Summer ( is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, between spring and autumn. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day-length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice. The date of the beginning of summer varies according to climate, culture, and tradition, but when it is summer in the Northern Hemisphere it is winter in the Southern Hemisphere, and vice versa.

Timing

From an astronomical view, the equinoxes and solstices would be the middle of the respective seasons, but a variable seasonal lag means that the meteorological start of the season, which is based on average temperature patterns, occurs several weeks later than the start of the astronomical season. According to meteorologists, summer extends for the whole months of June, July, and August in the northern hemisphere and the whole months of December, January, and February in the southern hemisphere. Under meteorological definitions, all seasons are arbitrarily set to start at the beginning of a calendar month and end at the end of a month. This meteorological definition of summer also aligns with the commonly viewed notion of summer as the season with the longest (and warmest) days of the year (365 days), in which daylight predominates. The meteorological reckoning of seasons is used in Austria, Denmark and the former USSR; it is also used by many in the United Kingdom, where summer is thought of as extending from mid-May to mid-August. In Ireland, the summer months according to the national meteorological service, Met Éireann, are June, July and August. However, according to the Irish Calendar summer begins 1 May and ends 1 August. School textbooks in Ireland follow the cultural norm of summer commencing on 1 May rather than the meteorological definition of 1 June.

From the astronomical perspective, days continue to lengthen from equinox to solstice and summer days progressively shorten after the solstice, so meteorological summer encompasses the build-up to the longest day and a diminishing thereafter, with summer having many more hours of daylight than spring. Solstices and equinoxes are taken to mark the mid-points, not the beginnings, of the seasons. Midsummer takes place over the shortest night of the year, which is the summer solstice, or on a nearby date that varies with tradition.

The Western definition based on solstice to equinox is more frequently used where a temperature lag of up to half a season is common. In North America, summer is often the period from the summer solstice (usually June 20 or 21 in the Northern Hemisphere) to the autumn equinox. Unofficially, the U.S. summer season is commonly regarded as beginning on Memorial Day weekend (the last weekend in May) and ending on Labor Day weekend (the first weekend in September), more closely in line with the meteorological definition.

In Chinese astronomy, summer starts on or around 5 May, with the ''jiéqì'' (solar term) known as lìxià (立夏), i.e. "establishment of summer", and it ends on or around 6 August.

In southern and southeast Asia, where the monsoon occurs, summer is more generally defined as lasting from March to May/early June, their warmest time of the year, ending with the onset of the monsoon rains.

Because the temperature lag is shorter in the oceanic temperate southern hemisphere most countries in this region, especially Australia and New Zealand, use the meteorological definition with summer starting on December 1 and ending on the last day of February.

Weather

Summer is traditionally associated with hot dry weather, but this does not occur in all regions. In areas of the tropics and subtropics, the wet season occurs during the summer. The wet season is the main period of vegetation growth within the savanna climate regime. Where the wet season is associated with a seasonal shift in the prevailing winds, it is known as a monsoon.

In the Northern Atlantic Ocean, a distinct tropical cyclone season occurs from 1 June to 30 November. The statistical peak of the Atlantic hurricane season is 10 September. The Northeast Pacific Ocean has a broader period of activity, but in a similar time frame to the Atlantic. The Northwest Pacific sees tropical cyclones year-round, with a minimum in February and March and a peak in early September. In the North Indian basin, storms are most common from April to December, with peaks in May and November. In the Southern Hemisphere, the tropical cyclone season runs from 1 November until the end of April with peaks in mid-February to early March.

Thunderstorm season in the US and Canada runs in the spring through summer. These storms can produce hail, strong winds and tornadoes, usually during the afternoon and evening. Schools and universities typically have a summer break to take advantage of the warmer weather and longer days.

School break

In most countries, children are out of school during this time of year for summer break, although dates vary. In the Northern hemisphere, some begin as early as late May, including the United States. In England and Wales, school ends in mid-July and resumes again in September. In the Southern hemisphere, school summer holiday dates include the major holidays of Christmas and New Year's Day. School summer holidays in Australia begin in mid-December and end in late January, with the dates varying between states.

Activities

People take advantage of the warmer temperatures by spending more time outdoors during the summer. Activities such as traveling to the beach and picnics occur during summer months. Sports such as cricket, volleyball, skateboarding, baseball, softball, Canadian football, tennis and water polo are played. Water sports also occur. These include water skiing, wake boarding, swimming,surfing, and tubing. Water skiing is a uniquely summer sport, which is done when waters approach their warmest of the year. The modern Olympics have been held during the summer months every four years since 1896.

Summer is usually a low point in television viewing, and television schedules generally reflect this by not scheduling new episodes of their most popular shows between the end of May sweeps and the beginning of the television season in September, instead scheduling low-cost reality television shows. Conversely, the music and film industries generally experience higher returns during the summer than other times of the year and market their summer hits accordingly.

With all school-age children and college students on summer vacation during the summer months, especially in the United States, travel and vacationing traditionally peaks during the summer, with the volume of travel in a typical summer weekend rivaled only by Thanksgiving. Teenagers and college students often take summer jobs in industries that cater to recreation.

The summer season is also most popular for animated movies to be released theatrically in movie theaters.

See also

Summer solstice

Midsummer

References

Summer

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#redirectSean Paul

name	Sara Bareilles
background	solo_singer
birth name	Sara Beth Bareilles
alias	Serina
birth date	December 07, 1979
birth place	Eureka, California, United States
instrument	Vocals, piano, guitar
genre	Pop soul, pop rock, baroque pop
occupation	Singer-songwriter, musician
years active	2002–present
label	Epic
website	www.sarabmusic.com }}

Sara Beth Bareilles ( ; born December 7, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She achieved mainstream success in 2007 with the hit single "Love Song", which brought her into the number one spot on the ''Billboard'' Pop 100 chart. She has sold over 1 million records in the United States alone and has been nominated for a Grammy Award three times. In the current third season of NBC's ''The Sing-Off'', Bareilles is a celebrity judge alongside Ben Folds and Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men. In February of 2012, VH1 placed Bareilles in the #80 spot of the Top 100 Greatest Women in Music.

Early life

Bareilles was born and raised in Eureka, California, the youngest of three daughters of Bonnie Halvorsen (née Capellas), a funeral home worker, and Paul Bareilles, an insurance adjuster. She is of Italian, German, Portuguese, and French descent (she speaks Italian and lived in Italy for a year). Bareilles was raised Catholic and participated in the high school choir, Limited Edition, and local community theater musical productions, including her high school's production of ''Little Shop of Horrors'' as Audrey.

Bareilles attended the Communication Studies program at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she was a member of the co-ed a cappella group Awaken a Cappella, and can be heard on their ''Dysfunktional Family'' album singing "Gravity" and "I Want You Back" by The Jackson 5. The group's rendition of Bareilles' "Gravity" was featured on the ''Best of College a Cappella 2004'' compilation CD. Sara also stated on MTV's ''TRL'' that she and the band Maroon 5 have been acquainted since their younger days in California when the band was known as Kara's Flowers. She performed in the annual student concert UCLA Spring Sing, winning twice.

Career

2002–2006: Career beginnings and ''Careful Confessions''

After graduating from college in 2002, Bareilles performed at local bars and clubs (such as the Hotel Café and Genghis Cohen in Los Angeles), building a following before performing in larger venues. She issued two demos of mostly live tracks in 2003: ''The First One'' in April and ''The Summer Sessions'' in October. In 2004, she appeared as a singer in a bar in the indie film ''Girl Play'', performing the song "Undertow".

In January 2004, Bareilles released her first studio album, ''Careful Confessions''. She signed a contract with Epic Records on April 15, 2005. The remainder of the year and early 2006 were spent writing and reworking songs for her upcoming album.

In mid-2004 she opened for Rocco DeLuca and the Burden during their inaugural headline tour, supported Guster on their first UK tour and co-headlined a tour with Jon McLaughlin. She toured as the opening act in 2006 for Marc Broussard's "Carencro" tour. Bareilles' song "Gravity" appeared briefly in the 2006 independent film ''Loving Annabelle''. In 2007, Bareilles toured as the opening act for Aqualung and Mika, and later that year opened for several shows on both Maroon 5 and Paolo Nutini's U.S. tours. She also opened for James Blunt on his U.S. Tour in association with VH1 You Oughta Know.

2007–2008: ''Little Voice''

In June 2007, iTunes featured Bareilles' single "Love Song" as the free single of the week. The following month, her major-label debut ''Little Voice'' shot to #1 on the list of most downloaded albums of the music store in its first week of release, and debuted at #45 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. After being featured on a Rhapsody commercial in 2007, "Love Song" began climbing the pop charts, jumping from #73 to #16 in one week. It entered the top 10 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 on December 27, 2007, and peaked at #4. On other charts, such as the Pop 100 and Hot AC, "Love Song" hit #1. Bareilles performed the song on ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' on Thursday, January 17, 2008, and on the ''Today'' show on Thursday, February 21, 2008. Soon after that, the song entered the UK Singles Chart, peaking at #4. The music video was directed by Josh Forbes and stars British actor Adam Campbell.

As of 2010, ''Little Voice'' has been certified Platinum by the RIAA. The album peaked in the ''Billboard'' 200 at #7, and the UK Top 40 at #9. Bareilles' breakthrough single, "Love Song" has since been certified 3× Platinum.

On October 28, 2008, Bareilles released "Between the Lines: Sara Bareilles Live at the Fillmore" on DVD and CD. The package is a recording of her first headlining tour at the famous Fillmore in San Francisco. This package also included unique live recordings of her unreleased song "August Moon", as well as a cover of Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay". She concluded the tour in her home town of Eureka, California on December 19, 2008, at the Arkley Center for the Performing Arts.

She toured with Counting Crows and Maroon 5 between July 22 and August 26, 2008. The first stop was Virginia Beach, Virginia and the last stop Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Bareilles was selected as MTV artist of the week for July 7–11 and appeared again on ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' on Wednesday, July 9, 2008; and on December 9, 2008 (with Ingrid Michaelson).

During the spring of 2009, Bareilles was on her second headlining tour, the "Gravity Tour," to promote the third and final single from her album ''Little Voice''. She made her third appearance in Charlottesville, VA during UVA's annual Springfest on March 28, her first as the opener for Marc Broussard in 2005 and the second being an opening for Maroon 5. Bareilles also played multiple college shows in April and May. Some were for college students only and others were open to the public.

She sent out a special holiday message to fans on her mailing list and gave out a free live acoustic EP recorded during her Gravity Tour last Spring. The EP contains 7 acoustic songs, including a new song "Free Ride", "I'm On Fire", a Bruce Springsteen cover duet with Tony Lucca, and two speaking segments.

In early 2010, Bareilles recorded video of what she called "An Ode to ''Jersey Shore''" and posted it to her official website as a gag for fans.

2009–2012: ''Kaleidoscope Heart'' and ''The Sing-Off''

After an extended period of writer's block, Bareilles began work on the follow-up to her major label debut in the summer of 2009, collaborating with the likes of Amir "Questlove" Thompson, members of Weezer, and Pharrel Williams. As the songs began to take their final shape, Neal Avron was assigned to produce, record, and mix the entire album. The album, eventually titled ''Kaleidoscope Heart'', was recorded at The Village Recorder and Sunset Sound in Los Angeles.

The first single from ''Kaleidoscope Heart'', "King of Anything", began receiving radio airplay in the US in May 2010, and was released for sale in June. "King of Anything" had its first play on the UK radio airwaves on Paul Kay's "Album Download" show on Mid-Wales commercial radio station "Radio Maldwyn – The Magic 756" in August 2010. "King of Anything" has since been certified platinum by the RIAA.

In anticipation of the new album, Bareilles released a series of webisodes, featuring the making of select songs from ''Kaleidoscope Heart'', including "King of Anything", "Uncharted", "Gonna Get Over You", "Bluebird", and a strings-only version of "King of Anything". The first webisode also contains Sara writing the chorus for "Hold My Heart". She was selected as VH1's Posted Artist of the Month for July 2010, chronicling her life leading up to the album's release.

''Kaleidoscope Heart'' was released on September 7, 2010 and debuted at number 1 in the United States, selling 90,000 copies. Interestingly, her previous album ''Little Voice'' re-entered the charts at number 200 in the same week, bookending the charts.

Bareilles toured in support of ''Kaleidoscope Heart'' from September to December 2010, with most of the shows being sold out. Bareilles toured Europe and parts of Asia and Australia with Maroon 5 throughout spring 2011. She embarked on a small headline "Uncharted" tour in April 2011 with openers Elizabeth & the Catapult and Ximena Sariñana in support of the second single from Kaleidoscope Heart "Uncharted", which concluded April 23, 2011 in Memphis, Tennessee. She also opened select shows for country music duo Sugarland on their Summer 2011 Incredible Machine Tour. The third single off of Kaleidoscope Heart is "Gonna Get Over You," with a music video directed by Jonah Hill.

On April 21, 2011, NBC aired the "Paradigms of Human Memory" episode of comedy television series ''Community'', in which "Gravity" was used during a montage scene reflecting on the characters Jeff and Annie's previous interactions. On May 13, 2011, "Breathe Again" appeared in the ''Smallville'' series finale for the wedding of Clark Kent and Lois Lane.

Bareilles was added in the third season of the NBC television series ''The Sing-Off'' as a celebrity judge, alongside Ben Folds and Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men. Bareilles also guest-starred on ''Bucket & Skinner's Epic Adventures''.

Indiana State Fair stage collapse

On August 13, 2011, the Hoosier Lottery Grandstand stage at the Indiana State Fair collapsed right after Bareilles finished performing as the opening act for Sugarland. She was uninjured, tweeting "I'm speechless and feel so helpless; my heart aches for the lives lost." Seven people died, and more than 45 were injured in the collapse.

2012–present: ''A Trace of Sun'' and ''Once Upon Another Time'' EP

Soon after joining ''The Sing-Off'', Bareilles announced she was in the process of recording a new EP with co-star Ben Folds producing it. She also collaborated with fellow singer songwriters Greg Laswell and Jon McLaughlin on their new singles in February. In March, she will release ''A Trace of Sun'' a documentary of her time volunteering in Japan after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake. Her EP, called ''Once Upon Another Time'', will be released on May 22 and will contain 4 new recordings. The first single from the EP, "Stay" was released on April 21, 2012 on 7" vinyl, exclusive to Record Store Day participants.

Influences and musical style

Bareilles' vocal range registers from contralto to mezzo-soprano, and is often compared to artists such as Regina Spektor, Fiona Apple, Billy Joel, due to her vocal ability and incorporation of piano in her music.

Her sound is described as "slightly edgy, stompy piano-based pop rock" that incorporates jazz and soul, with Bareilles finding inspiration from singers such as Etta James and Sam Cooke. She is often praised for her songwriting abilities, with critics stating she "conveys vulnerability and wisdom in lyrics that speak honestly about relationships from a woman's point of view", and that her "writing voice is uniquely her own."

She plays the piano, guitar, ukulele, and harmonium.

Band members

Bareilles tours with regular band members Javier Dunn (guitar and vocals), Daniel Rhine (bass) and Joshua Day (percussion and vocals). Other musicians who have toured with her as part of her band include Eric Robinson (guitar and keys), Holly Conlan (backing vocals), and Philip Krohnengold (guitar and keys).

Collaborations with other artists

In December 2008, a single with Ingrid Michaelson titled "Winter Song" was released off the compilation ''The Hotel Cafe Presents Winter Songs''. The two performed it on ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'', and an animated video was released. In December 2011, "Winter Song" reached number 2 on the Irish Singles Chart. She also recorded a song "Come Home," a duet with OneRepublic, which was released on iTunes on July 14, 2009.

Bareilles performed with many other singers on the season 3 finale of ''30 Rock'', alongside Mary J. Blige, Rachael Yamagata, Sheryl Crow, Norah Jones and Elvis Costello. She also appeared with Weezer on ''Jimmy Kimmel Live'' and AOL Sessions guest performing "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" as well for a special performance on YouTube.

She has performed for the First Family numerous times. Bareilles was first invited by First Lady Michelle Obama to play at the G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh in September 2009. Here she performed songs for the First Ladies of 20 nations and afterward dined with Michelle Obama. The Obamas again invited her to perform at the Easter Egg Roll in 2010. On October 20, 2010, it was announced that Bareilles would open for President Obama at a Las Vegas rally for the Democratic midterm elections. In December, Bareilles and fellow singer Ingrid Michaelson performed "Winter Song" for the Obamas and many spectators at the National Christmas Tree Lighting.

In December 2010, Bareilles appeared with The Backbeats on the season finale of ''The Sing-Off''. She performed the duet "Love Won't Let You Get Away" with Seth MacFarlane on his debut studio album ''Music Is Better Than Words'', and reunited to perform the song with him at Club Nokia on March 26, 2011.

Bareilles is featured on the first single from Jon McLaughlin's fourth studio effort ''Promising Promises'', "Summer Is Over". The track was released in January 2012.

Discography

2004: ''Careful Confessions''

2007: ''Little Voice''

2010: ''Kaleidoscope Heart''

Filmography

Television/film

!Year	!Title	!Role	Notes
	''Girl Play''	Singer in Bar
	''Fairytale''	Princess	Video short
	''Walmart Soundcheck''	Herself	"Sara Bareilles" (Season 3, episode 3)
	''30 Rock''	Herself	"Sara Bareilles" (Season 3, episode 22)
	''Bucket & Skinner's Epic Adventures''	Herself	"Epic Rockstar" (Season 1, episode 7)
	''The Sing-Off''	Judge	Seasons 3–present; 11 episodes
	''No Ordinary Family''	Herself	"No Ordinary Animal" (Episode 18)
	''A Trace of Sun''	Herself	Documentary

Awards and nominations

The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Bareilles has received three nominations.

|- |rowspan="2"| |rowspan="2"| "Love Song" || Song of the Year || |- | Best Female Pop Vocal Performance || |- | || "King of Anything" || Best Female Pop Vocal Performance || |-

References

External links

Exclusive Radio interview

Official website

Category:1979 births Category:American contraltos Category:American female singers Category:American pop pianists Category:American pop singers Category:American female guitarists Category:American singer-songwriters Category:Musicians from Los Angeles, California Category:People from Eureka, California Category:University of California, Los Angeles alumni Category:Living people Category:Blue-eyed soul musicians Category:American pop singer-songwriters

da:Sara Bareilles de:Sara Bareilles es:Sara Bareilles fa:سارا بارالز fr:Sara Bareilles id:Sara Bareilles it:Sara Bareilles he:שרה ברליס hu:Sara Bareilles nl:Sara Bareilles ja:サラ・バレリス no:Sara Bareilles pl:Sara Bareilles pt:Sara Bareilles ru:Бареллис, Сара simple:Sara Bareilles fi:Sara Bareilles sv:Sara Bareilles tl:Sara Bareilles vi:Sara Bareilles zh:莎拉·芭瑞黎絲

Alice Gold (Alice McLaughlin) is an English singer-songwriter based in London, formerly signed to Sunday Best and currently signed to Fiction Records.

Alice lives on her 53 foot narrowboat with her husband film producer Jules Cocke in north London’s canal boat community, where she recorded many demos.

"Like many an adventurer with wanderlust, Alice spent some of her early twenties traveling South East Asia with her trusty battered guitar, continually gathering inspiration and song ideas, before finding herself in Edinburgh. There she underwent a period of experimentation, collaborating with various lights on the music scene. She moved to London to pursue her ambitions, but the death of her mother precipitated an intense period of loss and grief, culminating in a need to escape the grind of city life. Alice took a trip to America, ambling around the Deep South, en route to San Francisco, with little more than her wits and that battered old guitar again, in a 1979 Dodge Winnebago. On the way she found courage, independence and freedom, all key in developing her own unique style and sound."

Her debut single "Dolly Figured" was released under her original name on 21 October 2007.

Her debut single as Alice Gold, "Orbiter," was released on 23 September 2010 through Pure Groove Records, with a single launch party at The Drop in Stoke Newington. ''The Guardian'' said it "showcases Gold's mighty voice through its power-pop chorus" and described her as "One to watch".

This was followed by "Runaway Love", released on Fiction Records, has received airplay on radio stations across the UK, entering the A-List on BBC Radio 2. On the official release date, 18 April 2011, an acoustic EP was recorded live at Toerag Studios where The White Stripes have previously recorded.

Gold's debut album ''Seven Rainbows'', released on 4 July 2011, was produced by Dan Carey (Franz Ferdinand, Hot Chip, Lily Allen). In an interview with PopCultureMonster.com she said of the album "the main bass, drums and guitars rhythm tracks were all recorded live and on tape like the old 60s records. The over-dubs are mostly made up of one-takes, whether it be guitar or vocal takes. My producer Dan Carey and I decided that if a take felt good then we’d keep it, so it is complete with minor ‘mistakes’ and quirky sounds through doing that, which we both like. Its a very honest album, quite autobiographical. The songs were born from a lot of darkness and grief but the lyrics are drenched in hope because of that, which is why I imagine people connect to it."

In October 2010, Gold was shortlisted for ''Q'' magazine's 'Next Big Thing' award.

In September 2011, Gold's cover of the Billy Fury song "Wondrous Place" was used in an advert for the British beer brand Carling.

She has toured with Eels, Athlete, Band Of Skulls, Noah And The Whale, The Twilight Singers and has upcoming tour support slots confirmed with The Dears and The Bookhouse Boys.

Gold also played festivals in 2011, including Glastonbury, V Festival, T in the Park, Harvest at Jimmy's Festival, Jodrell Bank Live, Kendal Calling, Cornbury Festival and Hull's Freedom Festival.

Discography

Albums

2011 - Seven Rainbows

Singles

2011 - Wondrous Place

2011 - Runaway Love

2011 - Orbiter / Kill the Lights

2011 - Cry Cry Cry

2011 - End of the World / You'll Be Mine

Featured Artist

2012 - Out The Blue (Sub Focus feat. Alice Gold)

References

External links

Official blog

Official website

Category:Articles created via the Article Wizard Category:English singer-songwriters Category:Living people

name	Bill Plympton
birth date	April 30, 1946
birth place	Portland, Oregon, U.S.
nationality	American
field	Animation
training	University of California, Santa Barbara
works	''Your Face''
signature	BillPympton.png }}

William "Bill" Merton Plympton (born April 30, 1946) is an American animator, cartoonist, director, screenwriter and producer best known for his 1987 Academy Award-nominated animated short ''Your Face'' and his series of shorts ''Guard Dog'', ''Guide Dog'', ''Hot Dog'' and ''Horn Dog''.

Early life

Bill Plympton was born in Portland, Oregon, to Don and Wilda Plympton. From 1964 to 1968, he attended Portland State College, where he was a member of the film society and worked on the yearbook. In 1968, he transferred to the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where he majored in cartooning. He graduated from SVA in 1969.

Career

Plympton's illustrations and cartoons have been published in ''The New York Times'' and the weekly newspaper ''The Village Voice'', as well as in the magazines ''Vogue'', ''Rolling Stone'', ''Vanity Fair'', ''Penthouse'', and ''National Lampoon''. His political cartoon strip ''Plympton'', which began in 1975 in the ''Soho Weekly News'', eventually was syndicated and appeared in over 20 newspapers. His distinctive style is easily recognized.

Plympton is reputedly the first animator in the history of animation to hand-draw every frame for an animated feature film (The Tune, 1992) by himself. Signe Baumane, also a director and animator, has been inking and painting Plympton's cels for many years. , Plympton had created 26 animated short films and five animated features. He has also published a comic book, ''The Sleazy Cartoons of Bill Plympton''. Plympton usually publishes a graphic novel version during the production of each feature in order to raise money for the film itself.

Plympton, together with other independent New York City animators, has released two DVDs of animated shorts, both titled ''Avoid Eye Contact''. His work also appeared on the 1992–1993 Fox comedy series ''The Edge''; on MTV during the late 1980s; and on MTV's animated series ''Liquid Television'' in the early 1990s. In 1995, he contributed animation and graphics to a computer game collection, ''Take Your Best Shot''.

From 2001 to 2003, he teamed with Don Hertzfeldt for the touring "The Don and Bill Show", which played throughout the United States. In 2005, Plympton animated a music video for Kanye West's "Heard 'Em Say". The following year, he created the music video for "Weird Al" Yankovic's "Don't Download This Song".

The actress Martha Plimpton, a distant relative of his, served as associate producer on Plympton's animated feature ''Hair High'' (2004), doing much of the casting. The movie's voice cast included her father Keith Carradine and her uncle David Carradine. Plympton contributed animation in the History Channel series, ''10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America'', to illustrate the events of Shays' Rebellion.

His films ''The Fan and the Flower'', ''Eat'', ''Your Face'', ''Guard Dog'', and ''Santa: The Fascist Years'' were included in the Animation Show of Shows.

Plympton's 2008 80-minute feature, ''Idiots and Angels'' presented by Terry Gilliam, had no dialog. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on 26 April 2008, and was nominated in the feature film category at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival 2008.

In 2011, a documentary on Plympton's life called ''Adventures In Plymptoons!'' by Producer/Director Alexia Anastasio, with Executive producers, Edward A. Anastasio, Katy Anastasio, Mark Steiner, and Ken Mora was completed.

Bill Plympton animated the opening couch gag for ''The Simpsons'' episode Beware My Cheating Bart on April 15th, 2012.

Personal life

On December 23, 2011, Plympton married animator/artist/illustrator Sandrine Flament in Plympton's home town of Portland.

Awards

2011 20th Annual Cinema St. Louis Film Festival (traditional name: St. Louis International Film Festival), Lifetime Achievement Award

2011 Burbank International Film Festival, Pioneer in Theatrical Animation Award

2011 Action On Film International Film Festival, Lifetime Achievement Award

2010 Delray Beach Film Festival for "The Cow Who Wanted To Be a Hamburger"

2008 MoCCA (Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art) - Cartoonist of the Year, MoCCA Art Festival

2006 Special Career Award - Fantasporto Film Festival

2006 Windsor McCay Award; Annie Awards by ASIFA Hollywood

2005 2nd Oscar Academy Award Nomination for Short Animation "Guard Dog"

2005 Life Time Achievement (Time Machine Award) SITGES Film Festival

2001 Grand Prize for Short Films, Cannes Film Festival Critics' Week

1987 1st Oscar Nomination Academy Award for Short Animation "Your Face"

Filmography

Animated features

''The Tune'' (1992)

''Mondo Plympton'' (1997 shorts compilation)

''I Married a Strange Person!'' (1997)

''Mutant Aliens'' (2001)

''Hair High'' (2004)

''Idiots and Angels'' (2008)

Documentaries

''Fuck'' (2005)

''Adventures in Plymptoons!'' by Alexia Anastasio (2011)

Live-action features

''J. Lyle'' (1993)

''Guns on the Clackamas ''(1995)

''Walt Curtis, the Peckerneck Poet'' (1997)

Animated shorts

''The Great Turn On (1968)

''Lucas the Ear of Corn'' (1977)

''Boomtown'' (1985)

''Drawing Lesson #2'' (1985)

''Love in the Fast Lane'' (1985)

''Your Face'' (1987)

''One of Those Days'' (1988)

''How to Kiss'' (1989)

''25 Ways to Quit Smoking'' (1989)

''Plymptoons'' (1990)

''Tango Schmango'' (1990)

''Dig My Do'' (1990)

''The Wise Man'' (1990)

''Draw'' (1990)

''Push Comes to Shove'' (1991)

''Nosehair'' (1994)

''Faded roads'' (1994)

''How to Make Love to a Woman'' (1995)

''Smell the Flowers'' (1996)

''Boney D'' (1996)

''Plympmania'' (1996)

''Sex & Violence'' (1997)

''The Exciting Life of a Tree'' (1998)

''More Sex & Violence'' (1998)

''Surprise Cinema'' (1999)

''Can't Drag Race with Jesus'' (2000)

''Eat'' (2001)

''Parking'' (2001)

''Twelve Tiny Christmas Tales'' (2001)

'' Guard Dog'' (2004)

''The Fan & The Flower'' (2005)

''Guide Dog'' (2006) (sequel to ''Guard Dog'')

''Shuteye Hotel'' (2007)

''Gary Guitar'' (2008)

''Hot Dog'' (2008) (third in the ''Guard Dog'' series)

''Santa: The Fascist Years'' (2008)

''Horn Dog'' (2009) (fourth in the ''Guard Dog'' series)

''The Cow Who Wanted to Be a Hamburger'' (2010)

Compilations (DVD)

''Avoid Eye Contact'' Vol. 1

''Avoid Eye Contact'' Vol. 2

''Bill Plympton's Dirty Shorts''

''Plymptoons: The Complete Early Works of Bill Plympton'' (1992)

''Mondo Plympton'' (2007)

''Bill Plympton's Dog Days'' (2009)

Music videos

Peter Himmelman – "245 Days" (1990)

Kanye West – "Heard 'Em Say" (2005)

"Weird Al" Yankovic – "Don't Download This Song" (2006)

Parson Brown, "Mexican Standoff" (2008)

"Weird Al" Yankovic – "TMZ" (2011)

Commercials

United Airlines "Signature" (2005)

Geico Direct (6) (1999)

Microsoft Windows '95 (1995)

NBC "Peacock Bumper" (1993)

Taco Bell (1993)

Nik Naks (UK) (1993)

Soloflex (1992)

''Trivial Pursuit'' (3) (1990–91)

Nutrasweet (1991)

MTV public service announcement "Acid Rain" (1989)

Interviews

October 28th, 2010 – ActorsEntertainment.com interview (video): Cartoonist Bill Pympton. Host: Comedian Brett Walkow

October 27, 2010 ep. 34 - ManVsArt.com interview (podcast) with Bill Plympton. Host: Raul Aguirre Jr.

October 2, 2010 - Zedura Magazine vol.1 iss.4 interview: "Idiots and Angels and Beyond" with Bill Plympton By Molly K Enright

VX Filmmaker, Aug. 7, 2010, "Exclusive Interview: Bill Plympton" with host Lee Stranahan

February 2nd, 2009 Season 2, ep.5, pt.2 Time Stamp: 9:50 (video) - PetesBasement.com NYC Comic Con interview: Bill Plympton. Host: Roger of Pete's Basement

''The Sound of Young America'' public radio program / podcast: Plympton interview

Zoom In Online / podcast: "On the Circuit: Idiots and Angels"

Wild West Whoopee Cushion

External links

Internet Movie Database

Official Web Site

official blog "Scribble Junkies" in partnership with artist/animator Patrick Smith

References

Category:1946 births Category:American animators Category:Animated film directors Category:Portland State University alumni Category:People from Portland, Oregon Category:Living people

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