Mike Bundlie

Michael Bundlie (born April 6, 1975) is an American artist, film and music producer, entrepreneur, author and publisher.

Mike Bundlie
Born
Michael Fargo Bundlie

(1975-04-06) April 6, 1975
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
EducationRoseville Area High School
Alma materCarleton College
Minneapolis College of Art and Design
Occupation(s)Artist, film and music producer, author, entrepreneur, publisher
Years active1993–present
Notable workTrees of Peace (film), Reactor Motors, Ali NFTs, Da 5 Bloods, Peter Pan Musical, Stan Lee Super Con, Kewl Magazine, Free Candle App, Sid the Science Kid, Pearl Jam App
WebsiteAbstract Entertainment / Poets Road

Early life

Bundlie was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. He began his first company at age nine as a manuscript typist for fiction authors. While in high school he started his second company, MiraView Design, which provided design services for national brands.

After high school, Bundlie attended Carleton College and the Minneapolis College of Art and Design where he graduated in 1997.[1]

Career

Design and interactive career

After moving to Los Angeles, Bundlie provided art direction and design for numerous film, television and animation series including Strawberry Shortcake, SpongeBob SquarePants and Inspector Gadget. He continued on to do character design for animations such as Dragonlance and The Voyages of Young Doctor Dolittle, starring Jane Seymour, Jason Alexander, and Tim Curry. This led him to become Head of Interactive for animation company DIC Entertainment in Burbank, California.

In 2001, he formed Poets Road, a creative technology company. Under his direction, Poets Road has produced websites and apps for large corporations and celebrities. In 2011, Poets Road created the Free Candle App which became a number 1 app in six countries and one of the most downloaded apps of 2011. In 2012, Bundlie launched the Pearl Jam app which continues to be one the top rated band apps on iTunes. Poets Road continues to produce websites and apps.

Bundlie co-authored the worldwide patent for the educational system that became the successful online learning tool ABCmouse.com in 2010.[2][3]

In January 2017, Bundlie designed an emoji app featuring soccer star Neymar Jr called Neymoji that ranked as the number one celebrity app and the number one entertainment, utility and sports app in multiple countries.[4][5]

Art career

Bundlie has done animation and design on various animated and live action titles including Hercules, Stan Lee's Mighty 7, DinoSquad, Rock Dog, Horseland, Strawberry Shortcake, Trollz, Sabrina's Secret Life, and Liberty's Kids. He was commissioned to design the award statue and show graphics for NBC's Ultimate Toy Awards.[6]

In 2018, Bundlie designed, inked and lettered a limited edition comic issue entitled The Marvel Experience written by Cullen Bunn featuring the Avengers, SHIELD and various Marvel villains.[7][8]

NFT art

On January 4, 2022, NFT company Metacurio licensed Bundlie's art for an NFT collection called Reactor Motors which was released on Opensea. The collection consisted of 8888 unique 3D animated videos of virtual reactors based on the fictional story written by Bundlie which Metacurio is adapting into a mobile racing game. One Reactor NFT owner was also gifted a one of a kind real world McLaren designed by Bundlie popularly known as the Iron McLaren due to its inspiration being drawn from the superhero Iron Man. The Reactor NFTs were only the second time ever that an NFT was minted directly on Opensea and the collection sold out in a week.[9][10][11][12] The Reactor Motors inspired comic book title "Reactor 2042" debuted during a panel discussion about the future of comic books at the 2022 Stan Lee Super Con.[13]

Writing career

In 2003, Bundlie co-wrote a non-fiction book teaching financial literacy to kids entitled Make More Than Your Parents with Kevin O'Donnell and Bart Diliddo.[14] The book featured an interactive CD-Rom.

In 2007, Bundlie co-wrote a hardcover fiction book, Adventures in the Arts with Denise Bradley. The book was the first to feature the PTA logo on the cover as it allowed the reader to complete a full Arts curriculum while reading.

Publishing career

Kewl Magazine was created by Mike Bundlie (Publisher), Denise Bradley (Editor-In-Chief), DIC Entertainment and Geffen Records in 2007 with Bundlie and Bradley becoming full owners in 2008. The magazine was licensed for a TV Series called Everything KEWL that aired on CBS in 2007 and later as the brand for the entire Saturday Morning TV block called KEWLOPOLIS on CBS. KEWL was the first music-focused magazine geared specifically to tweens and celebrated its launch by sponsoring Miley Cyrus's Best of Both Worlds Tour.[15]

Beginning in 2019, Bundlie began mentoring future authors and artists through investments and creative assistance including the Kippi the Conqueror book series by author Kady Oliker Eshleman.[16]

Film producing

A member of the Producers Guild of America, Bundlie began producing in 2012 with the Sid the Science Kid Movie. In 2015, he established Abstract Entertainment with Barry Levine.[17][18]

On September 4, 2015, Variety announced the upcoming film "Monkey", a modern-day follow up to the classic Chinese fable of Journey to the West with Mike Bundlie and Barry Levine producing under their production company Abstract Entertainment along with co-production partner Eracme Entertainment.[17]

The 2022 award-winning film "Trees of Peace" that debuted June 10 on Netflix, was produced by Mike Bundlie, Barry Levine, Ron Ray, and others. Written and Directed by Alanna Brown, the film follows the powerful struggles of four women trying survive the Rwandan Genocide. The film became a top 4 film in over 60 countries on Netflix.[19][20][21][22]

Recent films executive produced by Bundlie include Da 5 Bloods directed by Spike Lee on Netflix starring Chadwick Boseman,[23][24][25][26][27] Norm of the North Family Vacation,[28] and the thriller No Escape starring Keegan Allen and Holland Roden.[29]

Bundlie is currently producing multiple films through Abstract Entertainment including Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson with Road Pictures and script by Karl Gajdusek (Oblivion and Stranger Things).[30][31]

Interactive and live events

Starting in 2014 became a producer and creative on The Marvel Experience, a touring interactive park based on the characters from Marvel superhero universe that tours around the world in which visitors train to be Agents of SHIELD.[32]

In November 2019, Bundlie produced the first ever Stan Lee Super Con, a large scale Comic Convention, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The event drew dozens of celebrities including members of the cast of Entourage, The Sopranos, Vampire Diaries, Doctor Strange, Avengers: Endgame, and more. Famed comic artists such as Rob Liefeld, and Bob Layton. The show lasted three days and drew over 60,000 attendees. The first international convention of its kind in the country, the event has helped open the doors of American Pop Culture for local fans.[33][34][35][36][37][38]

Stan Lee's Super Con returned to Saudi Arabia in June 2022 produced by Bundlie, where from June 9–11 over a dozen hollywood celebrities and artists entertained tens of thousands of fans at the Jeddah Super Dome. Attendees included Shazam's Zachary Levi, Guardians of the Galaxy star Michael Rooker, Eternal's Lauren Ridloff, Viking's Clive Standen, and more. The show included multiple interactive exhibits including the Cinema Watch Collection, and the Premiere Gallery that featured rare comic first appearances of a wide variety of superheroes. The event also celebrated the 100th anniversary of Stan Lee's birth.[39][40][41][42]

Bundlie spoke at the 2023 Creativity Conference which was to be set in Reykjavik but was moved online due to the volcano eruption. He gave four talks about the future of AI in entertainment and the transition of NFTs into mainstream media. [43]

Theatre

Bundlie produced the first production of a Broadway Musical in Saudi Arabia in November 2019. The twenty-show run of Peter Pan featured over thirty cast members, the World Tour sets and was done in conjunction with Thomas McCoy and the legendary Cathy Rigby.[44][45]

As part of Broadway's comeback in 2021, Bundlie produced Candace Bushnell's critically acclaimed show "Is There Still Sex in the City" based on the best selling book of the same title. The show opened in November 2021 to glowing reviews.[46][47]

Music producing

In December 2020, Bundlie produced and mastered the album "Snow" by Bethany Joy Lenz of One Tree Hill fame. It featured six holiday songs including four originals by Bethany Joy. The album was released under Poets Road Records and was Top 10 on the iTunes Christmas Charts and Top 50 on the Overall Albums Charts.[48][49][50]

Following up on the success of 2020, Bundlie produced the first Christmas album for singer Pia Toscano entitled "Christmas with You" with six songs including classics White Christmas, "Baby It's Cold Outside" featuring Broadway artist Erich Bergen, "O Holy Night", "Jingle Bell Rock", "Ave Maria" and the breakthrough original "Fall All Over Again" written by Denise Bradley. The album reached Top 10 on the iTunes News Christmas Charts.[50][51]

Chocolate

In 2021, Bundlie founded artisan chocolate house ChocoLab with two partners. The company produces high end chocolate bars in collaboration with well known celebrities and brands.[52]

Charity

Bundlie actively assists a variety of charities. In 2019, he was awarded his second Kiwanis award by the Kiwanis Club of Burbank.[53]

See also

References

  1. "MCAD Annual Report 2013". Mcad.edu. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
  2. "Foreign Patent". Google Foreign Patent. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  3. "US Patent". Google US Patent. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  4. "Neymar launches Neymoji, an app with his face in emojis". as.com.
  5. "Neymar Jr, The World's Most Valuable Player Becomes The Number #1 Celebrity App". finance.yahoo.com.
  6. "toymania". Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  7. "The Marvel Experience (2018)". ComicBookDB. Archived from the original on February 10, 2019. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  8. "Comic Vine". Comic Vine. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  9. "Reactor Motors Opensea". Opensea.io.
  10. "Reactor Motors". Reactor Motors.
  11. "Reactor Motors NFTs". HypeBeast. December 16, 2021.
  12. "NFT Racing Game". Luxury Daily. December 17, 2021.
  13. "Future of Comics". ArabNews.com. June 23, 2022.
  14. "Nonfiction Book Review: Make More Than Your Parents: Your Guide to Financial Freedom by Kevin O'Donnell". Publishersweekly.com. September 1, 2003. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
  15. "KEWL brand bows with magazine". chiefmarketer.com. Chief Marketer.
  16. "Meet Kady Oliker Eshleman". voyagela.com. March 11, 2020.
  17. James Rainey (September 4, 2015). "'Monkey King' Film Would Bring Chinese Fable to America". Variety. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
  18. "Story of the Monkey King". tracking-board.com. Tracking Board. September 5, 2015.
  19. "Trees of Peace". imdb.
  20. "Trees of Peace ending". NetflixLife. June 10, 2022.
  21. "Shocking True Story". Mirror.co.uk. June 11, 2022.
  22. "Trees of Peace is a haunting film". Firstpost.com. June 15, 2022.
  23. "Da Five Bloods". playbill.com.
  24. "Da Five Bloods". awardsdaily.com. May 18, 2020.
  25. "Da Five Bloods". vitalthrills.com.
  26. "Da Five Bloods". imdb.com.
  27. "Da Five Bloods Trailer". hollywoodreporter.com. May 18, 2020.
  28. "Norm of the North Family Vacation". imdb.com.
  29. "Follow Me". imdb.com.
  30. "Future World Sells China". HollywoodReporter.com. Hollywood Reporter. November 26, 2017.
  31. "Road Pictures to produce Run Lola Run". screendaily.com. Screen Daily.
  32. "RFID News Roundup". RFID Journal. October 23, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
  33. "Comic book fans unite at Stan Lee Super Con in Riyadh". arabnews.com. November 15, 2019.
  34. "What was the first Stan Lee Super Con like". therealstanlee.com. November 22, 2019.
  35. "Saudi Arabia welcomes Stan Lee Super Con". newsarama.com. October 21, 2023.
  36. "Rob Liefeld Clothing Policy Saudi Arabia". bleedingcool.com. November 19, 2019.
  37. "Stan Lee Super Con in Riyadh". albawaba.com.
  38. "New Event Opening". exhibitionworld.co.uk.
  39. "Stan Lee Super Con Jeddah". Zawya.com.
  40. "Hollywood Stars Seen in Jeddah". Lovin.co. June 13, 2022.
  41. "Arab News Japan". Arab News Japan.
  42. "What's On Saudi Arabia". June 9, 2022.
  43. "Creativity Conference". CreativityConference.is. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  44. "Peter Pan lands in Saudi Arabia". broadwayworld.com.
  45. "Dreams come alive as Musical delights". arabnews.com. November 11, 2019.
  46. "Creative Team". IsThereStillSexInTheCity.com.
  47. "Reviews". IsThereStillSexInTheCity.com.
  48. "Bethany Joy Bandcamp". Bethany Joy.
  49. "iTunes "Snow"". iTunes. December 16, 2020.
  50. "PopVortex iTunes New Christmas Charts". PopVortex.
  51. "iTunes "Christmas with You"". iTunes.
  52. "ShoutOut Spotlight". ShoutOutLA. February 22, 2021.
  53. "Kiwanis Spotlight" (PDF). Kiwanis.
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