‘Duckman’ creator flying high after initial difficulties
Cartoon series finds adult following in late-night time slot
By Allyson Harwood
Daily Bruin Contributor
For "Duckman" creator Everett Peck, life has come full
circle.
"When I was a kid, I really loved animation and I always drew
… I started an animation studio in my bedroom and I’d get the
neighborhood kids to come in and ink my drawings. When I got
further along in school, I found other ways to make a living with
drawing, like illustration and painting. Now it’s come full circle
– now I’m sitting around with people and we’re making cartoons,"
says Peck.
Peck, whose "Duckman" series airs every Saturday on the USA
channel at 10:00 p.m., has a history of illustrating for Time,
Rolling Stone, The New Yorker and many other highly respected
periodicals. He also taught illustration and drawing for 18 years
and continues to illustrate in magazines while doing the cartoon
series.
"After I graduated from Long Beach State University, I started
doing paintings and illustrations for advertising," says Peck. "I
also kept sketch books and made up stories and characters." This
led to Peck’s renewed interest in animation.
However, his partnership with Gabor Csupo, half of Klasky-Csupo
animation studio, would be the "Duckman" catalyst. "I was working
on an animation design project with Gabor Csupo and we had this
idea for Duckman," says Peck. "I showed him the strips I had been
working on and he liked the idea right away, so we decided to go
into a partnership, to try to make it into a show," says Peck.
"We then began doing outlines of story synopses, and I began
refining the characters," Peck continues. "We worked on it for
about a year, and didn’t get a show commitment, so Gabor decided to
finance a spec pilot – a show that is done on speculation; there’s
no actual deal in place. He put about $500,000 of his money behind
it. We co-wrote and co-produced about a sixteen minute pilot. That
was taken to what was basically a trade conference for television
shows, where USA Network saw it and became interested."
Three years later, the show has gained quite a following, after
evolving from Peck’s much-followed underground comic strip.
Duckman, the elder statesman of USA’s Saturday Night lineup, offers
something for college-age viewers and up. "Duckman" features the
voice of Jason Alexander as the hero, along with the voices of
Nancy Travis, Dweezil Zappa and Tim Curry.
This season, "Duckman" offers viewers some experiences with new
characters, as well as hilarious episodes with familiar
personalities. Duckman has more tension with King Chicken, his
nemesis (Tim Curry), as well as some trouble with his
sister-in-law’s biological clock.
The winged superhero "… is a bit of a blowhard – he’s based a
little bit on people I know, a little bit of myself, Ralph Kramden,
and Phil Silvers. He’s an amalgam of characters, all of whom are
swimming upstream," says Peck.
While "Duckman" is viewed in 30 minute segments, months of work
contribute to each show. "We begin with the story ideas, which we
all pitch," Peck explains. "The ideas are worked out into scripts.
We then record the voices … and edit that together into what we
call a radio play.
"At the same time, I begin designing the new characters for each
show. Meanwhile, the director for the show will take those initial
sketches, my other characters, and the radio play, and start
working on the story board."
The group collaborates to prepare the show to be put on film. It
is then sent to Korea, where their overseas crew spends eight weeks
transferring the show to this medium. After it is sent back to the
U.S., the episode is edited with sound effects and music.
"It takes about nine months to do a show from idea to finished
video," Peck says. "Nine months to make a 30 minute television
series."
Peck enjoys having this great variety of work to keep him busy.
He plans on illustrating, animating, and painting for quite a long
time. But what does he suggest for up and coming graphic
artists?
"What I always used to tell my students is that the most
important thing is to develop a point of view, your way of looking
at stuff, regardless of what your final profession may be. Have
your own ideas about things, rather than try to copy what others
have done."
TELEVISION: "Duckman" airs on the USA Network, Saturdays at
10:00 pm.
"Duckman" features the celebrity voices of Jason Alexander,
Nancy Travis and Tim Curry.
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