Good morning!
From Bronk and Bongo. Bongo can never pass up a cup of coffee — not that he needs the perking up.
This seems like a good time to introduce ourselves to anyone who isn’t a co-worker or personal well-wisher. Manny Galan is the director of on-air animation at Nickelodeon, which means he creates most of those in-between show “quicktoons” you see. Alan Goodman is a writer and producer who also works as a consultant at Nickelodeon, advising on the channel’s branding campaigns. They’re in a big conference room full of people once a week. At the very first meeting, their eyes locked and everything went into slow motion as “Dreamweaver” could be heard playing faintly in the distance. Turns out it was Manny’s cell phone ringtone. Instantly the spell was broken for Alan, who is rather picky about music. And yet, their creative partnership blossomed. Stay tuned for more. . .
Incidentally, Alan drinks his coffee black out of a small pink tea cup, because it makes him feel tough yet sensitive. And Manny likes to start the day with a soothing cup of Ripple. Bloggingly yours, Manny and Alan.
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On January 31st, 2006 at 12:00 am
Manny and Alan….. This color set-up looks so great! Also; thanks for the backstory about you guys and what you do in the Nickelodeon family. It’s amazing how friendships and partnerships begin. This is a great story! Thanks for sharing and thanks for your great work at Nickelodeon! We’ll talk soon. Jeff
On January 31st, 2006 at 12:00 am
Thanks for the compliments once again Jeff. This was obviously an innaccurate account of our meeting though as the song on my cell phone was “IN THE NAVY” by THE VILLAGE PEOPLE. The shiney lacquerred indian was my favorite.
On January 31st, 2006 at 12:00 am
I drink tea out of a coffee mug. Not that you asked.
On January 31st, 2006 at 12:00 am
Whoa! Cool picture. Again, like I’ve said before these concept or finished art pieces should all be collected into a MAKING OF OH YEAH! book….This one’s going to be my new wall paper.
On January 31st, 2006 at 12:00 am
That’s a neat picture of Bongo, but isn’t drinking coffee a little to risque for a cartoon? It certainly would be ground breaking I guess. Very cool style…incidentally I drink my coffee with a Crazy Straw…
On January 31st, 2006 at 12:00 am
Ah, it’s nice when you can meet someone at work although those relationships never seem to work out. Take it slow guys and remember there are other fishes in the sea. Seriously though, that is damn nice art…is this a production piece or for the postcard?
On January 31st, 2006 at 12:00 am
We are taking it slow, we don’t want his wife or my girlfriend to find out about us.
“ALAN? WHY CAIN’T I QUIT YOU!?”
This art was just one of several BG tests I did when I was trying to figure out the style of the show. The characters and the BG have evolved a bit since this piece, hopefully for the better. Thanks for posting.
On January 31st, 2006 at 12:00 am
i love the art! the texture of the steam from the mug is OUTTA site! keep up the beauty!
On January 31st, 2006 at 12:00 am
The color looks good and so does the character and the background…I’ve seen the quicktoons, wish i could make some for nickelodeon :-
On January 31st, 2006 at 12:00 am
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the style direction you guys took this! I hate coffee, however…
On January 31st, 2006 at 12:00 am
I love coffee
On January 31st, 2006 at 12:00 am
Manny+Alan=BOOYAA!!!! Congratulations guys. The art looks fantastic and I can’t wait to see more. You guys truly inspire. (I know a joke would be appropriate here, but I am actually serious) Alan…if you find yourself leaning too much on the macho side, rasing the pinky is a great counterbalance.
On January 31st, 2006 at 12:00 am
The transparency of the salt & pepper shakers (and even the spoon) is brilliant. Keeps the focus on the coffee - and to a lesser degree; the necessary accroutrement for dribblers like me, the napkin. Great work, guys, just great.
On January 31st, 2006 at 12:00 am
Beautiful work as usual! As an avid coffee drinker, I find Bongo very relatable. Love it!
On January 31st, 2006 at 12:00 am
You should try putting the ripple in the cofee. That’s how we do things at WWE! Great art, by they way. Will the whole jam be in that style?
On January 31st, 2006 at 12:00 am
Still working out the final BG details, but it won’t be too far from this. The characters have changed slightly since this but, again…not too much. And I used to put Ripple in my coffee, then it became coffee in my Ripple and now it’s just Ripple. RIP-PLLE say it with me, it’s fun.
On January 31st, 2006 at 12:00 am
Very cool guys. I also love the style. I think there’s really something to taking classic character designs and pairing them with intensely modern or postmodern backgrounds. Bril.
On the relationship note: Although I hate to be the one to say it, as a former professional homo (still a homo, no longer professional)– I don’t think your love is meant to be and we at the HSC (Homo Society of Canada– US chapter closed by the current administration) do not recognize your love for one another despite the current popularity of Brokeback Mountain and it’s 8 Oscar Nominations. I’m sorry. I’d stick to the wives and girfriends– and pour all that energy into the cartoon.
“If you can’t fix it, you gotta stand it.” Ennis del Mar
On January 31st, 2006 at 12:00 am
I love the artwork! Can’t wait to see more.
On January 31st, 2006 at 12:00 am
This is an AWESOME show! I love the creative style, I love the story line. I cannot wait to read the book. You guys ROCK!!!!
On January 31st, 2006 at 12:00 am
Congratulations, guys! Manny, I knew that a lifetime of following men wearing masks and tights would pay off! Can’t wait to see how it all goes!
On January 31st, 2006 at 12:00 am
Hey Eddie, leave my personal life out of this.
On January 31st, 2006 at 12:00 am
Fabulous! It doesn’t suprise me, you are both truly talented and together are just genius! Cannot wait for more!
On January 31st, 2006 at 12:00 am
It looks great. Hope to see much more of Bronk and Bongo soon.
On January 31st, 2006 at 12:00 am
Hey David, thanks for your enthusiam, I count 5 posts in your name…sure it’s the same post but you did it 5 times. While I appreciate your excitement you might want to spread it out some….we will post again…..
On January 31st, 2006 at 12:00 am
It looks great. Hope to see much more of Bronk and Bongo soon.
On January 31st, 2006 at 12:00 am
It looks great. Hope to see much more of Bronk and Bongo soon.
On January 31st, 2006 at 12:00 am
It looks great. Hope to see much more of Bronk and Bongo soon.
On January 31st, 2006 at 12:00 am
It looks great. Hope to see much more of Bronk and Bongo soon.
On January 31st, 2006 at 12:00 am
dogs rule. cartoons with dogs will keep me watchin. Nice art. Style reminds me of the ol classic cartoons that have long been forgotten…Bringing it back is GENIUS!
On February 1st, 2006 at 12:00 am
Really like how it looks. Hope to see more of Bronk and Bongo soon
On February 1st, 2006 at 12:00 am
Um…Excuse me, I was just trying to find the on-line frederator bathroom and I think I walked into the wrong page. Can you point me in the right direction… oh, interesting art. Like the tonal retro backgrounds but fresh in that kind of Peppermint Patty or bathing in seltzer kind of way. Ok it was coffee that made me need the bathroom, can you draw Bronk & Brongo potty humor for me. Thanks.
On February 27th, 2006 at 12:00 am
Manny, the way the character is drawn and the colors and some how, it has the look that it would be in a movie theater kinda cartoon. I try going for that look in my flash animations, howd you get that look in the drawing?
-Steve
On February 28th, 2006 at 12:00 am
Hey Stephen, Thanks for the compliment. I’m not really sure exactly what you are responding to in the art. I feel like almost everyone on FREDERATOR is doing MOVIE THEATER quality work. Perhaps what you are responding to is the “organic” quality of the backgrounds, that they look like they were painted and not drawn, and that the characters pop off of this. I also sometimes put a slight drop shadow under my characters to give the illusion of it being like an old fashioned animated cel painting.
On March 5th, 2006 at 12:00 am
Manny, thats exactly it, i just didnt know how to describe it. Everyone at Frederator is doing an amazing job on their cartoons! I honestly think, because of all modernization and these concepts and cartoon ideas and like better animation quality, this is going to be the best Oh Yeah Cartoons! So far! Talk soon! -Steve