While there are complaints aplenty about the attendant evils social media and the internet, the reality is, as with any technology, that we have gained far more than we have lost. Access to massive online audiences has allowed creators of all kinds to reach people who would never have seen Continue Reading
Animation
They’re not going down without a fright: Happy Halloween, Scooby-Doo!
SNAPSHOTScooby-Doo and Shaggy’s favorite holiday is upon us! With fake monsters and candy galore, Halloween is heaven for these hungry foodies going door-to-door. But this year, their sweet holiday turns sour when the neighborhood pumpkin patch is infected by toxic ooze, creating high-flying jack-o-lanters, and a king-sized pumpkin leader squashing Continue Reading
Pop culture festiveness! The 5 ornaments I hung on my #ChristmasInJuly tree
I have put up a Christmas in July tree! Those who know me well will not be surprised by this at all, since I love Christmas with the same fervour and passion that I reserve for caramel cheesecake and releases of new books by my favourite authors. But in previous Continue Reading
The short and the short of it: “B is for Ben” and the problems of leaving an alien planet
SNAPSHOTBen is having problems getting back to his spaceship on a stranded desert planet. He is an astronaut, he has gadgets, what could go wrong? (synopsis via Laughing Squid) Hands up anyone who wants to be stuck on an arid alien planet? No one? Thought so. Into that large number, Continue Reading
Believing is everything: Over the Moon and the magically propulsive power of hope
SNAPSHOTFueled with determination and a passion for science, a bright young girl builds a rocket ship to the moon to prove the existence of a legendary Moon Goddess. There she ends up on an unexpected quest and discovers a whimsical land of fantastical creatures. Directed by animation legend Glen Keane, Continue Reading
How animated characters got their groove: The inspired marriage of Rotoscope and Cab Calloway
SNAPSHOTIt started with Max’s brother Dave dancing on a roof in a clown costume. Footage of that was then used to model the classic Koko the Clown cartoons, which formed the basis for many Fleischer Studios films. Today, animators still use techniques like rotoscoping to turn real movement into animation. Continue Reading
Weekday pop art: Inking pop culture fun into your life
SNAPSHOT“Tattoo culture is very small, loving, and supportive. My tattooer friends and I are trying our best to show everyone that tattoos are nothing less than an expression of art. …I tried to find a way to express my classical painting knowledge within a size that could fit people who Continue Reading
The short and the short of it: Out (Pixar SparkShorts)
Coming out is one of the most terrifyingly great things anyone on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum can do in their life. Terrifying because you are exposing yourself in such a massively vulnerable way that there is really no way to head anything off at the pass – you simply have to Continue Reading
The short and the short of it: Speedy the Turtle becomes a town’s newest hero
SNAPSHOTWakiki island is in peril by the destructive powers of the evil tiki god Tori, only one turtle is brave enough to stop him: Speedy the Turtle! (synopsis courtesy YouTube) What is it with Big Bads and their love of world-enslaving bling? They crave the stuff and it’s always up Continue Reading
“I wish I knew how to quit you”: Iconic movie lines get animated in the funniest of ways
At the heart of every great movie sits a sparkling, literate, narratively-rich screenplay. It’s not the only thing that at play, of course, but a movie without inspired writing might look flashy and beautifully-produced but will always feel more than a little hollow and insubstantial. Proof of how important superbly-rendered Continue Reading