May 04, 2023

By Keith L. Underwood

 

Cartoon and comic books were an escape for animation director and producer Ron Myrick. He says it is probably a common experience for many who have careers in those fields.

Myrick’s family moved to Los Angeles from Atlanta, Georgia in the late 1950s. His parents were separated in Atlanta and then decided to get back together in the city of Angels.  The reunion did not last, and the couple divorced.  But Myrick’s mother had the fortitude to keep her family in Southern California.

 

 

 

 

“It saved me from growing up in the segregated South and I actually went to school in South Central L.A. with kids who were Chinese, Mexican, White and Black,” said Myrick.

 

Since a young age, Myrick always had a passion for drawing and one of his early creative resources was the newspaper.

“I copied [drawings] from everything [including] the Sunday comic strips and the daily comic strips.

 

 

Then, when I discovered comic books, it was the superheroes of DC Comics and later Marvel,” remembered Myrick. “It was all my training ground for fantasy, adventure and art.”

 

His love for drawing grew into a decades-long career in animation, and it was his dream come to life. “I couldn’t believe I was getting paid to do something that naturally comes to me,” said Myrick.

 

Over the course of his career, Myrick’s contributions to animation have touched generations.

 

Some of his latest projects currently streaming on Netflix include “Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams,” “Barbie Mermaid Power,” and a documentary series called “Path to Power: How to Become a Tyrant.”  He has also worked on the Amazon adult-themed, animated superhero series “Invincible.”

His work on classic Saturday morning and afterschool cartoons consists of “Avengers: United They Stand,” “The Incredible Hulk,” “Sonic the Hedgehog,” “Skylanders,” Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” “The Smurfs,” “Star Trek: The Animated Series,” “Fat Albert,” “Scooby-Doo,” and so much more.

Many of Myrick’s timeless masterpieces can still be enjoyed on several streaming platforms.

Myrick advises anyone who is interested in a career in animation to learn the craft, become great storytellers, and hone their skills in drawing. He also recommends staying current with all the hi-tech tools used in animation.

 

“Animation is largely nowadays helped by technology, so it is important to learn the technology,” said Myrick. “For instance, ninety-nine percent of the storyboards, which are the backbone of telling the story after the script is written, is digital.”

 

A storyboard is a series of drawings, along with some directions and dialogue, signifying the shots planned for a film or TV production.

“So, learning all the various aspects of animation is really essential to what a producer or recruiter is looking for, and being willing to collaborate and become a part of team,” explained Myrick.

 

After several decades in animation, Myrick’s secret to his staying power is to ensure he continues loving what he’s doing. “If I’m not laughing at some point during the day or during the production, we’re in trouble,” said Myrick.

“Bringing the characters and stories to life, and acting through these characters through these stories, that to me is the fun aspect that keeps me going and keeps me reaching out for more.”

 

One of the biggest challenges that Myrick has faced in animation is being one of only a few African Americans working on a project.

“I can’t count the times I was the only Black person in the room, and honestly it’s still the case on the projects I’m working on right now,” said Myrick.

 

 

“Now in my career, I’ve been able to transcend race, but I never forget where I came from or fail to acknowledge I am Black, and I bring my blackness to the projects I direct.”

As an example, Myrick cited voiceover recording, recalling, “Before I became a director, if there was a character designated to be Black in the script, but they didn’t have a Black actor, a White actor would just fill that role doing their imitation of a Black voice. I would not allow that.

 

“I told them it must be a Black actor speaking to make it authentic to what we are seeing. They respected that and honored my wishes and today it is pretty much so a standard,” stated Myrick.

 

Myrick says this should be true not only with voice acting in animation, but diversity should be represented across all aspects of animation.

 

“Cartoons are made from dreams, and from young to old, we all have dreams that we want to see reflected of our culture and our mindset,” said Myrick.

“It is important to see a cross-section of society and a diversity of characters and stories.”

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