It’s hard to believe that, one day, far down the line, that kid’s name you forgot at Psi U last night will be plastered on silver screens nationwide. Given the diverse interests and tastes of Wesleyan students, alumni have popped up  all over the country, making waves—and the arts community is no exception. Whether they’re churning out goth-pop melodrama or endearingly quirky indie flicks, a handful of Wesleyan alumni have become household names (well, some households). So pay attention. That guy behind you in Econ? He may be pumping out explosion heavy robo-porn in a few years.

Carter Bays and Craig Thomas

Class of ’97

Major: English

After a brief stint writing witty dialogue for other people’s television shows, Bays and Thomas began work on the show that would make them famous: “How I Met Your Mother.” The duo is not only the creators of HIMYM, but also the main writers and executive producers, as well as members of the band who performs the theme song for the show (it’s called “The Solids”).  If you’ve never tuned in before, I highly recommend it. Not only is HIMYM remarkably funny, but there are also loads of Wes references to make you feel all warm and fuzzy about your choice of collegiate institution (three of the main characters are Wes alumni).

 

Michael Bay

Class of ’86

Major: English and Film

Since you’re attending here, there is a 77.8 percent chance you have aspirations of becoming a film major and then using the prestigious Wes name to further your career among Hollywood big shots and indie film darlings to eventually become a renowned feature film director. In that case, there is probably little need for me to tell you much about Michael Bay, whose movies are known for their sharp dialogue, tense cinematography, and explosions (really just explosions). Think “Transformers,” “Pearl Harbor,” and an upcoming reboot of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”  Also, surprisingly, the music video for Divinyls’s 1991 hit “I Touch Myself.” Most importantly, without Michael Bay, you probably wouldn’t know who Megan Fox is.

 

Miguel Arteta

Class of ’89

Another notable Wes alumnus of the film world, albeit much lesser known to the general public than Bay, is Miguel Arteta. His greatest accomplishments lie not in the world of summer blockbusters, but in independent films like “Star Maps” and “Chuck and Buck,” both of which were very well received at Sundance. Arteta also directed the 2010 film version of “Youth In Revolt,” and even came back to Wes spring of 2010 to screen the movie and speak to interested students.  He did this again with his film “Cedar Rapids” last fall. Another interesting fact concerning how much Arteta loves Wes: he transferred here from Harvard.

 

Amanda Palmer

Class of ’98

Amanda Palmer is a singer/songwriter/performer/prolific tweeter/married to Neil Gaiman. Generally she’s regarded as a pretty awesome musician (played Coachella 2009!) who is best known for her goth-cabaret outfit the Dresden Dolls, and while she may not be a pop culture icon like Gaga, she does have an incredibly loyal fan base. Besides releasing various group and solo albums, Palmer has performed in numerous theatrical productions and is currently starring in “Cabaret” at the A.R.T. in Boston. When she attended Wes, she was in the Eclectic Society and reportedly did not enjoy her undergrad experience very much. So for those of you who come to regret choosing Wes (hopefully not very many), take comfort in the knowledge that you, too, can still achieve success.

 

MGMT (Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden)

Class of ’05

Do you like MGMT? I’ll bet you do, froshie.

Well, too bad. Wesleyan is probably the only liberal arts college in the country where it is actually kind of un-cool to be into these guys. I’m not really sure why. Are the rest of us jealous? Too snobby? Do we really hate hipsters all that much (a self-loathing sort of deal)? Whatever the reason, all I know is that for as long as I have been writing for The Argus there has been a sign hanging in our office stating “MGMT Is Dead To Us” in hastily written spiky black letters. All in all, most of you are probably aware of this group if not deeply obsessed with them (I’ll bet you stayed home on prom night and made out to “Kids”), but for you comp sci nerds I’ll do a brief overview just so you don’t embarrass yourself. Goldwasser and VanWyngarden formed MGMT in their freshman year, fiddling about with melodies when they weren’t tripping on acid or going to class. After graduating they quickly rose to popularity, touring and performing alongside such groups as Of Montreal and Chairlift, and soon became beloved of Ginsberg-touting, thick-rimmed-glasses-wearing hipsters everywhere. Now go listen to “Time To Pretend” under your sheets while your roommate is sleeping.

 

Daniel Handler (AKA LEMONY SNICKETT)

Class of ’92

This guy wrote “A Series of Unfortunate Events.” So. Cool.

I suppose it is my editorial duty to write a little bit more than that. For those of you who somehow missed out on this phenomenon, “Events” is a series of 13 young adult novels following the lives of the Baudelaire orphans. After their parents die, these precocious tykes are subject to a number of truly horrible experiences, many of which seem to blatantly fall into the category of child abuse. Too bad few of the adults around them seem to care. That may sound dire for a series aimed at an eight-to-thirteen demographic, but hey, it’s all in the title and, anyway, things turn out all right in “The End”  (see what I did there?).

 

Matthew Weiner

Class of ’87

Major: COL

Weiner is a highly respected producer in the television world, but is best known for being the creator of the highly popular “Mad Men,” for which he is also the executive producer and head writer. The AMC show, set in the 1960s and centering on Don Draper, a suave advertising executive, began in 2007, almost immediately garnering praise from both critics and general audiences. To date, it has won nine Emmys and four Golden Globes as well as winning and being nominated for countless other awards, including winning the 2010 Best Drama Emmy award.  Weiner was also supervising producer on another popular show you’ve probably heard of: “The Sopranos.” Most recently, Weiner was named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World for 2011.

 

Santigold (Santi White)

Class of ’97

Major: Music and African-American Studies

Santigold is a musician who defies categorization, but some have tried (new-wave pop is one that comes up a lot). Her debut album “Santogold” was released in 2008 and she was soon named an artist to watch by Spin, Rolling Stone, and the BBC. Her songs found their way into commercials, video games, top-singles lists, and the hearts of music critics everywhere. Since then, she has toured with the likes of Jay-Z, Coldplay, M.I.A., Beastie Boys, Architecture in Helsinki, Björk, The Streets, and Kanye West. Santigold returned to Wes in the spring of 2010 to give a benefit concert for the Kibera School For Girls in honor of the life of Johanna Justin-Jinich ’10.

 

Joss Whedon

Class of  ’87

Major: Film and Gender Studies

Certainly one of Wesleyan’s best-known and most-loved alums, Joss Whedon is the creator of such television hits as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” its spin-off series “Angel,” cult hit “Firefly,” and most recently, “Dollhouse.” But he’s not only a television writer; he’s also made his mark on the world of cinema, producing and screenwriting for films like “Serenity,” the movie sequel to Firefly’s tragically short television run, and Disney-Pixar’s “Toy Story.” Before you start to think that Whedon can’t get any more awesome, you should know that he also writes and produces comic books. The ultimate feminist-humanist-atheist-hipster-nerd, Whedon is in many ways emblematic of Wes’s spirit. We were all hoping he would show up for the Second Stage 2010 production of his web/TV movie “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog,” but no dice. Next summer, his newest project, a movie written and directed by him about Marvel’s “The Avengers,” will be coming out.

 

Matt Senreich

Class of  ‘96

Major: History

Matt Senreich, who came to Wesleyan dreaming of the comic book world, achieved success when he became the Editorial Director of now-defunct “Wizard” comic book magazine. However, you’d really know Senreich as the co-creator, along with actor Seth Green, of the animated television series “Robot Chicken.” The program, a collection of funny, borderline disturbing stop-motion skits with references to every piece of pop culture under the sun, currently runs on the network “Adult Swim.” The show garnered Senreich several Emmy nominations, but in 2010, he finally received the Emmy Award for Outstanding Short-Form Animated program.  Senreich still has much affection for his alma mater, and even screened some new episodes of Robot Chicken, and his Emmy-nominated “Robot Chicken: Star Wars” episodes last spring, as well as gave students advice through the Career Resource Center. Look for more blood-drenched animated parodies from him with his new series “Titan Maximum,” also on Adult Swim.