As a kid, I was fascinated by the urban legend of alligators in the NYC sewer. I looked into the myth, discovering testimonies of people spotting the reptiles in ponds. I even read a story about a guy who flushed an alligator he got at the circus down the toilet back in the 60’s. Owning a prehistoric reptile as a pet is a lot of responsibility, and being responsible isn’t always guaranteed to be a part of human nature.

SUPER! is a satirical take on how the Left views the Right and how the Right views anyone who isn’t them. But more importantly, SUPER! is a celebration of all the different inhabitants of New York City. Lefty, Righty, immigrants, patriots, blue-collar and the unemployed, at the end of the day, we’re all just Gator food. 

There’s a slew of acting gold in current day NYC, you just gotta mine for it. I’m a fan of Bill Sage, he came on to the scene in that era of 90’s New York auteur cinema that I admire. I brought on Lorraine Farris who I acted with in Crumb Catcher. On set I would say to myself “I gotta cast her in something someday”, I’m glad I finally did. It tickles Fessenden when I would mention my favorite Glass Eye movie is Liberty Kid, so naturally I had to cast Kareem Savinon. Actor Dante Fiallo and Cartoonist/Filmmaker/Actor David Cardoza are a filmmaking duo, so I paired them up as the boiler guys, and then there’s Romanichel who is the only cast member to play 2 different roles in 2 different languages.

Matt Rocker Sound Designed the Tale. We used his extensive sound library to really bring out that NYC vibe. For Stevie’s kid voice, we took a page out of South Park and pitched my voice up. Rocker used a fancy program which basically allowed us to speak into the mic and it translated into alligator growl. All the gator noises you hear are Rocker snarling into a mic, it was a fun day at work. 

I grew up going to Hip-Hop and Hardcore shows, so I have a fondness for gritty, live music. That’s what I wanted for the score, a guy shredding on an electric guitar. I approached Jack Fessenden to write a score and record it with Rocker, who both have a history in playing in bands. It was a hell of a jam session, it felt like we were recording a punk album, that’s until Larry, Jack, Matt and I hummed “Glory, Glory, Hallelujah” in acapella. 

This one is dedicated to Larry Cohen.

—Rigo Garay

TALES FROM BEYOND THE PALE EPISODE 53
“SUPER!”