Mike Scott Animation

Hi guys. If you’re on Facebook please consider joining my Facebook page ‘Mike Scott Animation‘. I’ve been posting behind-the-scenes pics and details of my upcoming Goldfish music video. It’s a fairly easy way to stay updated. I plan on continuing to post here but for minor updates perhaps more so on Facebook.

Some behind-the-scenes skullduggery:

A work in progress snapshot of a scene being drawn in Photoshop.

A rough drawing for a scene that was never used in the video.

Some (mostly) unused storyboard ideas.

Here’s how the story was looking after much shuffling of storyboards.

Unused storyboard cards – enough for another video or two.

As some of you may know, my buddy James Wolfaardt draws comics. His ‘Happy Chicken Suicide Cult‘ link has been sitting at the right -hand side column of my website for some time now. Anyways, he’s started coming into his own with his awesome comics, and I’ve decided that my audience would dig what he’s doing. So, enjoy the selection of work I’m featuring off his site, and gain a glimmer of insight into the workings of this kiff dude. Also, check his site for more awesomeness. I knew James’ comics before I arrived in Plettenberg Bay, so I was pleased to have connected with another comics-minded fellow. We’ve also collaborated on a near-infinite number of comics jams, many of which turn up in my ‘comics randomizer‘.

1. You were once a successful copywriter at a big ad agency in Johannesburg. What prompted you to pursue cartooning?

I bombed out of advertising in ’99 and moved into the middle of nowhere. During the day i had nothing to do, so I just started drawing again. I used to doodle when I was younger but never put any serious effort.

2. Some of your biggest artistic influences.

Matt Groening, Herge, Bittercomix, Miyazaki, Robert Crumb, Mike Scott and recently Pendleton Ward.

3. If you could spend the day with one of your artistic heroes, who would it be and what would be the one question you would ask them?

Apart from Mike Scott? I would say Miyazaki because he is expressing broad truth more than any artist I know. I would have no idea what to ask him but I would just like to bask in the awesomeness of his brain.

4. What does cartooning mean to you personally?

For me its all about being in the ‘zone’, the part of your brain that sleeps when you do everything else, and lights up when you draw. If I don’t go there I start to go bananas. I used to worship concepts but now I’m swinging more towards doodling.

5. What are your views on the digital aspect of cartooning?

I think it could be a bit of a red herring but I still colour all my work digitally. When I started on digital it took me on a whole detour that Im not sure really meant anything. My jury is still out. i guess it doesnt really matter how you did something. If its awesome its awesome. At the end of the day its still hard to be original, digital or other.

6. What advice would you give to a young person considering becoming a cartoonist?

Pound this rice for eight months then come back in the Spring.

7. Photoshop or Illustrator?

Before, lIlustrator, now , Photoshop, but it depends what you’re trying to do.

8. What do you think constitutes a successful cartoon?

Cartoon? Thats quite broad. If you mean like a gag cartoon, funny is king. For me, funny is mostly king.

9. What is Life?

Your question is death. DEATTTTTHHHHHH.

10. In a first prize situation, where would you like to see your cartoons exhibited / published / adapted?

Tattooed as a tramp stamp on Liv Tyler.

For the last 7 months (ridiculous I know) I’ve been working on a new animated Goldfish video. Lo and behold, it is finished. Likely launching at the end of this month. Here’s a short teaser for the video:

Here’s the anatomy of the video:

Hi. I went to AfrikaBurn. Here are some pics.

Couldn’t sleep. Drew this.

Hi friendly friends. I now have a Facebook page and plan to release new animation both here and there. If you’d like to stay updated through Facebook join my page and be instantly stoked with your life.

Mike Scott Animation on Facebook.

Was quite taken with the lovely movement and sound design from this short called ‘Everything I Can See From Here’. Created over two years during evenings, weekends and days off with no budget and with help from their friends, Sam Taylor and Bjorn Aschim nailed it.

My bro recently got a Keytar. We were messing around with the sounds so he jammed some keys and I did some drums. This is the result:

I did another Medical Chronicle cartoon. Here, Motsoaledi, our Minister of Health, is rocking out like Sisyphus with the NHI. Nice.

My bro and Shandu (The Kiffness) were interviewed on 5fm today. Went really well. Here’s the edited recording: