Talking Taiwan Ep 207 | Guy Gilchrist Cartoonist for the Muppets Talks About How to Achieve Your Dreams
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A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:
I first learned about illustrator and cartoonist Guy Gilchrist, when I interviewed Dr. Karen Tsai (in episode 120) about how she spearheaded the creation of Monster Dance, a children’s book created to help children deal with and understand the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Guy is best known as the cartoonist of Jim Henson’s Muppets comic strip that was printed worldwide in 660-plus newspapers daily in 80 different languages. Guy spoke with me about his humble beginnings, and how he made his childhood dreams of becoming a cartoonist a reality.
Guy has had a lead role on the creative team for the Muppet Babies, Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock, and other Henson creations. Throughout the years, Guy has also had his hand in notable cartoons such as The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Looney Tunes, Tom & Jerry, Tiny Toons, The Pink Panther, and Disney, among others.
Since we can’t showcase or share all of Guy’s talents on the podcast, we are excited to announce that on November 5th, we’ll be hosting a live online event where you can meet Guy and see him draw your favorite cartoon characters live. Guy has agreed do a special live online event to help raise some money for Talking Taiwan on November 5th. To get invited to this special event to meet Guy online just make a donation to Talking Taiwan’s GoFundMe campaign: http://gofundme.com/building-talking-taiwans-legacy.
We'll be sharing more information about the fun things planned for this event in the upcoming weeks.
This episode of Talking Taiwan has been sponsored by NATWA, the North America Taiwanese Women's Association.
NATWA was founded in 1988, and its mission is:
- to evoke a sense of self-esteem and enhance women's dignity,
- to oppose gender discrimination and promote gender equality,
- to fully develop women's potential and encourage their participation in public affairs,
- to contribute to the advancement of human rights and democratic development in Taiwan,
- to reach out and work with women's organizations worldwide to promote peace for all.
To learn more about NATWA visit their website: www.natwa.com
Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:
- How Guy got involved with the children's book Monster Dance
- How Guy met Dr. Karen Tsai who spearheaded the creation of Monster Dance
- Dr. Karen Tsai's nonprofit organization Donate PPE
- How Guy helped Donate PPE’s efforts by drawing comic book characters with masks for kids and to thank frontline health care workers
- How they went from the idea to create a coloring book to a children’s book
- Madeleine Editions, the publisher they worked with to create the children’s book Monster Dance
- The Walt Disney quote that inspired Guy to put out the book in record time
- How the team working on the book worked via Zoom and from locations all around the world and Eva Lou the founder of Madeleine Editions
- How the book got done in record time during the pandemic
- Guy's childhood and how his mother nurtured his artistic talent
- Since childhood Guy always imagined that he'd be a famous cartoonist
- How Guy did not have a television when he grew up, so he often watched television in an appliance store near the diner where his mother worked
- How he was inspired by watching cartoonist Walter Lantz draw Woody Woodpecker on television
- Why at the age of 10 Guy sent in his artwork to Walter Lantz
- How as a kid Guy imagined that he'd get to Los Angeles or New York to find work
- The first time Guy went to a Comic Convention, now known as ComiCon
- The letter that Walter Lantz sent in response to Guy
- How at age 16 Guy landed his first job drawing for a Disney coloring book
- How Guy became the cartoonist who drew the Muppets comic strip, which debuted in September 1981
- The first time that Guy met Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets
- How the Muppets comic strip was the only one to appear daily in 80 different languages around the world because Jim Henson wanted the Muppets
- How Guy ended up being a guest of honor at the Whitehouse, declared a national treasure and having his work enshrined in the Smithsonian
- Which Muppet Guy identifies with the most
- Guy’s advice for illustrators who are struggling with their career or creativity
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