One booth where I’ll be plunking down some cold, hard cash is that which belongs to Ronnie del Carmen and Enrico Casarosa (booth #1422). Their boundless energy for pursuing their own projects while holding down full-time gigs at Pixar is inspiring, not to mention that the personal work they publish is consistently top notch. Among their new offerings at the San Diego Comic con, Ronnie will debut PAPER BISCUIT #2, a 40-page comic featuring his charming character Nina, while Enrico will bring his new art book FRAGMENTS: INTERMEZZO and the second issue of THE ADVENTURES OF MIA. Enrico was kind enough to send over a copy of the new MIA and dare I say it’s even more impressive than the first issue. The elements that remain from the earlier MIA are his beautiful panel composition and cinematic sensibility, as well as his sensitive ink-and-wash style, but this second issue also adds to the mix an exciting WWII-era story with a cliffhanger ending that left me eager to find out what happens next. And while there is plenty of action in the issue, Enrico never misses an opportunity for character development. A superb example is in the middle of a chase sequence where as the spy is being pursued by the military, he stops to discard a cigarette that he’s smoking. This thoughtful attention to detail and character is a big reason why MIA #2 is such an enjoyable read and why I can’t wait for future issues.

Here’s a link to the SHARK TALE trailer where Jeffrey Katzenberg enthralls audiences with a fish who does an impression of MC Hammer and a story that parodies THE GODFATHER. Will Smith replaces Eddie Murphy as the obligatory fast-talking street smart black character. Katzenberg is slipping though. Where’s the slo-mo MATRIX fight scene parody? That, and any semblance of entertainment, are the only two thing lacking from the trailer.

Brew co-editor Jerry Beck has certainly plugged the San Diego Comic Con enough times already, but it won’t hurt to mention once more that the complete Con programming schedule has been posted HERE. Below is my own personal list of programs that I’d like to check out. You can also find out what MUCHA LUCHA creators Lili Chin and Eddie Mort are planning to see HERE and Jerry’s plans HERE.

THURSDAY
5:30-7:00 Spotlight on Bill Plympton Room 8 (also Bill’s new film HAIR HIGH is well worth checking out on Saturday evening)

FRIDAY

1:00-2:00 Spotlight on Sid Jacobson Room 3
1:00-2:30 Spotlight on Chuck McCann Room 5AB
2:30-3:30 Disney/Pixar: The Incredibles Room 20
3:00-4:00 TOKYOPOP with Lupin III creator Monkey Punch Room 2
3:00-4:00 Why We Love Peanuts Room 3 (hosted by Gary Groth, with Gilbert Hernandez, Chip Kidd and Jean Schulz)
4:00-5:00 Remembering Bob Clampett Room 8 (hosted by Mark Evanier, with Jerry Beck, Milt Gray, Ruth Clampett, and Leo Sullivan)
5:00-6:00 Pervasive Art: Gary Baseman Room 7B
6:00-7:00 Tom Sito: The Animation Strikes Room 7B (this is a topic that fascinates me and I believe Tom’s currently working on a book about the same subject)

SATURDAY
4:30-6:00 Birth of A Nation: Hollywood, Comics and Black Culture Room 9 (with Aaron McGruder, Reginald Hudlin, Kyle Baker, Dwayne McDuffie and Denys Cowan)
6:00-7:00 Developing an Animated Property Room 2 (moderated by Jon Gibson, with a line-up including Gabe Swarr, Dave Wasson, Jorge Gutierrez, Doug TenNapel, Heather Kenyon and Eric Coleman)

Also here’s something of a late development. Nickelodeon recently asked me if I’d moderate the panel previewing their new action-packed animated series AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER (Saturday, 1-2 pm). I saw the pilot a few months ago and enjoyed it quite a bit so I’m pleased to come on board for the panel. I’m looking forward to chatting with the creators Mike DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, as well as other folks involved with the show. Join us in Room 8 on Saturday for a screening of the pilot and a discussion about this very different type of Nick cartoon.

Chris F. writes to ask if I ever heard of the book/DVD set, FLIPS 7, which presents the work of some dozen-and-half modern animation studios from around the globe. I haven’t heard of the book, but it looks like something worth picking up. Here is the description of FLIPS from the publisher’s website:

FLIPS Book Seven focus on independent animators and production houses. It caters animators and those who are interested in animations. In this latest publication, some 17 individuals and studios from around the world have presented their latest works, including encompassing animated short films, TV commercials and music videos. The stirring line-up includes Shynola from London, Duck Soup Studios from Los Angeles, Devilrobots and Furi Furi Company from Japan, and many other up and coming design companies.

FLIPS sounds like part of a recent trend of book/DVD combos with a focus on non-mainstream animation which are being released by design publishers like IdN, Taschen and Harper Design International. Another recent title along these lines is ANIMATION NOW! which based from the preview posted on the Taschen site is something I’d really like to get my hands on when the book is released in September. There’s also ANIMATION UNLIMITED: INNOVATIVE SHORT FILMS SINCE 1940 by Liz Faber and Helen Walters which is a book I actually have. This one doesn’t focus on studios but rather fifty individual directors, offering a one-page bio of each filmmaker and then 1-5 pages of stills from one of that director’s films. There’s an impressive range of artists covered from experimental legends like Len Lye, Stan Brakhage and Oskar Fischinger, indie mainstays including Caroline Leaf, Frédéric Back and Paul Dreissen, and digital motion graphics by the likes of the Pleix collective and Dylan Kendle. As is the nature of independent animation, it can hardly be expected that anybody will enjoy the works of all the artists featured in the book, but it’s a nice introduction to many well known and obscure independent animators and serves as a starting point for further exploration of the independent scene.

Animator turned self-publishing magnate, Michel Gagn&eacute files a REPORT from Anthrocon 2004, a major “furry” convention in Philadelphia. I’m not planning on attending one of these conventions anytime soon so it’s interesting to hear Michel’s outsider take on the proceedings. They apparently treat their guests of honor none too shabbily, picking them up in limos, housing them in top-floor hotel suites and feeding them nice dinners. The flip side is…well…just look at the pictures on his site. For folks who want to purchase Michel’s fine books and merchandise in a slightly less adventurous environment, they can see him at next week’s San Diego Comic-Con where Gagn&eacute International will be located at booth #1907.

And yet another blog. This one is by members of The Society of Ilustrators of Los Angeles and links to animation/cartoon-related items as well as illustration sites. Good stuff. (link via Scrubbles.net)

Jonathan Groff, exec producer of the forthcoming NBC series FATHER OF THE PRIDE, explains why they’re producing the show in CG animation: “It lets us tell human stories and go further, I think, and do more with them than we could if we were just doing it with live actors.” According to this Zap2it article, the episode that NBC recently screened for critics went further than live-action by depicting the following: “…panda-on-panda loving, several graphic (if euphemistic) discussions of lion intercourse, a healthy dose of man-chimp passion and several jokes about the shame that comes from being an elephant in love with a turkey. Throw in a banjo-playing monkey who calls his wife a bitch and an assortment of language and images that would make an inanimate cartoon cel blush.” Between this and his SHREK franchise, it looks like Jeffrey Katzenberg is vying to become the John Kricfalusi of unappealing computer animation. (article link via Animated-News)

This new Disney blog seems like it could become a promising source of Mouse news. It’s run by John Frost, whose grandfather was early Disney Imagineer Vic Greene. Also we’ve added a new link to the “Brew Recommends” sidebar - Harvey Deneroff’s Deneroff.com, a site which does an admirable job of linking to articles about animation from around the globe.