Greetings from the Golden State

Hi. We're in San Francisco this week. It's been a fantastic trip already and we still have two more days left. Recharging batteries, uplifting spirits, soaking in new sights, sounds, and smells. This is an incredible town.

Behold the rare photo of my wife: one that she doesn't hate. Rockin' the 50mm Nikon lens at the Golden Gate Bridge.

aww yeah

Back in 1999, I had this idea for a side project on hip-hop and the culture that was born out of it. To this day, I'm still fascinated by hip-hop. Even though I've placed this particular project on hold, I never tire of digging out these paintings done with gouache and ink on illustration board. Some of these images are based off of photos, but altered just enough to incorporate a certain look & style I was trying to finesse at the time. I had a lot of fun working on these.





Oh, and I want to say that I really appreciate all the kind and encouraging words I've received from you all regarding my job situation. It's been nothing but ups & downs for me lately, but getting great comments and emails offering words of advice and support definitely will put me in the 'up' category. Many thanks, guys.

What's been going on with me lately? Ah, who knows? But I do have to say that I'm looking forward to taking a nice vacation with the family tomorrow. A much needed vacation. Be back soon, kids!

Disturbance in the force

So yeah, here's a slight change of career plan for ya: I'm no longer at Laika. My last day was the 6th. Quite a shock to the system, but hey, to quote Kurtis Blow: "that's the breaks." I've now decided to use this opportunity and focus my efforts on character design and storyboarding. I feel that I'm at my happiest when I do those two particular things. And when I'm happy, I produce some great work. I love animating, too, so I'll be looking for any 2D traditional work, as well. It's strange to be looking for opportunities when I've had opportunities find me for the past 12 years.

So, there ya have it. I'm looking for work. Crazy, huh?

Here's to rude awakenings and new perspectives....

That's 'bout right

Found this via Design Notes and it pretty much sums up what's going on with me lately. Click on image to download. It's about 23MB, just so you know. By Action Figure.

Tipping My Hand

Since my last post, I've received some great responses through comments and emails about my thoughts on sharing what I'm concocting animation-wise down in my basement. I appreciate the dialog and the feedback. It's what I was striving for when I decided to write that post -- to get the word out there and see what others think. I guess that would be my main gist for going 'live' about my short film in the first place. Sometimes as animators, we tend to be holed-up as we work on our projects and maybe lose track or sight of the initial vision, and here, I just wanted to get it out there. Let the people know, sort of thing. As I mentioned in my post, I was thinking about having my production blog available for public viewing at a later date. I've since decided against this because I feel that this would ruin the surprise. I think now what I'll do is make the pro-blog public AFTER I have the film finished and officially released. That way, if you happen to catch it at a festival (wishful thinking) and wanted to find out more about it (more wishful thinking), then you could do a google search and stumble upon the blog. Think of it as an online Bonus Features of sorts.

I had a couple of people respond to my complaints of not finding any time to work on the film. Noting the fact that, well, you're spending time right now talking about it, why not use this time wisely and actually work on the thing? I just had to laugh because I was very well aware of this realization -- why aren't I doing something constructive with my time here?

Actually, my answer is simple: the time spent talking about my film actually counts as working on it. There might be some ideas that I need to bounce off of someone and to be able to have some sort of platform to do so is indispensable. I consider myself lucky to have as many readers as I do who could offer me some productive feedback.

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On my previous post, there was a comment left by 'SD' that was rather lengthy, yet very informative. Instead of replying to his/her comment in the comments section, I've decided to answer some of the questions here.

Regarding the notion that I might be "tipping [my] hand too soon, or to the wrong audience can potentially kill [my] own momentum in unexpected ways", I would have to say this: no worries, I don't plan on revealing too much up front anyway. Especially now, since I've had some time to think this through. Like I mentioned before, I'll most likely reveal bits here and there, but nothing that would ruin the entire experience for anyone.

Right now, I'm riding on some great momentum, thanks in part to the fact that I've pretty much finished the writing stage -- there's still some things that need to be sorted out, but the main section that was going to be the main hurdle for me story-wise has been crossed and am now ready to start on storyboards. Of course, once I 'board out the thing, there'll be some changes made, story- or gag-wise. Can't avoid that. That's a given! That's the nature of the beast.

For the rest of SD's comment, SD wanted to know some "non-specific generalities of [my] impending project", asking so many questions that I decided to answer them in a Q & A format. Call it an 'instant interview' if you will. Here ya go:

What medium & production process do you intend to work in?

My short film will be animated traditionally, with pencil on paper. Backgrounds will be either drawings scanned and then painted digitally in Photoshop, or actual paintings (gouache and/or cel vinyl paint -- of which I've recently discovered and am head-over-heels in LOVE with it), or a combination of both. I haven't decided yet. I'll then composite everything in After Effects.

What pre-production elements have you pinned-down so far and what's your process been like in developing your idea?

The basic idea was something that I've had swimming in my brain for a very long time but it wasn't until two years ago when I suddenly remembered it. It's been itching to get out there and finally I'm doing something about it.

How long of a project are you aiming to create?

I expect the final film to be about 6 to 7 minutes long. I'm paying homage to the great cartoons of the past, so I'm guessing that the film will be about this long as well. Honestly, right now, I have no clue how long it'll be. It's up in the air for me. Once I do a scratch track, I might have a better idea, but again, I won't know for sure.

How many characters?

One main character, with several side ones.

Do you plan to incorporate dialogue? Or narration? Or music alone? Or sound-effects alone?

This will be the first film of mine that will have dialog. My previous efforts were merely pantomime, with no words at all. In fact, those two films started out as a visual concept, and were 'written' out solely through storyboards. Nothing was written down, story-wise. This new one is completely opposite of that. I've been writing everything out first (with a couple of ideas drawn out), and will soon be storyboarding it all. I can't wait to get started on that! Music will be a big part of this film. I've got a great source I'm tapping into, but I can't really say who or what for fear of exposing too much.

Will you use a sound studio for your audio work?

See above.

Will the project be executed entirely by you in your basement -- or might you rally assistance from friends and/or other professional services?

I've thought about accepting help from others, but it's way too early in the process for me to know just how much assistance I'll eventually need.

As you alluded to with your study of "Symphony in Slang" & other golden age cartoons, are there any specific shorts or illustrations or stories that you look at as having similar qualities to what you're aspiring to make?

Tex Avery is king to me, so I'm really studying up on anything that he's done. His timing, pacing, camera moves, etc. I've also bought several DVD sets that have been extremely helpful in my research. I recently bought the Tom & Jerry Spotlight Collection Vol. 1, Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. Three (and soon, Vol. Four), not to mention this great set: Warner Brothers Home Entertainment Academy Awards Animation Collection - 15 Winners, 26 Nominees (award for the longest DVD title EVER). That last one has some classic stuff on it! Highly recommended.

(For the record, I'm holding off buying the Tex Avery's Droopy - The Complete Theatrical Collection -- word on the street is that there's been some terrible film transfers for many of the cartoons in this set, including several that exhibit the awful DVNR process, which basically ruins the quality presentation when it comes to any animation on DVD.)

What sort of finishing style & technique & aesthetic texture & colorization values do you plan to implement?

Wow. Good question. One that might not be answered at this stage, though. Even though I plan on emulating the look and aesthetics of classic, golden age cartoons, my goal isn't to copy those films outright -- I'll give this film my own distinct look, with characters and backgrounds designed by me, done in my style.

What medium & style for backgrounds?

I think I answered this earlier on.

How ambitious or complex is the animation you envision?

The animation will be full -- a combination of ones and twos (one frame per drawing or two frames per drawing for those unschooled in animator-speak), but I plan to utilize some limited animation techniques here & there. It'll be a nice combination -- hey, whatever is needed to make it look good, you know?

What sort of editing pace/scene count for the piece?

It'll be brisk, but I do plan on having some mellower scenes to balance the piece out. But really? Still too early to know. Again, once I have a rough scratch track made and then an animatic, I'll know for sure how everything's coming together. But, yeah. Way too early to know for sure right now. Stay tuned!

Based on your current notions, what length of time do you plan/hope to be in production?

I don't want to place a time frame on this. I'm no good when it comes to schedules -- even more so when it's a home project. I might put some general deadlines out there for me to try and hit, but it's not worth all the trouble.

Allow me to end with a quote from a post on the production blog:

I've been working on the story a little bit each day. Some days, I'm on fire. I get several pages done. Other days, nothing. It's been a slow and arduous process, but I think it'll be worth it in the long run. I'm on no particular schedule with this -- I didn't establish a deadline for this film on purpose because I don't think I need one. Why set a deadline when I KNOW I'll never reach it? I have no clue just how long everything is going to take to get done, so there's no need for any sort of scheduling. I'll work on it when I can. Honestly? I get more work done on something that I feel real strongly about, and recently I've been getting more done on [the film] than ever before. The more it's in my head, the better. I'm allowing it to progress on its own, and it's been very fulfilling so far.

Why Make a Film?

As you may already know, I've dropped enough hints here that I'm currently working on a short film on my own. I guess you can call it a cartoon, since I'm paying homage to the great cartoons of the 40's and 50's. I've been studying a great deal of those films, most specifically Tex Avery's SYMPHONY IN SLANG. (See previous posts HERE and HERE.)

Let's start off with the obvious question at hand: Why am I doing this? On top of my full time job as an animation director at LAIKA/house, along with my blogging duties on The Ward-O-Matic, not to mention my permanent titles as husband and father on the personal side -- why on earth would I want to forge through in making an animated film?

Why not?

There is a great short film by legendary designer and filmmaker Saul Bass called WHY MAN CREATES -- it won an Oscar for Best Short Film in 1968 -- about this sort of thing. Bass explores several venues regarding the issue of creativity in this film. The main jist of WHY MAN CREATES is that there is a desire by mankind to emphasize the individual, to stand out from the typical crowd and make a mark upon this earth. As human beings, it is in our blood to establish who we are and where we've been. From the ancient cave drawings to Greek temples to towering skyscrapers -- throughout entire generations, all of it is basically saying the same thing: I WAS HERE. The most simplistic and base ideal known to man -- identity. Knowledge of self, knowledge of awareness, knowledge of existence. And out of that self awareness, man creates.



For the Artist, this desire to create consumes his/her entire being. It is an uncontrollable urge that makes him want to record his surroundings in ways only he knows how.

That's pretty much the academic take on it. Honestly? I just want to work on something that I can call my own. To create characters in my style, and animate them however I want. To be able to work on something where I don't have to answer to anyone. I'm calling the shots here. No art directors, no producers, no creative directors to answer to! Freedom. Liberation. Joy. And once it's done, there'll be such a feeling of accomplishment you can't even imagine. I look forward to that moment -- it's what will drive me throughout the entire process of making this film.

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More about WHY MAN CREATES:


One lone ping pong ball stands out among the crowd in a segment of WHY MAN CREATES titled, "A Parable."




The film is split up into eight different segments -- the first one, "The Edifice," features a great bit of animation by Fred Crippen who used to work at UPA back in the 50's. It contains one of the longest pans in animation history, I'm sure, as the camera pans up, up, up, through the centuries. We witness the basis of all our creative output by a single cave drawing of a hunt: a recording of an event that sets forth a chain of events that ultimately ends up at the top of an enigmatic column. There's some great humor and satire in the piece, setting the pace for the rest of the film.




Saul Bass finds a great balance in this film between the humorous pieces and serious debate about the creative process in general. In one section, we hear several scientists and doctors talk about the various projects that they've been working on for years and how it's lead them to dead ends. The voice over then asks each interviewee the big question: "What are you going to do now?" It's wild to hear one answer rather sullenly: "I don't know."


In the section "Fooling Around," Bass stops the film to poke fun at a woman being interviewed.


Here's what Bass thinks of critics.

You can order a copy of WHY MAN CREATES directly from the Pyramid Media website. A word of caution, however -- it's mighty pricey. Little bit of trivia about this film: a young, budding filmmaker was credited as the camera operator. Who might this filmmaker be? Why, none other than George Lucas.

More on Saul Bass's career HERE.
Nicely designed site utilizing some of Bass's graphic elements HERE.

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I've given it much thought about whether or not I should share my thoughts during the course of production of my short film here on this blog. Problem is, I can never find enough time to work on the thing. It's beginning to bother me, but I'm trying not to let it get me down. I did start up a production blog for the film, but don't bother looking for it. It's private and I've only invited a few family members. Once I get the ball rolling with actual artwork to show, maybe then I'll make it public and share with you all the concept of what I've been working on all this time. In the meantime, just keep checking the Ward-O-Matic and maybe I'll drop a few hints about the project from time to time.

The passing

Photo: Tony Cenicola/The New York Times

I'm sad to say that perhaps the biggest influence in my life as an artist has passed away. Robert Rauschenberg died yesterday at his home in Captiva Island, Florida. He was 82.

I will write more when I have the time. In the meantime, you can read more about the man and the artist here:

New York Times Obit

Robert Rauschenberg on Wikipedia


From "An Interview with Robert Rauschenberg by Barbara Rose":

BR: It's interesting that in all your years of producing new directions in your art, you have never gotten into death imagery. A great deal of risk but not death. Is that something that you ever think about?

RR: Not often. I have always said that life has nothing to do with death. They're two separate things, and that's the way it ought to be. If that's innocent, so be it. Innocence is not like virginity. Virginity you can have only once. Innocence you have to nourish every day.

my wish

"Here go, daddy. make a wish!"

Ezra hands me a dandelion. We are sitting on the steps in front of a house where Ava is taking a drama class. It's a quiet Saturday morning.

"What should I wish for, buddy?"

"For stuff!"

"What 'stuff'?"

"Like your downstairs?"

I laugh at this. Downstairs is where I've been working on getting my workspace in order. Right now, there's a large desk with my animation desk set up, a bookcase filled with books, and lots of 'stuff' all around, ready to be organized and placed in shelves, drawers, tables.

I closed my eyes, took a breath, and wished for 'stuff'.

Uncle Wiggily

How about some more Little Golden Book goodness? I've been meaning to scan this for months now. Finally found some time to do it. And it's a beaut:


Uncle Wiggily, by Howard R. Garis. Pictures by Mel Crawford. 1953.

Let's just say that Mel Crawford is THE MAN. This is a fantastic LGB, with gorgeous illustrations by Mel. One of my favorite children's books in my collection. Oh, and yes, this is the book that I'm holding in my icon image over there on the right.

For the record, Mel Crawford is still alive and doing well. He's got a blog, even.

Here's his official site: MelCrawford.com.

He's listed on this site for Little Golden Books illustrators: Collecting Little Golden Books: Illustrators - Authors.




One thing I noticed on this book is that there are a great deal of two-page spreads. This gives the book a greater sense of landscape and wider scope. Like the film industry's push to go wide screen in the '50's with Cinescope and Cinerama to attract more viewers, I almost get the sense that Mel was doing the same here in this book. Notice how almost all of the pages are two-page spreads -- it opens the book up considerably. (I know that these 400 pixel wide images don't do it justice. I'm allowing larger downloads of these pages for a short while on my Flickr. Just click on the images below and then click on "All Sizes" right above each image to get the full effect.)




I love how he went completely yellow for the main background color, instead of white. Nice overall tone here.














This is the last page. Lovely stuff. What a jolly guy.


Here's the full endpapers for Uncle Wiggily. In excellent condition. Well, I should say that I Photoshopped out the name that was written there on the left. Thought that everyone should get a nice glimpse of this artwork. Not sure who did this, but it's wonderful.

I've started up a new Flickr set: My LGB's. I'll be adding more to this set shortly. Stay tuned.

And oh, yes. I have to plug my Flickr group once more...if you like this sort of stuff, definitely check out The Retro Kid.

Gay Purr-ee

Gay Purr-ee, Adapted by Carl Memling. Pictures by Hawley Pratt, Harland Young and Herb Fillmore. 1962. This Little Golden Book is based off the UPA motion picture, which was released in the same year. I was taken aback by this book since I never knew that they had even made a book for the film. And strangely enough, this is not the only one. There was another LGB published, but features Mewsette's storyline. Click here to check it out.

Hawley Pratt was Friz Freleng's layout artist for many years, working at Warner Bros. and DePatie-Freleng. I should say that Hawley should not be confused with Pete Hawley, who was a well-renowned illustrator. Harland Young is still alive and paints for a living. Not sure if Herb Fillmore is still alive, but I did find a few prints of his paintings (scroll down a bit).

The colors are a little washed out on this book, thanks in part to both age and my terrible scanner. I'm currently scouring the market for a decent one.


Gay Purr-ee on IMDB.
Gay Purr-ee on Wikipedia.

Here are some scans of the book for you to enjoy:












Oh man, I love those trees. Nice work on this page.


I love that guy there. Tell me that all French gardeners dress and look like this, please?




This is a nice page here. Love the layout and deep colors.









More fun vintage goodies like this can be found at The Retro Kid. I've got another LGB ready to upload and post about probably later on tonight. Stay tuned. You'll dig it. Very fun.

Me as a teenager

There's a meme going around: Draw yourself as a teen. I like it. Here's my take. This is me, circa 1984, I guess. The spiky hair with sorta wings and flippy hair in the back was big. At least I was lead to believe it was. I always seemed to be a bit behind the times, if I recall. The Izod shirt was a standard for me, though. And the Levi's 501 jeans. Back then, there were no 'boot' or 'baggy' or 'straight' cut -- just regular cut. The shoes I wore out constantly were those brown leather Bass 'deck' shoes. No socks. Dork!

Care to take a closer look? Here ya go.

Nowadays, I don't really follow any sort of trend, however I would have to say that these dark narrow frames seem to be worn by everyone. Or maybe they used to? Again, me behind the times. I wouldn't know. But oh, I do love those Nike Vintage shoes. Yes, I do.

Me thinks I should've put color to this illo. Maybe next time?

UPDATE: Because I really should be spending my time on more important things like getting things ready for upcoming Mother's Day, I present to you....Me as a Teenager in TECHNICOLOR! Here ya go:



Closer look!

The Rising Gorge

The Rising Gorge, by S. J. Perelman. Cover art by noted artist Ben Shahn. 1961.

Love me some Shahn. I found this book at a flea market shindig in Aurora, OR, of all places. I saw the unmistakable Shahn type on the spine and grabbed it immediately.

More about S. J. Perelman.

More about Ben Shahn.

Thought it seemed fitting to post this today since I'm going in for either a root canal or tooth extraction later on. As crazy as it sounds, I'm hoping for extraction -- it's a wisdom tooth so I'm figuring that I don't really need the thing and I'd much rather get it over and done with and not have to come back for more dental work. But what do I know?

[sarcasm]Happy Monday![/sarcasm]

Nothing like Nonbreakable Vinyl

Finally got around to scanning some fun vintage children's records. I have to laugh every time I read on the cover that these records are "nonbreakable" or "unbreakable." Never underestimate the power of a 2 year-old, people. Seriously? Kids that age are tough. If something doesn't break right away, they'll find a way. Believe me. Anyway, some of these 45's came my way via the wifey. She'd buy one here and there and then suddenly, I'd have a nice little collection of cool old records. A few shown below were actually in her booth when she sold vintage items for a short while. Don't tell her, but I would secretly "re-own" them by stashing them under my shirt and put them safely away. Couldn't stand to see them leave my clutches. Does that make me a bad husband? Don't answer that.

Onto the "nonbreakable" records:


Tom Corbett: Space Cadet Song and March, A Golden Record. 1951. No mention of illustrator. Gotta love sci-fi of the 50's.


Michael Pinto of Fanboy.com posted about this record recently, sharing a little bit of insight about Tom Corbett: Space Cadet, which was a TV show that aired from 1950 to '55. Thanks for the mention, Michael!



Brave Cowboy Bill, A Golden Record. 1950. No mention of illustrator, but looks like JP Miller. Any suggestions? Aurelius Battaglia, perhaps?


The following two are from Columbia Records, where Alex Steinweiss created the concept of the album cover. These two have some sort of Steinweissian style to it, but there's no telling, since no illustrator credit is given. Good grief, Mr. Steinweiss is still alive! Give 'em a pound.


The Bear Went Over the Mountain b/w "A-Hunting We Will Go" and "Today is Monday (Soup Song)." Playtime Records. No mention of illustrator nor copyright date.

The center labels on these two 45's sport some nice illustrations. I'll have to scan them in some time.


Home On The Range b/w "Doney Gal." Playtime Records. No mention of illustrator nor copyright date.



Donald's Singing Lesson b/w "Pluto the Pup." A Little Golden Record. 1949. Illustrations credited 1948, '49 to Walt Disney Productions.



The Saggy Baggy Elephant b/w "Elephant's Walk." Little Golden Records. 1950. No mention of illustrator, but we know that this is based off the book by Gustaff Tenggrenn. Classic Little Golden Book. We had this book when I was a kid. One of my earliest memories involves The Saggy Baggy Elephant, wherein Mom would record herself reading the book for my sister and I. We then could take the tape and read along while she did housework or whatever. She did this with several of our favorite books -- oh, how I wished we still had those tapes. Mom, any idea where they could be?