For indie animation aficionados, the name Matt Check is fast becoming synonymous with fiercely personal, hand‑crafted storytelling. A director, animator, composer and editor rolled into one, Check has spent the last few years quietly building the surreal, emotionally rich “Mammothverse,” culminating most recently in the 23-minute animated short Mammoth: Adventures in Gnomeman’s Land. Entirely drawn, animated, scored and assembled in his so‑called “free time,” the film is a non-dialogue, visually driven odyssey that fuses classic literary influences and Saturday-morning-cartoon energy with allegorical undertones and a distinctly pre‑AI sensibility. In this conversation, we dive into the evolution of Adventures in Gnomeman’s Land, the discipline and obsession behind a 250‑scene solo production, and why nourishing the individual artist’s imagination still matters in an increasingly automated age.
Indie Shorts Mag: Creative projects often take on a life of their own. Can you talk about the evolution of “Adventures in Gnomeman’s Land”? At what point did you realize this was a much larger story than you had initially set out to tell?
Matt Check: I think I realized it was taking on a life of its own when the title changed in my mind from “Mammoth: Chasing the Rainbow: Chapter 9”, which spiritually in some ways this episode is… but the new title creatively resonated with me and the spirit of the story I was trying to tell, so I embraced it in the spirit of change. As far as the scope of the story, I did have a little outline of what I wanted it to be before I started drawing everything again. But it was only me working on this in my free time. So hacking and chipping away at the story as much as possible little by little, like it or not, you develop a pace. I did my best to improve my pace while giving myself a healthy amount of time to rest. I will admit I burnt myself out in service of the story at least 4 times throughout the 14 months working on it… But i’m reminded of what my professor in college would say, “pain is temporary, but art is forever”. Short answer is maybe halfway through when I felt like I was behind and not on track.
Indie Shorts Mag: A 23-minute, solo-animated film is a monumental undertaking. Could you give our readers a glimpse into your creative process and the discipline required to bring a project of this scale to life over 13 months?
Matt Check: Well the discipline side of the question meant trying to keep to a certain rate of production. I can’t remember how many scenes average I’d draw per day, but I drew almost every day and there were 250 scenes drawn over the course of 5 months or so. When I was animating I aspired for animating 3 scenes per day. Some days I would get it others not. Creatively, I can say I am lucky to have had this project to carry me through difficult times in my life. I truly enjoy the creative work I get to do, it’s the most fun, greatest pleasure and truest catharthis there is for me. It doesn’t feel like work. In a way maybe that’s the problem. It’s very addicting to keep working toward a goal and keep getting satisfying results knowing you’re getting closer. I hope everyone is able to find their own outlet, medium, and creative space. I am just lucky to have found mine and I think have found a way to work within it productively. I love telling these stories with Mammoth and all his botanical friends. And I really love scoring it all and editing it all together.
Indie Shorts Mag: Filmmaking can be an intensely personal journey. In what ways did crafting this fantastical world and its characters serve as a personal anchor for you, and what emotional resonance do you hope audiences will connect with?
Matt Check: I’d like to only say it did serve as a personal anchor for me. It doesn’t really matter the specifics behind what I was dealing with when I made it, but more so the fact it remained a constant in my life in what felt like very harshly changing times. I hope that audiences are able to relate to each, but if not certain characters, and hopefully develop a favorite that they invest interest in. Each character and story arc brings a unique emotion to table, and I think there’s likely something relatable for everyone.
Indie Shorts Mag: The film feels both classic and contemporary, with whispers of everything from literary epics to modern animation. How do you approach blending such a wide array of inspirations to forge a unique visual and narrative identity?
Matt Check: I would approach it open mindedly. I did my best as much as possible each step of the way. I saturated myself in what I consider great literature, comics, animation, television, film for years. This just felt natural at this stage in my life and career as an animator/musician. Mammoth has slowly but definitively evolved into my way to pay homage to all the stories I grew up with loving, and even modern stories and daily occurences I am influenced/inspired by.
Indie Shorts Mag: In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, the concept of artistic authorship is a prominent conversation. What is your philosophy on the importance of the individual artist’s hand and singular vision in the current era of creative tools?
Matt Check: I think it is really important that we nourish our imaginations. I’ve had the luxury of working with Mammoth for the past few years, where it’s not a matter of what I am doing (lots of people have messed with sunflower characters) but its become more of a focus on how I do it, and I’ve been able to find identity through how I put my take on this, how I make the rules of my universe and how I abide by them or break them. That said, it is very important to me that an artist remain at the forefront of the creation of art. Furthermore, I think it is critical the artist remain the rightful owner of their creations.
Indie Shorts Mag: The story’s complexity is particularly impressive for a non-dialogue film. How did you approach conveying such nuanced themes as shifting morals and existential crises purely through visual storytelling and the film’s musical score?
Matt Check: People underestimate the power of gestural animation. It can and will carry the weight of just about any story. Not that dialogue can’t serve a story too. I’d like to do a project seperate from Mammoth with meaningful dialogue. But I know you can break down the heart of most interactions to their gestures and people will be able to understand.
Musically, I just really tried to listen for what each scene needed. I’m lucky to have the means to record my guitar and play with MIDI, because it made pretty much anything accessible and possible. And at that point it’s just a matter of tuning into what you feel is right for a given scene or mood.
Indie Shorts Mag: The world you’ve built is rich with symbolism, from the gnomes themselves to the very landscape they inhabit. Could you discuss your use of allegory and how it helps to explore the film’s deeper questions about power, freedom, and community?
Matt Check: I think because of that symbolism there is room for the audience to use their own imagination to fill in the blanks. Hopefully, it is an animation that is willing to meet you as far as you are willing to meet it? If that makes sense. There’s also just the human element of pattern recognition, and I think people are able to draw connections wherever and however they like.
Underlyingly, even though this one ends not as happy as I usually would prefer, I think it’s a story that embodies hope and trying to do the right thing.
Indie Shorts Mag: While this was largely a solo endeavor, the final soundscape involved a few key collaborators. As you look to the future of the “Mammothverse,” how do you envision the role of collaboration in expanding this world?
Matt Check: Yes. Shoutout to Keith Hadad of Record Crates United, Keith’s wife Sarah Stapperfenne, and my girlfriend Nadia Racaniello, who all provided the voices of the Gnomes. I might have done one gnome scream too, but I want to give 99% of the gnome credit to them!
As far as the future, well certainly at the least if and when our gnome friends return I would need to record new gnoises with the crew. Regarding other creatures and characters… We’ll see. The gnomes needed their own nonsense language and it made sense with this project. I can’t see any actual dialogue being incorporated in the future, it just breaks a fundemental rule I’ve set for Mammoth.
As far as collaboration in the art and animation department, if anyone is interested please feel free to reach out. I am open to the idea of collaboration to help speed up the creative process. But in the meantime, I’ve reset my mindset to be okay with just working a little here and there in my spare time when I can.
Indie Shorts Mag: The ending of the film feels like both a conclusion and a new beginning. What can you tell us about your future plans for these characters and the “unfolding botanical saga” you’ve started?
Matt Check: I can tell you that each storyline set up has a payoff that I’d like one day be able to get to complete. If there was to be another follow up, it might explore some of the ramifications of such a Giant defeat in the last episode, from multiple perspectives. Again I’ve reset my pace and have no intentions of rushing into anything. But I mean, I’ve got a few storyboards kicking for fun… I’d love to lean in more when it makes sense. But it’s a slippery slope and I refuse to consumed again. Not again for a while at least.
Indie Shorts Mag: Art often reflects the world in unexpected ways. The review of your film mentions allegorical undertones, and there’s a sense that the story resonates with contemporary societal challenges. Was this a conscious theme, and what message do you hope viewers contemplate long after the credits roll?
Matt Check: This has kind of been freaking me out to be honest. I think it’s more than fair for audiences to make parellels to societal changes. Was that intentional…? I mean, I was trying to evoke some satire I had read in the past. The truth is when I first started the project and drew everything out I didn’t think it was possible for the world to become more Orwellian than it already was. But I stand corrected. No it wasn’t intentional.
I hope viewers contemplate how on earth Mammoth, Phil and Peyote are going to get themselves out of their predicament.
As Mammoth: Adventures in Gnomeman’s Land continues to find its audience, what lingers is not only the virtuosity of its gestural animation or the intricacy of its score, but the stubborn, human persistence behind every frame. Check’s commitment to building a universe by hand—one sunflower, one gnome, one painstakingly crafted scene at a time—speaks directly to the indie filmmakers and animators who understand that “pain is temporary, but art is forever.” Whether the next chapter of the botanical saga arrives sooner or later, the foundations of the Mammothverse are set: a world where allegory invites interpretation, hope survives even in darker endings, and a gentle giant of a creator reminds us that imagination, discipline and a singular vision can still cut through the noise.
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