Cinescape Magazine (owned by Mania Entertainment) announced the contest in mid-August, giving filmmakers only about three weeks to get their entries in. Animator Mike Boas, who read about the contest at www.Creature-Corner.com, took up the challenge and decided to address one of the unanswered questions of the Friday series. How did Jason Voorhees go from being a sympathetic victim in the first film to being an unstoppable killer in the sequels? "This was touched on in Friday the 13th Part 2, where a campfire tale tells how Jason never really drowned," Mike says. "But since then Jason has been portrayed as a sort of avenging spirit, a super-zombie. I think most fans feel, as I do, that Jason did drown as a boy. He somehow came back from the dead to avenge his mother's death."

To resolve these conflicting ideas, Mike focused on the line: "Legend has it that Jason saw his mother beheaded that night..." from the second film. "Jason: The Rebirth" begins with Pamela Voorhees' death. When Pamela's blood hits the water, Jason's spirit is called forth from Crystal Lake. He hears his mother's voice calling to him, much like Mrs. Voorhees could "hear" Jason's voice in Friday the 13th. "Kill them, Jason. Kill them all," the voice instructs the distraught spirit. When Jason's hand falls upon the machete -- the weapon used to decapitate his mother -- he transforms into an adult man capable of revenge.

In choosing animation, Mike limited himself in certain ways. The piece would need to be short (the final result is two minutes) and have a minimalist style in order to be done before the deadline. "Animation has its advantages," Mike argues. "I didn't need actors, props, or locations. And I knew my drawing style would help the piece stand out from other entries."

For more about the Mania Fest, visit www.ManiaFest.com. Their press release about the festival winners is here: http://www.maniafest.com/press9-20-03.html.

Find out more about "Jason: The Rebirth" at http://www.maddogmovies.com/jason. There are desktops available for download, artwork for sale, and behind-the-scenes info on the making of the cartoon. Contact Mike at mikeboas(at)yahoo.com.

Mike Boas works as a freelance artist with Animatus Studio in Rochester, New York. Animatus provides animation for websites, commercials, and industrial projects. Animatus is responsible for the stop-motion House of Guitars Christmas ad (a cult favorite), web cartoon "Su and Mo," and the award-winning "Derf The Viking" series. More information is available at www.AnimatusStudio.com.