Seventeen-year-old Buddy has always dreamed of escaping the Lower East Side slums of New York City to become an artist. His life changes when he begins working as an apprentice for Mister Joey Drew, the eccentric owner of an animation studio. Surrounded by a colorful cast, including composer Sammy Lawrence and writer Dot, Buddy starts to believe that dreams can come true. However, strange occurrences at the studio, marked by trails of dark ink, lead Buddy and Dot to uncover a mystery that may involve Mister Drew himself.