Chance Raspberry

What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Chance Raspberry. I’m a character layout artist on The Simpsons, and am currently producing my own animated projects.

 

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
In high school, I was hired by two soccer coaches to design their brochure.  They paid me $300, so I worked on it during 3rd period art class.  My first full-time job was as a customer service phone rep at Washington Mutual Bank (now Chase.)

 

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of? 
The industry gigs I’ve worked on have been a great honor, and I’m proud to say I was a part of them all.  These include The Simpsons TV series (Seasons 18-22), The Simpsons Movie, Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends (Christmas Special – “A Lost Claus”), Rob Zombie’s: The Haunted World of El Super Beasto, and the second Family Guy trading card series.
How did you become interested in animation? 
It all started around age 3 or 4 when my parents began renting video tapes of all the old cartoons they used to watch.  This is how I was introduced to Fleischer, Disney, Looney Tunes, Tex Avery, Don Bluth, etc.  From there, I started Continue reading

Matt Wayne

What is your name and your current occupation?
Matt Wayne, animation writer and story editor. I have exactly one producer credit, which nobody will ever find. Recent work includes being story editor of the Marvel Super Hero Squad Show, co-story editor of something I can’t talk about till July, former co-story editor of Justice League Unlimited.
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I’ve done things for money that a gentleman shouldn’t discuss. And I sold newspaper subscriptions door-to-door. And I was a cook at Big Boy. I know, it’s crazy, right?
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
Justice League Unlimited, Ben 10: Alien Force, Tom and Jerry Tales, Batman: Brave and the Bold. I’m especially proud of my shared credit with Joe Barbera on a Tom and Jerry cartoon. It doesn’t get cooler than that! I also was Managing Editor of Milestone Media, which made a lot of comics and sold the Static Shock! cartoon. The first years of that were one of the best times of my life. And it turns out that comics are the entertainment industry in miniature, so I learned a whole lot about “gatekeepers” and the like.
How did you become interested in animation?


I always loved cartoons. When I was 3 or 4, I wanted to be friends with Pixie and Dixie. I hatched a plan to break them out of the TV with a hammer, which my parents fortunately got wind of and thwarted. Rich Pursel, story editor onSpongeBob Squarepants, and writer of many of the good Ren and Stimpys, grew up across the street from me. We’ve been pals since we were toddlers. His interest in art and animation rubbed off on me. I’m not a writer/artist like he is, so I make up for it by being extra wordy. Rich and I watched all the terrible 70s cartoons on Saturday morning, and would do the kids’ version of critical analysis afterward–it always began Continue reading

William Reed

What is your name and your current occupation?
William (Bill) Reed – Freelance animator, timing director, fine artist, cartoonist.
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
While I was a student at Chouinard, I worked at the surf shops in the South Bay as a glosser. As a glosser I painted designs, pin stripes, panels or whatever the customer wanted on the surfboard then put the gloss coat on. I really had fun working with Gregg Noll Surf Boards, Dewey Weber and Rick Surfboards and went surfing and hung out at the beach when I wasn’t in school.  What could be more fun than that!

 

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?My first job was in 1966 at the Disney Studio as an apprentice in-betweener onWinnie the Pooh and Jungle Book. I was there for a year and learned more in that year than I did in the four years of art school.  While I was at Filmation I directed two of the animated Star Trek shows and one of them won the Emmy Continue reading

Dale L. Baer

What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Dale L. Baer, and I’m a supervising animator.
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
None really. I started at Filmation right out of art school.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
Pretty much all of them for one reason or another, good or bad. There was something to gain by them all. But my favorite one because of its place in film history would have to be “Roger Rabbit”.
How did you become interested in animation?
It was something I just wanted to do since Continue reading

Mark MacKay

What is your name and your current occupation?
Mark MacKay – Freelance Animator/Character Designer/Illustrator currently working for JMG Studio.

 

 What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Nothing too exciting, I’ve done the usual, line cook, busboy, grocery bagger, Assistant Manager at a local Pharmacy, and more of the same.

 

 What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
The project I am currently working on for JMG Studio is very exciting and I’m proud to be a part of it. Sorry I can’t give out too much information at this time.

How did you become interested in animation?
I’d say after seeing Disney’s “Pluto’s Christmas Tree” when I was a kid, or pretty much any Disney animation for that matter, I was hooked. That was Continue reading

Alexandra Kube

What is your name and your current occupation? 
Alexandra Kube- currently unemployed/semi-self employed

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
The craziest job was a cab driver in Hollywood back in the 70’s. I lasted all but a couple months.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
Definitely “Pinky and The Brain”. The show was cleaver and the staff were great people. That was my first job as an artist. Kinda like the love we hold for our first car… I’ll always look back on those years as the best and most sentimental.

How did you become interested in animation?
It started as a childhood fantasy, inspired by feature animation films.  As a child I would carry around my Continue reading