Cartoon cats have not cornered the market on hating Mondays, as Reynaldo León's clever animated short, "Frogged - Mondays" vividly shows. In it, a grumpy frog refuses to let anything that happens on a Monday - even happy hour - spoil his rotten mood. 

We recently chatted with Reynaldo about what drives his animation, and about "Frogged - Mondays," which was among 10 semi-finalist animations in the first-ever Short Shorts Animation Contest. You can view all of these wonderfully creative animations by clicking here.

GoComics: What inspired you to create this animated short? How did you come up with the idea? 

"I Hate Mondays" has been a joke used so many times it has been beaten to death. But once I came up with a clever twist, I knew I had a joke for the competition. The frog character comes from an idea I already had of funny animals been co-workers in an office.

GoComics: Who are your biggest creative influences?

I love classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons from the 1950s and '60s. Yogi Bear, Huck Hound, Top Cat, The Flintstones, you name it.  Especially Ed Benedict's character designs. Also the classics of Tex Avery, and a little bit of Mad Magazine's Sergio Aragonéz.

GoComics: What is your all-time favorite animated feature?

Disney's Aladdin and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

GoComics: What is the most challenging part of the animation process for you?

That the end result be enjoyed by the audience. I love every aspect of making animation, but when people see my cartoons and laugh, then I feel pure satisfaction.

GoComics: What do you envision yourself doing in five years?

Apart from trying to conquer the world? Doing the same thing I have been doing for the past 20 + years. Cartoons!

GoComics: How did you learn about the Short Shorts contest? Why did you decide to participate (besides the $25,000 grand prize)?

I am an avid reader of GoComics and saw the announcement on the blog. I decided to participate (yes the 25K also looked good) for the chance to be featured on a grander scale. And in hopes that someday GoComics would distribute animated shorts the same way they do with comic strips.