Tin Can #1

MoCCA Master Class

I was one of the early champions of MoCCA (The Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art). I believed that New York needed a focal point for all the cartoonists and animators that lived in this culturally rich city. Of course, I go to a lot of their wonderful events and openings, and always have a great time.

Well, now it's my turn to hold an event at MoCCA! On December 13^th from 7-9pm I'll be holding an exclusive master class on my career and new work. I'll be showing 3 new films – “Waiting for her Sailor”, “Summer Bummer” and a sneak peek at my brand new TV pilot work in progress, “Tiffany the Whale”. Also, I'll be talking about my career as an independent animator and creating drawings to illustrate my career. To top it off, everyone who comes gets a free Bill Plympton Christmas card and sketch! So bring your friends (it makes a great Christmas gift) and I'll see you there at MoCCA! I think there are still a few seats left.

For information, check out the site here: http://moccany.org/content/education

Art in our Real World.. MESA..

In his own words.. very broken English, but clear (Just a note.. I know nothing of the politics behind any of this.. I'm only admiring the art and context, and the artists contribution to beauty):

Artifariti 2011, students meeting
Great lived experience in the refugee camps in Tinduf. Thank you very much to the organization and all Saharawi´s families who welcomed us because I can,t never forget.
Is incredible the history of the Saharawi people who live since more than 36 years in exile. Fighting a peaceful way with projects as Artifariti. The Sahara, under hard conditions of life, living in the so called “desert of the deserts” a land that has no end, where time doesn’t exist. This mystic culture, full of magic is in a political conflict whose solution isn´t appropriate for many countries, including mine.
The old Saharawi’s villages that are found in the Moroccan occupied Western Sahara, have been and continue today being victims of crimes against humanity. Are separated from the liberated Sahara by “the wall of shame” a military wall, defended with large military forces on the front line, and protected with millions of land mines by the liberated part.
Say that art crosses borders, after seeing the reality I am proud to contribute mi little grain of sand, transmitting a message of peace and freedom

Free Sahara!

for more info, access MESA's photostram on Flickr here. Amazing stuff, really happy to have stumbled upon this.

50's couple

Frat Folks

Jan Svankmajer

I've been a fan of Mr. Svankmajer's surreal animation ever since I first saw a selection of his films in Annecy about 25 years ago. I particularly liked “Dimensions in Dialogue”, where all these everyday objects come in confrontation with each other and battle for domination.

Well, I was I invited to the prestigious Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, NY for the US premiere of “Surviving Life”, his newest feature. I don't know if he's getting tired in his old age or if he's running out of money, but the usual beautiful surreal images were replaced by cheap Photoshop paper cut-outs on black and white city photos that gave it a Terry Gilliam Monty Python look, but without the humor.

The story was actually pretty interesting, about a guy who falls in love with a beauty he discovers in his dreams, and his wife goes into his dream to get back at the temptress. Unfortunately, it was slowed down by weird excursions to his psychiatrist session – very boring!

The film was completed in 2010 and never released in the US (it was financed by a Japanese corportation) But if you want to see some animation that's pretty unique, or if you're a diehard Svankmajer fan, check out “Surviving Life”.

I give it a C+.

HipHop Couple

Happy Holidays from Plymptoons!

For 40 years I've been creating Christmas book stories as my Christmas card, but this year I've decided to make it animated! The whole Plymptoons Studio (all my artists) created a compilation of an animation. We chose "Deck the Halls" as our musical sing-a-long. They divided it into sections and each of us animated our separate scenes, so it's a nice festive variety of styles and techniques. Check it out!

The individual artists are Desiree Stavracos, Lindsay Woods, Sophie Kaars Sijpesteijn and Jonathan Rosen, with John Holderried doing the writing and singing direction.

So Happy Holiday to all of you from The Plymptoons Studios - hope our card gets you all in the holiday spirit!

Hippies

Pencils of Claudiu Cândea..

Wonderfully drawn and beautifully grotesque drawings from Claudiu Cândea..

 

Profile Man

Flying House Prize

While I was at the CTN event, I heard through Facebook that my Winsor McCay project “The Flying House” won the animation prize at the Williamsburg Film Festival. Wow – just think about it! Winsor McCay won a film festival prize! What a concept. 80 years after his death, one of his animations wins a festival award.

The earliest major film festival was held in Venice in 1932, only two years before his death, so he did not have much opportunity to have his work shown.

My hopes are that Winsor McCay is somewhere up in his surreal cosmos smiling down on me, happy from the fact that 90 years after creating “The Flying House”, his last film, the cartoon is finally getting the attention and respect it deserves.

Wow, a 90 year posthumous animation prize – let's hope that this will be just the beginning of more accolades for Winsor McCay and his wonderful “Flying House”. Also, be sure to watch for a DVD of the Flying House which includes both versions of the great film, plus expert opinions by the likes of Jerry Beck and Leonard Maltin, plus a few cool surprises – so check it out this spring!

Manhattan 9 pm

Funny Cars

Hugo

If you love the history of film, then rush out to see Martin Scorsese's "Hugo." It's a wonderful, imaginative, visual feast. I especially loved the Ben Kingsly (Georges Melies) part.

It's such a wonderful story of a dreamer and an innovator who created the whole world of fantasy film, and how he lost it all during World War I. In fact, his library of films was melted down to make lady's shoes!

The other part of the story is about a young orphan boy hiding out in a Parisian train station clock tower.

That part is not so interesting and unfortunately takes up a majority of the film. He romances and adventures with a young girl and visits a book shop... it just takes up time. I did, however, LOVE the Sacha Baron Cohen character.

In fact, he could have been enlarged because they added an important dose of humor and whimsey.

I give the film a B.