I swore that I wouldn't make an FAQ until I had been asked enough questions to warrant one. I feel that I've reached that point now, so this will hopefully provide people with some information on myself.
What exactly ARE you?
I see myself as a freelance composer and cartoonist. I haven't made much money at those two things yet, but I'm still young.
How young?
My birthday is June 4, 1982.
Any other relevant personal information?
My favorite color is red, my favorite food is fried chicken (and Jelly Belly jelly beans), my primary instrument is the euphonium, and I have a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from Shepherd University, Shepherdstown WV.
So you want to be a music teacher when you grow up?
I used to. I decided in college that I would rather try being a professional composer first, and see if I could make it. If I flop, I can always go back to teaching, but I can never be young, energetic, and ambitious again, so I should take these chances now...and I never intend to grow up.
What about the cartooning?
That started more as therapy, to help me get through college.
Why is your Flash animation so herky-jerky? / You should work on your animation skills. / Your animation sucks.
Let's get this out on the table; I KNOW I suck a Flash. I don't have all of the fancy crap that every other Flash animator has in their cartoons because I don't know how to do it yet. That's the first answer. The second, and more important answer is that my cartoons look the way they do on purpose. Calling me an animator is an insult to real animators everywhere. I don't even pretend to be an animator. I think that my particular brand of humor is funnier when the animation is bad. I've seen too many boring, crappy, unfunny flash cartoons where the animation was fluid and lovely. I'd rather be funny.
OK...What are the things that influence you?
Geeze, where to start...
How about with music.
I like lots of different types of music. Just to give you an idea, my favorite bands are No Doubt (but only up through Return of Saturn, after that they started to suck), and Aerosmith (especially the 'Geffen' albums). I listen to the Kim Possible Soundtrack a lot. Meat Loaf, also. In classical music, I like Gustav Holst, G.F. Handel, Percy Grainger, Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, Beethoven, just to name a handful. I'm also a big fan of musical theater and opera; Andrew Lloyd Webber, Danny Elfman, Gilbert & Sullivan. I'm also heavily influenced by video game music, especially Hip Tanaka (Metroid), and Nobuo Uematsu (Final Fantasy).
So then, what are your influences in cartooning?
I believe that the two greatest cartoonists of all time are Charles Schulz and Gary Larson.
What TV shows do you watch?
The only live action show that I watch with any regularity is Star Trek: The Next Generation. Other than that, I only watch animation. My favorite show of all time is Kim Possible. I also like (in no particular order) Teen Titans, Danny Phantom, My Life as a Teenage Robot, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. On the Anime side of things, I watch Fullmetal Alchemist, Samurai Champloo, Bleach, and Paranoia Agent. Even though it's not a TV show, I love Homestar Runner.
Movies?
My favorite movie is Mary Poppins. I also love Little Shop of Horrors, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, The Incredibles, and anything by Miyazaki.
this FAQ will be updated whenever
