March 31, 2010
Artists Want Alternative to San Diego Comic-Con
Artwork by Jeff Pidgeon
A group of artists frustrated by the San Diego Comic-Con’s lack of emphasis on artists and art are pushing for the creation of an artist-friendly event called “Creator-Con”. They’ve started an informal Facebook page with this mission statement:This page was created as a forum for the artists, writers, designers, self-publishers, retailers and fans that have become disillusioned and frustrated with what the flagship of comic conventions has become (y’all know the one…in San Diego).
The Creator Con idea was hatched a few years ago by a few exhibitor friends as a reaction to the popular media takeover of a convention that used to celebrate artists and creators. We were tired of being pushed further and further aside each year to make room for the bigger, louder and flashier attractions that had nothing to do with the convention’s humble beginnings. This page hopefully will give us all a platform to get the ball rolling on something new or at the very least, voice our opinions. So let it ring! We want to hear what you have to say.
[VIA CartoonBrew]
March 30, 2010
Harvey Kurtzman's work for Sesame Street
Michael Sporn has this great article about Harvey Kurtzman’s animated work for Sesame Street. There’s a lot of rare artwork in the piece alongside info on how he collaborated with Phil Kimmelman, Dante Barbetta and others to make the cartoons.
BUSY GIRLS! A Coloring Book for Mature Crayon Users Comes of Age
Join Kinky spectrum and her colorful girlfriends, as they take on the chores of the world, forgetting just one thing – their clothes!
See all the juicy details here.
Spike Jonze's Robo-Love Short Is Here
It's a week for fans of Spike Jonze, robot emotion, and distilled spirits. Absolut Vodka has posted Spike Jonze's I'm Here short on internet, so you should watch that at some point.
March 29, 2010
March 28, 2010
March 27, 2010
A Drifting Up
By the great Reza Ali
This is an audio-reactive algorithmic visual art piece that uses the concept of charged particles and flocking to simulate a organism that is alive and composed of micro-organisms. The movement is rather pleasing thus I decided to exhibit the algorithm in a rather catchy video art fashion. Enjoy.
Audio: Jon Hopkins - "A Drifting Up"
Kris Pearn 1hr Interview
For the few of you that are unfamiliar with Kris, he has worked for many years as a Storyboard artist in Television and Feature Animation in both the United States and Canada. He has worked on movies such as Surf's Up! and Open Season and the TV show Waynehead. He is also the Head Of Story on Sony's recent feature film, Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs.
March 25, 2010
A Tribute to Joe Ranft
Last week, Joe Ranft would have been fifty years old. Disney director John Musker created this storyboard tribute to the late Pixar and Disney storyman. It was originally shown at Ranft’s memorial celebration on September 17, 2005. [Via Cartoon Brew]
"Joe was one of the prime creative people behind PIXAR and a major contributor to Toy Story, a Bug’s Life, Cars. Joe was tragically killed in an automobile accident 5 years ago. This is a visualization of anecdotes I heard about my friend and colleague Joe.” - J. Musker
March 24, 2010
March 23, 2010
The Awesome M78 and Reflecting Dust Clouds in Orion
An eerie blue glow and ominous rows of dark dust highlight M78 and other bright reflection nebula in the constellation of Orion. The dark filamentary dust not only absorbs light, but also reflects the light of several bright blue stars that formed recently in the nebula. Of the two reflection nebulas pictured above, the more famous nebula is M78, in the image center, while NGC 2071 can be seen to its lower left. The same type of scattering that colors the daytime sky further enhances the blue color. M78 is about five light-years across and visible through a small telescope. M78 appears above only as it was 1600 years ago, however, because that is how long it takes light to go from there to here.
March 22, 2010
Albuquerque: The Unknown
In May of 2007, Sony Pictures Imageworks announced the opening of a satellite facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico that could take advantage of tax incentives offered by the state government.
Once in motion, employees of all tenure, and from many parts of the world, began moving to Albuquerque. Most knew absolutely nothing about the area. This is the story of the first forty employees who took the leap, and how they have come to experience the city of Albuquerque, and New Mexico.
I thought this was a very nice mini-doc... and my buddy Jacques makes a brief appearance as well!
March 21, 2010
March 20, 2010
Kuky se vracà - Trailer
This looks so incredible to me!
Apparently it's about the story of a 6-year old boy, Ondra, who suffers from asthma, and so for "health reasons" all his favorite plush toys must be disposed of, including a pink bear by the name of Kuky. When the mother throws the toy in the trash, Kuky goes off on this epic adventure to find his way home.
Does anyone know anything more about this film?
March 19, 2010
March 18, 2010
If Star Trek Had Been Drawn by Edward Gorey - Shaenon K. Garrity
Artist Shaenon K. Garrity (of Narbonic and Smithson fame) discovered that Edward Gorey was a Trekkie, so naturally she created what might have been: a Star Trek comic in the style of the late macabre children book illustrator.
March 17, 2010
March 16, 2010
The Ink & Paint Girls of the 30s and 40s
Behind the breakthrough magic of Walt Disney’s first animated feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and his other classics like Pinocchio, Fantasia, Bambi—toiled as many as 100 young women, the inkers and painters, working from dawn to dusk on thousands of cels that brought his dreams to life. The author recaptures their white-gloved esprit de corps, and a golden age of Disney that would be disrupted by strike, World War II, and, eventually, the Xerox machine.Read Patricia Zohn's article here.
March 15, 2010
March 14, 2010
March 13, 2010
March 12, 2010
More Great Shorts by Curtis!
Hamster Math
Stopmotion Fun - 1
Stopmotion Fun - 2
Heavy vs. Homeless
March 11, 2010
Cordell Barker - His NFB Lecture & Latest Film
Runaway
This animated short from Cordell Barker (director of the Oscar®-nominated films The Cat Came Back and Strange Invaders) depicts happy passengers on a crowded, driverless train. When the train careens out of control, a class struggle ensues that is as amusing as it is merciless. Set to the music of Ben Charest (Triplets of Belleville).
