The Ren and Stimpy Show

The Ren and Stimpy show

I have written something about cartoons like, Spongebob Squarepants and Roadrunner. In this post I focus on The Ren and Stimpy Show:

Again two flawed characters in a classic combination; one thinks he is very smart and the other is actually less smart, but smart enough to question the other. I found it absolutely amazing how they have used disgusting stuff in a cartoon! This cartoon does what I in my own way try to do myself; combining a cartoon style to show things that are generally seen as disgusting, but the difference is I want to make something more approachable that often isn’t and The Ren and Stimpy Show tries to make something less approachable.

One of the best examples of my work where I try to make disgusting stuff more approachable is, again, this Wile E Coyote work that includes a piece of real rabbit road kill.

The Smurfs

Speaking of cartoons. I have recently created a very small installation in the street, Northern Quarter Manchester, with the use of two characters of this cartoon: Gargamel and Brainy Smurf.

These two characters are now fighting for the same cause; getting rubbish of the street. Those who have followed me closely may have noticed that I have taken pictures in the street at a spot where there is a beer bottle in the background. This bottle has now been there for more than a year and decided to symbolically do something about it. So I created a Gargamel from an old toy and other rubbish that is trying to pull away the beer bottle while Brainy Smurf is pointing to it.

It is actually a trap that hopefully will get rid of the bottle eventually!

Roadrunner inspiration

The previous post I wrote about cartoons inspiring my work. This time I want to devote a post to just one cartoon: Roadrunner. I have made a GoGo bird based on the extinct Dodo and Roadrunner: http://www.imsobo.com/gogo.html

But I actually like Wile E Coyote as a character even more! I have made a 2D sculpture of him made from real roadkill:
http://www.imsobo.com/2d.html

So why do I like Wile E Coyote?

Wile E Coyote has a lot more depth and character than Roadrunner. Important for me, as is for me in people, he is not arrogant. The funny bit hides in his constant overestimation of his intellect, but also some impossible bad luck. The character has also one of the best life lessons. Did you know he ones caught Roadrunner? He didn’t know what to do. If you reach a goal, you either move on to another or your life stops. Wile E Coyote is perfect proof of life being about the journey and not where you are heading.

I can mention, I am currently working on a new quite big sculpture based on this character. More to follow!

Cartoons and my sculptures

I love cartoons! It might not be something a ‘serious artist’ would admit, but they inspire me. Sometimes I get the impression that there are a lot of artists taking this business very seriously and need to come with a piece of art with a heavy message and a dark installation. Well, I do like to put a message forward, but not after I have decided how it roughly should look like. Most of my work starts with creating an imperfect character in my head and then use it to express a meaning. This way it might sound far fetched to add this meaning, but there is a lot of trial and error involved to express it. You only see the end result. Sometimes I work the other way around but the visual effect is my main concern!

So if my main concern is to build an imperfect freak, what inspires me? Well, cartoons are full of them. My love for cartoons and the fact I am still a child within, made me want to make cartoon characters. There is a lot more expression in the faces of a cartoon character then most actors can achieve in a film. I have tried to make a list of cartoons that influence my work, or better, cartoons I think of while creating a character. I will start with Johnny Bravo and Spongebob Squarepants And write separate posts about the other main cartoons:

Johnny Bravo

Johnny Bravo is a flawed character and is what makes him funny. Johnny is someone who thinks he is a hot strong character but the viewer gets a different picture. Probably not a coincidence of the makers to give him a disproportionate physique; a lot bigger upper body compared with his legs. I have seen this a lot among people training to get a physical appealing figure. They want to have big upper body muscles and have matchsticks underneath, hilarious!

I watched this a lot while I actually had to go to courses at University, same accounts for Spongebob Squarepants, playing cards, do athletics and mountain biking.

Spongebob Squarepants

One of the few more modern cartoons I like to watch. I don’t like the real actor programs they make for kids these days. Hated them when I was young and still do. So it is very satisfying to see kids get some new proper oldskool entertainment! Generally I like to watch cartoons in the language it was made in, but this is an exception. The voice of Spongebob in the Dutch version is hilarious! I think this cartoon is really well made and a nice change to have a cartoon in a submarine world, it plays with the imagination.