The life and art of "the King of Indie Animation." The only modern animator to personally hand-draw every frame in all of his work, Academy Award–nominee Bill Plympton eschewed a career in the high-paying but soul-crushing Hollywood animation industry to explore his own creativity as an independent filmmaker. Called "mischievous, mordant, analytical, and ceaselessly imaginative" by the New York Times, and hailed simply as "God" by Simpsons creator Matt Groening, Plympton is widely regarded as the hardest-working, most prolific animator in the business. His instantly recognizable and unique style catapulted him into the pop culture stratosphere and cemented his place in the pantheon of animation greats. In Independently Animated, the winner of countless animation and filmmaking awards juxtaposes the story of his life and art against the backdrop of the overall animation industry. It chronicles Plympton’s life from his childhood of Saturday morning cartoons to his most current and certainly adult-skewing animation. The book contains hundreds of pieces of art from his films, as well as never-before-seen drawings, doodles, production notes, and a full filmography.
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“No one ever needs an excuse to seek out animator Bill Plympton -- the urge to laugh until stuff comes spewing out the nostrils is reason enough -- but now there’s a big gorgeous book full of Plympton’s weird, hilarious, haunting work.” ~The Maddow Blog
“Independently Animated: Bill Plympton, The Life and Art of the King of Indie Animation juxtaposes the story of Academy Award-nominee Plympton’s life and art against the background of the animation industry.” ~Publishers Weekly
“...reads like a meandering journey into the mind of a slightly demented and always devious social agitator who wielded his colored pencils to entertain fans and influence artists around the world.” ~Coolhunting.com
“Mention indie animation and Bill Plympton’s name is the first to pop to mind. Since the mid-1980s, the New York-based animator has entertained audiences with his unique and quirky take on human (and canine) foibles, without having to conform to any particular formula, genre or studio mentality.” ~Animation Magazine
“The lavishly illustrated new book Independently Animated: The Life and Art of the King of Indie Animation, by Bill Plympton and David Levy, is part biography, part retrospective, and part behind-the-scenes look at Bill Plympton’s life and career.” ~flavorpill.com
“This is definitely a retrospective book that everyone should pick up.” ~Juxtapoz
“Independently Animated: Bill Plympton, The Life and Art of the King of Indie Animation juxtaposes the story of Academy Award-nominee Plympton’s life and art against the background of the animation industry.” ~Publishers Weekly
“...reads like a meandering journey into the mind of a slightly demented and always devious social agitator who wielded his colored pencils to entertain fans and influence artists around the world.” ~Coolhunting.com
“Mention indie animation and Bill Plympton’s name is the first to pop to mind. Since the mid-1980s, the New York-based animator has entertained audiences with his unique and quirky take on human (and canine) foibles, without having to conform to any particular formula, genre or studio mentality.” ~Animation Magazine
“The lavishly illustrated new book Independently Animated: The Life and Art of the King of Indie Animation, by Bill Plympton and David Levy, is part biography, part retrospective, and part behind-the-scenes look at Bill Plympton’s life and career.” ~flavorpill.com
“This is definitely a retrospective book that everyone should pick up.” ~Juxtapoz
About the Author
Bill Plympton’s cartoons have been published in the New York Times, Vogue, Rolling Stone, and Vanity Fair. His films are seen and heralded around the world. David B. Levy is an award-winning animation director, author, and animation industry expert. Terry Gilliam is an award-winning director, animator, and author best known as a member of Monty Python and for the films Brazil, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Time Bandits, The Brothers Grimm, and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.
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I once attended a local animated film festival and found myself sitting in a screening room watching a collection of Bill Plympton's shorts. It was showing Guard Dog, The Fan and the Flower and other short films. They really had a lasting impression on me because they were so different from other animation available - they still are.
I always wonder how a guy like him can survive as an independent animator. This book answers that question, and more.
This is a 264 page book that's beautiful printed and bound with thick paper. It's an autobiography written by Bill Plympton in his own words. It's sincerely written and you can feel the enthusiasm he has for animation. He talks about everything from when it all started in school to creating Oscar nominated short films. You can see the different types of jobs he took to pay the bills (like creating music videos for Madonna), about serving the army (where he learned the power of shadows), where and from whom he gets his inspiration from, the different types of people he has to work with, or how to find Paul Giamatti to do a voice-over.
The book's also filled with lots of artwork. There are sketches, cartoons, paintings, storyboards, photos, animated stills, etc. Bill Plympton's style of colour pencil drawings is unique but his other works show the other side of him. He's has included some amazing caricatures he created during his fifteen years in making political cartoons. The sketches and storyboards are great because of the wacky ideas, and you get to get a glimpse into how his mind thinks.
It's fascinating to look into this world from a perspective of an independent animator. You get a new sense of appreciation for the medium after realising the sheer effort it takes to create one.
This is a very inspiring book. Highly recommended.
(There are more pictures of the book on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.)
I always wonder how a guy like him can survive as an independent animator. This book answers that question, and more.
This is a 264 page book that's beautiful printed and bound with thick paper. It's an autobiography written by Bill Plympton in his own words. It's sincerely written and you can feel the enthusiasm he has for animation. He talks about everything from when it all started in school to creating Oscar nominated short films. You can see the different types of jobs he took to pay the bills (like creating music videos for Madonna), about serving the army (where he learned the power of shadows), where and from whom he gets his inspiration from, the different types of people he has to work with, or how to find Paul Giamatti to do a voice-over.
The book's also filled with lots of artwork. There are sketches, cartoons, paintings, storyboards, photos, animated stills, etc. Bill Plympton's style of colour pencil drawings is unique but his other works show the other side of him. He's has included some amazing caricatures he created during his fifteen years in making political cartoons. The sketches and storyboards are great because of the wacky ideas, and you get to get a glimpse into how his mind thinks.
It's fascinating to look into this world from a perspective of an independent animator. You get a new sense of appreciation for the medium after realising the sheer effort it takes to create one.
This is a very inspiring book. Highly recommended.
(There are more pictures of the book on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.)
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