Channel Frederator Blog

We here at Channel Frederator wanted to take a moment to thank our most generous contributors to the podcast, The Brothers McLeod (also know in some circles as Greg and Myles McLeod). Our upcoming Episode 68 will mark their 6th time being featured on the podcast, this time with their 2006 Nicktoons Network Animation Festival Top Ten Film, “The M Man”.

Fuggy Fuggy

These guys are inspiring for many reasons, one being that they produce such diverse films. Secondly, theykeep producing material. They don’t hold on to one film for dear life. Thirdly, they seem to have figured out how to bridge the gap between independent filmmaking and commercial success. They utilize the internet as a tool to self promote, and have met with huge success. Their series, Spamland, got an enormous response on YouTube (over half a million views). So much that they were featured on the front page. Their brother/sister duo, “Super Charlie and Super Lauren”, is now being developed by Nickelodeon International as a series.

The Snotasaurus–Featuring Super Charlie and Super Lauren!

Aaron Simpson did a fabulous interview with them on Cold Hard Flash on February 12, 2007, which you should absolutely check out. I emailed Greg myself and asked him some further questions…

Snow?

MELISSA:Have the two of you always worked together on projects?

GREG MCLEOD: Since we were kids really. We’ve been coming up with stories since then. It’s only been recently that we’ve managed to carve out a living from it.

MELISSA:Where did the idea for “Super Charlie and Super
Lauren?” come from?

GREG MCLEOD: Super Charlie & Super Lauren was made for two children who are friends of the family called (surprise surprise) Charlie & Lauren. I was showing them how I animate one day and they suggested I make animated versions of them. What started out as a 30 second idea turned into a 6 minute
pilot and now it’s been taken on by Nickelodeon.

MELISSA: How do you feel being an animator in the UK differs from animating in the states? Do you notice a difference in the type of animation we produce in the US vs. England?

GREG MCLEOD: Weirdly we feel a little closer to you guys in the states. We both love a lot of American animation and your comedy in general. Especially the visual humour that comes across. Sometimes in the UK animations can be very dialogue heavy and we like to get a lot of visual stuff into our films. We also bring a little bit English eccenticity to the party as well I hope. We are asked a lot whether not being in London or the USA effects the work we get, but right from the start we set out to just get on with it. You are were you are and I here so many people who make excuses for why they aren’t successful. I think that if you put the hours in and have a real vision of the type of work you want to produce then you have every chance of making it. It’s a battle but you just have to get on with it. The great thing for us is that we have so many fans from all round the world now and that’s really special.

MELISSA: What is your beverage/snack food of choice when you’re creating and animating?

GREG MCLEOD: Pints of champagne and oysters on toast.

MELISSA: What artists or shows have influenced you?

GREG MCLEOD: We always try and be inspired rather than influenced, I’m a bit of a fanatic about trying to be original. Stuff we like now or loved as children include:

The Goons, The Muppets, Asterix, Arthur Rackham, Monty Python, The Mighty Boosh, Peter Cook, David Lynch, Jim Jarmusch, George Orwell, The Bonzo Dog, Doo-Dah Band, The Simpsons, South Park, Danger Mouse, Paul Klee, Daffy & Bugs & co, Battle of the Planets, Swallows and Amazons, Gabriel Garcia Marquez (espeacialy 100 years of Solitude), Richard Brautigan, Withnail & I, The Warrior etc etc

MELISSA: How do you react to criticism?

GREG MCLEOD: Take in on the chin and move on. If it’s constructive then learn from it.

MELISSA: What is something you have never drawn before?

GREG MCLEOD: A yak steeling danish pastries from a yodeling spanner salesman.

I challenge any one of our blog readers to draw this, and I will post it on the blog for all to see!. If you do draw this, you must divulge something that you haven’t ever drawn, thus passing the challenge down.

Stay tuned for Part II of my interview with The Brothers McLeod where I satiate all of your eager minds on how they came up with the idea for “M Man”.

Melissa

Click here to subscribe to Channel Frederator or go to iTunes. Please send your suggestions to promotecartoons@gmail.com.