Episode 50 – “Steve Troop/Melonpool”

Show notes: For this 50th episode of Drawing Funny I’m joined by MSCA president Kevin L. Williams as we interview his longtime friend Steve Troop. Steve has worked as an animator, cartoonist and graphic designer for around 30 years now. He’s the creator of Mayberry Melonpool, an online comic strip series since 1996. In the late-2000s, Steve’s puppet versions of Melonpool were featured in the online web series Quickcast by Kevin Smith (Clerks). He has worked as an illustrator and storyboard artist for Attack of the Killer Tomatoes - The Animated Series, and CGI animated feature Ping Pong Rabbit. Steve co-owns Puppet Design Studio in Valencia, CA where he’s designed and built puppets for Nike, American Greetings, Glee, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Teen Titans, and The Big Bang Theory. Steve’s credits include working with Mike Johnson (director - Corpse Bride), Phil Nibbelink (animator - Roger Rabbit), Kid Cudi, Pharell, live puppetry performance in Trace Adkins’ music video “Brown Chicken, Brown Cow” as well as Ed Sheeran’s 2014 MTV Video Music Awards Best Male Video, “Sing.” Steve and Melonpool made a cameo in Comic Book: The Movie, and is also the co-creator of the off-off-Broadway production, Alien VS Musical. Steve will be the instructor at a puppetry design/build workshop at The Land Schools in Las Vegas this March 24-26, 2023. He’ll teach you everything he learned in the first ten years of building puppets - in three days! If you are serious about puppetry, you should attend this class. More info at www.thelandschools.com. Stay TOONED! LINKS: Mid-South Cartoonists Association/MSCA (Memphis, TN) – www.midsouthcartoonists.org My art website – www.linworkman.com Kevin L. Williams – www.muleythemule.com Steve Troop – www.stevetroop.com Melonpool Comics – www.melonpool.com Alien VS Musical – www.alienvsmusical.com Puppet Design Studio – www.puppetdesignstudio.com Puppet Troop – www.puppettroop.com Land Schools (Las Vegas) - www.thelandschools.com Theme: “Silly Bank Heist” music by Steve Oxen. "ShakaLaka" by David Renda. ©2020 Fesliyan Studios Inc. – music and sound effects used by permission. Movie quotes and additional sounds from 101soundboards.com. Run time: 1hr 40min