Today is to say happy birthday to Tracy Lyons.
I've spoken to a cartoonist in the past, but not one that made motion-picture cartoons on the inter-net. This is the future, people! Today I'm chatting with the creator of some wonderful web cartoons that manage to be funny, dark and cute all at once: Making Fiends, Big Bunny and Muffin Films.She graduated with an MFA in animation from UCLA in 2000. She took some time away from her current secrets projects to have a short chat with me.
The Amy Winfrey Interview: Just Under Twenty Questions
What kind of cheese do you like?
Gouda, good Cheddar and Feta.
What are your favorite cartoons?
Old Simpsons, old Ren and Stimpy and ancient Looney Tunes.
Why do you think animation is a more popular medium for adults now than it used to be?
Because we are becoming a nation of infantile idiots. Uh… I mean because animation is much more sophisticated than it used to be…
Are you working on anything that we’d be seeing on a big or small screen soon?
It is possible that Making Fiends will become a full length television show on Nickelodeon.
Are Vendetta and Charlotte based on anybody?
Nope
Are you sick yet of being compared to your more famous sister Oprah?
Heh.
How did the Big Bunny theme get composed?
I use a midi keyboard and a program called Cubase to compose the music for all my films. I recorded the lyrics for the Big Bunny song using the little tiny microphone that used to come with beige Macintosh computers.
Do people often demand that you draw things for them? Most of my fans are well behaved. They like to draw things for me which is nice.
Is there anything that technology is bringing to animation that you feel replaces something special from older methods?
I learned animation by making traditional animated films. However, I always had very bad luck with film labs and camera equipment. I would shoot whole films out of focus or the camera would break or the film processing would go horribly awry. I’m afraid I don’t really miss it much. I do hate when things move too smoothly and "computery" but I can’t imagine returning to non computer films.
What’s going on at the Traffic Cone Preservation Society?
The Traffic Cone Preservation Society continues to aid the orange and unfortunate but lamentably the Society is not at all good at updating its website.
What do you think are some of the keys to creating animation that’s entertaining for both adults and kids? It’s important to remember that children can appreciate smart things and adults can appreciate stupid things.
Do you have a dark sense of humor in general, would you say?
I’d say it’s navy.
I read on a site that some of your fans wonder if you look like any of your characters. Which do you most resemble?
The Giant Cat.
What’s the latest thing that’s made you laugh out loud? My pet shrimp.
Every bio I read of yours mentions your degree from UCLA. Is this a coincidence or a standard bio that got spread around or do you think you’ll continue to be affiliated with the school throughout your career?
There would be no Making Fiends without UCLA. I was just minding my own business taking English and pre med classes when I happened to see an animation class listed in the course catalogue. I took the class and was instantly smitten with animation. If UCLA did not have animation classes open to undergraduates I might very well be a lousy Orthopedic Surgeon by now. I’ll be teaching half a class on Interactive Animation at UCLA in the fall so I do plan to continue my affiliation with UCLA.
How does it feel to be the 153rd person interviewed for Zulkey.com
It was a pleasure to be Zulkified.