Local Artist Looking For a Break in the Cartoon World [Updated]

Anthony AroyaAnthony Aroya, a lifelong Bronxite who grew up on Prospect Avenue and now lives in Norwood, is a man of many talents and interests.He’s written a series of children’s books, a handful of screenplays and a couple of plays (one of which was performed as part of the Strawberry One-Act Festival, off-Broadway, which another local artist participated in recently).For the past three years, the deep baritone-voiced Aroya – he sounds like a late-night R&B deejay or a Barry White impersonator – worked as a voice-over actor on a few commercial and several video games. His persona in 2009’s “House of the Dead: Overkill”, Det. Isaac Washington, was nominated for best newly created video game character. (Interesting side note: “Overkill” set a Guinness World Records Gamer’s Edition record for being “the most profane video game in history,” dropping an astounding 189 incarnations of the f-bomb.)Now Aroya, who works at Montefiore Medical Center as his day job, is looking to break into the world of cartooning. So, he created “Spike and Mike Take Over the Universe One Molecule at a Time,” which he illustrated and wrote (he’s also the voice of Mike).Looking for some help getting his project off the ground, Aroya uploaded a pilot-version of “Spike and Mike” onto Kickstarter, an online funding platform for creative projects.

Mess of the Moment

This photo was taken earlier today by a BxNN reader on Jerome Avenue near the 4-Train station on Mosholu Parkway. Apparently, it’s been like this for a few days now.So who is responsible for this mess of the moment? Technically speaking, homeowners and landlords are responsible for the sidewalks in front of their property, but the Sanitation Department’s list of rules and regulations is unclear about who is responsible on sidewalks where there are no businesses. I would guess that in this case, where the trash is near an MTA-owned train station, it’s their responsibility.We’re waiting for word from Sanitation about this, but if anyone knows the deal, fill us in.Note: Tell us about your mess of the moment by emailing us photos or a location and a desrcription at bronxnewsnetwork@gmail.com. Or you can alert us to mess by posting a description and location in the comments section.

Bronx News Roundup, Aug. 27

The quarter-finals of the Bronx Open, a women’s tennis tournament, are being held today. The New York Times says: Recognizable players from the women’s tour, in competitive, sometimes controversial matches, with fans watching from about a yard away, in an outer borough park — only it’s not the United States Open qualifying but the EmblemHealth Bronx Open, which is taking place this week on the hardcourts in picturesque Crotona Park. There’s no admission charge today or tomorrow.