Rupert may not always have inspired such devotion, but he was notorious in the community, said Shackeroff. Now an even larger audience has the opportunity to get to know him.
"You know Flipper. Lassie and Gentle Ben. Now meet Rupert, a cranky black Australian swan who became famous when he arrived unexpectedly in the harbor," Shackeroff posted for the site's first entry.
Visitors to the page will learn about the swan's favorite films ("Howard the Duck"), music ("Swan Lake") and pastimes (mainly swimming). A "Comments" section will allow locals and vacationers who came in contact with the swan to submit their own photos and memories in writing.
Plus, there's much more to come, said Shackeroff, 3, of Los Angeles. Hours of footage not included in her documentary "Rupert the Swan" will be made available in the coming months.
The Newport Harbor community was shocked when Rupert was struck by a speeding Orange County Sheriff's Harbor Patrol boat on the way to retrieve a human body found in the water in 2006.
Shackeroff, who for years vacationed at a family home on the peninsula, was inspired to chronicle the life of Rupert after reading his obituary in the newspaper. When she arrived at the funeral, she realized how large of a project she took on.
"It was an unusual circumstance on many levels, and that caught my attention," Shackeroff said, adding that the site will be a "fun place to contribute people's collective Rupert stories."
The film premiered in April at the 2007 Newport Beach Film Festival to sold-out crowds. Since then, Shackeroff has spent much of her free time diligently editing the documentary before the DVD release, scheduled for the end of summer. Updates on the DVD will be posted continuously, she said.
