TC: First off, I want to thank you again for helping me. I know you are very busy and I appreciate your time.
HT: Not a problem. Besides we need to make sure you are able to complete your assignment!
TC: I would first like to know your occupation. Where do you work and what are your duties within the studio?
HT: I am the founder and creative lead. Currently I have a tenant space on the CCAD - Columbus College of Art & Design campus. I do it all, producer, director, secretary, mail person, motivator and sometimes even some video work. I guess I should mention the name of the studio—Tarrka Studios.
TC: Wow! That's amazing. Sorry, it took me a while to make the connection...
What do you think about the quality of TV show cartoons today, compared to what they were back then?
HT: I'd say that probably there's an equal amount of really good ones today to "back then" and just about the same amount of less than stellar ones too. And what are you considering as to "back then"?
TC: "Back then" as in mostly in the 90s.
HT: Wow, that's not that long ago.
TC: Well, I wanted to work with a smaller timeline because of the range of cartoons out there, but I have done some critiques on cartoons from the 80s and 70s
HT: Ok...
TC: What is one of your favorite modern day cartoon. Explain why.
HT: Phineas & Ferb—it's completely different for Disney. Actually, Disney didn't want to do it because it didn't fit the mold—glad they did. Which one is yours?
TC: Mine are Adventure Time and Regular Show. The animation and Visual asthetic is different. It's origanal, but stays true to the classc cartoon style of the 40s "noodle" style of cartoons...What modern day cartoon do you hate or dislike and why?
HT: I can picture it in my head, but I don't know the name.....I was channel surfing and came across one in particular—very much flat 2D and I just didn't like it. I realize that if you stay with half animation, you can quickly churn out episodes, but I'm more into quality of the animation.
TC: Yes, I completely agree. I'm prety open-minded when it comes to cartoons, but the one I absolutly hate is the Annoying Orange. I don't understand how it made it on Cartoon Network. The animation is horrible, there's no creativity involved and it's annoying...
HT: Yep, at least you know the name of the cartoon. I just tune them out.
TC: What classic cartoon did you love watching and why?
HT: When I was little it was Casper—but for some reason it was rarely on. It was fun seeing what you imagined a ghost could do. The remakes were terrible, esepcially the 2D/3D combo. I also liked the Jetsons—again completely different environment.
TC: Would the remakes of Casper be the cartoons you disliked?
HT: No, that was just a bad animated/live action movie. It's new, flat 2D I think on the Disney channel or possibly Nick.
TC: So, how do you feel about the future of cartoons?
HT: Just like animated movies, I think the future can be bright. There will always be talent and creative ideas.
TC: From my research, I've noticed that more and more cartoons are incorporating violence, sexual innuendoes, and vulgarity in the new cartoons. I have also noticed that people enjoy cartoons with these elements. How do you feel about these kind of cartoons?
HT: Well, if you look at South Park, it's been going on for a while. They are for a certain audience, but certainly not for children.
TC: How do you feel about more watered-down cartoons, with adult humor in them, such as: Regular Show, MAD, Adventure Time, etc.?
HT: Well, other than the fact that I haven't even tuned to see what they're all about, what can I say? If you saw my video collection, you'd think that a kid lives here—yep, me.... a grown up kid. I think that as long as kids aren't accidentally exposed to more adult cartoons, it is ok. The one thing that I definitely have an issue with is the violence and sex. It's amazing how some young adults do not know how to separate a game or cartoon from real life.
TC: I agree. I feel that studios are being a little bit more free with what they put into their cartoons. I do commend that to a certain extent, but there are some kid cartoons that are ment for an adult audience.
HT: Children are subjected to way too much adult content—be it if they see the news at school and even just out in public. In some respects, between them wanting to grow up too soon, sometimes they have no choice.
TC: Yea, It's sad. I am also a kid at heart, and even as an adult I feel very uncomfortable about the things they show not only on TV, but what people are willing to do in public.
HT: Very true...
TC: When watching a new cartoon, what is the first thing you evaluate?
HT: It's a tie between the storyline and the animation. As with animated movies—cartoons, live action, etc.—if you don't have a good story, you might as well forget it.
TC: Yea, the story is the driving force of any cartoon or movie. I have also noticed that a lot of people, in person and online, talk bad about the new cartoons and saying how they aren't as good as the old school cartoons. They expect everyone to agree, but they give no eveidence to persuade me to agree with them. Do you think that just because we may grow up with a certain genre of cartoons, that we are less likely to be open-minded about newer ones?
HT: You will find that with any medium, there is always that affinity to what you grew up with and then use that as a barometer to judge new work. Although, if one is truly a creative individual, you should be able to appreciate new works/genres. If you think about it, all creative works are a reflection of the times in which we live.....a time capsule without having to be buried for decades. Which is why some works have a short life span....it is due to the very nature of what is being told. You notice there are some cartoons that have revamped themselves, but are still able to stay relevant today.
Case in point—Marvel, Bat Man, Spider Man.
TC: What do you think about the new Looney Tunes Show on Cartoon Network?
HT: Didn't even know there was a new one. For some reason when I surf to Cartoon Network, I'm always finding the old cartoons. I'm gonna have to check it out! What do you think about it?
TC: I think it's ok. The animation isn't as good as the origanal, but I like how different it is. I also think it's pretty funny. I honestly can say that I enjoy it, but it can never be as good as the origanal. I was thinking of doing a comparison between the old and new looney tunes shows. I Have gotten a lot of mixed signals about the new show from my friends, but I keep telling them to be open-minded.
HT: Ah, but even you like the older ones. The biggest problem is the fact that studios are trying to produce without spending the time to ensure quality animation.....because of the cost factor. It's a vicious cycle. And another problem, today's society is so "has to be instantaneous", if it takes more than a couple of seconds, then it's too slow.
TC: Hahaha! Yes, guilty as charged. And yes, It's sad really. I saw this documentary on Chuck Jones, and the creation of the Looney Tunes. It was amazing! The artistry behind the cartoon was breathe taking. The time and effort it took him, the thought process and creativity was astounding. That's why I love cartoons. There's more to it than meets the eye.
HT: One of the animated series my studio is doing will be full animation... pretty much unheard of today.
TC: I am looking forward to seeing your new series!
HT: Thanks! Same can be said for animated movies.....then again with 2D and the digital age, it's definitely bittersweet. I'm a purist—just because you can create animation faster doesn't always equal to better. The other animated series we're doing is only going to be half animation, but with the tricks of the trade, will look like full animation.
TC: Ok, that's all of the questions I have for you. Thanks again, I really enjoyed talking to you.
HT: No problem. Like I said, I'm not up on very many of the newer cartoons, but I do know the ones on the Disney Channel and to a very lesser extent Cartoon Network (which seems that I hit the old ones vs. the ones you mentioned). Have a good evening!
TC: Thanks, you to!
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