Rising Stars: Meet Spencer Rothbell of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Spencer Rothbell.

Hi Spencer, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born in New Jersey and grew up in Vermont. I attended California Institute of the Arts and studied Experimental Animation, where I made dumb prank calls and super serious artsy shorts. I also studied at Second City in Chicago and Upright Citizens Brigade in Los Angeles, where I tried my best not to over-think being funny. Now I use these skills in the world of animation, notably as Head of Story and lead voice of Cartoon Network’s Clarence. Other credits include Animals (HBO) and Victor and Valentino (Cartoon Network). I’m currently working as a Story Editor, writer, and voice actor – merging all my favorite things: comedy, cartoons, performance, and storytelling. I’m excited to be a Co-Executive Producer on an animated development project as well.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There are always challenges in any industry, and TV animation has had a lot of them in particular within the past decade. Corporate mergers, Generative AI used to replace creative workers, and companies choosing to use cheaper, non-union labor have made it difficult for a lot of people in the industry to maintain consistent employment. I’ve been lucky to have adapted to working as a contractor in between full-time employment, but it certainly has been challenging at times.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m primarily known as a TV writer and voice actor – specifically I specialize in strong, character driven stories and comedy. I’m extremely proud of the writing I’ve done on series such as Clarence (Cartoon Network), Twelve Forever (Netflix), and Victor and Valentino (Cartoon Network). The same goes for the voice acting I’ve done in these series among others such as Big City Greens (Disney TV) and Animals (HBO). As a lot of folks in the industry know, not all pilot development projects make it to air, but I’m also very proud of several of those projects I’ve worked on. It’s so fun to create a world of characters from the ground up and watch them come alive as the project evolves! I love comedy – some of my influences range from animated TV shows like The Simpsons and Home Movies, to more surreal sketch comedy like Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! and Strangers With Candy. Because I went to school for animation, I’m also set apart from other writers in that I have a background in the medium and tend to think more visually.

I think it is so important to work collaboratively in animation – I’ve worked on some series which have kept each department like writers and storyboard artists quite separate, and I don’t think this is the way to make a good show. Everyone should feel creatively empowered and excited to come in to work every day. The more communication and creative collaboration, the better! It makes for a better result as well.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
The best advice I can give is to try to get your foot in the door however you can and be sociable. There’s no harm in reaching out to get coffee or lunch with someone as long as you are respectful about it. There are a lot of animation related events in Los Angeles, such as those at Heavy Manners Library, 2220 Arts + Archives, Animation Clubhouse, Animation is Film Festival, and Silver Lake Shorts. There is a small but vibrant animation community here and it’s as simple as attending these events and striking up a conversation. For those outside of the city, there are a lot of artists online on social media to connect with remotely as well.

Another route is to go to conventions or industry events like San Diego Comic Con, CTN Animation Expo, or Anime Expo.

Just about every job I’ve gotten has been because of a previous connection, word of mouth, or someone being a fan of my work, so it’s really important to network. Now that work is harder to come by, it’s especially relevant to stay connected with other workers in your field.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.srothbell.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/owloil/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/srothbell
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/srothbell