Bill Plympton#Animated shorts

Plympton was born in Portland, Oregon, the son of Wilda Jean (Jerman) and Donald F. Plympton,{{cite web|url=http://obits.oregonlive.com/obituaries/oregon/obituary.aspx?pid=168811462|title=Wilda Jean Plympton [obituary]|publisher=OregonLive.com|access-date=June 14, 2019|archive-date= September 30, 2018|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180930192534/https://obits.oregonlive.com/obituaries/oregon/obituary.aspx?pid=168811462 |url-status=live}} and was raised on a farm in nearby Oregon City with five siblings. From 1964 to 1968, he studied Graphic Design at Portland State University, where he was a member of the film society and worked on the yearbook. In 1968, he transferred to the School of Visual Arts{{cite news|url=http://www.plymptoons.com/biography/bio.html |title=Biography |publisher=Plymptoons (official site) |access-date=2012-04-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120209014649/http://www.plymptoons.com/biography/bio.html |archive-date=2012-02-09 }} in New York City, where he majored in cartooning. He graduated from SVA in 1969.{{cite journal|journal=Visual Arts Journal|volume=19|issue= 1|date=Spring 2011|publisher=School of Visual Arts|page=13|title=[title n.a.]}}

Plympton's illustrations and cartoons have been published in The New York Times and the weekly newspaper The Village Voice, as well as in the magazines Vogue, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, Penthouse, and National Lampoon. His political cartoon strip Plympton, which began in 1975 in the SoHo Weekly News, eventually was syndicated and appeared in over 20 newspapers.{{Cite web|url=http://www.plymptoons.com/about/|title=About Bill Plympton – Plymptoons|website=www.plymptoons.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-03}}

In 1988, his animated short Your Face was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. He also became known for other animated short films, including 25 Ways to Quit Smoking (1989) and Enemies (1991), the latter of which was part of the Animania series on MTV, where many of his other shorts were shown.{{cite magazine|magazine=Daily Variety|date=May 21, 1992|page=2|title=October Wins 'Tune' Rights|last=Frook|first=John Evan}}

In 1991, Plympton won the Prix Spécial du Jury at the Cannes Film Festival for Push Comes to Shove which was featured on MTV's animated series Liquid Television.{{cite web|url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/artist/bill-plympton# |title= Bill Plympton|publisher=Cannes Film Festival|access-date=June 14, 2019|archive-date=October 29, 2017|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20171029013734/https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/artist/bill-plympton|url-status=live}} In 1992, his self-financed, first feature-length animated film, The Tune debuted at the Sundance Film Festival.

His work also appeared on the 1992–1993 Fox comedy series The Edge. In 1993, he made his first live action film, J. Lyle.

File:Bill and Sandrine at IADT.jpg

In 1995, he contributed animation and graphics to a computer game collection, Take Your Best Shot.[http://www.mobygames.com/game/win3x/take-your-best-shot MobyGames: Take Your Best Shot, September 17, 2000] He also published a comic book in 2003, The Sleazy Cartoons of Bill Plympton.

The actress Martha Plimpton, a distant relative of his,{{cite web | url = http://www.efilmcritic.com/feature.php?feature=1387 | title= Bill Plympton, Animator - Profile Interview Series Vol. #6 | publisher = Efilmcritic.com | date =February 28, 2005 | access-date = October 13, 2012}} served as associate producer on Plympton's animated feature Hair High (2004), doing much of the casting. The movie's voice cast included her father Keith Carradine and her uncle David Carradine.

Guard Dog (2004) was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. In 2005, Plympton animated a music video for Kanye West's "Heard 'Em Say" and the following year, he created the music video for "Weird Al" Yankovic's "Don't Download This Song". Plympton contributed animation to the 2006 History Channel series 10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America, to illustrate the events of Shays' Rebellion. Together with other independent New York City animators, he has released two DVDs of animated shorts, both titled Avoid Eye Contact.

Plympton's 2008 80-minute feature, Idiots and Angels presented by Terry Gilliam, had no dialogue.{{cite news |url=http://www.laweekly.com/2010-10-28/film-tv/sex-death-and-pragmatism/ |title=Sex, Death and Pragmatism: Bill Plympton's DIY cartoon cottage industry |first=Vadim |last=Rizov |work=LA Weekly |date=October 28, 2010 |archive-date=January 28, 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130128083154/http://www.laweekly.com/2010-10-28/film-tv/sex-death-and-pragmatism/ |url-status=dead |access-date=November 11, 2011 }}{{cite news|url=http://www.awn.com/animationworld/might-come-back-dead-mans-curve-bill-plymptons-hair-high|work=Animation World News|date=April 10, 2007|title=Might Come Back From Dead Man's Curve: Bill Plympton's 'Hair High'|first=Taylor|last=Jessen|archive-date=June 14, 2019|archive-url=https://archive.today/20190614183926/https://www.awn.com/animationworld/might-come-back-dead-mans-curve-bill-plymptons-hair-high|url-status=live|access-date=May 15, 2016}} The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on 26 April 2008,[http://www.tribecafilmfestival.org/filmguide/Idiots_and_Angels.html Tribeca Film Festival Film Guide] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511174346/http://www.tribecafilmfestival.org/filmguide/Idiots_and_Angels.html |date=May 11, 2008 }}

In 2011, Alexia Anastasio completed a documentary on Plympton's life, Adventures in Plymptoons!,{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2011/film/reviews/adventures-in-plymptoons-1117946477/|title= Film Reviews - 'Adventures in Plymptoons!|work=Variety|date=November 1, 2011}} released in September 2012 direct-to-DVD and on video-on-demand.{{cite news | url = http://www.animationmagazine.net/home_entertainment/a-good-time-to-watch-adventures-in-plymptoons/ | title = A Good Time to Watch 'Adventures in Plymptoons!' | date = September 28, 2012 | first= Ramin | last= Zahed | work = Animation Magazine}}

In 2011, Plympton collaborated with child film critic Perry Chen on Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest, a 2011 short animated film directed by Kevin Sean Michaels, about actress and Holocaust survivor Ingrid Pitt.{{cite news | title = Wise Beyond His Years|newspaper=Animation Magazine|publisher= PerrysPreviews.com|url=http://www.perryspreviews.com/?p=3579|date= February 2012}}

Plympton has done extensive guest animation work for the The Simpsons, producing eight opening couch gags for the show between 2012 and 2022, as well as the menus and packaging for the Season 19 DVD.

Plympton directed the segment "On Eating and Drinking" in the 2014 animated film The Prophet, adapted from Kahlil Gibran's book The Prophet. In 2018, Plympton created a series of videos for The New York Times called “Trump Bites”. One of the series, Trump and Putin: A Love Story, depicts Trump and Putin kissing half-naked. Critics said the video implied that gay relationships were inherently comical and immoral.{{cite news |title=New York Times under fire for 'homophobic' cartoon of Trump and Putin|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-media-gay/new-york-times-under-fire-for-homophobic-cartoon-of-trump-and-putin-idUSKBN1K802J |work=Reuters|date=July 18, 2018}}

In 2020, Plympton released a Kickstarter for a new animated comedy western, Slide. The funding was successful, raising $60,000 from 400 backers. The film premiered at the 2023 Annecy International Animation Film Festival and was shown at several other film festivals through 2023 and 2024, though the film has yet to receive a wide release.{{cite web|title=Bill Plympton's 'Slide' Feature Film Kickstarter Ends December 17 - Animation World Network|website=awn.com|url=https://www.awn.com/news/bill-plymptons-slide-feature-film-kickstarter-ends-december-17|access-date=4 April 2025}}{{cite web|title=Annecy > About > Archives > 2023 > Official Selection > Film Index|website=annecyfestival.com|url=https://www.annecyfestival.com/about/archives/2023/official-selection/film-index:film-20233243|access-date=4 April 2025}}{{cite web|title=Slide (2023) Awards & Festivals|website=mubi.com|url=https://mubi.com/en/films/slide-2023/awards|access-date=4 April 2025}}

A collection of more than 180 Plympton items is held at the Academy Film Archive.{{cite web|title=Bill Plympton Collection|url=http://www.oscars.org/film-archive/collections/bill-plympton-collection|publisher=Academy Film Archive| access-date= June 30, 2016}} The archive has preserved Plympton's films such as Your Face, The Tune, Guard Dog, and The Cow Who Wanted to Be a Hamburger.{{cite web|title=Preserved Projects|url=https://www.oscars.org/academy-film-archive/preserved-projects?title=&filmmaker=plympton&category=All&collection=All|website=Academy Film Archive}}

His films have featured in the Animation Show of Shows including Your Face, Guard Dog, Eat (2001), The Fan and the Flower (2005), and Santa: The Fascist Years (2009).[https://www.animationshowofshows.com/collections/vendors?q=Bill%20Plympton Animation Show of Shows][https://www.animationshowofshows.com/products/the-animation-show-of-shows-volume-44?_pos=1&_sid=29cf3d13b&_ss=r The Animation Show of Shows (Volume 44)][https://www.animationshowofshows.com/products/the-animation-show-of-shows-volume-20?_pos=2&_sid=29cf3d13b&_ss=r The Animation Show of Shows (Volume 20)][https://www.animationshowofshows.com/products/the-animation-show-of-shows-volume-23?_pos=1&_sid=cff21bb38&_ss=r The Animation Show of Shows (Volume 23)][https://www.animationshowofshows.com/products/the-animation-show-of-shows-volume-11?_pos=1&_sid=17e29801a&_ss=r The Animation Show of Shows (Volume 11)]

On December 23, 2011, Plympton married animator/artist/illustrator Sandrine Flament.{{cite web |url = http://www.cartoonbrew.com/cartoon-culture/congratulations-bill-plympton-and-sandrine-flament-54462.html |title = Congratulations Bill Plympton and Sandrine Flament |author-link= Jerry Beck |first = Jerry |last = Beck |date = 21 December 2011 |publisher = Cartoon Brew |access-date = October 13, 2012}}{{cite web | first= Bill | last= Plympton | url = http://scribblejunkies.blogspot.com/2012/01/what-i-did-this-christmas.html | date = January 3, 2012 | publisher= Scribble Junkies (Plympton official blog) | title= What I did this Christmas | access-date = October 13, 2012}} Their son was born in September 2012.

Plympton has stated he has many influences, the biggest being the work of the Walt Disney with others including Tex Avery, Bob Clampett, Robert Crumb, Charles Addams, Charles M. Schulz, Don Martin, Harvey Kurtzman, Spain Rodriguez and Jules Feiffer.{{cite AV media|title= Bill Plympton - 16 January 09-Part 2|date=January 18, 2009|work=One on One|publisher=Al Jazeera English|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtlrQvl0eT8 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/KtlrQvl0eT8 |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|time=06:57-07:46|access-date= June 14, 2019}}{{cbignore}}{{Cite web |title=Bill Plympton |url=https://www.lambiek.net/artists/p/plympton_bill.htm |access-date=2025-03-24 |website=lambiek.net |language=en}} He said I Married a Strange Person! "was influenced by Peter Jackson, some of his earlier films ... where he used gore and violence and blood as humor."Bill Plympton - 16 January 09-Part 2 at 06:26. He also included references to Jacques Tati,[https://www.criterion.com/current/top-10-lists/49-bill-plympton-s-top-10 Bill Plympton's Top 10|The Current|The Criterion Collection] Carlos Nine, and Milt Kahl.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l20pbvjh6Dc HAND DRAWN: Extended Interview #3- Bill Plympton]

• 1988 Academy Award nomination for Short Animation: "Your Face"{{Cite web|url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1988/Y|title=The 60th Academy Awards {{!}} 1988|website=Oscars.org {{!}} Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|language=en|access-date=2019-07-22}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUrE-PO5J0U |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/KUrE-PO5J0U |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|title=The Man Who Planted Trees Wins Animated Short: 1988 Oscars|website=YouTube }}{{cbignore}}
• 1991 Jury Prize for Short Films, "Push Comes to Shove", Cannes Film Festival[https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/films/push-comes-to-shove PUSH COMES TO SHOVE - Festival de Cannes]
• 2004 Inkpot Award winner[https://www.comic-con.org/awards/inkpot Inkpot Award]
• 2005 Academy Award nomination for Short Animation: "Guard Dog"{{Cite web|url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2005/G|title=The 77th Academy Awards {{!}} 2005|website=Oscars.org |language=en|access-date=2019-07-22}}
• 2006 Winsor McCay Award Annie Awards by ASIFA-Hollywood[https://annieawards.org/juried-awards/winsor-mccay Annie Awards - Winsor Mccay]
• 2011 20th Annual Cinema St. Louis Film Festival (traditional name: St. Louis International Film Festival), Lifetime Achievement Award{{cite web|url=http://www.cinemastlouis.org/sliff-2011-awards |title=SLIFF 2011 Awards Major Filmmaker Awards |access-date=2021-11-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111026000810/http://cinemastlouis.org/sliff-2011-awards |archive-date=October 26, 2011 }}
• 2011 Burbank International Film Festival, Pioneer in Theatrical Animation Award{{cite web|url=http://www.burbankfilmfestival.org/Awards_honorees.html |title=2011 Awards: Our Honorees |access-date=October 4, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111024223746/http://www.burbankfilmfestival.org/Awards_honorees.html |archive-date=October 24, 2011 }}
• 2011 Action On Film International Film Festival, Lifetime Achievement Award{{cite web|url=http://www.aoffest.com/pdf/bill-plympton.pdf |title=2011 Lifetime Achievement Award: Bill Plympton |publisher=Action on Film International Film Festival |access-date=2021-11-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110909204400/http://www.aoffest.com/pdf/bill-plympton.pdf |archive-date=September 9, 2011 }}
• 2013 ANIMAFicx Award, 51st Gijon International Film Festival: "Cheatin'"{{cite web|url=http://en.fic.gijon.es/page/14421-prize-list|title=51st Gijon International Film Festival Awards|access-date=November 23, 2016}}
• 2023 Los Angeles Animation Festival{{Cite web |date=2023-12-11 |title=2023 WINNERS – December 9-10 2023 |url=https://blog.laafest.com/2023/12/11/2023-winners/ |access-date=2023-12-12 |language=en-US}}
• Winner Best Feature Film: "Slide"
• Best Feature Film Director: "Slide"
• Winner Music Video: "Lipstick of the Brave"

• The Tune (1992)
• I Married a Strange Person! (1997)
• Mutant Aliens (2001)
• Hair High (2004)
• Idiots and Angels (2008)
• Cheatin' (2013)
• Revengeance (2016)
• Slide (2024)

• Fuck (2005; provided animated sequences)
• Adventures in Plymptoons! by Alexia Anastasio (2011)

• J. Lyle (1993)
• Guns on the Clackamas(1995)
• Walt Curtis, the Peckerneck Poet (1997)
• Hitler's Folly (a mockumentary) (2016)

Source unless otherwise noted:{{cite web|url=http://www.plymptoons.com/biography/anishorts.html |title=Animated Shorts |publisher=Plymptoons (official site) |access-date=October 23, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018180813/http://www.plymptoons.com/biography/anishorts.html |archive-date=October 18, 2012 }}[https://www.sndfilms.com/?s=Bill%20Plympton SND Films]

• The Turn On (1968; 2:00)
• Lucas the Ear of Corn (1977; 4:00)
• Boomtown (1985; 6:00){{cite web|url=http://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/cartoons-considered-for-an-academy-award-1984/|title=Cartoons Considered For An Academy Award – 1984 -|website=cartoonresearch.com}}
• Love in the Fast Lane (1985; 3:00)
• Your Face (1987; 3:10)
• Drawing Lesson #2 (1988; 6:00)
• One of Those Days (1988: 7:50)
• How to Kiss (1989; 6:35)
• 25 Ways to Quit Smoking (1989; 5:00)
• Plymptoons (1990; 6:45)
• Tango Schmango (1991)
• Dig My Do (1990; 4:00)
• The Wiseman (1990: 4:30)
• Push Comes to Shove (1991; 6:30)
• Draw (1993; 2:00)
• Faded Roads (1994; 2:30)
• Nosehair (1994; 7:00)
• How to Make Love to a Woman (1995; 5:00)
• Smell the Flowers (1996; 2:00)
• Boney D (1996; 3:00)
• Plympmania (1996; 8:00)
• Sex & Violence (1997; 8:00)
• The Exciting Life of a Tree (1998; 7:00)
• More Sex & Violence (1998; 7;00)
• Surprise Cinema (1999; 7:00)
• Life (1999, 6:10) (presenter, animator)
• Can't Drag Race with Jesus (2000; 2:00)
• Eat (2001; 9:00)
• Parking (2002; 5:22)
• Guard Dog (2004; 5:00)
• The Fan and The Flower (2005; 7:10)
• Guide Dog (2006; 5:45) (sequel to Guard Dog)
• Shuteye Hotel (2007; 7:00)
• Gary Guitar (2008) (episode of Random! Cartoons)
• Hot Dog (2008) (third in the Guard Dog series)
• Santa: The Fascist Years (2009)
• Horn Dog (2009) (fourth in the Guard Dog series)
• The Cow Who Wanted to Be a Hamburger (2010)
• Summer Bummer (2011; 1:49)
• Waiting For Her Sailor (2011; 0:30)
• Tiffany the Whale: Death on the Runway (2012; 8:56)
• Drunker Than a Skunk (2013; 3:30)
• ABCs of Death 2 (segment-H is for Head Games)
• Footprints (2014; 4:01)
• The Loneliest Stoplight (2015; 6:18)
• Cop Dog (2017) (fifth in the Guard Dog series)
• Demi’s Panic (2021)

• 12 Tiny Christmas Tales (2001){{cite web| url=http://www.awn.com/news/bill-plymptons-12-tiny-christmas-tales-air-cartoon-network | title=Bill Plympton's 12 Tiny Christmas Tales To Air On Cartoon Network | first= Leigh | last=Godfrey | date= December 10, 2001| publisher=Animation World Network | access-date=March 30, 2015}}
• ChalkZone “That Thing You Drew”
• Random! Cartoons - Gary Guitar
• The Simpsons couch gags (2012–2022; Beware My Cheating Bart, Black Eyed, Please, Married to the Blob, Lisa the Veterinarian, 22 for 30, 3 Scenes Plus a Tag from a Marriage, Manger Things, One Angry Lisa)

• Avoid Eye Contact Vol. 1
• Avoid Eye Contact Vol. 2
• Plymptoons: The Complete Early Works of Bill Plympton (1992)
• Bill Plympton's Dirty Shorts (2006)
• Mondo Plympton (2007)
• Bill Plympton's Dog Days (2009)
• Bill Plympton's Dogs & Cows (2013)

• Peter Himmelman – "245 Days" (1990)
• Kanye West – "Heard 'Em Say" (2005)
• "Weird Al" Yankovic – "Don't Download This Song" (2006)
• Parson Brown, "Mexican Standoff" (2008)
• "Weird Al" Yankovic – "TMZ" (2011)
• Cousin Joe Twoshacks (Joe Cartoon) - "Deep End" (2014)
• NO SNOW FOR CHRISTMAS
• "Weird Al" Yankovic – "Polkamania" ("Shape of You" segment) (2024)

• MTV public service announcement "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOeyNjn4huY Acid Rain]" (1989)
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT1rEm4HC70 Trivial Pursuit] (3) (1990–91)
• Nutrasweet (1991)
• Soloflex "Transformation" (1992)
• Oregon Lottery "Blackjack" (1992)
• Taco Bell "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSwJuFXcMNM Fuddy Duddy]" (1993)
• Nik Naks (UK) (1993)
• Microsoft Windows '95 (1995)
• AirTouch Cellular (1996)
• AT&T "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VonMAFhNXag Longshot]" (1996)
• AT&T Wireless "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipwWBUdBaUA Map-O-Rama]" (1997)
• NBC "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82CTJQtDgB8 Peacock Bumper]" (1997)
• 7-11/PBS "Head" & "Explore" (1997)
• The Money Store "End of the World" & "Rollercoaster" (1998)
• Geico Direct (6) (1999)
• Wilson Tennis (3) (2002)
• United Airlines "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ptp_R1hJCLI Signature]" (2005)

{{reflist|30em}}

{{commons category}}

• [http://www.plymptoons.com Plymptoons.com] (official website). Retrieved on May 5, 2018.
• [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0687739/ Bill Plympton] at IMDb. Retrieved on May 5, 2018.
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy7hoAj3VuM Criterion Channel trailer]
• [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX5MNejTR9jVwm7DBxVeeeA Plymptoons' official YouTube channel]
• [https://vimeo.com/plymptoons Official Vimeo channel]

{{Bill Plympton}}

{{Inkpot Award 2000s}}

{{Winsor McCay Award 2000s}}

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Category:1946 births

Category:Animators from Oregon

Category:American animated film directors

Category:American comedy film directors

Category:Portland State University alumni

Category:School of Visual Arts alumni

Category:Artists from Portland, Oregon

Category:American voice directors

Category:Living people

Category:Inkpot Award winners

Category:Culture of Portland, Oregon

Category:SoHo Weekly News people