Cartoon confessions: Frosty Valentine returns

Ten years ago, Frosty Valentine left an anthropomorphic mouse-shaped hole in the cartoon industry. Working a thankless grind in the less glamorous recesses of animation recording studios, she burned out on contract work ghost singing for a series of movies and television shows. With no spotlight to call her own, she called it quits, consulted a psychic, and started plotting her return.

A decade later, the Dalmatian-dotted diva’s burst onto centre stage with a cartoon pop explosion gone three-dimensional, fronting a rambunctious brand of glitzy electro-pop songs full of flutters, zaps, twangs and whistles, all backed by a hypnotic light show and a psychedelic cast of guests — think the Disneyland Country Bear Jamboree but a lot more fabulous.

Currently engaged on a whirlwind world tour, we caught up with Frosty Valentine over email ahead of her appearance at Long Winter on December 13.

Long Winter: What does it mean to be Frosty Valentine?

Frosty Valentine: It’s to be a feeling of love that feels frozen in time.

I read that you’ve been retired from the cartoon industry for the past decade. Can you explain how you used to be involved in that?

Before I quit the cartoon industry I signed a contract saying I wasn’t allowed to mention the specific series I was in because I was the ghost singer for most of them, but let’s just say I sang in a lot of movies and shows that rhyme with Dipchunks and Krozen. I never got my moment to be in the spotlight though, that’s why I quit. I went to see a psychic ten years ago and they said I’ll be world famous in a decade!

What interested you in performing live music?

I do lots of performances with puppetry and I love dance music, so I wanted to combine the two.

I understand you’re in the middle of a world tour. The first show you played was in Hamilton at a place called This Ain’t Hollywood. Why there?

This upcoming Long Winter show will be my last show of the tour until the summer of 2020! The first show of my tour was in Hamilton and I was invited to play by my friend Man Made Hill, who is a musical and performance genius! The staff at This Ain’t Hollywood were incredibly supportive and kind.

I got to play with Man Made Hill again in Kingston for Tone Deaf Festival where he performed with his other side project with Charlie Murray and Sebastian Butt called the Still Boys, also an amazing group who I love! So far it’s been an incredible and fun world tour!

What are your songs about?

My songs are all about love, relationships, and conversations with myself. One song is also about this incredible hair I have on my chin that just keeps growing back. It’s the only consistent thing in my life right now!

I haven’t seen you play live before but a friend posted some clips online and the show looks bananas. Who else is on your team?

My team presently consists of Manager Sticky, Doggy Destiny, and the Melody Monicas on back up vocals, Cindy the Psychic as hype machine, the Melomaniac Mommies as back up dancers, and myself, Frosty Valentine, on lead vocals.

Who would you want to play you in a biopic about your life and who would direct it?

I would like to be played by Charlene Sinclair and it be directed by the incredible animator Amy Lockhart.

How do you wind down after a gig?

After a gig I like to lay down on my acupuncture mat and watch 90 Day Fiancé, to decompress both body and mind.

What do you want your audiences to take away from your performances?

These pencils I’m selling at the merch table for cheap!

Frosty Valentine plays the Harbourfront Centre’s Lakeside Terrace Stage for Long Winter on Friday, Dec. 13.