Author: artofthecartoon

Pathway & Juxtaposed

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In my never-ending quest for inspiration, I found these two short animated films (via animationblog.org) by students at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Both seniors and both films as thesis projects, Sandy Hong and Alex Myung (Wagner) are on their way towards bright careers. I appreciate their creativity and I love both stories that they tell. I won’t go in depth or do any analysis of their films just yet. We are all starting out, and sometimes all that needs to be done, is just watch and be inspired… Enjoy!

Pathway/ Dir. Sandy Hong/ 2009

Juxtaposed/ Dir. Alex Myung (Wagner)/ 2009 

Art of Warner Bros. Cartoons

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IMG_0034Since I am currently (and will always be) a student of animation, when I heard that the exhibition, Art of Warner Bros. Cartoons, was coming to Seattle’s MOHAI (Museum of History and Industry), I knew I had to make time to go see it. 

Art of Warner Bros. Cartoons gives a little insight into the history of Warner Bros. Cartoons. The exhibit does a good job of showing the process in which Warner Bros. Cartoons were made. There are character model sheets of your favorite Looney Tunes personalities. There are also animation cells, animation drawings, background paintings, story concepts, etc… 

The exhibit is simple and straightforward, and for me truly inspiring. If you have read some of the other posts on this blog, you know that I hold these Looney Tunes shorts in high regard. Not only do they bring back memories of childhood, they are also classic examples of top-notch animation. I would put these shorts against any of the cartoons that come on TV nowadays. 

Suffice to say I spent a good hour/ hour and a half in this exhibit alone. 30 minutes of which was just me watching old Bugs Bunny shorts. After that, I was ready to do what was necessary to keep on following this far-fetched dream of mine. Warner Bros. Cartoons has this great legacy, and I was ready to start making my own legacy. And how would I do that, I headed to the library to study and do my homework… 

(hit the jump to see pictures of this exhibition) Continue reading →

Punch-Out Documentary…

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At first I thought this was a clever spoof, but I think this is officially Nintendo. If it’s official then it’s brilliant. If not, it’s still pretty funny! Oh and I am super stoked for the new Punch-Out thats coming out for the Wii.

Piston Hondo! LOL! Hey he’s just doing his jab…

EDIT: Just checked out the official punchout.com site, the dude’s name is ACTUALLY Piston Hondo!

Review: Les Triplettes de Belleville

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Les Triplettes de Belleville/ dir. Sylvain Chomet/ 2003/ France

Triplets_of_Belleville-PosterLes Triplettes de Belleville (English: Triplets of Belleville) is the story of Madame Souza and her son, Champion, who is an aspiring cyclist. During the Tour De France, Champion and 2 other cylclists are kidnapped by the French Mafia and brought to Belleville. Madame Souza heads to Belleville, where she meets the Triplets of Belleville,  a trio of aged starlet singers, who helps Madame Souza rescue her son.

Okay, so from that synopsis this movie sounds pretty bland, but believe me, this movie had me transfixed to the screen. If you thought Wall-E was bold for having the first 40 minutes with no dialogue, Les Triplettes de Beville has NO dialogue! The whole story is told through pantomine, facial expressions, body language  and music and it is a masterpiece to behold. Continue reading →

Filipin@s: Al Robles

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A Melancholy Rest in Power to Manong Al Robles, who passed away this past weekend.

manong-al

Community Activist and poet, Manong Al was most known for his work with the I-Hotel community. Here’s the trailer for Manilatown Is In The Heart, which followed Manong Al Robles:

filipin1fall-of-i-hotelEven though this site focuses alot on animation, cartoons, comic books, and video games, this site deals not only with the things that are related to cartoons and animation, but also the things and people that inspire me to keep doing my art, to keep learning, and to keep me focused on the community and the people. 

That is why I highlight Manong Al. His narraration, presence and poetry in the documentary The Fall of the I-Hotel directed by Curtis Choy was one of the big reasons why I decided to get my degree in American Ethnic Studies at the University of Washington and soon after, begin my work with the community. This was the catalyst that helped me finally gain enough confidence to call myself an artist. This in turn, eventually lead me down the path of becoming an animator so that I could share stories of the people, of the community through the medium of animation. 

Manong Al did so much for the community through his actions and his words. I hope I do half as much with my actions and my animation. And I hope we all remember the life of a great man.

Rest in Power Manong Al Robles…

Other Tributes to Manong Al Robles:

Prometheus Brown’s The Fall of the I-Hotel Review

Hyphen Magazine

Philippine American Writers and Artist, Inc. 

League of Filipino Students – SF State

thaswassup

Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao vs. Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton

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Of course I was watching this highly anticipated boxing match between the Filipino People’s Champ, Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao and the proud Briton with a legion of UK fans, Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton. Manny is the pound-for-pound #1 pugilist in the world, while Ricky Hatton was the lineal Junior Welterweight Champ and was supposedly one of the toughest fighters out there. Notice the past tense and the  “supposedly” when describing Ricky Hatton, because that dude got destroyed by the Pride of the Filipino People, Manny Pacquaio to the tune of a 2nd round KO! Watch the fight here:

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “Manny Pacquiao vs Ricky Hatton on Vimeo“, posted with vodpod


I thought it would only be appropriate to use this as a film study to look at 2 basic principles of animation: Squash & Stretch, and Anticipation. Hit the jump to watch the breakdown… Continue reading →

5 Things That A Wolverine Movie Needs…

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I saw X-Men Origins: Wolverine last night. Instead of my usual review, I thought I would switch it up. Here is a list of 5 things that I think a Wolverine movie needs:

sabretoothAwesome Villain(s): Wolverine is the toughest and most bad-ass X-Man ever! I won’t even argue with someone who doesn’t think so. Case and point, I downloaded an anime podcast once, the two hosts started the podcast by saying that Wolvie was weak  and that Cyclops (CYCLOPS!) was tougher. That podcast got an immediate delete! Anyway, a bad-ass character needs a bad mutha-fuggin villain and Wolvie has one of the best rogues galleries. Even though Sabretooth is the obvious nemesis,  Omega Red, Cyber, Lady Deathstrike, and the Hulk work just as well. 

 Jack Bauer-like: When folks think about Wolverine, it’s the claws that most people think of. However, Wolvie is so much more than that. Before the adamantium thing, Logan was quite the soldier/ secret agent.  He used strategy, his instincts, and the environment around him to help out. If he wanted to, he could be as stealthy as a ninja one minute, then unleash rage the next. He was Jack Bauer before Jack Bauer… jack-bauer

wolverine56Team X/ Weapon X:  These two things go hand in hand.  Team X was huge part of Wolvie’s life. The characters of Deadpool, Maverick, Silver Fox and Sabretooth play huge roles in Wolvie’s life. Logan was arguably the best one out the secret black-ops team known as Team X. This was the reason he chosen for the Weapon X program which bonded that adamantium to his skeleton. The procedure was so painful, damaging and and draining that part of his healing factor was lost along with most of his memories (with the help of those doctors and scientists). Plus that Weapon X helmet was fuggin awesome!

Berserker Rage: There has to be at least one point in a Wolverine Movie that Wolvie just loses it and becomes the animal that is festering inside his mind. No dialogue, no thought process, just pure animal rage and a lot of asses kicked! Wolvie’s berserker moments are some of the best action sequences in comic books. cover-large

wolvie-lonerSearch for Identity: . After the Weapon X thing, he spends years trying to reclaim his past and find out who he was or is. Before the Weapon X thing, Wolvie was always unsure of his place in the world. So the most important thing about a Wolverine movie is his never ending search for his identity. 

Bonus Points: Extra credit for the movie if some nods to other Marvel characters that influenced Wolvie makes it into the film. How about during a WWII flashback, we see a soldier named Steve Rogers? Or maybe, someone asking Logan about helping find a missing doctor, Dr. Bruce Banner? huh… anyone … anyone? war-machine-captain-america-hulk

So did the X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie hit on all the things I wanted? Hit the Jump to find out! Continue reading →

“Birthday Boy” dir. Sejong Park (2004) Korea

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Birthday Boy/ dir. Sejong Park/ 2004/ Korea

birthday_boy_pBirthday Boy takes place in 1951 during the Korean War. It follows a young boy named Manuk (not Manok… if you don’t know ask a Filipino), as he plays war games while living, ironically, in a war torn village. He longs to be a soldier, and on his birthday he receives a special present.

Birthday Boy, while only minutes long, is a compelling film, and one that really makes you think about the effects of war. Everything in this short just comes together beautifully. Sejong’s animation, especially on Manuk’s facial expression and poses, is awesome. The sound design which is gentle and subtle, match perfectly with the mood and setting of this short. Sejong Park does a masterful job of showing the innocence of Manuk while at the same time showing the devastation and ravages of war. You can’t help but feel some sorrow as Manuk, totally oblivious of the war-torn world around him, plays war games and longs to be part of the same world that has caused all the havoc that is around him.

See this Oscar nominated short here:

Vodpod videos no longer available.


Review: Wonder Woman (Animated Film)

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Wonder Woman (animated film)/ dir. Lauren Montgomery/ 2009

0723n_wwdvdcoverFrom what I remember, there have only been two iterations of Wonder Woman in animation history. The Super Friends version, which was cool, albeit a watered-downed kiddy version of Wonder Woman (still classic though!). And the Bruce Timm Justice League Wonder Woman, where she kicked more ass than Superman. This version of Wonder Woman (the Bruce Timm version) was hardcore and was one of my favorite characters in that series. Alas, Wonder Woman was always part of the “team”, and unlike the other of the big 2 DC Superheroes (Batman & Superman), she never had a solo show of her own. 

This all changed with the release of the Wonder Woman animated film. Still not her own show, at least she gets her own animated film. With Bruce Timm producing, this Wonder Woman sets herself apart from the other iterations of animated Wonder Women.  (Hit the jump for the rest of the review) Continue reading →