Here’s a few recent doodles from my sketchbook, including an attempt at caricaturing Norm Peterson from Cheers. (Caricature is not my strong suit.)
MicroCon is Coming!
Attention Minnesota comic book and animation fans! MicroCon 2008 is returning to the State Fairgrounds on Sunday, April 27.
MicroCon is Minnesota’s second largest comic book convention (the largest being FallCon, a two-day event in October). It’s a fun gathering of artists, retailers, and fans. Expect to see dozens of artists including pencillers and inkers from Marvel and DC, local animators, and even a few freelance illustrators. There will also be plenty of dealers selling/trading comics and toys, and some fun door prizes. Here’s my post about last year’s MicroCon.
As always I’ll have a table and be showcasing some of my artwork. Stop by and say “hi”!
MicroCon is this Sunday, April 27 from 10am-4pm. The first 500 visitors get a free grab bag of assorted goodies. More info at the official MicroCon website.
“Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed” Opens Tonight
I generally try to keep this blog about art-related topics, but every once in a while something completely unrelated grabs my attention. I beg your indulgence.
Do you ever look up at the stars and wonder, “How on earth did we humans ever get here in the first place? Were we created by God, or did we evolve on our own from a puddle of goo zillions of years ago?”
It’s an important question with big implications, and is certainly worthy of discussion and debate. However, the scientific and educational establishments don’t always see it that way. In many intellectual circles Darwin’s theory of evolution is the only legitimate explanation for the origin of life, period.
Actor, businessman, and columnist Ben Stein (best known for his comedic role in Ferris Beuller’s Day Off) has produced a very serious documentary about the debate between Intellgent Design and Evolution. In Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed he claims that scientists and educators put their careers at risk if they dare question Darwin’s theories, or worse, subscribe to the idea that the universe just may have been designed by an intelligent Creator. For many scientists and scholars, to publicly challenge Darwin’s secular ideology can be nothing short of career suicide.
I think Stein is on to something.
Lest you think Stein is just one of those conservative right-wing “nut-jobs”, consider the following: He is not a Christian (he’s Jewish); he’s a respected columnist whose writings have appeared in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times; and last year he gave $2,000 to the Senate campaign of the ultra-liberal Al Frankin. Stein hardly fits the stereotype of a religious “fanatic”.
Here’s the trailer for Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed:
This looks extremely interesting to me. [EDIT: I heard an interview with Stein on the radio today where he stated that Expelled has very high production values (as documentaries go) and in terms of cost-per-minute it is possibly the most expensive documentary ever made. There’s even a sequence that is all-animation.]
As I’ve written before (here and here), while I’m not a scientist it seems clear that there are serious scientific problems with the theory of evolution, problems that are worth discussing. The question of how we human beings came to be is an important one with huge implications. Unfortunately, it’s not only risky for some to question Darwinism publicly but it’s even illegal to teach anything but evolution in some public schools. (If you think I am overstating the case, read this news story).
Stein’s message is one that I think needs to be heard. Of course Michael Moore, Al Gore, and James Cameron have all shown us how easy it is for documentary filmmakers to play fast and loose with the facts. I hope Stein will do better, but I will be watching Expelled with a critical eye just in case. At the very least, Expelled should create lots of discussion and inject some new energy into a very important debate
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (official site) premieres tonight in movie theaters nationwide.
[EDIT: I’ve seen the movie and it’s very well done. Much better than I thought it would be. Intelligent, thought-provoking, captivating, and sprinkled with humor. No matter which side of the debate you are on, this one is a must-see!]
Animation Notes From Ollie Johnston and John Lasseter
The passing of legendary Disney animator Ollie Johnston has stirred a lot of emotion, memories, and discussion among animators and animation fans. In that spirit fellow Minnesotan Robbie Halvorson sent me a link to some of Ollie’s notes on animation. The notes came from Disney animator G. Scott Owen Pixar’s John Lasseter, who writes:
When I was an animator at the Disney Studios, I had a xeroxed list of simple notes from one of the great Disney animators, Ollie Johnston, pinned to my drawing table. The list was originally written down by another great Disney animator, Glen Keane, after working as Ollie’s assistant for a few years.
Robbie also sent me a link to some more notes on animation, also attributed to Pixar’s John Lasseter:
Tricks To Animating Characters With A Computer
These notes are loaded with valuable information and highly worth reading. And they aren’t strictly for animators only. Much of the information can also apply to anyone (like myself) who works in humorous illustration or cartooning.
Disney Legend Ollie Johnston Passes Away
Animation legend Ollie Johnston, the last surviving member of Walt Disney’s famous “Nine Old Men”, passed away yesterday (April 14, 2008). He was 95.
Johnston was a phenomenal artist and widely regarded as one of the world’s greatest animators. In 1935 he was hired to work at the Disney studio alongside his pal Frank Thomas. They rose to become two of Disney’s top animators and remained lifelong best friends. They co-wrote several books on animation including Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life (Amazon.com link
Johnston animated such classic characters as Pinocchio, Bambi, Thumper, Alice in Wonderland, and Winnie the Pooh. He and Frank also animated large portions of The Jungle Book. It’s been said that over half the film is Frank and Ollie’s work.
Animators are sometimes referred to as actors with pencils. Frank and Ollie didn’t just fit this definition, they defined it. They were superb draftsmen and their characters gave Oscar-worthy performances.
Franklin Roosevelt referred to the Supreme Court as his “Nine Old Men”. As a joke, Walt Disney borrowed the term to describe his nine top animators. Though they were young men at the time, the name stuck. All nine went on to become legends at the studio. Frank and Ollie were the last surviving members of the group. Frank passed away in 2004.
It’s hard to overstate the influence Frank and Ollie have had on the animation industry. Besides being animation pioneers and writing classic books on the subject, after Walt Disney’s death they helped train a new generation of Disney animators. Oscar-winning director Brad Bird is a huge fan of their work and gave the pair animated cameos in both The Iron Giant andThe Incredibles.
Here’s a few samples of Ollie’s work. His passing truly marks the end of an era for animation fans, and he will be dearly missed.
(Artwork copyright © Disney. All rights reserved.)
EDIT: Some of today’s top animators are sharing their thoughts on Ollie’s passing. Brad Bird, Floyd Norman, and John Canemaker have all written tributes. The official Disney press obituary includes comments from Glen Keane, Andreas Deja, and Roy E. Disney.
Mascot Contest Winner Announced!
The mascot contest is over. Everyone who correctly identified all twelve products was eligible for the final drawing. I put all the names into a baseball cap and my one-year-old daughter drew the winner (with a little help from Mommy).
Congratulations to Robert Miller for winning. He will receive a free copy of the new book Hi-Fi Color For Comics: Digital Techniques for Professional Results
In order to be entered in the drawing you had to name the correct product for each mascot. The answers are:
- Lucky Charms cereal
- Serta mattresses
- Keebler cookies/crackers
- FrankenBerry cereal
- Bartles & Jaymes wine coolers
- Charmin toilet paper
- Domino’s pizza
- Aflac insurance
- Green Giant vegetables
- Esurance insurance
- Scrubbing Bubbles
- StarKist Tuna
Thanks again to everyone who submitted answers. About 70% of you got them all right and were entered in the drawing. I got a lot of positive feedback on this contest, so if I can come up with a good prize to give away I may decide do another one in the near future.