Fighting for Survival: How We Took on a Giant and Won

When people think about the entertainment industry, they often imagine glitz, glamour, and overnight success stories. But behind every piece of great storytelling, there’s usually another story — one of struggle, sacrifice, and survival.

This is mine.

At the time my wife Denise and I created our character, Piggley Pooh, we were raising six young children. Life was a constant balancing act between creative passion and financial reality. Every decision mattered — not just for us, but for the little faces depending on us every single day.

Then came the letter.
A cease and desist order from none other than The Walt Disney Company. They claimed our creation infringed on their iconic Winnie the Pooh brand. Overnight, our dreams, our security, and everything we had built seemed to hang by a thread.

How do you fight the might of one of the largest entertainment corporations in the world when you have six mouths to feed and no legal war chest?
The simple answer is: you don’t give up.
You dig deeper than you ever thought possible.

There were times it felt like we wouldn’t make it. The stress was relentless. The fear was real. But looking at our children reminded us what we were fighting for. We weren’t just protecting a cartoon character — we were fighting for our family's future.

Out of that crucible came something even greater.
We reimagined our project and created "Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks" — a series that would go on to win seven Emmy Awards and become a beloved classic around the world.

That journey — from a small idea to a global success — is the story I tell in my book, "Cease and Desist: Surviving the Might of the Largest Entertainment Corporation in the World."
It’s a story about resilience, family, and the power of holding onto your dreams when everything seems against you.

If there’s one thing I learned through it all, it’s this:
Sometimes the greatest victories are born not from power or money, but from belief, determination, and an unbreakable spirit.

If you’re a creator, an entrepreneur, or just someone standing up against overwhelming odds, I hope our story gives you the strength to keep going.

Because you can win.
And when you do, it’s worth every battle you had to fight.