Have any writers in the industry admitted to drug use?

S

Sophia J

New member
Since the 60s, most musicians have admitted to drug use...it's said that, as bad as drugs are, they can also inspire indescribable levels of creativity. That being said, some of my favorite cartoons are so incredibly surreal (in a good way) it can't help but make me wonder if any writers in the animation industry have used drugs, and if so, how many have admitted to it...

Can anyone shed any light on the subject?
 
I remember Doug TenNapel said he was actually offended by the implication that people can only be creative when on drugs. And Pen Ward says he's simply a "naturally stupid" person.
 
Way to go assuming something that for the most part is wrong.

Parker & Stone both have said they haven't smoked pot in years and neither of them are that crazy about drugs.

They did claim to take acid when attending the Academy Awards for Bigger, Longer & Uncut but they both have gone on the record saying people who assume they are both huge stoners or druggies are wrong.
 
Well, hell if you are going to count Marijuana as a major drug, I'm sure more than 90% of the writing community and the world has tried it at least once in their life.

The way in which you suggested Parker & Stone took drugs seemed to suggest they were gigantic druggies and everyone was aware, which isn't true.

Sure, they may have taken Acid at the Oscars, noone can tell if they were joking or not, if they did, so what? They don't have a history of drug use and I believe them when they say they haven't taken drugs in years.
 
Where do you think all of the Adult Swim originals come from?

Ralph Bakshi did. Duh, I guess, but there you go.

RALPH BAKSHI: No one’s without vices. Did I take girls out while I was married? Did I hang out at bars? Did I take drugs once in a while? Sure. I’ve had a fun life, a full life… so I’m not sure what vice he’s talking about

http://www.blackbookmag.com/article/ralph-bakshi-on-the-fritz/2454

Cursing in that link.

From reading early Life in Hell strips I'm pretty sure Matt Groening knows his way around drugs.
 
Speaking of Ralph Bakshi, I think him or any members of his staff taked some drugs during the time he worked on seasons 2-3 of the 1967-70 Spider-man cartoon and Rocket Robin Hood. I guess it inspired for the psychedelic backgrounds and the psychedelic plotline of the RRH episode "Dementia Five" (recycled into the Spider-man episode "Revolt of the Fifth Dimension")
 
Groening took a lot of drugs in college I believe, especially after reading John Ortved's Behind the Scenes book.

Groening worked in a Record store that sold crack viles as well, and many of his Life in Hell strips come across pro-drug, at least his college years in writing.

Ralph Bakshi definitely has done his fair share of drugs.
 
From listening to Family Guy DVD commentaries, Seth McFarlane has admitted to smoking pot, but I think that's a given, because of the Marijuana episode of Family Guy.
 
You can't put Marijuana on the same level as something like Cocaine, Heroin or Meth.

There is also fierce debate as to if Marijuana should even be classified as a drug and not an herb.
 
Most people around here weren't/aren't normal teenagers. If you took a poll of the "active users" I'd be surprised to see more than 1/4 who have.

I believe I read somewhere the guys behind ATHF were marijuana advocates which wouldn't shock me in the slightest.
 
When asked if he used drugs, John K stated "nope, I don't need them."

Not trying to cause trouble by bringing his name up, just contributing to the thread. A lot of people see Ren and Stimpy and assume that drugs were involved, which is pretty stupid. Just because something's imaginative or surreal, it doesn't necessarily point to drugs, it points to creativity.


Also, I've never smoked pot or done any other drugs either.
 
I don't believe John K when he says he doesn't or hasn't used drugs, one: because he is always contradicting himself and two: because of how utterly surreal or drug-influenced some of his work seems.

The Mighty Mouse scene probably was related to whatever drug use he did or the fact that John K. loves using "shock humor".
 
I can kind of see where he's coming from. It might be funny the first one or two times you hear it, but even jokingly, it does get pretty tiresome when responses to one's own funny or absurd artwork result in 'what were you smoking' or 'you must have been on acid to come up with this!'.
 
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