Comic Art &Commentary &Illustration 02 Mar 2010 09:32 am
Celebretory Postscripts
- Usually, I’m linking to articles I’ve found in the NYTimes. It’s strange to have the NY Times link to articles in my blog! That’s what happened yesterday when the Times Artsbeat column picked up my reprint of John Canemaker‘s Print magazine article about Finian’s Rainbow and wrote about it. Now that’s a kick for the day.
Speaking of something sorta grandish, I forgot to mention that my studio passed its 30th Anniversary on February 15th. No wonder some of the paint is peeling; we’re getting grander by the day. We’ve done a lot of films in that time, though I wish there were a lot more.
Tom Hachtman recently sent me a couple of brilliant drawings. You’ll remember that he and I were involved in trying to jump start an animated feature version of his comic strip Gertrude’s Follies. Either it was too daring for backers or I didn’t locate the right backers for an animated film about artists and their lesbian supporters.
At any rate, Tom had sent a drawing to the New Yorker (which has published some of his cartoons in the past) which ultimately rejected it. Their tough luck, my fortune.
Than there’s the image he sent a couple of weeks ago in the middle of the media’s scourge of Tiger Woods.
This was originally posted on NowWhatMedia.com where blog owner Martin Kozlowski colored the original B&W image after Tom made a couple of small alterations in cleaning up this drawing. It ended up looking like this:
I love the loose quality of the original picture, so I had to post it.
- As you may have read, Sylvan Chomet‘s The Illusionist has been racking up glorious film reviews since it’s recent premiere in Berlin at the Berlinale. The Hollywood Reporter, though, wasn’t so kind in its review yesterday.
“. . . theatrical exposure outside Europe might be scant. Chomet’s name alone assures some level of distribution on several platforms, but buyers might be wary this time.”
“Tati never committed this downhearted tale to film, choosing instead to end his career with light, satirical fun.”
It does say of the film, “The real beauty of ‘Illusionist’ lies in its drawings. Chomet is a traditionalist here, insisting on hand drawings where 3D computer animation is all the rage in the animation world. The story moves from Paris to London to Scotland, and its cityscapes and landscapes are gorgeous. A final swirling crane shot of Edinburgh, where the camera seems to fly up and over the city, is sheer magic.”
It sounds glorious and beautiful, and I can’t wait. The one animated film worth following.
on 02 Mar 2010 at 9:59 am 1.Mark Mayerson said …
Michael, I congratulate you on your 30th anniversary. It’s a sign of your dedication, as other studios (many of them larger) have failed to reach that milestone. My wish for you, as always, is that you get to make the films you want to.
on 02 Mar 2010 at 10:30 am 2.Stephen Macquignon said …
Congratulations on a 30th Anniversary!
Many many more to come
on 02 Mar 2010 at 10:58 am 3.Dave Levy said …
Happy Anniversary! And, many more….
on 02 Mar 2010 at 2:06 pm 4.richard o'connor said …
30 years under the same banner! Are there any other NY studios still in production that have been working so long?
Glad you posted Tom’s original, it’s stronger than the color. Great energy to the line -a little like Chomet, actually.
on 02 Mar 2010 at 3:09 pm 5.Michael said …
Candy Kugel’s Buzzco is the nearest to that record. I think they’re in business – as Buzzco – 26-28 years.
on 02 Mar 2010 at 3:25 pm 6.Jonathan said …
30 years! Congratulations Michael! It would be nice to see the blog reach a 30 year anniversary – but no rush.
on 03 Mar 2010 at 1:06 am 7.Peter said …
The Hollywood Reporter not-so-kind review makes me want to see The Illusionist even more! I recently saw Tati’s My Uncle on YouTube, the first time I’d seen it in about twenty years. It confirmed my opinion of Tati as a maker some of brilliantly funny moments but overall lacking unity or emotional heft. The fact that The Illusionist is more Chomet than Tati is a plus for me.
Let me also add to the above congratulations.
on 03 Mar 2010 at 1:22 am 8.Jason said …
Happy Anniversary and congrats on hitting 30 years Michael! Here’s hoping for 30 more!
on 03 Mar 2010 at 2:22 am 9.Jenny said …
Congratulations on 30! You’re not just a part of animation history, but NYC history too.
And the Times! They should link to you more often. Lots of richness here, certainly on par with the best online content there.
on 03 Mar 2010 at 9:49 am 10.Ray Kosarin said …
Congratulations. Michael and gang, on 30 amazing years!
on 03 Mar 2010 at 11:44 am 11.Michael said …
Many thanks to all for the “congrats.” Stephen, Jason, Ray, Mark and Dave: you all know that you were a good part of those 30 years and any success I’ve encountered to day. Thank you.
on 04 Mar 2010 at 9:56 pm 12.Ricardo Cantoral said …
Let me start off by saying Happy Belated Anniversary. Secoundly, I also antcipate The Illusionist. One thing I have noticed between this picture and Belleville is that the charicatures are far less vicious and cynical; I think that is welcome change.
on 05 Mar 2010 at 8:01 am 13.Tom Carr said …
Michael, 30 years of pursuing your craft with such dedication is amazing— especially in N.Y.C., where there’s mainly just the illusion of permanence, and nothing more.
The only thing that’s permanent there is that the summers are too hot and the winters are too cold…
Allow me to add my congratulations, then!
Someday, you might even get out of that basement.
on 05 Mar 2010 at 10:21 am 14.Michael said …
Thanks, Tom. As far as animation is concerned, anything in NY is as permanent as anywhere else. When Disney stops 2D animation (although they’ve tentatively put their toes back in the water), when none of the major studios have “permanent” animation divisions – other than Dreamworks which seems like a not-very-permanent distribution company, when the immensely profitable H&B sells then folds, when too many other signs point away from the past. There is no permanence in the industry. As for my permanence, it’s up to me. If I keep on living I’ll keep on doing it.
As for the “basement” I love it and have no plans or desire to move.