Q. Hi, would you like to introduce yourself?
Hello I am Erim “Xolo” Çetinel, but you can just call me Xolo. I am a 2D animator from Istanbul Turkey currently working in New York city
Q. How would you describe your work for someone who hasn’t seen it?
I would describe my work as Rubber hose animation meets Franco-Belgium comics, something you’d watch when you were eating your cereal breakfast.
Q. How did you get into animation?
I got into animation much like everyone else, just watching cartoons on DVD especially Tom and Jerry and Looney Tunes, and just kept watching Cartoon Network as a kid. I fell off from cartoons in middle school because quitting watching cartoons was “part of growing up” but then I got back into it with shows like Gravity falls, Over the garden wall and Steven Universe. Something about modern shows lacked the animation quality of older works so I got really into analyzing how they made the cartoons look so good while having so much less technology back then. That curiosity formed the style and work flow I have today!
Q. Your latest release, Rubber on The Ropes, borrows a lot from rubberhose animation as the name implies, with some direct references. What interests you with that specific style? Do you have any specific inspiration?
The Works of studios that made rubber hose cartoons like Fleischer, Harman-ising and early Disney with Ub Iwerks had this sort of spontaneity about them. The cartoon characters could move and act in any way they wanted because the rules of how to make a cartoon was being freshly developed. That mindset is what gets me excited about rubber hose animation, it’s full of surprising ridiculous moments that exist just for the audience to watch and enjoy.
I can’t count how many times I have watched shorts like “Bimbo’s initiation” or “Puss Gets the Boot” and I wanted to get the viewers to feel the same way about this short!
If we are talking direct references in there I can point to Bolo’s design literally being a mash up of Koko the Clown and Bimbo the Dog from Fleischer studios and a drinking scene in the film that’s ripped directly from the 1942 WB cartoon “Dover boys in Pimento University”.
Q. How long have you been working on Rubber on The Ropes? What has the process looked like?
Rubber on the ropes was my Third year film at the School of Visual arts, it took about 8 months to make, after which I sent it off to a festival run for the last 2 years. I’m happy that I finally got to release it this year, with a couple tweaks here and there to make it ready for an internet release.
Q. Has there been any specific difficulties?
I think the hardest part of the film was tracking every gradient on all the characters, my previous short film “Slap the deck” was all flat colors, no shading at all so for this one I swung the other way and decided on balls to the walls shading. That genuinely took forever to track for the coloring team which consisted of me and my partner Scout.
Q. While most characters in the short are mute, Rubber on The Rope features the well known Vinny Vinesauce as the voice for Enishte. How do you approach character design and does your approach change when making a character with someone’s voice in mind?
I wanted Enishte to be a gruff New York guy, someone you would see at a jewish Deli enjoying a pastrami on rye. His design was based on what a guy like that would look like. Plus his face is meant to resemble Robert de Niro as a homage to the movie “Raging bull”. After I designed him I could hear no voice other than Vinny’s impression of Captain Lou Albano from the “Super Mario brothers super show” and the rest is history.
Q. How do you feel about the reception to your work?
I am extremely grateful for the love I have gotten from my work. I am a big geek about old cartoons and old films and I want nothing more than to channel that into the stuff I make. I try to read every positive comment I get. It keeps me going strong.
Q. How has it been looking for animation work after your time at SVA?
Not gonna sugar coat it, it has been hell to find studio jobs post college, we are in a horrid state for animation but the tactic is to make stuff you want to see in the world until the industry gets back on its feet.
Q. Is there anyone who you’d want to shout out who has helped in your work?
I want to shout out of course my family for their constant support. My partner Scout Baldwin who is an amazingly talented artist herself. She helps me all the time with coloring backgrounds and design work. My composer Victor and sound designer Thodoris, they have been with me for the last 4 years of making films. And finally shout outs to my friends and classmates who kept me feeling welcome in the US.
Q. Where can people find you online?
My handle is “Xolotal” on Instagram YouTube and now TikTok and also Visit Xolotal.com for my professional portfolio.
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