Channel Frederator Blog

Mike Salva, animator of “Max the Hero” and this week’s Cartoon Hangover ‘toon “Death Row Diet” gives us some background on his work with comedy and capital punishment.

Cartoon Hangover: How did you become so involved with comedy? I mean, as adorable as animated tragedy is…

Mike Salva: I blame it on nine years of Catholic school. Laughter of any kind was discouraged. And I was there when the nuns weren’t allowed to hit the students anymore, so they started punishing the children with mental cruelty. And by golly, those nuns got to be pretty darn good at it!

CH: Why did you approach Jonathan Katz about animating “Death Row Diet”?

MS: I was a big fan of Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist. Jonathan had watched a cartoon I had made called “Max the Hero” and we had talked about Jon doing a voice in a future cartoon of mine, but I didn’t have a particular project in mind. He suggested that I make a cartoon from one of his “Hey We’re Back” podcasts. Listen to some of them if you get a chance. Jon does some terrible things to directory assistance operators. I especially liked the “Death Row Diet” comedy segment because of the rapport between Tom Leopold and Jonathan, and hey, it features a lovable convicted murderer.

CH: Any plans for a regular animated comedy series (hope hope hope)?

MS: From your mouth to God’s ears! Plans, yes. Ideas, plenty. I even have a pilot that I made with some well-known gents. Everyone loves it when they see it. The only snag is that I’m not a salesman. I wouldn’t know how to sell a project if it were called “Transformers 3.”

You’re not an agent, are you? All the agents I know here in Nashville are in the music business.

CH: I am an agent. At this time I only represent stunt ferrets. Sorry. However I’d love to know what you are working on now.

MS: My next cartoon is going to be a cutout-style animation done with polymer clay. I roll the clay flat with a rolling pin, cut it out, and bake it in the oven. (The would be the first cartoon that I’ve made in my kitchen.) It’s about a dog in the dog pound who’s going to get put to sleep if he doesn’t get adopted, and he’s kind of a prick, so no one wants to adopt him. The PETA-type folks will probably hate it. Voices should include Andy Merrill (from “Adult Swim”), my comedian friend Ryan Williams, and singer/songwriter/producer/filmmaker Steve Taylor. Oh, and Samantha Newark! She played Jem and Jerrica on the 80s cartoon “Jem” - yes THAT Jem!

CH: Closest you’ve come to death row?

MS: I once got called into the principal’s office of my daughter’s school because I changed my wife’s voice mail message to make it sound like she was running a phone sex operation.

CH: Last meal? Mine would be this sandwich called “The Double Wide” - it would probably kill me way before the chair.

MS: Ooh, that sounds good. For me, it might have to be the Country Fried Steak at Chili’s. It’s the same size as a manhole cover. And I always ask for “enough gravy to kill a man.” Last year I got one that was so big that I put it on my Facebook page. It was so big (get ready for the joke), that I put salsa on one end, and soy sauce on the other.

They have the death penalty here in Tennessee, but they never use it. I’d spend the rest of my life waiting for that last meal. Perhaps I’ll go kill someone in another state. Suggestions?

CH: I hear Florida is nice.

You can check out “Death Row Diet” here on Cartoon Hangover!

-Bailee DesRocher