Among those I admire most are artists who manage the increasingly difficult balancing act of staying true to themselves while making a living from what they do. One such artist is legendary animator Bill Plympton. Even if you don’t know his name, you know his work: an instantly identifiable blend of quivering characters and a sense of humor best described as offbeat, sublime and, to use one of his favorite words, wacky.

Many are familiar with Plympton through his shorts for MTV and Spike & Mik...