A couple weeks ago, a woman that I work with interrupted me in the middle of watching an episode of 24 and told me she would be interviewing me. The picture above is not a photo of me or her, but that's neither here nor there. She told me that a class project required her to interview an artist, so she chose me to discuss my cartoons, comedy sketches, and TV show. In the politest manner possible I told her that classifying me as an artist stretches the definition farther than the facial skin of a Desperate Housewives cast member, but she went ahead with the interview anyway. Names have been changed to protect my job.She posted the transcript of the interview on her Facebook page, and I'm reposting it here. Check it out:
Gentile Golem wears so many hats that at first glance one might think he has a multi-personality disorder. The recent college graduate is the producer, director, writer, editor and talent of his public access show, “Moldy Bagels” and cartoon series, “Crapstick Doodle.” As he chases his pie-in-the-sky dreams of comedic success, he will always remember his humble beginnings on a public access channel in Northern Kentucky.
Tell me a little bit about the videos you make.
I make sketch comedy videos in my spare time. Some of them are cartoons. I don’t know if you would call them animated necessarily because the characters’ mouths don’t move. It’s like still pictures. In a four minute cartoon there might be like 60 or 70 frames which is a bit less than full blown animation. But I do comedy sketches, either animated or otherwise, primarily.
What kind of software do you use to make your cartoons?
I use this super advanced program called Microsoft Paint. It was a rigorous six year training program, (laughs) uh, no. What I do is I’ll find something on Google. I’ll search "restaurant booth" or something and use that as a backdrop and then I’ll draw the characters over it.
I understand that your cartoons are actually broadcast on television. What is that all about?
I have a public access show called “Moldy Bagels.” One of the segments that are in every episode is the cartoon series. The cartoon series is called “Crapstick Doodle.” The title was my girlfriend’s idea. I couldn’t think of one and she said that. I didn’t bother to come up with another one so that’s what I’m stuck with now.
What else is in your public access show?
Just whatever I feel like doing really. Some of it is just me being myself, you know, talking to the camera, reading mail that I got from the viewers or just talking about whatever I feel like. But most of it is scripted, comedy sketches. It will be a lot of me, playing characters, just screwing around in my house. I also make extensive use of a green screen that I have at home. I tape it up on the wall in my kitchen and I’ll do like, fake commercials and stuff in front of that, just having fun.
How did you get started doing this?
It’s something I had talked about for a long time because people would say I was funny in casual conversation. I always talked about it and never did it and I saw the other stuff people put up on YouTube. I was taking video production classes in college, so I was like, I know how to do this and I have access to expensive cameras, so why not? So, I wrote some sketches and got some friends together and we had a lot of fun doing it so I kept making them.
Why do this?
Why not?
Is it a creative outlet?
Yeah, I mean, I’m at home. I could just play video games all the time but I like to actually make something. I like to have a tangible product of the time I spend.
What does your work say about you?
God, I don’t know; that I need therapy.
What is your response from viewers?
If more people watched it, I’d be able to tell you. I’d say it’s generally positive though. I don’t know how many people see it besides my friends who are just being nice. Some of my older stuff was too vulgar for some people. My mom doesn’t like some of what I do but…
Do you have aspirations of making it big in cartoon animation?
Maybe not cartoons specifically. Working professionally in comedy would be great. I really enjoy doing it but I don’t know if I have the all encompassing desire or drive to make that my whole life. I read stories about comedians, these desperate, hungry comedians who barely make enough to live. There will be eight of them living in a one bedroom apartment because they can’t make ends meet. They perform a show and make like 300 people laugh themselves stupid and then they don’t have enough money to buy a sandwich afterward. I don’t know if I want that life. That’s a lot of commitment. I don’t know if I’m ready to hit that level.
Is this about being famous and making a name for yourself?
I guess I might like to be famous.
Any last words?
Don’t do drugs.
Tell me a little bit about the videos you make.
I make sketch comedy videos in my spare time. Some of them are cartoons. I don’t know if you would call them animated necessarily because the characters’ mouths don’t move. It’s like still pictures. In a four minute cartoon there might be like 60 or 70 frames which is a bit less than full blown animation. But I do comedy sketches, either animated or otherwise, primarily.
What kind of software do you use to make your cartoons?
I use this super advanced program called Microsoft Paint. It was a rigorous six year training program, (laughs) uh, no. What I do is I’ll find something on Google. I’ll search "restaurant booth" or something and use that as a backdrop and then I’ll draw the characters over it.
I understand that your cartoons are actually broadcast on television. What is that all about?
I have a public access show called “Moldy Bagels.” One of the segments that are in every episode is the cartoon series. The cartoon series is called “Crapstick Doodle.” The title was my girlfriend’s idea. I couldn’t think of one and she said that. I didn’t bother to come up with another one so that’s what I’m stuck with now.
What else is in your public access show?
Just whatever I feel like doing really. Some of it is just me being myself, you know, talking to the camera, reading mail that I got from the viewers or just talking about whatever I feel like. But most of it is scripted, comedy sketches. It will be a lot of me, playing characters, just screwing around in my house. I also make extensive use of a green screen that I have at home. I tape it up on the wall in my kitchen and I’ll do like, fake commercials and stuff in front of that, just having fun.
How did you get started doing this?
It’s something I had talked about for a long time because people would say I was funny in casual conversation. I always talked about it and never did it and I saw the other stuff people put up on YouTube. I was taking video production classes in college, so I was like, I know how to do this and I have access to expensive cameras, so why not? So, I wrote some sketches and got some friends together and we had a lot of fun doing it so I kept making them.
Why do this?
Why not?
Is it a creative outlet?
Yeah, I mean, I’m at home. I could just play video games all the time but I like to actually make something. I like to have a tangible product of the time I spend.
What does your work say about you?
God, I don’t know; that I need therapy.
What is your response from viewers?
If more people watched it, I’d be able to tell you. I’d say it’s generally positive though. I don’t know how many people see it besides my friends who are just being nice. Some of my older stuff was too vulgar for some people. My mom doesn’t like some of what I do but…
Do you have aspirations of making it big in cartoon animation?
Maybe not cartoons specifically. Working professionally in comedy would be great. I really enjoy doing it but I don’t know if I have the all encompassing desire or drive to make that my whole life. I read stories about comedians, these desperate, hungry comedians who barely make enough to live. There will be eight of them living in a one bedroom apartment because they can’t make ends meet. They perform a show and make like 300 people laugh themselves stupid and then they don’t have enough money to buy a sandwich afterward. I don’t know if I want that life. That’s a lot of commitment. I don’t know if I’m ready to hit that level.
Is this about being famous and making a name for yourself?
I guess I might like to be famous.
Any last words?
Don’t do drugs.
Today she told me that she received a good grade on the project and her teacher left a note that said, "Good interview, weird guy." Thanks.
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