Danny Antonucci

Danny Antonucci has been a great advocate of traditional, hand-drawn animation. He has found success with his own work (Lupo the Butcher), and with his commercial ventures (Ed, Edd and Eddy on Cartoon Network). Antonucci’s work personifies what it means to be edgy in animation (actually, I use the term “edgy” to describe what he was doing in the late 1980’s and 1990’s). In 1991, Antonucci had a show on MTV that tethered between indie and mainstream, called The Brothers Grunt. Of course, this was back when MTV was good. But watching that, along with Lupo and Ed, Edd, and Eddy, presents a remarkable diversity. In an interview at last year’s Annecy Festival, Antonucci revealed he looking to return to his indie roots, which I find really exciting.

LUPO THE BUTCHER

Ed, Edd, and Eddy stood out right from the beginning. The boiling line style combined with Tex Avery-style gags was something totally new for Cartoon Network's programming. The show currently holds Cartoon Network’s record for their longest-running original program. And he wants to go back to independent work; kudos to Danny Antonucci.