It was a match made in heaven when QuietMan Founder and CD/Lead Flame Artist Johnnie Semerad was recently asked to bring his experience and expertise to bear on the job of animating the Hasbro Monopoly man and Cavity Sam from Operation, two icons of the game industry, for two new spots.

“I just love these two spots, and not just because I have the mind of a 12-year-old,” notes Johnnie. “For me, the chance to animate iconic characters like these is just so special.”

Johnnie, like millions of other kids worldwide, played Monopoly and Operation as a kid, and still has a fondness for the fast-talking characters. “Growing up with them, you feel like you’ve known them forever, and when you get the chance to animate icons like these, there’s this whole other level that comes into play.”

To bring the characters to life, Johnnie first shot boards of the hands interacting with all the game boards and pieces. Both spots involved two styles of animation-- classic 2D animation, as well as CG animation.

For the Monopoly Man, he kept the look kept very much in the old-fashioned style. For Operation, he took the same approach and combined it with CG scenes at the end.

Creatively, the big challenge was to create two similar but totally different styles of animation that also meshed effectively.

Voice talent for the Monopoly spot was provided by actor Jon Lovitz, and Jerry Stiller did the voice-over work for Operation. Johnnie describes the two spots as “the perfect job” for him, combining his love of animation and fondness for the iconic characters.

Watch Hasbro's Great Games Trade-In spots "Operation" and "Monopoly."