M. Wartella | |
|---|---|
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| Born | (1976-08-19)August 19, 1976 (age 48) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Cartoonist, animator |
| Years active | 1994–present |
Michael M. Wartella (born August 19, 1976) is an Americanundergroundcartoonist, animator, writer anddirector based in New York City, generally publishing under the nameM. Wartella or justWartella. He is best known for his work inThe Village Voice and onCartoon Network'sMAD.
He is the founder ofBrooklyn's Dream Factory Animation,[1] a boutique studio specializing in the production of animated shorts for corporate and indie clients.
According to his 2013 autobiography,Strip Show: 25 Years of Comix, Controversy & Copyright Infringement, Wartella began his professional career at age ten[2] producing a weekly comic strip calledClubhouse Kids for a local newspaper, which ran for two years during 1986–1987.
Later, while a student atThe University of Virginia,[3] Wartella created the absurdist art comicAckxhpæz (1994–1996) which he then expanded and nationally self-syndicated toalternative weekly newspapers (as "Nuts") from 1998 to 2000. The humor in many of the cartoons was controversial as exemplified in a 1999 comic about theColumbine High School massacre which prompted an outcry when it was published inDenver.[4]
From 2007 to 2009, Wartella's intricate single-panel "reportorial" cartoons began appearing regularly inThe Village Voice,[5] where he is still listed as an honorary contributor.
Wartella's sequential comics have appeared inEisner andHarvey Award nominated anthologies fromDC Comics andFantagraphics Books and in magazines includingAndy Warhol'sInterview andSpin. His illustrations have primarily appeared in "underground" publications includingArthur,Pop Smear, and he was the creator of the infamously rare[citation needed]scratch-off cover ofVice Magazine.
Wartella has also contributed several titles and paintings to the "all-new" series ofWacky Packages trading cards fromTopps, and created similar product parody spoofs forNickelodeon Magazine in the 2000s (decade).
Wartella also did new artwork that appears on the cover of the re-launchedMAD Magazine #6 (April 2019) featuring miniatureAlfred E. Neumans in anM.C. Escher style cubist background.
Wartella is a noted animator and director. Considered a pioneer of online animation, Wartella was among the earliest to use the animated.gif format to create story-drivenindependent animation. In 1998,The New York Times described his early animated web shortThe Dinky Dog Archive as "theSteamboat Willie of the internet".[3]
In the 2000s (decade), Wartella was an artistic contributor to several animated television shows includingMTV2's cult hitWonder Showzen (2005–2006), andAdult Swim's seriesSuperjail! (2008–2009) andXavier: Renegade Angel (2007–2009).[6]
In 2013, Wartella opened his own full-service production studio, Dream Factory Animation, in Brooklyn NY which has conceived, developed and produced animated programming for clients includingCondé Nast,Radical Media, The Creative Agency and Warner Bros.[1]
From 2010 to 2014, he created nearly 300 hand-drawn animated shorts for Cartoon Network'sMAD, where his work was featured in every episode during four seasons.[1]
As of 2022, Wartella has directed several music videos[7] combining live action and animation for musical acts includingOzzy Osbourne,King Tuff andThe White Stripes. Wartella's music videos have received accolades fromBlender magazine[8] andStereogum.[9]
| Title | Year | Artist | Label | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Sun Medallion" | 2013 | King Tuff | Burger Records | Director[7] |
| "Waterfall" | 2014 | Ex Hex | Merge Records | Director[7] |
| "Physical Emotions" | 2014 | Black Bananas | Drag City | Director[7] |
| "Madness" | 2015 | King Tuff | Sub Pop | Director[7] |
| "Rainbow Shiner" | 2019 | Ex Hex | Merge Records | Director[10] |
| "Richest Man" | 2020 | Brendan Benson | Third Man Records | Director[11] |
| "Apple Blossom" | 2020 | The White Stripes | Sony Legacy | Director[12] |
| "Let's Shake Hands" | 2020 | The White Stripes | Sony Legacy | Director[12] |
| "Patient Number 9" | 2022 | Ozzy Osbourne | Epic Records | Director[13](withTodd McFarlane) |
| "Black Math" | 2023 | The White Stripes | Sony Legacy | Director[14] |
