Baiting title aside, Mickey Mouse really is more popular than Bugs Bunny. He sells a lot more merchandise, appears in far more places around the world and is lauded as a mascot for the company that operates ‘The Happiest Place on Earth.’ Bugs never even got such opportunities and yet as a character, he is far superior to Mickey. Why is that?
Adventure Time; a show famous for it’s awesome lead characters and bros for life, Finn and Jake but also for it’s great supporting cast of diverse female characters. Princess Bubblegum (Peebles), Marceline the Vampire Queen, and countless other princesses from the magical Land of Ooo. Yet McDonalds thinks that only boys deserve the show’s toys in their Happy Meals. What gives?
Bronies and Bronyism has long solidified itself into the broader cultural consciousness as a phenomenon with a lot of positive, inclusive qualities that have also been a contributing factor in the success of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. But has the fandom of Bronies ruined the enjoyment of the show for others and could a similar phenomenon have negative connotations for a different show?
Last week, I announced that the Week Links series of posts I publish would be moving to an email subscription platform. The reason is simple, an email newsletter is easier to put together than a blog post and I feel it suits readers better insofar as they don’t have to visit the blog to read it. That said, here’s a few reasons why you should add your email address to the list:
It’s All About Animation!
As far as I can tell (and goodness knows I’ve looked), there isn’t anyone out there compiling animation news and features into a concise list. Sure you can visit the larger animation websites, but you have to visit them all and filter through the commentary to boot.
This list presents the links and only the links. You come to your own conclusions!
It’s About More Than Animation
Rehashing links from the same sources covering similar topics over and over doesn’t make much sense, especially if you read those sites on a regular basis anyway. Instead, by subscribing to this list, you will get news and features that will impact the animation industry that you won’t find at the usual sources.
In Your Inbox Only Once A Week
I hate daily emails; all except one that is. That’s why RSS was invented and it’s what I tend to use instead of the deluge of daily updates. The Recommended Reading list will instead arrive once a week and only once a week. This stops you from getting annoyed and also ensures that you’re getting only the best articles; no filler junk.
Subscribing is Simple!
Put your email in the box below and confirm. No fuss, no muss.
Sprung upon the (non-Japanese) world last week was a series of lingerie based on the Disney Princess brand. Yet here in the west, a bit of a burhaha unfolded as people discussed the merits and demerits of such merchandise. In the midst of it all, people forgot that they might not be so weird, or so bad after all.
Running on the Smosh MNC (multi-channel network) on YouTube, this live-action/animation hybrid has returned for a second season after a successful initial one (2 million+ views). So why does Oishi High School Battle seem like the kind of animation that could actually be a hindrance to the broader commercial success of online animation?
Engineers are a funny bunch; it takes one to know one. They operate in a peculiar way, often envisioning something that is perceptible only to them. They also tend to love the art of engineering, and it’s way of solving problems using logical hypotheses and rational guesses. If it sounds boring, it kind of is; all forms of engineering operate at a slow pace. Given that an animated film is a problem of sorts, is it therefore possible to engineer it to succeed?
The start of a new year brings lots of potential with it and 2014 is no different. The recent hiatus was caused by a trip home to Ireland and the decision to take a complete break while I was there. It was also a time for contemplation in regards to the blog and how things will progress in 2014.
The posting schedule will continue on an almost-daily basis. The last few months of 2013 weren’t great for such a schedule, but things should be better in the new year with less things vying for my time.
I intend to get a proper podcast schedule up and running with guests on a regular basis to discuss all things animation. The first few trial episodes have given me a bit of a taste for it!
A few other ventures are in line for 2014 that I can’t talk about yet mainly because I’m still figuring out all the details, but needless to say I’m quite excited to get them up and running.
