Kid Koala: The Storyville Mosquito is our new touring show in the style of Nufonia Must Fall. It will be a “live film” performed, edited and projected in real-time by a team of 15 performers and techs using 20 sets, 5 cameras, 70 puppets, and 4 musicians. It’s a story about a young mosquito who moves to the big city to fulfill his dream of playing music at the world-famous Sid Villa’s Music Hall.
Lorenzo: Compared to Nufonia Must Fall, were there any challenges or anything that you did differently this time around?
Kid Koala: I had drawn the characters and the storyboards for The Storyville Mosquito a certain way. The characters (like the mosquito, katydid, and tarantula) are kind of cartoony and gravity-defying. There was a new challenge of how to build these characters and have them stand, move, dance and play instruments. Luckily Patrick Martel (our puppet designer) is a genius, he and his team created workable versions of the characters in up to 5 scales.
Lorenzo: Will Storyville Mosquito be getting an international tour?
Kid Koala: Yes absolutely! Both Nufonia Must Fall and The Storyville Mosquito are booked in various countries for the next few years.
Lorenzo: Word! Gonna have to look up tour dates. Being able to watch a graphic novel come to life in real-time while it’s being recorded sounds amazing. What’s it like to watch the post video of the animation?
Kid Koala: The experience is definitely about being there and seeing it all come to life live. It’s something you have to come to the theatre to see. Many people ask me if we are ever going to “document” the show as a recorded movie or something. For now, I don’t really see a point in doing that. Mostly because you would lose the fun of watching all the people running around on stage working together to create the film. Secondly, the shows are constantly evolving. We will change a scene, or add a new joke or write some new music every time we perform. Every city we go to we will customize the sets and localize some story points to have fun with the audience wherever we are. So the show we did in London will differ from the one we do in Tokyo or Abu Dhabi. Every so often we’ll watch the nights video capture with the crew. We’ll discuss how we can make certain scenes funnier or sadder or more cinematic and try to implement those ideas for the next performance. I feel very lucky to be surrounded by such amazing artists on this team. We work really well together and motivate each other to keep leveling up.
Lorenzo: I’ve only got a small glimpse of behind the scenes through the trailers but I can imagine how fans must feel to witness everything live. That’s what’s up! Recently you shared the preliminary animation test for your Space Cadet film, which looks awesome. When can we look forward to seeing this movie in theaters?
Kid Koala: That will be several years from now. Those are just some very early tests we’ve been working on but I’m glad you dig it!
Lorenzo: What influenced your decision to animate it into film vs the live animation we’ve seen with Nufonia and Storyville?
Kid Koala: A lady named Ginette Petit saw one of the Space Cadet Headphone Concerts I had performed around the time of the book launch. She contacted me about optioning the book to create an animated film for her company Les Films Outsiders here in Montreal. She introduced me to Mylene Chollet who wrote a beautiful screen adaption of the story. I then enlisted my friend Lillian Chan (one of my favorite animators) to art direct the CG world and help design 3D versions of the characters.
Lorenzo: Are there any other upcoming projects or collaborations you’re excited about?
Kid Koala: Right now I’m working on a new music project with my friend Scott DaRos which will feature Ladybug Mecca on the rhymes!
Lorenzo: Dope! Keep us posted, we’d love to hear it. Speaking of projects, I’ve been playing Floor Kids nonstop. With the news of the game finally coming to the PS4, could we also be seeing a sequel or a brand new game entirely?
Kid Koala: Glad you dig the game. It was fun and educational to make. Did you find the strobe state power moves?
Lorenzo: I didn’t! I must try this next time I play the game.
Kid Koala: It was sort of a hidden feature we put in the game. Spin the left stick faster to accelerate the power spin, then when the spin hits its maximum speed, start clicking the left stick to start the strobe. It’s B-i-o-n-i-c! Like you can cut up time! It’s one of the more advanced moves and you get bonus flyness points if you can do it. We plan to expand the whole Floor Kids World…. books, music, animation, games… stay tuned!
Lorenzo: Will do! How do you stay focused while working on a project without getting sidetracked by new ideas for another graphic novel or album?
Kid Koala: I enjoy having a bunch of things going creatively. It keeps me from burning out on any project.
Lorenzo: Word! I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk with me about your latest projects. I look forward to seeing the Storyville Mosquito this coming fall.
Interview by Lorenzo Gee
Visit Kid Koala’s website for more information on music, upcoming projects, events, and more.
