There’s now an accurate contents listing for BLAST #9 posted on the newly redesigned AnimationBlast.com.

Below is the wraparound cover of the issue, which I’m pleased to report is currently being printed in Canada. The drawing is a personal sketch by story artist John Dunn. Dunn’s life and career is discussed in-depth in the upcoming issue. Click on the image for a larger view.

BLAST regulars may also notice that the ANIMATION BLAST logo has been redesigned. With all the other format changes in the issue, I thought it only appropriate to spice things up with an updated version of the BLAST logo. The new logo was designed by the mighty Brian Romero, who is also responsible for all the excellent lettering in the recent Chronicle book WEIRDO DELUXE. You can see more of his work at BrianRomero.com or check out his blog HERE.

If you are stuck in Southern California over the Memorial Day weekend, hop on over to the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica on Sunday to see John K. introduce his funniest animated cartoons. The program will feature uncut versions of his rudest Ren & Stimpy adventures, Boo Boo Runs Wild, the Bjork video, Bakshi’s Mighty Mouse episodes and (my personal favorite), the He-Hog pilot - among many other things. I (Jerry Beck of Cartoon Brew) will moderate the Q&A following the films.P.S. Earlier, at 4pm, John K. will appear in person, across the street, at Every Picture Tells A Story (1311 Montana Ave in Santa Monica) to sign original art.

Sprite Animation Studios has set up shop over at the Howard Hughes Center in West Los Angeles. The image above is from their first absolutely cool short, MONSTER SAMURAI, which will premiere in competition a couple weeks from now at the Annecy Animation Festival. The short was directed by Moto Sakakibara, whose biggest credit to date has been as co-director of FINAL FANTASY: THE SPIRITS WITHIN (2000). Sakakibara is Sprite’s creative director and has no intention of making a photo-realistic film ever again. Based on this short and other tests I’ve seen, I believe him. In fact, the big news from Sprite is that they are looking to staff up in Los Angeles. They’ve got the greenlight to produce a feature based on the Masashi Tanaka’s manga classic, GON (pictured at right). Positions are open now for storyboard artists, 2D layout, 3D modelers and riggers, as well as systems administrator. Bill Perkins (art director of Disney’s ALADDIN) has been hired as the film’s art director, and Leslie Hough is producing. The feature is targeted for a 2008 release. To apply for a position, click here for more information.This studio is offering a refreshing change from the copy-cat CG styles that Hollywood thinks an animated feature should be. The future of feature animation will lie with independent studios, like Sprite, with their own storytelling voice and original vision. We wish them well - and from what I’ve seen, they’re off to a great start!

I have to admit that I didn’t quite “get” Ga”lle Denis’s film CITY PARADISE when I first saw it, but maybe that’s just me. The film, which was a co-production between Passion Pictures and Channel 4, has an undeniably fresh look and is worth checking out. It’s been well received at festivals (it won “Best First Professional Work” at last year’s Ottawa animation festival) and it was also nominated for a BAFTA in 2005. CITY PARADISE can be seen HERE, and there’s a video lecture by Ga”lle Denis HERE where she discusses how the film’s distinctive look was achieved.
(via Hydrocephalic Bunny)

If they post it, I will link it! Here’s an excerpt from the rare 1941 Chinese animated feature PRINCESS IRON FAN. It’s interesting for a number of reasons, especially for its heavy use of the rotoscope.

(Thanks, Mike Crandol)

Way back in March 2005, I first posted about Brew reader Michael Brown’s contining efforts to identify the specific US Air Force squadron for this Bugs Bunny insignia (above left). Mr. Brown sent us a larger image and a slight update on his research:

I’ve found this other Bugs Bunny piece (pictured above right), which is from the 14th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron. But I have not been able to find any source to validate the identity of the other insignia in question. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

If anyone has any info about this Leon Schlesinger insignia, please contact Michael Brown at mdgrbrown(at)comcast(dot)net.

There is a quiet revolution happening in the animation community, and it’s all thanks to the Internet. With the explosion of blogs in the past year, a wide range of difficult-to-find historical material is becoming publicly available for the first time. The availability of this material, which includes artwork, documents, films, and analysis, doesn’t only benefit historians; it also benefits artists in all parts of the world, who now have open access to examples of quality animation. In other words, there’s no longer any excuse for cartoons that look like this. It can be a full-time job keeping track of all the amazing knowledge being posted on blogs nowadays, but here is a brief look at just a few of the gems which have been posted on-line recently:

Kevin Langley posted some gorgeous BG paintings from the MGM shorts RED HOT RIDING HOOD and MOUSE IN MANHATTAN.

Hans Perk has posted the complete animator’s draft to the 1940 Disney short MR. DUCK STEPS OUT.

Jenny Lerew offers a who-animated-what analysis of the “All the Cats Join In” sequence from Disney’s MAKE MINE MUSIC (1946). Thanks belong to historian Michael Barrier who provided the drafts. Also, for easy reference, “All the Cats Join In” can be viewed on-line HERE.

Brandon Vietti, a director on BATMAN at Warner Bros., has written an amazing analysis of the Anthony Mann live-action Western WINCHESTER 73. Brandon does a superb job of breaking down the composition in the film and explaining why he likes particular shot choices. He also does original sketches of the scene compositions to visually describe his points.

Mark Mayerson shares a letter he received in 1976 from Golden Age animator/director Dick Lundy (Disney, Lantz, MGM) wherein Lundy discusses the specifics of his career.

Jaime Weinman writes an appreciation of the minor Chuck Jones character Frisky Puppy and offers two cartoons in their entirety: TWO’S A CROWD and TERRIER-STRICKEN.

Matt Jones has started a Ronald Searle tribute blog.

Oscar Grillo’s “inspiration” blog is at the top of my favorite blogs list right now. He’s posting the mouth-watering works of one incredible artist after another: David Low (whose illustration leads off this post), Florencio Molina Campos, Cal�, Carel Wright, Rudolph Schlichter, Vlado Kristl, the list goes on and on. It’s kind of like the Animation Archive except with the exquisite visual taste of a master animator like Grillo.

From the Cannes Film Festival: The Hollywood Reporter HATES IT and Time Out calls it “even less generally accessible than Waking Life.” This doesn’t bode well for its success.

This is Eddie Fitzgerald, animation artist and director, in a photo taken by me circa 1988 at the Bakshi studio during the production of Tattertown (aka Nickelodeon’s Christmas In Tattertrown). Eddie is one of the nicest, and funniest, guys I know - and one of the best cartoonists in the business. Eddie, who has worked for just about every studio in Hollywood (most notably on Bakshi’s Mighty Mouse, Spumco’s Ren & Stimpy and Warner’s Tiny Toon Adventures), has a well-known laugh - and lots of theories about classic animation, drawing, and life itself. It’s always worth spending time with Uncle Eddie - and now you can grab some of his demented genius everyday! He has started a blog, Uncle Eddie’s Theory Corner, where he will display his funny drawings, make lofty predictions, and even post his witty poetry. A daily visit is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Previous Entries Next Entries