Dear Friends:

"Tangled" successfully hosted a $68.7 million Thanksgiving bow - making it the biggest domestic box office opening for Walt Disney Animation Studios, and the second biggest turkey weekend opener in history. Conversely, ImageMovers Digital's "Mars Needs Moms" pulled a $6.9 million opening weekend and is currently on "track to become one of the biggest box-office bombs in movie history." Fun to be involved in both sides of history, even more fun to be involved in the Disney music video "Something That I Want" by Grace Potter (look for a familiar face around the 3:00 mark).

My latest world adventure took me on a 3-week exploration through the South Island of New Zealand and Sydney, Australia in December. My experiences were triumphant, revealing, and equally terrifying - including a handstand off the world's highest cliff jump (360 ft), tramping across the Travers river upon my descent from Angelus Peak, swimming in the eel infested Lake Rotoiti, a 38-minute sprint up Bob's Peak (480 ft / 37° incline) at night, and a shower in the Christchurch airport. I can't wait to go back and do it again.

After a 28-month hiatus, I finally returned to the East Coast this April on a whirlwind tour coalescing with the family, reuniting with familiar faces, and uncovering pockets of yuppies in New York, Philly, and Chicago. I returned to my alma mater high school in New Jersey for a speaking engagement on Computer Animation that was a testament to my career dexterity and reassurance in validating my fortunate line of achievements.

Despite the traveling, a relatively slow period at Disney allowed for frolicking in my first graupel blizzard in Burbank, hiking my way around new LA territory, another undefeated championship season in the Burbank Men's Open Basketball League, a return to the Coachella Music Festival, and a forgetful night in Hollywood that left me with a concussion. My reckless indulgence of toys this round included a new Nikon digital SLR with 18-200mm lens, Pioneer HDMI A/V receiver, and 54" Panasonic 3D HDTV.

This summer, it's back to the magic, stepping up to my new role on Disney's "Reboot Ralph" (2012).

Til next time,
-Mike