Known for their hilarious 2D animated shorts that have reached viral acclaim on platforms like YouTube, Javadoodles, the anonymous animator, sees so much promise left behind in the 2D space of animation. They gravitate towards stories about adolescence and awkwardness and are known for their collaborations with comedian Kevin James Thorton. Their first collaboration with Thorton, an animated short entitled “Muscles,” has over 12 million views on the YouTube platform. Recently, Javadoodles has created several animated episodes for Podcrushed, the podcast voiced by Penn Badgley that tells true tales of painstakingly uncomfortable teenage moments.
We spoke with Javadoodles about their work in the 2D animation space, their collaborations with Podcrushed, and their viral videos featuring comedian Kevin James Thorton.
You are known for your hilarious body of work in the 2D animation space, especially for your viral animation “I Guess I’m Not Ready to be an Adult,” which has over 23 million views. What was it like seeing your following grow so rapidly?
It's been a pretty rewarding experience knowing that my work brings happiness to millions of people. I wasn't expecting my work to grow with such an explosive force. In August 2022 I had 1,000 subscribers on my YouTube and now I have over a million. I'm absolutely thrilled!
Your collaborations with comedian Kevin James Thorton are immensely popular as well. Can you tell us more about these animated shorts featuring his voice, and the collaborative process behind it?
The first animation I did as a collaboration with Kevin was his "muscles" story on TikTok. There was something about it that just made me laugh! I also immediately imagined the story in my head with animated characters. So I got up in the middle of the night and got right to work. The animation took about 4 hours from start to finish (35 seconds of animation). Then I went to sleep and woke up to hundreds of thousands of views. Kevin showed his appreciation by reposting the animation on his pages. He's been really supportive of this project, which I am very grateful for. He's a very gifted storyteller and I'm honored that he enjoys the animated versions of his childhood memories. It would be really fun to work with him on a short film and submit it to festivals. Who knows what's in store?
Recently, you did some animated episodes for Podcrushed, a podcast that focuses on stories of adolescence and teenage awkwardness, featuring the voices of Penn Badgley, Nava Kavelin, and Sophie Ansari. What was something you learned while working on this project that you will take with you to other future opportunities?
It was such a privilege to work with the amazing Podcrushed team. I had the chance to tap into my own teenage awkwardness and bring it to life through the stories from the podcast. I learned that all of us went through a phase in our lives where we were growing into ourselves, and maybe we didn't have the best time with it. I'm able to look back on those experiences and realize I wasn't alone in what I was feeling! It felt nice to pour some of those feelings into the Podcrushed animations and share them with the world. As far as future opportunities, I'd love to explore the feelings of teenage awkwardness more! I think it's something we can all relate to.
Here are the two pieces I did for the podcast:
Do you have a favorite animation project or collaboration you’ve done? Why?
It's hard to pick a single favorite, but I would have to say "Muscles" since it was my first-ever collaboration with Kevin James Thornton. It was the animation that started my TikTok journey and led me to other amazing opportunities!
Are there any dream collaborators you would like to work with in the future?
Jack Black and Jennifer Coolidge.
As an animator and storyteller, do you have any pressing personal projects you’re getting excited about?
Yes! Right now I am finishing a short animated film for Reggie Fils-Aime, who recently released his memoir, Disrupting the Game! I'm so excited to share this animation with the world!
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For more information about Javadoodles, follow their Instagram TikTok, and YouTube channel.
