So this looks incredible:
Animator David James Armsby loves dinosaurs and has been hard at work on a series of five short films about life in Cretaceous North America. And so far they look amazing. I can't wait to see this in full!
Showing posts with label Animation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Animation. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 25, 2021
Let's Watch the Teaser for "Dinosauria"
Wednesday, May 26, 2021
Yesterworld's History of "The Black Cauldron"
I've got a soft spot a mile deep for "The Black Cauldron" as you well know. Here's an excellent recent documentary that finally shows us some of the scenes infamously cut from the production:
Of all the animation history books I've read, surprisingly few of them talk about animated productions in their historical/pop culture context. I bring this up because I feel like the fact that "Black Cauldron" just happened to be released around the same time as "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure" should warrant a mention, if only because that is incredible.
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Art of the Day: Have some jolly toucans.
Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Everything is Hell so Let's Watch "Saturday's the Place" From 1984!
Well, it sure has been a while hasn't it?
You might have guessed, given the wait between Blog posts, that your germphobe Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder suffering buddy Trish hasn't been having a very fun time during the pandemic. And, you're right. The past few months have been surreal. Back in the beginning, when people were taking Covid-19 more seriously, almost everyone suddenly agreed, "Always have disinfectant spray or wipes. Use them to sanitize everything in your home and clean everything that comes into your home because your home is your Safe Place. Avoid public transportation and above all Wash. Your. Hands!!!"
And there I was, already deep in the middle of a sustained anxiety attack for everyone I care about and incidentally also myself, thinking, “Normal people DON’T do these things?"
Because if I have to fill the bird feeders or ride the subway, my entire day centers around that because for me it is a Whole Thing. My home is my Sanctum Santorum of Sanitary, so after such activities, I must go through a thorough dermatopic purification (hot shower) before entering. Everything is a potential danger you must prevent somehow or Bad Things Will Happen and it Will Be Your Fault.
What I'm saying is, in the early days of the pandemic, what people were freaking out about was my "normal." (I and a few others were very quietly hoping that maybe, just maybe, OCD people would get a bit more sympathy from all this. Or at least that most folks would start going over your phones with a wet wipe when you charge it at night because I honestly still can’t get over the fact that most of you apparently wouldn’t normally do that?!?)
But I don't want to dwell on that right now. For the first blog post in ages, I want to post something silly and upbeat instead.And so, let me share the ridiculous 1984 CBS Saturday Morning Preview show! I talked a little bit about these programs way WAY back in the Archaen Eon of my Blog, and I'm surprised I've never revisited them since. After all, if there are things I love to write about here, two big ones are 1) Animation and 2) Unintentionally Hilarious Vintage TV Specials.
So here's the preview special for the... honestly pretty bleak lineup for CBS in 1984. The highlights were "Dungeons and Dragons" (better than I remembered), the then-brand-new "Muppet Babies" (not as good as I remembered), and Looney Tune and Charlie Brown anthologies series. Lowlights include about a half-dozen cartoons based on arcade games. Mediocre-lights are the "Shirt Tales" and "Get-Along Gang". The IDKWTF-light is a live-action show I completely forgot about, kind of a precursor to "Pee-Wee's Playhouse", made by Sid and Marty Krofft, and starring Richard Pryor. (When I need to tell a kid what the 90's were like, I usually tell them, "Monks had a double-Platinum hit record." From now on, when I need to tell kids what the 80's were like, I shall tell them, "Richard Pryor hosted a children's show.")
What's really interesting about this special, the reason I want to share it, is the "plot". Janet from "Three's Company" is a reporter who hates hates hates cartoons but must write about how they are made. And so Henry from "Too Close For Comfort" is going to show her. What follows is more delightfully strange than you'd expect, but hey we get to see the cast of "Muppet Babies"!-----
Art of the Day! And now, totally botanically accurate humor.
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
"Roger Rabbit and the Secrets of Toontown"
Goodness, I don't even know where to begin with Richard Williams.
I, like many, first learned of the man thanks to "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", a film that simply does not exist without Williams. This awesome television special, which I remember watching during its premier, is an astounding look behind the scenes. And it feels like it's from a completely different planet now: animators, voice actors, and effects technicians are all given as much attention as the human stars. More in fact! Imagine!
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Art of the Day!
I, like many, first learned of the man thanks to "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", a film that simply does not exist without Williams. This awesome television special, which I remember watching during its premier, is an astounding look behind the scenes. And it feels like it's from a completely different planet now: animators, voice actors, and effects technicians are all given as much attention as the human stars. More in fact! Imagine!
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Art of the Day!
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
It's been a long time / I shouldn't have left you / without Links of Interest to step to.
Haven't done one of these in years so let's get right into it.
* - First of all, it is Science Art Tweet-Storm Day!
* - Also, if you are a picture-drawer of prehistoric life, go take the Paleoart Survey.
* - The Beasts of the Mesozoic Raptor Series figures are available for pre-order and darn me if I know which one to pick.
* - Also in "Shut up and take my money" news, look at Safari Ltd's new Tyrannosaurus rex! Look at him!
* - There have been loads of great articles on TetZoo recently, but my favorite is this post on Paleoart Memes, what they are, where they come from, and how they're sort of an inadvertent record of the prevailing (or, interestingly, NOT) theories of their time.
* - And that article is based on a lecture Darren Naish gave during the Popularizing Paleontology event back in September. The whole shebang is available on the event's official website. (And now I have even more questions about "The Good Dinosaur"...)
* - Do you like post-apocalyptic fiction? Yeah, who doesn't these days? Start reading T. Michael Keese's "Paleocene" already!
* - Speaking of webcomics, there's never been a better time to catch up with Tom Siddell's "Gunnerkrigg Court". Dude just wrapped up a story arc from ten years ago!
* - If you'd like some instant inspiration, check out Burger Fiction's fantastic montage of every Best Cinematography Oscar winner in chronological order. Their Best Special Effects montage is a stunner as well.
* - The Annie Awards inspired me to check out the work of Caroline Leaf and my God, why am I just learning about her?
* - We all need some chillout music, so why not head to E82's archive of EPCOT ambience from days past (days of future past, one might even say)? They just added themes from CommuniCore/InnoVentions and the Horizons soundtrack is a must-have.
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Art of the Day!
Everybody loves the Chubby Tigers.
* - First of all, it is Science Art Tweet-Storm Day!
TODAY BEGINS THE #SCIART TWEETSTORM. PREPARE YOURSELVES FOR THE DELUGE.— IAmSciArt (@IAmSciArt) March 1, 2017
* - Also, if you are a picture-drawer of prehistoric life, go take the Paleoart Survey.
* - The Beasts of the Mesozoic Raptor Series figures are available for pre-order and darn me if I know which one to pick.
* - Also in "Shut up and take my money" news, look at Safari Ltd's new Tyrannosaurus rex! Look at him!
* - There have been loads of great articles on TetZoo recently, but my favorite is this post on Paleoart Memes, what they are, where they come from, and how they're sort of an inadvertent record of the prevailing (or, interestingly, NOT) theories of their time.
* - And that article is based on a lecture Darren Naish gave during the Popularizing Paleontology event back in September. The whole shebang is available on the event's official website. (And now I have even more questions about "The Good Dinosaur"...)
* - Do you like post-apocalyptic fiction? Yeah, who doesn't these days? Start reading T. Michael Keese's "Paleocene" already!
* - Speaking of webcomics, there's never been a better time to catch up with Tom Siddell's "Gunnerkrigg Court". Dude just wrapped up a story arc from ten years ago!
* - If you'd like some instant inspiration, check out Burger Fiction's fantastic montage of every Best Cinematography Oscar winner in chronological order. Their Best Special Effects montage is a stunner as well.
* - The Annie Awards inspired me to check out the work of Caroline Leaf and my God, why am I just learning about her?
* - We all need some chillout music, so why not head to E82's archive of EPCOT ambience from days past (days of future past, one might even say)? They just added themes from CommuniCore/InnoVentions and the Horizons soundtrack is a must-have.
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Art of the Day!
Everybody loves the Chubby Tigers.
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Drop Everything and watch "Imagining Zootopia"
So... I'm postponing my long Chronological Disney Canon review of "Zootopia" until it's out on home media. This is partially because everyone already knows that it is an excellent movie and there isn't much I could add to the current conversation. It's mostly because I really want to do a Live-Tweet commentary (I need a name for these; Twitmentaries?*) of it because this cute Disney cartoon movie where animals wear clothes and talk and do people things is freakin' packed with interesting stuff to talk about.
Which brings us, in the meantime, to this very cool and good Fusion channel documentary, "Imagining Zootopia". It is not only reminiscent of the "Making Of" documentaries the Disney Channel used to air in the immediate wake of their new animated film releases, a tradition I dearly miss, it also demonstrates just how much careful consideration was taken into the film and the issues it tackles. You'll get to see different, generally darker and weirder early versions of "Zootopia", great demonstrations of the intersection of art and science, moving personal stories from the writers, and it really is just awesome to see the current team of Disney animators at work. It was posted on YouTube a few days too early, and is officially marked as unlisted, but you can watch it here. Note that there are spoilers with regards to plot and theme, so watch this after seeing the movie.
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Art of the Day!
By far the most controversial part of "Zootopia" is the traditional Disney end-credit scene, cause it's just John Lasseter pointing at the audience, laughing at us, and saying, "Ha ha, you are all Furries now!"**
My Fursona would totally fall for the Pawpcicles.
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* - Speaking of Twitmentaries (I like that name; I'm keeping it), I really need to do "Frozen" as part of the Princess Project one of these days, huh? I'd really like to do "Inside-Out" sometime too. I've also been sitting on this rental DVD of "The Good Dinosaur" for days, and "E.T." was just added to Netflix Instant -- boy-howdy, that'd be an awesome one to analyze. In the meantime, adults, watch "E.T." with a kid you know cause I feel like there's a generation who missed out on being thoroughly freaked out by it.
** - I'm going to get weird comments from humorless people about this aren't I?
Which brings us, in the meantime, to this very cool and good Fusion channel documentary, "Imagining Zootopia". It is not only reminiscent of the "Making Of" documentaries the Disney Channel used to air in the immediate wake of their new animated film releases, a tradition I dearly miss, it also demonstrates just how much careful consideration was taken into the film and the issues it tackles. You'll get to see different, generally darker and weirder early versions of "Zootopia", great demonstrations of the intersection of art and science, moving personal stories from the writers, and it really is just awesome to see the current team of Disney animators at work. It was posted on YouTube a few days too early, and is officially marked as unlisted, but you can watch it here. Note that there are spoilers with regards to plot and theme, so watch this after seeing the movie.
-----
Art of the Day!
By far the most controversial part of "Zootopia" is the traditional Disney end-credit scene, cause it's just John Lasseter pointing at the audience, laughing at us, and saying, "Ha ha, you are all Furries now!"**
My Fursona would totally fall for the Pawpcicles.
-----
* - Speaking of Twitmentaries (I like that name; I'm keeping it), I really need to do "Frozen" as part of the Princess Project one of these days, huh? I'd really like to do "Inside-Out" sometime too. I've also been sitting on this rental DVD of "The Good Dinosaur" for days, and "E.T." was just added to Netflix Instant -- boy-howdy, that'd be an awesome one to analyze. In the meantime, adults, watch "E.T." with a kid you know cause I feel like there's a generation who missed out on being thoroughly freaked out by it.
** - I'm going to get weird comments from humorless people about this aren't I?
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Time for Part Four of the Bookshelf Tour!
These next two shelves are... eclectic. They've got nearly all my nonfiction after all.
Predatory Dinosaurs of the World: A Complete Illustrated Guide, Gregory S. Paul - Still the most-referenced dinosaur anatomy guide I have. My copy is practically loved to death.
The Dinosaur Heresies, Robert T. Bakker - The classic. Still a must-read. She isn't shelved yet but I've got Raptor Red around here too.
The Reader's Digest North American Wildlife, The Editors of Reader's Digest - This kind of has a cute story behind it. It was my grandparents' field guide and Grammy gave it to me before she passed. Yes, it's outdated like crazy, but it's still not a bad reference and by golly it's staying in the family.
Feathers: The Evolution of a Natural Miracle, Thor Hanson - Gorgeous book that simplifies a surprisingly complex subject.
Picture books by Michel Gange, Tiffany Turrill, and Bill Peet - All are very nice.
Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends and A Light in the Attic - Not much to say here, I've loved these books since childhood.
Retro Hell: Life in the '70s and '80S, from Afros to Zotz, The Editors of Ben is Dead Magazine - I've seen a lot of "Oral history of the late 20'th Century" books but this is my favorite.
Future Evolution, Peter Ward and Alexis Rockman - Got this for the title expecting something akin to Dougal Dixon's books. It's very much not that, but it's worth a read for anyone interested in speculative biology. Speaking of...
The Snouters - Harald Stümpke and Leigh Chadwick - The classic tongue-in-cheek speculative biology.
All Yesterdays and Cryptozoologicon 1, Darren Naish, John Conway, and C.M. Kosemen - Spectacular speculative art of animals real and imagined.
Expedition - As I said before, Barlowe rules and his books are essential. I've got his Guide to Extraterrestrials and Guide to Fantasy on another shelf.
A Field Guide to Mesozoic Birds and Other Winged Dinosaurs, Matthew P. Martyniuk - Beautiful guide and such a wonderful idea you wonder why it hasn't been done before.
The complete Field Guide to Little Known and Seldom Seen Birds of North America collection, Cathryn Sill and John Sill - I've been planning a long post about these books for a while. Maybe this year...?
The Noble Approach: Maurice Noble and the Zen of Animation Design, Tod Polson and Maurice Noble - Haven't had the chance to properly read this yet but it looks fabulous. Looks like the focus is on design and layout, making this more valuable than just a collection of Noble's art, though that'd be enough.
Magic Color Flair: The World of Mary Blair, John Canemaker and Mary Blair - Outstanding, must-have collection of Mary Blair's art and design.
Picture books by Chris Van Allsburg, David Wiesner, and Maurice Sendak - All are outstanding.
Hark! A Vagrant Collection, Kate Beaton - If you're unfamiliar with this comic, it is adorable and hilarious.
A Creative Companion, SARK - OK, so SARK is a little "woo-woo" as the TetZoo crew would say, but I haven't found another "get that imagination going" book that worked for me as well as this. Your mileage may vary.
Legendary Northwoods Animals: A Farcical Field Guide, Galen Winter and John Boettcher - Terrific woodcut-style illustrations highlight this guide to mythical North American animals.
Cartoon Animation, Preston Blair - A must-have. I'd even go so far as to say this is the one animation/cartooning instruction book you really need.
Puddles and Wings and Grapevine Swings, Imogene Forte and Marjorie Frank - Dated but excellent arts and crafts instruction book with tips on (to borrow a phrase) raising a Wild Child.
Crafts and Hobbies: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creative Skills, the Editors of Reader's Digest - Another book I "inherited" from my grandmother. It's a good all-around reference guide.
Tetrapod Zoology 1, Darren Naish - A fine collection of some of the earlier articles on Naish's terrific website.
My Year of Flops, Nathan Rabin - Print collection of the very funny former Onion AV Club feature.
Inside Disney, Eve Zibart - An essential for the Disney theme park geek's library. Insightful and fascinating.
Dragons, Leonardo's Notebooks, and Peterson's Birds - A small selection of economical art books I've collected over the years.
And, of course, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Omnibus, Douglas Adams. Happy belated Towel Day!
And right next to that, the most beautifullest thing in this world, space for more books!
I'll be taking a little break from the Blog, but I'll be back in July.
-----
Sketch of the Day!
More original "Final Fantasy" weirdness
Predatory Dinosaurs of the World: A Complete Illustrated Guide, Gregory S. Paul - Still the most-referenced dinosaur anatomy guide I have. My copy is practically loved to death.
The Dinosaur Heresies, Robert T. Bakker - The classic. Still a must-read. She isn't shelved yet but I've got Raptor Red around here too.
The Reader's Digest North American Wildlife, The Editors of Reader's Digest - This kind of has a cute story behind it. It was my grandparents' field guide and Grammy gave it to me before she passed. Yes, it's outdated like crazy, but it's still not a bad reference and by golly it's staying in the family.
Feathers: The Evolution of a Natural Miracle, Thor Hanson - Gorgeous book that simplifies a surprisingly complex subject.
Picture books by Michel Gange, Tiffany Turrill, and Bill Peet - All are very nice.
Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends and A Light in the Attic - Not much to say here, I've loved these books since childhood.
Retro Hell: Life in the '70s and '80S, from Afros to Zotz, The Editors of Ben is Dead Magazine - I've seen a lot of "Oral history of the late 20'th Century" books but this is my favorite.
Future Evolution, Peter Ward and Alexis Rockman - Got this for the title expecting something akin to Dougal Dixon's books. It's very much not that, but it's worth a read for anyone interested in speculative biology. Speaking of...
The Snouters - Harald Stümpke and Leigh Chadwick - The classic tongue-in-cheek speculative biology.
All Yesterdays and Cryptozoologicon 1, Darren Naish, John Conway, and C.M. Kosemen - Spectacular speculative art of animals real and imagined.
Expedition - As I said before, Barlowe rules and his books are essential. I've got his Guide to Extraterrestrials and Guide to Fantasy on another shelf.
A Field Guide to Mesozoic Birds and Other Winged Dinosaurs, Matthew P. Martyniuk - Beautiful guide and such a wonderful idea you wonder why it hasn't been done before.
The complete Field Guide to Little Known and Seldom Seen Birds of North America collection, Cathryn Sill and John Sill - I've been planning a long post about these books for a while. Maybe this year...?
The Noble Approach: Maurice Noble and the Zen of Animation Design, Tod Polson and Maurice Noble - Haven't had the chance to properly read this yet but it looks fabulous. Looks like the focus is on design and layout, making this more valuable than just a collection of Noble's art, though that'd be enough.
Magic Color Flair: The World of Mary Blair, John Canemaker and Mary Blair - Outstanding, must-have collection of Mary Blair's art and design.
Picture books by Chris Van Allsburg, David Wiesner, and Maurice Sendak - All are outstanding.
Hark! A Vagrant Collection, Kate Beaton - If you're unfamiliar with this comic, it is adorable and hilarious.
A Creative Companion, SARK - OK, so SARK is a little "woo-woo" as the TetZoo crew would say, but I haven't found another "get that imagination going" book that worked for me as well as this. Your mileage may vary.
Legendary Northwoods Animals: A Farcical Field Guide, Galen Winter and John Boettcher - Terrific woodcut-style illustrations highlight this guide to mythical North American animals.
Cartoon Animation, Preston Blair - A must-have. I'd even go so far as to say this is the one animation/cartooning instruction book you really need.
Puddles and Wings and Grapevine Swings, Imogene Forte and Marjorie Frank - Dated but excellent arts and crafts instruction book with tips on (to borrow a phrase) raising a Wild Child.
Crafts and Hobbies: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creative Skills, the Editors of Reader's Digest - Another book I "inherited" from my grandmother. It's a good all-around reference guide.
Tetrapod Zoology 1, Darren Naish - A fine collection of some of the earlier articles on Naish's terrific website.
My Year of Flops, Nathan Rabin - Print collection of the very funny former Onion AV Club feature.
Inside Disney, Eve Zibart - An essential for the Disney theme park geek's library. Insightful and fascinating.
Dragons, Leonardo's Notebooks, and Peterson's Birds - A small selection of economical art books I've collected over the years.
And, of course, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Omnibus, Douglas Adams. Happy belated Towel Day!
And right next to that, the most beautifullest thing in this world, space for more books!
I'll be taking a little break from the Blog, but I'll be back in July.
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Sketch of the Day!
More original "Final Fantasy" weirdness
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
The Bookshelf Tour Part Three!
Art books, reference books, and picture books this time, as well as some books I already mentioned in previous posts.
Jan Brett's Christmas Treasury - I love Jan Brett's art and this is a very nice omnibus of her charming Christmas-themed picture books.
Enchanted Drawings: The History of Animation, Charles Solomon - Outstanding, must-own art book and condensed history of (mostly American) animated shorts and features, with a few stops along the way to briefly discuss animated commercials, music videos, and special effects. Starts with "Gertie the Dinosaur", ends with "Jurassic Park", and has a wealth of animation art throughout.
Your Favorite Seuss -Basic, but good, collection of art from Dr. Suess' classic picture books.
After Man and The New Dinosaurs, Dougal Dixon -The first of many speculative biology books! I've reviewed both books before and while they are dated, they are essential for the science-fiction illustrator's collection.
The Alien Life of Wayne Barlowe - Criminy, I need to show more love to Barlowe on this here blog. We'll run into his better known books later, but this is a very nice overview of his art and career. It makes me long for a book showcasing all his creature designs for films, though.
Gnomes, Wil Huygen and Rien Poortvliet - Essential, gorgeous book. I love the world-building so much.
Faeries by Brian Froud and Alan Lee and Good Faeries, Bad Faeries by Brian Froud - Faeries is yet another must-have for your illustrator's library. It's gorgeous and inspiring. Good Faeries, Bad Faeries is a fine companion.
Arthur Rackham, James Hamilton - Haven't had a chance to properly read this one yet, but it's a very nice collection of Rackham's illustrations.
Mythopoeikon, Patrick Woodroffe - A former library book I discovered at my college's book sale and it blew me away. Great psychedelic art.
Since the World Began: Walt Disney World - The First 25 Years, Jeff Kurtti - An essential part of any Disney theme park nerd's library.
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Birds: The Definitive Reference to Birds of the World, Dr. Christopher M. (ed.) Perrins - Found this giant, beautifully illustrated book in Buck-A-Book and it's been in my library ever since.
The Encyclopedia of Animals: A Complete Visual Guide, Fred Cooke and Hugh Dingle - An illustrated animal encyclopedia is a must-have and this one's pretty good.
And here's a pile of picture books, any one of which I'd recommend heartily. We're almost finished with the tour!
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Sketch of the Day
The first "Final Fantasy" continues to be strange.
Jan Brett's Christmas Treasury - I love Jan Brett's art and this is a very nice omnibus of her charming Christmas-themed picture books.
Enchanted Drawings: The History of Animation, Charles Solomon - Outstanding, must-own art book and condensed history of (mostly American) animated shorts and features, with a few stops along the way to briefly discuss animated commercials, music videos, and special effects. Starts with "Gertie the Dinosaur", ends with "Jurassic Park", and has a wealth of animation art throughout.
Your Favorite Seuss -Basic, but good, collection of art from Dr. Suess' classic picture books.
After Man and The New Dinosaurs, Dougal Dixon -The first of many speculative biology books! I've reviewed both books before and while they are dated, they are essential for the science-fiction illustrator's collection.
The Alien Life of Wayne Barlowe - Criminy, I need to show more love to Barlowe on this here blog. We'll run into his better known books later, but this is a very nice overview of his art and career. It makes me long for a book showcasing all his creature designs for films, though.
Gnomes, Wil Huygen and Rien Poortvliet - Essential, gorgeous book. I love the world-building so much.
Faeries by Brian Froud and Alan Lee and Good Faeries, Bad Faeries by Brian Froud - Faeries is yet another must-have for your illustrator's library. It's gorgeous and inspiring. Good Faeries, Bad Faeries is a fine companion.
Arthur Rackham, James Hamilton - Haven't had a chance to properly read this one yet, but it's a very nice collection of Rackham's illustrations.
Mythopoeikon, Patrick Woodroffe - A former library book I discovered at my college's book sale and it blew me away. Great psychedelic art.
Since the World Began: Walt Disney World - The First 25 Years, Jeff Kurtti - An essential part of any Disney theme park nerd's library.
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Birds: The Definitive Reference to Birds of the World, Dr. Christopher M. (ed.) Perrins - Found this giant, beautifully illustrated book in Buck-A-Book and it's been in my library ever since.
The Encyclopedia of Animals: A Complete Visual Guide, Fred Cooke and Hugh Dingle - An illustrated animal encyclopedia is a must-have and this one's pretty good.
And here's a pile of picture books, any one of which I'd recommend heartily. We're almost finished with the tour!
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Sketch of the Day
The first "Final Fantasy" continues to be strange.
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
In Which the Bookshelf Tour Continues!
More books! Here comes shelf #2:
That's All Folks: The Art of Warner Bros. Animation, Steve Schneider - Once upon a time, there was a Warner Bros. Studio Store in my local mall, right across from the Disney Store. And it was actually far more awesome than the Disney Store, because it sold original animation art. It also sold this very nice art book, which can be found for dirt cheap now and is a must-have.
Disney's Art of Animation: From Mickey Mouse, To Beauty and the Beast, Bob Thomas - I got this beautiful book at the Animation Gallery, the proverbial gift shop you'd exit through after experiencing the original Magic of Disney Animation at Disney MGM Studios (curiously, the gift shop is still there in essentially it's original form). Note that there are two editions; this is the older and far better edition which chronicles the making of "Beauty and the Beast". That section of the book alone is worth hunting it down; getting a nice concise history of the Disney studio with it is icing on the cake.
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Cartoon Animals and The Encyclopedia of Monsters, by Jeff Rovin - I got these two at good old Buck-A-Book and, as with the aforementioned Macmillan Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals, I'll be keeping them until newer and more accurate options ever appear. These two books are crazy extensive, and I've never quite found anything like them.
The Encyclopedia of Cartoon Superstars, John Cawley and Jim Korkis - Similar, though smaller in scope, to the above Jeff Rovin encyclopedia. These were among the first books to try and catalog every animated character, so I can cut them some slack. There's a nice selection of art and information about failed projects involving the characters, but it'd be very nice to have an updated book. This one only goes as recent as "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and it's a little jarring not seeing "The Simpsons" or "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles". The complete text is online at Cawley's personal site.
Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins: An Encyclopedia and Giants, Monsters, and Dragons: An Encyclopedia, Carol Rose - Never realized how many Encyclopedias of Weird Stuff I had. These two are very good and I highly recommend them.
The Last Dinosaur Book: The Life and Times of a Cultural Icon, W. J. T. Mitchell - A very, very unusual book I (luckily, it turns out, since this is very hard to find) picked up at an antique store just based off that intriguing title. It's an analysis of dinosaurs in human culture and I might have to re-read it and give it a full review someday.
Traditional Tales From Long, Long Ago Hardcover, Philip Wilson - Very nice collection of Celtic folktales with charming illustrations. Plus my copy came with that radical bookmark.
Our first run of picture books! We've got some Chris Van Allsburg, Janell Cannon, and a stray Berke Breathed. More on the latter in a bit.
Fairy Art: Artists & Inspirations, Iain Zaczek - Another art book I've yet to read, but this is a very nice collection of classic fantasy art.
Voyage of the Basset, James C. Christensen and Alan Dean Foster - The illustrations in this book are outstanding, almost on the same level as Dinotopia. The story... ehhh...
The Katurran Odyssey and Animals Real and Imagined, Terryl Whitlatch - I love Terryl's creature designs like crazy and I dearly wish she had a proper omnibus of art. These are pretty good and we'll see The Wildlife of Star Wars later on.
Dinotopia, James Gurney - The complete collection. Need more be said? These are essential.
The Complete Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson, The Complete Far Side by Gary Larson, and The Bloom County Library by Berke Breathed, and others - My three all-time favorite newspaper comics. The omnibuses are essential if you are a fellow fan. You'll notice I also have Breathed's picture books and the three Outland collections, Larson's There's a Hair in my Dirt! (on it's side), as well as the Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book and (on it's side) the Prehistory of the Far Side. Both are easy to find and essential companions to the complete collections.
Next week: We take a break for Kill, Refurb Marry. Then, NEXT next week, more books! Nonfiction books for the Nonfiction God! Reference books for the Reference Throne!
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Sketch of the Day!
"Skies of Arcadia" reminds me of "Treasure Planet" except weirder.
That's All Folks: The Art of Warner Bros. Animation, Steve Schneider - Once upon a time, there was a Warner Bros. Studio Store in my local mall, right across from the Disney Store. And it was actually far more awesome than the Disney Store, because it sold original animation art. It also sold this very nice art book, which can be found for dirt cheap now and is a must-have.
Disney's Art of Animation: From Mickey Mouse, To Beauty and the Beast, Bob Thomas - I got this beautiful book at the Animation Gallery, the proverbial gift shop you'd exit through after experiencing the original Magic of Disney Animation at Disney MGM Studios (curiously, the gift shop is still there in essentially it's original form). Note that there are two editions; this is the older and far better edition which chronicles the making of "Beauty and the Beast". That section of the book alone is worth hunting it down; getting a nice concise history of the Disney studio with it is icing on the cake.
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Cartoon Animals and The Encyclopedia of Monsters, by Jeff Rovin - I got these two at good old Buck-A-Book and, as with the aforementioned Macmillan Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals, I'll be keeping them until newer and more accurate options ever appear. These two books are crazy extensive, and I've never quite found anything like them.
The Encyclopedia of Cartoon Superstars, John Cawley and Jim Korkis - Similar, though smaller in scope, to the above Jeff Rovin encyclopedia. These were among the first books to try and catalog every animated character, so I can cut them some slack. There's a nice selection of art and information about failed projects involving the characters, but it'd be very nice to have an updated book. This one only goes as recent as "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and it's a little jarring not seeing "The Simpsons" or "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles". The complete text is online at Cawley's personal site.
Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins: An Encyclopedia and Giants, Monsters, and Dragons: An Encyclopedia, Carol Rose - Never realized how many Encyclopedias of Weird Stuff I had. These two are very good and I highly recommend them.
The Last Dinosaur Book: The Life and Times of a Cultural Icon, W. J. T. Mitchell - A very, very unusual book I (luckily, it turns out, since this is very hard to find) picked up at an antique store just based off that intriguing title. It's an analysis of dinosaurs in human culture and I might have to re-read it and give it a full review someday.
Traditional Tales From Long, Long Ago Hardcover, Philip Wilson - Very nice collection of Celtic folktales with charming illustrations. Plus my copy came with that radical bookmark.
Our first run of picture books! We've got some Chris Van Allsburg, Janell Cannon, and a stray Berke Breathed. More on the latter in a bit.
Fairy Art: Artists & Inspirations, Iain Zaczek - Another art book I've yet to read, but this is a very nice collection of classic fantasy art.
Voyage of the Basset, James C. Christensen and Alan Dean Foster - The illustrations in this book are outstanding, almost on the same level as Dinotopia. The story... ehhh...
The Katurran Odyssey and Animals Real and Imagined, Terryl Whitlatch - I love Terryl's creature designs like crazy and I dearly wish she had a proper omnibus of art. These are pretty good and we'll see The Wildlife of Star Wars later on.
Dinotopia, James Gurney - The complete collection. Need more be said? These are essential.
The Complete Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson, The Complete Far Side by Gary Larson, and The Bloom County Library by Berke Breathed, and others - My three all-time favorite newspaper comics. The omnibuses are essential if you are a fellow fan. You'll notice I also have Breathed's picture books and the three Outland collections, Larson's There's a Hair in my Dirt! (on it's side), as well as the Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book and (on it's side) the Prehistory of the Far Side. Both are easy to find and essential companions to the complete collections.
Next week: We take a break for Kill, Refurb Marry. Then, NEXT next week, more books! Nonfiction books for the Nonfiction God! Reference books for the Reference Throne!
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Sketch of the Day!
"Skies of Arcadia" reminds me of "Treasure Planet" except weirder.
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
In Which I Give You A Tour of My Bookshelves!
For my birthday this year, I cleaned my bookshelves! This is a Big Deal!
Seriously, I follow a lot of blogs by other illustrators and the one thing we all seem to have in common is breaking out in chronic literature, as in the above wonderful Arnold Lobel poster. Now that my books are as organized as they are probably ever going to get (which means that they are actually in bookshelves; I really did have piles of books all over the place), it seems like a good time to give you, dear readers, a tour. This is going to take a couple of posts and table-breaking photos.
Going from left to right (this shelf refused to photograph well thanks to the light seeping in from the adjacent window):
Jim Henson: The Works, Christopher Finch - This is one of the first art books I owned and it has spoiled me rotten ever since. Loaded with concept art and history, this is a must-have.
Sesame Street Unpaved, David Borgenicht - Nice companion to The Works and very similar in format. Plus you can currently find it for dirt cheap on Amazon.
Chuck Amuck and Chuck Reducks, Chuck Jones - Even if I wasn't such a Chuck Jones maniac, I'd consider these books essential. They're packed with concept art, anecdotes, and drawing tips.
Imaginative Realism and Color and Light, James Gurney - These books together have a wealth of information for painters. I don't paint very often, so I appreciate them more as a collection of Gurney's artwork.
Various Anatomy for Artists Books - Hey, remember these guys from the very earliest days of this blog? Wow, that takes me back. Specifically, I've kept Burne Hogarth's Dynamic Anatomy, Ken Hultgren's The Art of Animal Drawing, Fritz Schider's Atlas of Anatomy for Artists, and a little later we'll be seeing Eadweard Muybridge's essential Animals in Motion, Ellenberger and Davis' Atlas Of Animal Anatomy For Artists, Eliot Goldfinger's Animal Anatomy For Artists: the Elements of Form (it was on sale), and Katrina Van Grouw's The Unfeathered Bird.
Character Animation Crash Course, Eric Goldberg - I've been referencing it more than I thought I would when I first reviewed it.
Paleoart Galore! - OK, let's see here. We've got The Macmillan Illustrated Encyclopedia of DINOSAURS and Prehistoric Animals, at least until an updated reference of every known prehistoric animal comes along, Mark Witton's beautiful Pterosaurs, Henry Gee and Louis V. Rey's beautiful beautiful Field Guide to Dinosaurs: The Essential Handbook for Travelers in the Mesozoic, Gregory S. Paul's Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs, William Stout's awesome The (New) Dinosaurs, the two Dinosaurs: Past and Present exhibit catalog books (I haven't read them but my succinct review of this wealth of classic paleoart is awesome), and Dinosaur Art: The World's Greatest Paleoart. And there's more on other shelves...
The Art of Maurice Sendak, Selma Lanes - I haven't been able to properly read this yet but it's an excellent collection of Sendak's art and since you can find copies for under ten dollars, it is a must-have.
Adventure Time: The Art of Ooo, Chris McDonnell - Here's the first series-specific art book I've found that's as good as the two aforementioned Jim Henson art books. It's a must-have for fans of "Adventure Time" and is packed to the gills with concept art, interviews, and trivia.
Next, more animation, comics, and children's books.
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Sketch of the Day! The first "Final Fantasy" is a little strange, it turns out.
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
"Kick him in the side." - Let's Kill, Refurb, Marry Sidekicks!
Oh boy, this is going to be a fun one. Now to keep this easier for me, I'll only pick sidekicks from the Renaissance era on, otherwise I'd have to be a Polygamist. With that rule in place, the first one is dead easy.
Kill - The Lemur family in "Dinosaur"
You all saw this one coming. Aside from the obvious reasons, here's a reminder that the executives who meddled "Dinosaur" to hell and back were convinced people wouldn't go and see a movie about dinosaurs unless there were prominent furry mammal characters for us furry mammals in the audience to relate to. Yeah.
Refurb - The "Treasure Planet" sidekicks
"Treasure Planet" is one of those Disney Animated Canon movies that I wish was better than it actually is; what I like in it, I like a lot, and I try to ignore the rest. Case in point: young Jim Hawkins is sidled with three irritating comedy relief sidekicks, giving his crucial relationship with Long John Silver hardly any room to breathe. So let's make Dr. Doppler less goofy, turn the obnoxious robot into a broken computer that doesn't talk (or maybe does cute beeps like R2-D2 or the little guys in "Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword"), and shoot that horrible cute pink squishy bubble-thing out the damn airlock.
Marry - The "Little Mermaid" sidekicks
I mean, you could argue that later sidekicks were funnier, more helpful, and generally better, but they owe it all to the "Little Mermaid" sidekicks. They were the first to be on-par with best-ever sidekick Jiminy Cricket in a very long time.
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Art of the Day!
I've been sharing some doodles/art I made for The Straw Hat No's "Ni No Kuni" Let's Play over this month and this finished piece seemed appropriate:
Monday, November 3, 2014
Sweet like potatoes and molasses - Thoughts on "Over the Garden Wall"
On Saturday night I dropped ten bucks on iTunes for a series I have never seen and that hasn't even technically aired yet. I watched the first episode, briefly thought of saving the rest for the next morning to enjoy over a cup of Pumpkin Spice coffee, and by Midnight I'd already ditched that plan and watched the whole thing. And wanted to watch it again immediately. And write this review telling everyone I know (and whoever I don't know who stumbles upon this here blog of mine; welcome, please stand clear of the doors and enjoy the ride) about how awesome the series is and how they should watch it, even though I was rendered pretty speechless and had to sleep on it, with the incredible songs and dreamy Jack Jones narration running through my brain all night.
Quick tangent, but it's an important one: We live in an incredible time for fans of animation. Thus far in 2014, three of the best television series I've been watching are all animated ("Adventure Time", "Steven Universe", and "Gravity Falls".) Lest we forget, "Legend of Korra" makes a fourth television series - if it were on TV but let's not even go there. So far "South Park" has been very good, and there has been a host of great shows from previous years I missed out on but have been able to catch up with on Netflix instant ("Young Justice"!!!) And so now we live in a world where Cartoon Network can air a five-night animated miniseries.
If Patrick McHale's animated miniseries (and again, how awesome is it that I live in a world where I can type that!) "Over the Garden Wall" isn't the best animated series I'll see in 2014, it will at least have been one of the most fascinating. And if you don't want to read me gush about how wonderful the series is and what it *feels* like, just know that "Over the Garden Wall" is awesome, and you need to DVR it immediately.
It's rare that we get to see anything that feels so much like a glimpse into it's creators' brains in live-action, never mind a well-promoted animated miniseries on a popular cable network directed primarily at young folks. And yet here's a weird, slightly spooky fable about what it is to be lost children in an overwhelming world that looks like it was dug right out of Maurice Sendak and Max Fleischer's long lost files. It's a strange, forgotten, but lavishly illustrated turn of the century storybook set to fantastic music. I can see how this story could have been told as a feature film, but the miniseries format helps it tremendously. It allows the writers the freedom to follow the rambling, surreal tangents of traditional folktales. The characters really only have one goal: finding their way back home, so why not get lost in the weird corners of imagination along the way?
Addendum: A quick look around the Internet reveals a minor controversy about "Over the Garden Wall": is it "too scary"? My feeling is, if your kid freaks out at the monsters in "My Little Pony", this is definitely a no-go. If your kid coasted through the Lich episodes of "Adventure Time", they should be fine. Honestly, the creepiest thing about "Over the Garden Wall" is (spoilertime) this is the one animated series I'm aware of where the crazy "Ash is in a coma!" "Finn is dying and dreaming this whole thing!" people are right!
So yeah, "Over the Garden Wall". It's outstanding. You should watch it. Then download the soundtrack and join me in a rousing rendition of the Highwayman's Song.
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Sketch of the Day!
It's a small throw-away joke, but you have to love Greg's unique theory, RE: dinosaur soft tissue. (With apologies to Brian Engh.)
Quick tangent, but it's an important one: We live in an incredible time for fans of animation. Thus far in 2014, three of the best television series I've been watching are all animated ("Adventure Time", "Steven Universe", and "Gravity Falls".) Lest we forget, "Legend of Korra" makes a fourth television series - if it were on TV but let's not even go there. So far "South Park" has been very good, and there has been a host of great shows from previous years I missed out on but have been able to catch up with on Netflix instant ("Young Justice"!!!) And so now we live in a world where Cartoon Network can air a five-night animated miniseries.
If Patrick McHale's animated miniseries (and again, how awesome is it that I live in a world where I can type that!) "Over the Garden Wall" isn't the best animated series I'll see in 2014, it will at least have been one of the most fascinating. And if you don't want to read me gush about how wonderful the series is and what it *feels* like, just know that "Over the Garden Wall" is awesome, and you need to DVR it immediately.
It's rare that we get to see anything that feels so much like a glimpse into it's creators' brains in live-action, never mind a well-promoted animated miniseries on a popular cable network directed primarily at young folks. And yet here's a weird, slightly spooky fable about what it is to be lost children in an overwhelming world that looks like it was dug right out of Maurice Sendak and Max Fleischer's long lost files. It's a strange, forgotten, but lavishly illustrated turn of the century storybook set to fantastic music. I can see how this story could have been told as a feature film, but the miniseries format helps it tremendously. It allows the writers the freedom to follow the rambling, surreal tangents of traditional folktales. The characters really only have one goal: finding their way back home, so why not get lost in the weird corners of imagination along the way?
Addendum: A quick look around the Internet reveals a minor controversy about "Over the Garden Wall": is it "too scary"? My feeling is, if your kid freaks out at the monsters in "My Little Pony", this is definitely a no-go. If your kid coasted through the Lich episodes of "Adventure Time", they should be fine. Honestly, the creepiest thing about "Over the Garden Wall" is (spoilertime) this is the one animated series I'm aware of where the crazy "Ash is in a coma!" "Finn is dying and dreaming this whole thing!" people are right!
So yeah, "Over the Garden Wall". It's outstanding. You should watch it. Then download the soundtrack and join me in a rousing rendition of the Highwayman's Song.
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Sketch of the Day!
It's a small throw-away joke, but you have to love Greg's unique theory, RE: dinosaur soft tissue. (With apologies to Brian Engh.)
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Introducing the Total Media Bridge Podcast!
Great Scott, it's alarming how easy it is to get out of the blogging habit isn't it? Let's not dwell on that (as much as my guilty conscience would like to) and instead focus on one of the most awesome things I got to do over this busy summer:
The Total Media Bridge Podcast's Awkward First Episode!
In which Kevin Johnson of the excellent Total Media Bridge and I battle audio problems while discussing the roots of the Disney Afternoon, the Nostalgia Filter is strong with this one "The Wuzzles" and the better than it has any right to be "The Gummi Bears". We talk about what went right, what went wrong, the adorable reality subtext of "Little Bears Lost", the issue of Hoppopotamus fat-shaming, and I do my (awful) Michael Eisner impression! Click the link above to enjoy, and head over to TMB for the show notes.
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Sketch of the Unspecific Length of Time!
The Total Media Bridge Podcast's Awkward First Episode!
In which Kevin Johnson of the excellent Total Media Bridge and I battle audio problems while discussing the roots of the Disney Afternoon, the Nostalgia Filter is strong with this one "The Wuzzles" and the better than it has any right to be "The Gummi Bears". We talk about what went right, what went wrong, the adorable reality subtext of "Little Bears Lost", the issue of Hoppopotamus fat-shaming, and I do my (awful) Michael Eisner impression! Click the link above to enjoy, and head over to TMB for the show notes.
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Sketch of the Unspecific Length of Time!
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Glen Keane's "Duet"
I've probably mentioned before that Glen Keane is one of my art-heroes. A few weeks ago, seemingly out of nowhere, he dropped this beautiful short on the animation community. It's called "Duet" and good lordy is it ever gorgeous.
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Sketch of the Day!
This is why Book-Stuart Little is a way, way better character than Movie-Stuart Little.
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Sketch of the Day!
This is why Book-Stuart Little is a way, way better character than Movie-Stuart Little.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Drop Everything and Watch Both "Tales From the Far Side"!
Many years ago, I lamented the fact that neither "Tales of the Far Side" nor its even more obscure sequel were available anywhere on DVD or YouTube. Well, some kind soul has uploaded both specials just in time for Halloween.
I didn't know Marv "Bambi Meets Godzilla" Newland was involved but in hindsight I suppose if any animator was going to bring Gary Larson's comics to life, it makes sense that it was him. And it is also very clear in the first minute and a half why the first special was aired once ever in America and never again, cause gee-golly is this way darker and weirder than I remember. (And -I sure as hell wasn't expecting this- sadder! Holy sh*t, the sequence with the coyote watching old home movies...)
I have no idea how long these will stay up (how I wish Larson wasn't so damn weird about the internet) so enjoy them while you can:
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Sketch of the Day:
I didn't know Marv "Bambi Meets Godzilla" Newland was involved but in hindsight I suppose if any animator was going to bring Gary Larson's comics to life, it makes sense that it was him. And it is also very clear in the first minute and a half why the first special was aired once ever in America and never again, cause gee-golly is this way darker and weirder than I remember. (And -I sure as hell wasn't expecting this- sadder! Holy sh*t, the sequence with the coyote watching old home movies...)
I have no idea how long these will stay up (how I wish Larson wasn't so damn weird about the internet) so enjoy them while you can:
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Sketch of the Day:
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
"There Goes My Hero..." Let's Watch "Chuck Jones: Extremes and In-Betweens"!
This is an awesome documentary that ran back in 2000 as part of the PBS series "Great Performances". It's a very nice, heartwarming overview of Chuck Jones' experience at Warner Bros. animation and of some of the current filmmakers he has influenced. It's also a nice little crash-course in character animation. Enjoy:
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Sketch of the Day! Some random mythology ladies.
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Sketch of the Day! Some random mythology ladies.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Drop Everything and Watch "The Thief and the Cobbler: Recobbled Cut"
If you have any interest in animation, you've probably heard the long, sad, strange story of Richard Williams' "The Thief and the Cobbler".
If you are somehow unaware of the film and of what happened to it, these articles recount the story quite well. It was a butchered movie, but we'll skip to the happy part of the story. Some years ago, a filmmaker and Richard Williams fan named Garrett Gilchrist gave himself the task of editing together a version of "The Thief and the Cobbler" that, while we will sadly never be able to see the movie that was in Richard Williams' head, would at least be much, much closer to Williams' original vision.
If you're only familiar with the version of "Thief and the Cobbler" that is available on home video (and currently on Netflix streaming as of writing; very convenient for those of us who like to compare and contrast), you probably know that any fan-edit of the film would basically have to be closer to what Williams intended compared to that thing. But Gilchrist's edit is so excellent, culled from extremely rare materials donated from people involved in the picture, that it is as profound an alternate cut as those for "Blade Runner" and "Brazil". Now, you can tell that this is edited together from wildly diverse material, I'll admit. The action, while gorgeous to look at, is also very random. Approach this as you would "Fantasia" or "Yellow Submarine"; we're here to gawk at the gorgeous artwork.
And the art and animation is a wonder to behold. It's downright astonishing to consider that everything on screen was hand-drawn, and supervised by essentially one person. (I was trying not to blink during the final half-hour or so. Hand-drawn, b*tches! One ONES from the look of it! I'm getting a hand-cramp just thinking about it.) If you care about art at all, you owe it to yourself to give this a look. Seriously, just drop whatever you're doing right now and watch:
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Art of the Day! I'll never be as awesome as Richard Williams on one of his "off days". But I try.
If you are somehow unaware of the film and of what happened to it, these articles recount the story quite well. It was a butchered movie, but we'll skip to the happy part of the story. Some years ago, a filmmaker and Richard Williams fan named Garrett Gilchrist gave himself the task of editing together a version of "The Thief and the Cobbler" that, while we will sadly never be able to see the movie that was in Richard Williams' head, would at least be much, much closer to Williams' original vision.
If you're only familiar with the version of "Thief and the Cobbler" that is available on home video (and currently on Netflix streaming as of writing; very convenient for those of us who like to compare and contrast), you probably know that any fan-edit of the film would basically have to be closer to what Williams intended compared to that thing. But Gilchrist's edit is so excellent, culled from extremely rare materials donated from people involved in the picture, that it is as profound an alternate cut as those for "Blade Runner" and "Brazil". Now, you can tell that this is edited together from wildly diverse material, I'll admit. The action, while gorgeous to look at, is also very random. Approach this as you would "Fantasia" or "Yellow Submarine"; we're here to gawk at the gorgeous artwork.
And the art and animation is a wonder to behold. It's downright astonishing to consider that everything on screen was hand-drawn, and supervised by essentially one person. (I was trying not to blink during the final half-hour or so. Hand-drawn, b*tches! One ONES from the look of it! I'm getting a hand-cramp just thinking about it.) If you care about art at all, you owe it to yourself to give this a look. Seriously, just drop whatever you're doing right now and watch:
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Art of the Day! I'll never be as awesome as Richard Williams on one of his "off days". But I try.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Dog Dies in the Beginning - Thoughts on "Frankenweenie" (2012)
Movie # 65: "Frankenweenie" (2012)
So here's the good news about "Tim Burton Presents Tim Burton's 'Frankenweenie': a Tim Burton Joint". If you miss the earlier, weirder Tim Burton, he is... actually, no, he's not back in this movie. Indeed, the included trailer for "OZ: the Great and Powerful" shows that he's still--
What?
Sam Raimi?!
No kidding?
Well, hell, knock me over with a feather! Oh, wait, Burton's listed as producer, so there's that.
Anyway, the Tim Burton we miss isn't exactly back in "Frankenweenie". But "Frankenweenie" is by far the most Tim Burtony of the recent Tim Burton movies. It's not the most inventive thing he's ever done (it's an extended dance remix of one of Burton's own short films after all), but it's the first film in a while where it feels he actually put some heart into it. Heck, there's even a nice little exchange in "Frankenweenie" about that very idea.
So everything about "Frankenweenie" is perfectly fine. The animation is very good, the voices are nice, all the references to classic monster movies are clever, and the characters are delightfully weird.
Really, the only thing "Frankenweenie" did wrong -and this isn't even the fault of the movie itself- is that it arrived in theaters only about a month and a half after "Paranorman".
It's downright unfair to compare the two, isn't it? Netflix sent me both movies within a week of each-other, so I was watching "Frankenweenie" with "Paranorman" very fresh in my mind. And, man, that's really unfair, because I loved "Paranorman" so much, it left "Frankenweenie in the dust. It had a far better and more profound story, much better characters, and far, far better animation and effects (those Tulle clouds! Norman's translucent ears! Ye gods, that final showdown!) It's face-meltingly beautiful and it p*ssed the "Wah, think of the CHILDREN!!!" crowd right off (to which one can only say, great job completely missing the point of the movie). Come to mention that, "Paranorman" really has more in common with "Rango", not least because it's very probable that it will be my favorite animated feature of the past year. Stay awesome, Laika.
So, there's my review of "Frankenweenie": it's perfectly okay, but it's just okay.
For more posts in this ongoing series, go here, or click the Chronological Disney Animated Canon tag below.
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Art of the Day! Trophius is a weird Pokemon; part giant tortoise, part dragon, part... tree... Here he is holding the Sharp Beak item, and looking weirder than usual.
So here's the good news about "Tim Burton Presents Tim Burton's 'Frankenweenie': a Tim Burton Joint". If you miss the earlier, weirder Tim Burton, he is... actually, no, he's not back in this movie. Indeed, the included trailer for "OZ: the Great and Powerful" shows that he's still--
What?
Sam Raimi?!
No kidding?
Well, hell, knock me over with a feather! Oh, wait, Burton's listed as producer, so there's that.
Anyway, the Tim Burton we miss isn't exactly back in "Frankenweenie". But "Frankenweenie" is by far the most Tim Burtony of the recent Tim Burton movies. It's not the most inventive thing he's ever done (it's an extended dance remix of one of Burton's own short films after all), but it's the first film in a while where it feels he actually put some heart into it. Heck, there's even a nice little exchange in "Frankenweenie" about that very idea.
So everything about "Frankenweenie" is perfectly fine. The animation is very good, the voices are nice, all the references to classic monster movies are clever, and the characters are delightfully weird.
Really, the only thing "Frankenweenie" did wrong -and this isn't even the fault of the movie itself- is that it arrived in theaters only about a month and a half after "Paranorman".
It's downright unfair to compare the two, isn't it? Netflix sent me both movies within a week of each-other, so I was watching "Frankenweenie" with "Paranorman" very fresh in my mind. And, man, that's really unfair, because I loved "Paranorman" so much, it left "Frankenweenie in the dust. It had a far better and more profound story, much better characters, and far, far better animation and effects (those Tulle clouds! Norman's translucent ears! Ye gods, that final showdown!) It's face-meltingly beautiful and it p*ssed the "Wah, think of the CHILDREN!!!" crowd right off (to which one can only say, great job completely missing the point of the movie). Come to mention that, "Paranorman" really has more in common with "Rango", not least because it's very probable that it will be my favorite animated feature of the past year. Stay awesome, Laika.
So, there's my review of "Frankenweenie": it's perfectly okay, but it's just okay.
For more posts in this ongoing series, go here, or click the Chronological Disney Animated Canon tag below.
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Art of the Day! Trophius is a weird Pokemon; part giant tortoise, part dragon, part... tree... Here he is holding the Sharp Beak item, and looking weirder than usual.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
"The Laughter and the Surprise!" - "A Disney Christmas Gift"
Who doesn't love weirdly-edited bits of Disney animated films and shorts centered around a loose theme? "A Disney Christmas Gift" dates back to 1983, and Disney Channel kids may remember the opening number from it's reuse in "A Disney Channel Christmas".
Is it just me or is the "Sword in the Stone" segment weird as hell? Also, Santa's laugh is oddly sinister in that last cartoon.
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Festive Older Art of the Day! Speaking of oddly sinister Santa Clauses...
Is it just me or is the "Sword in the Stone" segment weird as hell? Also, Santa's laugh is oddly sinister in that last cartoon.
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Festive Older Art of the Day! Speaking of oddly sinister Santa Clauses...
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Links of Interest - Disney Cruise Recovery Edition!
Well, I just got back from my family's very first Disney Cruise Line experience. It'll take a while to sort through everything and get the trip report accomplished. So until then, have a good old Links of Interest post!
* - First off, new "Hobbit" trailer! New "Hobbit" trailer! New "Hobbit" trailer!!!
* - Oh dear lord, this XKCD strip... Don't miss the zoomable version.
* - My Year of Flops takes on the biggest flop of the year and attempts to parse the thinking behind the truly insane "Oogieloves' Big Balloon Adventure".
* - Speaking of insane ideas for movies, Warner Bros. (*sigh*) is going to make yet another attempt (*sigh*) at a Looney Tunes movie (*sigh*... Believe me, I'd like to be optimistic for this. But after years of "Space Jam", "Baby Looney Tunes", "Loonatics Unleashed", "Back in Action", those recent weird Flash and CGI cartoons, and other, worse things, I'm pretty much conditioned to anticipate any officially sanctioned new thing involving these characters with dread.)
* - If you happen to be at Walt Disney World on the week of October 1, don't miss the special events being held to celebrate Epcot's 30'th anniversary.
* - Passport to Dreams Old and New shares the strange history of the segment of WDW's Magic Kingdom now known as Storybook Circus, observations on it's current incarnation, as well as where the look of Toontown in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" might have come from.
* - Holy crap, "Saving Mr. Banks" is actually happening! With Tom Hanks as Walt Disney, yet!
* - Geek Dad reviews the "Chuck Jones' Mouse Chronicles" DVD collection.
* - TetZoo informs us that iguanas may have a far more complicated social life than you'd think. (Yes, I squeed at the fraternal behaviors.)
* - Emily Willoughby met a Green Heron and pondered the implications of heron necks.
* - Comics Alliance brought attention to concept artist Ashley Stoddard, who in turn came up with an alternate version of "Willow" that would have been fascinating.
* - Tor.com shared another inspirational seasonal art gallery, this one, naturally, themed to autumn (some NSFW images).
* - I'm starting to put together my four-part(!?!) Disney Cruise trip report. Here's the beginning of a much more cynical (but hilarious) take on one of the newer boats by TeevTee at Parkeology.
* - I finally got to see "Brave" recently. I was going to write a full review but Lili Loofbourow's essay, "Just Another Princess Movie" expresses my feelings more eloquently than I ever could (my review would have just been, "Y'all are high! 'Brave' is great!" over and over.) It is by far the most intelligent reaction to the film I've seen. (Spoilers galore!)
* - Tim Brayton of Antagony and Ecstasy has just launched into his own Disney sequel marathon. Given his hilarious take on "Belle's Magical World" (oh my God, the whole bit about Crane the writing paper), we are in for a hell of a ride. I wish him Godspeed, and good luck!
* - If you're a "Brave Little Toaster" fan, you're going to want to see the film's director Jerry Rees' extensive website, filled with memorabilia and information. Rees also recently hosted an open Q+A with fans. (LOL at the people who thought Toaster was male...)
* - And finally, The Rotoscopers/Animation Addicts posted their incredible interview with Don Bluth, in which he talks about his work on "Sleeping Beauty", his surprising new career as a teacher and theater director, and gets downright philosophical about art. Definitely a must-listen!
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Sketch of the day!
* - First off, new "Hobbit" trailer! New "Hobbit" trailer! New "Hobbit" trailer!!!
* - Oh dear lord, this XKCD strip... Don't miss the zoomable version.
* - My Year of Flops takes on the biggest flop of the year and attempts to parse the thinking behind the truly insane "Oogieloves' Big Balloon Adventure".
* - Speaking of insane ideas for movies, Warner Bros. (*sigh*) is going to make yet another attempt (*sigh*) at a Looney Tunes movie (*sigh*... Believe me, I'd like to be optimistic for this. But after years of "Space Jam", "Baby Looney Tunes", "Loonatics Unleashed", "Back in Action", those recent weird Flash and CGI cartoons, and other, worse things, I'm pretty much conditioned to anticipate any officially sanctioned new thing involving these characters with dread.)
* - If you happen to be at Walt Disney World on the week of October 1, don't miss the special events being held to celebrate Epcot's 30'th anniversary.
* - Passport to Dreams Old and New shares the strange history of the segment of WDW's Magic Kingdom now known as Storybook Circus, observations on it's current incarnation, as well as where the look of Toontown in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" might have come from.
* - Holy crap, "Saving Mr. Banks" is actually happening! With Tom Hanks as Walt Disney, yet!
* - Geek Dad reviews the "Chuck Jones' Mouse Chronicles" DVD collection.
* - TetZoo informs us that iguanas may have a far more complicated social life than you'd think. (Yes, I squeed at the fraternal behaviors.)
* - Emily Willoughby met a Green Heron and pondered the implications of heron necks.
* - Comics Alliance brought attention to concept artist Ashley Stoddard, who in turn came up with an alternate version of "Willow" that would have been fascinating.
* - Tor.com shared another inspirational seasonal art gallery, this one, naturally, themed to autumn (some NSFW images).
* - I'm starting to put together my four-part(!?!) Disney Cruise trip report. Here's the beginning of a much more cynical (but hilarious) take on one of the newer boats by TeevTee at Parkeology.
* - I finally got to see "Brave" recently. I was going to write a full review but Lili Loofbourow's essay, "Just Another Princess Movie" expresses my feelings more eloquently than I ever could (my review would have just been, "Y'all are high! 'Brave' is great!" over and over.) It is by far the most intelligent reaction to the film I've seen. (Spoilers galore!)
* - Tim Brayton of Antagony and Ecstasy has just launched into his own Disney sequel marathon. Given his hilarious take on "Belle's Magical World" (oh my God, the whole bit about Crane the writing paper), we are in for a hell of a ride. I wish him Godspeed, and good luck!
* - If you're a "Brave Little Toaster" fan, you're going to want to see the film's director Jerry Rees' extensive website, filled with memorabilia and information. Rees also recently hosted an open Q+A with fans. (LOL at the people who thought Toaster was male...)
* - And finally, The Rotoscopers/Animation Addicts posted their incredible interview with Don Bluth, in which he talks about his work on "Sleeping Beauty", his surprising new career as a teacher and theater director, and gets downright philosophical about art. Definitely a must-listen!
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Sketch of the day!
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