Amanda Annett shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Amanda, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: Have you stood up for someone when it cost you something?
When I was 12, a group of girls called my friend ugly, so naturally I replied, “That’s rich coming from you considering you’re so average looking.” They retaliated by creating an “I Hate Amanda Club” and got all their friends to join. My name is Amanda 😛
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hello! My name is Amanda Annett, but I go by Joody Tude online because it’s fun and mysterious. Over the past few years, I’ve spent my time illustrating and developing cartoon characters and the world that they live in. My illustrations feature a young woman named Penny Spud living with her dog, Maxine, and cat, Brian. Also featured is her best friend, Cleo, and Cleo’s cat, Priscilla.
I’ve also had the privilege to create over 175 custom commissions while I develop this 2D world. It’s been really special to create custom artwork for people in my art style.
Over the past year, I have been learning how to animate. While illustrations are fun, it’s time for Penny Spud and her friends to come to life!
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
When I was 19, I got a camp counselor job at a summer camp in Maine. Originally from the suburbs of Chicago, this was my first time traveling away on my own.
Growing up next to the cornfields in the midwest, life as I knew it felt very conventional. Most of the people around me were following the school -> college -> practical job -> get married -> have family pipeline. There is nothing wrong with this lifestyle, but my point is that this was all I knew life to be. I did not realize you could live life differently than that.
When I arrived in Maine, I met people from all different walks of life. People from different states and even different countries. I learned about their backgrounds and the way they lived their lives, and it completely opened my mind that I can actually live my life differently than what I had been surrounded by growing up.
After spending three summers in Maine, I went on to live in Melbourne, Australia for a bit and then eventually to LA. Meeting people from different walks of life has very much shaped my worldview. So yeah, the first catalyst to this journey was definitely my first summer away in Maine at the summer camp.
When you were sad or scared as a child, what helped?
Cartoons! I loved cartoons. My favorite was definitely Spongebob Squarepants. Also Fairly Oddparents.. Rocket Power.. As Told by Ginger.. Powerpuff Girls.. Totally Spies.. Rugrats.. Hey Arnold!.. The list goes on! I am now very much a lover of 90s/00s 2D cartoons. They’re just so good. But yeah, I would put on the TV and watch my favorite cartoons when I was sad or scared. I also loved to draw and would do that while watching the ‘toons.
I’ve definitely subconsciously incorporated 90s/00s cartoon vibes into my art. It wasn’t intentional, but it sort of just happened. I think following that intuition is what helped me authentically develop my art style. I suppose that’s true with living life authentically too.. listening to your intuition.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I’m committed to bringing Penny Spud and her world to life no matter how long it takes. The reality is that animating takes a very long time, especially if you’re still learning to animate. So that’s where I’m at! But the ideas gnaw at me every day, and I was given no choice but to trek through the dark forest with thorny vine obstacles and mythical dragons blocking me to the other side. Every day I choose to sleigh the dragons and keep trekking forward… aka Living in the expensive city of Los Angeles figuring out how to survive while drawing cartoons in my bedroom every day wondering how this will turn out!
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. If immortality were real, what would you build?
A titanium spine to fix my bad posture or else my head will be dragging on the ground from slouching for hundreds of years. Just kidding! I’d honestly still be doing what I’m doing now: working on my cartoon. Maybe I would feel less stressed out. The concept of time freaks me out sometimes because it feels like I’ll blink and all of a sudden I’m 80! That’s dramatic, but it’s probably because I see my peers getting married and having babies, and I feel like a glorified toddler. Then again, maybe immortality would just make me procrastinate for centuries.. Either way, I would still be here drawing cartoons.. hopefully with slightly better posture.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.joodytude.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joodytude/
- Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joodytude
