1. HPR1.COM | August 30, 2012 | HIGH PLAINS READER 9
By Brittany Negaard
Staff Writer
Ever find yourself wondering what the
world will look like 125 years from now? Or
more specifically, what will life in Fargo be
like?
Erik Meyer, of Moorhead, has been working
to create a picture of that future over the last
four years. About a week ago, he uploaded his
first episode of “2125-ish,” a cartoon taking
place in a corporate office in Fargo's future
reality. He's been working on the show for
about a year. The pilot episode, “Office
Wrangler,” was launched on Indiegogo.com.
The site will enable Meyer to raise funds for
his project; which thus far he has funded com-
pletely on his own.
The idea started as an elaborate Wordpress
project, Fargone2125.com. Meyer details the
events and changes over the next century and a
quarter that turn the community of Fargo into a
post-apocalyptic police state. This made-up
community of the future barely resembles the
Fargo we know today.
Meyer created a timeline explaining the
state of Fargo, which is basically a wasteland.
A lot happens in those 125 years, including
nuclear attacks around the world, America
declaring bankruptcy, and discussion of reli-
gion becomes viewed as political extremism.
On his Wordpress, Meyer explains the com-
munity he sees in the future, “Fargone follows
a history of gradual decay, failed initiatives and
increasing corporate rights at the cost of
human rights; these colors do not run and
instead plow on, blindly, despite all reason,
over the edge of the cliff called nationalism.
This is the greatest country on earth, if you’re
looking for a plasma manifold, a microwave
emitter, and a toroid centrifuge beneath a rail
car atop twin shipping containers filled with
medical waste.”
However, the dismal picture of the future
isn't meant to just be a negative foretelling.
Besides the sci-fi dystopian future Meyer pres-
ents, he also includes ideas and suggestions to
prevent our community from turning into such
an ugly place.
Meyer has always been interested in story-
telling. He earned his BFA in creative writing
at MSUM in 2008.
Creating Fargone was a way for him to tell
his story, and now this cartoon enables him to
do that in a more interactive way.
“For me, it’s about telling the story, not how
you do it,” says Meyer.
“I already had the website which basically
details Fargo 120 years in the future, so I've
been doing a variety of projects based on that,
be it a role playing game, or a card game, or
I've been making all these other kind of pieces
of content for it just because I like doing it,”
says Meyer. “I'd been doing the drawings
because they supplemented the website.”
About a year ago, a friend introduced him to
Kdenlive, a free, user-created, Linux-based
computer software that allows users to turn
sketches and drawings into animation. Meyer
had already been creating sketches for
Fargone2125 in his spare time. Using Kdan
seemed like the perfect fit. Kdan allowed him
to turn his story into animation utilizing a free
software.
In “2125ish,” Meyer uses the freeze-frame
cartoon style popularized by Brad Neely. The
cartoon follows the “volatile” work environ-
ment of Chad Enterprises, an office floating
above the city proper of Fargo.
If you check out Meyer's Wordpress, you
realize that these office workers are actually
pretty well off. They are detached from the
slums of South Fargo, or the the “wasteland”
of West Fargo, which is sort of a “mall built on
top of a mall” as Meyer explains.
Meyer is the sole illustrator, but has had
some help from friends with other elements.
Julio Villamil allowed Meyer to use his profes-
sional-level audio recording equipment.
Villamil also helped with production. A few
other friends do the voices for some characters.
Mike Christianson does the voice for Reuben,
and Allison Allery voices Susan. Meyer does
the voice of other characters, Jerry and
Nygard. Also included in the office cast is a
talking water cooler, who throughout the sea-
son is very suggestive that people drink his flu-
ids.
While Fargo is a dismal place in this imagi-
nary future, small details like the water cooler
make the cartoon fun to watch.
Meyer wanted the first episode to focus on
developing the characters, but the rest of the
series will have more more story arches that
explain the office environment. While the char-
acters are living in this “dystopia” 125 years
from now, they are still relatable.
“Some of the characters are hopeless, but
funny and endearing at the same time,”
explains Meyer.
The company, Chad Enterprises, represents
the corporate office environment Meyer has
developed a disliking for over past experi-
ences.
“I've worked in those environments a couple
of times ... people’s opinions masquerade as
policy,” explains Meyer.
Chad Enterprises is a futuristic model of
today's corporate offices.
“The people that own the company are the
like the ultimate management, they're basically
the ultra-wealthy people who have companies
only to watch people work. They don't actually
care about the work they do, they just kind of
enjoy being able to screw with people,”
explains Meyer.
As the season progresses, viewers realize
that not a lot of actual work is getting done.
The characters are more immersed in their own
personal problems. They are are removed from
the actual work being done by the company,
which is minimal.
“In fact, characters only produce entertain-
ment for people, and they even do that
unknowingly,” says Meyer.
Originally from Eau Claire, Wisc., Meyer
enjoys living in the FM area, and has lived
here for years. He chose Fargo as the location
to tell this story because he felt it was a safe
place to engage discussion about problems fac-
ing society.
“You wouldn't want this world to really
exist, so as much as these characters say funny
things, I do hope to have that as the season
builds. I want people to realize, 'Wait, this is
horrifying,’” says Meyer.
The discussion of these looming social prob-
lems could be a lot bigger with the help of the
fundraising website Indiegogo. Meyer just
launched a 2-month campaign on the site to
promote his work. He hopes to raise $5,000 to
be able to have the time and resources to con-
tinue with the series. The site enables creators
to find supporters and sponsors worldwide.
Indiegogo requires users to set up a timeline
for production goals. Meyer plans to have the
first series completely released over the next
two months.
For various levels of donations are different
levels of rewards. Higher donations give view-
ers access to more content about the show.
Asking for donations from the website
seems more comfortable to Meyer than going
directly to a production company to pitch his
idea. It also gives him more freedom.
“Its an institution for social change without
going through establishment,” says Meyer of
Indiegogo.
Are you still wondering what Fargo might
look like 125 years into the future? Check out
the first episode, “Office Wrangler,” and sup-
port Meyer in his goal to engage social discus-
sion.
For more information, visit
Fargone2125.com, and to donate visit
indiegogo.com/2125ish. Check out the
episodes as they are released at
vimeo.com/groups/136350
Questions and Comments:
brittany@hpr1.com
New Cartoon Based on Fargo
in the Future