Here's a quick update on the two biggest projects that I'm dealing with at the moment. First, the latest on the Chronicle book. It's now officially titled CARTOON MODERN: STYLE AND DESIGN IN 1950S ANIMATION and I'm happy to report that it'll be wrapped up within the next month or so. The page count continues to climb, and at the moment it's looking like the final total will be 200 pages. Even with this many pages, it's been a complex and challenging assignment for my book designer to fit in all the artwork that I want to have included in it. But he's managing to do a superb job of packing in the visuals, while keeping the art at a decent size and giving the page layouts room to breath. Our goal is to make sure there's no superfluous pages in this book; every page is going to have a rare piece of art or photo. I can't wait to share the results with everybody in April '06.
Also, this week, I started working full-time on the long-delayed ANIMATION BLAST #9, in hopes of meeting the new December release date. I'm incredibly excited about starting up again on this issue and finally finishing it up. I'm also really excited to announce a major new article in this issue that is written by MONSTERS INC. director Pete Docter. The article gives some long-overdue credit to the amazing (and amazingly forgotten) Disney animator John Sibley (1912-1973), who is best known for his animation on the Goofy shorts, including HOW TO RIDE A HORSE, TIGER TROUBLE and HOCKEY HOMICIDE. Pete's a big fan of his work and he spent a long time tracking down and interviewing Sibley's colleagues and researching Sibley's animation style. The piece he's written is nothing short of incredible, and sheds all sorts of new light on Sibley's life and work.
One piece that will no longer be in BLAST 9 is "Buy! Buy!: A History of Studios From The Golden Age of TV Commercials." I'd started this piece long before I started working on the 50s design book, and what ended up happening is that I incorporated most of the article's research into the book. It seems kind of redundant to reprint the same info in the BLAST now, so I'm giving the space over to more original research like the Sibley piece. I'll have an updated contents listing on the BLAST #9 preview page soon.
Thanks again so much for everybody's patience on this issue. I'm going to try my best to make this the strongest issue of the BLAST yet and not let anybody down.
Steve Worth has been working like gangbusters to get Asifa-Hollywood's Animation Archive up and running. The Animation Center at 2114 W. Burbank Blvd. is open to the public and Steve has started a blog to report on its progress, the fund raising status and new archive acquisitions. Steve is also seeking volunteers to help create a massive online art archive.
Now that we have the network and scanner up and operating at the ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive, we are ready to begin digitizing material for the archives. If you are available any time on Tuesdays or Thursdays between 1pm and 9pm, drop an email to me at sworth@animationarchive.org and let me know when I can expect you. I'll have material ready for you to help out with. The more participation we get from volunteers, the faster the Archive will reach "critical mass"... the point where it begins to be functional to researchers. Every bit of help moves us closer.I've seen what Steve is up to first-hand. It's a huge job, and extremely worthwhile. Preserving this material - and making it available to animators, historians and everyone else - will inspire present and future artists, give insight into the process and be a lasting resource we can all appreciate. If you live in the area, please check it out. Or better yet, help Steve continue his work.
That said, the LOONEY TUNES GOLDEN COLLECTION Vol. 3 goes on sale in less than two weeks.
We've plugged and praised our pal Oscar Grillo's work, website and blog before - but this week Oscar has begun a new blog written in English. Bookmark this and check in regularly.
"After struggling uphill in the difficult yet potentially profitable world of computer animation films, Wild Brain is on the cusp of success." That's the headline of the cover story from this week's SAN FRANCISCO WEEKLY, which takes an in-depth look at Bay Area animation studio Wild Brain. Haven't had a moment to check out the story yet, but it looks like it could be an interesting read.
(Thanks, Andy Wetmore)
Chris Savino, who worked on the original REN & STIMPY and has subsequently produced THE POWERPUFF GIRLS, directed DEXTER'S LABORATORY and co-directed THE FLINTSTONES ON THE ROCKS, is currently working on a live-action short called ADVENTURES IN MILK. He's started a blog to document the production of the film HERE. Of particular interest to animation fans: his film will also include an animated faux-cereal commercial done in a 60s-ish Jay Ward style. Chris is currently discussing the production of this animated portion in his journal. As a sidenote, here's a link to an interesting 1992 interview with Savino right after he'd finished working on REN & STIMPY.
Here's a chance to see some quality CG in Montreal. The SIGGRAPH 2005 Electronic Theater will play this Thursday, October 13, at the Society for Arts & Technology (1195 St. Laurent Blvd.). Screening starts at 6pm and admission is free. Details are HERE. Following the screening will be:
...a very special SAT[MixSessions] presentation, in which DJs and VJs will digitally abduct and reconstruct the content of the Electronic Theater, mixed with live 2D and 3D imagery, before your very eyes! This session will be conducted by DJ Mr. Knobs, DJ Le Monochrome, DJ Quebec Connection, VJ jocool, VJ Ladyroll and a very special guest: MarXel 3D.
Here are three terrific blogs by animation students, one each from France, Canada and the US. The future of animation looks bright if students are capable of producing this caliber of work:
Béatrice Bourloton (Gobelins)
Josh Parpan (CalArts)
Ken Turner (Sheridan)
Okay He-Man fans - this one was for you. This morning, the first two readers who sent in the correct answers to the question below won the complete Season One HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE dvd box set (containing 33 episodes, two documentaries, scripts, storyboards, collectible cards and more). Directors Tom Sito and Tom Tataranowicz autographed these sets exclusively for our Cartoon Brew winners. In fact, Tom T. came up with the trivia question himself:
The Question: What was the name of Orko's girl-friend?Our winners were Evan Laundrie of Anaheim, CA and Liam Harrison of New York, NY won the prizes. Thanks to all who entered! I didn't know there were so many He-Man fans reading this blog. It scares me.
The Answer: Dre-elle.
The piece says that Orphanage is planning to do animated features for a hefty pricetag of $50-75 million apiece, which frankly, at least to me, already sounds like a troubling sign. At those prices, they'll likely be inclined to play it safe and emulate the formulas of other successful studios, instead of having the freedom to take artistic risks and attempt breaking new animation ground. The studio aims to release its first film in 2008, followed with a new film every 18 months thereafter. The VARIETY piece suggests that, "Orphanage Animation is being built on a model similar to Pixar, with execs hoping Tartakovsky will be the John Lasseter figure who will helm the first film or two and then oversee a team of inhouse creative talent developing future pics." Best of luck to Genndy, and here's to hoping a good new studio evolves out of this.*
Here's a link to the complete VARIETY article posted at the Drawing Board.
*It's worth noting that Orphanage isn't exactly a new studio, but still a young outfit. It was founded in 1999 by three ILM veterans, and they've provided vfx for SIN CITY, HELLBOY and THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, among other films. They've yet to release an original production, but they recently began production on their first feature, GRIFFIN AND PHOENIX, a live-action romantic comedy.
A group of French animation students at the school Gobelins have started a blog documenting the production of their animated short PYRATS, which once completed, will be used as a signal film for next year's Annecy Animation Festival. Different teams of Gobelins animation students produce brilliant signal films for the festival every year; we've mentioned some of those shorts here before, like LE BUILDING and SUPER TIBETAN RACER. To view all the Annecy signal films produced at the school between 2002-2005 (as well as another recent student short, the very funny LIONEL) check out this gallery page at the Gobelins school website.
Here's some of the stuff they promise to transmit:
One of Warner Brothers' wartime Private Snafu cartoons, designed to be shown only to the Army.Sounds like fun.
The soundtrack to Coal Black And De Sebben Dwarfs.
Extracts from the presskit for Yellow Submarine's 1999 reissue, including interviews with The Beatles, Heinz Edelmann, Paul Angelis and Roger McGough.
Don Messick and June Foray ad-libbing a dirty joke during a voiceover session.
A tribute to Frank Gorshin (1933 - 2005).
Billy West explaining how he creates the voices of Ren and Stimpy.
Rolf Harris interviews Friz Freleng and Chuck Jones.
Tuesday morning around 9 am Pacific (noon on the east coast) I will post a quickie question for several minutes. First two people to send in the correct answer will win. The question will be a relatively easy one about HE-MAN. Please, only enter if you REALLY want to win the HE-MAN collection. My Hornswiggle colleagues at G7 Animation, Tom Tataranowicz and Tom Sito are both veteran directors on this series and I think I can get them to autograph the boxes.
THE GOOD NEWS: Wallace and Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit opens as the number #1 film of the week, with a box office gross of 16.1 million.
THE BAD NEWS: The Aardman studiostorage warehouse burns down, destroying much of the company's archives, props and history. Full CNN report here.