Wonder Showzen

We had a chance to speak with Aaron Augenblick and ask him some questions that you, the fans, have asked us, enjoy!

You studied at the School of Visual Arts. Are you a New York City native, or were you drawn to the city for its reputation for fostering creativity?

I grew up in Wilmington Delaware. I chose to go to SVA because I always wanted to live in New York. My studio is in Brooklyn, which is great because it’s very cheap and clients will never come visit.

What other projects do you have in the works that fans should know about? What should we be looking at, from your studio or from other animators and artists, that isn't getting the kind of attention you expect to see when MTV carries your work

Right now I am working on the next big Drunky cartoon, “Fish House Punch”. It’s a huge blockbuster in the making.We are also prepping for the next season of Wonder Showzen and helping out designing some merchandise.

What music are you listening to right now?

Have you heard the new Bruce Springsteen song where he sings about backdoor sex with a hooker?It’s wild.

How can you keep a straight face when working with the crazy characters and subject matter? Along these lines, what is it like working with Vernon and John?

Working on Wonder Showzen was easily the best experience I’ve had on a professional job. Vernon and John are amazingly funny and super-smart. Don’t let the anarchy of the format fool you, Wonder Showzen is carefully crafted with close attention to detail. There are things they are attempting on this show that blow my mind. In the “Patience” episode they were trying to create a “visual palindrome”. It’s crazy.

Animation is a critical component to the show. What was the genesis of your involvement in the project?

A common friend at MTV knew heard they were looking for animation houses and thought we were a good match. I had seen the original bootlegged “Kid’s Show” pilot about a year before I ever met them, and was amazed when they called me and told me it was becoming a real show. I still can’t believe it.

Who does the music for the show?

Well, John and Vernon are both musicians, so they are really great with the music on the show. Chris Anderson is a friend of theirs that creates all of the songs and scores the show.

Who would win in a knife fight: D.O.G. O.B.G.Y.N., Sarge from HOBO OPS, or Lucy? Speaking of D.O.G. O.B.G.Y.N., we've heard that a new season is in the works. Is our favorite canine gynocologist making anymore appearances?

I actually think that the gorgeous gals of Finger Force could mop the floor with all of them. As far as I know, DOGOBGYN is the only cartoon that is definitely slated for more episodes.

Do you offer internships? In any case, what sort of qualities do you look for in animators, artists, etc?

Yeah, we are always looking for good interns. The ability to work for no money is a great quality I look for in young people.

How much of your process is dependent on classic animation techniques vs. computer-based/digital tools? What sort of tools do you use on a day to day basis?

We try to adapt all of the classic animation techniques to modern methods. We do a lot of research studying the original cartoons we parody on Wonder Showzen and attempting to replicate their technique. For Hobo-Ops, we even hired a team of lazy Koreans to achieve the authentic GI-Joe look.