Cartoon Brew

Animators

Was “Rise of the Guardians” A Victim of the Bill Joyce Curse?

The William Joyce brand has been uniformly successful across various media platforms—except for one arena: CG animated features.

Shorts

“Next Life” by Peter McCollough

An appropriate animated short for the end of the world.

Feature Film

Dreamworks “Turbo” trailer

Our first look at Dreamworks summer release – about a speed racing snail.

Shorts

“Dog In Heaven” (Hund i Himlen) by Jeanette Nørgaard

Dog In Heaven is a beautiful 25-minute animated short that combines stylized visuals with strong storytelling.

Festivals

Sundance 2013 Animation Short Selections

The Sundance Film Festival has announced their animated short film selections for the next edition of the festival, which will take place January 17-27 in Park City, Utah.

Cartoon Culture

How To Earn $70,000 From Looney Tunes Cartoons And Not Pay Warner Bros. A Cent [Updated]

Illustrator Rob Loukotka’s ACME Corporation Kickstarter project is worth writing about for many reasons besides the fact that he’s trying to raise money.

Animators

Animated Christmas Greetings (Part 2)

I think we must be in the Golden Age of Animated Christmas Cards. Here’s a wonderful new selection we’ve just received.

Books

A Last Minute Holiday Shopping List

Christmas is next Tuesday, so here’s a few last minute gift-giving ideas for that cartoon-freak in your life.

Cartoon Culture

King Features Holiday Greeting “Audition Reel”

The cleverest animated greeting I’ve seen this year came from King Features, the folks behind Popeye, Felix, and Betty Boop.

Shorts

“Una Furtiva Lagrima” by Carlo Vogele

Carlo Vogele has a knack for imbuing inanimate objects with personality. He’s told stories with lighting fixtures, socks and now fish.

Shorts

“The Life and Death of a Novelty Christmas Wreath” by Michael Ruocco

Ruocco’s film is a welcome antidote to the forced cheeriness of most animated holiday films.

Animators

Alex Hirsch and Rebecca Sugar Appear On Forbes 30 Under 30 List

Forbes Magazine has published a list of 30 Under 30 in Hollywood and two animators managed to sneak their way onto the list.

Feature Film

“Smurfs 2” trailer

Like it or not – here comes the sequel. And here’s your first look.

TV

Terry Gilliam tribute on “Fringe”

This week’s episode of Fox’s Fringe contained a pretty cool homage to Terry Gilliam’s animation on Monty Python’s Flying Circus.

Shorts

“Beluga” by Shin Hashimoto

Shin Hashimoto’s latest film is a dark, disturbing NSFW retelling of The Little Match Girl. Not exactly appropriate for Christmas, but so fascinating I couldn’t take my eyes off it.