Many people have asked me how I came up with the concept of Happy Grazzz. Well I have always loved to draw. Many of my character drawings were a collaboration of one type of animal with another.
I have always been fascinated with animation since my sister had introduced me to a short animation called “The Family Dog.” If you come across it, you should see it. Since then, I have always pictured myself producing animations for a living. I was young then but knew how time consuming animation can be. During my high school years I was a landscaper for a company called Hickory Ridge Landscaping in 1998. I used to bring my drawing pad to work with me on mowing days because there was a considerable amount of downtime between lawns.
For some reason, I have always started drawing something with a pointed tip that aims to the top of page. I remember looking at the upside down “V” shape and trying to make something out of it. I remember brushing a few pieces of cut grass off my shirt. At that instant, it came to me. I drew a character that was sort of a pun instead of collaboration. I remember wanting to tell the other guys in the truck, but I have always been the type of person who creates something and then I would show it off. It took me a few breaks between lawns to complete most of the concept illustration. When I was almost done, my coworker Mike asked me what I was drawing, so I showed him. He did not know what it was a first, so explained to him that it was a blade of grass. Just then, my friend Larry blurted out “Happy Grass!” Everyone was laughing in that truck. So I named it Happy Grass. That was the day Happy Grass was born.
At the time I did not know how to create an animation, but was very eager to get into it. Years passed while the sketch stayed posted on my bedroom wall with the rest of my art, including other characters I created for the cartoon. I was creating a world, a world of bugs and plants interacting with one another. In 2004, I decided it was time to take action and start learning how to animate. So I enrolled in the multimedia program at The New England Institute of Art in Boston.
At the time of my enrollment, they did not offer a course specializing in animation, but they did have a multimedia program that involved some animation using flash. So I figured I would take the multimedia course. This course covered many art mediums such as, Web design, Interactive media, Graphic Design, Audio production and delivery, Programming and yes, animation. A few years after my initial enrollment at The New England Institute of Art, they finally offered a full scale animation program. I considered changing my major to animation, but I was already half way through my current program. Besides, I decided not to change because I had noticed the vast benefits of taking a piece of knowledge from each art medium. Instead, I used many of my electives for the animation courses.
The name Happy Grazzz, with three “ZZZ” came about when I realized that there are many products and services out there with the name Happy Grass. I wanted to be the only one on the search engines. So I gave his name a little twist.
After four years of preparation and developing a large library of short animations, script concepts, background designs, logo, look and feel, 18 characters, and much research, I would consider myself ready for full production as of January 2009.
I had always perceived the Happy Grazzz Cartoon to be played on television, but the more I researched, the less I desired that route. Instead I will be producing this for the internet so I can produce what ever I want, what ever you want, when we want it. FREEDOM!
This Internet-based animation has been calling my attention for years, and I will produce this cartoon as long as people have the ability to laugh and be entertained. I want to say thanks to my wife Michelle, all my friends, family, and professors for supporting me though the years. They have been the absolute drive of this production. Without them, it would never have happened. I anticipate that the website will be fully functional by November 2009. Have fun!
Creator of the Happy Grazzz Cartoon,
Matt McMillin
Visit the Site at: www.happygrazzz.com
