Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rusty Yunusoff. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Rusty, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Alright – so having the idea is one thing, but going from idea to execution is where countless people drop the ball. Can you talk to us about your journey from idea to execution?

The story of how SUPER SANTA: THE RISE OF SUPER SANTA went from idea to execution is exciting to recall.

All the way back in 2008, I was working as an illustrator and animator at a marketing agency in California, where I met Mookie Spitz, a writer and strategist.

Neither one of us can sit still for more than 20 minutes at a time, so we kept running into each other in the company kitchen.

We started chatting, and became fast friends. He’s a first generation Hungarian-American, and I had recently emigrated from Ukraine.

Having similar perspectives and backgrounds, we started sharing our creative ideas, too. I had the beginning of a story he found interesting.

I imagined a Syrian refugee girl making a Christmas wish for peace. When Santa didn’t respond, she asked for more help.

So she summoned the global network, imploring Santa Clauses from throughout the world to grant her wish for a better planet.

Mookie loved the idea of Mexican Santa, French Santa, German Santa, etc. all teaming up to grant this sweet girl’s wish.

We dubbed the story “Team Santa,” and decided to write a full length Hollywood-style screenplay based on the idea.

But as we got started, Mookie felt we needed a stronger dramatic arc, clearly described good guys vs bad guys in an epic struggle.

He also shifted the focus on Santa Claus: WHY couldn’t he grant the young girl’s wish? What was up with Santa?

That’s when “Super Santa” was born: Kids today find Santa boring and basically an Amazon delivery guy, instead loving their Superheroes.

Then we thought about the IMPLICATIONS: A teenager catches Santa delivering presents, calls him “uncool,” and Santa gets depressed.

Santa gives up on himself and Christmas, until one of his loyal elves suggests that if he can’t beat them, he might as well join them…

Santa turns himself into Super Santa, with a new look, attitude, and delivery schedule: Christmas is now every day of the year!

Disaster rapidly ensues, of course, and we took things from there. Within a couple months, we had a classic 30-60-90 Hollywood style screenplay.

After we finished the screenplay, I tried to shop it around to my contacts at various studios in California. But getting a script optioned is hard.

Mookie and I then decided to retell the story as a children’s book, but our hearts weren’t in it. An exciting story got flat and boring, much like Santa Claus.

Fast forward to a couple years ago, and Mookie got the idea to resurrect our screenplay, only this time turn it into an illustrated novel for adults.

We both loved that idea, and got to work. Mookie converted the screenplay into long form prose, while I started creating illustrations to bring it to life.

The project started out slowly, but gained steam, finally reaching creative critical mass about a year ago.

We got so into it that the illustrated novel blew up into over 1,200 pages, with more than 400 cartoons and drawings!

As Christmas 2023 loomed closer and closer, we realized a couple things: nobody could digest all that content, and we weren’t going to finish in time for the holiday.

So we dialed it back, broke our Super Santa opus into three parts, and concentrated on finished book 1, which structurally became the first act.

With tremendous pride and joy, we self-published SUPER SANTA: THE RISE OF SUPER SANTA on Amazon in early September.

Initial reviews have been stellar, and we’re now hard at work putting the final touches on book 2, entitled MERRY SUPER CHRISTMAS!

A labor of love, we’ve no doubt poured thousands of hours into this project, and can’t wait to release the 3 book “boxed set”.
Along the way, we’ve learned how much hard work and determination are required to complete a great book.

We also got into a wonderful partnership dynamic, one where we brought out the best in each other’s contribution to the project.

Many readers have already noted that the synergy between Mookie and me is evident within the flow of our content.

In addition to SUPER SANTA, we’re also working on a science fiction series, and bringing to life another screenplay we wrote many years ago, about a jealous pet and his redemption.

Timing is everything in life, and Mookie and I feel that now is our time to shine! We hope our readers enjoy our content as much as we enjoy creating it!

Rusty, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I emigrated to the United States from Crimea, Ukraine, in 2007, and have lived in Southern California ever since. A prolific illustrator, animator, and visual artist, I published my first cartoon in my teens, and have since drawn everything from cartoons to animated films.
Specializing in marketing for healthcare and life sciences companies, I’ve worked on educational and communications content for Amazon, Disney, and a number of pharma companies.
For television, I’ve worked on the FOX shows Golan the Insatiable, and Major Lazer.
My collaboration with Mookie Spitz has resulted in SUPER SANTA, a three-book series containing over 400 illustrations.
A great way to describe my approach is similar to what Malcolm Gladwell wrote about in his book BLINK: I literally get a “flash” of inspiration in the form of a vision.
I usually trust my instincts, and take things from there. Whether I work with a creative partner like Mookie, or on a larger production team, I love to collaborate, too.
To me, few things are more satisfying than being given the task of visualizing a component of a story, and then bringing it to life!

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Aside from the satisfaction and joy I get from the creative process itself and my collaboration with team members, my goal is to be an artist full time.

My collaboration with Mookie Spitz on the SUPER SANTA trilogy has been so joyful that I hope we can convert the content to an animated film or live action movie.
That would give both of us the creative freedom to dedicate ourselves to writing and illustrating more books, of which the next is a science fiction adventure.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Ultimately the joy of self-expression. Few things are more satisfying to me than to get that first creative flash or vision, and then bringing it to life on paper or a screen.

I also love sharing that joy with my audiences, hoping that my enthusiasm and happiness in creativity is transferred through my content.

Another rewarding aspect is working with others to bring my vision to life, all of us working together to tell an amazing story.

Contact Info:

• Website: whoissupersanta.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whoissupersanta/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhoIsSuperSanta
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rustyyunusoff/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/WhoIsSuperSanta
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhoIsSuperSanta
• Other: Super Santa Book on Amazon: https://a.co/d/3oyufjz