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
29 comments:
DDDDDDUUUUUUDDDDEEEE!!!!!
THESE DRAWINGS ARE SO SPECIAL!!!!!
I LOVE THEM! HEHE! FO' REALS THEY ARE GREAT! YOU ARE ONE TALENTED JICAMA!
I'M THE FIRST TO COMMENT!
LUV,
SAH!
Looks like I complained too soon! Great post!
"COOL STUFF" Keep it up Bauza!
That's cool stuff, Eric! I love all those cartoons! I also like how you draw cats!
I remember that Ripping Friends episode with THE INDIGESTIBLE WAD! The wad was punching the punching bag in back of the girl's throat! You voiced the filling that grabs his hat and suitcase and calls a taxi!
Toungue:"You're not leaving me alone with this lunatic are you??"
Filling:"You're on your own, man!"
Hahaha...that was great!
Great stuff Eric! Man, you got to work with some pretty awesome people! Keep up the good work man!
Nice work. I didn't know you were a cartoonist too!
Do you think being able to understand the drawings helps you voice them a little better? What I mean is, do the two artforms go hand and hand?
Keep drawing and screaming at the top of your lungs, man. You're bound to go far.
Yaynewstuff.
Hey, great post!
That's awesome you got to draw Future Cat as well as do the voice.
I always liked the Ripping Friends cartoons - there are lots of funny little "Fleischer moments" of inanimate objects becoming alive. Like when He-Mom is frying eggs and the eggs become alive and in pain because they are stuck to the pan. And that hilarious scene that Shawn described, with the filling walking out on the tongue!
I really wish that they would put the complete Ripping Friends series on DVD in america! Right Eric?
Yes Sir - I thought the Ripping Friends had (and still has) great potential to be one of the best spoofs on comics, period.
If there was any opportunity to do Ripping Friends again, it would have to be in FLASH.
With the advancements, and innovations in FLASH animation I think that any one of John's projects could have a second life.
The beauty of FLASH is - you get out of it what you put into it (I know it sounds dumb, but it's true). Your drawings always maintain through out, as opposed to traditional overseas animation where, from personal experience of course, sometimes the drawings can get watered down terribly.
I recently got to see a sneak peek of one of the latest Weird Al music videos, directed by John K, and lemme tell ya - its all in FLASH - and its pretty damn amazing. It's like Weekend Pussy Hunt on Anabolic Steroids!!!
Later I'm gonna share some crap about my experiences working at 6 Point Harness, that is just wrapping up production on "Where My Dogs A?" A new FLASH Animated series on MTV2!!!
- Eric Bauza
Hey Eric Bauza
I've seen "Where My Dogs AT?" on MTV before. In my opinion it seems that the celebrity characters get more stardom then the dogs who are suposed to be the stars. What do you think? But anyway I hope after the release of the Ren & Stimpy Lost Episodes DVD, John will get the chance to make NEW Ren & Stimpy cartoons for Spike TV or straight to DVD. That would be AWESOME! It would be great to see new R & S stories, including the story ideas "Wilderness Adventure" with George Liquor and "Life Sucks". Hey Eric, Didn't you help write an idea for a Ren & Stimpy episode with John? Wasn't it about R & S visiting different countries or something? That sounds like a great episode, it reminds me of "Untamed World". Lets hope we see more Ren & Stimpy!
your pal,
Jesse Oliver
P.S. "LONG LIVE REN & STIMPY!!!!!"
Thanks for the nice comments, Eric. Oh, and me likey hot monkeys!
Hey Eric
What is your all time favorite Ren & Stimpy cartoon?
Ah, the memories...
your first day on the job...
your first kiss...
your supple, young thighs...
your muffled cries for help...
HA!
Well if it isn't Mr. Dirty Dog himself!!! How are ya Wil!?
Hope all is well!
Bauza
Jesse Oliver said...
Hey Eric
What is your all time favorite Ren & Stimpy cartoon?
- Hey Jesse:
I'd have to say that Stimpy's Inventions was my all time fav episode!!! It was the perfect blend of cute simple design, and intense over the top drawings that made that series one of a kind.
Plus it had the Happy Happy Joy Joy song!!!
Eric Bauza
The Butcher said...
Nice work. I didn't know you were a cartoonist too!
Do you think being able to understand the drawings helps you voice them a little better? What I mean is, do the two artforms go hand and hand?
Keep drawing and screaming at the top of your lungs, man. You're bound to go far.
- Hey butcher!
Thanks for the kind words.
Yes I do think that being able to identify the drawings does help you get into the character a bit more, at least for myself.
But I know that other voice actors don't even need to see the drawings to create a great voice that suites the character.
Its a toss up for everyone.
- Eric Bauza
Sweet pict-o-grapho-morphs! Good to see ya bloggin, dude.
Hey Eric
Great job on the APC trailors you been putting up on John's blog. I still can't wait for the R & S Lost Episodes DVD to come out.
Jesse Oliver
P.S. I love "Stimpy's Inventions" too. I also love the following episodes.
1. Big House Blues
2. Space Madness
3. Fire Dogs
4. Untamed World
5. Marooned
6. Black Hole
7. Man's Best Friend
8. Sven Hoek
9. Ren's Toothache
10. Rubber Nipple Saleman
11. In The Army
12. Out West
13. Dog Show
14. Powderd Toast Man
15. Visit To Anthony
16. Stimpy's First Fart
17. Onward & Upward
18. Ren Seeks Help
19. Fire Dogs 2
HA!
Thats quite the list you got goin on there!
Eric Bauza!
"Thanks Eric"
Oh wait, I forgot one more episode
20. Fake Dad
Jesse Oliver
great post, Bauza...now you...
READ A BOOK!!!!
Eric!!YEY!! your Bloggin'!! Woot woot!!
Great Stuff! Good to see you the other day at Nick!
Linky Dinky!
Cheers!
dee
sup eric, i didnt know you were a cartoonist! very cool
Fantastic work.You guys need some Glasgow talent though to give it the Edge.Check out http://pattoons.blogspot.com.
I can't beleive you spelled my last name wrong. Whatever Blowsza!
>The beauty of FLASH is - you get out of it what you put into it (I know it sounds dumb, but it's true). Your drawings always maintain through out, as opposed to traditional overseas animation where, from personal experience of course, sometimes the drawings can get watered down terribly.
It's also cheaper and faster, too! I only wish the lines weren't so...clean and crisp and machine like, for lack of a better description. I think someone mentioned a filter that made flash cartoons look like they were Disney cartoons form the 40's.
Goddamn, Eric, I wish I'd seen Weekend Pussy Hunt when it was still on!
On another note, I loved you on the APC cartoons. Especially on "Ren Seeks Help" and "Altruists": I know you had about five minutes orso on "Help" (unless you did other voices I couldn't recognize), but those are the best crying screams of pain I've ever heard anyone do. It was sad, but I couldn't help but laugh, particularly when Stimpy did this really low, gruff "Do it..." before he went back to his high-pitched "For yourself!". Those 1.5 seconds made me laugh my ass off for no apparent reason.
Just the insights from a slightly obsessive fan. Slightly.
-J.R. Spumkin
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