HOME | DD

Description
I guess I ought to do one of these things now. Here we go -

1. Looney Tunes - Obviously. Like them or not, the classic Warner shorts are probably the best examples of the silly funny cartoon genre there are. Friz Freleng’s work has probably influenced me the most out of all the directors- his sense of timing is brilliant. Characters like Yosemite Sam and Sylvester always make me laugh heartily and at the end of the day, that’s what I like a funny cartoon to do apart from anything.

2. Hayley Russell - Well naturally. It IS an influence map after all. She teaches me new things all the time and I think we make a good team in all senses of the word. Her style and humour intrigued me from day one (even though she thinks her old work is sh*te) Also, I always like how she never pulls any punches as the selected image will attest to.

3. DePatie-Freleng cartoons (DFE) - natural successor from number one on this list. I love their use of simple stylised colour schemes and off-kilter layouts. A lot of the artists were original WB people but there was new blood too, which made for a trippy mix. The work of background/layout artists Hawley Pratt (don’t snigger) and Dick Ung (I said don’t snigger!) really helped my background art style. Also I admire the studio for continuing to produce theatrical cartoons well into the 70s, when most other studios had fallen away. The Freleng pantomime and timing is still very much in evidence. Favourite animators - Mad Manny Gould, Pantherly Proud Don Williams and the angular Robert Taylor (later spotted in some Garfield TV specials).

4. Cosgrove-Hall - Particularly their cartoons of the 80s and 90s. The angular beaky style of “Count Duckula” and the designs in general have always appealed to my idea of fun-looking characters. Also, it’s rare to hear cartoony types speaking like classic UK comedians. I love how in typical British comedy tradition, the scripts were often written by the voice actors themselves and I’m sure that echos of Brian Trueman and Jimmy Hibbert can be ‘heard’ in my stuff. Well, that is what I think anyway.

5. Live action entries here because I can’t deny their influence on my so-called writing style either. Great British and American examples here comprising the very spiffing “Jeeves and Wooster” (Fry & Laurie type humour in general really), “Father Ted” and “The Phil Silvers Show” (aka Sergeant Bilko) All well-crafted, all make me laugh. And this is just a whittled down version.

6. Early Hanna-Barbera - before the hippies took over and drowned us in Scooby-Doo I enjoyed almost everything they made. The deceptively simple character designs of Ed Benedict and the artists who made them move like Dick Lundy, Carlo (nimble little fingers) Vinci and George (Goofy eyes and big maws) Nicholas are top of my list of HB’s finest. With Warner storymen Warren Foster and Michael Maltese on board it was winning formula. I also like how Bill and Joe saw the advent of television as an opportunity to make cartoons rather than kill them off. The cost-cutting way of intelligently limiting the animation whilst not stinting on funny poses, expressions and using strong characters certainly helped the enduring appeal. Plus I love hats and ties.

7. Jim Davis and Brett Koth - Take a look at an early Orson’s Farm (or US Acres if you’re an American) comic. Now look at a much later one. Now look back. There was a huge difference! But on balance I prefer the wacky mad style Koth brought to the all-too-short-lived comic. However, this manic almost Tex Avery meets UPA energy and style thankfully managed to make it into the animated series for years to come afterwards. I’ve always found rustic settings just as fun to draw as urban ones. Also, both Jim and Brett know how to 'time' a comic strip, which not everyone can do well.

Description
I guess I ought to do one of these things now. Here we go -

1. Looney Tunes - Obviously. Like them or not, the classic Warner shorts are probably the best examples of the silly funny cartoon genre there are. Friz Freleng’s work has probably influenced me the most out of all the directors- his sense of timing is brilliant. Characters like Yosemite Sam and Sylvester always make me laugh heartily and at the end of the day, that’s what I like a funny cartoon to do apart from anything.

2. Hayley Russell - Well naturally. It IS an influence map after all. She teaches me new things all the time and I think we make a good team in all senses of the word. Her style and humour intrigued me from day one (even though she thinks her old work is sh*te) Also, I always like how she never pulls any punches as the selected image will attest to.

3. DePatie-Freleng cartoons (DFE) - natural successor from number one on this list. I love their use of simple stylised colour schemes and off-kilter layouts. A lot of the artists were original WB people but there was new blood too, which made for a trippy mix. The work of background/layout artists Hawley Pratt (don’t snigger) and Dick Ung (I said don’t snigger!) really helped my background art style. Also I admire the studio for continuing to produce theatrical cartoons well into the 70s, when most other studios had fallen away. The Freleng pantomime and timing is still very much in evidence. Favourite animators - Mad Manny Gould, Pantherly Proud Don Williams and the angular Robert Taylor (later spotted in some Garfield TV specials).

4. Cosgrove-Hall - Particularly their cartoons of the 80s and 90s. The angular beaky style of “Count Duckula” and the designs in general have always appealed to my idea of fun-looking characters. Also, it’s rare to hear cartoony types speaking like classic UK comedians. I love how in typical British comedy tradition, the scripts were often written by the voice actors themselves and I’m sure that echos of Brian Trueman and Jimmy Hibbert can be ‘heard’ in my stuff. Well, that is what I think anyway.

5. Live action entries here because I can’t deny their influence on my so-called writing style either. Great British and American examples here comprising the very spiffing “Jeeves and Wooster” (Fry & Laurie type humour in general really), “Father Ted” and “The Phil Silvers Show” (aka Sergeant Bilko) All well-crafted, all make me laugh. And this is just a whittled down version.

6. Early Hanna-Barbera - before the hippies took over and drowned us in Scooby-Doo I enjoyed almost everything they made. The deceptively simple character designs of Ed Benedict and the artists who made them move like Dick Lundy, Carlo (nimble little fingers) Vinci and George (Goofy eyes and big maws) Nicholas are top of my list of HB’s finest. With Warner storymen Warren Foster and Michael Maltese on board it was winning formula. I also like how Bill and Joe saw the advent of television as an opportunity to make cartoons rather than kill them off. The cost-cutting way of intelligently limiting the animation whilst not stinting on funny poses, expressions and using strong characters certainly helped the enduring appeal. Plus I love hats and ties.

7. Jim Davis and Brett Koth - Take a look at an early Orson’s Farm (or US Acres if you’re an American) comic. Now look at a much later one. Now look back. There was a huge difference! But on balance I prefer the wacky mad style Koth brought to the all-too-short-lived comic. However, this manic almost Tex Avery meets UPA energy and style thankfully managed to make it into the animated series for years to come afterwards. I’ve always found rustic settings just as fun to draw as urban ones. Also, both Jim and Brett know how to 'time' a comic strip, which not everyone can do well.