Plymptoons.com

Adventures in Plymptoons: Legendary Animator Speaks at the West

On Thursday, January 5th, animation fans poured into the West’s second Drink & Ink for the chance to meet legendary cartoonist Bill Plympton. Adding to the excitement at the coffee bar’s monthly drawing meet-up, was the screening of two previously unreleased Plympton short films.

Dubbed the King of Indie Animation, Plympton, 65, has had a prolific career. The two-time Oscar-nominated animator and filmmaker’s distinctive cartoons have been published in newspapers, including The New York Times and The Village Voice, and in magazines, such as Vogue, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, and Penthouse. Plympton has also produced animations for MTV, Fox, Spike, and the History Channel and for music videos for Kanye West and “Weird Al” Yankovic. His short films, Your Face (1987) and Guard Dog (2005), were nominated for Academy awards. He has also completed half a dozen feature length animated films – all single-handedly. Reputed to be the only animator to ever illustrate every frame of a full length film by himself, it is no wonder people call him the King.

“I like to draw,” Plympton said. “To give the job to someone else…kills me.”

The West was packed with animators and artists, for this Drink & Ink. Sketchpads and pencils were strewn across tables and Plympton invited audience members to sketch him while he discussed his work. “Make it as evil as you want,” he said. “I love that kind of stuff.”

The two short films were characteristically hilarious and twisted. Both had been forgotten in a desk drawer since the 1980s. Before fielding questions, Plympton shared a raw, uncolored pencil test from his upcoming feature, “Cheatin.” While the crowd erupted with laughter, the animator studied the film with a furrowed brow and sought feedback afterwards.

Plympton was joined by director Alexia Anastasio, who recently finished Adventures in Plymptoons!, a documentary about the legendary animator. “Any minors here?” Plympton joked to the audience before Anastasio played a clip from her documentary. “It was a labor of love,” said Anastasio, who spent two and a half years shadowing him for the film, “otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to finish it.”

A longtime fan, Anastasio was first introduced to Plympton by fellow director Esther Bell, who owns the West. Bell and Plympton have been friends since an argument about computer animation outside a theater.

Bell opened the West a year ago to subsidize her film projects. In addition to Drink & Ink, the West also hosts the NYC Director’s Speakeasy, another venue for filmmakers to network and exchange tricks of the trade.

The Drink & Ink ended appropriately with a bar-wide drawing session. Plympton churned out sketches of his Guard Dog character for attendees. Graphic designer Tuna Tekeli first saw Plympton’s work at the New York Film Festival. “He stood out,” Tekeli said, “his films were bold, humorous, and very dark.” Earlier in the night, when asked how he’s managed to maintain his twisted outlook, Plympton responded with three words: “New York City.”

Visit thewestbrooklyn.com for a calendar of upcoming events.

Share