When Animation Isn't for Kids; A Trip into the Mad and Forbidden World of "I Married a Strange Person!"
If your concept of animation is limited to the colorful, gentle, and moralistic worlds of Disney or Pixar, watching I Married a Strange Person! (۱۹۹۷) will act as an electric shock to your system. This film, the second feature by Bill Plympton, the undisputed king of indie animation, is a gateway to a mind that knows no boundaries or restraints. The subject matter itself is intriguing and instantly hooks the viewer: a newlywed man named Grant develops a strange growth on his neck that gives him the power to alter reality. However, this power is not akin to Marvel superheroes; rather, it is a tool for creating chaos, grotesque jokes, and insane situations. With this simple premise, Plympton provides a platform to visualize all the complexes, fears, and hidden fantasies of modern humans. The film is full of moments that keep the viewer suspended between laughter and revulsion, and it is precisely this thin line that defines the director’s personal signature.
As rightly noted, this animation, like most of its creator’s works, does not shy away from the overt display of sexual elements and naked violence. However, the difference lies in the fact that in Plympton’s world, violence and sexuality serve a different function; they are tools for “critique” and “humor.” When a head explodes or a body morphs and limbs deform in an exaggerated manner, the goal is not to create fear, but to evoke a dark comedy that laughs at the biological and animalistic nature of humanity. Using his unique visual style known as “morphing” (constant changing of line shapes), Plympton creates a fluid world where nothing is static. The violence in this film is fantastical and cartoonish; the bloodshed is so excessive that it loses its realistic aspect and becomes part of the joke. This audacity in displaying instincts is a reaction to the censorship and sanitized nature of mainstream animation in America. The film’s humor stems from this very boldness—humor that is sometimes biting, sometimes absurd, and sometimes so clever that it compels the audience to admire it.
referencing Bill Plympton’s portfolio is vital to understanding this work. Plympton, who famously draws every frame of his films by hand (a task considered pure madness in the animation industry), has followed a similar path in other works such as The Tune, Mutant Aliens, and Hair High. While The Tune focused more on music and visual fluidity, in I Married a Strange Person!, he made the narrative more coherent and maximized the dose of violence and sexual innuendo to issue a manifesto against the established order. In his later works like Cheatin‘, this style reaches full maturity, narrating a strange romance, but the roots of that pure madness must be sought in this very film. Here, Plympton not only mocks his characters but also criticizes power institutions like the military and the media, turning them into foolish and greedy caricatures willing to do anything to possess Grant’s power.
Ultimately, I Married a Strange Person! is an animation that filters its audience. It is not made for those seeking linear stories and sweet endings. This work is a feast for fans of adult animation who want to see how a creative mind can challenge the laws of physics and morality with just colored pencils and paper. With a combination of an interesting subject, top-tier humor, and exemplary courage in displaying taboos, the film has become a cult classic that remains fresh, strange, and shocking even years later. Plympton proves with this film that animation is not just a tool for entertaining children, but can be a powerful weapon to fire directly into the adult viewer’s brain.
