Paws and Tales

Paws and Tales is a Christian production for children by Insight for Living and Chuck Swindoll. It first aired on radio in 2001, and in 2004 and 2005 two episodes were adapted into CGI animation and released onto VHS and DVD. As of July 2007, 69 audio episodes have been produced. Co-creators David Carl and Eric Baesel have said that the story arc expands well beyond the original 69 episodes and are working on a series of novels to tell the whole story.

Setting

"Paws & Tales", aka "The Wildwood Adventures", is set in the town of Wildwood, at the base of Wild Mountain and about two miles east of the Bay of Tranquility. The bay, which protects the shore from the unpredictable Triton Sea, is a major source of commerce for the region, and the port of call for new and visiting characters from afar.

Downtown is a bustling center of small-town commerce, where the animal characters are as varied as the shops and trades in which they are engaged. East of downtown is the Wildwood Train Station, where the Cannonball does a five-town loop twice a day. To the north is the towering and mysterious Wild Mountain. The mountain range protects the town from the severe weather coming down from the north, and is also the home to strange and mysterious “peoples,” who offer opportunities for teachable moments in various episodes.

Characters

Main Characters

Paw Paw Chuck, the main character in The Wildwood Adventures, is Wildwood’s handyman, whose day-to-day trade is done at Paw Paw’s Fix-it-Shop. His main occupation, though, is providing guidance and spiritual wisdom to the townspeople of Wildwood. He has been married to Nana Cindy for almost 30 years. Having no grandchildren of their own, they have become “adopted” grandparents to many of the kids of the town.

Paw Paw Chuck is not Chuck Swindoll of Insight for Living. In developing the story line, the creator and director, David Carl, took the character of Paw Paw Chuck from a 1995 book published by Thomas Nelson and written by Chuck Swindoll entitled, "Paw Paw Chuck's Big Ideas in the Bible."

"Paws & Tales characters are not intentionally based on any character, real or imagined. Paws & Tales and Insight for Kids are just other vehicles that Insight for Living uses to make Bible truth interesting, understandable, and relevant. It’s still about God. But actors and singers, not Chuck Swindoll, are doing the teaching. In this case, the medium of communication is through songs, comic book stories, novels, and audio and video drama."-- per Eric Baesel, Operations Manager for the ministry of Insight for Kids

C.J. Brown is a gregarious, fun-loving, nine-year-old bear cub who loves to be in charge. Unlike all the other cubs, he has one blue eye — his left — through which he has trouble seeing clearly. He’s a sensitive, vulnerable cub who has sought to make the most of his disability by making himself the butt of his own jokes.

Staci Clemmer is a dramatic, rough-and-tumble cub who’s as brave as a lion — afraid of nothing. She has a keen sense of humor, but unlike C.J., she has a more difficult time laughing at herself. Staci is an excellent problem solver, and she is kind and compassionate. She is famous in the town for welcoming new settlers to Wildwood with a plate of homemade chocolate-chip cookies.

Ned Cleaver, a beaver, is C.J.’s best friend and the smartest one of the bunch. His intellect is also occasionally a stumbling block. He and C.J. finish each other’s sentences and stick together as the only boys in The Club.

Pinkie Gongoozler (“Gooz” to her friends) is an insatiably curious weasel. Fascinated by anything out of the ordinary, she is easily distracted. Her off-the-wall observations keep the members of The Club on their toes. Gooz is also a very talented artist, who, beneath her goofiness, has great wisdom and insight.

Marsha Moffet is a young moose calf in the middle of a terribly awkward growth spurt — she’s all legs and not much grace. Marsha is the most tenderhearted of the bunch, and accordingly, she has compassion to spare. She is also a championship-level speller.

Other characters — A short list of the dozens of additional characters includes Police Officer Hunt (a timber wolf), Mr. Crawford (a brown bear who owns the general store), Miss Harbor (a white-tailed deer and Wildwood’s school teacher), Mrs. Daisy Collins (a wealthy and kindly widow of a brown bear), and Timothy Owl (a hoot owl that has friends in dark places).

Other Assets

The Club — The Club is so named because the members can’t seem to agree on one. Charter members C.J., Staci, Ned, Gooz, and Marsha meet in a clubhouse they built themselves with help from Paw Paw Chuck. They have named the clubhouse “The Fortress” because the foundation on which the house is built is called “Fortress Rock.” It overlooks the town below and was once used as a look-out tower. Legend has it that Wildwood was once saved from a fire spotted early from Fortress Rock. The site also looks upon a misty canyon that hides Shadow Valley.

Shadow Valley is a great mystery in Paws & Tales lore. The valley is said to be a physical place, but it can’t be reached from the outside. Its population is made up of those who are imprisoned there by the dark forces of their own sin. Paw Paw Chuck claims to be able to see Shadow Valley from his vista on Fortress Rock, but because most of the residents of Wildwood don’t believe the place even exists, he keeps this information close to himself. He’s deeply committed to one day freeing the captives of Shadow Valley, and this goal has made Paw Paw Chuck the subject of ridicule by some in the town.

Paws and Tales Media

A children's animated series known as Paws and Tales (Animated Series), based on the radio drama was produced by [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2091166/ Cliff McDowell] and released in 2007.