"I'm doing these films because I think that it is good to kick people in the ass and use as much bad taste and be as offensive and artistic as possible." Those are the words of Bill Plympton, famed animator, who, tonight, will present in person his film, "I Married A Strange Person" as part of the Spring Film Series, "The Indies."
Over the years, Plympton has gained a reputation for his "oblique, off-center sense of the ridiculous in everyday life" which has manifested itself in his animated features. He cites Daffy Duck, the Marx Brothers and Mad Magazine as early influences on him but claims that his bizarre musings were always with him. "As a child I was doing risque, twisted humor."
Growing up in Portland, Ore., Plympton had to spend many days indoors because of rainy weather. He claims that this confinement led to his interest in drawing. Later in life, he opted to go to Portland State University where he received a BA in Graphic Design. "My parents felt I should get a real education in case cartooning didn't work out," he explained. "Education is the best way to hold off unemployment. I, myself, didn't know if I had the talent to be successful in cartooning."
In 1967, Plympton joined the National Guard to avoid serving in the Vietnam War. He considered himself a strong anti-war activist and took part in several demonstrations. "When I was in the National Guard on the rifle range, I refused to fire my weapon -- they don't call it a gun but a weapon. They called in a general to court-martial me," Plympton recalled. Luckily, a sergeant stood up for him and recommended that he be moved to the "art department."
There, Plympton was assigned to make posters for the Armed Forces with themes such as "Always Clean Your Weapon." He never, however, slipped any sort of anti-war messages into his assignments. "I was happy. I didn't want to get fired. If I had to do it again, I would have said I was gay or on drugs or gone to Canada. At the age of 18 you don't know what the future will be like."
Plympton soon moved to New York City which he describes as "a cartoon city in itself." He began doing political cartoons in the seventies for "The SoHo Weekly News" and eventually his work became syndicated widely by 1981. It was this crucial period that Plympton claims he honed his style. Everyday a new cartoon needed to be produced and ultimately he "developed a style that was quick, easy to draw and still had a lot of personality to it," he said.
Since then, Plympton's works have appeared in Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair and Vogue, among other places. His animated shorts have aired on MTV, and in 1988, he earned an Oscar nomination for his short, "Your Face." With the success of that film, Disney offered him $1 million to work for them, but he turned them down because he was already busy with another film. The job he turned down: the genie for "Aladdin."
Later, in 1991 his "Push Comes to Shove" won the Prix du Jury at the esteemed Cannes Film Festival. Plympton believes these were two of the high points of his career, but unfortunately he wasn't able to go to Cannes. The award was presented to him in absentia by none other than Madonna.
Plympton's films can often be found touring the world in various festivals. In addition to Cannes, his work has been showcased at several festivals including the Annecy Film Festival, "the Cannes for animation," and the Sundance Film festival.
In Europe, his films have huge followings. From France to Scandinavia, people flock to his works. Next year, a Plympton retrospective is being planned in Spain. Plympton credits this multi-national popularity to the visual nature of his work. The humor is strongest in the images, not the dialogue like "South Park" or "The Simpsons."
Plympton would like to have a more mainstream success in the United States, but, like many independent directors, he will not actively change his style for the public. "I think my films reach ... people, which is why they are so popular on MTV."
As for Hollywood, Plympton describes himself as a great fan but not a member. "I don't consider myself part of it," he said. "I do consider myself an independent filmmaker ... I see myself as the W.C. Fields of animation. I write, direct, act in my films."
One of his main goals is to be as politically incorrect as possible. According to him, the politically correct movement stifles human communication. "Political correctness does not tell the truth. There's no freedom of speech in political correctness. The biggest problem is that it has no sense of humor."
So it is no surprise that Plympton's latest film, "I Married A Strange Person," starts off with what can be described as a mid-flight birdie rape. The movie actually follows the story of a newlywed man who has the power to change the environment around him.
"I just had an idea one day of what it would be like to be God for a day," Plympton said. "Being the animator, you are sort of God. You create the weather, the people, the clothes." In addition, there is a subplot about a giant conglomerate with a military branch. "Corporations are more powerful than countries. It seems obvious that they would have these branches."
With a budget of only $200,000, the film took half a year to write, a year to draw and a year for post-production. It will be given a wide release this summer all over America. In the meantime, Plympton is developing a new short called "The Exciting Life of a Tree" and is talking with MTV about doing a television series.
Bill Plympton will be at the College in person to present the film and answer questions afterwards. Although "I Married a Strange Person" is animated, the film is recommended for adults only.
