuff. */
We see it as 1/4 of our work potential.
/* My strength is in Animator Pro and kiosk programming. I am moving
as fast as I can to acquire stronger skills with 3D Studio.\ */
Then you _will_ want to check out Animator Studio, and this isn't plug. You
need to know what's in this sucker. Badly. Some guy recently said something
like "24-bit Windows equivalent, right?". This is about 3% of the story.
/* And I am looking forward to Animator Studio and the fruits of the Mediashare
acquisition with great anticipation. Thanks for the chat. */
Ditto. Bigtime.
/* One quick question for ya…. Where is Toxic Frog located? Or more to the
point, where do you call home? */
Toxic is where the employees are… we are a true virtual corp. More the 70% of
our business is conucted over modem. I'm in Reno. "Home" is "washington state,
from Seattle to Spokane". TFM would therefore be in Reno, Boston, Seattle and
Atlanta. 🙂 -dave
/* P.S. If you were successful in venturing down here prior to SIGGRAPH '96 we
could meet and discuss ways of optimizing your presence for that */
I may take you up on that offer. I'm a big jazz fan, and plan on attending
SIGGRAPH again this coming year. -dave