Here’s a nice surprise. The trailer for Aaron Woodley’s Spark: A Space Tail which is opening next month, on April 14th. Jessica Biel, Susan Sarandon and Patrick Stewart topline the voice cast on this film – from our friends who created The Nut Job. This looks to be a vast improvement in visual quality and […]
Archive for February, 2017
Interview: Producer Rick Mischel Talks The TV Version of “Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs”
February 28th, 2017 
Jackson Murphy Following two highly-successful feature films, Sony Pictures Animation has decided to turn its “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” franchise into a TV series. Producer Rick Mischel is one of the creative forces behind the show, which provides fans with the backstory of Flint, Sam and the wacky world of Swallow Falls. Jackson Murphy: You […]
The Walt Disney Family Museum Presents Deja View: The Art of Andreas Deja
February 27th, 2017 Jerry Beck The next exhibition coming to The Walt Disney Family Museum this spring is a must-see: Deja View: The Art of Andreas Deja. It celebrates the work of one of the most accomplished character animators of our time. Running March 23rd through October 4th, the exhibition showcases original works on paper and maquettes of Deja’s most […]
“Our Next 4 Years”: Over 200 Oscar and Emmy Winning Animators Band Together To Create Animated PSAs
February 25th, 2017 Jerry Beck Our Next 4 Years, a new volunteer-run organization comprised of over 200 concerned animation professionals formed in the wake of the election, has released its first animated PSA. This funny and informative spot — Share in the Care: Defend the Affordable Care Act (directed by Mike Parker) — illustrates the problems with repealing the Affordable […]
FIRST LOOK: Patrick Stump (“Fall Out Boy”) on “Star Vs. The Forces Of Evil”
February 24th, 2017 Jerry Beck Disney XD’s hit Star Vs. The Forces of Evil has a surprise up its sleeve in next Monday’s episode – rocker Patrick Stump (“Fall Out Boy”) appears vocally to play a character who comes to the aid with a brand new song. On the episode “Face The Music”, which premiere’s Monday March 27th at 7pm […]
ANIME REVIEW: “Amagi Brilliant Park: Complete Collection”
February 23rd, 2017 Charles Solomon The broadcast series Amagi Brilliant Park boasts an impressive pedigree: Its original creator is Shoji Gatou, who wrote the light novels that served as the basis for the hit comedy-adventure Full Metal Panic! Former child actor Seiya Kanie (Adam Gibbs) is one of the brightest and best-looking students in his high school. But he’s so […]
TRAILER: Gkids “My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea”
February 21st, 2017 Jerry Beck GKIDS, the distributor of award-winning indie and foreign animation, has announced the release date of Dash Shaw’s first animated feature, My Entire High School Sinking Into The Sea. It splashes into theaters on April 14th. Shaw, celebrated author of such graphic novels as New School, Bottomless Belly Button and the recently-released Cosplayers, directs Jason Schwartzman, […]
INTERVIEW: Butch Hartman on Nick’s “Bunsen Is A Beast”
February 20th, 2017 Jackson Murphy It might seem “fairly odd” to have a best friend at school who’s not only non-human, but he also goes crazy when he eats beets. But coming from the mind and pen of animator/director/producer Butch Hartman, it’s not unusual at all. I recently spoke with Hartman about his new series, Bunsen is a Beast – […]
Animation Restorations Highlight UCLA’s 2017 Festival of Preservation
February 18th, 2017 Jerry Beck UCLA Film & Television Archive’s 18th Festival of Preservation kicks off in early March with a showcase of the latest restoration projects from its renown archive. In addition to undiscovered gems from classic Hollywood, rare silents, the films of Laurel & Hardy, 1960s television specials – and much more – the archive is devoting one […]
Posted in Events 
Tags: Asifa-Hollywood, Max Fleischer, UCLA Film and Television Archive 
7 Comments » FIRST LOOK: Cartoon Network’s “Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs”
February 16th, 2017 Jerry Beck Cartoon Network today announced a new TV series, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs will make its series premiere on Monday, March 6 at 5:30 p.m. (ET/PT). The mouth-watering comedy series is based on Sony Pictures Animation’s 2009 animated feature comedy hit Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and its 2013 sequel, Cloudy with a […]
New “Kubo” Featurette Details The Film’s Five Year Journey To The Screen
February 16th, 2017 Jerry Beck I’m a fan of all five of the films up for Best Animated Feature at this year’s Academy Awards. There’s no question that Kubo and The Two Strings pushed the medium of stop motion to new levels. This new featurette details the film’s five-year journey to the big screen. “Kubo,” which was an underdog Best […]
BOOK REVIEW & INTERVIEW: “The Lego Animation Book”
February 15th, 2017 Jackson Murphy “Everything is Awesome” about The LEGO Animation Book. This is an in-depth and entertaining manual for becoming a filmmaker (or rather, a “brickmaker”) and bringing LEGO videos to life. Beginners and expert LEGO “Master Builders” (both kids and your average AFOL – Adult Fan of LEGO) will find the content extremely valuable. Co-authors David Pagano […]
ANIME REVIEW: “Wolf’s Rain”
February 14th, 2017 Charles Solomon On the “Day of Destruction,” which occurred 200 years before the fantasy-adventure Wolf’s Rain (2003) begins, much of human civilization was destroyed. Wolves supposedly died out at the same time, yet the story centers on four humans who turn into wolves. Like the young father in Hosoda’s Wolf Children, they are wolfmen: not the violent […]
New GLAS Animation Festival Trailer Is A Visual Knock-Out
February 12th, 2017 Jerry Beck The 2nd Annual GLAS Animation Festival in Berkeley California is fast approaching (it’s March 2nd-5th, 2017) and competition selections, curated programs, special guests, and the complete festival schedule will soon be announced. In the meantime, the absolutely dazzling 2017 GLAS Feastival Trailer was released today – and its a visual knock-out. Take a look:
Who Will Win the Oscar? It Depends on Who You Ask
The Academy Awards are just over a week away and with speculation reaching a fever pitch on who will take home the coveted prizes, the feature animation race is starting to look slightly more competitive than in recent years. Who will win? It depends on who you ask. Reliability is the byword for the Oscars […]