FUNKY FUN THING #2: THE HP PAVILON MEDIA CENTER

This past weekend, I put a call out to a few of my friends to see if they had any old television sets or computers lying around their house, waiting to be recycled.  Not that I was on a recycling binge, but I needed something for a particular soiree I was going to that night. Luckily, my friend, Ryan, happened to have a computer tower that he had been meaning to get rid of for a few months now...

Now this may look like an ordinary computer tower, but it was actually my ticket to pure unadulterated aggression: The 8th Annual Titmouse Smashing Party!

What is a Smashing Party you ask?  Well, according to the invitation, "We supply the tools, you supply the items to smash."  The event has been going on since about 2004 and I always had something going on that kept me from coming.  But this weekend was different.  This weekend I was going to see what all the hubbub was about.

Besides food trucks, live bands, and free booze, the activities included "Smashing stuff (like TV monitors, computers, pictures, vases, plates, statues, and things you hate) with one or more of the following implements: hammer, baseball bat, axe, brick, golf club, lead pipe, 2 X 4, bowling ball, and sledgehammer."

I brought the HP Pavilion Media Center.

What you can't see, are all the people in the bleachers sitting beside the cage and the crowd of people watching on the ground, surrounding the cage behind the yellow tape.  It was like a scene out of "Fight Club."  People were cheering, holding up their phones, capturing the moments.  Before I went in, people were smashing old tube TV's (they made the biggest explosions), toilets, and one guy even smashed a Teddy Ruxpin doll.  The crowd cheered like crazy with every hit (fueled by the fact that the majority of them were enebriated).

It was my first time out, so I was kind of nervous going in.  First of all, you have to gear up with hand and face protection.  I went for the safety goggles and full "Dexter's Lab" gloves.  When you first enter, there's a bucket filled with a number of instruments for smashing.  I bypassed the samurai sword and settled on the hybrid ax/sledgehammer.  I thought about using the bowling ball, but knew that I needed to take out more aggression.

I figured I wasn't going to get a huge crowd of people watching me since I had a simple computer tower (no expectant crowd-pleasing explosion).  But as I walked in the cage, the founder of Titmouse, Chris Prynoski, went on his bullhorn to make an announcement to the crowd. As the crowd thickened, I waited my turn to hear what Chris had to say.  At one point during his call for people's attention, he turned to look inside the cage and saw me.  I playfully waved over to him and, to my surprise, he yelled into the bullhorn, "Hey everybody!  Let's watch Van Partible smash something!"

The crowd cheered and, with all eyes on me... it was on.

My years of untapped anger unleashed itself for a little under a minute until I swung my last swing and walked off, thug appeal intact.  And just so you know, it felt REALLLY COOL!   There's something about holding an ax/sledgehammer with a crowd cheering you on that feels kind of... "demented and sad, but social."  (Big thanks to my manger, Schuyler Evans, for capturing my inner "Rick Grimes" on camera.)  

Just so you know, it wasn't all smashing (although, it was smashing in a Thurston Howell III kind of way).  There was also a lot of waiting. There were about a thousand people there (which you can't really tell from my pictures) and I had to wait about an hour and a half to smash my tower.  Some people waited over two hours!  But I got to meet some really cool people in line so the time went by pretty fast.  Luckily, the party lasted from 5 to 11:oo that night so just about everybody got to smash something.  Afterwards, I got to catch up with old friends from all the different studios.  A fun run-in I had was with Maxwell Atoms (creator of The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy) whose Kickstarter campaign literally ended that morning!  He is now in the process of creating a new web series about a reimagined puppet apocalypse called "Dead Meat!"  Definite cause for celebration!

So now I'm looking forward to next year when I plan on bringing a tube TV.  Maybe then I'll use the bowling ball.  But only for starters.  I really liked the feeling of using the ax/sledgehammer.

 I need to go watch some "Leave It To Beaver" now.

FUNKY FUN THING #1: MY FARRAH FAWCETT SHAMPOO BOTTLE

Since 1995, I've been teaching an animation class off and on at Loyola Marymount University.  And whether I teach beginning animation or character design, the thing I always stress is character.  Sure, there are tons of amazing artists out there, but it takes a lot more than great technical skills to create a character that can make an audience "feel."  So (transition to blog topic), since I'm constantly trying to help students find ways to flesh out seemingly ordinary characters, I thought, why not do the same with this blog?  Why not write about seemingly ordinary objects that have special significance to my career in animation?  Thus began my excavation through the "boxes of stuff" that have survived my countless office moves from studio to studio.  (The experience was fun, but it made me feel like I was on an episode of "Hoarders!")

At first, I called these posts, "Fifty Cool Things" (nice round number), but since I've got this new website, I've decided to loosen things up, make it more open-ended (it could be 50, it could be more), and call these posts, "Stories About Funky Fun Things!"  So, without further adieu...

Like most kids who grew up in the 70's, I had a huge crush on Farrah Fawcett.  But as much as I was crushing on her, I didn't feel the need to use her shampoo to make my hair feel soft and bouncy.  (Filipinos don't do soft and bouncy.)  I actually bought this after it was discontinued.  The funny thing is, I didn't spend hundreds of dollars at some collector's show for it.  I actually found the bottle on a shelf at a neighborhood San Francisco drugstore in the 90's! (I'm guessing that restocking wasn't one of their strong points.)

The bottle usually sits on my shelf at work, nestled in between all the happy meal toys and photo frames.  As far as the autograph goes, it wasn't me who got it from her.  My friend, Robert Ramirez, actually directed her on "The Brave Little Toaster Goes To Mars" and had her sign it for me.  On the bottle, she wrote, "Van, I have another one for you.  Love, Farrah Fawcett.  1995."  I was like, "What does that mean?"  Robert told me that, at the time, I guess she was thinking about releasing a new line of hair care products.  If you Google it, I'm sure you'll find that that never happened, but it's fun to think that it was in the works.

Anyways, knowing that she was willing to voice a cartoon, it dawned on me: working with Farrah Fawcett was an attainable goal!  After writing her a nice letter and sending her a tailor made script, we ended up working with both Farrah and her son Redmond on the episode, "Johnny Bravo Meets Farrah Fawcett."  In the episode, Farrah shows up at her cousin Suzy's birthday party to work the kissing booth.  The whole afternoon was a whirlwind, but one of the things I remember her saying was, it was the script that really convinced her to do the part (Thank you Michael Ryan!).  After she got into the studio, everything went so well, that I got her to pose for a "Charlie's Angels" picture with us!

From left: John McIntyre (director), Michael Ryan (writer), Farrah Fawcett (Jill Monroe), & me

For this photo, she positioned her fingers like a gun, held her arm out straight with her palm facing down, and said, "I've always wanted to hold a gun like this."  Apparently it made you look more tough.  As you can see from the photo, she was the only one that held her gun that way.  And she looked the toughest.  (I also notice that it was a big sweater day.)  She capped off our time together by autographing one of my Charlie's Angels photos...

Thus ended my afternoon with Farrah Fawcett.

FUN FACT: Farrah's assistant videotaped segments of the session to use for her upcoming special, "All Of Me," where she showcased her painting talents.  I never saw it, but I hear that none of the footage from our recording session made it into the special.

MEETING DON KNOTTS

As far as guest appearances on "Johnny Bravo" go, Donny Osmond has made the most, clocking in at five (six, if you want to count the JB video game). Interestingly enough, coming in at a close second, is the incomparable, Don Knotts!  (Change voice to the Count from Sesame Street.)  With three!  Three guest spots!  Ah ah ah!

Don Knotts' first guest spot came at the climax of our Scooby Doo crossover.  We did a play on the traditional unmasking of the ghost, having the Scooby gang rip off mask after mask from the head of the culprit, only to reveal another villain from a past episode. We used the old Alex Toth and Iwao Takamoto models of Professor Hyde White (the very first Scooby villain), Harry The Hypnotist, Bigfoot, Joe Barbera (to which Johnny Bravo asked, "Who's that?"), and the one and only Don Knotts!

FUN FACT: We also tried to use Phyllis Diller, but we ran into a problem getting the use of her likeness.

Don Knotts' people?  They loved the idea.  Unfortunately, we didn't get to work with him, but it wasn't the last he heard from us!

Fast forward five years.

It wasn't until the 5th season rolled around that we revisited the idea of actually bringing Don Knotts into the studio to voice himself.  Actually, the idea came about when we tried to get Jon Bon Jovi in the studio and his people passed on the offer.  Lucky for us, we were able to rewrite the role for Don Knotts (because why not, right?).  Below are some rough design ideas by the talented Dan Haskett...

The episode was our fifth season opener, "Johnny Bravo Goes To Hollywood!"  Don Knotts played himself as part of the official "Hollywood Welcome Wagon" (which included Alec Baldwin, Jessica Biel, a hobbit, and a dinosaur).  The group greeted Johnny at the gates of Hollywood with a musical hybrid rap / song.

He couldn't have been nicer.  At one point, we were sitting beside each other in the recording booth, waiting to hear playback, when I decided to make some small talk.  It went a little something like this:

Van: So Don, what do you usually do in your spare time?

Don:  Well, I watch a lot of movies.

Van: Oh yeah?  What theater do you usually go to?

Don:  Oh, I just stay home.  They just send them over to me.

Van: Oh. Cool.

(awkward pause)

Van:  So, is this the first rap you've ever done?

Don: Why, yes.  I think it is.

That's about all I remember.  Not much, but it was enough for me to remember how surreal, yet cool, it was to have some random Don time.

LEFT FROM BACK: Collette Sunderman (director), Don Knotts, Diana Ritchey (producer), Craig Lewis (writer), Robert Serda (engineer), Karie Gima Pham (recording assistant) FRONT: Pete Oswald (PA), Megan Brain (Production Coordinator), me

Finally, we got to work with Don one last time when he voiced our "Cartoon Makeover" episode where he played himself again.  Teamed up with The Blue Falcon and "Weird" Al Yankovic, the three formed an ambush makeover team that made superficial improvements on established cartoons.

We wanted to have him come in with the rest of the cast...

FROM LEFT: Jeff (Johnny Bravo) Bennett, Collette Sunderman (director), Robert Serda (engineer), Tom Kenny, Diana Ritchey (producer), Gary (The Blue Falcon) Owens, and "Weird" Al Yankovic

...but unfortunately, Don wasn't feeling too well that day, so we had to pick up his lines at a later date.  Again, he was completely professional, saying every line we threw at him.  One of my favorite ones was where we got to play out our "Three's Company!" "Andy Griffith Show" meta-geekiness by having him say, "That kid could benefit from a few Furley Fife skills!  Hyah!"

So thank you Jon Bon Jovi, wherever you are.  Without you, we would have never have thought about using Don Knotts!

MEETING WITH THE CHINESE DELEGATES

According to the recent "Spotlight On China" study by Ernst and Young, China is expected to be the world's largest movie market by 2020 (Who'd have thunk?).

But what about Chinese television?

According to my talk with some Chinese delegates yesterday, TV is for children and housewives (they said frankly and honestly).  In China, the most popular TV programs are reality shows with their versions of "American Idol" and "The Bachelor."  As for the men, it turns out that they don't watch regular Chinese television, but instead watch American TV shows like "Game Of Thrones" on the internet.

According to these students.

This past week, voice actor and director, Charlie Adler, and I had the pleasure of speaking to a number of animation students and professors from The Beijing Film Academy at Loyola Marymount University.  With the help of our two student interpreters, Ming and Edwin from LMU, we talked to them about the creative processes we go through in order to produce animation here in America.

Lucky for me, Charlie was the first to go.  I say, lucky for me because I was able to adjust my talk by watching how he interacted with the students.  It was a lot like pulling teeth at first because they didn't want to talk or engage with Charlie (they later said it was because they were scared of him!), but they soon warmed up to his speaking style.  For those of you who know or have seen Charlie perform, he is a whirlwind of energy: fast, loud, and brazen.  But in this forum, he had to pull things back a bit, be careful with the words he used, and really focus his talk for a non-English speaking audience in a way that was non-threatening and inviting.  By the end of his talk, the students said that he was, by far, their most favorite speaker.

As a treat to the audience, Charlie brought up two LMU students, Alex and Edwin, to help him do a dramatic script reading of "Who is Supercow?" an episode from "Cow And Chicken."  As many of you know, Charlie did the voice for all three main characters (Cow, Chicken, and the Red Guy) so it was entertaining (and mind-bending) to watch Charlie go back and forth between characters.

My three hour slot (which became three and a half hours) came two days later.  As I began, I learned that they understood more English than I thought when I said a joke and they laughed before my translators had time to translate what I said.

Random things I learned:  They like superheroes like we do, but find it difficult creating their own.  Being an artist doing animation in China is like working in a factory where it's more about productivity than it is about artistic integrity.  They also told me that their programming is the result of a governmental push to make their shows educational.

The topic I was asked to share about was regarding my experience in the animation industry, both domestically and overseas.  What grew out of that talk was a fun conversation about the similarities and differences between our cultures and pop cultures.

The big takeaway that I'd like to share in this post:  Don't just talk to talk.  Talk and share ideas as often as you can.  Especially with people you 're afraid won't understand you.  Because, once you begin the dialogue, you may discover that you have more in common than you thought.

Finally, Chinese food isn't just Sweet & Sour Pork and Orange Chicken.

VOICEOVER AUDITIONS

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  (I hope you can tell by the all caps font that I say those words joyfully and emphatically.)

I wanted to start off the new year with a new post.  Something useful to the reader.  But since every person has different interests, and you can't please everyone, I'm devoting this post to the up-and-coming voice actors in the house.  So if you're an up-and-coming voice actor AND you're a reader, then today is your lucky day!

The fact is, it's almost impossible to tell what a person looks like by the sound of their voice.  I remember doing a USO visit and a woman yelled out, “What?  Who are you?”  I explained to her that I was the creator of Johnny Bravo and she said, “Oh no you're not.  Now just turn around and tell the REAL creator he can come on in!”  We playfully went back and forth, but she was convinced that I was supposed to look and sound like Johnny.  She liked my impression of him, but I couldn’t help but feel that I disappointed her by not being tall, blonde, and buffed.

If you're an actor who wants to get into voice acting, it's not enough to be the guy/girl in your circle of friends who does funny voices.  So you do a great William Shatner?  The truth of the matter is, the producers are probably going to hire the real Shatner over you.  There's so much more that an actor needs to have in his/her arsenal if he/she wants to stand out amongst the regular professionals who do this full-time and are constantly honing their craft.  When we're auditioning actors, we listen to hundreds of voices.  We know after only a few seconds whether or not an actor has the chops to handle a character for multiple episodes.  So what does an actor need to do to stand out amongst the other hungry actors?  Well, that's a whole other master class in and of itself.  But here's my two cents...

I just finished teaching a character design course at Loyola Marymount University, and part of the course was a field trip to the Walt Disney TV Animation Studios.  While we were there, we met with the wonderful (and I'm not just using that adjective because it's synonymous with the World of Disney) Dave Wright, the Executive Director and Head of Casting for Disney Television Animation.  He meticulously walked my students through the casting process from voice auditions to recording.  While showing the students how to audition and direct, he did an excellent job of articulating how painstakingly hard it is to be an actor in the field of voice work.

Much to Dave's credit, he was able to recreate the feel during a voiceover recording so the students could take what they've learned in the classroom and see how it compares to what folks are doing on a professional level.  Needless to say, it was a priceless piece of the educational pie.  Many DVD's have extras that show you what it's like in the sound booth, but nothing compares to listening to the mistakes, the retakes, and the decisions that actors and directors make in the thick of things.

Jeff Bennett smiling from the other side of the booth at Studiopolis in North Hollywood, 2009

It’s an absolute skill to be able to come in cold and read a page of sides and really nail the character.  I feel for each and every actor going into the booth, thinking that they have a shot at impressing the producers and directors.  Unfortunately, 9 times out of 10 they’re totally off.   Which is good news to some actors and bad news for others.  The thing that actors need to know is that they are coming in to solve the producer’s problem.  And believe you me, we REALLY want every person that walks through the casting door to succeed.  What we want is someone to match or exceed the expectations that we’ve already put down to paper.  Unfortunately, the agents think that just because a person looks the part, they obviously should be able to act the part.

At auditions, I usually sit to the side and stare at a drawing to really see if the actor’s voice has merit and matches the character.  Often, a person comes in who looks the part, but after hearing them, I can tell that they're anything but.  One time, a guy came in who had some really odd beats of silence, which made me curious as to what was going on in the booth.  Sure enough, he was acting and getting into character amidst those beats of silence.  I watched as he made faces and contorted his body to embody the character, but then when I turned away, his voice came out flat and dry.

The saddest part for me is when veteran actors come in deflated.  I can recall one particular instance when a really talented guy (I’m sure if I said his name you could name a number of roles he’s played over the past few decades) entered already thinking he wasn’t going to get the part.  I’d been in the booth with him before and he was always fun and witty, but this time he lacked any kind of life in his reading (at least any kind I was used to).  In the end, he was better than most, but not quite what we were looking for.  But it made me think, how many auditions does he do every week?  And out of those auditions, how many gigs does he actually get?

I’m guessing that most actors get passed on more than they get booked.  There are a select few that are constantly working, but for the most part, many of these “voice actors” end up falling by the waste side.  And I don’t blame them.  I would have a hard time going to audition after audition, being judged and berated, with the hopes that I might book a gig.  I would go mad.

Hopefully you're not left thinking, "Why is Van posting such a downer at the start of the new year?"

Well, there's some good news that goes along with this. (Thank you, Van!)

There are a lucky few that make the cut.  There's always someone new that breaks through all the mucky muck that holds others back.

The other side of the recording booth at Hanna Barbera.  From left: Kara Vallow, Ed Collins, Bodie Chandler, Maureen McCormick, 1997

Basically, what I want to say in this new year is, keep trying.  Keep working on your craft, hone your skills, and study.  Take classes.  Do regional work and make your mistakes where it's not on a national or international stage.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg.  Honestly, if you really want to hear stories from the trenches, (mind you, this is not a paid plug, but he's a good friend) I would listen to Rob Paulsen's Talkin' Toons podcast.  You can get all the episodes on iTunes.  It really goes into detail about voice acting and directing.

I hope to see y'all and work with you in the booth someday.  Good luck!

CN TWENTY

“What’s so special about October 1st?”

It’s the 275th day of the year (except on leap year).

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, actress Julie Andrews, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court William Rehnquist were all born on this day.

In 1962, Johnny Carson hosted his 1st Tonight Show.

In 1972, nothing really happened. It fell on a Sunday.

In 1982, EPCOT Center opened in Orlando, Florida.

In 1992, The Cartoon Network premiered on basic cable! (as if that weren’t the point of this post.)

If only Jimmy Carter, Julie Andrews, and William Rehnquist had formed a supergroup to combat the forces of evil, the world would be a better place today.  Sadly, the three never crossed paths simultaneously.

Above is a picture of Ted Turner at the launch of the network 20 years ago today.  I like how he wore sunglasses that were tinted the same color as Fred Flintstone’s garb.  Coincidence?  I wouldn’t put it past him.

So if we were to step into Mr. Peabody’s Wayback Machine, we would discover that the Cartoon Network first opened with an introduction by Droopy. After that, the very first cartoon that they played on-air was “Rhapsody Rabbit.” 

This year, to mark the occasion, the network commissioned the London-based design shop, I Love Dust , to create “an epic 2 minute music video feature original music by Mad Decent and nearly 100 of our favourite Cartoon Network characters from over the years.”  All I have to say is, “I heart it lots!”

It’s always fun seeing Johnny Bravo hanging out with other cartoon characters.  Especially when they’re dancing!

So Happy Birthday Cartoon Network!  I guess next year you can legally drink.  Or adopt a child.  Just try not to do both at the same time.

MY BIG FAT USO TRIP

This past weekend I travelled across the country to visit the troops and their families in Washington D.C. as a representative of the USO! It's a humbling experience to be able to do a little something for our men and women in uniform as I have a great appreciation for their dedication and service to our country.  This last trip was my third visit back east.  The first time, I went by myself...

...the second time was with VO actress Candi Milo...

...and for this trip, I had the good fortune of going with world famous, ultra-talented, all-around good-guy voice over actor, Rob Paulsen!

Many of you may know him as the voice of Yakko Warner on “Animaniacs” or Pinky on “Pinky And The Brain” or Raphael on “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” while others may know him as Larry Falkwell in “Stewardess School” or the cameraman in “Body Double.”  Regardless, he’s a delight to be around and he made the trip extra special with his wacky brand of improv and voice work.

And for those of you who don’t know about the USO, they are a private organization dating back to 1941 dedicated to lifting the spirits of America’s troops and their families.  That being said, it was a two way street as I couldn't help but be lifted up myself meeting our soldiers (insert "God Bless The USA" here).  I know that sentiment has the makings of a Bette Midler song (in a good way), but it's the truth!  So if you ever get the chance to be involved with the USO, do it.  If anything, it reminds you of the sacrifice that these young men and women have given to serve and protect our country.

One of my favorite moments came during our final stop at Fort Myer to visit members of the USAF Honor Guard.  When we got to the USO center, we came upon an unsuspecting soldier watching "Regular Show" on their big screen TV.  He told us later that he thought we were a just a couple of dudes who wanted to watch cartoons with him.  But once Rob opened his mouth as Pinky, it was like his tough guy exterior melted and he was transformed back into a little kid eating cereal in front of the TV.  From there, a good number of soldiers gathered around us and hung out while I drew pictures of Johnny Bravo and Rob called their friends and families as Pinky.

"Narf!"

One soldier even ran back to his room because he just so happened to have a Pinky Christmas Stocking which he got Rob to sign!  Talk about a serendipitous moment!  At one point, two girls came by and said, "We were going to go bowling next door until we heard that you guys were here.  This is way better than bowling!"

I love that we were "way better than bowling."

During our visit, we had the privilege of dropping by several military institutions including Fort Belvoir, Fort Meade , Indian Head, and Joint Base Anacostia Bolling where we took part in Deployed Family Fun Day.

The Cartoon Network donated several boxes of stuff for us to give away so that families could walk away with, not only a Johnny Bravo drawing and an autographed photo of Rob, but also Cartoon Network silly bands, bracelets, comic books, tattoos, and posters! Some of the lucky ones had a recording device handy so they were able to score a personalized message from Pinky (which will probably be playing at family gatherings for years).

Another stop on our tour was a visit to Quantico, Virginia.  Home to the Marine One fleet.

Above, is a picture of me, Rob, and our gracious host at Quantico, Sgt. Jeffrey Bowers.  Besides showing us around, he set up a demonstration in their training facilities where three soldiers showed us how to take down an attacker using their martial arts skills. At first, it was all very formal and professional with these stone cold soldiers ready to take us out with a napkin if we got out of line. But the minute they found out we made cartoons, they were able to let down their defenses and play.

"Man, I'm pretty!  Hyah!"

There were a lot of great people who came out to see us and make us feel right at home.  People like Marta who made us homemade soup at Fort Belvoir and Queen who dished out a heaping helping of lovin' sass at the PX in Fort Meade.  There was also little Olivia from Indian Head who drew a Johnny Bravo picture for me and a Pinky and the Brain drawing for Rob.  I just want to say "Thank you!" to them, and all the military families who took the time out of their schedules to visit with us.  A big thank you to Emily Jane (below in the first picture) and Dawn Fincham (second from left in the second picture) who drove us two knuckleheads to the farthest corners of Virginia and Maryland.

Braving tornado warnings and two guys who wouldn't shut up, these two treated us like dirt (well, Dawn anyways) and we loved it!

On our final day of the trip, we had a few hours to spare before we had to leave for the airport.  So, while Rob took a meeting, I decided to hop on the Metro and head over to the White House for a Starbucks with Mr. Obama...

"Hello?  Mr. Obama?  It's me.  Van Partible.  I brought you a chai tea latte, no water, no foam... extra hot... except I accidentally drank it.  I hope you don't mind.  I got thirsty on the walk over.  Hello...?"

...but apparently he was busy.  Something about a campaign trail or something.  I don't know.  I guess I should've called first instead of just showing up at the door.  Ah well.  There's always next time...

MEMORIES OF JOE BARBERA

It's been a while since I last worked at Hanna-Barbera, but I wake up every morning to my kids watching cartoons (quite often, the Smurfs) and I'm taken back.  It's a trigger.  Like eating a grilled cheese sandwich.  Or listening to Hall and Oates.  For me, anytime I see a cartoon, it sparks some sort of memory from my time working (and playing) at 3400 Cahuenga Boulevard.

Above, is a publicity photo taken in front of Hanna Barbera Studios from my "What A Cartoon!" days.  I'm guessing that it was never circulated because the lighting and composition weren't the greatest. For me, the picture marks the first time I ever got my picture taken with Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera.

Back Row: Pat Ventura (Director, George and Junior), Larry Huber (Executive Producer), Bill Hanna, Joe Barbera, Bob Onorato (Supervising Producer), Eddie Fitzgerald (Director, The Worm)

Front Row: Me, Craig McCracken (Director, Powerpuff Girls), Geno Mattos (Director, Shake and Flick)

Anyways, for today's post, I had a Joe Barbera trigger as I was watching the tail end of "The Purple Smurf." Or maybe it was the cereal I was eating.  Either way, I was inspired to post something, so without further ado... allow me to paint a picture...with words...words... words... and punctuation...

From the beginning, I just felt like I was living a dream. I had my own office, full access to the model sheet and stock animation archives, plus an open door policy to visit with Mr. Hanna and Mr. Barbera any time I felt like it. In fact, all the directors were encouraged to visit with the two to try and learn something from them. So believe you me, I took full advantage of that! I got along with both of them, but Mr. B was so encouraging to the point that, I tried to see him a few times a month just to talk. A lot of times, our conversations would go past an hour, sometimes even two or three.  When I got approved to do a short called "Jungleboy," I met with Mr. B and, as we discussed my storyboard, he did the following sketches of my character.

(Notice the before and after pose of Jungleboy at the bottom of the page and how he suggested that I draw him with a little more attitude.)

A lot of times, I would just swing by because I had a guest visiting and he was the grand finale of my personal tour of the studio. Of course, I would always ask his assistant Maggie if and when I could come by, and she would always oblige. I must’ve made Mr. Barbera give a tour of his office at least twenty some-odd times. It got so that it became a routine.

It went a little something like this... (Cue the Flintstones theme song!)

First I would introduce my guests to Mr. Barbera and they would exchange pleasantries. Then he would ask them who their favorite character was and he’d share an anecdote about said character. The Flintstones movie was big at the time so he usually had some sort of promotional trinket lying about that he’d share. He’d talk about how surprised he was that their popularity had lasted so long. Then he’d open up his trophy case and ask his guests if they’d ever held an Emmy before. Most likely they hadn’t, so he usually took one out, handed it to them, and had them deliver a speech. From there, he would walk them back to his couch where he had a bunch of H-B toys and he’d give an anecdote about one of them. There was a time when he would usually direct his guest’s attention to a Muttley alarm clock from Japan that spoke Japanese and, like a proud father, brag about his popularity. From there, he would show off his picture from the TV Hall of Fame and name off the people in the picture starting with Oprah Winfrey. Finally, he would show off the thing he was most proud of: his picture with Pope John Paul II. He was very Italian and very Catholic, which is one of the reasons why we bonded because I went to a Jesuit university. He sent all his kids to Catholic School, so it wore well on me. If he was in a frisky mood, he would end the tour by showing you his shower where he once scared a little Japanese woman. Not in a Psycho-I’m-going-to-kill-you kind of way though, Interestingly enough, he kept a six foot tall giant stuffed pink flamingo inside. One time, he opened it and the thing fell on this lady and scared her half to death, I was surprised by how much Joe got a kick out of re-enacting that scene. Now that I think about it, he mainly did it when I brought in a female to tour his office…

There were also a few incidents of note on a number of tours…

One time, I brought Cynthia MacIntosh (now a colorist on Fish Hooks) and her brother (who played keyboard for Tom Waits) to visit. Upon hearing this, Mr. Barbera plugged in his keyboard and asked him to play something. As Cynthia’s brother began busting out a tune, Cynthia began dancing around the room, got Mr. Barbera to kind of shimmy a little, and then all of a sudden, she butt bumped him. Pretty hard. So much so that he almost lost his balance. He wasn’t seriously injured, but for a moment there, I thought she might have busted his hip. We quickly made a gracious exit after that.

Mr. Barbera also had an autographed poster of Michael Jackson on his wall, As Michael got into trouble, I noticed that the poster slowly moved from being prominently displayed in the entrance, to behind the keyboard, to finally disappearing from sight.

One time, I entered his office to find him with a collection of glass Flintstones movie mugs from McDonalds. Maggie (his assistant) and him were complaining because they had to purchase them from the McDonald's down the street because the corporate office wouldn’t send him complimentary ones.

A lot of my visits, he’d tell the same stories he’s told thousands of times before. But I found out that if you asked him specifics, he would give you specifics rather than pontificate about the past. All I have to say is that he lived a really interesting life.

After so many encounters with Mr. Barbera, I thought it only natural that he be part of the Johnny Bravo staff when I got the green light to do the show. I was elated to hear from our CEO that he agreed to be a part of the writer’s room. So, once a week, we would get a visit from Mr. B, pick his brain, and come up with jokes. He seemed to enjoy the goofy banter we had in the room. So much so, that whenever Maggie would come to get him, he would pretend to hide.

My favorite gag that he ever threw out went as follows…

We were trying to come up with evil things for a villain to do. We started naming evil deeds. Mind you, they were all pretty cartoony. So, I stopped all the ideas being thrown out and asked Mr. Barbera what he thought would be an evil deed.

“Well…” he started out. “He could start blowing up buildings…or stealing money from banks…or he could take a baby and put in the middle of the freeway.”

Babies in the middle of the freeway.

Not a gag I would expect to come out of his mouth, but then who was I to know his creative process. It wasn’t until later that I found out that it was a gag from Tom and Jerry. Still, it was fun having Mr. B in the room because he was always quick with an interesting anecdote, a pun, or a sight gag whenever called upon. After seventy billion shows, you can imagine how many gags were stuck in his head just waiting for an opportune moment. And at the time, he was always doing a Kramer (from Seinfeld) impression. Jeff Holder from development told me, if Mr. Barbera were still in charge, there would be a Seinfeld rip-off in the works. It was definitely a pleasure having him grace our unit, as it was always an honor spending time with him.

One time, Mr. Barbera playfully threatened one of our writers, Steve Marmel, after he insinuated that Snagglepuss was gay.

“He was modeled after Bert Lahr. He was anything but gay. He beat his wife.” Mr. Barbera retorted.

After that, Butch Hartman started egging Mr. Barbera on saying, “Are you gonna take that from Steve? He’s calling one of your character’s gay!”

Mr. Barbera calmly said, “Don’t be surprised if you wake up one morning and… (Mr. Barbera makes a slitting of the throat gesture) Remember. A Sicilian never forgets.”

I’d say that he sat in the writer’s room about four or five times before we had to cut him loose. Apparently, we had to pay him for his time and it was causing us to go over budget. I’m sure he would’ve sat in with us for free, but “his people” were really looking out for him.

Those are just a few of the memories that stand out.

I was fortunate enough to have started in the animation business at a time when they were saddling fresh new talent alongside industry veterans for educational and experimental purposes. I grew up on ‘70’s Hanna-Barbera and I feel blessed to have been able to learn from the people who inspired me to enter the world of animation in the first place.

Man, I love triggers.  I think I'll go make myself a grilled cheese sandwich.

IS JOHNNY BRAVO FILIPINO?

Seriously.  "Is Johnny Bravo Filipino?"  For those of you who think that's an odd question, given he's a blonde, buffed, Elvis talking, American male, I would have to agree.  From all accounts, he doesn't scream Filipino.

Irish?  Maybe.

German?  Perhaps.

Russian?  That would explain his love of Pancake Week.

Filipino?  You gotta be kidding me!

Yet, I've been asked that question more than you would think.

The short answer to the question is, music please, (Pum puh puh pummmmmm!): "sort of."

Since I was born in the Philippines, have Filipino parents, and know a few Tagalog words (Maraming salamat sa inyo.), that would classify me as "totally " Filipino.  And since I created Johnny Bravo, and I can't help but be influenced by my ethnicity and culture, that would make Johnny "sort of" Filipino.

If this were the DC universe, Johnny would be my illegitimate son from Earth 26.

I rarely get the opportunity to do international publicity (let alone Asian ones) so whenever I get the chance, it's really exciting.  Below is one I did for a story on Cartoon Network Studios back in 2002.  That's me on the bottom right.  (If anyone can translate what it says, that would be awesome!)

Recently, CN Asia set up a press junket with various publications in the Asian region to promote "Johnny Bravo Goes To Bollywood."  And this may be hard to believe but, after 15 years in the industry, it was the first time I ever did an interview with a Filipino journalist!  I know, right?!  Unless I count the unaired, sit down, on-camera interview I did with Cheche Lazaro for her Probe show in the Philippines (it never aired as the show ended before they put the spot together).  Of course, all the people I talked to were very nice, but it was interesting to me that they were surprised by my ethnicity.

So for those of you who are still reading this post (who didn't have to go back to watching "Dancing With Stars" on their DVR), before the PR folks throw you to the media, they usually do a briefing. Below are a few of the "possible questions" I received before my interviews.  Note the Filipino nature of many of them.

1. Tell us about your lineage. Are you full Filipino?
2. How long have you stayed in the US?
3. How old are you and how long have you been with Cartoon Network?
4. What got you into animation?
5. Describe the animation process from storyboard to production.
6. For those who are unfamiliar with the show, who is Johnny Bravo?
7. What inspired you to create a character like Johnny Bravo?
8. How long did it take to create and produce Johnny Bravo Goes To Bollywood?
9. Why did you choose this premise for the movie?
10. What, in your opinion, is the state of the local animation industry in the Philippines?
11. What are the strengths of Filipino animators?
12. What does the future look like for Filipino animation?
13. What would you want Filipino animators to know about the animation industry?
14. Do you have upcoming projects with Cartoon Network?
15. What’s next for Johnny Bravo? Will we be seeing a sequel to Johnny Bravo Goes To Bollywood?

The one comment I kept getting from the reporters was that they were disappointed that I have never been back to the Philippines and know very little Tagalog (Welcome to my world.).  But like the song from "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" says, "There's always tomorrow."  So, in case you haven't gotten enough of me talking about me, posted below is an interview I did with Balikbayan, an Asian Journal Magazine in the Philippines, which also highlighted my roots.

So the next time somebody asks you if Johnny Bravo is Filipino (which I know they will!) you can send them over to this link.

Thanks for stopping by!

FUN FACT:  CN Asia had a Bollywood poster artist paint a few 8 foot tall posters for "Johnny Bravo Goes To Bollywood" the way they do with regular Bollywood movies.  Below is a copy of one of them. Enjoy!

JOHNNY BRAVO AND BLUR ANIMATION

When I was developing my senior thesis film at Loyola Marymount University, I ran into a huge problem.  With my storyboard set and my models ready to go, I had to try and figure out how to animate my 5 minute project, by myself, in a few months, while keeping up with the rest of my schoolwork.  My animation professor, Dan McLaughlin suggested that I watch “The Dover Boys” and freeze frame the inbetweens to study Bobo Cannon's usage of  blur animation. (For those of you who are wondering what I'm talking about, the blur animation starts at about 3:02 with the introduction of Dan Backslide.)

I was completely enthralled.  I saw things moving that only had three inbetweens between them.  “I could do that!” I thought to myself.  Watching the cartoon, I knew that all I had to do was move the shapes of the characters and stretch the masses from one pose to another.  According to what I was freeze framing, I simply had to make sure that the predominant masses and colors were represented in the blur.  No antics needed.  No overshoots or cushions.  Who would’ve guessed that there was such an untapped time-saving style of animation?  All I had to do was create strong poses to smear into and I was home free.  In short, the technique grew from my college-aged need to do things cheaper, faster, and easier.

The sequence below is from my first Johnny Bravo short.  The layout is by Ginny Hawes, the clean up by Miriam Goodman, and I did the inbetweens.  In it, Johnny has just slid up to a fine looking zookeeper and proceeds to check his armpit fragrance.

Scenes like the one above were always fun to animate.  The only problem we ran into was making sure the masses were colored correctly.  Otherwise, the movement would pop.  The colorist had to consistently refer to the sequence of drawings to make sure they were keeping the masses consistent.

This type of animation was a key ingredient in helping me create the unique persona of “Johnny Bravo.”  I think that it may have had a lot to do with the selling of the show.  It made it stand out from the rest of the other projects being pitched by creating a character trait based on the way the character was animated.

It also made for some surreal Dali-esque cel set-ups.

When I got the series, I realized why blur animation wasn’t used very often.  It was a special type of animation that had to be called for overseas.  Most producers weren’t going to take the time to call for it on the sheets every time (although, I did catch them using it on “Sonic The Hedgehog” when it was still in production).  Whatever the reason, I feel fortunate to be able to capitalize on a technique developed by Robert Cannon and Chuck Jones in their original Warner Brothers short.