Simpsons animator Lejon Douroux opened up last night at the Fullerton Library about industry struggles and talked through the modern animation process.
Douroux introduced himself as a long-time animator for “The Simpsons” 14 years to be exact.
He spoke of his back-breaking hours as an intern and the ever-increasing standards companies expect from artists. He went through all of it for the chance to help carry this show’s cultural impact to the modern era.
Douroux went into detail about the major steps in animating, such as blocking, acting and mechanics. Projections of his previous works were displayed to the audience as examples. They were diverse, showcasing of all stages of the animation process while outlining what he did to tackle them.
When asked about why he spoke at this event, Douroux pointed to his friend in the audience, “Jaime Cortez asked me if I could show up and talk about the show. We’ve known each other for a number of years.” Douroux then added, “He told me to just come out here and talk about animation and hopefully meet some people who’re into it and give some advice.”
Cortez is Fullerton Library’s adult service librarian. He hosted this program to showcase the talents and struggles of his old friend. Cortez thought back on how he laughed a lot more than he expected to and finally learned so much more about how the industry works. He also mentioned how Douroux’s voice impressions of the characters thoroughly impressed him.
Attendee David Henderson cited his love for the show as his motivation for attending, “I like ‘The Simpsons’ and I’ve done some animation myself. I really enjoyed the numerous behind-the-scene clips Douroux played to showcase the hidden mechanics that were involved in making them,” said Henderson.
Kent Baecker is the other adult services librarian. From a librarian’s point of view, he was satisfied with how everything ran smoothly. Baecker also being a fan his excitement for this event was inevitable. Though he himself isn’t interested in drawing, Baecker was still able to appreciate everything that goes into running a show as big as “The Simpsons”. “I loved the show from way back since its first airing, tonight was a treat,” said Baecker.
