Weird Al Yankovic To Present Bill Plympton Retrospective At New York’s IFC Center

Musical legend “Weird Al” Yankovic is teaming up with acclaimed animator Bill Plympton for a weeklong retrospective at the IFC Center, running September 15–21. The program, Plympton’s Toons, will feature a mix of the animator’s celebrated shorts alongside two new premieres.

Plympton has spent more than four decades crafting surreal, hand-drawn visions that range from biting satire to whimsical absurdity. His work has screened at festivals around the world and earned him two Academy Award nominations.

The retrospective’s 80-minute showcase includes Plympton’s Oscar-nominated shorts Your Face (1987) and Guard Dog (2004), cult favorites such as How to Kiss (1988) and 25 Ways to Quit Smoking (1989), and his 2006 collaboration with Yankovic, Don’t Download This Song. Also featured is Homer’s Face, a Simpsons sequence Plympton created at the invitation of Matt Groening.

Headlining the program are two New York premieres. Duckville (2024), narrated by Tony and Grammy winner Jim Dale, tells the darkly comic story of a duck town that devises a sinister tourism scheme. Whale 52 (2025), co-written and co-produced by Edward Jordon and Daniel Neiden, draws inspiration from a true story and explores themes of intergenerational connection. The short features the voice of two-time Emmy winner Bruce Vilanch and a score performed in part by Grammy-winning cellist Zuill Bailey. A portion of the proceeds from the film will benefit The Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization that provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ+ young people under 25.

Plympton’s distinctive animation style has earned him both mainstream recognition and cult status. Despite accolades from Cannes, Sundance, and Annecy, he has remained fiercely independent throughout his career.