Nicolas de Crecy

I just want to wish Nicolas de Crecy a Happy Birthday! His animation connection is with Sylvain Chomet of Triplets of Belleville fame. Check out his wordless graphic novel Prosopopus.

free(hand) fall

I apologize for the sudden silence. I was on such a high all last week revelling in animationgeekdom! But now, plunged back into the depths of boredom and monotony I find myself depressed. The first day back at work I had to go to a union class, which I don't mind as it is a relief from the job. But as you can see above my mind was not at work nor in Windsor but lost in the my persistence of vision. Anyway, between the tears of crying into my beer I am getting my thoughts together on the festival and hope that I can post the photos on flicker or something to that effect and a review by the weekend. Until then check out, Mole in the City, the new media winner of the festival.

headwreck

Wow! What a great festival this year!! There was so many excellent films this year. I feel sorry for the jury, who did a great job, that had to pick winners out the many outstanding films. Check out the winners here. I am happy to see that Milch and _grau won. Always the highlight of the festival is the picnic where you get to meet and greet or stalk in my case all the animators in attendance. Oh and carve pumpkins of course.
Congrats to all the winners and to Chris, Kelly, Maral and Andre and all the volunteers that made this (now) annual festival a success. But as Paul Bush said so well, it isn't about the awards it is about seeing the films. So I urge one and all to make the pilgrimage up to Ottawa to see all the best in independent animation.
So, highlights of the festival to come when I get unpacked and settled. Also, if anyone who attended has pictures PLEASE send some to me as my camera went bellyup on friday.

Road trip

Well I start my road trip today! I am making my way up to the Ottawa International Animation Festival. I will be reporting back with reviews and lots of pictures. So set the old gerbil watch to start running next tuesday for all the latest and greatest from Ottawa. Here are a couple of doodles to keep you entertained until then...

_grau

A couple of more days until the OIAF begins. Are you excited specimens? I know I am. One of the 'experimental' films that I look forward to seeing on the big screen is Robert Seidel's, _grau. This abstract journey into an ever shifting environment is both spiritual and organic. My initial reaction to this is that it is one of the few pieces I have seen that brings the essence of the experimental pioneers into this century. The download takes awhile...I don't know if I would attempt it without highspeed connection...but it is worth the wait.

something in the wine

I don't put alot of CG stuff up on the big cranium canvas but I like the stuff from the students of Supinfocom! There must be something in the wine because the films that come out of this french college have a nice film sensibility. That is, they have more substance and don't blow there load on special fx. Mind you Akryls is definate eye candy but one gets quickly lost in the micro/macro vision of the ever emerging worlds. No explosions or skantily clad women or martial arts are required to carry this exploration of worlds within worlds. Is it progressive? no. But it is good to see this kind of film being produced at a early stage of these animators careers. For a good download click here.
Some other notable films to watch out for is Overtime and Getting started both of which will be showing in Ottawa.

found

I found this sketch in an old folder. I thought to myself, "where's his ears?". But then I thought, if you squint and tilt your head it kind of looks like Vincent. Nah! I suck!!
BTW...I turned the comments back to 'anyone' so my congregation of megacraniacs may send pleas of mercy once again.

sketch friday

Yawn! Yeah I know pretty boring stuff but I broke out the brush pens to give them a try. I did these drawings after looking at my friends John Keane and Barry Reynolds work. Very nice stuff...if only they would have something online for me to link to (hint hint)!!! Crazy Oirish boiz! Wha's da stohry?

Feric vs. Joslin

In my sleep deprived state I have been wasting my days surfing the Dead Sea and stopping every once in a while for a drink. On one such stop I found the art of Jessica Joslin. She mixes bones and other found objects with antique mechanisms to create beautiful specimens that would look well in my curio cabinet. Which reminded of the art of Eric Feng aka Feric. His illustrations match well with Jessica's sculpture only he creates these high tech fauna hybrids. So I take another sip and images of the two artists work clash in some 2D vs 3D war with the hum and hiss of Joslin's antique (think Brothers Quay) creatures serpentined around the sleek cyborg killing machines of Feric (think Peter Chung's Aeon Flux...hope the movie is as good as the series). Now I would sell my collection of St. Mikey Jackson's noses at the drop of an infant to see that!

Joann Sfar

I know this is late in posting but if you find yourself wandering the streets of Toronto next tuesday go and check out the french 'it' boy of graphic novels, Joann Sfar. The Beguiling is hosting a meet and greet with Joann hot off the press with his new book, The Rabbi's Cat. The event is free and maybe he'll do some of that 'mime trapped under the weight of his own head' stuff for our amusement. Click here for all the pantomimed details.

me doodle

Here we go me fellow closet doodlers...sorry about the quality but I am just trying to get some stuff up. If and when I get my studio back in order I might break oot the ol' brushes.

Cartoon Saloon

Well here is a long overdue post about the mental animators at the Cartoon Saloon! Da boiz and grrls dere are working on some craicin' work including a feature film, Brendan and the secret of Kells. Their character designs and backgrounds are top notch and they prove that 2D animation isn't dead...it moved over the pond and is having a pint of the black stoof in Kilkenny. Now if only someone would give them heap loads of money to start their own Kingdom! Picture Mic smoking a fag tellin' all the boys and girls to FECK off!

I will DESTROY you!

Lee Misenheimer is Destroy Rockcity! His illustration of fiendish characters and agitated design will certainly have you coming back to be destroyed again and again!

Red Nose Studio

The operation room is open and ready to vivify Rednose studio with our rusty blade! I giggled like a mad scientist discovering the first siamese twin when I found the site of Chris Sickels! Viewing this site will cause great elation with mild side effects of depression (and an urge to poke forks in your eyes). Watch the animation and then run to your local hardware store to make your own puppet* to star in 'The Bigheaded Bunny discovers ebola'.

Animation pimp

Sorry this is a rehash of news via the boys at the Brew (link CartoonBrew) but I am on midnight shift this week and spend my days dreaming of mutant bunnies and having tea with hieronymous bosch. I digress, Chris Robinson, a.k.a. the animation pimp over at the AWN, has written a new book that will make it's premiers at the Ottawa Animation Festival. (All the more reason to go Kevin!!!) There are not a whole lot of books out there devoted to independent animation: Jayne Pilling's, Animation 2D and Beyond; Animation Unlimited by Liz Faber and Helen Walters and Animation Now by the Anima Mundi people. All of them have pros and cons to them but all are good books to get you started and Chris's will no doubt be a must have on that list. Chris's writing is raw and thoughtful and comes from a more literature based view point. He sets out to make you think about the animation in a different way, even if he crams it down your throat sometimes. In the end you will like the abuse and thank him for it.

blog (re)name?

Well specimens, I am considering changing the name of this experiment but I am not sure. Give the ol' caesar thumbs up or down on the whether the bigheadedbunny lives or dies under the rusty knife of toohardtorememberitis.

de Seve

Peter de Seve wakes me up in the middle of the night, whispering sweet reminders that 'I suck'! From his character designs to his covers for the New Yorker, de Seve is an artist's artist. If only my genetic extractor would work then I would steal his powers! But, until then, I will just have to wipe the craters of jealousy dust from my eyes and quietly sob into my inkwell.

Oscar Grillo

A couple of years ago I was fortunate to meet Oscar Grillo at the Ottawa Animation festival. It was one of my patented shy awkward 'I love your stuff Mr. Grillo...guffaw!' sort of meetings as I slank away like a cockroach scurrying under the light of my own embarrassment. But, it was great to meet him and I listened to him talk to JJ Villard who won that years festival Grand Prix prize. The best though was he gave a retrospective of his work and talked about his career. His work encompasses all styles which shows how he has made a long career in this precarious field of corporate driven production. If this was not enough, the final star tacked onto my enlarged pupils was when he showed an animatic of a personal film he was doing on the life and work of Charlie Parker. Now he has a blog where he gives us a regular dose of inspiration from his sketchbook. Don't forget to listen to the music while staring at the pictures.

the return of Ryan Larkin

Wow! this is probably the best news I have heard this year. Ryan Larkin, who was an influential NFB animator in the 60's and 70's is making a long awaited return. Chris Landreth's oscar winning short Ryan (2004) brings into focus the blurred past of Larkin's rise and fall in the world of animation. From the once gilded halls of the NFB to panhandling on the streets of Montreal, Ryan Larkin is finally working on his first film in over 25 years called Spare Change. To help him finance his film he has a website RyanBango.com and he has also created a poster (pic up top) for the 100th anniversary of the Saint-Laurent Boulevard. Visit his website for more info on how to support his film.