I am a writer/cartoonist. I used to have a cartoon on Nickelodeon.

What was your Cartoon called?

Kablam! (Sniz & Fondue)

Dude I loved Kablam!

ace!

Followup questions: did you specifically work on Sniz & Fondue, or did you work on all of the shorts like Prometheus & Bob, Action League Now!, etc.? Which was your favorite and why?

I contributed writing to other segments. but my "baby" was Sniz & Fondue. I created them. wrote them all. and tried to control the animation on them all, but...

To save money.. and "time" as they claimed. they wouldn't let all of the S&F' be animated in NYC (with my friends who understood my art etc. and could animate) they farmed S&F out to a fly-by-night studio in Israel(I mean.. they couldn't even remotely keep on model! this Israeli "studio")

and that was the beginning of the death knell for me. If you look at "Crustacean Sensations" , animated in the USA , compared to, I dunno.. "Mod Stylin". you can easily see the difference.

my favorite? I always liked Action League Now! due to how silly it was.

then I'd go with Prometheus.

Could you please add a note to your website that says you are doing an AMA, with a link to this post? Anyone can include a link to that website and claim it is theirs; we need something to connect you to this username. Thanks.

will do. I'm trying to fathom how to do this…. I'm pretty sharp. gimme a sec. thank you.

Was Sniz a reference to vagine?

Also do you do much now? Did you write it or animate or do voice? What did you do?

Owch. Owwwwch.

urrrgh. ya know. I will admit this.

NOBODY..and I mean..nobody! got that reference (thank god)

I used to do cartoon covers (pre-Nick) for an awful, awful "porno newspaper" called "Screw" a NYC "institution" it ….was.

Above one of my cover drawings..it read: "First in the Sniz Biz!"

and…that line (and word) always stuck.

just liked the sound of it.

OMG. right? I wasn't even trying to be provocative.

I did voices. usually of the little kids. like the "food stand" girl in the shrimp episode. Friends of mine supplied some of the best voices. my pal Nondor. did TV announcers.. the CD club "reclaimer" dude. Little spanish ferret guy.

Rick Gomez was Sniz. he's a really cool actor / talent. he was amazing in "Pete & Pete".

to answer you other question. I created, wrote and designed all of the Sniz & Fondues. and did whatever else I could. in regards to animation/ backgrounds / title cards. eventually I just wrote and storyboarded my stuff. and made endless model sheets. a lamp? a "mikey style lamp" needs a model sheet. rotations…all angles. all that sort of stuff. and some voices.

Did you have anything to do with Action League Now? My friends and I were just talking about that the other day.

so little. Occasionally. The producer Bob Mittenthal wrote much of it. I'd help by tossing out names (made up ones) or whatever. we'd have writer's meeting where they'd go in order. discussing various "points" from the segments. it(for a good while) was a fun, communal atmosphere. but we each (primarily)focused on our own created segments.

My bf and I marathoned that show on 4/20.

very cool. I have seen bootlegs of the entire show/ seasons. in nice DVD packaging. saw it on some bootleg site. I wish they'd (Viacom)release it. finally.

I have to say thank you so much man, Whenever classic nick cartoons are talked about I have to bring up kablam! Seriously my favorite show of all time, I just watched the episode "Clubbed" like two nights ago. Thanks a lot for the work you put in.

thank you. I had no idea there were people out there who remembered.

really!

it's great to hear.

WHOA! You did KABLAM!? Sniz and Fondue was awesome. I'd say Kablam was in the top 2 or 3 children's shows of my time.

I really appreciate that

OMG!!!!! I loved Sniz and Fondue!!

I was just like Sniz growing up. One of my favorite episodes was when Sniz wanted to get the ultimate hair gel so he got some super rare, illegal hair gel that made his hair fall out. He was destroyed but Fondue shaved his head to make Sniz feel better :)

Such a great show. Thank you!

thank YOU.

no way! kablam was easily my favorite thing on nickelodeon

cool stuff!

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Suffice to say, I was very young at the time. and I saw crazy things. around me. I was maybe their youngest hire.

This answer does not suffice!

ok. I will answer as best I can. highs and lows?

Lows. Working for adult mags. Screw magazine covers. early grunt work. highs? meeting your idols. befriending them. Let's see. some other lows? the rare bouts of writer's block.

biggest low? the solitude of doing this stuff. I am a hyper-gregarious sort. Being chained to a drawing table is an imperative, but I'd usually rather be out and about ie. around people.

Highs? seeing your stuff published. or on tv. making people laugh. biggest high.

We wanted to hear about the crazy things at Nick!

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I dunno how "crazy" this is, but.. I was flown to LA. to scope animation studios. I visited Spumco and a few others…

but by day 3 or something..I got some crazy-assed flu. I was so sick.. laying in bed (nude) in my Mondrian hotel room. Bed was like a marshmallow soaked in hot cocoa (ie. me sweating bullets)

Both of those female producers had to get hotel staff to open my door, as i was too weak to get up ; barely could talk loud enough to be heard.

I was helped up to my feet by a hotel guy and one of the women.. I didn't care. full-on naked… standing straight at all 3 of them.

"I may…. not be well enough….today" was all I said.

a few days later… I was hanging out with Bill Wray(from Ren & Stimpy). going to Rock & Roll Dennys' only place open at 4 am…and then being picked up by a cop car as I was walking back to the Mondrian.

"you don't walk…here. sir" was all they said to me.

weird. they forced me to get in the car. and they took me to the hotel. only 5 (long) blocks away.

I mean… trying to figure out what constitutes crazy. you want crazy antics stuff? from 1515 Broadway?

How funny, like Ray Bradbury:

In an interview, Bradbury revealed that the inspiration for the story came when he was walking down Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles with a friend. On their walk, a police cruiser pulled up and asked what they were doing. Bradbury answered, "Well, we're putting one foot in front of the other." The policemen didn't appreciate Ray's joke and became suspicious of Bradbury and his friend for walking in an area where there were no pedestrians. After some arguing the policeman told them to go home and to not walk any more. Bradbury said, "Yes, sir, I'll never walk again." Using this experience as inspiration he went home and wrote "The Pedestrian". Bradbury also said in this interview that "The Pedestrian" is simply the beginning of Fahrenheit 451.

Interesting info. The cops in LA are no joke. The way they are portrayed in GTA5 is almost like the real deal! ; ) The no walking phenomenon (unwritten law?) I have heard it from so many New Yorkers caught unawares on those night time streets. Is it because of the crime? No idea.

All the crazy!

the MTV awards. the after parties they were crazy. I went like 4 years in a row.V.I.P.

I swear. I had no idea (well..kinda) who he was. Snoop Dog initiated conversation with me.

I met Linda at PBS! She's great, and inspired me to pursue animation as a career.

Linda is an incredible person. agreed.

Sniz and Fondue was my favorite segment of Kablam! My girlfriend and I call each other Sniz and Fondue all the time!

that's way, way cool! : ) : ) : )

SHAPIIIIROOO SHAPPIIIIIRRROOO :(

wicked!

Shame... the N.Y. gay mens choir(who did a killllllller full sung theme of that song!) never made it into an intended episode.

Hello! I have always wanted to talk to an animator. Ever since I was little my dream was to animate. I have done small stuff like 20 second clips. What is the biggest piece of advice you can give to someone who wants to become an animator?

post your stuff on line. your clips. maybe create a blog. find like-minded people.

you never know. collaborators are easier to locate than you might think.

I bet your stuff is good.

I think you may need to post proof... how about a cool drawing?

mikebrandonnyc.tumblr.com

you can clearly see the similarities to Sniz & Fondue in my Puppies. which came well before, BTW.

How about a custom, reddit related drawing?!

I'd be happy to.

where does one post that?

imgur.com

This site is…? just for popular images?

What is a good program to do cartoons on?

Search the web. Wish I could help, but I draw old school.

Old school?

EDIT: Thanks for downvoting me just for asking about something I didn't know about

luddite. tree killa.

i.e. not digitally

Yeah. I can do hand-drawn (Cel) animation. I have never messed with programs or even tablets.

I sort of envy some of my peers (like the amazing Bob Fingerman. my good friend) he can draw without looking at what he's doing on the tablet. just by staring at his computer while he's moving the stylus on the Wacom

Why envy? Get some practice and you should be able to do it too. Tablets are great!

you are right. I guess..I envy the (scary) talent around me to a tiny degree.

my pal Paul Komoda. look him up. utterly mind blowing. and galaxies different. from what I do.

I have a Wacom. time to bust it back out.

I downvoted? I swear..I never clicked on anything. don't even know how to "down vote" (yet)

it is also highly possible..when replying..I clicked on something wrong.

how can I correct it? can I up vote you twice?

so sorry.

Meltman needs his own summer blockbuster movie. I'd watch the shit out of that. So what was the pitch session like?

The show's main Producer(and his friends) already had the Action League Now! concept at the very beginning.

I had nada to do with that. nor any pitches. ever. thanks for asking, though.

they should have made a film out of those characters. indeed.

Where did the inspirstion come from? Another family member or someone else told you or you just love drawing and animating?

Life seems to create inspiration. Stuff I do is exceptionally silly, though.

I've always enjoy Sniz & Fondue. :D

Question time though:

1. What artist/animator do you get the most inspiration from?

2. As an old-school animator, how do you feel about the mixing of 3d animation with 2d traditional animation. (Personally, when I see 3d animation in a drawn show, it sometimes break immersion for me.)

3. Last, how long did you take to feel confident about pursuing a career in animation/art?

I was kind of thrust? into animation by being asked to develop a pilot at/for Nickelodeon. I never really aspired to do anything other than print / comics / cartoon work. That said..and as much as I do know (now) about animation..I'm still green. If it weren't for people like my pal Igor Mitrovic(who acted as main director at the time) I would have been lost. Nick hired animators. I found one who became a friend and ally..and I learned many things from him.

so..I am not confident! not really. as an animator. I am confident that I can draw the same (exact) image over and over a million times.

I am confident as a writer. and definitely as an idea guy.

I like so many artists/ animators. I have many inspirations. It's kind of tough to pick.

I think mixing styles of animation is fine… I'm less blown away by what I see in modern movies..and more impressed with what they are doing in the world of video games. I dunno if I've answered your questions thoroughly, but..I'll keep trying.

Any chance of a reboot?

I wish.

I think… I may. attempt a show for adults. somewhere else.

I never wanted to do kids stuff. but… MTV realized they made a huge mistake by putting Ren & Stimpy on Nick. I know all about this. I was there during the upheaval. After moving R&S to MTV they really clamped down on fine-tooth-combing their kids shows. You could not sneak any(!) adult references in your show . no matter how "innocent".

I like the idea of doing a show for people my age. but not going "South Park" hard. somewhere nicely in-between.

Dude, Adult Swim! I know you would fit in so well there. It's cartoons for 20/30 year-olds, who used to be your exact audience back in the 90s. Do it!

I will find my old contacts and get on it.

I had an open door (while my friend was running the network) but she moved on.

still…. I think… it's time again. absolutely.

You couldn't sneak adult references in your shows? Spongebob has tons of them..

I've spent a lot of time reading about the Ren and Stimpy debacle. I think they just didn't like John K. - undestandably, as he appears to be difficult and eccentric, the magnificent bastard. I always thought Spongebob was more subversive and at times more blatant with the adult references and jokes, while R&S tended more to be ugly and in your face.

In any case, Nickelodeon sucks really hard now, but I have find memories of the golden age. Cheers!

I cannot "unhear" some stuff I heard about that man…however! no denying his talent. Re: ten & Stimpy.

I need to really see Spongebob stuff again. I always liked the episodes I did watch.

Huge fan of Kablam! And a huge fan of your work on Sniz and Fondue! Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to know what the hell type of hat was on Fondues head? Is it just a blue chefs hat? Is it hiding secrets? The people must know.

no tengo idea. I just..like to draw big hats on cute characters!

he was a bit of a ponce. made sense he's have a flamboyant outfit. I guess!

I loved Kablam! as a kid and fondly remember Sniz and Fondue! Why do you think shows like Kablam! aren't really around anymore? and thanks for the nostalgia!

I don't rightfully know. I keep hearing: "they sure don't make 'em like they used to" fairly often.

Maybe the chosen pilots / series are simply not strong ideas. Ideas are everything.

I think one knows. when they have a killer idea . or a funny concept.

The whole "it wrote itself" thing. Quite true. If you love your characters…it's almost(!) as if they write for you.

I loved Kablam! What is it like working as a cartoonist, and what ate you doing nowadays?

I am working on a book. "Puppy Action! you can see my rough brain-spews on my Tumblr page. I spent… Oh man! like 7 years. in the UK back and forth. hanging with my favorite UK bands. releasing their records. managing one of them. touring. I wanted to start a record label, as I am a rapacious lover of UK music (music from 1978-1986 especially) but..the internet sort of scuppered my plans. It's a different game now, isn't it?

However… the explosion of vinyl record shops surrounding me, here in Brooklyn, is a good sign. Cyclical. things are. maybe the concept of buying music / supporting bands is swinging back.

I still write music reviews for a small handful of magazines.

why do you. type. like Shatner. speaks.

I now will work on typing like a human being. Constructive crit well taken.

thats cool to hear. that era of music in the UK, especially post-punk, is very under appreciated here I think.

I am a serious digger of obscure, UK post punk. I am hard to stump ; I know too much. Easily my favorite "genre" of music.

how many people at Nickelodeon were on drugs?

Aside from me?

; )

Yeah. Early Nick. Meaning my first (not so nice) producers… around the time of my "Snuppa" pilot. I saw some stuff. Indeed.

Why the show went off air?

not sure. they didn't spend anything on Kablam!

It's the only Nick toon thing still not officially on DVD! go figure. bizarre. esp. seeing as how it was a prime time. show. 8pm fridays.

I quit. my own cartoon. due to exhaustion. and politics. and they did some episodes without me. wrote them. without me.I wrote every Sniz & Fondue (but boy…does the best stuff get lopped, when trying to fit it down to a 5 min. toon)

I was young. overworked(doing the job of ten - truly) they should have hired help for me. but they had a sweet deal. I wrote it all. storyboarded it all. designed it all. etc. I was into it. hungry. and really believed in those characters. and they knew it. so they let me do the job of say, 5 people.but..ya know. Hindsight is 20/20.

"had I known then..what I know now" etc. I would have stayed. eaten all of the crap. and waited. for the "respect" / power up.

What's with. All the. Periods?

I need to excise that, for sure.

Any chance of you selling some signed Sniz and Fondue drawings? My sister and I absolutely loved Sniz and Fondue, definitely the highlight of Kablam! Also, what inspired Fondue's hat?

Sure. I'd do that. I'd also draw you a freebie.

Omg really?? That would really mean a lot to me!

Absolutely. Stay in touch. email..what have you.

Did you have an initial thought of what you thought Sniz and Fondue would sound like? Did you have a say on who you wanted them to be voiced by?

Truth? I wanted to voice Fondue. My producers kept saying: "you shouldn't be so close to your own stuff" and crud like that. I loved the quality of the voice actor for Fondue, but he absolutely did not get me, nor my characters (he was anti-Fondue in regards to understanding the inflections and material) I wanted Sniz to be voiced by my best friend (R.I.P.) John Walsh. I can only imagine. how righteous it could have been. with the proper voices. Do not misunderstand, I loved Rick Gomez work (for the most part) but it was not even close to the voice I wanted.

Do you get about to any comic cons or conventions? I've been illustrating at them mainly but I want to try and promote my animations a bit more too. Got any advice on that front? Or do you think animated promotion should mainly be done digitally these days?

Any promotion is good, as long as you have the time to invest. I have not been to a comic con in so, so long. I will go. next time my buddy has a signing. I was at Forbidden Planet (not long ago) for my pal Bob Fingerman's huge book signing. It went very well. I'm actually a character! in that series. It's (loosely) based on our lives.I like conventions…I mean..I love looking at people's art and cool things. Never tire of that.

The Kablam! theme song could have been my first exposure to ska music. You like ska?

I do. I was just playing a "Specials" 12'' I picked up across the street.

When you first started drawing did you instantly connect with cartoons, or did you start somewhere else and work toward cartooning?

At age 18 I was doing gag cartoons for men's magazines. Penthouse etc.

but...I always drew. all kids draw. I chucked my Marvel comics and Peanuts paperbacks (Fawcet crest Gold medallion! go Charles Schulz!) once I discovered stuff like Fritz The cat (Robert Crumb)

I went to SVA (School Of Visual Arts) and had amazing teachers. Will Eisner . Harvey Kurtzman (creator of Mad magazine!)

Looking back, though? Had I to do it all again… I would have studied Computer programming (video games) or animation. I took cartooning as major, but… I feel you cannot really teach cartooning. def. not humor. you can teach fundamentals like correct usage of color. composition etc.

but you cannot really teach "creativity". so…I felt like I didn't learn all that much as a cartoon major. but I still had fun there. made a few lifelong friends (who are sick, super talents)

Since you animate old-school, do you have a pencil preference? I ask because i used to be friendly with a Nickelodeon animator guy and he always raved about Tombow pencils.

wow. don't know Tombow. Now I have to check them out. I like soft leads… Stabilo makes some decent stuff. Mechanical pencils FTW. I usually try out 4-5 different leads. keep them on hand so I can swap them out.

Pencil cartoons are the best. even though I rarely draw for print in pencil. meaning… I usually just grab a crappy pen. (currently using the unwieldy "Uniball Signo") and just draw with ink. my lines usually don't connect. my art is like handwriting. I like to draw super, super fast. but pencil art always looks(to me) the best because it's so loose.

What was the pay like when you had your show?

Ridiculously good.

I loved Sniz and Fondue! You got any advice for those aspiring to get in the industry?

And who would win in a death match between Sniz and Fondue?

Fondue. because Sniz would get distracted by a butterfly fluttering nearby.

thanks for the nice comment.

getting into the industry…. I got a phone call. I got very,very lucky. very. someone saw the very first comic book I put out. instead of continuing with my comics..I was at MTV. for the next 8 years.

who you know is important. but…. belief. I think? in yourself. and believing..you write funny stuff. and then delivering it. ideas are key.

How has the digital age changed the cartoonist business for straight pencil and paper drawers like yourself?

Not entirely sure. I think it has opened up a broader world, where all sorts of visual artists can have a go. I still love skating crappy black roller pens on actual paper. Having said this, I plan on mastering the tablet this year.

I do know..that the print (magazine) industry has changed. when I was aged 17-25, one could have a career by drawing funny cartoons for The New Yorker, GQ etc. As time winded on, you'd see less and less cartoons in magazines. Not sure why that happened.

What is your favourite cartoon so far..

of mine/ on nick? or in the general "world d' toonz?"

Obvious answer...I do like The Simpsons. Have not seen it in years and years but.. I love how beautiful it looks. They honed it. Got a team of dedicated artists to turn Groening's doodles into a stylized work of "art by committee".

It's also pretty funny. consistently.

Did you enjoy your time at Nickelodeon? Was there anything you really didn't enjoy?

^{plus I just wanna say I loved Kablam}

I enjoyed creating. I definitely liked a few people. very much. esp. Linda Simensky. But she moved on(to cartoon network) just as I was entering the Viacom world and I never got to work under her supervision. I did not enjoy doing the work of 5 people. I was allowed to, because they saw how "into it" I truly was.

Looking back..could have used more help. I got burnt out. Otherwise, Sniz & Fondue would have been a half hour show. That was the plan. Before my "hejira."

I'm obligated to ask every cartoon creator out there because I love the discussions from it.

What do you think of your work being used in a Rule 34 context?

What? This hasn't happened to Sniz & Fondue.

Okay then.

NSFW http://rule34.paheal.net/post/list/Sniz_and_Fondue/1

I am amazed by this shiiiiiiiiit. it kinda blows my widdle braincase wide open.

Actually.. that's more "on model" than the Israeli studio stuff.

How in the hell does one get over the learning curve of animation? It looks like a simple process but there is so much in between stuff that I lose interest really fast.

It's so hard. I'm not even good at it. my pal Igor. he's a master. he's won emmys for it. I'd be nothing! without a guy like that on my side. if you hook with a a pro(who can factually draw your stuff) it's amazing. Fortuitous.

esp. when your own stuff is like handwriting ie. loose. difficult to copy.

I think programs exist now. to ease you into the animation learning process. If you can draw? you absolutely can animate.

I also learned..if you can draw? you probably can sculpt, too.

What did you do after working with Nickelodeon? You must have some other gems out there.

I will. have new stuff.

I was hoping to make $ from music for a while. I released some records and had major, major good times. esp. when I was in the UK.

I have (older) comic books out there. If you can find them!

my new Tumblr is a foreshadowing of the book I am working on.

It's a rough version. of my upcoming book.

You just made me call my girl and ask for shrimp cocktail.

I'm envious of your work- thanks for doing the AMA!

very cool. thanks.

What kind of schedule did you have, creatively? How much time did you spend creating one episode of your cartoon?

The writing had to be done first. I'd write the season and storyboard it, then I'd get right on making the model sheets. After that, I'd draw / paint my title cards ; around the same time we'd be recording the voices in the studio. It took like a month per episode(the animation part)

Kablam was easily one of my favorite shows as a kid. Prometheus and bob, justice league now, all those other shows. You're a fucking genius dude. Funny thing is I used to ask all my friends if they watched it (it was on nickelodeon for fucks sake) and nobody did. I was alone in my kablaming, but now there's reddit!

Thankee mucho.

What were your favorite cartoons/comic books growing up?

Peanuts(Schulz). Robert Crumb (Zap! comix etc) Mad magazine.Harvey Kurtzman's early stuff. Before I discovered "underground" comix…I was a typical kid reading fantastic Four and Spiderman. Tossed all of them when I found (honestly) funny stuff to read.

what cool things have you done since kablam ended

I made a documentary about UK bands I love. it's not out yet. but I hope to get it out.

I always wanted to ask someone who might know this: Who the hell came up with the idea for Melt Man, and were they high?

I don't think they were high,per se…but what do I know.

Those guys seem pretty normal to me. I was the one everyone looked cross-eyed at.

How much of the writing for Nick shows was geared at adults/stoners?

Much of it. Becuase it's always written by 20-30 somethings. Any adult is going to try damn hard..to sneak in stuff for people their own age.

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Pretty hard, like anything worthwhile in this life. I mean… so, so many want to break in. First you have to surround yourself with like-minded folk. What part of the industry would you want to be involved in?

Sniz and Fondue was probably my favorite part of Kablam! Are you working on any current projects?

I will release a book later this year.

I only have my tumblr site at the moment. and that is a forum for me to scan my "mental breakdown stuff" : ) from sketchbooks.

What is your favorite kind of sandwich?

Muenster cheese with a sliced tomato(grown from your own hydroponic) on seven grain toast..with a tiny bit of Hellman's. (fun factoid: "Best Foods = West Coast brand name of same mayo)

KABLAM! Was the best!

that's nice to hear. thanks.

What kind of vacuum cleaner do you use?

Miele. I think it's a mini. "something.."pro". want me to go check/ verify?

didn't I reply to this? Miele.

Hey buddy, Love your work! Is there still hope for a hand-drawing / stop-motion artist to get steady work in this day and age?

Always room for people to find work. If you want it badly / love it enough. Who do you a admire, doing this stuff? Any contemporaries you dig on? maybe contact them online.

Do you have any project in mind that you would consider your greatest work or a project idea that has great potential that you hope to realize? If it is the latter a yes or no is fine by me as I myself get paranoid with my ideas.

I believe. in my puppies. ha ha. oh man. I jest. but I am also serious.

I have had these characters since childhood. and man, have they evolved/ changed with me. my goal is to utilize them. It's been way too long.

As it is now, I have a Tumblr for quick doodles and ideas. my book will be a more "finished" proposition.

if you want to look, it's: mikebrandonnyc.tumblr.com

Thanks for the great question!

I was a huuuuge Cartoon Network fan (along with Nickelodeon) back in the day. What was your favorite non-Nickelodeon cartoon?

Maybe the Simpsons? I always marvel at the amount of gags and references they cram into an episode. Some say it's not as funny as it used to be, but, whenever I tune in I seem to laugh.

Great question. I have to think. There are many cartoons I like / liked over the years. I have been told I need to watch certain Adult Swim toons (like "Venture Brothers")

Was Stinky Diver's attitude REALLY as bad as his odor?

probably.

How exactly did you get into the business? Do you think the industry is wildly different from how it was when you started? Any tips for those aspiring to become animators/cartoonists?

I began drawing comic books (I got a deal with a small publisher ; turned to be a bad guy who ran it, but..) Northstar Comics. they and a popular title called "Faust" at the time. I was the only "humor" guy on their small roster. I met Dave Cooper through this publisher. his stuff is sick.

I was also doing (loads) of cartoons for men's magazines. I became friends with some of the guys who worked at these (admittedly awful) skin rags ; they'd move to another mag, then supply me with more gag cartoon work. back then? 90's… there were budgets and room for actual cartoons in magazines.

from skin mags I moved up to "High Times" magazine, and then to trade magazines… I did all sorts of crazy stuff. I did some stuff for ad companies. designing POP (point of purchase) displays.. whatever freelance work I could get.

After my first issue of "Puppy A!" was out..a woman named Linda (who worked at Nick a the time) found issue number one at Golden Apple Comics. (in LA) and then I got a call from her.

Tips? if you love it.. just keep doing it. practice really does make a difference .

my stuff is verrrry cartoony. but it helps to have a foundation in anatomy / life drawing. def. helps.

Animation is the kind of thing, I believe(Cel esp.) where you can always learn more.

Can you explain why the quality cartoons have seemed to drop drastically over the past few years?

I wish I could. I barely watch cartoons. When I actually DO, say… view South Park or The Simpsons..I still laugh.

what cartoons are you referring to? the latest batch on Adult Swim etc.?

I'm so out of the loop. I am more aware of bands / obscure UK music than comics or animation!