The Year in Review: 2016

By: Andrew Bermudez

(Mustache Maniacs Film Co. Headquarters; December 31, 2016)

     2016 has been a very interesting year for us. While we didn't release as many films this year as we had hoped, we still accomplished a lot in not only preparing for 2017, but for the rest of Project U as well. Keep reading through the rest of today's review, though, because at the end, we have some very important announcements to share! Now let's begin our re-cap!

     January: As always, January started off the year on a strong note, with the release of Rift, a film that introduces the character of Dr. Wallace Bishop. While it didn't get into the top ten entries for THAC XIII, it was still highly revered by those who viewed it. January also saw the release of part 2 of Alpha Team: Mission Deep Jungle and the cancellation of the comics Out of His Time.

     February: People got sick, and filming for our projects fell behind schedule. That's February in a nutshell. At least we made the short film Shootout! an official part of the cinematic universe.

     March: March surprisingly marked the conclusion of filming for Alpha Team: Mission Deep Jungle, as well as extensive sneak peeks at The Canon that Time Forgot and Mustache Maniacs Film Co.: The Visual Dictionary - 2nd Edition. However, this month, LEGO Island: The Animated Series was cancelled due to lack of resources.

     April: At long last, the final part for Alpha Team: Mission Deep Jungle was released online, after months of delays. In the meantime, for our birthday, we showcased some new images for Pharaoh's Quest: The Curse of Amset-Ra, including the film's title treatment. For that film, April also marked the beginning of that movie's production phase.

     May: Announcements! In May, both The Third Mustache Maniacs Film Co. Fan Choice Awards and Ninjago: Visions of Memories were announced for release in January 2017 and August 2016, respectively. We also took a look at the then-upcoming return of Jolly Roger and the Pirate Queen. The big news, however, was Richard Czajka's interview with Mustache Maniacs Film Co. head Andrew Bermudez! This three-hour live interview covered a wide range of topics, from the films of Mustache Maniacs Film Co. to personal aspirations and road plates, oddly enough. You can watch the interview by clicking here.
     June: ARGH! Jolly Roger and the Pirate Queen returned to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the play's debut! To celebrate, the month of June became Ten Years at the Sail, which featured behind-the-scenes content, a mini contest that went nowhere, and information about the film's role in the cinematic universe. However, releases outside of the promotion were equally exciting, as both the new series Backstage Showcase and the book Mustache Maniacs Film Co.: The Visual Dictionary - 2nd Edition were released in June.
     July: Filming for Ninjago: Visions of Memories was conducted in July, but this month also saw the ending of voting for The Third Mustache Maniacs Film Co. Fan Choice Awards and the announcement of the still in-development paid service The Remaster Masters. July also marked the debut of the new graphic novel series DINO Attack: Saga of a Conflict.
     August: This month, Ninjago: Visions of Memories was released to widespread acclaim. However, other than that, very little happened in August.
     September: While Ninjago: Visions of Memories did not win any prizes, September did have some very notable news. The film Special Delivery was announced that month for a November release. Also, after a long battle with cancer, Tyler Shefton, actor who played George in Jolly Roger and the Pirate Queen and X in Com 50-3: Raid on Central Island and Shootout!, passed away. We all miss him.
     October: This month started out with the announcement for the book Cities That You Must Absolutely, Positively, Stay Out of to Avoid Being Eaten Alive: by Mary Rawlins, to be released October 2017. Also, our resident animal actor from A Very Patrick Christmas and furry friend Lawrence "Gato" Bermudez passed away from oral cancer. This led to the re-release of the old slideshow Lawrence: A Tribute. We all miss him as well.
     November: This month, both the film Special Delivery and the teaser trailer for Pharaoh's Quest: The Curse of Amset-Ra debuted. Also this month, the book Crazy Compendium: Literature from Mustache Maniacs Film Co. was announced for a February 2017 release.
     December: The long-stagnant blog Andrew Bermudez Art was rebooted this month for future updating and adding, with a plethora of artwork added in the first few days. An entry for THAC XIV was announced to be coming January 8, 2017 and a massive update for our website began, which now allows for easier navigation across our network!
     And that brings us to now, where we are on the cusp of a new year. Remember how I mentioned some surprises that we're announcing? Well, they're here!
     First, I would like to say that Bart van Oosterhout will be playing the part of Hayman Talon! Congratulations for receiving this very important role, and we look forward to having you perform for B.I.O. Corps. Now let's get to our announcements for the coming year!
     2017: Our flagship film for 2017 is Pharaoh's Quest: The Curse of Amset-Ra, obviously enough. However, we have a whole plethora of new content coming in the new year! Here's what's in store.

• Saharan Summer: To celebrate our flagship film Pharaoh's Quest: The Curse of Amset-Ra, we're going to have a summer filled with Egyptian fun! We're going to be hosting a new contest about the adventures of Jake Raines, create brand-new Egyptian-themed recipes, and so much more! The capstone will be the official star-studded premiere!
• Special Editions: With our advances in technology, it's time that our original four online films get the "From the Vaults" treatment. To celebrate Johnny Thunder and the Secret of Marco Polo's tenth anniversary in 2018, we're starting in 2017 to remaster our first four online films. For Saharan Summer, Johnny Thunder and the Gift of the Nile will be the first to go "under the knife" for a July 2017 re-release. This will be followed up with A Very Patrick Christmas in December 2017, The Adventures of Legoman in April 2018, and Johnny Thunder and the Secret of Marco Polo in August 2018. The changes that will be made include HD conversions, reconstructed audio tracks, newly-recorded dialogue, original music, and advanced VFX.
• Case Files - Shady Acres: Mystery at Shady Acres turns ten years old in May 2017, and we're celebrating with new behind-the-scenes material, as well as new canon information surrounding the film. In addition, fans can visit the network to take part in a mystery where the true identity behind Secret Agent X is uncovered and so much more (but not a re-release of the film, as that's already a done deal).
• New Merchandise: A new design is coming to Mustache Max's Merchandise Market in January 2017, which will be based on the upcoming THAC XIV film. You'll have to wait to see what it looks like! Also, to encourage shopping, prices will be lowered in our first-ever THAC celebration sale!
• Other New Content: In addition to the films already mentioned, we're also releasing The Third Mustache Maniacs Film Co. Fan Choice Awards and Crazy Compendium: Literature from Mustache Maniacs Film Co. in February, Cities That You Must Absolutely, Positively, Stay Out of to Avoid Being Eaten Alive: by Mary Rawlins in October, A Future in the Past in December, the return of The Canon that Time Forgot in March, and so much more!

With that, next year is shaping up to be great! To all of our fans, thank you for your support this year, and we hope to see you all again in the coming year.