Art Forum/MFA Lecture Series

Visiting Artist

Bill Plympton: Animator.
Bill Plympton was born in Portland, Oregon. He went to Portland State University, where he edited the yearbook and was a member of the film society. It was here where he picked up his obsession for film. In 1968, he moved to New York City and began a year of study at the School of Visual Arts. Making the Big Apple his home, Plympton served 15 years as an illustrator and cartoonist. He designed the magazines: Cineaste, Filmmakers Newsletter, and Film Society Review. His illustrations have graced the pages of The New York Times, Vogue, House Beautiful, The Village Voice, Screw, and Vanity Fair. His cartoons appeared in such magazines as Viva, Penthouse, Rolling Stone, National Lampoon, and Glamour. In 1975, in The Soho Weekly News, he began "Plympton," a political cartoon strip. By 1981, it was syndicated in over twenty papers by Universal Press Syndicate. The film "Your Face" garnered a 1988 Oscar nomination for best animated short. Sections of the feature THE TUNE were released as short films to help generate funds for production. These include "The Wiseman" and "Push Comes to Shove," the latter of which won the 1991 Prix du Jury at the Cannes Film Festival. Bill's animated feature, MUTANT ALIENS, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. It won the Grand Prix in Annecy 2001. His feature film, HAIR HIGH, stars the voice talents of Sarah Silverman, David & Keith Carradine, and Dermot Mulroney, and was co-produced by Martha Plimpton. Bill Plympton charted new territory in animation, this time by broadcasting all of his drawing for the film live on the web at www.hairhigh.com. The film was completed in January 2004, released in over 50 cinemas around the country. Theshort film GUARD DOG brought Bill his second Oscar nomination in January 2005. Two equally successful sequels soon followed, "Guide Dog" in 2006 and "Hot Dog" in 2008. His new feature film, IDIOTS AND ANGELS, will be released in 2008. Featuring the music of Tom Waits, Moby and Pink Martini, it's a much darker and more mysterious film than his previous comedies.