Interview with Shawn Patterson

Currently airing Saturday mornings, the new Nickelodeon animated television series El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera is a smart, colorful adventure into a lively superhero/super villain culture like so few children's programming before it. Produced at Nicktoons Studios in Burbank, CA; El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera is a multi-layered adventure-comedy whose creators well aspire to integrate much of their Latino heritage into the spicy, brilliantly creative world they have imagined for the lead character: Manny Rivera.

Co-created and co-executive produced by Jorge R. Gutierrez and his wife Sandra Equihua, El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera delivers to audiences Manny, a well-meaning but easily persuaded ten-year-old boy. Being the son of a revered superhero, White Pantera, as well as the grandson of a famed super villain, Puma Loco, Manny strives to become his own person, all the while reaping the benefits of his own super-persona: El Tigre. Quick-tempered, very curious, occasionally reluctant but ultimately a growing young boy, Manny loves to defend justice, while at the same time, who knew that being evil would be so cool? Living in the urban melting pot that is Miracle City, Manny, along with his ever-chatty best friend Frida, traverses the joys and disappointments of super heroism and super villainy.

With wonderful character designs, gorgeous art direction and a remarkable theme and score, this new animated television series looks to offer animation enthusiasts a valid reason to get up early on the weekends. El Tigre comes alive in a number of ways for a number of reasons and from a number of creative minds. One notable example of a critical facet to El Tigre's creativity is the music. With its theme song and musical score composition by Shawn Patterson, the aural environment within which this animation operates is distinct, diverse and confidently eclectic of Latino cultures.

Recently, Shawn Patterson generously spent a few minutes with AnimationInsider.net's News Editor to talk shop. A composer for film and television, Patterson has composed for animation for well over a decade and a half. Much of the programming whose music he has written for is highly recognizable. Drawing on his experience and studies in traditional jazz theory, improvisation and harmony, he has found much success in composing theme songs and scores for television and film.

Having composed songs and the occasional score for select episodes of John Kricfalusi's The Ren & Stimpy Show, and the theme song and score for more than a dozen Oh Yeah! Cartoons episodes, Patterson is well aware of what creative diversity the animated television industry is capable of. More recently, he has composed the theme song and score for the Disney television animation Dave the Barbarian and the Nickelodeon television animation The Xs.