Posted by Michael Pinto on Jul 14, 2007 in Animation
In honor of Bastille Day today I thought that I’d show off some classic French animation. Shown above is one of the first animated films ever made, it’s called Fantasmagorie and was animated by Émile Cohl in 1908. It’s sort of amazing for me to think that in just a year this film will be acentury old, it sounds like a long time but in the scheme of art history that makes animation a rather new medium.
To make this film, Cohl placed each drawing on an illuminated glass plate and then traced the next drawing-with variations-on top of it until he had some 700 drawings. In 1908, chalkboard caricaturists were common vaudeville attractions and the characters in the film look as though they’ve been drawn on a chalkboard, but it’s an illusion. By filming black lines on paper and then printing in negative Cohl makes his animations appear to be chalk drawings.
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jul 8, 2007 in Animation
I wish I could get this level of service at my local comic book shop! Shown above is a subtitled scene from Lucky Star, epiosde 13. I just love all the manga and otaku jokes in Lucky Star, in my mind the show is an anime South Park for otaku.
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jul 6, 2007 in Animation
When I cam across the above clip entitled Star Fleet 1980 from England I’d never heard of the show before, but after doing some research it seems that it’s a translated version of a marionette show created by famous manga artist Go Nagai who’s most famous for his titles like Devilman and Cutey Honey. Here’s a great description of the show from Wikipedia:
“X-Bomber (Xボンバー Ekkusu Bonbā) is a marionette tokusatsu TV series. Created by manga master Go Nagai, the show, aired on Fuji TV from October 4, 1980 to March 28, 1981, with a total of 26 episodes. This show was billed in Japan as being filmed in “Sūpāmariorama” (スーパーマリオラマ), a puppeteering process similar to Gerry Anderson’s Supermarionation works. This show is basically a cross between Nagai’s Getter Robo and Star Wars. Just like Getter Robo, the show’s protagonists ride three vehicles that combine into a giant robot. Big Dai X, the show’s robot, is more similar to the kind seen in the popular Super Sentai series than your average Nagai robot.”
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jul 5, 2007 in Animation
Shown above is a fun music video for the French electronia band Justice for song D.A.N.C.E. In the video I love the clever device of having t-shirt graphics animated. The video was directed by Jonas & François at 75 prod.
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jul 3, 2007 in Animation
Shown above are the opening titles for Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine from 1965. If the style of claymation looks familiar it’s because it was created by none other than Art Clokey whose best known for Gumby. And it should also be mentioned that the music on the soundtrack is the Supremes. The film also stars Vincent Price, Frankie Avalon and a bikini clad female robot who looks rather human.
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jun 27, 2007 in Animation
Snow White is so much about dreams coming true, so there’s something very sad about getting a sexist rejection letter from Disney with her character so well positioned on the Disney letterhead of that era:
“Women do not do any of the creative work in connection with preparing the cartoons for the screen, as that work is performed entirely by young men. For this reason girls are not considered for the training school.”
By the way the good news is that Miss Mary V. Ford went on to become an animator during World War II…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jun 23, 2007 in Animation
I love the illustrational look of the above animated mini-film made by brothers Greg and Myles McLeod. Here’s some background info on this animation-duo from their website:
“Greg and Myles have been writing and directing animations since 2000 and their work has appeared on BBC ONE, MTV, Nickelodeon USA, Channel 4, E4, Channel Frederator and nokiashorts.com. Their surname is pronounced MacCloud for those not versed in Norse-Scottish history…”
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jun 20, 2007 in Animation
When I first read about this I wasn’t too happy, I mean why try and re-make a classic? But getting to the end of the article I discovered that Peter Fernandez was going to be doing voice over work (he was the original Speed to me) I realized that maybe this might not be so bad afterall:
“Here he comes, here comes “Speed Racer,” back on the smallscreen. Lionsgate will announce today plans for its first animated series, a new version of the 1960s toon “Speed Racer.” Nickelodeon’s 24-hour cartoon channel, Nicktoons, is aboard to run the initial 26 episodes.
In the new franchise, young Speed Racer enters a racing academy for the fastest kids on Earth — and discovers that he’s the son of the legendary (and original series’) Speed Racer. He also finds out in the first few episodes that he has a brother — the new Racer X — whom he never knew existed.
Speed Racer wows the school with his Mach 6 (an updated version of the original show’s Mach 5) — the most advanced vehicle in the universe, which doesn’t run on gas. Speed and X team together to prevent villains from stealing the Mach 6 and to find out who’s behind the mysterious disappearance of their father. Other characters returning include original Speed Racer’s younger brother Spritle, now headmaster of the racing academy. And chimpanzee Chim-Chim is now a mechanical robot.
Peter Fernandez, who voiced Speed Racer in the dubbed American version of the original “Speed Racer,” is aboard to voice Spritle. Katsumoto and Rocknowski said the new version will stay as true to the original as possible, while allowing for updates like CG animation (including the cars and the background images) and more accurately synched voices.
Every three episodes of “Speed Racer” will operate together as a mini-movie but will also be divisible into a daily strip. “Speed Racer” first hit U.S. shores in 1967, one of the first Japanese anime-style franchises to make it here. The franchise was briefly revived twice in recent years, in 1993’s “The New Adventures of Speed Racer” and 2002’s “Speed Racer X.” Neither lasted long.”
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jun 20, 2007 in Animation
I was blown away by the above animation for the above music video “Machines” for the band Kiss Kiss. The video is directed and animated by Robert Schober (nicknamed roboshobo) and I love that fact that while it features 3D animation that the animation itself isn’t very slick and has a hipster illustrational look to it. And of course I’m always a big fan of oversized robots running about the place!
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jun 18, 2007 in Animation
Shown above is Lucky Star episode #5 which features Tsukasa repeating the words “balsamic vinegar” which is a funny sounding onomatopoeia in Japanese (or so I’ve read in other blogs). But what’s funny to me is that fanboys are now starting to make their own parody videos based on the gag:
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jun 17, 2007 in Animation
You know what’s amazing about the above concept art for Ratatouille? It looks like something you’d see from the classic age of Disney! However it makes me wish that Pixar did Ratatouille as a traditional 2D film instead of the same old 3D animation.
“The world of Edward Gorey is coming to the big screen for the first time with a live-action feature based on the illustrator-writer’s classic tale “The Doubtful Guest.”
The project is being developed by Walden Media, the firm behind the “Narnia” franchise, Fox 2000 and the Jim Henson Co. Brad Peyton (“Evelyn: The Cutest Evil Dead Girl”) will direct from a script written by Matthew Huffman.
Originally published in 1957, the whimsical story revolves around a quirky family whose life is turned upside down when a mysterious, mischievous creature arrives unannounced and unwelcome, bringing trouble with him and wreaking havoc.”
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jun 14, 2007 in Animation
Shown above is a backpage ad that I found in an Anime Mook for Terra He from 1980 (click the image to view at the full size). What’s cool about the ad is that it features both Mobile Suit Gundam and Space Cruiser Yamato (Star Blazers). New anime has come and gone but it’s funny for me to think that the two shows are still so popular today (I guess you can say the same thing about Star Trek and Star Wars).
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jun 9, 2007 in Animation
Walking home last night I came across two posters, one for Ratatouille and the other for Surf’s Up. I have to say that on the merits both films look alright and I’m very much the fanboy when it comes to all things Pixar, however I find myself wanting to ignore these films because they’re “yet another 3D animated flick”.
I don’t blame Pixar in fact I think what pushed me over the edge was the dreck that’s Shrek 3, or perhaps the announcement that there will be a Shrek 4 and a Shrek 5. Things are looking grim for American cinema when Grindhouse bombs but we can churn out some more Shrek. I’d like to see a day in the near future when the 3D backlash begins. I don’t when this will hit a tipping point but I hope it’s sooner than later.
I’m not saying that 3D is bad or will die, but I’d like to see a good old fashioned 2D cartoon epic every now and then. Perhaps that’s the reason why I love anime so much? They use 3D for the spaceships but in the end it’s all about the characters, even if they’re 2D drawings. In fact I love the fact that Bleach makes the animation look like a manga drawing when they draw shadows on someone’s face.
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jun 8, 2007 in Animation
Two of my favorite anime shows from the mid-80s were Cat’s Eye and Orguss (seen above), of course I had to enjoy them on 5th generation VHS tapes. Well I’ll no longer have to dust off my collection as both classic titles are heading for DVD thanks to Imaginasian which will be selling the titles through RightStuf.com.
“It’s Thundercats, ho! at Warner Bros. Studio has optioned a script by tyro scribe Paul Sopocy to turn the popular 1980s animated series and toy line into a live action feature. Warner-based Paula Weinstein will produce through her Spring Creek Prods. banner, along with Dick Robertson and Lew Korman.
Property revolves around a group of humanoid cats (with feline names like Lion-O, Tygra, Panthro and Cheetara) who must flee their planet of Thundera after it’s destroyed. Once crash-landing on another planet, Third Earth, they must thwart Mumm-Ra, an evil sorcerer, bent on killing them off.
Sopocy has written the script as an origin story expanding on the major heroes and villains from the animated series, with the plot focusing on Lion-O coming of age as the leader of the Thundercats. Project was brought to Warner by Palek Patel, VP at Spring Creek. Dan Lin is overseeing the pic for Warners.”
“As you’re almost certainly aware, the Wachowski brothers are back back back with an adaptation of Speed Racer, the cult anime where all the characters mouths stopped moving several seconds after their dialogue stopped. And, as the title might have clued you into, the series was a little bit car-centric, following a wide-eyed boy racer as he seeks to become world champion with the help of his faithful monkey (because why wouldn’t a driver have a monkey?). And today USA, er, Today offer the first look at his car. And very faithful it is to the cartoon. They also have a few other snippets, like the fact that the monkey will be real and not CG and is actually a chimp.
Speed Racer is released next August and has a cracker of a cast, including Emile Hirsch, John Goodman, Christina Ricci, Susan Sarandon and Matthew Fox. And a monkey. Sorry, a chimp.”
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jun 1, 2007 in Animation
The above animated commercial is for a mobile phone service in Japan, I love the look of the character designs and cream toned palette. The commercial doesn’t look like your typical anime show with a love of detailed complexity, but instead has a bit of a graphic hipster feeling to it that you might find in a poster for a band.
Posted by Michael Pinto on May 30, 2007 in Animation
The above music video starts off ultra cute but becomes quite twisted a few minutes into the tune, which is by upcoming diva Jessica Delfino. The animation for the video is by Nick Fox-Gieg who’s based out of Amsterdam.
Posted by Michael Pinto on May 25, 2007 in Animation
I discovered the above video while exploring DailyMotion, the animation is by Akino Kondoh who is an artist from Japan. The title of the video is “May Be a Train” and while I’m not crazy about the music I love the surrealistic quality of the animation which reminds me a great deal of the work of illustrator Edward Gorey.
Posted by Michael Pinto on May 24, 2007 in Animation
For anyone who missed it Persepolis was a graphic novel (by Marjane Satrapi) that came out a few years ago and showed the life of a girl growing up in the shadow of the Iranian revolution of 1979. Well it looks like Persepolis is now headed for the big screen, it will be nice to see an animated film that will make people think:
“Any stragglers still unconvinced that animation can be an exciting medium for both adults and kids will run out of arguments in the face of “Persepolis.” Like the four-volume series of graphic novels on which it’s based, this autobiographical tour de force is completely accessible and art of a very high order. First-person tale of congenitally rebellious Marjane Satrapi, who was 8 years old when the Islamic Revolution transformed her native Teheran, boasts a bold lyricism spanning great joy and immense sorrow. In both concept and execution, hand-drawn toon is a winner. Sony Classics will release an English-dubbed version Stateside.
France-based Satrapi, who co-directed with fellow illustrator Vincent Paronnaud, is a sterling example of what good advice “Write (and draw) what you know” can be in gifted hands. Pic’s specificity is what renders it universal.From Baltimore to Beijing, anybody who ever had a family, a government and/or aspirations for personal happiness should be able to relate.
Narrative, which starts in 1978 and continues into the 1990s, could have been just another coming-of-age tale, but Satrapi and Paronnaud navigate their sharp melding of form and content with assurance. Result zips along with considerable humor, much of it self-deprecating, interspersed with darker material. Animation perfectly translates Satrapi’s deceptively simple black and white drawings. Much like Art Spiegelman’s anthropomorphic cats and mice vis-a-vis the history of the Shoah in “Maus,” Satrapi’s expressive, pleasingly pared down style lends itself to the pleasures of everyday life as well as the horrors of war and state repression. Original books used only stark black and white; shades of gray and evocative backgrounds are added for the screen, along with subtle patches of color in select settings.
Made entirely in France, three-year project required the skills of Gaul’s last working animation tracers (armed with felt-tip pens) and looks terrific on a budget of $8.1 million.”
“French suburban hip-hop culture is coming to the bigscreen in an all-star animated pic voiced by the likes Diam’s, France’s biggest-selling pop artist. Voice talents include Diane Krueger, mistress of ceremonies at this year’s Cannes, and Vincent Cassel. The €10 million ($13.5 million) pic includes an American version, with such artists as L.A. rapper Fat Lip.
The French version, which includes improvised humor, is practically finished, and animation will begin this summer. Pic will be distributed by Bac Films, subsid of producer Millimages, with coin from Canal Plus and pubcaster France 2, co-producing.
Movie is based on the cult TV series “Les Lascars” — which aired on MTV as “Round da Way.” The 30 x 1 min Gallic show was an instant hit when it aired on Canal Plus seven years ago, but has grown to become an Internet phenom, with pirated Arab and Creole-language versions, as well as the original French and English versions, popular on sites such as YouTube. Show was most watched program on Orange and SFR mobile phones last year, with more than 600,000 hits.”
“Lucky Star’s story portrays the lives of several school girls attending a Japanese high school with a very loose humor tone. The main heroine is Konata Izumi, an athletic and intelligent girl who, despite these attributes, is not in a sports club, and has low grades. Her laziness at school is due to her love for anime and video games and lack of interest in anything else. The serialization began with the four main characters in their first year of high school: Konata Izumi, Kagami Hiiragi, Tsukasa Hiiragi, and Miyuki Takara. As the story progresses, they move onto their second and third year.”
