In the spring of 2018, the animated comedy DISCHARGED was set to premiere at the 13th Annual Hoboken Film Festival in Greenwood Lake, New York, on May 20, 2018. According to Heroes Media Group, it was one of the 10 percent of 1,500 submissions selected. The lead character, Axel, was voiced by Michael J. Penney.
The show
The show’s website summed it up in one line:
A mismatched quartet of not-so-honorably discharged veterans unleash the good, the bad and the dark side of patriotism on Hollywood.
DISCHARGED official site
Axel is at the center of it. The site describes him as a hyper-masculine Marine combat veteran who struggles to find work after leaving the military, then lands a lucrative deal as a Hollywood stuntman. He hires a crew of fellow veterans as his management team:
- Major, his bodyguard and a former officer, voiced by creator Jas Boothe, an Army veteran
- Jesus (pronounced “Hey Zeus”), his agent and a no-nonsense ex-drill sergeant, voiced by Army combat veteran Jonathan Lopez
- Brandon, his best friend, personal assistant and the resident “POG,” voiced by Army combat veteran and Purple Heart recipient Earl Granville
The cast is made up of veterans, and the show pokes fun at the rivalries between the branches while showing the bond that holds them together.
Why it was made
Boothe told Heroes Media Group she got the idea in 2016, while up late watching Adult Swim and noticing how much relief she found in humor.
I wanted to help others through humor.
Jas Boothe, Heroes Media Group, April 2018
For Michael, the part fit. Axel’s story, a Marine combat veteran trying to find his place after the service, was one he and many of his podcast guests knew well.
How it did
By 2019, DISCHARGED was on the festival circuit, and coverage of a screening at Webster University reported that it won the Best Pilot category at the 2018 Hoboken International Film Festival. IMDb lists it as a 2019 short and credits Michael J. Penney as an actor.
Looking back
Their paths crossed more than once. Both made Dwayne Paro’s 2017 HuffPost list of veteran entrepreneurs to know. In January 2020 he interviewed her about DISCHARGED on his 5 Paragraph show.
This post is part of the From the Archive series, which collects Michael’s past media appearances in one place. See the full media archive.
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Marine veteran, TEDx speaker and author of the 5 Paragraph Business Plan. Bring him to your stage, wear the gear, or catch him live.