However, Mary’s Friend caught the approving eyeof jurors of the 2009 edition of Milwaukee Film Festival. They voted it"Best" of the Shorts. His prize, however, would have taken him eastfor film study but Roberts' is fond of the ambiance of the filmmaking communityhere in Milwaukee. He will attempt another shot for entry of his latestcreation, The Wheel, in the 2010edition of MFF. Wheel, like Mary, employs the"compositing" technique, namely, live actors in animated settings,"But not like Roger Rabbit,"he cautions.
As for influences: Robert'sparticularly wry vision of Mother Nature may have been colored by absorbing thecomplete works of Edward Gorey ("No," he objects, "not just oneor two book; all of them," numbering approximately 100), plus Gorey's New Yorker cartoons, of course. Goreywould be abetted with some of Tim Burton's films and definitely Terry Gilliam'sBrazil. However, Roberts appears tohave his own acerbic vision, thank you very much, along with being just a niceguy. ("I lost a few friends shooting MARY." Ah, yes.)
