Marvin the Paranoid Android 1996 Animated Music Video by Frank Stringini

"Marvin the Paranoid Android." This animated music video was originally made in 1995 and was entered into the Chicago Film Fest at Columbia College in 1996. It took 1st place for "Experimental animation" and was actually coupled with my Army of Darkness Cartoon, as one entry.

I originally heard this back in the mid 1980's on the radio show Dr Demento, with my brother Paul who recorded it for me. I was eight; the lyrics "I'm programmed for you" were so touching, I wanted a girl programmed for me. Determined to have my hearts desire, I wrote myself a note to the future, "if you ever get into animation Frank, please make a cartoon about Marvin." I even went as far as to include a tape cassette (you heard me) with Marvin recorded on it, and encased them in a locked jewel box.

Ten years had passed since I had written the letter to myself, in highschool I stumbled upon the little treasure chest with the note. It started coming back to me, but when I popped the tape in my boombox and listened to it, all the thoughts and images of the 8 year old, rushed to me.

So I made "Marvin." Now I realize the song was originally intended for "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," and my little cartoon has nothing to do with "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," and some may not be able to look past that. As for me, the song will always be about a boy bot and girl bot that could never be.

At the time, the Anime-looking style was something fresh, not like today where Anime has become a Popular Strategic Marketing Gimmick. The Tech side of "Marvin" isn't gonna blow you away, but this is more about an eight year old's vision. Also, consider that this was made with "AUTODESK Animator Pro" and "Autodesk 3D Studio Max" both in DOS. You have to make your own palettes, limit 256 colors on screen, 1 undo, no layers, no photoshop no scanning. So have fun!

After all is said and done; as I upload this ancient artifact of CGI History, I look at my life as a Professional Motion Graphic Artist and think...
"Little did I know when making this, just how much I was going to fill the roll of Marvin."

Category:

Comedy

Tags:

• Marvin
• Love
• You
• Dr
• Demento
• the
• Paranoid
• Android
• animation
• cartoon
• funny
• Stringanime
• Frank
• Stringini
• cool
• rad
• pixelated
• old
• motion
• graphics
• Experimental
• anime
• girl
• cyber
• 1990's
• 90's
• 80's
• music
• video
• cute
• Animator
• Pro
• toon
• 3D
• Studio
• Max

[hotelmario510]

To be honest, I don't care if this has nothing to do with the Hitchhiker's Guide series. It's really good.

Besides, it could still be compatible, what with the vast size of the WSOGMM.

[stringanime]

@hotelmario510 Thanks, that means a lot. hope you get to check out my new channel I started with my brother "TheStringiniBros" funny cartoons will be there Satire Musical and parody

[shizzlepikle]

I have loved this tune for years! It popped into my head today and I looked for it on youtube and I liked your story! :)

[stringanime]

@shizzlepikle Gee thanx! :) This is rather old and I have put Marvin and his Girl friend remake on pause for now, while I am working on a couple new projects.

[fascistbullygirl13]

FANTASTIC! I'd like to add to all the probies (newbies). READ WHAT HE WROTE before U start whining about how it's got nothing 2 do with HGTTG.

For something made in 1995 to tribute a song from the 80's that was based upon a Movie/TV series THAT was originally a BBC radio Comedy from 1978(takes breath). Your Animation is wonderful and funny. I also discovered this song through Dr. Demento in the 90's . I was a taper as well & KNOW I still have that first time I heard it somewhere around here!!!

[Nastranai]

You know, I'd love to see you take a crack at this again with the animation software of today. Though I suppose part of its appeal to me is the fact that it uses graphics that I associate with the consoles of my youth. As a child of the 90's, I played the sega a lot, and this fits right in with it. Keep up the good work my friend, you've gained a subscriber today!

[hotelmario510]

@stringanime Will do!

[greggv8]

Awesome video! I heard this song many many times on Dr. Demento. Anyone happen to tape the January 21, 1990 show? It contains the one and only broadcast of "Your Morning Feature" by The Country Dodgers (Spike Jones). I taped it and two weeks later accidentally recorded over it. :( 22 years I've been looking for that song!

[NewspaperCat]

@shizzlepikle Same here!

[stringanime]

@PsychopathUltimate No. I started believing long ago that doing things in a "Re-inventive" way was my most comfortable way of working. So it would be new art using my modern skills in 2D.....Perhaps some 3D tossed in there as a blend. Lately I have been on a real redraw cel animation kick with my up coming "Dora the Explorer Dies" video, so I'd probably have a lot of redraw, use the latest incarnation of Cyber-G and Marvin, as well as a host of other characters that were in another version.

[PsychopathUltimate]

@stringanime So how would you go about doing that? Just import an FLV of the original into Flash and rotoscope it?

[MK88N0M4D]

Brings tear to my eye.