Aaron Long (animator)

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Aaron Long
Born
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Occupation(s)Animator, filmmaker

Aaron Long is a Canadian animator and filmmaker. He is best known for his independent cartoons Sublo and Tangy Mustard and Fester Fish, and his work on the television series BoJack Horseman and Tuca & Bertie .

Contents

Long principally uses the software Adobe Flash and Adobe Photoshop to create his films. [1] Long's work is strongly influenced by theatrical animation of the 1940s, particularly directors Bob Clampett, Tex Avery and Chuck Jones. [2]

In 2012, he began animating the short "Bakerman and the Bunnymen" for Sonic Bunny Productions. [3]

Since June 2013, he has resided in Los Angeles and worked at ShadowMachine directing key episodes of various TV series including TripTank , BoJack Horseman and Tuca & Bertie. In 2016, he was a key contributor to BoJack Horseman's "Fish Out of Water" episode. [4] In 2017, he directed the episode "Time's Arrow". Executive producer Lisa Hanawalt stated "This episode really changed as we were working on it, and I also will say the director of the episode, Aaron Long, is responsible for a lot of that." [5]

In 2015, Long started his new independent online animated series Sublo and Tangy Mustard, set in Toronto, Canada. The show follows two costumed fast food mascots for a sub sandwich chain named Subpar who slack off at work, as well as their co-worker Katy who struggles with a failed art career. The duo are not allowed to take off their costumes even outside of their jobs, with Long having no intention of revealing their true names or identities. [6] Every episode is written and animated by Long himself with additional voice actors, and are uploaded to YouTube and Newgrounds. [7] The series was featured in a retrospective screening and panel at the Animation Block Party festival in Brooklyn. [8]

In 2019, he directed three episodes of the animated series Tuca & Bertie , as well as the show's opening credits. In an interview, Long claimed "This show has been the most fun I've had in my career so far, especially directing the main title sequence." [9]

Biography

Long is from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He attended and graduated from Max the Mutt College of Animation, Art & Design in Toronto, where he first started making cartoons on his own using Adobe Flash. Outside of schoolwork, Long posted his animated creations on YouTube, including a series starring his original character "Fester Fish", an anthropomorphic character influenced by classic Warner Bros. cartoons. Fester Fish was discovered by companies in Los Angeles, who began hiring Long for freelance work while he was completing his studies. He has worked as a director, animator, character designer, and storyboarder on shows such as BoJack Horseman (Netflix), Greatest Party Story Ever (MTV) and TripTank (Comedy Central), as well as his own original projects Sublo & Tangy Mustard and Fester Fish. [10]

Filmography

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2014–2016 TripTank —Animator, background artist, and character designer, 13 episodes; Director, 12 episodes
2015–presentSublo and Tangy MustardVarious rolesAlso director, writer, and animator; 18 episodes
2016 Greatest Party Story Ever —Animator, 3 episodes; Director, 2 episodes
2017 Bojack Horseman —Animation director, 3 episodes; Director, 9 episodes
2019–2022 Tuca & Bertie —Supervising director, season 2; Animation director and animator, 10 episodes; Director, 6 episodes

Shorts

YearTitleRoleNotes
2008Slick Nick Private Dick Slick Nick Private DickAlso director, writer, animator, producer, and background artist
2009Fugitive GooseVarious rolesAlso director, writer, editor and animator
Space Race 7000Various rolesAlso director, writer, editor and animator
Banquet Bust-UpVarious rolesAlso director, writer, editor and animator
2010–2013Fester FishFester FishAlso director, writer, animator, producer, and background artist
2013Join the Soup—Animator, background artist, and character designer
Bakerman and the Bunnymen—Animator, background artist, and character designer

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References

  1. ↑ Leonhardt, Warren B (12 May 2011). "Showcase: Fester Goes Fishing – Aaron Long, 2011". CanadianAnimationResources. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  2. ↑ "An Interview with Max the Mutt Student Aaron Long". MaxtheMuttBlog. 3 December 2011. Archived from the original on 26 May 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  3. ↑ Scout, Raskin (2 July 2012). "Bakerman and the Bunnymen 1920s Style Cartoon". Kickstarter. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  4. ↑ Framke, Caroline (1 August 2016). "How BoJack Horseman's gorgeous underwater episode came together, explained by the show's creative team". Vox . Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  5. ↑ Chaney, Jen (14 September 2017). "An interview with the team behind BoJack Horseman's 'Time's Arrow.'". Slate . Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  6. ↑ "The Indie Cartoon You've NEVER SEEN - Sublo and Tangy Mustard ft. @aaron_long". Dovendraw. 1 October 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2024– via YouTube.
  7. ↑ "Sublo & Tangy Mustard" . Retrieved 16 March 2024– via Newgrounds.
  8. ↑ "Sublo and Tangy Mustard Retrospective (2015—2023)". AnimationBlockParty. 19 August 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2024– via BAM.
  9. ↑ Zahed, Ramin (29 March 2019). "'Tuca & Bertie': Meet Lisa Hanawalt's Birds of a Feather". Animation Magazine . Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  10. ↑ "Aaron Long Cartoons" . Retrieved 11 March 2018.
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