Interviews Dean T Fraser by DJ Forrest

Are you connected to the actual Springfield comic/cartoon company?

Dean: I'm not employed by or connected to FOX or the Simpsons at all. Just a fan.

Are you a fan of Doctor Who, which is your favourite Doctor and monster?

Dean: My favorite Doctor would have to be the current Matt Smith Doctor. Years ago I had seen a little bit of Eccleston and of Tennant, but those episodes I saw didn't really “hook” me. With Matt Smith's introduction, I finally saw the show as something special, plus showrunner Steven Moffat's sensibilities really seem to push the right buttons for me. My favorite monster? Well while the Weeping Angels are amazing, I have to go with the Daleks. They're so classic and so unnervingly odd, and they're the original prototype for other villains in pop culture.

How long does it take to draw a character?

Dean: Well they're all different, so of course it depends. If it's one of the Doctors, and I want to mess with it really get the likeness right, I dedicate a whole work day or more to it.

What got you started in comic book heroes and do you do this purely for hobby or is this part of your business?

Dean: This is pretty much just a fun side project for me. I originally put them up on my personal site and the response was pretty big. It sort of just grew a life of it's own, and I like that people enjoy it.

Would we ever see any of these characters grace an episode of Simpsons?

Dean: Well I don't really have a say in it, I guess you'll have to ask Fox :) I really hope so, I mean, after imagining these characters in Simpsons form, it would be really interesting to see them interact with Homer & the whole cast of Simpsons characters.

Other than your blog do you have another site where you showcase your characters?

Dean: On my personal webpage - deantfraser.com – you can see some of my other stuff, some original doodles and characters included.

Have the creators of Simpsons ever contacted you about using your designs in their show?

Dean: They never have. The only thing close would be second-hand indications that people surrounding the show have seen the blog and have enjoyed it.

Have you ever watched Torchwood?

Dean: I frankly have yet to see an entire episode, it's been somewhat difficult for me to have access to the show.

Can you tell us a little bit about Dean and what started your interest in comic book characters, and why they were based around the Simpson style?

Dean: I've always enjoyed comic characters, they've been great examples for me growing up, and they've helped me to think and imagine things in interesting ways. As far as doing them in the Simpson style, I originally just thought it would be fun to see the 1966 Batman TV show characters done in Simpsons style. It indeed was fun, so I did a few more of my favorite characters in the style. The response was great, and I got more requests, so I just kept doing it.

Which characters would you love to draw, or are you adept at drawing even the most difficult of characters?

Dean: My favourites are characters I remember fondly from childhood, as well as characters that just have a really interesting, unique or wild look to them. I freely admit, some characters can just be hard to pin down, and take more time or concentration to do.

Have any of your own creations made it onto actual cartoon shows?

Dean: Not as far as I know. I created a retired hockey player character called “Slewfoot Phil” that you can see on the SP blog, it was as an entry for the Simpsons Create-A-Character contest a while back. It would have been really cool to see them pick him as the character who was to show up on the Simpsons, but alas, Canadians were not eligible anyway.

Fans Questions

Mickie: How long did it take you to complete your amazing drawing of Springfield Captain Jack Harkness?

Dean: Probably a full work day if remember right.

Senny:  How does he decide on whom to draw?

Dean: I take suggestions into account, but generally it's just whatever strikes me at the time that might be fun to draw.

Thank you for allowing us the opportunity in interviewing you. 

Dean: Great questions! Thank you!

To see more of Dean’s work visit his site here:

http://springfieldpunx.blogspot.co.uk/

http://www.deantfraser.com/

The cartoon characters are not connected with Fox or The Simpsons but belong to Dean T Fraser.