Veteran renews childhood dream to become a TV writer
Elliot “E.J.” Rupert grew up in the 1980s, an era when television was ruled by family-centered sitcoms like “The Cosby Show” and kids clamored on Sundays to read cartoons such as “Peanuts” and “Calvin and Hobbes.”
As a kid, Rupert would write and draw his own comic strips and dreamed of becoming a TV writer. Now, at age 46, Rupert is trying to make his dreams come true.
In what he hopes boosts his aspirations, a script for an animated TV sitcom Rupert has created has qualified for the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival, to take place May 11-18 in Denver.
The sitcom, “Eric,” centers on an African American 14-year-old of the same name, trying to navigate life as an awkward adolescent. Rupert said he sees the show as a cross between “The Cosby Show” and “The Simpsons.”
Rupert’s winning script, titled, “Back to Fool,” centers on Eric trying to impress a girl on the first day of school. So he takes his stepfather’s car without his permission. It’s not long before things start to spiral out of control, and the car ends up getting towed away.
“Teenage boys do crazy things to impress girls … silly things, without thinking them through,” he said.
Rupert has written four seasons of “Eric,” totaling 66 scripts. They’re all available on his website.
He said he was excited to qualify for the national competition, seeing it as validation of his craft.
“You always wonder if you are good enough,” he said, saying he hopes to take advantage of various workshops and seminars for writers at the event. “I can’t wait to get out there.”
Rupert’s journey to rediscover his childhood passion took a number of twists and turns.
The Milwaukee native attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, majoring in communication arts (radio, TV, film). He then served five years in the Navy, winding up in Tacoma, Wash.
After his discharge, he took a job in aviation administration in Washington. But when he lost that job, he said he “felt a little weird. It was messing with my mental health.”
He turned to VA for help, where he learned some coping skills and rediscovered his childhood dream.
“It was a blessing in disguise,” he said. “One of the ways of coping was (figuring out) what I really wanted to do in life, and I remembered I loved writing back in the day.”
Rupert used the GI Bill to return to school and get a master’s degree in creative writing from Full Sail University.
The process wasn’t easy, he said, and he admitted to being a little hesitant at first. But he said his classes helped him better define his ideas, hone his writing and rekindle his creative spirit.
“I wanted to revisit that dream,” he said. “I found my love for it again.”
Rupert said he is trying get his foot in the door for television writing, saying he has gotten advice from a few people in the industry. He also plans to keep entering writing competitions and other contests where he hopes to get noticed.
Eventually, he’d like to land an agent who can help him fulfill his dream.
Writing isn’t Rupert’s only creative outlet. He also draws, plays the drums and works part time as a disc jockey under the name DJ Mello Ell. He does this all in addition to his full-time job with Defense Contract Audit Agency.
Rupert said his family is supportive of his dream.
“I hope that one day I can make it big and give them everything they want,” he said.