Time: 9:00 p.m.
Location: Secret
Day: Friday October 25th, 2013
Topic: Animation
Man being interviewed: Stephen D. Rad, a current Disney animator
Interviewer: You go by the name of Stephen D. Rad?
Stephen: yes.
Interviewer: Alright, I’m just going to ask you a few questions, now I’m not going to ask anything personal, like family life, drinking problems and sex life.
Stephen: That’s alright; I hate questions like that anyway.
Interviewer: Okay first question: When did you become an animator?
Stephen: For all of my life, I’ve loved the art form of animation; the possibilities of what can be done are endless. So of course becoming an animator was a big goal for me.
Interviewer: If you were to rank the 3 art forms of animation what would it be?
Stephen: 1. Hand- drawn animation, 2. CGI and 3. Stop motion.
Interviewer: Are you aware of the Brony fandom?
Stephen: Yes, and in fact I’m actually one of them. I don’t know, I just love the use of flash and the characters are likeable.
Interviewer: Thoughts on Ralph Bakshi?
Stephen: I’ve only saw Wizards, so I can’t offer much of an opinion on his work. However, I will say I admire his guts for what he did with the animation industry.
Interviewer: Favorite animators?
Stephen: John K., Tex Avery, Chuck Jones, Craig McCracken and his wife Lauren Faust, Walt Disney, Matt Groening and others.
Interviewer: Favorite animated film?
Stephen: Fantasia.
Interviewer: Disney or Pixar?
Stephen: Boy that’s tough, both are really talented companies, both companies have great storytelling, and both can appeal to all ages. I’m honestly not sure who’s better.
Interviewer: That’s ok. Anyway, which animator do you hate?
Stephen: When I was younger, around say 11 or 12 or maybe a little younger, I use to think Seth McFarlane’s series Family Guy was funny; I laugh and laugh and laugh. However, as I got older I started to grow less interested in the guy. Oh sure he had made that funny Larry and Steve short and was decent writers on shows like Cow and Chicken and Dexter’s Laboratory. He was both funny and creative with those projects. But when he entered the adult animation territory, things got bad. He threw out all that talent he had just to a bunch of series that rip-off the Simpsons. Why? I will tell you…it’s because he wants some F@#%in money! Why is it that money, always gets in the way with people like him. It corrupts them, making each project they turn out to be lazy and uninspired just to get a quick buck. Frankly, his cartoons are just plain insulting. Not just to viewers, but adult animation in general. It’s immature, it isn’t smart, and it has hated filled characters. In my opinion it’s how most nostalgiatards or people who love anything in the past view most modern cartoons.
Interviewer: Whoa, that’s a mouth full.
Stephen: Yeah it is, but if you’re a fan of him, I’m not against you.
Interviewer: Yeah, I do like Family Guy, but too each is own. Back to the questions, are you familiar with Creepy Pastas?
Stephen: Yes, and judging from Cry baby lane, laughing Jack and from what I’ve read so far on Godzilla NES, they can be pretty darn scary yet entertaining at the same time. There are also ones I hadn’t read yet but am familiar with specifically Jeff, Ben Slender man among others that I know but can’t think right off the bat at this moment.
Interviewer: Any film you find overrated?
Stephen: Umm… Citizen Kane, while a great film by all means, had some parts that were a little boring and strange. Other than that, I still liked it but I wouldn’t call it the ‘greatest movie of all time’.
Interviewer: Do you like the Star Wars Prequels?
Stephen: I have to be completely and say; what’s with all the hate? I mean granted the Phantom Menace had way too many flaws like the overdose of crude humor, Jar Jar, and scenes that go on way too long, and Attack of the Clones dialogue may have been forgettable and Christian did make Anakin look like a whiner. But other than those aspects, I actually in joy them, good effects, nice action scenes and the story does seem to work out. They’re not that bad guys relax.
Interviewer: And hundreds of hate mail we be lashed at you now because of that.
Stephen: ‘Sigh’. People these days, it’s like a different opinion is so alien to them.
Interviewer: Favorite game?
Stephen: Most of what Nintendo puts out, the key word being most.
Interviewer: Least favorite?
Stephen: Any FPS game.
Interviewer: Thoughts on SpongeBob?
Stephen: I’ll make this quick; other than the first three seasons… It’s freakin terrible!
Interviewer: Watch any anime?
Stephen: Only Pokémon, at least some of it, Dragon Ball Z and Inuyuasha.
Interviewer: Kubrick or Spielberg?
Stephen: Both.
Interviewer: Lastly, how is it like to be a Disney animator?
Stephen: It’s a nice job. Though a little more creative freedom would be nice.

End of Interview.