November 07, 2006
John Korty's Brock & Throck
It's Election Day here in the US so it's only fitting to mention a new politically-oriented Flash Webcartoon. The series, BROCK & THROCK WITH ANOTHER CROCK, was created by Oscar and Emmy-winning director John Korty, whose animated feature TWICE UPON A TIME (1983) is the subject of a huge piece in ANIMATION BLAST #9. New episodes of BROCK AND THROCK are being posted on Revver, and currently, the first two episodes are available for viewing HERE and HERE. The production values on the Flash leave something to be desired, but considering that Korty hasn't produced much animation since TWICE UPON A TIME, it's simply fascinating to see him return to action on the Internet.
Here's more about the series from its press release:
Although best-known for serious drama, Korty actually started as an animator. "This summer, I found some sketches from my very first experiments. One in particular was perfect for a dialogue between two characters—a single zigzag line that can function as the profile for either face. I had put it away, waiting for the right subject matter. The wait was fifty years."The online series, intended to run parallel to the fall election campaigns, skewers the Bush Administration on various topics, failed legislation, wire-tapping, religion in politics, foreign relations, even their favorite news channel.
Both fictional characters are staff members, but the conversations are not the type ever made public. Brock is a hardened veteran, while Throckie got an entry-level job because of his rich uncle. He is a less-than-bright neophyte. He can’t understand the furor about domestic wire-tapping, for instance. "Who cares what domestics are saying to each other anyway?"
For his voice talent, Korty drew upon the resources of San Francisco’s improv humor community. Bill Bonham and Jim Cranna, doing Brock and Throck respectively, have both performed for many years on radio spots and film soundtracks. Cranna, in fact, founded and taught at the Theatre of the Deranged, a hot house of zany improvisation.
(Thanks, Taylor Jessen)