Mickey Mouse is an cartoon character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks.
Before the rise of basic cable, Saturday mornings for many children in America were spent watching cartoons on one of three available television channels. From 1958 through the 1980s, a majority of those cartoons bore the imprint of Hanna-Barbera. Creating scores of popular series such as The Yogi Bear Show, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Jonny […]
Travis Knight is the President and CEO of Laika, the stop-motion animation studio behind Oscar-nominated hits Coraline, ParaNorman and The Boxtrolls. Their latest feature, Kubo and the Two Strings, opening this weekend, marks Knight’s directorial debut. He told me about some of the decade-long efforts of the studio, bringing Kubo to life, and a “mind-blowing” […]
Now available for pre-order is the long awaited history of the man and studio behind a few of the most famous cartoon characters and some of the greatest, most-influential animated films in the history of the medium. Author and historian Ray Pointer is a forty-year film and animation professional. He has spent a life time […]
Travis Knight’s Japanese-influenced Kubo and the Two Strings ranks as the best film the artists at the Portland-based Laika Studio have made, with a strong story, assured direction and strikingly original designs. One-eyed Kubo (voiced by a very appealing Art Parkinson) is a street performer in a seaside village, supporting himself and his widowed mother […]
Shout Factory is giving Remi Chaye’s feature Long Way North a US theatrical release commencing September 30th. This places another French-based hand drawn animated feature in competition in the Oscar race for 2016. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Rémi Chayé (The Secret of Kells) and produced by Sacrebleu Productions (Madagascar, Carnet de Voyage), Maybe Movies (Ernest […]
Entertainment Weekly has published an article reminiscing about the three original Nicktoons that turn 25 this year. It’s a memorable birthday for a trio of revolutionary cartoons, yet it’s an excuse to wonder what cartoons from today (if any) will be given the same treatment in 2041. The period of 1989 to 1991 witnessed radical […]
Today through next Sunday, August 14th, you can get a rare look at the actual stop-motion character figures, infinitely detailed sets and technical apparatus that have helped make Laika the Oscar-winning studio it is today. Following that odd, frequent theme park tradition of lengthy titles that the public shortens themselves anyway, Universal Studios Hollywood is […]
Once again, a do-not-miss event in New York City. John Canemaker will present Richard Williams at MoMA for the East-Coast premiere of the director’s cut of The Thief and the Cobbler. A three-time Oscar winner, Williams will be present for a discussion hosted by the animator and animation historian (and fellow Oscar-winner) John Canemaker on […]
Earlier this week, VIZ announced that they are releasing a cookbook based on Frederator’s web series Bee & Puppycat by Natasha Allegri. It’s somewhat surprising news, but begs the question of why an even more well-known cooking-based cartoon never got the same treatment? Remember Chowder? The Cartoon Network series about the eponymous plucky purple creature […]
Why Some Fans Are Giving Animation A Black Eye
Fandoms in general constantly contend with a minority that makes the majority look bad. If it isn’t long-term fans belittling newcomers, it’s one faction squaring off against another over some trifle disagreement. Fans arguing amongst themselves is nothing new, but when the anger gets directed towards creators or those on the creative team, the results […]