Faces to Names . . .

(left to right) Eric Pringle, Eric Bauza, Dwight Cushman, Lois Lee, Christine Knockles, Katie Rice, Niki Pontius. This photo captures only a few of the many talented folks (that I'm sure will kill me for posting this pic, especially the ladies, cause we all know that ladies hate old pictures) that were apart of the Spumco Class of 00. That was taken during a famous Spumco drawing class, in the fancy ass kitchen we had over on Grandview (close to Dreamworks). Thank you Pringle for the hilarious pic!!!

Here's a lil added bonus drawing that the great FRED OSMOND drew for me on one of my birthdays!!!



later!
Eric Bauza

"The Ripping Friends" and "Weekend Pussy Hunt"

Here's one of the very first layouts I got to draw for Spumco back in 2000/01, while interning on a show called "The Ripping Friends". His name is Future Cat. He's a cat from the future. He can take telepathic dumps into his litter box from across the room. Pretty damn funny for Saturday Mornings (on Fox Kids 2001).



(above Ripping Friends Promo Art for the Toronto Star - drawing by John K, inked by the GREAT Ray Morelli)

Aside from The Ripping Friends being my first time out as an artist, it was also my introduction to world of professional voice acting. Since the dawn of time I've always wanted to be a voice actor, and even more so a voice in a John K cartoon! That summer my wish was granted. Although they may've been secondary characters I got to provide the voices for such characters as Future Cat, The Goat Minister of Propaganda, General Bladderwort, a Tooth-Filling, a Secret Service Agent, and many more to follow.











During that internship I also had the luck of working with one of the last, great Spumco animation crews on US soil. Aside from "The Ripping Friends" I also did PA work on one of the first Flash Cartoon serials for the web - "Weekend Pussy Hunt".



I got to learn from some of the top Pioneer Flash Animators, Directors, Producers, Story Board Artists, Designers and Clean Up Artists, working in the field today. Some of those people include: Matt Danner, Fred Osmond, Ray Morelli, Derrick Wyatt, Gabe Swarr, Eric Pringle, Katie Rice, Jerry De Jesus, Tony Morra, Ben Jones, Lois Lee, Wil Branca, Steve Worth and Lil' Pal, Amid Amidi, Paul Trauth, Niki Pontius, Vingh Chung, Dwight Cushman, Dustin Wicke, Ken Boyer, and Leticia Lacy (here's a fun fact for ya - Leticia worked on the South Park Movie, and if you forward to the last scene of the film you can see her standing with the rest of the South Park patrons in the long shot, she's the one with the giant "L" on her t-shirt).

If it's one thing that Spumco can do best, is draw talent together from parts unknown.

Other Spumco legends I got to rub elbows with were Jim Smith, Eddie Fitzgerald, Mike Fontanelli, Kevin Kolde, and later the great Vincent Waller. I had a great time working at Spumco, and owe a lot to John Kricfalusi for helping me get my start in cartoons!

- Eric Bauza