Charles Kenny

Being tall, Irish and a civil engineer by trade, Charles stands out in the animation crowd, hence his position as the Animation Anomaly.

Anomaly Approved: Ben Camberos

I follow a heck of a lot of blogs (c. 300 at present) and a heck of a lot of those blogs are artists, illustrators or animators. The vst majority of said blogs put out exceptionally good work. The rest also put out exceptionally good work, if only they would update more often! Ben, on the other hand, posts fairly regularly over on his blog.

Ben happens to be one of my favourites, mainly because his creations are totally consistent in their quality. He posts a wide variety of stuff, from sketches, works in progress, completed works and the odd photo or two thrown in for good measure.

His style is pretty unique, relying on strong lines, bright colours and physical features that I guess form a trademark of sorts of his work. He sure does make plenty of pin-ups though, and damned good ones at that. Some are perhaps slightly risque, but that should not detract you from checking out his gallery. His composure is superb and it is clear that he puts plenty of effort and attention into his work. Overall, he compares quite favourably to Messrs. Glines and Timm in terms of quality.

Besides those, ben also indulges his geeky side with plenty of action heroes, comic characters and anime(?) which add a good dose of variety to his work. It is clear to see that his experience serves him well in that regard.

Camberos keeps good company as the links part of his excellent website will attest to, with not one, but two artists already Anomaly Approved.

I would highly recommend checking out his website and blog. He is also currently taking commissions, which means that you too, could own your very own piece of Ben Camberos artwork.

Anomaly Approved: Ben Camberos Read More »

Quick Note: The Music in Ren and Stimpy

In the case of Futurama, the only thing that differes between the original episodes and the ones after the resurrection is the music. It is widely known that the full orchestra used in the latter has been replaced by synthesized instruments. This is not a serious flaw in any way, it just smacks of a blatantly lower budget for the series.

Anyway, the wee point I would like to make today is that John K. used a fairly large library of old music that he used in Ren & Stimpy. There are two reasons for this, firstly, John’s love of old music/culture (note the stylized designs and fictitious commericals for powdered toast) and secondly it was a huge cost-saver.

The use of such music does not in any way detract from an otherwise superb show, but it is clear that the two go hand in hand. Listening to the music on its own pulls you back in time to an age of big bands, Hollywood in its prime, the wonder that is outer space and of course, the hustle and bustle of city life.

I’m not exactly sure what proportion of a shows budget goes towards music (if anybody knows, please enlighten me in the comments) and I’m pretty sure it varies from show to show and network to network. However, Ren & Stimpy continue to stand alone in their use of old music. I think it any show (or film for that matter) set back in the day should use old music. But perhaps a more elaborate analysis is needed, which will have to be another day.

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How I Fell Head Over Heels for Scott Pilgrim.

Yes, as the headline clearly states, I really like the creation of one Bryan Lee O’Malley. How did this come to be? The only comics I had read on a regular basis before were the Uncle Scrooge comics I read as a kid (an after all those years, it was still a big thrill to see Don Rosa at a comic convention last year). Being not your average comic book fan but at the same time engaging with comic book fans on an almost daily basis, i could not help but be aware the the 6th and final volume of the Scott Pilgrim series was coming out.

A few people who are known to me were already fans and they were trumpeting the fact that this awesome series would be coming to an end with this volume. However, I brushed off such claims as the hypnotic cries of the brainwashed. Why would I ever be interested in a comic book that looks like it could have come from Japan (seriously though, I have nothing against manga, I just don’t happen to read it myself).

Perhaps fate was working late one night, but long story short, the girlfriend got a 40% off coupon for Borders. So I says to myself, what they heck, let’s mosey on down to the one around the corner and see if this comic is even barely worthy of the hype. I figured I would read a few pages and if it intrigued me, then it might be worth spending the few bob.

A somewhat larger chunk of change later and I finished the final volume, at work, on a Wednesday morning with the bosses permission I might add. How did things manage to do a complete flip in between? Is the series really that good, or did I simply manage to find a comic that appealed to me? Perhaps a bit of both, so it makes sense to elaborate more on the many strengths that attracted me to the series.

Let’s start with the entire plot itself. If you wanted to date a really cute girl and you had to defeat seven of her evil ex-boyfriends, wouldn’t you have an interesting story to tell? I’ll admit, it took till the end of the first volume for me to appreciate the scale of the entire story-arc. it was only in later volumes did I appreciate the complexity of it as well.

The plot however, is only one aspect. The way that O’Malley (ah, a good old Irish name if ever there was one) tells the story is even more important. If you look past all the video game and pop-culture references (and there are many), there is plenty of genuine humour extracted from the characters themselves. The series therefore doesn’t really rely on any crutches for comedic relief. Now granted, there is plenty of self-reverential jokes and indeed more than a few instances where the fourth wall is broken and that causes no problems at all. In fact it makes the comic less serious in and of itself. It is after all, not meant to be taken as seriously as say, Batman or most other ‘traditional’ comics.

The drawing style, simple as it is, does work towards the comics benefit. Some may find it too simple. but I tend to think that combined with O’Malley’s style of layout, it works quite well. The last thing we need is for a full page-panel to be over-bearing in its detail. The character design is almost too simple. I will admit, it took me a while to be able to readily distinguish everyone, but once I became familiar with everyone, that ceased to be a problem.

The characters themselves are what sealed the deal for me on the series. I tend to favour strong, complex characters that, while flawed in one way or another, are still complete overall. Of course, Scott Pilgrim represents one of the most complex characters in the series, who is developing all the way up until the final volume. In contrast, Ramona is already developed, it is the layers of her character that are peeled away as the series progresses that take her from being the most intriguing to being the deepest character of them all.

The wider cast are all unique. It’s also fun to see how they all mesh together or on occasion, clash spectacularly. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how they interact with each other outside of Scott or Ramona. Of all the outside characters, perhaps my favourite is Kim Pine. Not really sure why, she just seems the most down to earth of the lot, despite her constant bickering with Scott.

A good story is nothing without a requisite villain and in that, we have not one, but seven! I’m not going to go into too much detail, but suffice to say, they are a eclectic bunch, and add their own flavour to each one of the volumes. The head honcho is of course, Gideon, a sinister fellow if ever there was one. sadly, I can’t say much about him without ruining the ending.

Which leads us to Scott and Ramona. Both are characters with very complex pasts. Both have said histories revealed throughout the series, although in Ramona’s case, it is revealed a stage at a time, whereas the reader is left to piece Scott’s together until the end when everything is wrapped up. This makes the two of them immensely fascinating characters. Scott, the loveable eejit, Ramona the downright mysterious American girl.

So why the heck should I care whether they get together? I’ll be damned if I don’t have my own relationship to take care of first. That, I’m afraid is a tricky one to answer, because that is the key to the entire series’ success. Just why has everyone (including Hollywood) taken an interest in this pair? Perhaps it is ingrained deep in the human psyche to find that lifelong mate. The fear of loneliness if one doesn’t. We don’t want to see Scott end up alone, (it’s made quite clear in volume 1 that even after a year, he still has not gotten over the fact that Envy Adams dumped him). He is us, and by us, I mean me, as I read the comic. I sure as hell want to see him succeed, because I know that if I were in a similar situation, I’d be fighting my ass off too (and you wondered why they were called the Fighting Irish) if there was even the slimest of chances that I could get the girl of my dreams.

In the end though, the characters made all the difference for me. Sure I loved the humour (both gratuitous and non-gratuitous), but I fell in love with everyone in the series, and I guess that is why I like it so much.

Bryan Lee O’Malley deserves a hearty slap on the back for creating such an awesome series of books. Will the eejits in Hollywood screw it up? The folks at the Comic-Con say no. I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. In the meantime, I will be reading the series again from start to finish because there is so much take in, one reading does not do it justice.

Scott Pilgrim is the first comic series that I have collected, period. If that does not speak volumes about it’s quality, I don’t know what does, because I can be a very discerning person when it comes to the entertainment I love.

How I Fell Head Over Heels for Scott Pilgrim. Read More »

The Live-Action Version of the Failry OddParents

The Fairly OddParents is a show we all know and love. Not only has it lasted a heck of a long time on Nickelodeon, it also proved to be pretty popular with grown-ups to boot. I myself used to try and get home from college a wee bit earlier on Thursday afternoons to catch it on CBBC.

The show has gone through the usual twists and turns that long-running series’ go through, namely TV movies, crossovers and most notably, the addition of a new character. Which leads us to today’s announcement that the show will receive the live-action treatment in the form of a straight-to-TV movie.

Long story short (or for fun, read the full details over on AWN), the film will feature a 23 year-old Timmy Turner rather than the little scamp we have become familiar with. This stands in contrast to that other well known cartoon that was turned into a live-action movie, Ben 10, where the ages were kept pretty much the same.

I won’t spoil the plot (suffice to say it is surprisingly mature for a kids TV station) but I can’t help but feel that the inherent feeling of the cartoon will be lost, not just because of its transition to live-action, but because the characters will be radically different.

Personally, I am not a fan of taking cartoons (or anything in animated form really) and turning it into live-action. The point was made long ago that King of the Hill could so easily have been done in live-action that money was needlessly wasted on animation. However that would be missing the point, which is that that show could not have worked as live-action. The style of humour as well as the pacing would have rendered it far too boring, but in animated form, we tend to tolerate it.

Besides the nature of turning animated characters into actors, the whole basis of the cartoon was that Timmy could do anything he wanted. The very nature of animation facilitated his wishes, with humongous changes made in the blink of an eye. Such antics are again tolerated in animation because the audience accepts that what its seeing is not real. In live-action, everything must look and move as if it were real, otherwise the audience is reminded that it is not, which would defeat the purpose of making it live-action in the first place.

I do not mean to belittle the production seeing as nothing of it exists just yet. It will undoubtedly be of no worse quality than any other TV movie/kidcom. I just wish that producers/executives would look for more creative ways to expand their properties. Turning something into live-action seems bone-achingly lazy in the face of how many creative people there are out there who are just dying to get something on the air.

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The San Diego Comic-Con

Yeah I’m not going this year unfortunately due to school and work commitments. The Con itself is somewhat interesting as it features a pretty substantial animation presence, from individual animators all the way through to the corporate giants.

There is indeed much overlap between comics and animation, and I’m not talking about folks from one side being fans of the work of the folks on the other side. There are of course differences, no-one is suggesting that if you enjoy comics, you will automatically love animation or vice versa. That would be preposterous.

Indeed, it is perhaps the partial overlap that continues to stimulate creativity in both camps. Numerous have commented on the influence of various comics in their work. There is nothing wrong with that, in fact outside form of entertainment can greatly enhance the enjoyment factor of one form of entertainment. For example, imagine Scott Pilgrim without all the video game references? I can’t imagine what that would be like.

Anyway, the schedule is chock full of animation events including one from perennial attendees, Futurama, where the gang are likely to receive a rousing reception following the series triumphant return to TV screens this past month. Other panels of note include various animation-related ones ranging from advice to book signings. Cartoon Brew (as ever) has a complete list of animation-related events with times and locations.

The main reason that I would like to attend is to peruse both the small press section and the artists alley. I find both to contain numerous artists that I myself am a fan of and indeed their work. Of course, what better way to support your favourite artist by buying their stuff and meeting them in person to boot!

Of course, what would a comic-con be without all the folks who dress up as their favourite characters? In fairness, Comic-Con does have plenty of folks who go the whole hog and create some truly fantastic costumes. Personally, I ain’t much into that whole scene, but it is fun to see the pictures nonetheless 🙂

Of course, if you would rather enjoy a more animation-centric scene, you may be wiser to check out one of the many festivals that take place throughout the year, Ottowa is perhaps the best in North America. If a festival really isn’t your thing, you could attend the CTN Expo in Burbank, a convention put on by the Creative Talent Network. The first outing in 2009 received rave reviews so it is sure to become a regular feature on the animation calendar for years to come.

The San Diego Comic-Con runs until Sunday, July 25th. In the meantime, pay close attention to twitter for all the latest stories, gossip and tall tales from attendees and exhibitors alike.

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Cartoon Brew 3.0 is Here!

Folks in love with animation have numerous places to congregate on the web. However, none seems to rally the people like Cartoon Brew. It’s hard to believe that it’s been around for over six years now and my how it has changed.

The site started off as mostly a news/opinion blog co-authored by Jerry Beck and Amid Amidi. Why they decided on calling it a "Brew" I do not know, however it is fair to say that both gentlemen bring some really contrasting posts and commentary that is always welcome.

Over the years, the site has undergone periodical redesigns and updates that have helped keep things looking fresh. However, it is with this latest version that the Brewmasters as they are affectionately called, have upped the ante.

Their latest efforts have hit the right spot alright. The site has garnered a community of sorts over the years with a pool of regular commentors (yours truly included) but besides the daily posts and the odd competition, there wasn’t really anything about to serve the sites community bar a serious discussion in the comments.

All that has changed however! With the latest update, the site now boasts many more features designed to pull Cartoon Brew even close to the center of the animation universe on the web. There is now a series of rolling industry headlines, a series of top posts, and of course, the obligatory latest tweets. These are taken from the Brew’s animators directory that encompasses a wide range of folks from the community. We are promised that the list will change as appropriate. Is there a possibilty that I might get on there one day? Perhaps, a man can dream can’t he? Anyway, the list is a fantastic place to see the various happenings and goings on from folks in the industry.

In addition to these changes, the commenting system has been upgraded to allow threaded commenting and ratings too! The threaded commenting adds greatly to the idea of the site as a community. No longer will I seem to be replying blindly to other posts; I can now engage in discussion!

Two other items of note include the repositioned CBTV (currently in the midst of a so-far fascinating student film festival) and the surprise addition of CB Live! Of course, the Brewmasters have always been forthcoming in publicising events that they either organize or are attending, but this section is specifically for events organized and branded as Cartoon Brew-related. This is perhaps the biggest indication so far that the site does indeed have a real, living community of fans outside the web. I am very much looking forward to seeing what kind of events are in the pipeline, especially any on the East Coast.

Much lauded, Cartoon Brew continues to garner the type of following that only such hard work and dedication from its Brewmasters can bring. Version 3.0 will certainly continue the site’s growth as a center for news, commentary and informed discussion on all things animation that remains unparalleled on the net.

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Jumping Back Into the Fire

I’m jumping back into the fire again, God help me this time around what with work, school, weddings, Gaelic football and all rolled into the upcoming month!

There were plenty of exciting animation news announced while I was off. In case you missed them, here is a short list:

I also have a few ideas knocking around that i would like to post about but, but right now, the noggin is kinda fried as a result of a long day combined with pizza and ice-cream. See you tomorrow.

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Reminder: The Secret of Kells Outdoor Screening Tomorrow Night

Just a reminder to anyone even close to New York City that The Secret of Kells will be shown outdoors at the fancy sounding Socrates Sculpture Park as part of their 2010 season tomorrow night (July 14th). The event is organized by Rooftop Films, who basically do exactly what it says on the tin, showing films on rooftops!

As you should already know, The Secret of Kells is my absolute favourite animated film of the last couple of years and not just because it’s Irish! The film has had huge success in the US considering that it has received almost no promotion bar word of mouth!

This is an excellent opportunity to experience a wonderful film in an un usual place. Things kickoff at 7:00pm with live music before the film’s screening at 8:30pm.

Additional info can be found here.

THE SECRET OF KELLS – FREE SHOW
A free screening of this Academy Award nominated animated feature film
on the lawn at Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City, Queens. A
surprise Oscar nominee for Best Animated Film, THE SECRET OF KELLS
follows the adventures of 12-year old Brendan on a dangerous mission
to help complete a magical illuminated manuscript. Almost entirely
hand-drawn, this dazzling film, made in the iconic style of medieval
art, is a gorgeous antidote to the familiar style of today’s digital
animation.
http://www.rooftopfilms.com/2010/schedule/50-the-secret-of-kells

WHERE:
On the grass along the water at Socrates Sculpture Park
3134 Vernon Blvd. (Long Island City, Queens)

WHEN:
7:00 Live Music
8:30 Film Begins

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Roger Ebert’s Comments on The Last Airbender and Animation

It’s been established that I don’t really like film critics. It’s not a personal thing, for the most part, I tend to disagree with the way they review things. Having said that, I do hold certain ones in high regard, Roger Ebert being one of them. He’s pretty much seen everything at this point so he knows what he’s talking about when he says a film is pants. That’s not to say that you too will find it horrible, heck, he only gave one thumb up to How to Train Your Dragon and I absolutely loved it!

I am not certain whether or not Ebert is partial to animation or not, suffice to say that he does review almost all animated films being widely released. However, he is spot on with his review of The Last Airbender. He nails the movie itself, but his commentary on why it shouldn’t have been live-action hits the bullseye.

Leaving aside his thoughts on 3-D, the actors and the script, Ebert dives straight to what he sees a a fatal decision on behalf of the producers:

The first fatal decision was to make a live-action film out of material that was born to be anime. The animation of the Nickelodeon TV series drew on the bright colors and “clear line” style of such masters as Miyazaki, and was a pleasure to observe.

I tend to agree. Animated TV shows normally have a tough enough time succeeding on the big screen in animated form. To ask them to simultaneously make the jump to live-action is beyond even the best cartoons and Avatar is no exception.

Ebert declares his admiration for the clean, anime-influenced style of the cartoon. While it didn’t exactly set the animated world on fire, the show did draw deserved praise for its clever mixture of western animation skills and eastern looks. To the best of my knowledge, you can’t do something similar with live-action, unless of course your name is Quentin Tarantino.

Ebert also notes:

“It’s in the very nature of animation to make absurd visual sights more plausible. “

Which is why we can relate to a family with yellow skin and a talking sponge among other things. However, when taken to live-action, it is a tall task to ask audiences to accept circumstances and settings as being real. Sure we know they aren’t, but at least in animation we don’t expect them to be, in live-action we do. And no matter how technically perfect they appear, they still don’t seem real.

Would an animated version of The Last Airbender have been a better idea? Perhaps. It would certainly appeal to more fans of the original show and I am certain that it would not age as much as this new film surely will (think how old Lord of the Rings is starting to look, despite the bleeding edge technology that it used during production). As Ebert notes at the end of his review:

This material should have become an A-list animated film.

Except it isn’t. Let’s remember that animated films of animated TV shows make much more sense than live-action drivel.

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