He's basically a cynical old bastard who hates just about everything about the way cartoons are produced today. (Arrogance in cartooning is measured in nanokricfalusis.) He's also right about most of it: if you've ever seen the garbage produced today like Fairly OddParents or Total Drama Island you'll know what I mean.
More likely than not, his outreach toward Amir Avni was more about intervention than fan-friendliness: he wanted to get to a young, promising cartoonist before the Evil Network Execs filled his head with bad ideas.
Regardless of his motivations, I appreciate it when someone famous responds to one of their fans with a thoughtful response. I like it when someone is famous and approachable. For instance, I've always appreciated that pg will almost always reply to my emails even if it is just a couple of sentences.
Couldn't agree more. I admire people who have succeeded in the goals they set themselves, but nowhere near as much as I admire people who do that and then work just as hard to help other people do the same.
At least he's not too cynical where he has lost all hope. He still cares (or did in 1998) enough about his craft to save it and return it to what he considers its glory days, which is admirable and very cool.
I can't begin to imagine how great that kid felt opening a package with a book, some artwork and a nice long letter from one of his heroes. Probably the best day of his life to that point! Not many people have the kind of power where taking an hour or so to do something for someone can have a lasting and profound effect on that someone. Kudos to John.
Comments
John K. is a genius but he's not as "nice" as this article paints him. He has a blog:
http://johnkstuff.blogspot.com
He's basically a cynical old bastard who hates just about everything about the way cartoons are produced today. (Arrogance in cartooning is measured in nanokricfalusis.) He's also right about most of it: if you've ever seen the garbage produced today like Fairly OddParents or Total Drama Island you'll know what I mean.
More likely than not, his outreach toward Amir Avni was more about intervention than fan-friendliness: he wanted to get to a young, promising cartoonist before the Evil Network Execs filled his head with bad ideas.
Regardless of his motivations, I appreciate it when someone famous responds to one of their fans with a thoughtful response. I like it when someone is famous and approachable. For instance, I've always appreciated that pg will almost always reply to my emails even if it is just a couple of sentences.
Couldn't agree more. I admire people who have succeeded in the goals they set themselves, but nowhere near as much as I admire people who do that and then work just as hard to help other people do the same.
Maybe it's not as important that he's 'nice' but rather that he cares and acts upon it.
At least he's not too cynical where he has lost all hope. He still cares (or did in 1998) enough about his craft to save it and return it to what he considers its glory days, which is admirable and very cool.
I can't begin to imagine how great that kid felt opening a package with a book, some artwork and a nice long letter from one of his heroes. Probably the best day of his life to that point! Not many people have the kind of power where taking an hour or so to do something for someone can have a lasting and profound effect on that someone. Kudos to John.
He responded to my son with a letter and signed drawing the same way. Way cool.
Does being nice mean having to putter about with rose-tinted glasses on?
I think that you are the cynic, not he.
He spent probably multiple hours to show a kid he would possibly never see or hear from again a very valuable lesson.
There is a good chance that this is not the only time he's done that.
Agreed, cartoons today just look ridiculous and cheap. Which is probably a function of technology and the economics involved.