I just saw this trailer for ADV film's Lady Death. I am saddened to say I am not at all impressed.

I am left to wonder who it is they think is their audience. I am surprised they wouldn't go with Madhouse or Gonzo or one of the studios making a name in Japan with recent titles. I don't know who they used. Looks like Phoenix, same as Sin: The Movie. The result is not even that level in my view.

Truly unfortunate.

I am truly in the final stages...

This page is about time for a refurbishing I think. Soon I will have to redo it. Not a total overhaul like Pixelsmack, but some changes to be sure.

In other news, I think the time is fast approaching for my next personal indie animation project. I do have a couple of other projects to wrap up, but I can see it on the horizon. It won't be long now...

WHASANGO looks to be an even more interesting film to me though!

Check out both trailers!

Q pointed out on his blog that there is a a new trailer for Underworld.

This looks to be an amazing film!

I hate train tracks that LIE!!!

A New York Times articles notes Dreamwork's disappointment over the box office performance of their traditionally animated Sinbad:

""We are extremely disappointed," said Ann Daly, the head of animation for DreamWorks, noting that "Sinbad" would be the studio's last traditionally drawn film.

From now on, DreamWorks will use computers to animate its movies. Even Mr. Katzenberg concedes that the art form on which he made his reputation may be obsolete.

"I think the idea of a traditional story being told using traditional animation is likely a thing of the past," he said."

The article goes on to say:

The problem with "Sinbad," like "Treasure Planet," may lie more in the evidently flawed strategy that many large studios embarked on several years ago to produce animated action-oriented adventure movies to attract boys, said Jerry Beck, an animation historian. "Almost all these movies have failed," Mr. Beck said.

Ms. Daly pointed out that the only animated movies (whether hand-drawn or computer-generated) that have done well recently are comedies, including "Finding Nemo" and last summer's hand-drawn "Lilo & Stitch" from Disney.

Quite a ways past the 100 page mark and the end is in site. It could be as early as next week. Certainly by the month's end shall it be done.

There are many avenues that want to explore, even outside of manga and it can become difficult to stay truly focused at times. Particularly when I am this busy, and new ideas come I have to simply write them down and file them for later. This doesn't always mean ideas for shows. I was recently thinking about ideas for compositing. I simply wanted to experiment with some new compositing possibilities with Lightwave. Actually there are a lot of Lightwave ideas I have had lately that I want to toy with, but where does one find the time.

I also have a couple of other projects that are equally in need of attention. Some will afford those opportunities to play with Lightwave tricks, but then even there the schedule is tight such that it may lead me me to go with what I know rather than play around.

I am sorely in need of a vacation. I need to free up some time to just think about where to go next. I have too many ideas and too many things going on for the next week or so. Even at the end of the month it will not all clear. Not that I am complaining, but then for a time I have mentioned that I am ready to get to my next original indie animation project. That seems to be getting pushed further and further down the road. I also think it's time for the next rev of this web page. That won't be for a another few months it seems.

It's amazing how quickly someone's life can change. Did you know that your whole life can change in one hour? It makes me think of Christopher Reeves. One moment, he was Superman, flying through the sky and saving those in danger. The next moment, thrown from a horse and unable to care for himself. One moment!.

I'm not making fun of him. I am probably one of his biggest fans. Still, how often do we move through life with little consideration of how fragile we are?

Well, I still have a lot to do. Look for more in the coming days as other projects come to light. I was talking with a good friend of mine and some very good ideas came up on things that are and have been of great interest to me for a long time. Of course, even that will be somewhat down the road.

Soon to cross the 100 page mark, production continues on the World of Hartz manga. In case you're wondering why I haven't posted much lately, there just isn't much to say. Each day I strive for another 6 pages as I close the gap between now and the end.

Other projects are formulating, but I will post of them when there is more detail and something to show. Also some things are under NDA, which doesn't allow much to be said of them.

There are interesting things coming...

HALF!

I have just completed my 75th page, putting me at exactly halfway through my first manga project. I do feel I am back into a groove and working at a good steady pace.

It's interesting how quickly one can fall out of that "zone". Stepping a way for even two or three days can cause this. After Anime Expo, I had to "ramp up" to this workflow again.

Now I can say that I'll be able to keep on pushing though to make it to that finishline on this project. Of course, there's much more to come and other projects which I will soon post as well...

My speed improveth greatly. I can imagine now how they do it in Japan. Manga that is. In Shonen Jump there are many interviews with the creators and they offer great information about how they do their work, how many assistants they use etc.

It's not enough to note that many of these artists do 25-30 pages a week, some with only one or no assistants, but they actually do it in 3 days. One artists said that he meets with his editor for a day to discuss the next chapter, then he proceeds to do "name" (the storyboard/layout process). After that he draws everything up in 3 days of working all day, and then rests, somewhere in there.

The guys doing monthly comics must be lucky!

I just got done with a video shoot and had my first real experience with the Canon XL1-S. Now I haven't done any actual camera work in a studio type of environment in a very long time and I have to say it... is... rough! I was really getting tired!

The camera is truly a nice piece of equipment though, and the images it produces are amazing. I was very happy with what was shot. At least up until the point where my battery died! :(

Back from my second day at Anime Expo. Yesterday I didn't go. Today I did a signing session in the Tokyopop booth, met a lot of people interested in creating anime and manga or how I did it. It was fun overall.

I also did an interview with a big magazine which will I will talk more about when it is available.

Well, I am back from my first day at Anime Expo. I participated in the Tokyopop industry insider panel where they announced their new line of original manga. Along with World of Hartz, they announced "@large" by Ahmed Hoke, and "Shutterbox" by Tavikat. The winners of their first "Rising Stars of Manga" contest were there as well.

Tokyopop had a cool booth. Now I haven't been to an Anime Expo in many years so to me this was huge! Every major company was there and many smaller internet dealers as well. It was packed. Cosplayers everywhere! I should have taken pictures!