Fortuntately, a lot of projects have come my way lately - I've just finished a new music video for Matt Jaffe called "Voodoo Doll" - it's a wonderful, sad ballad, which I love. And it's done in my usual pen and ink style, which gives me a lot of pleasure. Check it out -
And then, after I completed "Voodoo Doll", I was hired to do something I've never done before, a video for an avant-garde piece of jazz music. Although I've never worked with jazz before, I found this project very liberating - so I tried a technique I've also never done before, water-color. You may know that because of its somewhat uncontrollable properties, it's very difficult to use water-color for animation, but because it was jazz, I felt justified in doing something very experimental. And I think my wacky style fit very nicely with this unconventional music - it's called "Old Ducks" and the music comes from the very talented Jeff Pearring. Keep an eye out for this.
Right now, I've just been hired to do a short stand-up comedy video for a wonderful comic, Wendy Maybury. The bit is called "Vagina Song", so you can probably guess this ain't for kids. This sort of takes me back to my days of doing print cartoons for magazines like Playboy, Penthouse and Screw. What fun - this should be completed by the end of May. Thankfully, my producer and colorist are still working from home, even though our studio is closed.
And, I'm very happy to report that I'm talking to the staff at Fox about the possibility of doing another couch gag for "The Simpsons". Yaaheee!!! I love doing these, they're so much fun to create and fans just seem to love them! They've also helped expose my animation to a much larger audience, so I'm extremely grateful. I want to do a very Plymptonesque version of Homer on drugs - I think you'll like it, but it probably won't be seen for a few months.
One more important event coming up is the Heritage auction featuring art from all my greatest films, including some of the "Simpsons" art. A preview of the available artwork is supposed to be online in May, but the auction itself won't take place until June. I don't have the exact date yet but you can probably find it on the Heritage Auctions site. I may even go in person to the auction in Dallas, if there are no travel restrictions then.
It's funny, I always thought that if I got arrested and sent to prison for some crazy crime, I would be happy as a clam, because I could draw my animation all day long and never get interrupted, unless I was my cellmate's bitch, of course. I suppose I'd still have to stop for meals and exercise out in the yard...
Well, with this viral pandemic, it's nearly the same thing. Here I am, stuck in my apartment all day - Yippee!! I can get up at 5 am and draw until 9 pm - I suppose I still have to stop for meals, but damn, I can get so much animation done! I know, this is a very tragic sickness throughout the world, but you know me, I always look at the bright side.
They've even turned the heat off in my studio's building, I can sneak in there if I need to get something, but I haven't been able to stay long. So if anyone has been having difficulty reaching me, calling the studio won't work, it's better to e-mail me because Sandrine is checking my e-mail for me at home. I haven't figured out Zoom but I do use FaceTime. I usually depend on my staff to show me Facebook or Twitter messages, so those take longer but I eventually will get them.
Like everyone else, I'm waiting to find out when life can return to normal, even if it's in gradual stages, so I can re-open my studio and get back to business, beyond just drawing. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this week's gag cartoon!
--Bill P.
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