Mountains colored in Photoshop

Blowin' off steam...

 

Quick sketch, colored in Photoshop.

Rocket Racoon for President

This fall, put some REAL crooks in the White House!

(copyright Marvel/Disney)

Hey, you could do worse.

Quick sketch, will try to do more.

Behind the Scenes of Zootopia: Gnomon Alumni Panel

It was a packed house in the old Quonset hut auditorium as the Gnomon School of Visual Effects hosted five Zootopia artists, sponsored by Walt Disney Animation Studios. While the buzz for Zootopia may have cooled off a bit, the advances Disney has made should give them quite a lot of momentum at the box office for a while.

https://www.gnomon.edu/community/events/behind-the-scenes-of-zootopia

 Alberto Abril (Animator), Chika Saito (Modeler), Diana Zeng (Lighter), Dylan Ekren (Modeler), and Tyler Bolyard (Look Development Artist) each spoke about their time working on Zootopia, and their learning experiences at Gnomon and the other schools they attended.

They all seemed to have enjoyed working at Disney, and I must admit, I kind of envy their talents and the opportunities that they have had.

Studies of animals in the wild were shown, along with a pencil test of Walt Disney's Robin Hood. Special plugins for Maya, such as Xgen were discussed, along with lighting strategies, not to mention good old-fashioned hand drawn art for development.

Just the development of fur and hair seemed to consume a lot of time and resources. There was some "recycling" as one basic species model of a gazelle/deer was tweaked with different horns, fur color and different outfits to create extra background crowd characters.

(my photo from CTN 2015, copyright Disney)

Unfortunately, there will be no streaming of this presentation due to copyright issues. 

However, I did do a little digging to bring some examples of their work.

Here is Chika Saito’s Modeling Demo Reel 11/30/12

https://vimeo.com/55329417

 Alberto Abril's reel,

 http://www.albertoabril.com/

 Diana Zeng's blog,

 http://dianajzeng.blogspot.com/

 Dylan Ekren's work,

https://www.artstation.com/artist/dekren

And Tyler Bolyard's Facebook,

https://www.facebook.com/tyler.bolyard 

Just being on the grounds at Gnomon is always interesting. Their campus is the old Television Center Studio lot in Hollywood. The buildings are characters in themselves. There's a mixture 1930's and 1940's architecture that has a "Diesel Punk" feel to it. Add in the extra plumbing and cables with Gnomon's high tech interiors, you have some cool, gritty movie exteriors right there.

I'm trying to find out more about the history of the place, but it's past seems kind of murky right now. Which makes it that more interesting. UPDATE:

http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/16421261/6311-Romaine-St-Los-Angeles-CA/

The original home of Technicolor, set in a 1920's Art Deco style. There has to be more than a few ghosts haunting that building.

25 Animation Related Blogs that will explain more about animation

Animation Re-creation is number 16 on the "25 Animation Related Blogs will explain more about animations" on boredwiki.com

(copyright Time/Warner)

 http://boredwiki.com/list-of-animation-blogs/

Posted by Alicia Mehra.

Many thanks!

Imagining Zootopia--Part 1:Legacy

Here's another youtube channel. Let's enjoy this again until it gets pulled down. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eQgypYsA5U

Making Of Zootopia

copyright Disney

Zootopia Documentary

courtesy of Cartoon Brew.

UPDATE: Sorry folks, this video was pulled.

Zootopia meets Pixar Presto mashup

Sorry, with all the death and destruction going on in the world, I could not resist bashing this together.

(copyright Pixar and Disney)

UPDATE:
Happy Easter!

The Social Commentary of Zootopia

I finally saw Zootopia, and I was surprised at some of the issues the directors took on, such prejudice, class and disillusionment. For example:

Good people fall back on old negative stereotypes.

(Every Disney movie has plot point where the hero makes a horrible mistake, and then has to overcome the consequences of that error. Judy's press interview for instance.)

"Treat me like a criminal, I will act like a criminal."

(Nick Wilde is Zootopia's Han Solo, but he is also finally coaxed away from his criminal past.)

 Characters get hurt emotionally as well as physically.
(Both Judy and Nick during their childhoods.)

(my photo from CTN 2015, characters copyright Disney)

While the world of Zootopia doesn't have our level of wars, poverty and injustices, the basic personal issues still remain:

I have an image to maintain.
Jumping to conclusions.

Not sure who to trust.
What's in it for me?

 On the other hand, Zootopia did cheer me up a little bit, when I look past their cloying cutesiness:

 Things are not what they seem.
The strong don't always prey on the weak.
People can go beyond their apparent limitations.
The past does not have to decide your future.

Imho, Some of the old cartoon jokes hurt the movie, like the population counter of Bunny Borough, but that's showbiz.

This blogger has a more severe view:

http://birthmoviesdeath.com/2016/03/03/zootopia-review-a-muddled-mess-of-racial-messaging...-and-cute-animalshttp://birthmoviesdeath.com/2016/03/03/zootopia-review-a-muddled-mess-of-racial-messaging...-and-cute-animals

 Good points. What are our real cultural and ethnic blind spots? How do you present these issues to younger children without sugar-coating it too much?

Minor points:

Where does the protein for carnivores come from? What forests were cut down, and what mountains were strip mined to build the city? There all kinds of  logistical and technical questions that interfere with my suspension of disbelief, but Zootopia is still a clever, thoughtful movie nevertheless.

The Gnomon Workshop presents an Evening with Grzegorz Jonkajtys

Polish animator Grzegorz Jonkajtys has an interesting technique in combining miniature hand built sets with CG characters. Glad I made it over to Gnomon to see the talk.

Grzegorz's film credits include Sin City, Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth, The Mist, Rango, Pacific Rim, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Warcraft, and The Revenant. His titles were VFX Artist and Lead Animator.

(copyright Grzegorz Jonkajtys?)

After such grim short films such as ARK, where an animated Leonard Nimoy type character is trapped on a doomed plague ship, Grzegorz is bringing us a family oriented film based on a Polish character, Teddy Floppy-Ear. 

Teddy, and his friend Hare find out that a toy factory is not all fun and games. Grzegorz slips in some social commentary when the system tries to toss Teddy into an incinerator for having one minor defect, in this case, his floppy ear,

After years of CG work, Grzegorz said it was refreshing to build miniature sets by hand. He pointed out that his hand built sets have a more convincing depth and character than the usual CG backgrounds. This was his strategy in filming "ARK". Grzegorz had his crew do lighting checks with real miniature models so the lighting on the CG characters would match the hand made backgrounds in a more convincing way.

Using kit-bashing and Styrofoam containers, drinking straws and mint candy box tins, Grzegorz and his crew built the charming, and at the same time, frightening world of Teddy Floppy Ear.

http://jonkajtysfilm.com/following/all/jonkajtysfilm.com/Teddy-Bear

http://www.thegnomonworkshop.com/news/2016/03/an-evening-with-grzegorz-jonkajtys-combining-cg-animation-miniature-sets/

Wander Over Yonder cancelled

Well, this is not what I wanted to hear:

http://www.cartoonbrew.com/disney/craig-mccracken-confirms-wander-over-yonder-finished-137583.html

 

(copyright Disney)

 http://wifflegif.com/tags/177984-wander-over-yonder-gifs

 

I was enjoying this series, even though it was designed for a younger audience. There are a few, *ahem*, mature quirks in the show, but you have to look very closely.

Some of the episodes really pushed the artistic boundaries, such as "The Void" where everything this side of "Yellow Submarine" was possible.

 

http://crackmccraigen.tumblr.com/post/140529754374/wander-over-yonder-over

"WOY" creator Craig McCracken has confirmed this. Personally, I think Wander was railroaded the way the original Star Trek was put into lousy time slots by NBC during its original broadcasts. The Mouse picked up a Cartoon Network type show, and didn't know what to do with it.

http://crackmccraigen.tumblr.com/

 

No toys, no other merchandise, All I can say is "Bah, Humbug".

Speaking of Star Trek, I was hoping we would see Lord Dominator get her comeuppance. Maybe in the way Trelane did in the "Squire of Gothos".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqQa1Xhu9cQ

 

Still, I fell in love with the characters, and the designs, so Wander, Sylvia, and all the villains will still have a place in my heart. 

 

Except for Hater, he's still a jerk. 

Crunchy Bunches- A serial about breakfast!

One more web comic, worthy of further perusal...

http://www.crunchybunches.com/

Follow Munchy as he and his pals go on fantastic adventures to bring home the ultimate crispy, crunchy breakfast experience.

Wild's End Comic

Guilty pleasure time. Think of H.G. Welles "War of the Worlds" meets "Wind in the Willows".

http://www.boom-studios.com/wild-s-end-01-cover-a.html

Check it out!

Best Animated Feature 2016 - Inside Out

No surprises here.

(images copyright Pixar/Disney)

http://oscar.go.com/nominees/animated-feature-film/inside-out

I may have to watch it again. If this was a film about depression, or childhood trauma, or just how a human being becomes lost when key moments in life do not come together in the right way, then all the eye candy in this film distracted me from those points.

The 1998 copyright extension, or the “Mickey Mouse Protection Act”

Dubbed the “Mickey Mouse Protection Act” , the 1998 copyright extension seems to be done at Disney's behest. Employees should chip in, because they're part of a big, happy family.

(photo copyright collegehumor.com)

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/02/disney-ceo-asks-employees-to-chip-in-to-pay-copyright-lobbyists/

Hard to think of Mickey in the public domain. But it might happen someday!

Best Animated Short 2016 - Bear Story

 Okay, it's not heavy journalism, but now I want to see this.

I guess that's what the Oscars are for, more exposure.

(images copyright of the authors)

http://oscar.go.com/nominees/short-film-animated/bear-story

Wander over Yonder The Bot

Wander over Yonder - the Bot - A character dies!

Well, I didn't see this coming:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-26EHu5kRQY

 Lord Dominator is not turning out to be such a likable villain. At first I thought she was so powerful that she was simply competing with the other supervillains just for fun. But now we see her ruthless side, and executes not just one, but two of her minions in a demonstration of sheer callousness.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_NN46_3Pvw&ebc=ANyPxKr2_tug_gmLO8EpvEd_0qo7CdXhcF-Oia5Obzc1T2aUOvfDk6Hx9-kbgZP9aC5NQJqxNuAS 

SPOILER ALERT!!!

http://www.avclub.com/tvclub/wander-over-yonder-and-jon-hamm-show-limited-anima-231835 

First, "Bot" 42 ( a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy reference?) is sent to a fiery death after he turns in a poor survey report. It turns out that Lord Dominator needs a special element, "Volcanium X", to power her army. Dominator then calls on her favorite evil space probe, "Bot" 13. "Bot"13 inadvertently helps cause "Bot" 42's demise when his report shows 3 planets rich in "Volcanium X". In a fit of pique, Lord Dominator tosses poor "Bot" 42 out of her ship, and lets him burn up on entering a planet's atmosphere.

After making an example out of  "Bot" 42,  Lord Dominator demands that the rest of her 'bots to move it, and resume their search for more "Volcanium X" in a hurry. "Bot"13 seems eager to please, and heads off to keep his good record going.

Naturally, "Bot"13 crash lands after getting snagged on Wander's kite. Damaged, "Bot"13 is unable to attack Wander, and Wander, naturally, tries to help him. Unable to speak clearly, Wander mishears the robot's name, and calls "Bot"13 simply "Beep Boop".

After resisting Wander's initial attempts at being friends, "Bot"13 learns to appreciate Wander's kindness, and refuses to cooperate with Lord Dominator. After deleting his files containing the location of the mother load of "Volcanium X", (which happens to be the planet Wander and Sylvia are visiting), "Bot"13 shares the fate of "Bot"42.

Only this time, "Bot"13 takes a last look at photo of him and Wander as friends.

Wander managed to stir something in "Bot"13, and helped him outgrow his obedience to Lord Dominator. Before "Bot"13 vaporizes, his memories go back to the good times he had with Wander, and states: "I am Beep Boop".

At the same time, Wander and Sylvia begin to realize that "Bot"13 did not give their position away to Dominator, and are impressed at his bravery. They look up at the night sky and see a shooting star.

Unaware of "Bot"13's situation, Wander can only say, "Good luck Beep Boop".

Poppy O' Possum is back!

And Poppy is back after a late fall/early winter hiatus!

http://www.poppy-opossum.com/comic/poppy-6-page-28/

Commander Kitty is back!

http://www.commanderkitty.com/2016/02/05/communication-error/

One of my favorite webcomics is back online.

Hope it makes to the climax of this story...

Tardis_V01

Quick bash up of a Tardis with Maya and Mental Ray

Have to get the "Police Box" and other graphics attached, along with door handles and dirt and scratches...

Version_02...

I made my own sign art in Photoshop, rather than swipe it off the internet.
I'll see what else I can add...

Star Wars: A Look Back with ILM Veteran Jeff Light

http://blog.siggraph.org/2015/12/star-wars-look-back.html/

Cartoon Crossroads Columbus - CXC

Managed to stumble on this while channel surfing in Ohio before Christmas.

Very good discussion.

Will have to get back down to Columbus someday soon.

Up on the housetop...

No reindeer are pausing...

It's "Cubcake" up on the roof, snug in her insulated super-suit. She's staking out the seedy bar across the street.

It's not exactly Christmas, but the snow is helping her stay out of sight. She'll be ready to pounce on some thugs when they come out. And she's still wearing a cute scarf, even though she really doesn't need it.

 

Basic coloring in Photoshop, bashed out over a rough sketch.

I also wanted to work on some perspective drawing.

In the wake of today's news, I offer the image of another protective spirit for the Holidays.

And to the folks who want it:

Merry Christmas.

Stop using Flash Player

Will try to dig up more asap.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/adobe-is-telling-people-to-stop-using-flash/ar-AAfTImb?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=mailsignout

"Too easily compromised, eats up battery power on devices."

Update:

http://www.cartoonbrew.com/flash/adobe-kills-flash-name-rebrands-animator-friendly-animate-cc-124189.html 

Update:

http://www.engadget.com/2015/08/20/the-agonizingly-slow-decline-of-adobe-flash-player/

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/07/14/adobe_response_to_security_holes/

Phoebe and her Unicorn

Some nice Magritte action here by Dana Simpson...

http://www.gocomics.com/phoebe-and-her-unicorn/2015/11/22

https://www.facebook.com/HeavenlyNostrils/?fref=ts 

One of the most enjoyable and steady webcomics I've found so far:)

Learn Maya in 1 hour - Speed Course

Courtesy of CG Meetup

                     

http://www.cgmeetup.net/home/learn-maya-in-1-hour/

CG Buildings in Maya 3D

Here's some quick poly modeling in Maya, I was thinking of the old Ghostbusters' fire station in New York.

I think I'm also beginning to control Mental Ray, at least enough to get the results I want.

CTN Expo 2015

My first photos from the 2015 CTN Expo:

I met the stars from Disney's next animated feature, "Zootopia"...

(copyright Disney)

Helped set up our table for Woodbury University...

Saw another ghost from he past...

And witnessed more signs of the craziness yet too come!

I'll try to update this with more useful information asap.
http://ctnanimationexpo.com/

Holiday Cup Controversy

Sorry, I have to throw more fuel on the HCC (Holiday Cup Controversy). Maybe this will get more folks into Starbucks this Holiday Season.

Bashed together with clip art.

The evil within

Another rough sketch: the Ibex reveals Herman Bear's dark side. In this case, she uses her magic to bring his shadow to life. The Ibex claims that HB's shadow represents every murderous thought, an destructive impulse he ever had...

Started clean up in Adobe Illustrator. Illustrator has always been my Kryptonite. This drawing still has a long way to go, but I'm finally getting some cool brush strokes.

My hats off to Jose and Sue at the Animation Guild computer lab for helping me start to overcome one of my biggest software roadblocks. Clay Butler's tutorial on YouTube is also invaluable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5wW_65iAiU

The Screaming Skull!

Just some rough sketches; 

Herman Bear goes on little evening stroll with his new companion, the Ibex.

But instead of getting some Trick or Treats...

They find a different Halloween item!

(Another version, want to have the skull facing them a bit more as they approach.)

(Another version, still need to get my ink line back.)

Happy Halloween!

Walt Disney - American Experience on PBS

Well, I have to post this:

(copyright PBS)

(UPDATE) Man, where to start? What Walt did with film making, technology, copyright, marketing and celebrityship (if that can be a word) laid the foundation for the world presently we have. I would compare him to Thomas Edison, or even Steve Jobs. I think the key thing here is power. Walt had a vision, and an incredible sense of direction. By a combination of charisma, determination, and what  I believe were just plain lucky breaks, Walt saw ways to go beyond what even Windsor McCay was doing. And he wasn't afraid to push the envelope.

But success has its price. There are many stories of artists who created great works, but quite a few were impossible to live with. Walt was going to get what he wanted, and that was that.

The established studios that were successful at the time seemed to keep Disney on the run. Mintz studios? Gone. Fleischer? People still remember Popeye and Betty Boop, but those characters belong to King Features. Warner Bros. has Bugs Bunny, but with no "Walt" or Chuck Jones at Time/Warner to support him, he's fallen by the wayside.

Micky Mouse is known around the world, and is here to stay.

I will try to have another update asap.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/walt-disney/?utm_source=amex_homepage&utm_medium=direct&utm_campaign=waltdisney_2015

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/

http://www.pbssocal.org/tv/schedule/#page=schedule&day=20150914&provider=Broadcast

http://www.pbs.org/about/news/archive/2014/american-experience-disney/

I wouldn't be here, many people wouldn't be here, for better or for worse, if it weren't for Walt Disney.

Inside Out - Pixar's version of Disney's Reason and Emotion

(UPDATE) After seeing Pixar's Inside Out, I couldn't stop thinking of Disney's original head trip, Reason and Emotion. Here, only two characters respond to the external world, and "drive" human behavior.

Reason is usually in the "driver's seat", and is shown to be calm, collected and rational. Stuck in the back seat, Emotion just wants to indulge in every impulse. Emotion will overpower Reason from time to time, usually in response to external stimuli.

(Copyright Disney)

Reason and Emotion are also shown as female versions. Reason is caricatured as a prim and strict schoolteacher, while Emotion is a saucy, voluptuous sprite just looking for fun.

In Inside Out, director Pete Docter makes the situation much more complex: Instead of just Emotion and Reason, we have Anger, Disgust, Joy, Fear and Sadness. These five basic emotions influence a good deal of the young girl Riley's behavior, with Joy acting primarily as leader.

The Emotions reside in the "Headquarters" of Riley's mind, which somewhat resembles the bridge of the starship Enterprise. Here the Emotions record and store Riley's memories as colored spheres, each bearing the feeling of their particular situations: Joyful, Sad, Angry, etc. The memories are ultimately sent off to "Long Term Memory". The emotions manipulate Riley through their control console, primarily with a pair of bulldozer-style joysticks. They can also plug "ideas" into the control console, which are represented by light bulbs.

(Copyright Pixar/Disney)

In a stereotypical way, Fear, and especially Anger, are shown as male characters, supposedly representing negative emotions. Disgust, Joy, and Sadness are shown to be appealing female characters, foreshadowing that even Sadness has a positive potential. Joy loves life, and sees everything as a happy adventure. Disgust keeps filth and things that might cause harm and displeasure away, while maintaining a chic sense of style.

(Copyright Pixar/Disney)

The "Headquarters" of Riley's mind towers precariously over the "Memory Dump"; a bottomless pit where old useless memories are discarded, and are considered lost forever. "Headquarters" is connected to Riley's five "Islands of Personality". Beyond the islands is the vast labyrinth of "Long Term Memory" where the adventure takes place.

Riley's parents have almost identical situations occurring inside of their minds: The "Headquarters" of Mom's head is like a pleasant TV studio, with smooth shapes and warm colors. Here the five basic emotions also sit at a larger console, looking at the world through the mother's eyes. Sadness has the center seat of the control console, but she is supported by the others, and does not seem depressed the way Riley's Sadness is.

The five basic emotions basically resemble Riley's, except they have all been femininized, and wear glasses like the mother. These five are much more mature, and act in a more sophisticated manner. But from time to time, they still manage to cause trouble for poor old Mom.

(Copyright Pixar/Disney)

In contrast, the inside of Dad's head is more like a military command center, very dark, or very "boss" and high tech, like the ultimate man-cave. The five basic emotions are all macho, male versions watching the action on a giant screen. In this "Headquarters, Anger has center seat, but Anger's reactions seem to be tempered by experience, and he needs the cooperation of the other four to maintain Dad's personality. Curiously enough, Fear is Anger's lieutenant, so that gives us some clues into the Fathers' background. (Each character also sports the father's mustache.)

(Copyright Pixar/Disney)

 Docter's other key story point was how our emotions colored our memories. This was a major issue for Joy, who was always anxious to keep Sadness from touching Riley's core memories, which would tint them in her sad, blue hue. Apparently, even emotions have emotions in Inside Out. And their own thought processes as well. While entertaining they were not always insightful when it came to supporting Riley's mind and personality.

Inside Out also reminded of the 1972 NBC TV show "Search" with Burgess Meredith. Here a team of experts help guide special "Probe" agents the way NASA's mission control technicians would support astronauts. But I'm getting off track. Inside Out was very dialogue heavy, and a bit slow in pacing to arrive at the crisis and climax points of the story. There was also the obligatory sacrifice of a character, in this case Riley's old imaginary friend Bing Bong. His "big goodbye" scene seemed a bit contrived and cloying. But I suppose they needed to kill off a character to show the audience that the situation was still serious.

(Copyright Warner Bros.)

Where was Reason, Love, Jealousy, Greed or Courage? Too abstract for the story? Or just too many characters to keep track of. Personally, I think the general concept of little people inside our heads is a bit overworked. I suppose this relates to the Archetypes of human personalities. Philosopher Alan Watts commented on this in one of his lectures, arguing that humans are a much more subtle combination of dimensions and elements.

Still, go and see Inside Out. I wouldn't devote this much work to a film I didn't enjoy. It's fresh, and much more original than all the sequels Pixar has produced lately.

Inside Out Bing Bong's self sacrifice

I finally saw Inside Out, so I don't think I'll give anything away here at this late date. But I wasn't expecting this: 

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Pixar-Changed-One-Inside-Out-Scene-Because-It-Was-Devastatingly-Sad-72344.html

Wander Over Yonder Season 2

Disney XD - Wander Over Yonder ID from Golden Wolf on Vimeo.

Siggraph 2015

Didn't get there in time for any seminars or movies, but lots of learning opportunities for students to make their own toys, robots, gadgets, etc. Young people are doing more with laser cutters and 3D printers.

 

Also demos on more total immersion with virtual reality systems. The vendor floor was smaller than usual, but the Foundry, Autodesk , Mocha and some pipeline system companies were there.

Wander Over Yonder Season 2 Trailer at Comic-Con

 Looks like they are turning up the heat on Wander Over Yonder. There's a lot more action, and the new super villain is a girl. We also get to see some male Zbornaks.

I like the MST3K tribute with He-Man thrown in, and Sylvia as Gigantor. According to Disney XD, new episodes will be begin Monday, August 3rd.

                               

(artwork copyright Disney)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kg00b_nz8PE&feature=youtu.be

Matthew Luhn from Pixar at Woodbury University

All day session at Woodbury today with storyboard supervisor Matthew Luhn from Pixar. Some great stuff on storyboarding, especially when he shows how vital it is to hammer out a story before you commit to millions of dollars in animation. Matthew covered things from not crossing the line of action to "stacking" a shot. I'll try to update this post with more details asap. Glad I made it:)

(copyright Matthew Luhn/VanArts)

http://matthewluhnstory.com/cartoons/

http://www.vanarts.com/

Joe Sinnott sketch of Ben Grimm, the Thing.

I don't remember if I went to comic con that year, but I met Joe Sinnott on an Amtrak train going east in the summer of 1995. He saw me sketching, and seemed impressed that I could draw on a moving train. He later gave me this sketch of Ben Grimm, the Thing. I think he said something about not wanting to be deterred by a rocking train.

(Ben Grimm - the Thing by Joe Sinnott, now copyright Marvel/Disney.)

Found this sketch in the bookshelf today. (I have it framed now.) Man, it's been almost 20 years?!

I've lost track of time it seems. Joe Sinnott gave me this beautiful sketch 2 years after I met Jack Kirby. Just wanted to set the record straight. The Thing is truly one of Jack's creations!

Jack Kirby San Diego Comic Con

This was my most cherished memory from the San Diego Comic Con. This was the day I met Jack Kirby. (I think this was 1993.) He was just standing there in lobby by himself. I hesitated, then asked if I could get a picture. He seemed more than happy about it. I was surprised that he didn't have a whole crowd around him. I said thank you to him, but beyond that, we didn't say much. It didn't occur to me much, much later that he might have wanted to have been left alone.

(Photo taken by Mark Evanier for the L.A. Weekly  Suzy Skaar for "The Art of Jack Kirby" (Blue Rose Press, 1993)

This is a collage I put together in tribute to Jack. The newsprint article is from the 1994 L.A. Weekly.

Later that year, In August 1995, I met Joe Sinnott on a train ride going east. Sinnott was Kirby's inker during the Silver Age, I believe. He saw me sketching, and gave me a sketch of Ben Grimm.  Whatta year. Long live the King!

2001: A Space Odyssey - Doctor Who mashup

Need to cause trouble for some summer fun:

Here's a quick mashup of the TARDIS on the pod deck of the Discovery.

 (original copyrights MGM and BBC)

I don't know which Doctor this would be. It would be interesting to see how the Doctor would handle HAL... and then the Monolith orbiting Jupiter.

Christopher Lee in the Last Unicorn

Almost forgot, Christopher Lee as King Haggard in the Last Unicorn. If someone else had done the voice for this character, King Haggard would have been just another anime' villain. But with other stars such as Mia Farrow and Jeff Bridges (the DUDE!) lending their voices to this movie, Lee helped make Peter S. Beagle's story the rare gem it is. I understand that Mr. Lee was a big fan of the book.

The Last Unicorn came on cable at a time when I was finding out how things don't work out the way we planned. It's painful for me to watch it now. I had to pass it up when it came to Los Angeles this winter.

http://lastunicorntour.com/

(original copyright 1982 Rankin/Bass)

But here's to the charisma, and the dignity that Christopher Lee brought to all his film roles.

Christopher Lee in the Corpse Bride

Hello, it's still been a hectic spring at work, even with classes being over. Haven't had the energy to put up a post. 'Til now.

Well, we lost Christopher Lee this week at the age of 93. But when you look at his life on and off the screen, I would say his time on earth was pretty remarkable. Mr. Lee was sort of an unsung hero to me as a voice actor in animation, as well Star Wars, and all the horror movies he acted in. Here he is as Pastor Galswells in Tim Burton's the Corpse Bride.

Tim Burton's Corpse Bride from Malcolm Hadley on Vimeo.

(copyright Time/Warner)

https://vimeo.com/9729948

Responsiquences

Just a made up word, but I want to get credit for it here. Responsiquences: "The result of not anticipating the outcome of one's actions."

Star Wars - The Force Awakens - Chewy, we're home!

"Chewy, we're home!"

(copyright Disney/Lucasfilm)

Don't let us down guys.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngElkyQ6Rhs

Carbonmade

Not sure about this site.

I was helping someone try to set up a portfolio page at the lab. I managed to throw a page together with my cute stuff:

https://eagleone.carbonmade.com/projects/5586801#1

I was able to setup a basic account, but my friend kept having problems:

Carbonmade would not let her sign in after setting up an account. The buttons on the site literally stopped working.

Will try to do more on Monday.

Symbicort Grandpa Wolf by ffake Animation

I wondered who did this TV ad. It was ffake Animation up in Portland.

 http://web.ffake.com/ 

The  animation is nifty, and the characters have a lot of classic appeal, even though the meds they are promoting seem kind of gruesome.

Symbicort Grandpa from FFAKE Animation on Vimeo.

https://vimeo.com/106622307

Hawkman vs. Daredevil

This is a lot tougher than I thought. Really got to tip my hat to Ross over at http://braveandboldlost.blogspot.com/

(art copyright Marvel/Disney and DC/Time-Warner)

This was bashed together from low rez jpegs of Daredevil #20 and Hawkman #4.

Now I know.

salute!