Ornery Artist Alert

[robcat2075]

Cover your ears, former Disney painter Walt Peregoy bitches about the good old days in audio interviews on the TAG blog...

 

 

Part I

 

Part II

 

This post has a slide show of some of Peregoy's work:

 

http://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/201...ore-walt-p.html

[fae_alba]

Boy, he certainly didn't pull any punches!

[TheSpleen]

Grumpy old man

[John Bigboote]

Okay- I listened to all of part one... do I need to listen to two? The language does not offend me, he just can't seem to toot his own horn enough though-

[robcat2075]

I think that's why the Animation Guild interviews these guys who are not active any more... it's a chance to toot their own horn and lay claim to things they may not have gotten credit for.

 

It's also a way of saying to the current members, "You think things are bad now? That ain't new..."

 

 

But I haven't listened to part 2 yet either.

[largento]

I just listened to both parts and basically learned nothing.

 

...other than Walt Peregoy is a bitter and bigoted old man.

[John Bigboote]

I'm not too fond of any of his personal stuff...but the Paul Bunyon, Sleeping Beauty and Dalmations work is pure genius... and I- with my limited Disney knowledge, had always associated all that work with Eyvand Earle(I know I'm butchering his name...)... at least thats what my Disney Illusion of Life Book told me... But BOY did I ever just get straightened out.

 

I've known many people (usually old men) who spoke bluntly like that... he reminds me of many. But to continually refer to yourself as 'white trash'... that's a newwy.

[robcat2075]

I always liked that there were two very influential "Earls" at that time.

 

Harley Earl created the 59 cadillac...

 

 

 

i wonder if there was any distant relation.

[itsjustme]

I hope I never get that bitter. His attitude is pretty toxic.

[robcat2075]

It's one thing to work in a fairly anonymous field like animation mostly was during his career. Then it's just office politics.

 

But to have the whole thing dredged up years later and reappraised as the great American art with huge attention to even tiny details and credit handed out to just a few people and maybe even the wrong ones... that might set off a person who was already on the edge.

 

So I can see his anger, although he's not dealing with it as well as other people.

[Rodney]

My military experience and PG13 filter must have kicked in because I found that to be a rather honest and (very) personal interview. In the more controversial parts I didn't try to read much beyond the 'consider the source' framework of it all. While I might find fault, this guy has earned his opinion.

 

The interview is certainly not for the timid and definitely won't be everyone's cup of tea but it's important for anyone who dreams the dream of working in the industry to understand the reality of who you'll be working with... and often against. Walt Peregoy certainly isn't as unique as many would think. Artists are competetive and tend to need a good deal of space in which to field their egos. Others may have been all Walt claims and more but then Walt Peregoy's words personally speak for himself and his own character as well. Given the look at the man via this interview the one thing that is for certain is that working with or for Walt Peregoy must have been quite an experience.

 

I do question the interviewer's decision to capitalize on the personal and provacative nature of the interview but reckon it was likely just too good and juicy an interview to resist. One simply cannot sit still on an interview that throws the major icons of animation under the bus and rolls over them repeated.

 

My thought is at the end Walt made a small attempt to apologize for the directness of his commentary and soften the blow just a little but by then his words were already well on the record. I can imagine this 85 year old man might have a few reservations about what he'd said with a little hindsight and consideration. The time from interview to publishing online appears to have been less than a week. Given the inflamatory nature of words I say, why the rush? Did Walt's artshow the following week need the attention and publicity?

 

At any rate, I'm glad to hear his show is getting good attendance.

Perhaps that'll let him know he's still appreciated.

[mouseman]

I have come to the conclusion that it is not possible to listen to podcasts/interviews and model at the same time.

[robcat2075]

I do question the interviewer's decision to capitalize on the personal and provacative nature of the interview but reckon it was likely just too good and juicy an interview to resist.

 

I didn't feel he was fishing for that, to me it seemed more like he was asking fairly typical "what was it like to work with..." questions and then Peregoy would be off and running.

[Rodney]

I didn't feel he was fishing for that, to me it seemed more like he was asking

fairly typical "what was it like to work with..." questions and then Peregoy

would be off and running.

 

I'm not trying to read too much into it. I'm a fan of his interview style and believe he did his due diligence.

 

I suppose I'm internalizing this a little to examine how I might have approached the responsibility. As an interviewer I may in fact assume the obligation of presenting the material 'as is' with no revision. It's that authentic and historical aspect (journalistic integrity) that may make this interview acceptible whereas otherwise I might reject it on a purely personal level. It's one of those 'enemies for truths sake' and 'don't shoot the messenger' kind of things.

 

In this case I've received and understood the message despite the manner in which it was delivered. The delivery here is primarily a means of understanding more about the communicator and in this particular interview we don't have to waste time guessing at biases or perspectives. That reveals a very interesting character.