Animated Audio Storytelling

StoryCorps is an independent nonprofit organization founded in 2003 with a mission “to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives.”

The org accomplishes this mission by setting up interview and recording locations nationwide. Individuals reserve a time at one of many storybooth or mobilebooth locations, download the DIY storytelling instruction guide, or rent a StoryKit, tell their stories, and receive a free CD with their recorded conversation.

Over 30,000 interviews from more than 60,000 participants have been documented this way and preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress for posterity. A select few of those 30,000 interviews also get animated.

StoryCorps uploaded its first animated interpretation of a story back in May of 2010. Cartooned iterations of the storytellers appear on screen and act out the sometimes sincere, sometimes anthropomorphic, and sometimes hyperbolic action. It’s like a version of Doogtoons that tugs at your heartstrings.

A total of seven StoryCoprs animated stories have been uploaded to the web in the past year, all created by the Rauch Brothers. The latest dropped earlier this month. It features Kay Wang, who was dragged to a StoryCorps booth by her son and granddaughter. She tells stories of childhood disobedience and her gig as a detective for Bloomindgdale’s, which sounds awesome, especially from the mouth of a geriatric.