In Episode 7 of All Lit Up! we're talking with Candy Guard, creator of the iconic Pond Life. Find out what inspired Candy to move from fine art into animation, why she's inspired by female friendships, and how the transition to digital is really going for her. Plus - a hint at a menopausal Dolly? We can't wait for that!
In each episode of All Lit Up! we ask our guests to recommend a short film to our listeners. Candy's choice was....
Hen His Wife / His Wife is a Chicken
This 1990 Palme d'Or nominee for Best Short Film is from Igor Kovalyov and is about the relationship between a married couple, which shatters when a visitor reveals to the husband that his wife is secretly a hen.
Candy Guard
Writer, author, animator and director Candy Guard began her career with short animated films for Channel 4, the BBC and MTV - 'Alternative Fringe' (1988) 'Fatty Issues' (1988) 'Fantastic Person' (1990) and many others.
Candy then created, wrote and directed 20 episodes of the cult animated series for Channel 4, 'Pond Life', overseeing 20 animators. She had a long running strip cartoon in the Observer magazine called P.T.O and her first novel 'Just A Little Disco on an Open-Top Bus.' was published by Penguin in 2006. Between 2012 and 20015 Macmillan published her series of books for 8 - 12-year olds, 'Turning to Jelly', 'Jelly Has a Wobble' and 'Jelly Breaks the Mould.'
Candy was given a grant by the BFI in 2022 as part of their Short Form Animation Fund to make her film, 'She's My Best Friend (And I Hate Her)'. She was dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st Century and managed to learn the animation programme, TV Paint, in order to make her film (with the help of a wonderful little crew).
Learning TV Paint, and the sound recording programme, Audacity, allowed Candy to get back to what she did at the start of her career - making short animations in a simple style doing all the production herself, including the voices, except now on a Wacom Cintiq instead of paper!
Candy has a YouTube Channel, 'Dolly Pond - Fantastic Lifestyle Channel', where you can watch all her work including her new mini films.
Candy is currently writing her 4th Novel, 'The Butchers and The Bakers.' She lives in South East London with her husband the animation director and illustrator Robin Shaw and their rescue dog, Bernie.
Find Dolly Pond's Fantastic Lifestyle YouTube Channel here!
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