Some 50 original drawings, caricatures and political strips from his time in the press to cels and drawings from MUTANT ALIENS to his next feature, HAIR HIGH, are on display June 2-7, 2003 at Annecy 2003.
There is a Bill Plympton phenomenon. Not one of the freak show variety, neither one that sociologists and journalists are fond of when there is nothing better to talk or write about. No, this is a real phenomenon, one of those which makes young animators want to do this demanding job.
Like many other cartoonists, Bill Plympton began his career providing cartoons for the American press. He soon distinguished himself from others by his particular natural ability for caricature, combining a casual pencil stroke with a ruthless vision of his fellow beings. Plympton leads this field which the press (especially Anglo-American) goes crazy about, combining reality and caricature.
However, after 15 years of good and loyal service, Plympton felt it was time for a change. This came about in 1984 through a little commissioned film entitled BOOMTOWN, which allowed him to change direction and find the way he has adopted to this day. The extreme austerity of BOOMTOWN made him realize that it was possible to animate without the help of 650 inbetweeners!
Since then, hes never stopped, alternating shorts, clips, MTV fill-ins and awards. His secret for success is to do most of it by himself, starting with the incredibly direct and effective animation he is known for. As Plympton has no time for dillydallying, this gives rise to straightforward films where invention and humor make up for the sparse means. Totally opposite from the Hollywood animation machine, where they have given up trying to attract him.
Bill Plympton has already tried the feature experience more than once, becoming part of the discreet club of animators to have found success in this mammoth task. In the country of political correctness, Plympton has taken up the torch formerly held by Ralph Bakshi. He is definitely not the only one in that category, but the elegance and virtuosity of his drawings set him apart.
This article was first published on 2 June 2003 in LE QUOTIDIEN #1, a publication of the International Animated Film Centre, Annecy for more information on this and other events at Annecy go to www.annecy.org.
