Michael Hilliger

Oh hey, the show I'm Lead Animator on finally got announced 👀

@FountainCartoon "No, I'm Gooseworx"

I can’t believe I had to re-post this THREE FUCKING TIMES to address the right person. Hey, to all you parasites who do this kinda shit? Please know what useless garbage you are. Criminy.

It's all about the emotion 🤌

#digitalcircus #glitch #animation #familyguy

Kewl new Indie thumbnail

Behold, my Award-Winning Indie Pilot! "MARCUS THE TEENAGER'S NEVER-ENDING QUEST FOR POPULARITY" Likes and Shares Appreciated! youtu.be/qWpbG02zFC4?si…

When the competition trips over its own shoelaces, make lemonade! #chimptopia #gameoverse #indieanimation

@mexopolis I will buy you a beer

I have decided to drop out of the AI program at Amazon. I will not be making a Punky Duck series. Actions speak louder than words. My intent was to showcase artists, both new and seasoned, both inside and outside the studios, driving this new tech. My sincerest apology to those I upset. I promise to do better moving forward. Thank you for your patience with me. I will try harder.

@RudyCoryMun @FountainCartoon @mexopolis and in response to data that the AI backlash is real

@FountainCartoon @mexopolis "ai is here to to stay and only becomes more profitable by each day"

This is the Jorge I’ve always known. Respect, @mexopolis .

@Radrappy @makeoriginals MAKE Originals: Into the Matt Braly-Verse

@makeoriginals omg I love everything about this

Get ready to GO. The all-new MAKE Original Gotta Go! is dropping soon, exclusively on YouTube. #GottaGo #RetroDarkFuture #MAKE #MAKEOriginals #IndieAnimation

@Ami_Mizuno @EmmyCic @Radrappy Rules are all different now. We gotta be explorers instead of following roadmaps. Tough for our generation but humans are resilient. Make art if you wanna make art.

@MichaelHilliger @EmmyCic @Radrappy Do you think animation can survive. Things like this make me feel given up art but also know in weird way people who support ai would win

If you need to partner with AI to get a greenlight on your project, it ain't worth it. I know it's super frustrating out there rn but nothing makes replacing your peers with automated garbo justified. Nothing. We gotta hold the line on this one or we're f*cked.

@EmmyCic Man, we gotta stop comparing AI to xeroxing or photography being invented. Scopes are barely alike. A better example is the light bulb being invented, and people saying "Well, we don't need the sun anymore."

So GROSSSSSS

I wasn't expecting the industry to pivot to Hardcore Difficulty mode the millisecond I left college. Getting thru it with food stamps and giving up my home, hoo boy What a privilege

@EmmyCic @Radrappy I wasn't expecting the industry to pivot to Hardcore Difficulty mode the millisecond I left college. Getting thru it with food stamps and giving up my home, hoo boy What a privilege

@Radrappy I’m so fucking sad for newcomers to this industry. How is anyone supposed to get a foot in the door in this mess

@mexopolis So how does that work with the film not being copyrightable

@FountainCartoon D'you think he helped set the tone that cartoon creators need to be kept on a leash?

JOHN KRICFALUSI: Misunderstood Genius or Lottery-Winner and Predator? A Thread 🧵 by “F” The main reason we even know the name “John K.” is because he came along at a time when people had been absolutely STARVED for a decent cartoon. It’s as though everyone had been stuck in an elevator for 20 years with a Muzak version of “Tiny Bubbles” playing on a loop and out of nowhere the doors opened, K. got on with an electric guitar and started playing “Livin’ on a Prayer” with some competency. It’s not that the song is that great or his playing was so masterful… it’s that we got a taste of something GOOD again. When you’ve been living with “lame” long enough, “good” can seem “great.” So… is K. “great” or did he just come along at the right time? Let’s examine what we know: - His drawing skills absolutely cannot be denied. He has mastered the art of drawing like John K. and he either cannot or sees no reason to work in any other style, because - as he will tell you with vehement and psychopathic rage - all other styles are shit and unworthy of acknowledgment. - The first two seasons of “Ren and Stimpy” were truly hilarious and beautifully executed… but how much of that can be attributed to him? He surrounded himself with eager, young talent who were anxious to prove themselves and work on something worthwhile, which allowed him to mentor them - but it also allowed him to berate, abuse and beat them into submission at every possible opportunity. So… yes, seasons 1 & 2 were great… but were they great BECAUSE of him or IN SPITE of him? Or both? It’s a legitimate question when you consider what came afterwards, but we’ll get to that later. - During that first two seasons, he would go on to loudly decry anyone who wasn’t him. The Simpsons, anime, his employers, his former peers… if you weren’t Ralph Bakshi or John K., you were an idiot. This created an “US vs. THEM” ecosystem that is still alive today. You can’t possibly love Miyazaki AND Ren & Stimpy, because K. had declared that only one type of animation style matters. - Despite working his crews day and night, every episode seemed to be late. Nickelodeon was constantly having to compensate and work around it (while also enduring his petulant attitude) because… well… money! - Famously, it all collapsed and everyone pointed the finger at big, bad ol’ Nickelodeon for the crime of expecting K. to fulfill his contractual responsibilities. So he became a beloved martyr. But surely whatever came NEXT would show ‘em… right?! Right? - “Ripping Friends”… um… okay… “Yogi Bear”… ummmm… “George Liquor Internet Cartoon”… hmmm… “Cans without Labels” (still not done)… and let’s not forget the thing that was supposed to thoroughly redeem him: “R&S Adult Party Cartoon”… ugh. Each of these were supposed to vindicate K. and prove his detractors wrong… but each one of these was riddled with missed deadlines, broken promises and, let’s face it, a distinct lack of… “FUNNY”! I was as big a John K. fan as anyone…. Thoroughly embedded in his camp… but eventually I had to ask the uncomfortable question: How many more second chances should we give this guy? Members of his crews went on to do great things… so what if it was THEM propping him up all along? I’ve been in a room with both Vince Waller and John K. Vince will crack you up. K. Will make you feel like an insect. I’m just sayin’. All of these things are enough reason to say, “Yeah… eff that guy.” And THEN there’s the REST of it… Grooming… abuse… harassment… statutory “improprieties”… and the hard drive filled with stuff that ruined the lives of countless children… stuff he got off on. Think about that. You really wanna make excuses for that? I’m perfectly capable of separating the art from the artist… I am still able to enjoy R&S for their craftsmanship and contribution to reviving the art of the cartoon. But as for John K. himself? He can go straight to hell and stay there.

@FountainCartoon They don't call it "Death of the Mentor" for nothing

It’s okay to admire your mentors… but don’t idolize them. Trust me… I know what I’m talking about.

@kianamaiart I don't think they consider the money period; they just want the things

@FountainCartoon My favorite episode of "Don't Hug Me I'm Scared":

Take a look at my hair. I use my hair to express myself.

Green is not a creative color.

@FountainCartoon This is a very, very wise take. People struggling to pay rent, save your cash.

SCAMINATION a thread 🧵 by “F” In recent history I’ve noticed an increase in the amount of “break into the animation sphere” workshops popping up (some even ironically(?) calling themselves “cons”) that promise to give you all of the insider information and tutoring you need to know in order to jumpstart your path towards cartoon fame. There have always been teaching courses run by animation professionals, but they were almost always more technical and art based. These newer programs pledge to teach you how to create franchises, compose series bibles, score network meetings and the art of pitching. The thing is, the industry that supported this system is almost entirely gone. #IndieAnimation is poised to eclipse the big studios entirely in their development of new, original, creator-owned properties. Now, I’m not saying these programs can’t be helpful, but they all seem to cost thousands of dollars and amount to little more than the privilege of rubbing elbows with them for a couple of days to gain some insights that may very well be obsolete by this time next year. Meanwhile, we at @Fpencartoons have been quietly learning the ropes together, doing it as a collaboration and making ACTUAL cartoons in the process. We learn by doing. I’m not saying you shouldn’t sign up for any of these programs (necessarily)… but what I AM saying is that “going indie” is a lot of fun and costs far less. Animation isn’t just artists… it’s editors, sound designers, musicians, coordinators and web designers. Why not start your own? Or volunteer for someone who’s starting one? I’m just sayin’ 😉 Zig-A-Zig Ah! Your pal, F

@RebelTaxi Because there's CatDog toys at Five Below but nothing for ChalkZone in a million years. Priorities out of order

Why ya'll hating on CatDog?