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Simpsons Star Wars
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There are very few monogamous fans around these days -- most ultimately serve many masters, loving anime and sci-fi and sitcoms with differing, but no less significant, amounts of passion. Animator Rich Cando is no exception to this rule, and so in 2003, he took that passion and began combining two of his favorite franchises, skillfully recreating the iconic Simpsons opening for the Star Wars universe. The result is a perfect mesh of pop culture, well-animated and with humor to spare.
A graduate of the UCLA Animation Workshop, Cando has been creating Flash animation for the web since 1999, launching his career with his first Star Wars spoof, Star Dudes. "With every internet short I ask myself the questions 'Would I want to see it?' and 'Is it possible to create?'" he says. "With Simpsons Star Wars, the geeky side of me wondered what Empire would look like if it was 'Simpsonized.' Instead of waiting around for the Simpsons creators to release that type of episode, I decided what could I design that wouldn't be too ambitious that I couldn't complete it."
Using Macromedia Flash for all aspects of production except sound (which was mixed using Audacity), Cando began working on the cartoon in 2003, but due to his work schedule would have to stop and start, only finding time in the evenings after work or the weekends. "I would guess that I logged in over 1,000 hours," he says. But it was a labor of love; despite what the ending card might say, Cando prefers to look at this as an homage to both properties. "Both represent brands that I was consumed with at different parts of my life. My attention has moved on to other things with age, but they both hold sweet spots in my heart."
Cando's big hope for Simpsons Star Wars is that it reaches the eyes of those who inspired it. "I always like to think that my cartoons can pass under the nose of the original properties's creators during their busy schedules. It would be nice to know that both Matt [Groening] and George [Lucas] got a quick look at it and know that their work is appreciated." In the meantime, he's focusing on developing his own properties, including the book series History Dudes and more animation projects. "I strive to keep working creatively. It would be a dream to create a property that has the cultural impact of The Simpsons or Star Wars, but even if I just reach a tiny percentage of their success, then life is a fun ride."
Rich Cando
Comedy, Animation
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