Luba Magnus’ Drawn Up Is the Only RL Comedy Show Hosted by Cartoons

Luba Magnus is a comedian, illustrator and animator who combines the three in a stand-up comedy show that’s hosted and run by original cartoons. 

After debuting last November, Drawn Up is returning to Comedy Bar. The show features six stand-up comedians, and instead of a live host, the show is run by animations and short cartoons created by Magnus. The show is one-of-a-kind experience you won’t find ANYWHERE else. 

We asked Magnus about how she got her start in animation/comedy, and how the show came to be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrrNRHrgioE

SDTC: What has your education/career trajectory been like?

LM: My education started in 2004 at Laurier, where I took film theory. Years later I went back to Humber College to major in video editing and minor in effects, where I learned the software that I now use to animate. I began work in post-production and creative departments in marketing agencies as a motion designer. Through that I was able to pitch a pre-show bumper to Cineplex, a fully animated segment that aired in all theatres around Halloween. That experience led me to work at Toronto’s 9 Story Media Group as an animator on the second season of Peg + Cat, and shortly thereafter, I was hired on contract at CBC Kids to help create motion design elements for their new brand. That was a very exciting experience. Currently I work as a freelancer as I try to balance work with stand-up comedy, which is definitely a challenge!

When did you first get interested in doing comedy? What about animation?

I was first interested in actually doing comedy back when I was in university around 2006. I’d always been a fan of stand-up, but it wasn’t until I discovered a much weirder brand of comedian that I actually thought, “Oh! Yeah, I can do that.” I’m a big fan of Kristen Schaal, Eugene Mirman, etc.

Animation was something I pursued more organically. My intent was to become a video editor, because I really liked creating my own comedic shorts. But, in a turn of events, I ended up much more enjoying the VFX software we used in school (Adobe After Effects), and with that I taught myself animation through online tutorials. It’s certainly an untraditional way to animate, but I love the freedom it gives me to play with 3D elements, and it’s very designer-friendly. It’s kind of funny, the whole reason I pursued these interests in the first place was because of comedy, and now I use those skills to support it.

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. Strange that it’s so recent, but I’m a huge fan of pretty much anything Phil Lord and Chris Miller have a hand in. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is colourful and eye-catching, the animation is so over-the-top funny, the voiceover actors are perfect, and the script is pretty surreal for a kid’s movie. I’m obsessed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9-y5HHB2R4

Walk us through your process to creating animations for Drawn Up. 

Creating the content for Drawn Up ultimately takes a couple of months. First I write the scripts, find comedians who would like to be involved with voiceover, schedule recording times (or have the VO sent to me), illustrate the cartoons, find/cut the audio, and finally animate. The first Drawn Up show, including the hosts, featured twenty-three short animated segments. My goal was to keep the pace really zippy. This time I’m trying to streamline it a bit by using animated bumpers etc. to make it feel more like a real television show. But overall, the most challenging aspect as the sole creator of the show is finding time!

What do you love about using animation as a medium for comedy?