It would be bad for my health, it really would, when I told my sister to write something, I didn't think she would try to include what she did... I am still the dog that will destroy the world and make sure everyone is having fun at the same time! Rawr! Now! All who bow down and listen to my ramblings will have a share of the world to come! Muhahahahahahahaha!!!!    

  Also, I just got done doing an interview with the legendary Johnathan-Wrathbrone, a very stellar storyteller in his animations, so as I finally got to see his latest animation that he did on NewGrounds called "Bed Time" a short fifty second short that surprisingly made me check my bed just in case of the extreme paranoia that I keep around me.  His animation will be after his interview that I will put on here and on my account on NewGrounds. So please click on the link below to subscribe and like while also following me for the latest animation. -Stray.

1. Who was your inspiration to first get started doing animations?

Didnt really have one. I was surprised I was even able to animate at all when I first started.I just kind of winged it.

2. What was your first animation that you did?

Cant quite remember. I originally learned how to animate on another animation by Macromedia(original publishers of Flash) called "Director". It used raster instead of vector, so all the artwork was pixely. I think I probably did some old Mortal Kombat sprite animations at the beginning. I was originally a film major(got an AA in film production) but lost my passion for film making when I kept fucking up on my shorts, or couldn't get any help to film them. So I went back to animation, picked up flash and started to learn.

3. Did you think that after all this time you would be this famous for what you do?

Nope. Not really famous now. Famous would be like Weebl, Harry Partidge, or Chluaid. My work is still pretty niche and while it gets around every now and then I haven't really managed to make that one toon that seemed to connect with everyone.

4. Where do you come up with your characters?

Usually come up with a story concept first, If I have a concept that can hold my own interest I move on from that point and see if I can build on it. Getting the concept is the easy part, coming up with the characters is more challenging. In the case of Romanticide I came across a Manga style graphic novel at a book store called "My zombie girlfriend". The title was awful. I've always thought that a title of a book,movie,TV show etc, should catch your attention. If a title is just what the story is about, then there goes the mystique of the story itself. I picked up the graphic novel to see how the art was, and immediately put it back. I'm a snob when it comes to art anyways. Either way this book stuck with me because I didn't like the title. I didn't think the author was trying and he was also using the "dating the undead" trope, which was on the rise as the awful 'Twilight' movies had just started filming at about this time.

I thought it might be interesting to try out the trope myself to see if there was anything new I could add to it. The idea of Death being a woman was a little more interesting(Women create life, why not death?), but the idea of Death having no real knowledge of humanity was a fun idea. I was originally going to make fun of Twilight with the series(Death having no facial expressions) but thought that would be pretty demeaning to what I was creating. As the main trope for 'Romanticide' is over saturated the hard part is finding something new to add to it. Death having no real social skills, or knowledge of the world that exists around her creates a lot of opportunities in a story for the character to experience. Death as a character has been done...well to death. From the legendary cloaked skeletal figure to Robert Redford in the original "Twilight Zone" tv series, to Grimm, from "The Grimm adventures of Billy and Mandy" Death has been a monster, a hero, a joke, etc.

But In all these incarnations Death has a lot of knowledge of how humanity works. If I had chosen to make Death more knowledgeable, then I would have stopped at the pilot episode. My Version of Death isn't stupid, shes technically a workaholic. When you're working and in 'The Zone' you stop noticing everything around you. Keiichi was an easy character to make, because hes just a normal introverted guy. Without Death around, hes still just a normal introverted guy. Theres not much of a story to tell there, but the fact that he can see Death, and can see her as she really is(will be explained more in the next episode of the series) makes him more interesting. An interesting story needs an interesting character, if the main character isn't interesting, you need someone or something to make him interesting.

5. I know you're busy, but if I ever asked for my own picture from you, would you not charge me?

As long as it wasn't anything too extravagant I could manage something.

6. All silliness aside, what can you say for my readers out there who wish to try animating?

Find out what you as an artist, and a writer like then find something you can add to them. On storytelling, Quentin Tarantino says "Steal from the best". Taking a familiar concept isnt uncommon in this day and age where anything and everything has been done(or almost done), but taking someone elses ideas is as fucking lazy as can be. This is a dangerous way of thinking and why we're plagued by shitty remakes and sequels from Hollywood.

Because they're out of ideas, and have used up all the ideas they've stolen. Its not hard to take something familiar, and make it your own. When you can do that and add more to it, then you'll be surprised how far you can expand an idea to the point what you borrowed, isn't so noticeable anymore. In terms of animation, I'll say this. I draw by mouse. I have since day one, I'm a dinosaur who cant adjust to a wacom tablet, and thats fine. It works for me, find out what works for you. As your art style matures you need to find out what you can and cant do.

I'm not going to recommend spend...2-4 hours a day studying character designs,doing walk cycle tests, or storyboarding, etc... I am going to recommend not being scared of a project not working out and having to stop working on it. Let it sit for a while if you're stuck and get back to it later. It may take you two, maybe three tries to finish something. I tried to make Romanticide back in 2007, it didn't happen. It didn't because I wasn't ready as a animator to tell the story how I wanted. If you don't give up on your idea, and dont rush it, you'll get something better when you reach the finish line. Failing at making a toon, means you get to make it better when you're ready. If your story/idea means that much to you, then you wont forget it. You'll get to it when you're ready.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8HCwIvYuQg