Just a friendly reminder to all who might find themselves in Toronto this weekend. Seth, Chris Ware, Charles Burns and Chip Kidd will be at the International Festival of Authors on Saturday. Check out the info at the Beguiling site. Can't say enough about these guys except that if you don't know who they are then you are missing out on the making of comix history.
Dare I say experimental animation without people reaching for the utensil drawer for a sharpened spoon. I know there was a plethora of ocular damage incurred at the OIAF this year when Barbara Doser's , Even Odd Even was shown. But I digress, I am still writing my thoughts on the subject and know that I am preaching to the uncoverted. However, I did notice that Baerbel Neubauer's work was shown at the Egyptian theatre in LA yesterday sponsored by the Goethe Institut. I just want to expose a flicker of her work to enlarged 'playstation' pupils to induce some sort of cultural seizure. I will not go on some raving diatribe just yet but if you want to stop complaining about the juvenile quagmire that animation is in please check her work out.
The Sleep of my reason produces animated monsters being interviewed about their view on art, technology and education. My insomnia paid off last night as I stumbled upon a genie of the lamp and it's mine, all mine, mine,mine, mine! But I figured nobody reads my blog (except kevin and katie) so it is safe to post this diamond in the rough. Daniel Durning interviews sound and visual artists relating to computer animation on WPS1 MOMA online art radio. The Art and Technology program features interviews with artists working on the cutting egde of computer animation to educational issues of how to teach CG in this rapidly changing field. There is an extensive backlog of programs that you can listen to so go and enjoy this Sunday inpiration of art, animation and technology. Quickly, before I delete this blog and deny that it ever happened.
Literally! This magnificent book reprints the beautifully restored sunday pages of Winsor McCay's, Little Nemo in Slumberland. It's size is a small island, 26 inches long by 16 inches wide, where you can curl up and marvel at the superb draughtsmanship and surreal adventures that make up the world of Little Nemo. Openning it up you are enveloped by the rich restored colours. 
Here is an interview with Peter Maresca who published and edited the book. Also, the NewYork Times wrote a good column on it.
Nicolas Deveaux's, 7 Tonnes 2
One of France's most celebrated comic artists is Edmond Baudoin. He has had very limited exposure in North America although he was at the first Toronto Comic Arts Festival in 2003. The above photo is the sketch that he drew for me. Amazing brushwork! Total fearlessness of ink on paper. He spoke no english and I very little french but through gestures he conveyed to me his philosophy of drawing. He started off with the fine details of the face and stated that this was the foundation of the drawing. But then he charged his brush with black liquid chaos and with a 'Big Bang' the universe was created. He announced that that thick bold brush stroke was 'La Vie'!! Life with a capital 'L'!! It sounds a bit cheesy as I write this down but it was inspiring. 
Why the fug didn't I think of this!! A great blog started up interviewing artists about character design. Characterdesignblog has interviews with Harald Siepermann, Stephen Silver, Robin Joseph and James Robertson to name a few. Take pen and paper in hand and slather on the sun tan lotion so that you can bask in the warmth of a hand drawn sun.
I heard a good interview with Art Spiegelman today on Definately Not Opera on CBCradio. He was asked what makes a good comic and he said (I paraphrase), 'like in all art, it is the unique voice or vision of the artist'. With that I thought I would share with you artists outside of the animation/comix scene to give inpiration and bleed the veins that connect the body of creativity. So open up the hymn book to page one and sing praise of the work of Ed Pien. Ed is inspired by Eastern and Western mythologies and mixes the two together into a disturbing vision of man and monsters. Like medieval beastiaries done in Sumi-e, Ed creates worlds that Bosch and Goya could easily inhabit. He uses ink on transluscent paper to create floor to ceiling installation pieces, like The Garden of Earthly Delights, for the viewer to explore and interact with. Images of the grotesque and mundane are illuminated and float through an organic world of colour and light. Ed pushes the traditional medium (ink on paper) not only in scale but in the use of video projection and audio recordings he creates an entire immersive world.
I know this is old news for some but Michel Gagne has his Prelude to Eden on-line for everyone to view!!! Also, his Insanely Twisted Shadow Puppet show was picked up by Nickelodeon and he will be showing the episodes on his site as of NOVEMBER 1st!! Break out that giant sharpie and mark it on the big ol' cranium calender so that you see it in the ceiling mirror every morning!
Merde! Typocrat is publishing 676 Apparitions of Killoffer in English! This free-form continuous narrative of orgy-filled anarchy will knock yer pants off. With that we can join Killoffer in full throttle debauchery as we puke, shit and stumble across the black (and white) panel-less floor. A mix of Chris Cunningham drinking with Brueghel and Dante as the author himself plays all the characters on a violent downward spiral through the various levels of hell. Blood, spit, urine stained morality tale that is a bound polyptych of boschian goodness. This is NOT available until December but I am sure the good people at the Beguiling will carry it when it comes out.
I have only one word for Frank Espinosa's ROCKETO...brilliant! What a tour de force in brush work and colour. A dynamic explosion of visual tnt on every page. Here is an interview with Frank here! Rocketo has definately rejuvenated me out of this post-Ottawa rut that I find myself in.
I read this Calvin and Hobbes today and thought of the CBC workers who have to ratify their contract (only it should be hockey Calvin is playing, eh Alex)Also, today marks the day when the complete Calvin and Hobbes collection is available to our grimy little claws. Here is an interview I found with Bill Watterson. You can add this one to the Far Side collection you already have!
A long overdue episode of What's Living in my Enlarged Brain Cavity!
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.
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. 
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!!
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!
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.
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!
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!
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'.
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.
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.
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.
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.
