Make Me Smarter
Follow the bright-eyed ici star into a playful invitation to question, imagine, and keep learning.
- Written by Rehtafeht Lihp
- Promoted by Panda, Manatee, Bob, and unexpected visitors
- Part of a growing original character world
October at the studio · Halloween edition
Strange stories.
Restless spirits.
Real guitar.
The zombie cows are loose. Ash has her pumpkin dress on. Panda and Cowboy? They brought the music.
Step into the peculiar world of thefatherphil—original books, art, films, and a few things that go moo in the night.
A little haunted. Entirely original.
Six strings. A few extra webs.
Even the guitars
have picked up spirits.
Original music, curious characters, and stories worth staying up for.
Follow the music →From the studio · Strange little adventures
Three new little adventures.
An apple-tree surprise, an overdue million, and a zombie cow on the loose. Choose a film and press play.
Original guitar by thefatherphil
Not every strange thing
comes out at night.
Panda, Cowboy, a giant orange cat, and a beach jam. Keep exploring the films behind the characters.
I’d Rather Be Playing Guitar →New film · Original guitar by thefatherphil
Giant Cat Beach Jam
Featuring I’d Rather Be Playing Guitar.
A new venture from Lenny & JR
Same Water…
Just Wetter.
Two best friends. One ridiculous idea. One big dream. Meet Wetter Water: our water-company startup, complete with Todd, Eugene the Wolverine, and a song you might not get out of your head.
Support Wetter Water for $25 and become a “Wetter Water Investor.” Your T-shirt is included—your “proof of investment.”
An honorary supporter title, with no ownership or financial return. Choose your size and delivery details at checkout. Standard U.S. shipping is included; applicable tax is calculated at checkout. Printing and shipping are handled automatically.
New character commercial · Courier Wizard Music Guides
I'd rather be playing guitar.
Five cartoon friends, six strings, and a sing-along finale. A new Courier Wizard commercial from thefatherphil’s studio.
Ready for your first lesson? Courier Wizard Music Guides offers beginner guitar and cello sessions: $35 for 30 minutes.
Strange stories. Original art. Real guitar.
Meet Phil
Hi, friends. I'm Phil—thefatherphil.
I write books, draw and paint, and play guitar. Around here, those things have a habit of running into each other. A book becomes a character adventure. A guitar recording finds its way onto a beach with Panda, Cowboy, and a fifty-foot orange cat.
The books, artwork, and music are mine. The characters help me share them—and occasionally get a little carried away.
If you enjoy strange stories, handmade art, and a good excuse to pick up a guitar, have a look around. There's plenty to meet.
Begin with the original work
Read something strange. Find something drawn by hand.
The books and artwork are the heart of thefatherphil. The characters, music, films, and studio experiments grow outward from them.
Drawings, paintings, and commissions
Browse work that escaped the sketchbooks and studio, or ask for something made especially for you.
- Available original pieces
- Portraits, gifts, memorials, and peculiar ideas
- Print and commission inquiries welcome
Music behind the motion
The guitar songs are original, too.
New: Oklahoma is Okay. Hear the song and find the freight-dock shirt →
I write, play, and record the guitar music heard throughout thefatherphil’s character videos. Listen to Taken By Fables, Given To Wine on Bandcamp, including “When The Cows Come Home,” “Oklahellmouth,” “Devil Lives In The Radio,” and more original recordings.
Original guitar music by thefatherphil · Hosted by Bandcamp
Meet the cast
Cowboy and Panda open the door to the stories.
Cowboy brings the guitar and a long Oklahoma drawl. Panda brings the book, the timing, and an answer for nearly everything. Together, they connect the books, art, music, and films of thefatherphil.
Meet the whole cast →Latest from the studio
Meet the newest stories in motion.
Phone-friendly, click-to-play videos featuring Manatee, Panda, Bob, the ici star, and one very surprising zombie cow.
Make Me Smarter · Part One
A question for the ici star
Manatee brings the book to Panda and Bob—and its bright-eyed guide answers back.
Make Me Smarter · Part Two
Nine out of ten zombies agree
The ici star delivers a delightfully unusual recommendation—and points readers toward the books.
When The Cows Come Home
Heard about it?
Manatee, Panda, and Bob meet the book—and then an unexpected visitor arrives at the window.
Meet the mark
The ici star is thefatherphil’s story guide.
Watch for the one-eyed golden star across new books, videos, artwork, and future adventures.
Get a copy today
In-house campaign study
A recurring cast that keeps learning new tricks.
The Panda series is where the workflow gets tested and refined: recurring character continuity, tighter lip-sync, paced reactions, protected book-cover text, phone-compatible delivery, and tailored end cards.
- Format
- Vertical social video
- Latest cast
- Ash, Panda, and the cows
- Best for
- Books, mascots, and recurring campaigns
Support Oklahoma art
Become an Art Patron
Take home an original, ask for something made for you, or help keep the next strange idea moving.
Give an original a home.
Explore five drawings and paintings from the studio. View each piece, then ask Phil about availability and delivery before buying.
Explore the originalsMake it personal.
A portrait, a keepsake, a memorial, or an idea without a proper name. Begin with your subject and the story behind it.
Plan a commissionHelp the next idea happen.
Contribute to the studio behind the original drawings, paintings, books, and music. Choose your contribution on PayPal.
Support through PayPal ↗Featured collection
Five things that escaped the studio
Five originals from the sketchbooks and the studio. If one starts talking to you, buy it before somebody else hears it.
A small creative-services studio
Want help bringing your own work to life?
These commissioned services support the original books and art. Every client project begins with a clear plan and a firm quote.
Animated Book Trailers
Turn your cover, atmosphere, and sales message into a custom 20–60 second vertical trailer.
- Personal project quote
- 1080 × 1920 social-ready MP4
- Scope and schedule agreed before production
Character Videos
Bring artwork, mascots, products, photographs, and recurring characters into short-form motion.
- Individually quoted projects
- Dialogue, sound, and campaign options
- Live-action hybrid projects available by quote
For local businesses
Make your business details easier to trust.
A $250 cleanup for one existing, verified Google Business Profile: an accuracy check, approved corrections, and a simple kit for requesting honest customer reviews.
Explore the $250 profile cleanupThe animation studio
Your story deserves a little adventure.
Explore animated book trailers, character adventures, and finishing for video you already love. Watch our latest productions and tell us your idea.
Request a Studio ProjectCreative tool from the side studio
Need a practical starting point for your own website?
The Website Creator collects plain-language planning guides, reusable worksheets, launch checks, and an editable starter website into one optional digital toolkit.
Plan · Write · Build · LaunchA practical side-studio tool.From the studio
Watch the work in motion
Short videos, studio moments, and the stories behind the work.
YouTube Short
Play the Short
Watch me make trouble on paper
A quick visit to the studio, where the drawings are usually better behaved than the artist.
Watch on YouTube
YouTube Short
Play the Short
Make Me Smarter!
HavelDoug needs the violin of St. Michael the Archangel. Naturally, this causes problems.
Watch on YouTubeHave me make one for you
Portraits, paintings, gifts, memorials, and ideas without a proper name
These prices are starting points. Tell me what you have in mind and I will tell you what it takes.
$180
One person, drawn in pencil or charcoal, without unnecessary committee meetings.
- Up to 11 x 14 in
- One round of changes
- Send me a clear reference photo
$420
A color painting of a person, animal, place, or memory worth keeping around.
- Up to 16 x 20 in
- Two check-ins while I work
- Signed and ready to frame
From $850
A larger painting for a wall that is tired of being ignored.
- We choose the size together
- I sketch the idea before painting
- We agree on the deadline up front
How it works
No mystery, except in the picture
Tell me the idea
Send the subject, size, mood, deadline, reference photos, and whatever peculiar detail matters.
We make a plan
I reply with questions, a price, a timeline, and the deposit needed to get started.
I make the thing
You see progress along the way. When it is finished and paid for, the art comes home to you.
Put me to work
What do you want me to make?
Give me enough detail to picture it. Your request comes directly to the studio, and I will usually write back within two business days.
Best for
Portraits, gifts, memorials, odd visions, and blank walls
Response time
Usually within 2 business days
Letters from thefatherphil
Come for the giant cat. Stay for the next strange idea.
New character films, stories behind the books and artwork, and original music from my studio.
Studio attendance ledger
Counting… curious souls have wandered into the studio.
You may now be counted among them.