I’m Aaron Augenblick, owner/director of Augenblick Studios. We animated Ugly Americans, Wonder Showzen, and Superjail. AMA!

Wonder Showzen is my favorite anything ever. Superjail is so rad. As a game developer, I was thinking that a Superjail video game would be incredible. Do you think Augenblick will ever enter the world of game development?

We've tested the waters a bit, had some meetings. I would love to. There's some great things happening in indie games. If you want a Superjail game, bug Adult Swim, they'll make it happen.

Is Golan coming back?

Hope so! It was a ton of fun and ADHD was a blast to work with. If the world demands more Golan, we're there.

kill fuck marry: mickey, bugs, and papa smurf?

Kill Papa Smurf (Creep) Fuck Bugs (Obvi) Marry Mickey (He's loaded)

after working on so much tv what's it like jumping into film?

The biggest challenge is to make a cartoon that's better than anything we've ever done before. Blow the doors off! This movie is my argument that 2-D hand drawn animation is just as visually thrilling as CGI. Everything is bigger and better. A very exciting time at the studio.

Where do you get the inspiration for these shows? Are there mass amounts of illicit drugs lying around or do you know some people with pretty F'd up lives?

I would say a bit of both? A ton of inspiration comes from living in Brooklyn. It's a very weird place.

with something like Ugly Americans do they give you a sketch or character description of the characters before you animate them ?

It's different with every show. Mostly, there will be a script and character descriptions and we take it from there. With Ugly, Devin Clark (the creator of the show) worked at the studio with us on all the design and animation.

How is your health? Are you feeling OK?

Great! I'm living on coffee at the moment.

You're answering questions in the blink of an eye, Augenblick!

My lightning-speed typing is a welcome side effect of all the coffee.

you should try some COCAAAAAAAAAINE!

Done!

How do you pull together a team to produce a movie like this where, as you said, 'there's never been another movie like it'? Thanks!

What's great is that I've been amassing a team for the past 15 years. The best of the best! So, I have a core group of animators that are amazing and dedicated. And I'm always on the lookout for great new talent from all over the globe.

Hello Aaron, How if at all did your early film making efforts in Limestone Hills affect your overall body of work?

Hi mom!

Growing up, the first really movies I made were live-action. Sort of like Jackass, me jumping off the roof and lighting things on fire. After that, the first animation I ever made was claymation. Really terrible stuff. I think the most influential thing about my childhood was the comics I was reading. I was just a kid when I first saw Crumb, Kaz, Newgarden, Bagge, Clowes, Ware. All the greats. Those cartoons influence me to this day.

What are some of your favorite more obscure films or cartoons and why?

Most of my own work is pretty obscure, but I assume you mean from other artists! Anything by Ub Iwerks deserves a look. Willie Whopper, Flip the Frog cartoons are great. Early Fleischer cartoons are the best ever made. One feature I never hear anyone talk about is "Twice Upon a Time". It's super weird and amazing. There's a gorilla with a TV for a head!

What should I be watching on Netflix/Hulu/etc. right now?

For animation, everyone on the planet should watch the Hertzfeldt cartoons on Netflix. It's Such a Beautiful Day & World of Tomorrow are both fantastic.

I almost exclusively watch Law and Order & Criminal Minds. Strange but true. And horror, I mostly watch Netfilx horror. A few favorites: Creep, Girl Walks Home Alone, We Are What We Are, the Guest. And you can't beat Hellraiser.

Is the animation done in Brooklyn as well or just the concept design?

What is the origin of Superjail? Always was one of my favorite shows on Adult Swim!

I'm proud to say everything is made in Brooklyn! Design, layout, animation, it all happens in-house.

Superjail was created by crazy-genius Christy Karacas and we started with the pilot here at the studio. Christy and I met on the festival circuit (him with Space War, me with Midnight Carnival) and we always wanted to work together. Adult Swim asked him to make a "Jail Show" and Superjail was like a psychedelic version of Oz. Haha. We started with a script and sketches from Christy and built the show up from there. Our mission was to make the most cartoony, violent show on TV! It was a very fun time.

What's the animation industry and community like in New York compared to that in California? Is it more difficult to recruit or be viewed as legitimate because of your location

Loving NYC is a form of madness. If it was easy to live here, it wouldn't be so amazing.

In your eyes, what will make Drunky a success?

First and foremost, I want audiences to be entertained. I want to be funny, visually exciting, thrilling. I want to get as close as possible to the movie I have in my head.

Hey Aaron! I hear that you enjoy biking as a hobby. That being said, would you rather fight one horse sized duck, or one hundred duck sized horses?

Can't wait to see the movie, keep up the good work!

Definitely 1 horse sized duck. Ducks are dumb, and you can outsmart them. Little horses could overwhelm you, like a horde of Zombies. Plus, I hate horses because I'm incapable of drawing them.

How did you go about casting this movie? The people involved have to be highly sought after. Very excited for the movie!

We had a great casting director, Gayle Keller (Louie, Amy Schumer). We put our heads together for our dream cast, and she made it happen. Rockwell, Tambor, Coogan, Arianda, etc. I've never gotten to work with a caliber of actors like that before, and it was a thrill. Sometimes I was just holding on for dear life!

1) As technology and software have evolved from 1999, what has gotten easier and/or harder for animators and your studio?

2) When did you create the character of Drunky? Have you always had the same story line for the film in mind or has it come about more recently?

3) When will you make a cartoon about Delaware and will Joe Biden be shirtless riding a blue hen as he eats a Bobbie in it?

I've always loved the character of Drunky, I've been molding him for over ten years. I took a few stabs at him for experimentation before he was fully formed. That's the inefficient way that I work! Haha. Now Drunky is like a real person to me! With the spirit of Sam Rockwell. We have big news soon, sign up here to find out: (http://drunkymovie.com)

I'm a fan and I live within walking distance of your studio! But I recently realized that doesn't mean much because workplaces aren't theme parks. So maybe you can just tell me about the place.

What's your favorite part of working in an animation studio? What's your favorite part of Augenblick Studios specifically?

It's corny, but my favorite part of the studio is my crew.

what's it like working with sam rockwell?

Sam Rockwell is one of my favorite actors ever and he did not disappoint! I can't say too much about Drunky just yet, we have a big announcement in a week. (http://drunkymovie.com)

Hey Aaron, loved Ugly Americans (Carrie was my favorite). I want to write for a show and I want to know how to get my foot in the door. Tell me how did you first get your career started?

I'm an animator which is right below Uber driver in the pecking order of entertainment. So, I started on the bottom at MTV. Making photocopies, assisting the artists. Worked my way up from there with hard work and by being super annoying.

Were any of the cartoons or specific characters surprisingly difficult to animate?

Ugly Americans was challenging because there was so much detail on the characters. Randall (the zombie) was covered in lesions, scars, and skin tags. Any animator can tell you that's not the easiest thing to move around!

Is The Adventures of Drunky autobiographical?

Actually yes! I can't say too much more about Drunky, sign up here for big news in about a week. (http://drunkymovie.com)

Hey Aaron!

I love nearly everything your studio produces. Somehow you were able to maintain the difficult balance of having a successful studio that is small but maintains a considerably large influence and distinct style throughout all their work.

I remembered in 2008 you gave a talk at Pratt Institute and we saw a lot of the films your studio made as well as your student films. One of these was Drunky.

how long have you wanted to pursue making this a feature film? How has it evolved to this point, what does it feel like to see this idea blossom out from more than a decade ago in to a full thing with a great cast?

Thanks for taking the time to answer questions, between this and Nerdland I feel it is a great time to be a fan of R-rated animation from tremendously talented studios!

Thanks! I've been trying to make a feature film my entire life. It's my dream and the reason I opened my studio in the first place. It's taken me 15 years to make it happen. Drunky is what I consider to be the ultimate animated feature! The cartoon I've always wanted to see.

It's very important that everyone supports R-Rated animated movies! Major studio don't think they're profitable and worth making. We're out to prove them wrong! I'm so psyched about Nerdland (shout out to Chris P!) and Sausage Party. I thought Anomalisa was the best movie of 2015. If R-rated cartoons are successful the whole landscape could change!

I'm clearly worked up about this because I'm using a ton of exclamation points!

Who produced Drunky? Seems like they took a big and much needed risk!

(http://cartuna.com)

What’s it like working with Tyler the Creator? Big fan of Jellies

Honestly, Tyler is one of the most creative, smartest, funniest people I've ever met! It was thrilling to direct a scene with Tyler and Rockwell! Tyler plays Drunky's kitten! It's ridiculous. Oh man, I can't wait to share with you guys. Special surprise in one week if you sign up here... (http://drunkymovie.com)

What does Sam Rockwell order at the bar?

Anything he wants.

Any hilarious story or stories from recording with the voice actors for this project that sticks out in your mind? Please share!

Geez! I can't say yet! But soon. (http://drunkymovie.com)

Was there anything that you would have loved to have put in some of the more "mainstream" shows like Ugly Americans or Superjail that got completely thrown out because it was too over the top?

Suprisingly, Adult Swim and Comedy Central were both very encouraging to our weirder ideas. But I remember one Superjail idea we never made where it was the all violence episode. No dialogue, just one long chain reaction of hyper-violent accidents for 11 minutes. Haha.

Flash or Harmony?

Etch-A-Sketch

Hi Aaron! Thank you so much for doing this. I am a huge fan of your work. Ugly Americans and Wonder Showzen both have a special place in my heart. I'm currently sculpting a set of baby man-bird figures. Do you have a PO box so I can send one your way? Also, "Suck my balls"

Thanks! (http://www.augenblickstudios.com)

I remembered on an interview hearing the Augenblick Studios was working on a feature film based on Zoolander. It was going to be the first feature from the studio but at the time you were unsure whether or not it would be cut up in to a web series or screened in theaters.

I may be wrong, I read a lot of rumors and such but I think this project has been in and out of production ever since the days of Superjail. Is there any chance we will get to see this? or has the performance of Zoolander 2 axed this project.

Either way, really glad we get to see an original idea get the first feature treatment from you guys!

I can confirm that we animated a 90-minute Zoolander movie. Other than that, I am sworn to secrecy.

What's your favorite 10 lettered word?

10lettered