February 2010
The Darwin Finches: Mystery Creationism Theater, or Skepticism and Free-thought in the Age of YouTube
February 17, 2010, 7:00 pm
Betts Branch Library
The Darwin Finches is a YouTube-based animation project aimed at skewering creationism and similar anti-science claims made on the Internet. Syracuse artist Ethan Kocak started the project, and Jon Ryan and Pat Buecheler voice the Finches. Under the handles Wallace, Lyell and Huxley, they take creationist screeds off of YouTube and re-upload them with humorous commentary. They are a part of a larger emerging culture of rationalist humor on the Internet.
Ethan Kocak is a Syracuse area artist, animator and illustrator. He graduated from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science in Media Arts and Animation. He has done storyboarding for film, a children’s book, a seemingly endless string of freelance projects and started sketching ideas for a Youtube project in late 2007 that would eventually become “The Darwin Finches.” He currently voices Wallace the Finch, writes some of the dialogue and animates each episode by hand on a Mac.
Pat Buecheler (the blond guy) plays Huxley the Finch. He writes many of the jokes, does most of the voice acting and often edits audio and video for each episode. He has a degree in Television and Video Production from SUNY Fredonia.
Jon Ryan (the tall guy) writes the bulk of many episodes, runs the Darwin Finches’ blog, maintains its social networking sites, and voices Lyell the Finch. He is a long time skeptic and lover of astronomy.
Betts Branch Library
Meeting Room
4862 S. Salina St.
Syracuse, NY 13205
