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A letter to a young cartoonist from John K

I don’t always agree with John K’s views on animation. He’s a formalist, and values a certain kind of drawing ability over style and ideas, which I think are just as important. But I can’t help but admire the guy for this — Letters of Note has posted a hand-written letter that the Ren and Stimpy creator sent to a young cartoonist in 1998. Then 14, Amir Avni is now finishing up his final year at Sheridan Animation.

  • Geordie

    John K is not a formalist–he’s actually just the opposite. He loves being off-model and style and ideas are all he cares about. He’s just giving some fundamentals to the beginner. you must walk before you can run.

    his blog is all bout bucking the norm and he constantly grouses about rigidity of drawing.

  • Geordie

    John K is not a formalist–he’s actually just the opposite. He loves being off-model and style and ideas are all he cares about. He’s just giving some fundamentals to the beginner. you must walk before you can run.

    his blog is all bout bucking the norm and he constantly grouses about rigidity of drawing.

  • http://www.drawn.ca/contributors/john-martz John Martz

    Geordie, I don’t mean he is a formalist in the sense that he is conventional or rigid in his methods, but rather that he is more concerned about the way cartoons are drawn than what they are about.

    For example, you can read in the letter itself that he values drawing skill over storytelling. On the opposite end of the spectrum, you’ve got Pixar who champion storytelling above all else. There’s clearly room for all schools of thought.

  • http://www.drawn.ca/contributors/john-martz John Martz

    Geordie, I don’t mean he is a formalist in the sense that he is conventional or rigid in his methods, but rather that he is more concerned about the way cartoons are drawn than what they are about.

    For example, you can read in the letter itself that he values drawing skill over storytelling. On the opposite end of the spectrum, you’ve got Pixar who champion storytelling above all else. There’s clearly room for all schools of thought.

  • http://camilografico.blogspot.com/ camilografico

    master!!!!!!

  • http://camilografico.blogspot.com/ camilografico

    master!!!!!!

  • http://bobboyle.blogspot.com/ bob boyle

    When I first moved to L.A., and was trying to break into the animation industry, I didn’t know anyone. I somehow got John K.’s home phone number and when I called him, he immediately invited me to come over to his apartment to look over my portfolio.

    He spent close to two hours going over my horrible drawings and showing me how to make them more solid. He started drawing Elmer Fudd and other Warner Brothers characters to show me examples of how to construct characters with shapes.

    It was really amazing of him to do that for total stranger. And, while I don’t always agree with his thoughts, I respect his passion for the art and I will always be grateful to him for the time and knowledge he shared with me.

  • http://bobboyle.blogspot.com/ bob boyle

    When I first moved to L.A., and was trying to break into the animation industry, I didn’t know anyone. I somehow got John K.’s home phone number and when I called him, he immediately invited me to come over to his apartment to look over my portfolio.

    He spent close to two hours going over my horrible drawings and showing me how to make them more solid. He started drawing Elmer Fudd and other Warner Brothers characters to show me examples of how to construct characters with shapes.

    It was really amazing of him to do that for total stranger. And, while I don’t always agree with his thoughts, I respect his passion for the art and I will always be grateful to him for the time and knowledge he shared with me.

  • http://shew-design.com/ ericshew

    This is a very generous thing to do. I’ve always liked John K., now I just like him that much more.

  • http://shew-design.com ericshew

    This is a very generous thing to do. I’ve always liked John K., now I just like him that much more.

  • http://www.drawn.ca/contributors/john-martz John Martz

    That’s a great story, Bob!

  • http://www.drawn.ca/contributors/john-martz John Martz

    That’s a great story, Bob!

  • http://www.paperfoldables.com/ Bryan.

    John K wrote to me once when I was in High School and sent a drawing of Jimmy the Idiot Boy too!

  • http://www.paperfoldables.com Bryan.

    John K wrote to me once when I was in High School and sent a drawing of Jimmy the Idiot Boy too!

  • http://www.theparkbench.ca/ blakestevenson

    I am actaully a huge fan of john k. A letter like this really makes me smile! If I got something like this an artist I truely admired I think it my might blow my mind and would have run directly to the drawing board.

    Check out my site: http://www.jetpacksandrollerskates .com

  • http://www.theparkbench.ca blakestevenson

    I am actaully a huge fan of john k. A letter like this really makes me smile! If I got something like this an artist I truely admired I think it my might blow my mind and would have run directly to the drawing board.

    Check out my site: http://www.jetpacksandrollerskates .com