Director to the Mr. Men Stars

Hey Guys! Hope you are all enjoying the last days of summer. Thanks for your feedback on the last posting. We figured we'd keep the interview ball rolling, and take a moment to learn more about Mark Risley, the awesome director of the Mr. Men Show. Now, you all know Mark Risley...but how well do you really know him? :) Mark was nice enough to take time and answer our questions so without further introduction...

MEET MARK

SM: Hey Mark! Tell us a little bit about yourself (5 sentences or less)
MR: I’m a native Californian; born and raised in San Diego.  My favorite pastimes are baking macaroons, watching Chicago Bears football and playing practical jokes on the crew of the Mr. Men Show.  I have 3 basenjis (that’s a kind of dog) and a transient coyote (that’s also a kind of dog).

SM: How did you get into Animation, what was your first job?
MR: I  actually answered a want ad in the newspaper: “creative-minded person wanted”.  First job specifically in animation was as an inbetweener  (that’s a kind of assistant animator) on a series called “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes”

SM: When you were a kid, what was your favorite children's book or televisionmseries?
MR:  I loved the original Jonny Quest TV show.

SM: What was your first experience with the Mr. Men brand?
MR: I’ve been peripherally aware of the books since the 70’s, but just weeks before I was contacted about directing the series, a friend gave me a copy of Mr. Grumpy.  I think it was their way of saying that I share attributes with the title character (Hey! Just like Adam!).   I can’t say that I disagree.

SM: Which is your favorite MMLM character and why?
MR:  Poor Mr. Bump…I think it’s his unwavering spirit.

SM: What's your favorite thing about the show?
MR: I love the world of Dillydale and the way the characters interact with one another.

SM: The Visual style of the Mr. Men is so unique, where did the inspiration for this come from?
MR: The style was inspired by few sources; the television series LAUGH-IN and the cartoons produced by UPA (United Productions of America) in the 1950’s.   Although much of what you see is straight out of the very talented brain of Peter Michail, the series’ art director (and the voice of Mr. Messy in the USA!)

SM: Sketch comedy, as a director, what is the most challenging and rewarding aspects?
MR: The most challenging aspect is keeping track of all the sketches; there can be literally hundreds in a given season.  The most rewarding is getting to work with so many fantastic and funny stories!

SM: Are there other TV shows/Movies that you pull inspiration from?
MR: Benny Hill, Saturday Night Live, Monty Python, Kids in the Hall, Ren & Stimpy.

SM: Do you have a favorite sketch/show from season 1?
MR: I adore The Dark.  As far as individual sketches go, I love Mr. Persnickety Washes His Car (Car Wash) and Mr. Nervous on Mars (Heatwave)

SM: If you weren't working on Mr. Men what would you love to be doing right now?
MR: Hanging out with the basenjis!

SM: Anything else you want to tell our readers?
MR: I’d like to give a shout out to super fan, Mutt Girl!  She’s been watching since day one and I’d like to thank her for her loyalty!

- Sarah

Comments

[Lil Miss Calm]

Lucky, you MuttGirl! (BTW: Mr Quiet rules! :D)

[MuttGirl (responding to Lil Miss Calm)]

Thanks! :D

(BTW: Yeah, he does! ^o^)

[Lil Miss Calm]

And Mr Bump and Mr Grumpy and... oh wait, I almost turned into Little Miss Chatterbox.

[Mr. H]

What episodes are in production now, who will appear?

[Little Miss Special]

i was on my myspace and i came across a new pic that Voice Fan posted that Katie Leigh gave him. it was a pic of a new mr men show episode script #220 "Driving". Katie Leigh gave voice fan this pic so we know that "Driving" is in the works right now. just to keep u updated. here is the link if u need it: http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=401864852&albumID=793885&imageID=9569367

[Greg]

Did you manage to get Sam Gold's auto too?

[allison]

hey if you put little miss curious on the show i have an idea for a scene in the show little miss curious askes some questions and for the last one she breaks the 4th wall and askes why there are weird things watching them, and the mr man she was talking to goes over to the sceen and says "what the?!"

[Little Miss Special]

i have more information about the mr men show season 2. we should see the mr men show season 2 in 2009. here is the article: http://www.licensing.biz/news/1929/Chorions-Mr-Men-Show-returns

[Mr. H]

(to Miss Special)
Would Miss Bossy Appeaar?

[Little Miss Special]

i would like to know who will appear also so why don't i ask alicyn packard or katie leigh and maybe they will know if miss bossy will appear. or you can ask them if u want. you can contact alicyn packard at www.alicynpackard.com she is the voice of miss sunshine, miss naughty and miss whoops. you can get katie leigh at www.katieleigh.com she is the voice of miss helpful, miss daredevil and miss chatterbox. that is a very good question.

[Mr. H]

Mom's not here, so ask'em if you don't mind.

[Little Miss Special]

i'm sorry katie said that she's not allowed to say anything and that she signed a contract that said she's not allowed to say anything and now she's in trouble for telling me what she did.

[Little Miss Special]

(to Mr. H)
yes miss bossy will appear. she is going to have the same voice as angelica from rugrats. i just found that out on alicyn packard's myspace page. it's under about me. there is a pink box that says what i'm doing. if u click to day 13 u will c that is says The voice of the new Miss Bossy Angelica from Rugrats.
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=45338550

[Grumpyfan]

maybe we should wait until Sarah posts on the blog listing the new characters, rather than asking if there's any new confirmations every few days and scouring the internets for leaks from cast & crew that could potentially get them into trouble if we plaster it all over the comments section or on other fan forums. we love the show, but we love the people working on it too, right? if we show sum patience, we'll find out more right here in new official posts eventually.

[Mr. H]

Okay, but when is the next post?
such post hasn't occurred for over a month.

[Mr. H]

since Mr. Persnickety & Miss Bossy are a bit fussy, think they could make good friends?
Miss Bossy might also be more friendly to Mr. Stubborn, he'd no doubt be to stubborn for her to boss around.

[Mr. H]

Hmmm, i'll try waiting a month

[Little Miss Special]

now this i didn't get from cast or crew i found this on a website.
it says that miss magic will also be appearing.
http://news.awn.com/index.php?ltype=top&newsitem_no=24920

[Mr. H]

I've noticed that there's a Mr. Metal.

[Little Miss Special]

yea i noticed that too that there is a mr metal. i wonder what his personality is.

[Keith]

Keep in mind the blurb mentions 'robot'. Don't expect too many appearances.

[Little Miss Special]

i have a question. i just got done watching the mr men show episode amusement park/trains and i noticed that in trains all of the mr men and little misses are riding on the train. but if all the mr men and little misses are aboard the train who's driving the train? is it a ghost train and they are going to a happy land where they will all live together in happiness and peace and harmony forever?

[Mr.H]

I know that Keith, Metal's a 'bot,
Now then, is Ms Bad a bad enough duddete to appear in the show?
(Please note that this is a reference to the game, Bad Dudes, which contains the line "The president/President Ronnie has been kidnapped by the ninjas, are you a bad enough dude to save Ronnie/the President?")

[Keith]

No.

[Mr. H]

Why isn't she bad enough?
what i know is she's bad by name, bad by nature