Friday, December 4, 2009

WTD?: Recombined

The word that came out of the random word generator this week for What the Doodle? was RECOMBINED. Here's what the FableVision crew came up with.


John Lechner


Adam Ziskie


Bob Flynn


Tami Wicinas


Renee Kurilla

Thanks, everyone!
Check back in a few weeks for the next word!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Donalds Tire Trouble (1943)


Such a weird concept. If you tried to write it, it wouldn't work: Donald has car trouble...Antics ensue. How would you pitch that? It's all visual comedy—all storyboarded (little dialogue, most of which you can't even understand). Loren loved it as a kid—she just had me watch it.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Toot, Whistle, Plunk And Boom (1953)



Educational animation at its best, folks! Ward Kimball, at his best.
Can be viewed bigger over at Youtube.

Friday, November 6, 2009

WTD?: Interbreeding

The word that came out of the random word generator this week for What the Doodle? was INTERBREEDING. Here's what the FableVision crew came up with.


John Lechner


Bob Flynn


Adam Ziskie


Allie Biondi


Jay LaCouture
(drawn on an iPhone!)

Thanks, everyone!
Check back in a couple weeks for the next word!

Friday, October 23, 2009

WTD?: Espouse

The word that came out of the random word generator this week for What the Doodle? was ESPOUSE. Another tricky one. Here's what the FableVision crew came up with.


Renee Kurilla


Allie Biondi


Bob Flynn


Keith Zulawnik


John Lechner

Check back in a couple weeks for the next word!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Doug TenNapel

Back in the 90's, gateway computers had a cool game pack that you could get with your computer, including one game in particular called "The Neverhood". I'm sure everyone at FableVision knows about it now, since a. I think I casually bring it up in conversation once every 3 months, and b. I have it proudly perched next to my computer at work.








The game is fantastic and I recommend anyone who can get their hands on it, BUY IT! You wont be disappointed. It's the perfect combination of humor, logic and story. -plus the fact that they created everything out of clay!

I realized one day, I never really looked into who made it. I just always played it for what it was, an awesome game. So I found his name, it being Doug TenNapel. I had a flurry of excitement when I started uncovering that the same guy who did this game, also did Earthworm Jim (another obvious favorite from the nineties) and Skullmonkeys.

I found that Doug has definitely been keeping busy. He currently has about 8 comics under his belt (or more), and doesn't sound like he's going to be slowing down any time soon. So to keep a long story short, I immediately bought one online that day.

I purchased Earthboy Jacobus, and I have to say, it is probably one of the best books I've bought in a long time. The thing that struck me about his comic, is the raw brush work. It just felt very hand made. I think it may have something to do with the fact that I create almost 100% of my art on the computer now, but it instantly reminded me of what exactly we are doing as artists. Creating art. Yes you have to think about your audience, the story, etc. etc. At the end of the day tho, you are still just making your mark, no matter what kind of story goes along with it. I think spending so much time away from traditional materials, I've become a bit disconnected. Instead of sitting down with my trusty Isabey watercolor brushes, and just letting myself be creative, I have to be pained with a program riddled with bugs. But that can all be resolved very easily. I just need to pick up my brushes again! ha.






Which leads me to my next point. I've been following Jake Parkers" Inktober", which by the way, check out his blog, awesome stuff. Yesterday he posted a sketch that had a similar vibe to Mignola and TenNapel. Long story short, I was pointed to this video of TenNapel doing a quick demo, inking one of his comics. It's just always great to hear someones point of view, their process, and to actually SEE it happening, super cool. Which is actually the entire reason for me posting.

Check it out the following video, I hope it inspires you, I know I was!



Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Critter Crunch



Also on Boing Boing today, a very in-depth look at a game available for PS3, Critter Crunch, made by Capybara Games. You can watch that trailer super large in HD if you click on over to Vimeo.



Here are a few samples, but read the full Boing Boing review for all sorts of concept art, too.


Machinarium


--> Play Machinarium

Amanita Design, the creators of Samorost and Questionaut, may have outdone themselves. The point-and-click gameplay is similar, the world equally impressive, but now you collect an inventory of items. And only grab items within reach. Fun to play so far.

Also of note, Boing Boing featured a post detailing a comeback of sorts of point-and-click gaming. Check it out here.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Different



via LineBoil

"Here’s a cool new animated spot for Girl Guides of Canada titled Different. The character designs were handled by Nathan Jurevicius and Andrea Kang, while Eric Makila and Anthony Burns took care of the animation and compositing. Production was run by Alchemy."

A great combination of stop motion, set creation, and digital compositing.

Here are some production stills (courtesy of the Alchemy website)





Monday, October 5, 2009

On Moving On



by FableVision artist and animator Allie Biondi

"This was my degree project from college. Made in 2005."

You can watch more animation by Allie on her YouTube channel.

The Next Lesson



by FableVision artist and animator Didi Mitova

"This is my senior project / thesis film. It was inspired by my frustrating experience studying art as a youth in Bulgaria, where schools teach tedious, precise representational art without getting to the essence of the subject."

You can watch more animation by Didi on her YouTube channel.

Friday, October 2, 2009

WTD?: Pelagic

The word that came out of the random word generator this week for What the Doodle? was PELAGIC. Which left a few of us scratching our heads. You can look it up on your own, but the general gist is something pertaining to the open sea, or the fish inhabiting the upper layers of the ocean. Here's what the FableVision crew came up with.


Tami Wicinas


Allie Biondi


John Lechner


Bob Flynn

* * * * *

The Watermelon: A Sweet and Sour Tale

The watermelon’s fate is tragic –
Despite its name, it’s not pelagic.
All day it lies with rooted plants,
Dreaming of the sea’s expanse.
It sees itself in sailor gear,
Spitting seeds from ear to ear.
A pirate of the bravest kind,
With parrots perched upon its rind!

When twilight falls, with one swift motion,
It breaks from land and joins the ocean.
With glee, it plunges o’er the dock
…and sinks more swiftly than a rock.

Sad but true, it failed to note:
All that’s “water” does not float.

(Though you might think this tale is gory,
There’s a moral to this story:
As you tear off on life’s pursuits,
It’s never bad to check your roots.)


a poem by Jesse Bornemann (@JesseACH)

* * * * *


Renee Kurilla


Hannah O'Neal


Taryn Johnson

Check back in a couple weeks for the next word!

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Genevieve Kote


Wow! Genevieve just looked me up on twitter and I've been flipping through her blog and flickr photostream since. She draws remarkably expressive and varied characters without being super cartoony. She also manages to somehow organize a ton of people on a page while juggling a lot of colors. I mean, just look at this beach scene! Really cute kids, too. Just thought I'd share :) Here's her website.

Friday, September 18, 2009

WTD?: Trace

The word that came out of the random word generator this week for What the Doodle? was TRACE. Here's what the FableVision crew came up with.


John Lechner


Didi Mitova


Adam Ziskie


Bob Flynn


Keith Zulawnik


Tami Wicinas


Allie Biondi


Brian Grossman and Samantha Oliver


Watch animation in full resolution.
Matt Bargar

Check back in a couple weeks for the next word!

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Ponyo - A Beautiful, Bizarre Masterpiece

Legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki’s latest film was released in the United States this summer, generating much discussion about its visual beauty and unusual story. Reaction from critics here has been mostly glowing, while reaction from viewers has been mixed between those who adored it and those who found it confusing or strange. As a longtime fan of Miyazaki, I had my own expectations going into this film, only to have them torn away one by one, leaving a film which is so different than other films of its kind it almost defies analysis.

We all go into a film with expectations, and every film also creates its own in the opening scenes. Miyazaki’s films are known for their visual beauty, strong characters and epic storytelling, and the first half of Ponyo contains all the ingredients of a classic fantasy adventure – a magical world, plucky heroes, a dangerous wizard, and potential threat to humanity. And yet this is not an adventure film (despite the many epic scenes); it is a film about two young children becoming friends, despite the many forces bent on keeping them apart. Seems simple enough – though this film is far from simple. Besides the themes of friendship and love, the film touches on the environment, humankind’s place in the world, relationships between parents and children, growing up, growing old, and life itself. Miyazaki has said that he wanted to make a simple film for children, but I suspect there are so many ideas thrashing around in his head, he can’t help but let them slip out and populate his films like fish in the sea.

Nothing about this film is typical, it takes unexpected turns and leaves you both breathless and puzzled – it's a film that makes you think. It is interesting to observe the many different reactions to this film from young and old, positive and negative. My own reaction was mixed. I was confused by some plot threads which were not explained very clearly (at least in the dubbed version) and a resolution that seemed to fall short. Yet at the same time I was overwhelmed by the sheer force, the cinematic exuberance of the film, embodied in one of the strongest young heroines ever, Ponyo herself. In casting his net for something big, Miyazaki may have pulled in a few stray tires, but he also pulled in a true gem, one that outshines the murky depths and lifts the film to greater heights. Ponyo the character is literally a force of nature, and deserves a separate analysis and celebration of her own.

This is an amazing film in so many ways. Like its title character, it is at once childish, headstrong, awe-inspiring, and impossible to pin down. It operates by its own rules of storytelling – there is no clear villain, no story arc, subplots are not followed through – and yet for all that, it is a true work of art, worthy of discussion and debate for years to come. A simple film for children? In many ways yes, it cheerfully operates on the level of a small child. Hopefully someday I’ll be young enough to appreciate it.

Friday, August 28, 2009

WTD?: Extinguishable

The word that came out of the random word generator this week for What the Doodle? was EXTINGUISHABLE. Here's what the FableVision crew came up with.


John Lechner


Adam Ziskie


Bob Flynn


Katelyn Walsh


Allie Biondi


Tami Wicinas


Renee Kurilla

Thanks, everyone!
Check back in a couple weeks for the next word!