The title character in the movie “Sudsy Smith Rides Again” rides in a mine cart. (Courtesy Photo | For Chad Carpenter)

The title character in the movie “Sudsy Smith Rides Again” rides in a mine cart. (Courtesy Photo | For Chad Carpenter)

‘Sudsy Slim Rides Again’ bubbles up in Juneau

‘Tundra’ cartoonist’s silly film to be screened at the Gold Town Theater

Chad Carpenter’s love of Western movies wasn’t a great fit for his shoestring budget, but he made it work.

Carpenter, the Wasilla resident behind the “Tundra” comic strip for the past 28 years, had to get creative to make the live-action movie “Sudsy Slim Rides Again.” The movie Carpenter dubbed a “Spaghetti Northwestern” that will be shown at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 4, at the Gold Town Theater.

“One of my favorite genres is Westerns, but to make a real Western movie is cost prohibitive,” Carpenter said in an interview with the Capital City Weekly. “So the question was how can I still make one with the same feel to it?”

The answer was to write mostly a movie starring and helmed by Alaskans set in the present day in the fictional tourist town of Scratcher Pass, which like Colonial Williamsburg or other such attractions, draws in visitors by keeping one foot firmly planted in a past period.

“The townspeople still dress the part,” Carpenter said.

Sound guy Jeremy Blake and director of photography Mackenzie Banbury ready equipment to film Ted Carney, David Fink and Joseph LeCompte during the making of “Sudsy Smith Rides Again.” (Courtesy Photo | For Chad Carpenter)

Sound guy Jeremy Blake and director of photography Mackenzie Banbury ready equipment to film Ted Carney, David Fink and Joseph LeCompte during the making of “Sudsy Smith Rides Again.” (Courtesy Photo | For Chad Carpenter)

“Sudsy Slim” was ultimately made for $150,000, Carpenter said. As a point of comparison, the Spaghetti Western classic “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” was made for $1.2 million in the mid ’60s, according to multiple online sources.

[Perseverance Theatre’s latest is a whole bushel of fun]

“Half of that money was raised by Kickstarter,” Carpenter said. “The other half came from me, sadly. Making movies is a great way to spend money, I’ve found.”

Carpenter said volunteers also helped a lot in making sure the movie, which was shown in film festivals last year, happened.

“It couldn’t be done without them,” Carpenter said.

“Sudsy Slim Rides Again” is the cartoonist’s second full-length, live-action film.

Joseph LeCompte as Andy and Zack Lanphier as Burt walk with the corpse of famed outlaw Sudsy Smith in “Sudsy Smith Rides Again.” (Courtesy Photo | For Chad Carpenter)

Joseph LeCompte as Andy and Zack Lanphier as Burt walk with the corpse of famed outlaw Sudsy Smith in “Sudsy Smith Rides Again.” (Courtesy Photo | For Chad Carpenter)

Like the previous effort “Moose the Movie,” “Sudsy Slim…” was co-written by Carpenter’s brother, Darin, and directed by G. Logan Dellinger of Nomad Cinematics.

A fondness for history and the exploits of real-life Alaskan conman Soapy Smith served as an inspiration for the movie.

“I love history, and I love Alaska history in particular,” Carpenter said. “So I thought, what if we do something very loosely based on Soapy Smith.”

In the film, aside from antiquated clothing Scratcher Pass hearkens back to its days as an asbestos-mining boom town by keeping the corpse of famed outlaw Sudsy Smith on display in a gift shop.

The film’s plot is driven by rapscallions who steal the body of the long-deceased bad guy in hopes of a handsome ransom.

“It’s very, very fun and very, very silly,” Carpenter said.

[Nashville singer-songwriter can’t stop coming to Alaska]

Despite a story that hinges on the bug-eyed corpse of a criminal, Carpenter said “Sudsy Slim Rides Again” is a fairly family friendly film.

“We’re calling it PG-10,” he said.

Carpenter said it just makes sense to him for his films to feature the same irreverent humor for an all-ages audience found in “Tundra.”

Making “Sudsy Smith Rides Again” took about two years to make, and Carpenter said it was an enjoyable process, especially in the context of his other creative efforts.

Chad Carpenter, the cartoonist behind “Tundra,” has made a full-length, action-comedy movie inspired by Alaska history. (Courtesy Photo | For Chad Carpenter)

Chad Carpenter, the cartoonist behind “Tundra,” has made a full-length, action-comedy movie inspired by Alaska history. (Courtesy Photo | For Chad Carpenter)

“Being a cartoonist is a solitary thing in a lot of ways,” Carpenter said. “It’s really fun to have a lot of creative people surrounding you.”

He said that quality has made movie making incredibly helpful for the comic strip.

“It gives me something else to focus on because it takes me out of the comic strip world,” Carpenter said. “A creative break is exactly what it is.”


• Contact arts and culture reporter Ben Hohenstatt at (907)523-2243 or bhohenstatt@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BenHohenstatt.


More in News

Aurora forecast for the week of Nov. 27

These forecasts are courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Geophysical Institute… Continue reading

This symbol is inside of the Alaska Department of Corrections office on Sept. 7, 2022, in Douglas. (Photo by Lisa Phu/Alaska Beacon)
Alaska Police Standards Council turns down plan to lower hiring age of corrections officers — for now

The Alaska Police Standards Council voted down a regulation change that would… Continue reading

Rep. David Eastman, R-Wasilla, right, and former Rep. Christopher Kurka, R-Wasilla, saw ethics complaints against them dismissed on Nov. 29. (Photos by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
Committee dismisses complaints that two Alaska lawmakers committed ethics violations

The body charged with policing the ethics of members of the Alaska… Continue reading

A bus parks outside the entrance of Foodland IGA during the Southeast Alaska Food Bank’s annual Caring is Sharing Food Drive on Nov. 18. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
SNAP benefits backlog surges past 12,000 applicants again due to technical, staffing woes

State reportedly cleared year-long 14,000-person backlog, only to have new crisis erupt.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police calls for Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police calls for Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police calls for Friday, Dec. 1, 2023

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

Tree reflections and icy patterns on an East Glacier Trail pond Nov. 29. (Photo by Denise Carroll)
Wild Shots

To showcase our readers’ work to the widest possible audience, Wild Shots… Continue reading

Snow falls on the Alaska State Capitol on Monday, Jan. 30, 2023. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
Funding gap looms for Alaska’s domestic violence programs, but need for services is as high as ever

A major source of funding for Alaska’s domestic violence response has decreased… Continue reading

Most Read