It’s no fun being an evil superscientist in primitive animation. So now is the time to give one genius with world-conquering ambitions and his adorable/maniacal cat a contemporary re-rendering.

Nyk Petta originally animated the cartoon The Adventures of Dr. Blah-kman & Mr. Meow in 2008 when she was working on her BFA in Media Arts from the Art Institute of Houston. The show features a half-parrot, half-human evil genius and his pet, the mangy lab cat Mr. Meow. Together, the pair plan global domination from their laboratory of sinister experimentation (actually a converted industrial bakery. Hey, it may not be perfect, but it’s rent-controlled). This was an undergrad project so, she admits, “it looks pretty horrible.” Six years later, Petta is an animation professional, and she wants to re-shoot the project as a full pilot.

Want to help Pete the Carrot, Lab Bunny, and Wicked Pickle return to the screen in a more professional form? Then drop by her Kickstarter campaign page. The clock is ticking, as the deadline to raise $11,500 expires at midnight on Jan. 31. If you need further convincing, one of the perks is a full, 13″ Mr. Meow plushy. Who doesn’t need a little bit of feline evil in their life?

One in a Crowd is a series intended to showcase Texas film and tech projects that are crowdfunding their way to a goal, be it distribution, a prototype, or production costs. If you have a project that we should know about, email us at filmflam@austinchronicle.com.

This article appears in January 30 • 2015.

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The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.