Sunday, February 15, 2015

Some Shameless Self Promotion

It's a slow news day at some newsletters, and a pharmacist who also makes the occasional animated film makes for good filler.
Here's how this dubious information was put to use last week:

"Dispensing with accuracy since 1978"
Would you drink poured water from this pharmacist?!?

"Jim Middleton has been director of pharmacy for two years, but he’s already becoming known for more than his professional expertise.

The bow-tie-wearing Middleton is gaining fans for his exuberant personality, quirky humor, compassion and—gasp—willingness to answer questions about medical issues.

“This small clinic pharmacy isn’t like a big-box store; we don’t just give out prescriptions. We’re a drug information source, and we’re here every weekday to answer your questions,” he says, adding that he loves the people who patronize the pharmacy. “They’re eager to learn, and they politely laugh at my jokes. I can actually sit down and have a conversation about their meds. It gives you a rewarding sense of accomplishment at the end of the day.”

Middleton, who graduated from Ferris State University’s pharmacy program, oversees the pharmacy and its half-dozen employees who fill about 1500 prescriptions each week for students, employees and retirees. He has also been a longtime adjunct instructor at Kellogg Community College and Kalamazoo Valley Community College and now teaches a class at WMU.

Prior to coming to the University in 2012, he worked for nearly 12 years as a pharmacy consultant, pharmacy- and animation-related teacher, dispenser of holistic and herbal patient care and producer of animated, historical and educational films. In fact, “Uncle Stan,” as he’s called on his The Animating Apothecary website, has been indulging a passion for animation that he’s had since age 14.

He has created stop motion, cel animation, 3D animation and more. His animation and video work include some unusual personal triumphs. There's a parody of a pharmacy school recruitment video that “played for a whole summer before it was unceremoniously destroyed” and two years working with a Chicago TV show titled “Jim Shorts Cavalcade of Sports For You” that was nominated for a regional  Emmy and canceled and in the same week. More traditional highs include the film “Alpha,” which went around the globe with the International Nuclear Awareness Festival in the mid-80’s and a short film that opened for an internet broadcast of Limp Bizkit in 2000.

Middleton lives in Battle Creek with his lovely wife Anne and is stepdad to three sons.  He collects stamps and has large public domain audio library of wax cylinders and 78 RPM records. Visit animatingapothecary.com and the jimmiddleton YouTube channel to learn more about Middleton and his animation."



And now, back to counting by fives....