Joe Gets Animated

Joe Maddalena and his team are gearing up for the next auction. They discuss a possible consignor, Paul Mayer, owner of one of the largest animation archives in the world. Paul was the personal archivist and dear friend to Walter Lantz, famed creator of Woody Woodpecker and many other cherished childhood cartoons. Paul has spent his life building a substantial collection in hopes of one day opening a children’s television museum. Sadly, his dreams were thwarted by constant health struggles. Joe wants to help Paul and bring his work into the auction. Joe and his Acquisitions and Consignment Relations manager, Brian Chanes, travel into Hollywood to visit with Paul, whose collection dates back to the birth of animation. Entering his apartment, it’s clear that the sheer volume of this collection has taken over not only Paul’s space but also his life. Joe and Brian scale shelves and dig through boxes in efforts to unearth lost treasures. Their hard work pays off as they make a wondrous discovery. Back at the office, Joe’s special events coordinator, Tracey McCall, continues to hit roadblocks in her hunt for a signature piece for the upcoming auction. She’s frustrated and feeling the weight of the looming deadline. Finding a piece of the famed yellow brick road from the Wizard of Oz is at the top of Joe’s agenda. He tasks the team with making it happen. The goal is to get him a meeting with one of the last surviving principle cast members from the movie, one of the original …