Andy Knight

In Loving Memory of Andrew Knight

He was a true friend. As did many others I had such deep respect and admiration for this man. His funeral was today and from all reports it was pretty darn impressive. I so wish I could have attended .... to be continued.

Miss Genie

Many thanks - to those who helped deliver our genie tag and may the fleas of a thousand and one camels turn into ten dollar bills and infest your bank account. Advertising ... biGSigh ... but hey, the pride sure shows in the work and it does pay the bills. Curious casting for the live. The one gal who asks "What'll I be when I grow up?" looks as though she'd be ready for college in the fall.

Miss Genie crew ... you are golden.
Tony De Rosa - Darlie Brewster - Seo Jin Lee/April - Lieve Miessen - Rachel Bibb - Natasha Selfridge - Jan Naylor - Philip Pignotti - Jonathan Archambault and the amazing Azariah Owens.

-very special thanks to the wonderful Helen Polise and all involved at Funky Pumpkin NYC .

Hands...

Zoltan Maros - extraordinary artist/animator from Budapest had made this model sheet from his own work on the first Asterix feature productions 1985-86 with Gaumont Film in Paris - either "Asterix et le Surprise de Cesar" or "Asterix Chez les Bretons." My previous post on hands reminded me of this ... still had it ferreted away.

A darling of my collection and perhaps now yours.

Uwe Heidschoetter!

Simply must publish some Uwe Heidschoetter.

Goes without saying there are some absolutely amazing talents out there and I think I'd like to be part of the "blog fission" so to speak and be conduit. There is something in Uwe's work that I find seriously attractive ... beyond the pure talent, academics and design sensibilities.

Hands! Yes, at a very early level in my education I learned from my intructors and the great animators I've tutored under that the ability to draw hands, WELL, was indicative of one's overall understanding of anatomy. As they did, I now look at the way individual artist's 'handle hands' as a gauge of skill level, where that artist is academically and as well... their attitude toward it all or wanting to learn and improve. I seemed to have developed a pretty good antennae to when adressing hands and planting feet, particularly in life drawing, has been avoided and or diminished in importance.

Anyways enuff. Love this stuff. Get well! Uwe.

Bad Baaad Blogger

Bad Blogger, Bad Blogger, where have you been?
To development hell and all points inbetween . . .

Just returning from vacation to my native Canada and realize how difficult it is (for me anyway) to maintain any responsibility as a blogger. No reason and no excuses, just plain guilty. Oh well...

It's been a spring of exciting “almost’s” and a summer of projects with such great potential … shelved. I have a knack for finding myself in development limbo. I will, however, take the liberty to publish just a taste of “Alfred Kropp.” from the book by Rick Yancey and an absolutely terrific script by David Iserson. A modern day quest/action/adventure thrill ride with a whole lot of heart that ... through themes of Excalibur and Arthurian legend ... shows us the deep potential in all of us as ‘everyday heroes’ and proves just how extraordinary ‘ordinary’ can be.

In doing so … I gratefully thank the lovely, inimitable and wonderfully talented - Vicky Jenson - réalisateur extraordinaire of Shrek, Sharktale and Family Tree -et al- who found faith in me to help visualize this live action/animation project and to even consider my story notes. All simply rough storyboard pitch material to Warner Bros. Development by the way and given their 'red light' ... Well, I'll just have to say that inevitably, on theme and true to character "Alfred Kropp" will persevere in finding a home and will win it's way to the big screen.

Never say die.

Houba Houba!

M.I.A.
Ah yes... to be a responsible blogger. Been a while but I do have reasons (not excuses). Now that remodeling the home studio and a much overdue reconfiguration of systems is finally complete I could not be happier. As have many, I've waited for this day, Intel Mac with Universal Creative Suite 3 ... nice.
So to blog ... I could think of far too many people whose arses I could blatantly/justifiably slather with praise even while knowing it would do me no good and that it would most certainly not curry any industry favors. As well, the only thing that exceeds my skill and talent is my willingness to share, right? So perhaps I could publish to pontificate, preachify. Hmmm, laughable to say the least. Anyway, I'll break my silence with a little treasure that also went missing for some time, years in fact, until a friend visiting from France cracked a dusty Roy Armes paperback on French Cinema and it fluttered to the floor. Ah yes, that's where I put it back in 199? Of course, as the French do so love Tex Avery, my friends eyeballs were there on the floor too -

he> "Was this really drawn by Franquin?!!"
me> "Absolutement!"

Had the wonderful opportunity to meet him at Disney while boarding a few Marsupalami shorts.

Hey Clarence, Remerciez-le de ma part.

Houba Houba! André Franquin 1924-1997

Jack Miller ~ Mary Blair

I must post these as some may not so easily access the publication generously supplied by ASIFA and as many will find in "Cartoons - The International Journal of Animation / John Canemaker's article "In Search of John Parr Miller".
These gorgeous caricatures of Mary Blair by John Parr (Jack) Miller on the good will tour of South America in 1941 that produced Saludo's Amigos 1943 (designed and color styled by both Mary Blair and Miller.) His yummy drawings for the Baby Weems sequence in Reluctant Dragon attracted Walt's attention and apparently garnered the invitation.
"Indeed he seemed downright smitten with the very married Mary Blair judging by the numerous caricatures he drew of her throughout the trip" ... and you can certainly tell.
It's what he's seeing and feeling, the chemistry of the situation and not the academics of the drawing that blow me away. It's about their shared language of shapes, light, the colors however limited and most of all ... the glowing adoration.

John Parr (Jack) Miller (1913-2004) another of Disney's 109 old men and women... unsung.