Happy Taco Tuesday, Aggressors! As much as I wish I had tacos to give you, I do have a tasty artist spotlight to cure your late night munchies..  A few years ago I came across an artist that loved Scooby Doo as much as I do and we instantly bonded.  Artist ScoobyKun has been doing his own take on Mystery Inc for so long, that three years ago, I decided to be his brand ambassador and cosplay as his BatVelma. Presently, we’re writing a fan fiction web series on the World’s Greatest Detective, Velma Dinkley.  Now enough about me, so please check out Scooby’s work because I tell you, this guy is continually going places as a 2D animator and artist at Tiny Monster Studios.

TD:Dude, I have loved your style for a while now, it oozes with 90s nostalgia and hints of the classic Hana-Barbera style that I grew up with, so please, tell our readers about yourself and your art.

SK:  I’ve been working in the animation business for about a decade now, but i’ve always loved and read comics and manga’s. I was in a military family when growing up, so i was lucky enough to travel to several places in the world including places like Japan, Belgium, then finally the U.S. My love for art and comics is also worldwide also. My inspirations vary from manga’s such as Dragon Ball, Ranma 1/2, to french comics like Asterix and Obelix. I got my first taste in American comics through book orders. ( this was a time before the internet / amazon, and everything from the U.S had to be mailed to Europe. It was a book ordering program called schoolastic ‘sreading club where I used to order Garfield, the Far side, and Calvin and Hobbes galleries. When I returned to states, I finally got a taste of my first superhero comic when starting high school, that comic was marvels spiderman! I related so much to Peter Parker because he was that skinny nerd kid whom everyone wanted to be (well at least i did) he was dealing with high school, then work, but he had super powers, and the super hot red hair girlfriend Mary Jane! Not to go off topic, but i started drawing my own comics around this time also, creating my own stories and comic strips in spiral notebooks which i still have today. I say my art style is like Adventure time or Amazing world of Gumball. Its very simple 90’s super hero comics (minus the shading), but when i draw humor, it becomes more manga style, just because their humor expressions are very big and expressive.

 

 

TD: I totally get the “why”, but how long have you been going by ScoobyKun?

SK:  I watched Scooby Doo and a pup named scooby doo when i was little. But My nickname Scooby or Scoob didnt start till high school, beginning of college. When i was drawing at home, if I wasn’t watching Dexter Labortory, Johnny Quest, or Batman Animated Series, my all time go too was Scooby Doo Movies. My mother use to jokingly call me “time to eat scooby doo!” so the name sorta stuck since. It also helps that my best friend looked like Shaggy and i would be constantly going to hang out with him. Plus I think that it helps that, Scoob or Scooby is totally easier to remember…

TD: What are some of the projects you’ve worked on that our readers may have seen or used?

SK: Well I have done mostly Animation and some web comics. Shows i’ve animated for have been on Comedy Central, FX, but i think people know about Squidbillies and Aqua Teen on Adult Swim or The Awesomes on Hulu. When it comes to comics, I did several small web-comics, most are gone, but one that is still up for reading is called Kinky and Carl E. Strandz. Its focus is more for african-american viewers, but it was still a fun experience to do.
I think the most notable animation work I have done is Cartoon Network Anything Games. The studio I am currently working for have created several of these mini phone app games, which are totally free! We got to create many cartoon favorites, like Teen Titans Go, Steven’s Universe, Power Puff Girls, Gumballs amazing adventure and so much more! It’s an easy time waster if you have nothing to do, and is available for android and iphone’s.

TD: What are some upcoming projects you’re working on?

SK:  I can’t say to much do to “NDA”. But I am currently working on a new kid’s show pilot and animation for more mobile games. Being in the entertainment business, alot of stuff I work on, sometimes doesn’t even get to be shown, but I always post and support the work I do, once the company gives us the green light “Okay”

TD:  I know you’ve a lot on your plate, but you also have a sort of dream project in the works (which I am so thrilled to contribute to), right?

SK: My dream project is more so a personal project, but my ultimate goal is to create a cartoon show that will be shown on tv. it started With the help of my Scooby Doo obsession, I decided to draw together 2 of my fav, and greatest detectives, Batman and Velma. The first Image I did of them, was in the Batman: the animated Series style. Since completing that photo, it just sparked a whole bunch of fun ideas that involved the two. Such as, what if the characters from Scooby doo gang had to solve mysteries in the Batman “world”. Since Velma ( at least my point of view) was the detective of the gang, i thought it would be great to have her be the hero. I always enjoy drawing strong female characters whether it be strong in the mind, or phsyical, but it would be even greater for one to have both. This is when i drew the Batman and Batgirl Velma cover. Thanks to the internet, my picture post eventually caught the eyes of a Cosplayer named Taffeta Darling, whom to my surprise, totally wanted to cosplay as “Batgirl Velma”. With the help of her Batgirl Velma cosplay and followers/fans reactions to several more drawings… i finally told myself told myself “this needs be a real thing”… I eventually want to have an animated show called “Batgirl Velma”, but I believe the best way to get this to happen is to start a following of the character. That’s when I decided to start and create a free web series of the idea. With help from Taffeta, we’re gonna try and create an awesome web comic series focusing on BatVelma that can ultimately be an awesome animated cartoon show!

Alright you guys, show some love to ScoobyKun on any of the links I’ve posted above to keep up to date with his upcoming web series and hopeful cartoon. – Taffeta