Apologies to Matt Groening on the really bad drawing above.
So a funny thing happened on the way to our latest ESPN animation. I fought the lawyers and the lawyers won. The cartoon was completely finished (a total of about 50 or more hours of work for a minute and a half animation) and was ready to go live on Sunday afternoon when a red flag went up in the headquarters at ESPN. The Jets played the Vikings, so, of course, it was full of Brett Favre and Randy Moss material. Chock full I might add. Which meant using a Grandpa Simpsonlike caricature of Brett Favre, as well as the voice which is spot on, because, well, the guy who did it is the honest to goodness back up for the first string Homer Simpson voice.
Anyway, rightfully so, ESPN called in the Lawyers who determined that perhaps a whole minute and a half use of Brett Favre looking and sounding like Grandpa Simpson wasn’t such a good idea. So, it goes back in the vaults never to be seen or heard again. Which is much better than the alternative that probably involved a lot more lawyers and the fees that come with them.
But here’s what I want you to do. Sit down with your favorite comedy. The one that makes you roll on the floor laughing. (For me that would be Young Frankenstein) Close your eyes and imagine Brett Favre looking a bit like Grandpa Simpson muttering the words “Moss? Moss? I had a bad case of that in my shorts one time.” Continue laughing. And you’ll get an idea of how funny it was. Heavy emphasis on was.
It’s all OK now. I mean there was some crying and a need for a sedative while looking a whole weeks worth of work on the cutting room floor But hey. It just means that next weeks animation will be that much better! And I’ll be back on Wednesday with another cartoon!
I know how you feel, Drew. I work for a major newspaper and one of the jobs I have to do is to repurpose a weekly gossip magazine for the Sunday paper. I do it with my nose clothes-pinned, because I HATE celebrity gossip. However, it’s kept me gainfully employed, but that’s another story.
I had a story all ready to go on Sarah Palin, ripping her for some-odd reason or another. Just as I was about to send the magazine to press, I got a call from the editor to pull the story. Apparently, the ombudsman didn’t want to deal with all the hate mail we would have gotten for running a negative story on Palin in the gossip mag. It wasn’t as many hours as you put into your animation (and I’ve done that kind of Flash work as well), but it was just as frustrating
With this increasing litigious society we live in, it’s sad that no one can take a joke anymore. Besides, it sounds like Farve will be making the gossip mags next week, at least according to the stories that went out today.
Drew, sorry that you had to pull this week’s ‘toon. Maybe you should do one about the lawyers.
Drew,
Bummer that legal responsibility (an oxymoron if there ever was one) kept a great toon from your ever growing fan base.
There is some seed of a discussion about capitalist censorship versus governmental censorship in what just happened to you and all of us.
Sorry to see your toon go into the vault. Better the toon than you, though!
Mike
Dear Mr. Litton,
#1: I agree with WM. A lawyer cartoon (ideally with a sports theme)would be funny as hell. It may be possible currentlly with Brett Farve’s currently.
#2: Favorite Funny Movie “Blazing Saddles”
All the best
Louis
Good Morning from OMaha,
I have to agree with Louis, I thought blazing saddles was the funniest movie I had ever seen. It shows up now and then on AMC and it still tickles my funny bone.
What were the lawyers afraid of, that your brett farve would be mistaken from Grandpa simpson? OK so its a copy write issue. Knowing your track record it was probably funnier than any episode of the simpsons, although I have never and mean never have seen even one of the shows. I can’t explain it but I have a good sense of humor (or at least my wife does as she did marry me) and have never had any desire to see it.
I have also never seen beavis and butt head… I still like the three stooges but not as much as I used to. I guess I am getting old.
I am looking forward to your next animation, damn the lawyers, full pen a head!!!!
Strive for excellence, nothing but your best.
Gene
It’s all fun and games until $$ is involved. I think there is a good chance Matt Groenig would have found your adaptation brilliant. I also think there is at least one person with a financial interest who would have sniffed the deep pockets of ESPN and wanted some of that — hence the legal interest.
If we are the most litiguous society on the planet, it is only proof that, in general, we are the most greedy society on the planet.
Anyway, I wished I could have seen it. The others have made me laugh more loud than is acceptable at the office.
Now, I really wish I could have seen the animation. I’ll bet it was really funny and would have been perfect for that MNF game. Old age lost it for the Vikings, in my opinion.