Neurotically Yours - 04/16/2004 Author: TomFulp | Interviewee: illwillpress I recently had the pleasure to speak with iLL Will Press, author of the Neurotically Yours series and one of the most popular/controversial contributors to Newgrounds. To my knowledge, Shower of Terror was the first episode of Neurotically Yours. Were you expecting it to be as well-received as it was, and did you ever foresee the series it has become? Well, "Distractions" was the first episode actually, but "Shower Of Terror" was the one people took to the most out of the early episodes. In all honesty, I didn't think it would even be acknowledge with all the other stuff out there. It was just something I started to do out of boredom. Do the characters of Germaine and Foamy have any basis in your own reality? Have they been inspired by anyone you know personally? A lot of people ask that. I guess you can chalk them up to being based on myself. I'm pretty much the real-life Foamy with the ranting and all, but have my moments of poetic nonsense. The two sides seem to balance each other well. Not far into the series, you decided to give Germaine a voice. Was the fan reaction generally positive, or did people give you a hard time? I know fans are often resistant to change... People didn't like it at all. But with any change in a series people had to get use to her. Besides, just having a ranting squirrel every episode would get dull, and there needed to be another dynamic to it all. Ironically Germaine was the main focus of the comic book version of the series that ran the year prior to the animation. Foamy was merely the "comic relief" to Germaine's laments. As the series progressed, some of your fans began to turn against you. They complained that you overused the same artwork from episode to episode, and that the series had become less humorous over time. However, you managed to win some back with other recent works that retained the humor they were looking for. How would you like to respond to your critics? Do you feel they drive you to take the series in new directions, or are they just annoying punks? Nah, I don't really respond to "critics". Be them professional or NG users, I find most critics like to berate work because of bitterness derived from their own lack of talent and/or success. They seriously have no effect on me either way. I choose not to waste my time on individuals who's only analytical utterance is "Dis Sucks, Blam It, Yo". Comments like that are pure idiocy. Besides I've been insulted by folks who have actual jobs in the art field, if that doesn't phase me, why should a few posts on the web do anything to shake my confidence. I do however take into great consideration certain constructive criticisms sent to me by fans. Something like: "Your animation is ok, but could use a lot more movement rather than it's continuous static nature", that's great. Thanks for pointing that out, let me work on that. I tend to value comments like that a bit more than the "Dis Sukz" crowd. That's just my personal view on it. Similarly, users have complained that you use the Neurotically Yours series as a vehicle to move merchandise. I think this is partly the downside to having a popular series - people always want to cry "sell-out". I also don't see the harm in making a living off merchandise - it sure beats porn ads! How would you like to respond to those who feel you are "just in it for the money?" Ah, the "Sell Out" question. I love this one. Let's see, I could work in a record store 40 hours a week like a slave, or make T-shirts that fans requested and want to buy. I think most people who are quick to cry "Sell-Out" are not real fans. Those who are fans, may have a point when the merchandise reaches an unheard level of stupidity, like Metallica Condoms or something like that. There's a fine line between making stuff fans want and just being greedy. I stick with what people request rather than make "Germaine Vibrators" or some junk like that. Now that your characters have become rather well established, do you have any plans for where to take them in the future? Planning to introduce any new central characters to the mix? There's a few characters that have been newly introduced, like Pilz-E, which folks love, and that Pizza guy, who will probably be the "stalker type" that follows Germaine around. Sort of the pathetic guy who wants to hook up with a girl that has no interest in him. There's actually a lot of characters already pre-developed that have been introduced in the comic books, but haven't made that transition to animation yet. As for plans, I already have about 2 years of material worked out for the cartoon as well as some full length episodes currently in the works. Unfortunately, since I'm one guy, I can only do so much at once. So it'll all take time. In your review of the BEAUTIFUL animation, "hitchhiker", you mentioned that you would hire that guy if you had the money. Do you hope to some day have a full team of animators dedicated to Neurotically Yours, or do you have plans beyond NY? Thinking of going the indy-bootstrapper route and pitching a finished show to the networks? Or do you think web-DVD sales could be the wave of the future? I would like to get a team together, but when and if I do that, I'm going to be paying well. The talent behind the hitchhiker is excellent and definitely should not go to waste. There's real skill there and if it were up to me, would be rewarded with a bunch O' money. I've learned never to rule out any possibilities for future plans. I already have a first season DVD in the works which will go to press soon and will probably be available in late June. A second season is in the works, as well as the full length episodes and other stuff that I can't mention yet. Don't want to jinx it. I've always liked the indie-route, but there is also something to be said for a giant company that can get your work into Japan. We'll see what happens. Did you have any professional achievements prior to the Neurotically Yours series? You mentioned a comic strip. I did freelance work for about a year prior to Neurotically Yours. I have two comic strips, one called "4y-Records" about a sarcastic record store clerk who delivers Foamy-like commentary on current music. (I've done about 500 of those strips). The other one is called "Ollie & Germ" which is more of a quirky family oriented comic strip. 4y-Records has been published in about 25 indie and psuedo mainstream magazines, like Relix, Tower Record's Pulse & Lollipop (lollipop.com has a 4yrecords comic strip archive for anyone who is curious) I've done covers for some cds, a few magazines and still work regularly as a freelance artist for Lollipop.com (It's a music magazine) I also do some web design in my spare time. Yep, I'm a one-man freelance studio. I often find it very hard to retain my motivation. It's intriguing that you have been able to produce as many episodes as you have without burning out. How do you keep up the energy to produce so much? What drives you? I think the fans have been the most important thing. For every one hate mail I get, I receive about 1500 that thank me for my work. That's always encouraging. Besides, I love what I do. It's a whole Dharma thing. I work about 16 hours a day, 7 days a week on various aspects of iLL WIll Press and each day I wake up I'm excited to be working on what I do. I've done the struggling artist thing for the longest time, and I'm not out of the woods yet, but things are slowly coming together and knowing this I keep at it every day. There's no reason for me to burn out. When you enjoy what you do, even the hate mail you get is fun. I noticed on your website that you have various fan-sites across the web. Coincidentally, Newgrounds seems to be the only place that generated a hate-club (the infamous Fuck Foamy Club). Is Newgrounds just a negative place in general, or are we just too big for our own good? How would you summarize your experience as a Newgrounds contributor? Well, first, NG has an exceeding amount of talented people, unfortunately these talents are unfocused and tend to be negative. There are great exceptions like "Bitey Of BrackenWood" and the films that guy, Synj puts out, but all in all, most people would rather do spoofs instead of developing original ideas. Don't get me wrong, some of the spoofs are extremely well animated, and clever, but what's the point of wasted wit and skills on something a giant company can sue you for doing? Makes no sense. Imagine all the different works that could be developed by teams of animators that met on NG, all joining together to do something original and beyond exception. Banning together to do a "Fuck Foamy Day" helps no one, but me actually. Free publicity, thanks guys. See? hours of their lives wasted away spreading my character's name further into people's mind. Good or bad, people will remember who Foamy is. All that aside though, I think NG is still a kick ass place to hang out and see what fellow animators are doing.. Do you consider yourself a goth in real life, or do you retain any association with the gothic culture beyond lampooning it? Well, here's where we get philosophical. "Goth" by my definition is more of a state of mind rather than a fashion statement. When someone says the word "Goth" you think of stuff like Marilyn Manson, Dead Dolls, Edgar Allen Poe, and anything to do with Vampires or eye-liner. I personally don't like that stereotype. It's like saying the black kid on the basketball court HAS to be good at basketball, because he's black, or the white kid can't rap because he's just some wannabe white boy. I think terms like "Goth" are subjective based on the individual's personality and go way beyond wearing black clothes and buying the last Anne Rice novel. I don't dress like a goth, or have any weird colored hair, I'm pretty normal and you probably wouldn't even notice me on the street, but my mind tends to be of the darker kind. If you want to categorize that as "Goth" than I guess I am. Users often criticized you for not being an active member of the site. When you finally began to write reviews of other submissions, users jumped down your throat for that too. Why do you think people want to hate you so much? You can always judge your success by the number of enemies you make. In that respect I'm doing just fine. Being as antisocial as I am, I see no reason to be part of a real community or a virtual one. Personally, I think it's just an excuse by those who dislike my work for illegitimate reasons, to validate their argument by saying, "Oh, look he's not participating, he's a bastard". You're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't, so I don't. I have to reiterate - for the pocket of Foamy haters that exists on Newgrounds, there are thousands of users who love your stuff. Anything you submit to the site gets a ton of traffic, and that is even if we don't showcase it on the front page. Do you have any advice for aspiring artists who look up to your work? Jeez, I get this a lot. Seriously, the best advice I could possibly give is, work your ass off, forget about social events and focus on developing your talents. Most importantly, don't get discouraged. I have a desk full of rejection letters from the same companies that are now knocking on my door asking me for freelance work. People will taunt you, try to grind you down, and will do everything in their power to shake your confidence. Ignore them. They are bitter individuals without the wit or wisdom to sustain their own dreams and find pleasure in destroying your hopes. Every person has one good idea in their lifetime. Recognize that idea, hold onto it, and work your ass off to develop it to the best of your ability. If you are not dedicated, don't bother. Save yourself some time and do something fun. What is your life like outside of the web? Girlfriend? Pets? House? Are you in New York City, or just New York state? Do you have any internet stalkers? I live in a small apartment outside NYC, with my girlfriend of the last 4 years (who is also the voice of Germaine). I have one cat, and a dozen or so internet stalkers. What kind of car do you drive? None. I have no money for a car. Don't even have a license yet. Everything I need is extremely close by and I tend to get my best ideas when I'm walking around. Besides, gas is way too expensive and car insurance is retarded. Why am I going to pay thousands of dollars a year in the rare chance of getting into an accident? And once I'm in an accident, they don't want to give you your money. It's a load of crap if you ask me. What is your diet like? Vegan? Omnivore? I eat somewhat normal. Bagels, meats, veggies & fruits. Mostly coffee. Do you hit the gym, or try yoga? Speaking of which, do you consider yourself religious or spiritual, or nothing? C'mon workin' 16 hours a day on Foamy...who has time for the gym? (But I'm not 600 pounds if that's what you're implying) I'm religious to the extent that I know there's something out there greater than the individual. I tend not to single out or favor a particular religion. Most of them have good themes and all can have bits of wisdom one can learn from. Unfortunately no one seems to respect the other religions if they're not in it. Oh well. Do you use a drawing tablet for your artwork? Did you attend school for art, or is it 100% natural for you? How long have you been animating? I use to draw with a mouse, EVIL!!! then eventually saved up the money for a kick-ass Wacom tablet. It cost like $400 at the time, but damn it, it has 2000 points of pressure. As for Natural or Schooled, it's about 75% Natural 25% schooled. I attended art school for 4 years and had all those pre-developed drawing techniques ripped out of my head and learned how to draw the right way. My non-cartoon artwork looks a lot different than what people know and is a lot more refined. I have a few different styles, it's just people seem to like the cartoon one the best for some reason. Has anyone approached you with interest in buying the series, or turning it into a television show? National Lampoon expressed an interest to do a "test-run", but I turned them down. They basically wanted control over the series for a full year, meaning that they alone would have the rights to show the cartoons and any further produced cartoons after the signing of the contract could not be submitted to 3rd party sites, like NG. I'm not one for having people control my work, in that manner. Yeah I could of made a ton of money off of it, but I'd be limiting my possibilities. For those who like to cry sell-out, keep in mind, I TURNED DOWN, a lucrative opportunity. Do you feel Newgrounds has played a role in your success, or is it just another showcase site? You know, we were the first, dammit! All these other Flash showcase portals have kinda cheapened us. Your thoughts? NG is still by far THE BEST flash portal, period. I think it's been pretty damn important to the success of Foamy. I get emails constantly from folks who have said they first found it on NG. It's a great forum and hopefully the few negative folks will lighten up and make it better. Remember, we're all in this together as aspiring artists, damn it. It's best to strengthen the bonds between animators rather than tear them apart. If one artist from NG gets on T.V. he could recommend whoever else he sees fit to those shifty network executives. Damn it, hasn't anyone heard of "Networking"? Thank you for those inspiring words! I look forward to the next episode of NY! Check out these Portal submissions by illwillpress: --select-- Website: iLL Will Press Age: 32 Gender: Male Habitat: New York Job: Doodler Favorite Films: Fawlty Towers Noises Off Hedwig & The Angry Inch Favorite Bands: Morrissey Sahara Hotnights The Faint