Cody Fordham used to watch re-runs of The Simpsons every night.
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"I was a big fan of the characters, the art of it all, it meant so much to me," Fordham said.
The neurodivergent animator said the cartoons he watched became a point of reference for the world around him.
"When you are autistic, it can be difficult to socialise with people," Fordham said.
"[Cartoons] helped me to understand more about myself and the world around me."
A creator now, the same medium that taught the 25-year-old about the world has sent him around it, Fordham receiving an honorable mention for his animation Child of Témoin at the 2023 Marvels of Media Awards in New York.
The awards celebrate media-makers on the autism spectrum and are an initiative of The Museum of the Moving Image in Queens.
"The award helped me find more creative people such as myself, and people seem to take me more seriously now," Fordham said.
As much as he took inspiration from his favourite cartoons when creating, including anime cult classics like Mind Game and Devilman Crybaby by Masaaki Yuasa, Fordham said his own films include a personal edge.
"I have stories I want to tell to people about myself," he said.
Child of Témoin centres a mother and daughter trying to defend their home planet from humans and explores themes such as generational trauma and innocence.
Artist realising his potential
Fordham said animation is one in a rotation of creative outlets he makes from his Bendigo bedroom studio.
"If I get bored with one format, I tend to switch," he said.
"For example, I wanted to take a break from drawing so I started sewing plushies which are creatures from the film.
"Right now I'm making music, with my debut album out sometime next year."
Beyond New York, the film won best animation film at the Cannes Shorts in December 2022 and was a semi-finalist at the 2023 Australian Animation Film Festival, the film a product of 12-months of dedication from the one-man production team.
While the awards were a good start, Fordham said there was work to be done when it came to neurodivergent representation in the media.
"I would love to see more autistic actors, writers and artists working on shows and films," he said.
"I suppose this award is proof that things have been improving and I'm honoured to be part of that history."
Fordham goes by alias Stu Cupid, and can be found online at https://linktr.ee/stucupid. You can watch the trailer for Child of Témoin here.
