Alumnus Russ Woody has won a Golden Globe for his work as a screenwriter on the television show “Cybill” and an Emmy for “Murphy Brown.”
In 2005, he decided to take some time off from screenwriting when his father’s battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease worsened.
In January 2009, Woody released his first book, “The Wheel of Nuldoid.”
The book’s story was originally an idea Woody had for a screenplay in the 1980s, he said. He set the story aside to focus more on his work in television.
When Woody returned to finish the story, he decided to novelize it so he could have more control of it, he said.
The year is 2080. Grampa Worst is lying on his deathbed. Before he dies, he wants to tell his grandchildren about the 1989 San Francisco Earthquake, which happened before he was born.
The story follows Grampa’s father, sixth-grade teacher Warren Worst. When the earthquake strikes, two creatures rise from the cracks and kidnap Leo, one of Warren Worst’s students. This prompts Warren Worst and his neighbor, Lily, to travel through the Region of Neither Norr to rescue Leo. As their journey continues, they discover the city of Nuldoid and the wheel that holds a secret.
The younger generation will appreciate the adventure, while a sarcastic take on American society should satisfy adults, Woody said.
There is a fictional guestbook in the back of the book which lists humans who have visited Nuldoid and have thereby developed Nuldoidian characteristics, Woody said. The list includes Stephen Colbert, Rosa Parks and Jesus Christ.
“This is where they learned to bitch and complain to authority figures,” he said.
Colbert is the perfect example, Woody said.
During the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in April 2006, Colbert made fun of President George W. Bush — in front of him.
“That is essentially a Nuldoidian phenomenon,” Woody said.
The guestbook claims Colbert’s comments at the dinner caused a government investigation into Colbert’s past, where his strong relationship with the Nuldoids was revealed, he said.
The illustrations were drawn by Norman Felchle, a concept artist for Electronic Arts who has also done illustrations for Marvel and DC Comics.
Trying to figure out what to draw was a little tricky at first, Felchle said. Now that he is reading the book for pleasure, he likes how the illustrations turned out and how they fit the story.
Chico resident Terry Rogers was Woody’s boss when he was a bartender at Jake’s, which is now 5th Street Steakhouse.
Woody would work as a bartender and write a screenplay during the down time, Rogers said.
“He did more of that than he did working,” Rogers said.
Woody had a great personality, so no one was bothered by the fact he wrote during his shifts, he said. To this day, Woody hasn’t shown anyone the script.
During the remaining months with his father, Woody took notes of all the events the two did together, he said.
He began writing a memoir titled “Woody: 17 Months with My Dad” before finishing “The Wheel of Nuldoid,” he said. Woody plans to go back and re-write the memoir.
But this doesn’t mean his screenwriting career is over. During the summer, he looks to get back into the business and help start a few series.
A sequel to “The Wheel of Nuldoid” is also in talks, Woody said. His son Joe read the manuscript when he was 10 and came up with ideas for another story.
“I was absolutely flabbergasted because he was 10 and he was absolutely right,” Woody said. “I tell my writer friends, ‘You haven’t lived until you start getting notes from your 10-year-old son on your manuscript.’”
David Wangberg can be reached at
dwangberg@theorion.com
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