By DeAnn Lubell
Photo credits: Brian Hoff, Palm Springs Animal Shelter, and Palm Springs Police K-9 Unit
The high and low desert communities proudly showcase a bountiful number of distinguished writers and artists whose various mediums, either with words or art brushes, are rated among the best creative talents in the nation, if not the world. Brian Hoff is no exception. He is a screenwriter. He pens children’s books. He writes about comedy, adventure, sci-fi, suspense, and coming of age stories.
Brian got his start in the film business in 1994 working on the HBO film “White Mile”, which starred Peter Gallagher and Alan Alda. He went on to work for independent film producer Paul Leder, father of Dreamworks director Mimi Leder. Brian continued to work in the industry and began developing his own scripts and film projects. His first animated short film “Automaton” won an award at the California International Animation Festival in 2008. Brian is an actor and a member of SAG AFTRA and ASCAP
Brian is the creator of the popular animated book and animated series Secret Agent 00K9: The Fast & the Furriest centered on a silly spy dog agent 00K9 (pronounced Double Oh K 9) who goes on adventures as a detective solving crimes in an animal-only, but wacky human-like, society. From 2014 to 2016 Brian held book signings and benefits for the Palm Springs Police Department K-9 Unit. He enjoys reading his books to elementary school students in Desert Hot Springs, CA. Brian exhibited his works at the “Palm Spring Comic Con” event 2016-2019.
“I have always been interested in animation and cartoons,” said Brian. “As a child, I think my greatest creative inspirations come from growing up in the mountains of Northern California. In that free open space, I was able to develop a wild imagination and began writing and creating at a young age.” Brian’s late dog Cosmo was the inspiration behind the spy dog character in his book series. Cosmo attended book signings over the years until he passed in 2015. “I honored Cosmo in the last book where I created the character Agent Cosmo and gave tribute to him as a hero who saves the city.” According to Brian, animation can transform, inspire, educate, and allow artists to create visuals in multiple techniques and styles lending to an unlimited word of digital storytelling.
Brian recently organized a special book signing and benefit at the Palm Springs Animal Shelter titled “10 Years of Tails” celebrating the animal shelters 10 years and included the Palm Springs Police K-9 Unit on December 10, 2022, and introduced his latest children’s comedy book series “Keeping Up with the Car Chasers” about a dysfunctional dog family living the “Furrywood Hills”. The new series focuses on the family with outrageous humor along with valuable life lessons that are great for kids and their parents. In 2022 the comedy book series was nominated for a “Readers Choice Award” by TKC Publishing, American Fiction Award, and was a winner of the 2022 “Mom’s Choice Award.”
In 2017, Brian founded the “Palm Springs International Animation Festival” which featured Oscar winning and contending talent from all over the world. Brian saw the opportunity to bring wonderful and intriguing animated films to Palm Springs including hosting Q & A sessions with filmmakers, animators, and industry executives. Brian has been quoted in Variety Magazine and featured in The Hollywood Reporter, as well as others.
If you would like to meet Brian, he is the featured author at a book signing at Crystal Fantasy Gift Shop in Palm Springs on Saturday, March 4 from 10:30 AM – 2:00 PM. He will have a limited number of his toy kid’s watches that come with the “Secret Agent 00K9: The Fast & the Furriest” book series.
For more information, please visit www.BrianHoffBooks.com .
