Dave Anderson (cartoon writer)
Encyclopedia
Dave Anderson is a British writer and creator of cartoons and animations including Bastard Bunny and the BAFTA
nominated animation shorts, The Terribles. He is a founder and director of London
based animation production company 12Foot6 whose credits include animating the first series of Modern Toss
for UK TV's Channel 4
.
in 1985, Anderson lived briefly in Charlotte
, North Carolina
where he shared a house with Danna Pentes, bass player in the then up-and-coming band Fetchin Bones
. Returning to the UK he worked in advertising while making ventures into cartoon writing. In 1990 Bastard Bunny appeared in his own comic. Described as "the coolest, drug-snorting, violent, club-going, psychotic rabbit in the world", Bastard Bunny became a cult
icon of the early 1990s London club scene. Bastard Bunny's stylishly simple initial incarnation was drawn by Jiouxliegh Jacobs but by 1992, Anderson's new collaborator Martyn Smith had given the weed-loving GBH-rabbit a more fieresome visual persona. It was the latter incarnation which became an ever more common sight on t-shirts and 'lop ear hats' at the Sabresonic Club. At this time Bastard Bunny "became aligned" with Andy Weatherall's
Sabres of Paradise
label. Bastard Bunny later appeared in Deadline magazine (along with Tank Girl
co-created by Gorillaz
artist Jamie Hewlett
) and, from 1994, in the New Musical Express
. The collected Bastard Bunny collection was published by Virgin Books
in 1998 as Don't You Know Who I am?! - The Collected Works.
, and The Sensibles, a series of wordless animated shorts that were nominated for a BAFTA award in 2007.
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.-Introduction:...
nominated animation shorts, The Terribles. He is a founder and director of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
based animation production company 12Foot6 whose credits include animating the first series of Modern Toss
Modern Toss
Modern Toss is a British series of cartoon booklets and books aimed at adults, and a television series based on them. It is the creation of Mick Bunnage and Jon Link; their company is called Modern Toss Ltd, also going under the name '*hitflap' .The cartoons feature low-quality drawing, offensive...
for UK TV's Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
.
Early life and Bastard Bunny era
After graduating from Durham UniversityDurham University
The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
in 1985, Anderson lived briefly in Charlotte
CHARLOTTE
- CHARLOTTE :CHARLOTTE is an American blues-based hard rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1986. Currently, they are signed to indie label, Eonian Records, under which they released their debut cd, Medusa Groove, in 2010. Notable Charlotte songs include 'Siren', 'Little Devils',...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
where he shared a house with Danna Pentes, bass player in the then up-and-coming band Fetchin Bones
Fetchin Bones
Fetchin Bones was a cross-genre rock band from North Carolina. During a five-year career they produced four albums but were most celebrated for their consistently inspired live performances. As one reviewer put it they were "a band that must be seen live for a full grasp of their eclectic frenzy"...
. Returning to the UK he worked in advertising while making ventures into cartoon writing. In 1990 Bastard Bunny appeared in his own comic. Described as "the coolest, drug-snorting, violent, club-going, psychotic rabbit in the world", Bastard Bunny became a cult
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
icon of the early 1990s London club scene. Bastard Bunny's stylishly simple initial incarnation was drawn by Jiouxliegh Jacobs but by 1992, Anderson's new collaborator Martyn Smith had given the weed-loving GBH-rabbit a more fieresome visual persona. It was the latter incarnation which became an ever more common sight on t-shirts and 'lop ear hats' at the Sabresonic Club. At this time Bastard Bunny "became aligned" with Andy Weatherall's
Andrew Weatherall
Andrew Weatherall is a DJ, producer, and remixer.Andrew, Terry Farley, Cymon Eckel and Steve Mayes started Boy's Own initially as a fanzine commenting on fashion, records, football, and other issues...
Sabres of Paradise
The Sabres of Paradise
The Sabres of Paradise was a British experimental group formed in London, England in 1992. Although their roots were in the acid house scene, they later produced more dub-inspired work. Andrew Weatherall formed the group with engineers Jagz Kooner and Gary Burns and became responsible for the...
label. Bastard Bunny later appeared in Deadline magazine (along with Tank Girl
Tank Girl
Tank Girl is a British comic created by Jamie Hewlett and Alan Martin. Originally drawn by Jamie Hewlett, it has also been drawn by Rufus Dayglo, Ashley Wood, and Mike McMahon.The eponymous character Tank Girl drives a tank, which is also her home...
co-created by Gorillaz
Gorillaz
Gorillaz is an English musical project created in 1998 by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. This project consists of Gorillaz music itself and an extensive fictional universe depicting a "virtual band" of cartoon characters...
artist Jamie Hewlett
Jamie Hewlett
Jamie Christopher Hewlett is an English comic book artist and designer. He is known for being the co-creator of the comic Tank Girl and co-creator of the virtual band Gorillaz.-Biography:...
) and, from 1994, in the New Musical Express
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
. The collected Bastard Bunny collection was published by Virgin Books
Virgin Books
Virgin Books is a United Kingdom book publisher 90% owned by the publishing group Random House, and 10% owned by Virgin Enterprises, the company originally set up by Richard Branson as a record company.-History:...
in 1998 as Don't You Know Who I am?! - The Collected Works.
12Foot6
For much of the 1990s Anderson contributed to Future Shocks. In 2000, with Tom Mortimer, he co-founded 12Foot6 which has since been the creative crucible for many successful cartoon and animation projects. These include Andrew Kelleher's Dog Judo which originated as an advertising campaign for Virgin MobileVirgin Mobile
Virgin Mobile is a brand used by many mobile phone service providers across the globe; its headquarters are based in the United Kingdom. Virgin Mobile has local operations in Australia, Canada, France, India, South Africa, Greece, United Kingdom and the United States. It briefly also had operations...
, and The Sensibles, a series of wordless animated shorts that were nominated for a BAFTA award in 2007.