Previously on Cartoon Brew

Cartoon Culture

How Garfield Got His Groove Back: The ‘Garfield’ Remix Phenomenon

Poor Garfield. In his heyday, he was amongst the most beloved characters on the funny pages, his plush likenesses fastened to car windows and his sarcastic barbs adorning office walls around the globe. Then, somewhere along the line, he underwent a pop-cultural re-evaluation. Jim Davis’ strip is now something of a pariah: just look at how “The Simpsons” paired it with “Love Is” as the kind of strip that Milhouse reads. What a comedown for a character once hip enough to be quoted in “Two Tribes” by Frankie Goes to Hollywood. But yet, the orange cat has been saved from cultural oblivion by a peculiar trend: the remixed “Garfield” strip.

Disney

Short Film Review: Disney’s ‘Feast’

Disney’s “Feast” debuted yesterday to a raucous packed house at the Annecy International Animation Festival, alongside some never-before-seen clips from the studio’s next feature “Big Hero 6.”

Games

New ‘Cuphead’ Trailer Released at E3

Studio MDHR has delayed their Fleischer-esque videogame Cuphead until 2015, but they just released a new trailer for the gaming show E3 with new footage that is even more impressive (and more Fleischer-y) than the earlier preview.

Awards

Animafest Zagreb Award Winners Announced

The 24th edition of Animafest Zagreb wrapped up today in Zagreb, Croatia. It is the second-oldest continually running animation festival in Europe, after Annecy. The Grand Prix for short film was awarded to Yumi Joung’s “Love Games.” A complete list of winners is below.

Business

The One Thing That Could Save DreamWorks Animation: China

At least one DreamWorks animated film has lost money for the past three years in a row: “Rise of the Guardians” in 2012 had an $87 million writedown; “Turbo” in 2013 resulted in a $13.5 million writedown; and this year’s “Mr. Peabody & Sherman” caused a $57 million writedown. This is rather obviously not a sustainable trend from a business standpoint, and investors are beginning to worry about the studio’s long-term prospects.

Cartoon Brew Pick

‘Shit Showreels Say’ by Peter Quinn

Directed by Peter Quinn who writes: “I usually sit and watch a few things on Animade or Squeezeme.tv with my first coffee, every morning when I get into work. I’ve pulled out a few ‘showreel tropes’ that hopefully some of you will agree with—and I bet there are plenty I’ve forgotten about… would love to have you input as to commonalities in reels. It’s been an interesting study coming up with this shortlist.”

Tech

Animake It Software Allows Anyone to Make Animation—In One Minute

The world of animation software is dominated by a handful of industry-standard titles. However, the margins are dotted with more specialized pieces of software, often designed for animators who prefer to work outside the demands of studio production. One such program is Animake It, a piece of software that aims to provide an accessible animation experience that ties in with current trends in online content.

TV

Nick Greenlights 13 Episodes of Chris Savino’s ‘The Loud House’

Nickelodeon has picked up a new series: “The Loud House” by animation veteran Chris Savino. The series is inspired by Savino’s own “chaotic life growing up in a huge household,” and follows a boy named Lincoln who lives at home with his 10 sisters. The concept received a 13-episode greenlight based on the following pilot from the studio’s 2013 Animated Shorts Program.

Feature Film

Sony Taps Lauren Faust to Direct ‘Medusa’ Feature

Sony Pictures Animation today announced that they’ve acquired an original comedy pitch entitled “Medusa” from screenwriter Todd Alcott (“Antz”) and reality TV producer Holly Golden (“Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura”). More interesting: Lauren Faust (“My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,” “Super Best Friends Forever”) is attached to direct.

Cartoon Brew Pick

‘Caveirão’ by Guilherme Marcondes

Not many people know this, but every night at 3:33AM time is frozen for a moment. During what is a fraction of second to mortal eyes, there is a second night, a secret one where the spirits of the city come out to play. That is the story of the eternal battle for the soul of São Paulo, the clash between bohemia and authoritarianism, between comedy and horror.

CGI

Mexican Mo-Cap Feature ‘JOYFLUID’ Opens This Friday

The animated feature “JOYFLUID” opens in a limited number of IMAX 3D theaters in Mexico this Friday. The Mexio City-produced motion capture animated film was directed by Alejandro Rodriguez Huerta and made by the Rodriguez Brothers Animation Group.

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