Did your brother Evan's TV show ever get picked up?
We shifted focus, but the ideas for the show are still manifesting themselves in a lot of things we do, style-wise or concept-wise. But since we started it, the Web business has been 100 percent of our focus.
Where did the name JibJab come from?
We made it up. It was 1999, and the whole idea was that nothing was constant except change. We didn't know what we were going to be or how the business would evolve. We just wanted something that was fun-sounding and short. We had all these rules; it had to be one or two syllables and seven letters or less, because people were typing it into their browsers. We wanted it to be something fun and something that didn't really mean anything other than what we might attribute it to, which was our creative sensibilities. No one was a technical person.
When we started, it was all about giving artists new tools, and the people we work with aren't necessarily technical people; they're photographers, painters -- all kinds of different artists. They take a unique and different approach to creating with Flash, which is what we use. And that's where a lot of the original photo collage and other visual styles that we use came from. It all comes down to the artistry, especially when you're limited by technology.
So that's where the animation style used in "This Land" and "DC" comes from?
Yeah. Even though it has chop jaws, I think it looks great.
It all comes down to the artistry, especially when you're limited by technology.
[The puppetlike jaws are] also a part of the joke, and that's what Evan and the guys do. They understand the limits of the technology and make that part of the joke. It's crude, but the art looks great, and the crudeness is part of the joke.
We could use Flash to make perfectly fluid, Disney-quality animation, but it's just that bandwidth and processor constraints come into play. Even with "DC," we ran into a lot of constraints. It has a lot more animation than "This Land," in terms of movement. And processors can choke if you don't have a newer machine.
When did you guys develop your interest in political satire?
We've always been interested in politics, but in doing this for five years, you start to learn what works on the Web and what doesn't. Political content works great, because our productions are really involved. It was eight weeks for "This Land" and six weeks for "DC."
To make something work on the Web, it has to be topical and relevant to a lot of people at the same time. To make something work on the Web, it has to be topical and relevant to a lot of people at the same time...Elections are ideal for that because you have some time to come up with a concept and do all that production.
You need to be able to plan for it if you want to have any impact at all. It can't be a flash in the pan if you want to have any staying power. You need something that, once you put all this effort into production, will play for a while. Elections are ideal for that because you have some time to come up with a concept and do all that production.
The first idea that came into your heads was [vice-presidential candidate] John Edwards in a Speedo?
Exactly. That was pretty scary, wasn't it?
