(HOLLYWOOD, CA) - Award-winning composer James Venable scores The Cartoon Network's first feature The Powerpuff Girls Movie which opens July 3rd. The film, directed by Craig McCracken, is based on the popular television series that chronicles the adventures of mutant girl superheroes: Bubbles, Blossom and Buttercup. The score for Powerpuff Girls incorporates both orchestral and electronic compositions.
The young composer scored his first two feature films last summer, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, written and directed by Kevin Smith, and Iron Monkey, a film by Yuen Woo Ping. Just as these two films are entirely different from one another, the Jay and Silent Bob score itself gave Venable the opportunity to explore many styles. From techno to classical film scoring, he created an original sound for the film as well as paid homage to his favorite legendary composers. Smith calls Venable a genius.
Venable is best known for scoring The Powerpuff Girls series on Cartoon Network with his unique blend of traditional orchestral sound and non-orchestral techno. The series is truly fun and challenging for him because the over 500 minutes of score written for the show includes virtually every genre of music from classical to hip hop to heavy metal. Venable was rewarded for his efforts last year with a "Best Score" Annie Award bestowed upon him by the International Animation Society. Some of his score is combined with dance music on The City of Soundsville CD released on Rhino Records. He is also currently scoring Cartoon Network's first action series called Samurai Jack, created by Genndy Tartakovsky (creator of Dexter's Lab). Venable has also written scores for Clerks the Cartoon, The Chimp Channel, Salty's Lighthouse, Entertainment Tonight and Hard Copy.
Venable received a Bachelor's Degree in Music from Cal State Long Beach as a Percussion Major. The Los Angeles native credits his composing style and ability to years of study with the legendary Lyle Spud Murphy, composition and arranging with Jack Smalley and percussion with John "Terry" Tirabasso. Venable is self-taught in the arena of Midi gear and programming.