Charles Brubaker

Charles Brubaker. Currently a student.

Camp counselor at a Japanese-language camp.

I assisted Jerry Beck on that “Pink Panther” book back when I was still in high school. I liked that.
Also have an animation project, a short film that I’m hoping to finish within a year.

Growing up in Japan, I watched tons of anime on TV. The only American cartoons on air at the time were Disney and the endless Charlie Brown specials. Then I moved to the ‘States and discovered Looney Tunes and other stuff. The rest is history.

I’m from Japan but live in Tennessee now. Can’t really say I’m inside in the animation business yet, although I have contacts.

I recently finished the storyboard for the short film I’m working on. I worked on it on various midnights the past month.

I enjoyed storyboarding because that’s when you get to throw crazy ideas and see what sticks.

The actual animating part. Usually it’s during this part when you’re forced to reconsider some of the ideas that you thought were great.

From what I can see keeping up with the current technology is a hassle. I’m barely literate on ToonBoom and never used Flash before, which can set me back when I try to enter fulltime.

For my short film I’m sticking to the old fashioned pen and paper.

I have a friend who did work at Nicktoons Studio, so in summer 2010 he gave me a tour, where I met Vincent Waller and other great guys. During my trip there I bumped into Mark Kausler and Mike Kazaleh while waiting in line at a Gene Deitch screening in downtown LA. Enjoyed their works, so it was a pleasure. I eventually met Mr. Deitch himself there, which was wonderful.

When you have to balance your class work and your passion side by side.

I love to collect cartoons on 16mm film. Mostly ’50s and ’60s stuff, although I have little bit of something from every era.

How many 20-somethings do you know that can run a 16mm projector?

I’m hoping you can tell me!