Interview with Miles Thompson

TAY: When were you born?
THOMPSON: Valentines Day 1971

TAY: How would you describe you upbringing?
THOMPSON: I was to have a lot of time to myself in the midst of 2 great families. For a long time my best friend was my big brother and we were both subject to more international travel than is average for American children in the middle class.

TAY: How did you first get into cartoons and animation?
THOMPSON: Print cartoons were the gateway to animated cartoons but the real inspiration for my drawing ability was my step father who was a self employed architect that i could watch work. I made him draw almost every night after he made the mistake of leaving a great drawing in my sketchbook one day.

TAY: How you get proper education before working in animation? If so, How did it influence you and your art?
THOMPSON: My education was more about day to day life rather than academics. I graduated High School with a D average so i was either going to make my art work for me or wait tables for a living. little choice. I surfed a lot. That had a big influence on me. beach culture had a lot to do with my art at a young age. Rick Griffin was a GOD!

TAY: During your career, what shows have you worked on?
THOMPSON: 2 Stupid Dogs
Dexter's Lab
Nightmare Ned
Several of my own shorts at Nick and Cartoon Network (Hanna Barbera)
Several shorts created at Nick and at H&B
I started with several of my own sick and twisted short for a traveling film festival.

TAY: How did you first get into your career in animation?
THOMPSON: Cal Arts was really the start of it. From there I made student films that were colorized and put on a big screen for the world to see. the student/independent film circut I guess is the answer. it took a while to get away from that and into TV.

TAY: When working on a cartoon, what do you prefer to do? (design, animation etc)
THOMPSON: Designing is the least tedious part of the operation so I guess I'd say there is the place to be...anyplace using color. I find it MOST liberating...that's why the painting is big with me lately.

TAY: Could name some of your life-changing influences?
THOMPSON: Several...my life is still in change!
Today it's Bill Wray a comic book guy/painter/animation director who is playing shepherd to my painting ability.
But as far as influence?
I guess my step father intervened at a good time in my life...he sort of saved me from a real negative outlook on life.
artistic heroes are abundant in my life....
John K
Chuck Jones
Bob Clampett
Mary Blair
Mel Crawford
Django Reinhardt

TAY: Where do you see Internet animation in next 5 or so years?
THOMPSON: Dead. Broadband will save us all and programming will be normal again!

TAY: You worked as a character designer and animator on Mr Wong. How would you feel about working on a cartoon that was destined for controversy?
THOMPSON: I regret making any kind of antisocial statement and would have reservations about doing any kind of work again regardless of who loves the show. It was a low point for me in the end. but a lesson.

TAY: What was that lesson you learnt?
THOMPSON: Good question. Compromising your moral values makes you feel self concious among strangers who are under assault by the creative property you are helping to manifest. I have no beef with any race or nationality to speak of. Why put my name on a cartoon that is blatantly making light of stereotypes that are as old as slavery itself and for THAT matter are not only NOT funny but are truly sad?

TAY: From all the places you¹ve worked at, do you have a favourite employer and why?
THOMPSON: I liked working at Hanna Barbera the most because it was like working in what we remember as the animation industry. A group of people that had love for cartoons in common and got along like family because of it. A small tightly knit group.

TAY: How about a disliked employer or somewhere you worked?
THOMPSON: I dislike anyplace that has overlooked the power of an individual artist's will and has placed the WRITER ahead of the hands of the animator....more than one studio has this policy but I won't name names.

TAY: You¹ve got some nice gouache paintings on your website. How did come across it and start using it for a lot of your work?
THOMPSON: I have friends that paint BGs for a series that is happening at Cartoon Network. Tim Biskup...while directing his short at Nick, he turned me onto gouache...I had done some stuff in highschool with acrylic but that was a means of escaping any homework that i may have been assigned in another class. it was a dificult adjustment to use gouache but it's been a couple of years now and i really like it! Recently I have been turned onto Cel Vinyl...an acrylic paint that is similar to gouache in appearance but has advantages to working with it.

TAY: Do you have a favourite project or cartoon that you have worked on?
THOMPSON: I guess the best thing I have ever achieved on my own is a cartoon called "Cat and Milkman" that I made when I was working for Nickelodeon.

TAY: When working for a big company like Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon, did/do you have problems bringing out your own ideas to the executives there?
THOMPSON: I do have a problem bringing my ideas to the forefront of development but the sooner I deal with presenting ideas to executives the sooner I'll have a show of my own! I feel that these people aren't essential to the creative process and they're NOT. They also don't claim to be cartoonists.

TAY: When you aren¹t working on cartoons, what are you doing?
THOMPSON: I spend time buying things off of ebay that have to do with cartoons or records. I own a foosball table I love to play on with friends when I can get them over here.

TAY: Where do some of your characters originate?
THOMPSON: Mostly from everyday life type of situations. That is things that everyone has in common. Recognition has everything in the world to do with mass appeal.

TAY: What other interests do you have other than cartoons?
THOMPSON: I like records, foosball and old american cars. Eventually I imagine in time I'll get to surf on a daily basis again.

TAY: Have you achieved everything already or is there anything else you wish to accomplish?
THOMPSON: I can't say that I have achieved all that much when I think about what I'd like to be remembered for. You can never do enough.

TAY: How would you like to die?
THOMPSON: Peacefully and with a bit of dignity...not from a horrible degenerative disease.