Cold, Hard Flashback 04
This, the fourth Cold, Hard Flashback, focuses on the Flash animation work from the Spumco gang. Sure, we took the wayback machine off to John K land in the 1st Flashback, but when, my friends, can ever have too much Spumco? Spumco, the now dormant animation pioneer, was early out of the Flash animation gate, delivering The Goddamn George Liquor Program in 1999, and a few wacky Hanna Barbera remakes that we’ll get to eventually.
The Spumco team also created a hysterical music video for Tenacious D’s ‘F*ck Her Gently.’
The video was directed by Gabe Swarr, and it featured work by a laundry list of the new generation of Hollywood animation talent.
Gabe & Fred Gonzales recently worked on Disney’s ‘The Buzz on Maggie’; Derrick Wyatt & Ben Jones who recently finished up their 4th season on ‘Teen Titans’; Ray Morelli who I’ve worked with for a few years on various Flash projects; Tony Mora, who’s at Mike Young, and Matt Danner who I’m currently working with on ‘Coconut Fred.’ They all make cameo appearances in the opening camera descent into hell. The video is perhaps clunky by today’s standards, but you can’t deny the hysterical posing, beautiful layouts and clever and economic use of the software. I highly recommend you turn down your speakers at work, as ‘F*ck Her Gently’ is not in the least bit suitable for work.
The Spumco artists eventually disbanded, and in 2001 two talented youths by the name of Eric Pringle, 
who’s Animation Director over on ‘Fosters’ and Matt Danner started toiling on their own project. Now, to fully appreciate this short, you should familiarize yourself with a man by the name of Cal Worthington. Cal is southern-California-based car dealer who hosted a series of fairly humorous commercials featuring a ‘If You’re Happy and You Know It’ reworking. Now Pringle and Danner twisted this reworking even further, and came up with ‘PussyCow.’
It’s infectious, perverted and it features what I believe is the world’s first ‘nun punch.’ Matt does most, if not all of the voices, and he and Pringle are responsible for the animation, which shows hints of their Spumco upbringing. Matt & Pringle were part of Nebulous Films at the time, who ended up producing several hundred PussyCow dolls, and they’re now rare collectors items I occasionally see in offices around town. As the saying goes: “He’s half pussy, half cow….all good!” And don’t miss the recently released ‘PussyCow’ bonus clips, unfinished shots from the original short.
Tags: Gabe Swarr, John K, Matt Danner, Pringle, Spumco, Tony Mora
January 4th, 2006 at 3:59 am
That Pussy cow short is amazing, there needs to be more things like that on the net, along with pringle riding more looney toons characters. great stuff.
January 4th, 2006 at 4:42 am
if i’m not mistaken i believe that is craig kellman riding the looney toon. i’d recognize those teeth anywhere! F-Her Gently is a gem!
January 4th, 2006 at 5:28 am
I heard that Pringle sleeps with one eye open. Is this true?
January 5th, 2006 at 3:50 am
Thats awesome Aaron, thanks for bringing this stuff back (its been awhile since ive seen them)
I didn’t know Gabe directed the D video…very cool!!!
January 6th, 2006 at 2:07 pm
Who the hell is Fred Gonzales?!!?!
Signed,
(not sure)
January 11th, 2006 at 8:46 am
anyone from that old spumco crew please contact me, i used to work there with you guys and i would enjoy communication.
honestly i just want to apologise for being an asshole while i was there. i really am much cooler than that, my hideous marriage to a suicidal headcase of a woman made me a jittery social retard.
i really liked you guys and i regret how things went while i was there.
i also regret not buying pringle’s low rider bicycle.
anyone who is curious can reach me like this:
ecyree@gmail.com
http://www.myspace.com/what_what
i owe each and every one of you a beerpology (even john)
January 17th, 2006 at 10:12 pm
Yeesh, what a stalker.
May 27th, 2006 at 4:42 am
haha…i just wanted to play bootycall again. Hi guys!
March 28th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
[...] This isn’t John K’s first collaboration with Tenacious D. While heading up the now defunct Spumco Animation, he and his team of Flash artists produced ‘F*ck Her Gently.’ [...]
April 7th, 2008 at 7:28 am
[...] completely non-visual. I had the same approach when I did the i am 8-bit opening (below) and Fuck Her Gently for Tenacious [...]
November 16th, 2008 at 5:03 am
[...] 19: Tenacious D: Fuck Her Gently (NSFW) Watch original Flash animation here More info here [...]
November 16th, 2008 at 10:46 am
[...] 19: Tenacious D: Fuck Her Gently (NSFW) Watch original Flash animation here More info here [...]