Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law

[SwimMod_Luuv]

Post your questions and comments for Vincent Waller here!

Vincent Waller is an artist, animator, director, and producer, perhaps best known by Adult Swim fans for his work on the Oblongs, the Ranger Smith Cartoons (Boo Boo Runs Wild and a Day In the Life of Ranger Smith), and Harvey Birdman Attorney At Law.

He has also worked on a bzillion other things including the Ren & Stimpy Show, Ren & Stimpy Adult Party Cartoon Show, Spongebob Squarepants, Captain Planet And the Planeteers, Evil Con Carne, Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Nightmare Ned, Duckman, the Tick, the Baby Huey Show, Oh Yeah! Cartoons, 2 Stupid Dogs, Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Real Ghostbusters, Gravedale High, Attack Of the Killer Tomatoes, and others.

from wikipedia:

Vincent Waller (born September 30, 1960) is a writer, artist and animator. He was writer and director for The Ren & Stimpy Show (during the Spümcø era of the show), directing the popular episodes Rubber Nipple Salesmen and Big Baby Scam.

Waller produced and directed shorts for Fred Seibert's Oh Yeah! Cartoons. He also co-created What is Funny?, adapting the Harvey Kurtzman comic Hey Look!, as well as creating Pete Patrick Private Investigator (featuring Pete Patrick and his pal Persian Puss).

He has also worked as technical director on SpongeBob SquarePants for a season, and supervised the first season of Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law and also worked on The Oblongs as a director and later as re-take director.

He is currently working as creative director on SpongeBob SquarePants.

[SwimMod_Luuv]

Did you guys know when you were making Boo Boo Runs Wild that you were creating the single greatest cartoon in the history of television?

[railroadengine]

Having such a vast quantity of shows to produce, how did you manage to keep all of them as original as they were?

[lupinfan83]

What were your thoughts when Ren and Stimpy was turned into an adult oriented cartoon for Spike?

[LoverDemon]

Hey Vincent,

What was your absolute favorite show to work with?

And did you have any cartoons that you loved to watched as a kid?

[itsacoaster]

Welcome Mr. Waller! Do you go by Vince or Vincent?

You appear to have worked with John K. for a long time, and much of his work is inspired by Bob Clampett, Tex Avery, etc. Do you share the same inspiration? What are your thoughts about animation style?

[SwimMod_Luuv]

What is it like to helm something like Spongebob Squarepants that's like everywhere?  Like there's Spongebob cups and plates and food and diapers and health care products and toys and chairs and drapes and adult underwear and basically ANYTHING that you can possibly market, has Spongebob on it.  Does that ever interfere with the creative process?  Either though just psychologically putting the zap on you, or various marketing departments seeking to ensure their stake in the character/series?

[VincentWaller]

I'm glad you liked it. We were always trying to make the single greatest cartoon ever. But that's everytime you start one. You shoot for that.

[VincentWaller]

I was fine with it. I was excited to work with the little bastards again.

[VincentWaller]

Favorites still so far were Ren And Stimpy. it was my first taste at making cartoons the way they were originally intended to made.
I was was nuts for all the old warners cartoons. even the the freelings. i think as very young child I was drawn to sniffles, and then learned to love bug and the rest.

[LoverDemon]

Haha, indeed. Loved Ren and Stimpy, it was hilarious to me when I was a teen, still remember the show like it was yesterday.

Yeah, back in the days when Warner was really in control as far as Cartoons go, those are classics, grew up with them myself, and to this day still love and enjoy them.

So what would be your opinion on cartoons today, as opposed to how they were years ago?

[VincentWaller]

i prefer vincent but vince is fine. anything but Vinnie really.
Absolutely. I think every cartoonist I know have the same base of inspiration.
As to style. I don't have any rulles about what I think works in animation. I've enjoyed things that looked like they were drawn with an old shoe. it's really about content, as much as execution.

[lupinfan83]

Did they ever have a plan on how to end the Duckman cliffhanger before it was cancelled?

[VincentWaller]

Well. I don't really helm, it i more assist Paul Tibbitt to helm it. But it's great. i just returned from China. were I was walking through what here would considered the ghetto. little old ladies sitting in from of their houses breaking up firewood to cook with, doing wash in buckets. i would have been surprised if they had electricity, let alone a TV. There was a three old that came out to look at me as i was an odd sight in their neighborhood.
I had a SpongeBob drawing on a pad of post-its that I carry around with me all the time, and I tore it off and gave it to him. He stopped, looked at it and broke into a giant smile for such a small head and ran off waving the drawing yelling  in Chinese "SpongeBaby" "SpongeBaby!" Which is what they call him there. With in seconds I was surrounded by kids. i spent about an hour drawing the characters for them. Anything that brings people that much joy I am happy to be a part of.

[VincentWaller]

Keeping the show fresh, and entertaining, that is honestly the hardest part. But I' am truly lucky to have a great crew. i think most draw from events in their own lives for inspiration, so that they can add them selves into the mix.

[SwimMod_Luuv]

that sounds amazing.  See, that's what I think of as priveleged.  A person who has those chances in life to connect, and takes them, and also appreciates them.  That's really neat.

[VincentWaller]

I have high hopes, but my hopes hey are always gaurded for disappointment.

i see many shows that I think would be great get tossed aside by the powers that be.

it's a little disheartening.

[LoverDemon]

I know, so many of the good shows are getting pushed back, while there pushing others that are alright but could be a lot better. It's so sad to see really, but that's been a trend for years.

So is there currently a cartoon show that is out that you would love to work with?

And what do you think about networks bringing back old classics 'from the dead' like bringing in an old show and revamping it to make it more fitting for todays time?

And is there anyone that you haven't worked with before that you would like to?

[neverkeepchangin11]

Do you enjoy working on cartoons geared more toward younger children (Sponge Bob) or geared more toward adult humor (Harvey Birdman, Oblongs)?

or are they both equally satisfying for you?

Also, is Captain Plant the best thing ever? Loved that show as a kid!

[duzitickle]

---

VincentWaller wrote:
Well. I don't really helm, it i more assist Paul Tibbitt to helm it. But it's great. i just returned from China. were I was walking through what here would considered the ghetto. little old ladies sitting in from of their houses break up firewood to cook with, doing wash in buckets. i would have been surprised if they had electricity, let alone a TV. There was a three old that came out to look at me as was an odd sight.
I had a SpongeBob drawing on a pad of post its that I carry around with me all the time, and I tore it off and gave it to him. He stopped looked at broke into a giant smile for such a small head and ran off waving the drawing yelling the in Chinese SpongeBaby SpongeBaby! Which is what they call him there. With in seconds I was surrounded by kids. i spent about an hour drawing the characters for them. Anything that brings people that much joy I am happy to be a part of.

---

Mr W.... you just went from awesome to awesomesauce.
that gave me goosebumps.
thanks for being nice to the kiddos.

what did you think about [as] running boo boo runs wild over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and.... yeah, you probably got the point about 9 overs ago.
did you ever come here and read what folks said about it?
(there was alot of discussion )

spongebob got me a job once, true story.
the application had a big blank square on the back and the instructions were:
draw something that makes you grin.
so, i drew a dripping spongebob (he was really peeing on the application, but i think they misinterpreted that part)
and during the interview, the manager colored him while she asked me questions.
so.. thanks for that.

[Doom_Metal_Alchemist]

So you really liked the Warner Bros. cartoons as a kid. Have you see the new The Looney Tunes show? If yes, what do you think of it?

[LDK_SPARDA]

I have a question for you if it's an opportunity to be answered.
My question for you is. How do you find the voice actor to fit a character's personality and appearance? It has crossed my mind that I would like to be a voice actor, but how does one apply one's self to achieve it? Also, I cannot help but to tell you how I love your artwork. Especially growing up, watching the very shows you created. Educational, hilarious and somewhat of a life-learning experience that somewhat benefits others on basically what to do, what they want to do and how they must achieve the goals that you have achieved, but I have yet one more and possible the last question to ask. How can one achieve a goal such as you have with limited options like... Let's say financially? How can one achieve a goal with little to no help? Have you ever had that kind of a snag in the past before?

[viperxmns]

Hello Vincent, been a fan of your work since I was 4 years old; it played a big part in inspiring me to draw, and draw and draw. The Real Ghostbusters and Ren and Stimpy in particular were a huge part of my childhood. I don't have a specific question at the moment, just wanted to stop by and say hello

[VincentWaller]

Hi duzitickle

I wasn't really aware that they were running Boo Boo  so often.

Generally I avoid most of the boards.

As Robin Williams just said on marc maron's WTF Podcast (which I highly recommend if you like comedy and comedians) If you want to feel bad about yourself just go the internet.

Its really nice to have a back and forth with nice folks. In my ideal world folks on the internet would speak to each other as if they were in the same room, rather than, well you know how some folks can be.

But I had a great time working on both of Mr.K's Yogi shorts. Doing scene set ups was just like having candy and ice cream that is delicious but won't make you gain weight or rot your teeth.

That is great to hear about you getting the gig, I know SpongeBob would be happy to have helped. it's a little odd that she felt it was okay to color on your drawing, but hey, you landed the job.

He is a door opener. 2 SD cons ago he got me into a Private Party that Lil Jon was throwing. the liittle yellow fellow will open doors.

[VincentWaller]

Hey Doom_Metal_Alchemist 

Yeah, having been raised like a lot of kids my age by the TV, the Warner characters, and Fleisher  too,  were my wiser older brothers with clues about how to navigate life. Luckily I also had my grandma not to far away, (usually in the kitchen talking to herself about the family members she didn't care for) to explain all the topical jokes about stamps to buy sugar and whatnot. "They'll beeeee no meatless Tuesdays No more meatless Tuesdays for meeee! Bum bi bum bum. "

Change in anything you really like is almost always hard to swallow. The idea of the Warners characters living in a cul de sac, having those kinds of sitcomish relationships bugs me, but they aren't IMO drawn terribly its just not my preference because I am soooo very attached to the originals.