Quirino Cristiani, The Untold Story of Argentina's Pioneer Animator
In celebration of Quirino Cristiani's centennial, we are republishing Giannalberto's classic profile of the Italian immigrant who made the world's first two animated features.
Robert Breer: Animator
Once of America's most prominent independent animators, Robert Breer continues to explore historical perspectives and experiment with new techniques. Jackie Leger looks at his career, past and present.
The Olympiad of Animation: An Interview With Fini Littlejohn
In 1984, ASIFA-Hollywood and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences put on a unique mini-animation festival as part of Los Angeles' Olympic Arts Festival. Harvey Deneroff profiles the woman behind the Olympiad of Animation, along with listings of films, including the landmark poll of the 50 greatest animated films of all time.
Desert Island Series....The Olympiad of Animation
Picks from Olympiad animators Melinda Littlejohn, Raul Garcia, George Schwizgebel and Jonathan Amitay.
Zagreb 96
The 12th World Festival of Animated Films was held June 10-14, 1996 in Zagreb, where artists, journalists and lovers of animation from around the world gathered to watch more than 50 films representing the best in international animation. Although it is only one in a growing number of important international animation events, Zagreb is unique among festivals for several reasons. Most importantly, it represents not only the proud heritage of Croatia's famed Zagreb School of animation, but also a significant political and cultural institution for the emerging democratic Croatian society....
The Great Adventures of Izzy--An Olympic Hero for Kids
A look at the making of the first TV special based on an Olympic games mascot.
TVC, 1957-1997
TVC, one of Britain's most innovative studios is getting ready to shut down. Jill McGreal talks to John Coates, who succeeded founder George Dunning, and celebrates 40 years of creativity.
The Mighty Animator, Frédéric Back
The director of such films as films as Crac!, The Man Who Planted Trees and The Mighty River talks with William Moritz about filmmaking, the environment and his teacher, Mathurin Meut.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Hunchback of MTV?
Frollo, narrator of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. © Walt Disney Pictures.Max Fleischer's motto was "If it could be done with live action, it's not animation," and Dave Fleischer once griped to me about how many thousands of times he had to repeat that to the animators over the years to get them to improve their work with those imaginative, visionary impossibilities that belonged exclusively to the realm of creative animation. What would the poor Fleischer brothers think about the current animation scene, in which almost every animation studio is involved in duplicating...
No Matter What, Garfield Speaks Your Language
Attorney Pam Schechter explores the ways cartoon characters are exploited and the type of money that's involved.
Editor's Notebook
The Independent Spirit and An Invitation.
Don Bluth Goes Independent
When Don Bluth suddenly left Disney in the late 1970s to strike out on his own, it led to a chain of events that sparked today's renaissance in feature animation. Jerry Beck provides a brief memoir of the days when Bluth appeared to be animation's white knight and could do no wrong.
Transfixed and Goggle-Eyed
R.O. Blechman, who has long charmed us with his films and illustrations, takes a humorous and often sardonic look at the resurgence of all things Disney and what it all means.
Shifting Realities: The Brothers Quay--Between Live Action and Animation
The Brothers Quay, those enigmatic masters of stop motion, have now come forth with The Institute Benjamenta, their first "live-action" feature. Suzanne Buchan takes a look at the film and their career.
Ghost In The Shell
Do You Hear A Whisper In Your Ghost?
Instinctive Decisions-- Dave Borthwick, Radical Independent.
Dave Borthwick and bolexbrothers studios represent the best of Bristol's thriving animation underground. Their productions include the feature-length Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb, which is a far cry from the usual version of the Grimm fairy tale.
Desert Island Series....Independents on the shore!!!
It takes unique talent, persistence, and lots of creative confidence to be an independent filmmaker in today's animation global market, especially in the feature film arena.
I had a chance to catch up with some of the best for this month's island retreat--Bruno Bozetto (Allegro Non Troppo), Richard Williams (The Thief and the Cobbler [Arabian Knight]), R.O. Blechman (L'Histoire du Soldat) and Bill Plympton (The Tune).
Bruno Bozetto's top 10 picks if stranded on a desert island... "Personally, if I were stranded on a desert island I prefer taking Sharon Stone rather than 10...
The Trance Experience of Zork Nemesis
Donna La Breque interviews Activision producer Cecilia Barajas about the company's new hybrid animated-and-live action offering, Zork Nemesis--the latest in the ongoing Zork saga.
Lotte Reiniger
The long and varied career of Lotte Reiniger, best known for her exquisite Adventures of Prince Achmed, one of the first feature-length animated films ever made, is detailed by William Moritz
Plympton's Metamorphoses
Bill Plympton, the master of the outrageous, is in the midst of making his newest feature, I Married a Strange Person., in which, as Mark Segall reports, the noted animator puts us through some strange changes.
Cabin-Fever Animation
The recent Siberian winter in Winnipeg may have been marrow-freezing, eyeball-aching weather, but it was also perfect animation weather. Gene Walz provides a rundown of what's been happening with the likes of Neil McInnes, Cordell Barker and Brad Caslor, among others.
Claire Parker, An Appreciation
Alexandre ("Alosha") Alexeff and Claire Parker (ANight on Bald Mountain [1933], The Nose [1963], Pictures at an Exhibition [1972], etc.), loved to introduce themselves as "the artist and the animator," i.e., he was the one who created the images and she choreographed them.
Mary Ellen Bute: Seeing Sound
Bill Moritz chronicles the work of pioneer experimental animator Mary Ellen Bute, whose films gained an unexpected acceptance by both Hollywood and the public.
Jim and Stephanie Graziano: An Interview
Last November, Jeffrey Katzenberg asked Jim and Stephanie Graziano to head up production for DreamWorks' new television animation division. While the offer was not surprising, given the Graziano's track record, what was surprising is how readily they accepted...
Splendid Artists: Central and East European Women Animators
Although women did not play the most prominent roles in the policy making bodies, they were particularly visible in all kinds of artistic activities blossoming in the years after the Revolution...
