The Early Justin Roiland
Two Bizarre Animations from the Co-creator of Rick & Morty
I went to school in the mid-90s for computer animation. After graduation, I worked in the computer games industry. In retrospect, that was a mistake.
I’m a lifelong fan of cartoons — Looney Tunes and Disney in particular (Disney for its artistry and Looney Tunes for its unparalleled humor). Video games wasn’t the place for me to indulge that passion. Animators for interactive entertainment tend to do the same 10 or 20 animations over and over again. Walk, run, shoot, punch, die. Very little room there for characterization or story.
Every time I look at Rick & Morty — or more so the early work from show co-creator Justin Roiland embedded below — I’m reminded that I missed my calling. The two shorts, Mr. Sprinkles and House of Cosbys, stand out to me for their subversive humor and DIY aesthetic. I keep telling myself that one day I’m going to do something similar.
That notwithstanding, I’m happy to share “Sprinkles” and “Cosbys” with those who may not have encountered them before.
Postscript: I wrote this story before Roiland was outed as a hideous mutant.
