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Lupo the Butcher
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Wikipedia article
'Lupo the Butcher' is a 1987 animated short comedy film directed and written by Danny Antonucci. The short follows the story of a butcher who has a huge temper and swears at his meat when the smallest things go wrong. Produced by Marv Newland's International Rocketship Limited, 'Lupo the Butcher' was a successful short and has earned itself a cult following.
Plot
An Italian-Canadian butcher named Lupo is complaining about his job one day, while cutting meat in his shop. As each new slice falls to the ground, Lupo grows increasingly angry and swears at the meat. He then accidentally cuts off his own thumb, which inexplicably causes his entire body to fall apart. Blood gushes out onto the ground, and the various pieces of Lupo's body collapse into a pile. The screen darkens and closes in on Lupo's severed head, but before the scene can disappear entirely, Lupo's head jumps forward, still alive. It remains on the screen, shouting insults during the credits, before falling asleep.
Production
Danny Antonucci, who has worked in animation since the 1970s, decided to create his first solo work.Mac, Gabe (August 25, 2006). "Xolo: Interview with Danny Antonucci" 'Xolo' Tired of people thinking that animation was only for children, he wanted to create a "character that people would believe in". Due to his Italian heritage, Antonucci wanted his character to be an Italian immigrant who would blame America for all of his problems. Originally going be a Barber, Antonucci eventually settled on Lupo being a Butcher. This character was inspired by his father and uncle. After the short was finalized, Antonucci was pleased with his creation, and felt that the three-and-a-half minute movie "worked out". It was produced by Marv Newland's International Rocketship Limited.Opening Credits of Danny Antonucci's 'Lupo the Butcher' (1987). International Rocketship Limited. Released in 1987, it was shown at Spike and Mike's Festival of Animation. Antonucci went on to found a.k.a Cartoon, Inc., with which he would create 'The Brothers Grunt' and 'Ed, Edd n Eddy'.
Reception
Upon its release, 'Lupo the Butcher' was a successful short and has earned itself a cult following. Eric Fogel, co-creator of 'Glenn Martin, DDS', stated that 'Lupo the Butcher' inspired him to pursue a career in animation, saying: "That film opened my eyes to a world of animation that was strictly for grownups and inspired me to pursue a career path that was a bit moretwisted." In an interview with Take One, Linda Simensky described the short as "the 'South Park' of its time" and stated that she remembers tapes containing the short being passed around her office in 1988. It was featured in Spike and Mike's book 'Outlaw Animation', written by Jerry Beck, and in the Spike and Mike DVD.
Other media
The Lupo character was eventually licensed by the Converse athletic shoe company, that has produced some animated commercials such as 'Lupo's Nightmare', where Lupo dreams that a giant high-top wants to kill him. This led to additional work, including other animated commercials for Levi Strauss & Co. and MTV.
In 2010, Danny Antonucci revealed that a second short called 'Meat the Family' was planned by a.k.a. Cartoon in 1996, but it remained unfinished. It was to have focused on Lupo and his family, composed of his wife Sette Culo (Italian for "Seven Ass"), his son Retardo ("Retard"), his father Pap Piscione ("Pissing Dad") and a cat named Feesy.[https://myspace.com/theofficiallupothebutcher/photos Lupo the Butcher on MySpace] The designs also appeared in Spike and Mike's book 'Outlaw Animation', written by Jerry Beck. Production was later resumed for an animated television series based on the original short; however, no further reports have been made since then.
In fellow animator Bill Plympton's 1992 animated musical feature film 'The Tune', Lupo is briefly referenced during the "Lovesick Hotel" musical segment. A homicidal bellhop is showing various suites of the eponymous hotel to the protagonist of the film and introduces "the Lupo Suite!" whereupon opening the door, Lupo is seen at his butcher's block and uttering his famous "I kill you!" whilst slamming his cleaver into the block.
In November 2020, Antonucci's animation studio a.k.a. Cartoon announced on its Facebook page that it was developing a series based on the short for Netflix's streaming service which ended up being canceled due to creative differences.
References
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