Lupo the Butcher

Last updated

Lupo the Butcher
Lupo the Butcher.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Danny Antonucci
Written byDanny Antonucci
Produced by Marv Newland
Production
company
International Rocketship Limited
Release date
  • November 23, 1987 (1987-11-23)
Running time
3 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguagesEnglish
Italian

Lupo the Butcher is a 1987 Canadian adult animated short comedy film directed and written by Danny Antonucci. The short follows the story of a butcher who has a huge temper and swears at his meat when the smallest things go wrong. Produced by Marv Newland's International Rocketship Limited, Lupo the Butcher was a successful short and has earned itself a cult following.

Contents

Plot

An Italian-Canadian butcher named Lupo is complaining about his job one day, while cutting a giant pork ribs in his shop. As each new slice falls to the ground, Lupo grows increasingly angry and swears at the meat. He then accidentally cuts off his own thumb, he panics and runs out of the store, you can hear what sounds like Lupo getting hit by a car, which inexplicably causes his entire body to fall apart.

Blood gushes out onto the ground, and the various pieces of Lupo's body collapse into a pile. The screen darkens and closes in on Lupo's severed head, but before the scene can disappear entirely, Lupo's head jumps forward, still alive. It remains on the screen, shouting insults during the credits, before falling asleep and fading out.

Production

Danny Antonucci, who has worked in animation since the 1970s, decided to create his first solo work. [1] Tired of people thinking that animation was only for children, he wanted to create a "character that people would believe in". [1] Due to his Italian heritage, Antonucci wanted his character to be an Italian immigrant who would blame America for all of his problems. Originally intended to be a Barber, Antonucci eventually settled on Lupo being a Butcher. [1] This character was inspired by his father and uncle. [1] After the short was finalized, Antonucci was pleased with his creation, and felt that the three-and-a-half minute movie "worked out". [1] It was produced by Marv Newland's International Rocketship Limited. [2] Released in 1987, [3] it was shown at Spike and Mike's Festival of Animation. [4] Antonucci went on to found a.k.a Cartoon, Inc., with which he would create The Brothers Grunt and Ed, Edd n Eddy . [3]

Reception

Upon its release, Lupo the Butcher was a successful short and has earned itself a cult following. [3] [5] Eric Fogel, co-creator of Glenn Martin, DDS & the creator of Celebrity Deathmatch , stated that Lupo the Butcher inspired him to pursue a career in animation, saying: "That film opened my eyes to a world of animation that was strictly for grownups and inspired me to pursue a career path that was a bit more…twisted." [6] In an interview with Take One, Linda Simensky described the short as "the South Park of its time" and stated that she remembers tapes containing the short being passed around her office in 1988. [7] It was featured in Spike and Mike's book Outlaw Animation, written by Jerry Beck, [4] and in the Spike and Mike DVD. [1]

Other media

Concept art of Meat the Family, the second short that remained unfinished. Lupo the Butcher Meat the family.jpg
Concept art of Meat the Family, the second short that remained unfinished.

Lupo and his family appeared in Spike and Mike's book Outlaw Animation, written by Jerry Beck. [4] In November 2020, Antonucci's animation studio a.k.a. Cartoon announced on its Facebook page that it was developing a series based on the short for Netflix's streaming service. [8] Lupo has also appeared in the MTV bumpers.

Related Research Articles

<i>Bambi Meets Godzilla</i> 1969 film by Marv Newland

Bambi Meets Godzilla is a 1969 black-and-white animated short student film produced entirely by Marv Newland. Less than two minutes long, the film is seen as a classic of animation; it was listed #38 in the book The 50 Greatest Cartoons (1994).

Ed, Edd n Eddy is an animated television series created by Danny Antonucci for Cartoon Network. The series revolves around three friends named Ed, Edd, and Eddy—collectively known as "the Eds"—who are voiced by Matt Hill, Sam Vincent and Tony Sampson respectively. They live in a suburban cul-de-sac in the fictional town of Peach Creek along with fellow neighbourhood children Kevin, Nazz, Sarah, Jimmy, Rolf, Jonny, and the Eds' female adversaries, the Kanker Sisters, Lee, Marie and May. Under the unofficial leadership of Eddy, the trio frequently invents schemes to make money from their peers to purchase their favourite confection, jawbreakers. Their plans usually fail, leaving them in various, often humiliating and painful, predicaments.

Marv Newland is an American-Canadian filmmaker, specialized in animation.

<i>The Brothers Grunt</i> American animated television series (1994–1995)

The Brothers Grunt is an adult animated comedy television series, and the earliest series made by Ed, Edd n Eddy creator Danny Antonucci. It originally aired from August 15, 1994, to April 9, 1995, on MTV. It centers on five humanoids, named Frank, Tony, Bing, Dean and Sammy, who are in search of their lost brother Perry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danny Antonucci</span> Canadian cartoonist

Danny Antonucci is a Canadian animator, director, producer, and writer. He created the Cartoon Network animated comedy series Ed, Edd n Eddy as well as Lupo the Butcher and The Brothers Grunt for MTV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cartoon Cartoons</span> Collective name used by Cartoon Network for original animated series

Cartoon Cartoons is a collective name used by Cartoon Network for their original animated television series from July 14, 1997, to June 14, 2004, and produced in majority by Hanna-Barbera and/or Cartoon Network Studios. The first Cartoon Cartoon, Dexter's Laboratory, premiered in 1996, a year before the moniker's introduction. Further original series followed: Johnny Bravo, Cow and Chicken, I Am Weasel, The Powerpuff Girls, Ed, Edd n Eddy, Mike, Lu & Og, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Sheep in the Big City, Time Squad, Grim & Evil, Whatever Happened to... Robot Jones?, Codename: Kids Next Door, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, and Evil Con Carne.

Eric Pigors is an American artist based in Santa Clarita, California, mostly known for his 'ToxicToons'. They are cartoons of silly gruesome creatures, such as deformed monsters, vampires and zombies. He worked for Disney Animation for over fifteen years then Warner Bros. Animation for several years and now is self-employed. He vending his New media art wares at his ToxicToons website.

<i>The 50 Greatest Cartoons</i> 1994 book by Jerry Beck

The 50 Greatest Cartoons: As Selected by 1,000 Animation Professionals is a 1994 book by animation historian Jerry Beck, with a foreword written by Chuck Jones.

Fantastic Animation Festival is a package film of animation segments, set mostly to music and released in theaters in 1977. It was one of the earliest of the sort of collections typified by Computer Animation Festival and Spike and Mike's Festival of Animation.

Spike and Mike's Festival of Animation is a presentation of award-winning animated short films, annually touring throughout theaters, film festivals or college campuses in the United States.

<i>Ed, Edd n Eddy</i> season 1 First season of animated television series Ed, Edd n Eddy

The first season of the animated comedy television series Ed, Edd n Eddy, created by Danny Antonucci, originally aired on Cartoon Network in the United States. Although originally set to premiere in November 1998, the season ran from January 4, 1999, to June 11, 1999, and consists of 13 episodes. The series revolves around three adolescent boys collectively known as "the Eds," who live in a suburban cul-de-sac. Unofficially led by Eddy, the Eds frequently scheme to make money off their peers in order to purchase their favorite confectionery, jawbreakers. However, their plans usually fail, leaving them in various predicaments.

<i>Ed, Edd n Eddy</i> season 2 Second season of animated television series Ed, Edd n Eddy

The second season of the animated comedy television series Ed, Edd n Eddy, created by Danny Antonucci, originally aired on Cartoon Network from November 26, 1999, to December 22, 2000, and consists of 13 episodes. The series revolves around three adolescent boys collectively known as "the Eds", who live in a suburban cul-de-sac. Unofficially led by Eddy, the Eds frequently scheme to make money off their peers in order to purchase their favorite confection, jawbreakers. However, their plans usually fail, leaving them in various predicaments.

<i>Ed, Edd n Eddys Big Picture Show</i> 2009 film directed by Danny Antonucci

Ed, Edd n Eddy's Big Picture Show is an animated road comedy television film that serves as the series finale for the animated series Ed, Edd n Eddy. It was produced by a.k.a. Cartoon and premiered on Cartoon Network on November 8, 2009. Series creator Danny Antonucci directed the film and co-wrote it with Jono Howard, Mike Kubat, Rachel Connor and Stacy Warnick. Big Picture Show centers on an adventure that the adolescent Eddy takes his friends Ed and Edd with him to find his older brother after their most recent money-making scheme leaves their cul-de-sac in a state of devastation that harms its other participants.

Patric Caird is a Canadian film and television composer.

"The Ed-touchables" and "Nagged to Ed" are the two segments of the series premiere of the animated television series Ed, Edd n Eddy. It premiered on Cartoon Network in the United States on January 4, 1999, although it had originally been scheduled to air on November 7, 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Beck</span> American animation historian

Jerry Beck is an American animation historian, author, blogger, and video producer.

James "Wootie" Wootton is a Canadian animator and character designer. His career began with the Cartoon Network animated television series Ed, Edd n Eddy, created by Danny Antonucci, which premiered on the network on January 4, 1999. Wootton served as a title sequence animator and a storyboard artist during the series' run, which garnered him an Annie Award nomination for the third season episode "Wish You Were Ed" on November 10, 2001. Wootton would later work on George of the Jungle, Kid vs. Kat, Roy, Martha Speaks, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Packages from Planet X, All Hail King Julien, and Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Mac, Gabe (August 25, 2006). "Xolo: Interview with Danny Antonucci" Xolo
  2. ↑ Opening Credits of Danny Antonucci's Lupo the Butcher (1987). International Rocketship Limited.
  3. 1 2 3 Kapko, Matt (November 16, 2009). "Ed, Edd n Eddy's Big Picture Show Premiers in the U.S." Animation World Network . Retrieved May 17, 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 Beck, Jerry (June 1, 2003). Outlaw Animation. Abrams Books. pp. 64–65, 154. ISBN   978-0810991514.
  5. ↑ Beard, William; White, Jerry (June 1, 2002). North of Everything . University of Alberta Press. pp.  63. ISBN   978-0888643902.
  6. ↑ Kapko, Matt (February 5, 2010). "The Toon That Changed My Life". Animation Magazine . Retrieved May 17, 2011.
  7. ↑ Simensky, Linda (June 22, 1999). "Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy: Three Guys, One 'Toon". Take One .
  8. ↑ Paltridge, Peter (November 2, 2020). "Lupo The Butcher Series In Development At Netflix". Anime Superhero. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.