Musical parody maestro “Weird Al” Yankovic will present a collection of the weirdest, wildest and most innovative shorts from Oscar-nominated animator Bill Plympton, in a special retrospective event at the IFC Center. The 80-minute showcase will run September 15-21 at the New York City venue (ifccenter.com).
Crowned the “father of indie animation” by Terry Gilliam of Monty Python fame, Bill Plympton has been fascinating audiences for more than four decades with his hand-drawn, mind-bending visions. His work — provocative, satirical, hilarious and always original — has earned him global acclaim. Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons, even declared, “Bill Plympton is God.” Groening went one step further, inviting Bill to animate an unforgettable sequence for The Simpsons — a clip that will be featured in this program.
Plympton’s work has been celebrated at Cannes, Sundance and Annecy, yet remains defiantly, delightfully independent. This retrospective offers audiences the chance to experience the full scope of his artistry on the big screen — funny, subversive and unlike anything else in animation.
This 80-minute showcase, Plympton’s Toons, features Plympton’s two Oscar-nominated shorts, Your Face and Guard Dog; cult classics including How to Kiss and 25 Ways to Quit Smoking; the “Weird Al” collaboration Don’t Download This Song; and two brand-new Oscar hopefuls making their New York City premieres: Duckville (2024) and Whale 52 (2025).
Duckville is voiced by veteran actor Jim Dale, honored with Broadway’s 1980 Tony Award as “Best Actor In A Musical” for Barnum. Dale is also the recipient of two Grammy Awards for “Best Spoken Word Album For Children” in 2001 for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and again in 2008 for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
In Plympton’s Duckville, Dale plays a latter-day Aesop who tells a dark fairy tale about ducks who devise a monstrous scheme to promote tourism in their sleepy little village. But in Plympton’s world, schemes don’t always go as smoothly as planned.
Whale 52 is co-written and co-produced by Edward Jordon and Daniel Neiden of International Originals, directed by Neiden, and animated by Bill Plympton. Inspired by a true story, Whale 52 tells a poignant tale of connection across generations, with a portion of proceeds benefitting The Trevor Project.
The film stars two-time Emmy winner Bruce Vilanch. The score is composed by Scott Li and Levi Lu, performed by Li, Lu and Grammy-winning cellist Zuill Bailey.
The Plympton’s Toons program includes:
- Don’t Download This Song (2006) – Weird Al’s satirical anthem against music piracy, animated by Plympton.
- Whale 52 (2025) – A heartwarming tale of connection between a selectively mute student and an elderly school volunteer. Voice by Bruce Vilanch. (PREMIERE)
- Duckville (2024) – A dark fairy tale where a quiet duck town hatches a monstrous plan for tourism. Narrated by Jim Dale. (PREMIERE)
- Your Face (1987) – Plympton’s first Oscar® nominee, morphing one man’s crooning into surreal hilarity.
- Homer’s Face (2018) – The Simpsons pay tribute to Your Face in a segment animated by Plympton.
- Guard Dog (2004) – Oscar nominee. Ever wonder why dogs bark at squirrels? Plympton has the answer.
- Hot Dog (2008)
- 25 Ways to Quit Smoking (1989)
- The Cow Who Wanted to Be a Hamburger (2010)
- Eat (2001)
- How to Kiss (1988)
- Santa: The Fascist Years (2008)
- Push Comes to Shove (1991)
