LET’S MAKE HERSTORY!

With your support, we will launch a landmark film. Maxxie LaWow will be the first animated film to feature a drag superhero (and #dragvillain!) with a prominent LGBTQ+ and BIPOC cast of characters.

THE FILM

The One-Liner for TV Guide

When drag queens start disappearing, a shy young barista must summon his inner super-shero to rescue them from an evil cosmetics exec bent on harvesting their magical anti-aging tears.

OMG, Tell Me More!

Shy young barista, Simon, works at the Pink Unicorn Cafe with his childhood best friend, Jae. On his 21st birthday, Simon finds a magic wig that turns him into the titular drag super-shero, Maxxie LaWow.

Meanwhile, drag villain Dyna Bolical has discovered that drag queen tears are the secret to eternal youth. She’s been kidnapping queens for a test batch of her new cosmetics line. Now she’s going after Maxxie and her super-powered tears to take her cosmetics company global and become filthy rich…

WE CAN ALL RELATE

Maxxie LaWow is a coming of age film with heart. As RuPaul says, “Drag reveals who you are.” When that magic wig transforms Simon into Maxxie LaWow, he’s confident, strong, brash — everything he’s not as Simon. Yet Maxxie is everything Simon has the potential to be.

“MAXXIEWORLD” ADVENTURE REEL

We know that seeing is believing, so we spent our own money to create this fabulous two minute adventure reel with scenes from the current film project and future potential storylines.

PRODUCTION TEAM

“Maxxie LaWow: Drag Super-shero” features an LGBTQ+ creative team. Maxxie LaWow is an original story created, directed, and produced by Anthony Hand with a script by Michael Phillis, and animated by Chubby Beagle Productions. Creative direction by Johnny Burgess, and audio by Jordan Chin.

Creator, Director, Executive Producer: Anthony Hand is a product designer and former entrepreneur in Silicon Valley where he puts his storytelling skills to use on a daily basis. Anthony has seen every season of RuPaul’s Drag Race since Season 1, frequents local and national theater and cabaret, and is a recovering comic book geek. Anthony is also President of the Board for the Silicon Valley Gay Men’s Chorus. Seattle drag legend Dina Martina is his spirit totem.

Writer: Michael Phillis is an award-winning writer, director, actor, educator, and drag queen. His film directorial debut, MINI SUPREME, was an Opening Night Selection at Palm Springs ShortFest and an Official Selection for Frameline, Outfest, and dozens of LGBTQ film festivals worldwide. He is the co-creator and director of BALONEY, San Francisco’s popular gay all-male revue, now in its fifth year in residence at SF Oasis. His drag persona Patty From HR has been terrorizing stages, screens, and Zoom meetings since 2018. 

Animation: Chubby Beagle Productions was founded by Karen and Bill in 2018. Before forming their studio, Karen and Bill worked for ten years in animation for Bento Box, Warner Bros., USC, Google, and more. They have now turned their attention to building their studio that supports and encourages all artists to tell their own unique stories. They are developing and building a diverse and sustainable animation studio through movies, shows, music videos, Youtube content, and their original IP. Bill and Karen are both avid fans of RuPaul and are inspired by all of his productions. In their off time, you can also find Bill and Karen playing video games, planting in the garden, and playing volleyball — badly.

Creative Direction: Johnny Burgess is an Illustrator/Animator residing in the SF Bay Area. An avid fan of drag, he has illustrated such San Francisco drag icons as D’Arcy Drollinger, Peaches Christ, and Heklina, among many others. You can see more of his work at Art of Johnny Burgess.

Sound Design & Music: Jordan Chin is a composer, sound designer, and singer/songwriter from the San Francisco Bay Area. He’s been an active part of Silicon Valley’s LGBTQ+ community, and can’t wait to bring Maxxie LaWow to life with music and sound. He brings 8 years of experience working in the film and game industries, most recently releasing Monster Train, which was awarded PC Gamer’s Best Card Game of the Year in 2020. 

Associate Producer: D’Arcy Drollinger is an actor, writer, director, choreographer and producer. His first feature film, Shit and Champagne, debuts in 2021, in which Drollinger, wrote, directed and starred. D’Arcy is the owner and Artistic Director of OASIS, San Francisco’s internationally acclaimed nightclub / cabaret. Voted Best of the Bay in multiple categories including: Best Nightclub, Best Drag Show, and Best Cabaret Venue.

Production Consultant: Joanne Butcher was a Global Marketing Consultant for YouTube, running their UK movie rental unit and collaborating with engineers and curatorial teams all round the world. She has worked extensively with 100’s of filmmakers from the US, UK, Brazil, Cuba, the Caribbean and Latin America. Joanne is now a business coach working one on one with filmmakers to raise the money they need to make their films.

YOUR SUPPORT 

Your support is critical to helping us get off the ground running. By contributing, you not only help us lay the important creative groundwork for the film, but you also demonstrate to Hollywood that a film about LGBTQ+ characters is worth producing, and that there is an audience for great LGBTQ+ content. That gets noticed. 

By raising $50,000, we will be able to kick off pre-production of this animated feature film. 

• $5,000: For additional character design.
• $10,000: For world building and background design.
• $20,000: For initial storyboarding.
• $10,000: For original music for two lip sync numbers and a lip sync duel finale.
• $5,000: For insurance and legal services.

WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS

When Can I See Maxxie?!?

Maxxie LaWow will be animated in the 2D style. This process takes time as most frames are manually drawn by artists and is expensive. It’s also beautiful! Our current timeline will make Maxxie LaWow available for film festivals starting in January 2024, and theatrical distribution around Summer/Fall 2024. Donate to this campaign, and you’ll receive regular updates on timing, sneak previews, and more! 

What’s Next After this Movie?

We are creating a fun, fashionable, and campy world for Maxxie LaWow and her friends. Getting picked up by any streaming service or network is hard under the best of circumstances, and harder for an LGBTQ+ story. But with your help and overwhelming support from the community, we know we can bring Maxxie back for more! 

You saw the adventure reel above. You will definitely want to know what’s going on with the characters from future storylines:  that were-unicorn, the DJ Demon, and the biker faerie gang. Please donate generously and tell your friends!

THE CAST

We are currently casting the lead actors and expect to make announcements soon… The voiceover cast are expected to be fabulous up-and-coming talent from the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York, and beyond. With maybe a surprise or two…

Fantasy Casting Question: Who would you like to see cast in the movie? Let us know by commenting on one of the Fantasy Casting Question posts on our Instagram @MaxxieLaWow. 

How we approach casting: Maxxie LaWow celebrates characters who are LGBTQ+ and/or BIPOC (Black/Indigenous/Persons of Color), and we seek reasonably authentic representation for such characters. 

For the Latest Casting News: Donate to this campaign to receive regular announcements. We won’t leave you guessing!

“HOW CAN I HELP?”

The more people who donate, the more we can do with this movie, and the more Hollywood will take notice. So please —

• Share this campaign all over social media
• Write a blog post
• Mention us in your YouTube videos, and
• Ask your friends to also support us. 

And follow us on all the social media!

• Instagram: @MaxxieLaWow 
• Facebook: Maxxie LaWow Fan Page 
• On the Web: www.maxxie.com

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

We wouldn’t be able to do this without you — literally! So for that, we thank you in advance for your generous support. 

DONATIONS

** Donations made to this Indiegogo campaign are not tax deductible. **

To make a larger donation that may be tax deductible in the U.S., contact us to learn more: info@maxxie.com .

CELEBRATE DRAG

CELEBRATE QUEER VOICES

While we’re waiting for Maxxie LaWow to hit cinemas and streaming services near you, please remember to support your local drag artists. And tip generously! After more than a year of Covid, your local drag artists also need your support. 

❤️  ❤️  ❤️  ❤️  ❤️