Chris Cray

I always provide for my family, I provide an easy target. I love finding different ways to mix character animation, comics and stand-up and this combines all three. Stand-up that became a comic, a comic that became an animation, an animation that was superimposed on stand-up. Recorded at @comedystorelondon at @agencyhackers

Watching a parent dance, can help increase a child’s tolerance for pain. A cartoon by @rozchast has come to life, voiced by @elliekemper and animated by @_chris_cray The animation originally appeared in @newyorkermag and @newyorkercartoons Thank you to @emmaewallen and @craezy

I remember having music lessons like it was yesterday. I remember the pieces like it was 30 years ago. Cartoon: @alisolomain Voice Acting: @liannaholston Animation: @_chris_cray Cartoon originally published: @newyorkermag @newyorkercartoons I had the best time animating Ali Solomon’s New Yorker cartoon. To stay as close as possible to the original ink and wash drawing, I redrew the characters and background in #ProcreateDreams and animated it frame by frame. It was my first time hand-animating shadows, and it felt worth it to have them as organic as the line work. It was luxurious to animate with the Procreate brushes for the whole process, especially since I’m used to vectors and adding the textures during compositing. The caption was voiced by comedian Lianna Holston. It’s my favourite to blend the worlds of stand-up, cartooning and animation. The music was based on a Grade 2 piece from my daughter’s book, which I played into GarageBand. It’s satisfying that music at 120bpm syncs with animation on 12s at 24fps. Let us remember that music lessons help academic achievement, because in comparison, school seems interesting. Music also helps kid’s verbal development, so they can say things like, ‘Mum, can I stop piano lessons?’.

All the parenting advice you’ll ever need, in one cartoon by @eflakeagogo Originally appearing in @newyorkermag and @newyorkercartoons , @_chris_cray animated the characters, with voice acting by Jon Hamm. Thank you to @emmaewallen and @craezy

This really happened, and now it’s become a running bit in our house. I’ve told this joke on stage, made it into a comic and now I’ve animated it. It’s fun to connect stand-up comedy jokes with animation, via the visual language of the graphic memoir. It was my first time using Procreate Dreams and I enjoyed the brush textures and the refreshing freedom of just using an iPad. I started this project just before I learnt that Adobe Animate was now officially a zombie. It was reassuring to be able to live without it. Though it will always have a huge place in my heart. Those tweens are indeed Classic.

Living the dream of having it all! 😵‍💫🫠 Animation: @_chris_cray Art: by me Narration: also me! — When the brilliant animator @_chris_cray got in touch asking to animate one of my comics, I couldn’t believe my luck. He’s brought the toxic promise of ‘Having It All’ to life so vividly. I love it. Thank you so much Chris, you’re a genius!

Anyone can have a mid-career crisis. Especially if you’re full of hot air and flailing around. Cartoon: @lonniemillsap Voice Acting: @therealfluffnotaro Animation: @_chris_cray Originally appearing on @newyorkermag and @newyorkercartoons Thank you to @emmaewallen and @craezy

You can believe your eyes, @cartoonamy ’s cartoon is moving. Originally appearing in @newyorkermag and @newyorkercartoons this was the purrfect gag to animate and @_chris_cray had a lot of fun bringing the characters to life with @mindykaling ’s voice acting. Thank you to @emmaewallen and @craezy

What’s on your bucket list? Cartoon and voice acting by @paulnoth Animation by @_chris_cray #2danimation #newyorkercartoons

A good night’s sleep can be transformative ✨ @_chris_cray had a lot of fun animating @war.and.peas ‘s comic and making growling sounds 🐺 #comedy #comics #2danimation #werewolf

Parenting is going great 🙃 Chatting with your little one is the happiest way to be taken down a peg or two. It is fun to adapt a joke from my stand-up comedy set into a comic. The words remain the same but instead of my performance to get it across, I have ink and watercolour wash drawings. And instead of the audience imagining it, I get to be quite specific. My quest to combine my animation, stand-up and comics continues!

Double vision without the hangover 😵‍💫 🎤 Written and performed by @rogerocomedy ✏️ Animated by @_chris_cray This illusory joke began life as a stand-up routine, became a comic strip, and now it’s an animation: smashing it in every medium. How quickly did you spot the illusion?