Vivienne Medrano (born October 28, 1992), also known as Vivziepop, is a Salvadoran American animator, writer, director and producer. She is the creator of the adult animated series Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss.[1][2]
Vivienne Medrano | ||||||||||
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| Born | October 28, 1992 | |||||||||
| Nationality | Salvadoran American | |||||||||
| Other names | VivziePop | |||||||||
| Citizenship | American | |||||||||
| Education | School of Visual Arts | |||||||||
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2012–present | |||||||||
| Notable work | ||||||||||
YouTube information | ||||||||||
| Channels | ||||||||||
| Genres | ||||||||||
| Subscribers | 5.87 million (October 6, 2021) | |||||||||
| Total views | 688 million | |||||||||
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Career
Early work
Prior to her joining YouTube, in 2011, she did assistant work for a thesis horror comedy film by Zach Bellissimo titled "Blanderstein", as would Dana Terrace and her roommate Luz Batista, which both later work in Dana's show The Owl House.[3][4] "Blanderstein" would go on to win a Dusty Award for "Outstanding Traditional Animation and Achievement in Traditional Animation Character Design", tying with "Destiny is for the Birds."[5]
Medrano launched her YouTube channel under the pseudonym "VivziePop" in 2012, building her dedicated "online audience", who enjoyed her fanwork and original creations.[6][7] In 2013, she started a webcomic titled ZooPhobia, which ultimately ran until 2016, ending so that she could find more time for Hazbin Hotel.[8][9][10] Medrano directed her first short animated film, titled Son of 666 in 2013.[9] Medrano released her fourth year thesis film entitled Timber in 2014, for which she won a Dusty Award in "Outstanding Achievement in Character Animation".[11][5] Medrano named the film after the song by Pitbull and Kesha, and its score had homages to the song as well.[12]
Medrano received a Bachelor in Fine Arts and graduated from School of Visual Arts in August 2014.[6][7] She worked as a freelance animator for two years.[6] She continued to work on her webcomic ZooPhobia until 2016, when she ended it in order to focus her attention on Hazbin Hotel. The project would be crowdfunded through Patreon, allowing her to hire a small team and collaborate with specialists so the show would have a "high production value."[6][13] It also allowed her to create merchandise for the show, thus leading to more funds.
Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss
Medrano founded the animation studio "SpindleHorse Toons", under which the pilot for Hazbin Hotel, the pilot and first season for Helluva Boss, and several animated shorts would be released.[14] Medrano serves as the creator, director, writer and character designer for SpindleHorse Toons.[15]
In February 2019, her channel had over 1.2 million subscribers.[7] By April of the same year, it was reported that total views on her channel had reached more than 163 million.[6] In an interview with Cartoon Brew, she noted that much of the Hazbin Hotel pilot was funded by money from her Patreon, rather than income from YouTube's algorithm.[6] The company Horseless Cowboy assisted Medrano with voice casting during the first season of Helluva Boss, with Richard Steven Horvitz serving as voice director.[16] Lucas Bermudez of Screen Rant attributed the success of Hazbin Hotel as the sole reason for Helluva Boss being greenlit.[17]
In October 2019, the pilot episode of Hazbin Hotel was released on her YouTube channel.[18] In two days of the pilot's release, it garnered over 2 million views.[19] In November 2019, the pilot of Helluva Boss was released on her YouTube channel as well.[20] Medrano stated that, while the two shows share a setting, Hazbin Hotel is about redemption and consequences of past actions, while Helluva Boss follows "characters and societies that already exist in Hell" with the main focus being on the interpersonal relationships between characters.[21][22]
In August 2020, Hazbin Hotel was picked up for a full series by A24.[23][24] At that time, Cartoon Brew reported that the pilot for the series had been viewed over 41 million times and that her channel had over 3.6 million subscribers, noting that she "developed and produced her "original pilot without any studio involvement".[14] Animation Magazine said that A24 was talking a "bold step" by picking up the series.[25]
On September 30, 2020, Medrano released an animated short film Bad Luck Jack, based on her webcomic ZooPhobia.[26] The short was nominated and won for a Ursa Major Award in the Best Dramatic Short Work" category.[27][28] The Ursa Major awards are given in the field of furry fandom works and are the main awards in the field of anthropomorphism.[29] The short was also listed as a "Recommended Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short Work" on the Ursa Major Award website.[30]
In October 2020, the first season for Helluva Boss began, almost one year after the original release of its pilot. Eight episodes were ordered, all of which would be released on her YouTube channel for free.[16][31] Animation Magazine reported that the pilots of Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss had been, collectively, viewed over 65 million times by October 7.[32]
In February 2021, Medrano told Insider that Helluva Boss remains independent of Hazbin Hotel, saying she intended to keep it that way as "long as the audience wants to keep seeing it", adding that they have "a plan for where the story goes and ends", noting that having an ending seems "surreal".[2]
In September 2021, Medrano spoke on a virtual stage at the Animation Exposé of the Ottawa International Animation Festival about creating Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss.[1][33] She was joined by Bryan Dimas, the Associate Producer of Development at Warner Bros. Animation and Co-Director of a group called LatinX in Animation.[34][35]
Other work
In February 2017, she shared an illustration of a Lego Joker, which Inverse called "grotesque-yet-adorable," saying it captures the "complicated love-hate relationship between the Clown Prince of Crime and the Dark Knight."[36] From 2017 to 2019, se worked as an animator on Nico Colaleo's DreamWorksTV series, Too Loud.[9]
In 2019, Medrano was interviewed for the documentary titled "Hand-Drawn: 2D Animation Documentary".[13][37] In March 2021, it was reported that she was a partner of Redefine Entertainment, a management company formed by Jairo Alvarado, Tony Gil, and Max Goldfarb.[38][39]
Personal life
Medrano was born in Frederick, Maryland. She became interested in animation when she watched Bambi.[7] She began using art programs such MS Paint in third grade.[7][2] Her early art was heavily influenced by Invader Zim. Medrano moved to New York City and attended School of Visual Arts in September 2010.[7][2] Medrano is bisexual.[40]
Filmography
Film
| Title | Year | Credited as | Role | Notes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Writer | Producer | Animation/Art | Other | ||||
| Blanderstein | 2011 | No | No | No | No | Yes | N/A | Assistant[3][4] |
| Son of 666 | 2013 | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Creator[9] | |
| Timber | 2014 | Yes | No | No | No | No | Creator[2] | |
| Bad Luck Jack | 2020 | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | ZooPhobia short[26] | |
Web series
| Title | Year | Credited as | Voice role | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Writer | Executive Producer | Director | Animation/Art | ||||
| Too Loud | 2017–2019 | No | No | No | Yes | Sarah | Animator[9] |
| Hazbin Hotel | 2019–present | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A | Creator[41][42] |
| Helluva Boss | 2019–present | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Keenie | |
| Deerie | |||||||
| Grocery store cashier | |||||||
| Eddsworld | 2021 | No | No | No | No | Face Painter | Episode: "The Beaster Bunny" |
References
- ^ a b "OIAF 2021 Drops Official Trailer and New Program Highlights". Animation World Network. September 3, 2021. Archived from the original on September 3, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
Join Creator Vivienne Medrano (aka Vivziepop) for an intimate conversation about creating her Youtube hit series, Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss.
- ^ a b c d e Asarch, Steven (February 3, 2021). "A cartoon demon musical drew in 53 million YouTube viewers. The creator of 'Hazbin Hotel' says she couldn't have predicted its success". Insider. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
- ^ a b Zach Bellissimo (May 10, 2018). "Blenderstein! (2011) by Zach Bellissimo". YouTube. Archived from the original on February 7, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
- ^ a b Brewmasters (April 29, 2019). "CBTV Student Fest: "Blenderstein!"". Cartoon Brew. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
- ^ a b "Dusty Festival: Winners List". SVA BFA blog. Archived from the original on February 2, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2021. See the list of winners in 2011 which list "Blanderstein" and "Destiny for the Birds", and 2014, which lists "Timber".
- ^ a b c d e f Vollenbroek, Tunde (April 29, 2019). "7 Tips For Building A Successful Animation Channel On Youtube". Cartoon Brew. Archived from the original on February 5, 2021. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f Medrano, Vivienne (February 25, 2019). ""Animation is Magic": SVA Alumnus VivziePop on Perseverance, Inspiration and 'Hazbin Hotel'". School of Visual Arts (Interview). Interviewed by Danielle Peters. New York. Archived from the original on March 2, 2020. Retrieved April 24, 2021. See YouTube clip of interview here.
- ^ Cruz, Larry (January 10, 2013). "'Zoophobia': Fear of an animal planet". CBR. Archived from the original on March 27, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Liberman, Dr Esther (December 9, 2019). "A Salvadoran-American Artist's Conception of Hell". BeLatina. Archived from the original on February 26, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
- ^ Short, Dan (November 7, 2019). "Hazbin Hotel [Review]". Animated Views. Archived from the original on November 6, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
- ^ McLean, Tom (May 14, 2014). "Top Dusty Toon Honors to 'Moonstruck'". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on September 23, 2020. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
- ^ Medrano, Vivienne (June 30, 2014). "Alumni Blog: Vivienne Medrano". SVA BVA Film blog. School of Visual Arts. Archived from the original on March 6, 2020. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
- ^ a b Sarto, Dan (December 4, 2019). "'Hand Drawn' Feature Documentary in Last Days of Indiegogo Campaign". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on November 6, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
- ^ a b Amidi, Amid (August 7, 2020). "A24 Picks Up Online Pilot 'Hazbin Hotel' For Series". Cartoon Brew. Archived from the original on March 7, 2021. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
- ^ "Making Your Own Cartoon with Special Guest VIVIENNE MEDRANO". Creative Talent Network. September 2, 2020. Archived from the original on April 25, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
- ^ a b "'Hazbin Hotel' creator Vivziepop teams with Horseless Cowboy on devilishly twisted 'Helluva Boss'". Skwigly. October 7, 2020. Archived from the original on October 8, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
- ^ Bermudez, Lucas (August 12, 2020). "A24 Is Bringing Controversial Demon Cartoon Hazbin Hotel to TV". Screenrant. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
- ^ Brueheim, Jackson (May 13, 2020). "Hazbin Hotel: 10 Astonishing Pieces of Fan Art". CBR. Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
- ^ Mercedes, Mercedes (October 30, 2019). "News Bytes: 'Sarah & Duck' Quacks Back in US, Check in to 'Hazbin Hotel,' Tellys Get Immersive & More". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on January 8, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
- ^ Short, Dan (December 18, 2020). "Helluva Boss". Animated Views. Archived from the original on January 18, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
- ^ Pearce, Steven "SP" (August 12, 2020). "Hazbin Hotel". The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
Also set in the same universe is Helluva Boss (2019), a short (11 minutes) animated webfilm.
- ^ Crusch, Marley (December 13, 2020). "Hazbin Hotel Panel Recap". Bubble Blabber. Archived from the original on December 14, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
- ^ Dudok de Wit, Alex (September 1, 2020). "Here's The Biggest Animation News You Missed In August". Cartoon Brew. Archived from the original on September 4, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
- ^ Alexa, Laurén (September 1, 2020). "Unconventional A24 Picks Up Controversial 'Hazbin Hotel'". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
{{cite web}}:|archive-date=/|archive-url=timestamp mismatch; November 2, 2020 suggested (help) - ^ Milligan, Mercedes (August 7, 2020). "A24 Checks in to VivziePop's Hellish 'Hazbin Hotel'". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on August 14, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
- ^ "Voting". Ursa Major Awards. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
- ^ O'Reily, Rod (May 2, 2021). "The Ursa Major Awards for 2020". FurteanTimes.com/Flayrah. Archived from the original on May 3, 2021. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
- ^ Patten, Fred (July 21, 2013). "The Ursa Major Awards". Cartoon Research. Archived from the original on September 20, 2015. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
- ^ "Recommended Furry Art and Literature List". Ursa Major Awards. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
- ^ AWN Staff Editor (October 7, 2020). "'Hazbin Hotel' Creator and Horseless Cowboy Team on Devilish 'Helluva Boss'". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
{{cite web}}:|author=has generic name (help) - ^ Milligan, Mercedes (October 7, 2020). "'Hazbin Hotel' Creator Vivziepop Teams with Horseless Cowboy on Devilishly Twisted 'Helluva Boss' Series". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on April 28, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
- ^ "TAC Talks". Ottawa International Animation Festival. Archived from the original on September 6, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
- ^ "Ottawa International Animation Festival 2021 shares program highlights and new trailer". AnimationXpress. September 7, 2021. Archived from the original on September 7, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
- ^ Dudok De Wit, Alex (September 23, 2021). "6 Unmissable Events At This Week's Ottawa International Animation Festival". Cartoon Brew. Archived from the original on September 24, 2021. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
- ^ Hesse, Peter (February 12, 2017). "Four Awesome Pieces of Fan Art Inspired by 'Lego Batman'". Inverse. Archived from the original on March 4, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
- ^ Milligan, Mercedes (November 20, 2019). "'Hand Drawn' Documentary Crowdfunds Final Round". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
- ^ Fleming Jr, Mike (March 3, 2021). "Jairo Alvarado, Tony Gil & Max Goldfarb Form Lit Mgmt/Production Company Redefine Entertainment". Deadline. Archived from the original on March 13, 2021. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
- ^ Cavero, Natalia Puertas (March 4, 2021). "Latinos set to "redefine" the entertainment industry". Al Dia Television. Archived from the original on March 11, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
- ^ Medrano, Vivienne [@VivziePop] (June 15, 2020). "Also I am a bisexual woman, and majority of my cast and crew, and characters are LGBT so to think that the show or production is setting out to be anti LGBT is ludicrous and I'm pretty sick of that being what people just -believe- about my projects" (Tweet). Archived from the original on June 16, 2020. Retrieved April 24, 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ Cubilas, Sean (November 26, 2020). "Hazbin Hotel: 10 Funniest Lines In The Show, Ranked". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
From Vivienne Medrano, the talented artist behind the drawings and animations on the YouTube channel, Vivziepop, Hazbin Hotel portrays all of the quirky, ambitious, and dark humor that Vivienne has become synonymous with.
- ^ Baron, Reuben (December 2, 2019). "Adult Animation Is Better Than Ever - So Why Does It Draw Ridicule?". CBR. Archived from the original on December 2, 2019. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
Independent animator Vivziepop has lit up YouTube with her pilots Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss, which have earned some warranted criticism for their immature, edgy humor but are at least clear labors of love from an animation standpoint.