Dave Pryor's "Alien For Christmas"

Tuna Sammich

2012-01-28T10:21:00.000-06:00

The Tuna Sammich cartoon pilot was finally posted by one of my friends online (thanks Ron)! Now all can witness the hijinks of this charming and inquisitive little Sammich. The "Pilot" was created at Startoons back in the late '90s. Here it is in glorious "standard definition" - suitable to the late days of this popular format. This looks like it was transfered from some sort of tape media (since I can pick up on some scan lines). Ugh, so much I'd change nowadays - but nonetheless, most of this animation still looks pretty sweet. Gotta again thank Jon McClenahan for taking a chance on a young me and a young Phil Gullett and allowing us learn so much by working out this idea from start to finish. If a network liked it - you could have been watching this on your own TV. Tuna Sammich still has a lot of fun potential in my mind. At the very least - it was a blast to make and be part of such a great team of artists. Hope you enjoy!

Tuna Sammich Theme song:

Tuna Sammich... Tuna Sammich!!!

He's only just a man that looks like a Sandwich,

There's really nothing strange a-bout it.

He's got some legs and arms, and some bread for some skin,

He's just like you and me, or your own next of kin.

And, even though he's normal, he came packaged in a can.

He's Tuna Sammich!

All American Maaaaaaaaaaaaaan!!!

These Are the Droids You're Looking For

2011-09-25T21:07:00.001-05:00

So, the Star Wars Blu-Rays are out and about now - anyone pick them up? I don't yet have a Blu-Ray player, so I'll have to keep watching on DVDs for now. Preferably the "non-special" editions, back in the days when Dewbacks didn't work right and sand would freeze up R2-D2's robotic mechanisms. I'll take a wolfman in the cantina any day of the week over whetever the heck that thing is that replaced him. Anyways, here's to the days when a real person in a brown hood and 2 lightbulbs inside for eyes was good enough to pass as an alien creature.

Thanks for a great SDCC!!!

2011-07-28T00:08:00.000-05:00

Hi everybody. Here is my end of the show "Thanks" to everyone who stopped by booth F5. Your encouragement and kind words really help keep me motivated - I truly appreciate it! No, I really mean it - I hope I can use all this positive energy for good (I better get the pencils out while it lasts).
I was also humbled by a few nods to my work from io9 and padinga. Those guys are sweet. Of course a big thanks to my art-wizard pal Bob Rissetto for pulling it all together with me (and helping to put down a slice of pizza or two).

I have to mention one of my favorite exhibits this year - the Vintage Star Wars dedication by Bwana Spoons which featured some exceptional interpretations of every figure released between 1978 and 1985.

San Diego Comic Con 2011

2011-07-17T11:51:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone! I'm wrapping up the finishing touches on preparations for the Con again this year. Bob and I will be in the same spot (Table F5), meeting and greeting all you wonderful art lovers. This year, I will have a larger selection of prints - some new, and additions based on requests from the Inner Workings and Choke books. Buttons will again be on hand - so get ready to add to your collection! Be sure to stop by and say hi!

I will be at the table Wednesday July 20th (preview night), Then all day Thursday July 21 through Saturday July 23. I will not be there on Sunday.

Empire Totem

2011-07-04T03:22:00.001-05:00

A brave tribe of Bounty Hunters - eternally in search of the Millennium Falcon.

Bacon for President!

2011-06-24T00:17:00.003-05:00

Greasing the wheels of progress, Bacon sizzles on the election scene. A delicious candidate that offers more than just empty calories, Bacon will fill your appetite for change. So vote for someone that will finally meat you halfway and won't leave you hungry for more - stuff that ballot box with Bacon!

Modulok Misshap

2011-06-08T02:19:00.000-05:00

I created this in hopes that Modulok and Ram Man get figures announced at Comic-Con this year. Crossing my fingers that Mattel will pull through...

Man-E-Faces

2011-03-04T01:27:00.003-06:00

Good ol' Man-E-Faces comes out later this year from Mattel. Simply put - can't wait. I always wondered what the other 2 faces did while the one exposed face got to take in all the action. I'm sure it was plenty boring in that head chamber for 66.6% of those faces. Here is a little homage to one of my faves.

Comic Con 2010 - Thanks to everyone!

2010-08-03T00:25:00.004-05:00

Another super year in San Diego. I met a ton of great people, and I'm again honored by all the fans that bought my art - I really can't thank you enough. Some items sold out early, so if there is a print you're interested in, just drop me a line. Hope to see you again next year!

San Diego Comic Con 2010

2010-07-13T23:07:00.006-05:00

Hey Everyone. It's been a busy year - but I wanted to let you know I'll be back at Comic Con again this year at table F5. I'll mainly be bringing a resupply of prints that sold out last year, and a few new ones - like this second in the "Feathered Friends" series. And for those of you that love to collect buttons - I should have more of those too. See you in about a week!

Masters of the Universe

2010-02-07T21:39:00.006-06:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a special place in my heart for He-Man and his pals. The brightly colored 80's toys were a favorite of mine in childhood, and I've been collecting the new toys Mattel has been putting out for the last year. Here are a few new paintings inspired by these musclebound goofballs.

Alien for Christmas

2009-12-25T16:04:00.003-06:00

Here is the video just in time for Christmas! Enjoy!

Alien for Christmas from Dave Pryor on Vimeo.

Big Movies for Little Kids

2009-12-05T21:37:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas everyone! Another festival update for you. "Alien for Christmas" will be playing at the "Big Movies for Little Kids" festival in Brooklyn NY. Check it out on Monday Dec 7th. at 4pm.

Cobble Hill Cinemas is located at 265 Court Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231(718) 596.9113

Big Movies for Little Kids is sponsored, in part, by the Greater New York Arts Development Fund of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, administered by the Brooklyn Arts Council, Inc. (BAC)

Little Big Shots - Sydney Opera House

2009-10-04T13:11:00.006-05:00

My speaking engagement at the Sydney Opera House was a delight! The festival directors, Chloe Boulton and Nick Place, were more than gracious and really know how to orchestrate a top notch touring festival. The kids at the screening were treated to an excellent array of films from around the globe. Even though the age range was between 2 and 7, they would have eagerly stayed for more films in the program!

Early morning at the Opera House

The festival was held at "The Studio", one of the more intimate theatres within the Opera house

The crowds lines up - waiting to get in. It was a sold out show.

Interior of the theatre as the audience takes their seats. Many kids filled the space by sitting in the open area in the front of the screen.

Festival Director, Nick Place and Me (Dave Pryor)

The next stop on the Little Big Shots tour is Geelong

Geelong Performing Arts Centre
50 Little Malop Street

Geelong October 03, 2009: 11-11.50am: Big shots, small packages 2 Short films for kids aged 3 to 8 (well, OK, you may have missed this one, but December is still coming up!)

December 02, 2009: 9.30-10.30am: Big shots, small packages 2 Short films for kids aged 3 to 7

"Alien for Christmas" hits Sydney AUS

2009-09-04T17:22:00.006-05:00

On September 13, AFC will be playing at the Sydney Opera house as part of the "Little Big Shots" film festival. The great news is that since I get to travel to AUS for work a lot, I will get to be there and speak at the showing! So if you live in Sydney and follow my blog, please plan on attending - it should be a memorable one.

Sydney Opera House is Australia's leading performing arts centre and one of the most recognised (and photographed!) venues of the modern world.

- Sydney - September 13, 2009: 10-11am: Big shots, small packages 2 Short films for kids aged 3 to 7

- Swan Hill - September 16, 2009: 11-11.50am: Big shots, small packages 2 Short films for kids aged 3 to 7

The other side of the rainbow

2009-08-26T00:08:00.000-05:00

Some fun little creatures waiting for you on this side of the rainbow. Don't bother looking for a pot of gold here.

Back to the Brothers

2009-08-19T00:42:00.005-05:00

The power of brotherhood is strong! Here is another Super Mario idea - this one showing how Mario and Luigi have each other's back. They are inseparable.

Cameron Frye

2009-08-15T12:24:00.004-05:00

I always liked the conflict John Hughes portrayed between Cameron and his dad (even though only a car represents him, that's enough).

SUPER MARIO!

2009-08-12T21:14:00.004-05:00

Just a big ol' Mario with his spunky brother. My favorite Mario game is still the original Mario Bros. arcade game, which my brother and I played the hell out of on the Atari 26oo.

The Prisoner

2009-08-06T23:23:00.003-05:00

No one can escape from bear island.

Sleepwalkers

2009-08-06T00:17:00.002-05:00

Delicious fate.

CHOKE!

2009-08-05T01:03:00.005-05:00

The 2009 art book "Choke!" is now available to buy online! Just click on the sidebar in the books section to link to the "Choke!" page. Also, The first book, "Inner Workings", is back in stock too.

Captain America

2009-08-02T23:24:00.002-05:00

The Capt shakin' hands with Mr. O!

Thanks!!!

2009-07-27T23:50:00.007-05:00

I'd like to express a HUGE thanks to all those fans who picked up my work at SDCC this week (above is a sampling of those gracious enough to pose with my art). I'm humbled that you considered it worth hanging on your wall, placing on your bookshelf, or pinning to your bag. I really appreciate your support and compliments, and you really made the trip memorable. I had a great time talking with everyone, and the support for "Alien for Christmas" has been outstanding! I hope to see all of you next year!

San Diego Comic Con 2009

2009-07-21T23:31:00.005-05:00

Hey everyone, the creation of new art has been pretty bleak for a bit, but the good news is the new art book is complete, and will go on sale tomorrow in San Diego! My second book, again a collaboration with the super talented Bob Rissetto.

The new book is called "Choke!", a collection of independent art from this year. 6x9, hardcover, 100 full color pages. So, why call it Choke? Well, we were gonna be all clever and call it "ART-i-Choke", but something about just the word choke seemed to sound just right. Also, drawing someone getting choked was a lot more fun than drawing a vegetable. It fits right alongside the first book, Inner Workings, which has now been reprinted and is available again after it's sellout last year.

So look for booth F5, say hi, and check out AFC if you haven't seen it in one of the festivals this year. I'll also have a limited supply of high quality art prints for sale - so if you're looking for Hulk smashing a school bus full of kids, or maybe a Russian propaganda inspired Kermit image - you might be in luck!

The Big Robot series makes a return - with 4 more robots added to the series. You may have seen Red and Blue last year. This year, Yellow, Green, Orange, and Purple complete the set.

If you can't make it to Comic Con (I know, it's already a sellout show), we have reserved a bunch of books for online sales (which we will set up soon afterwards), so check back soon for that info.

Australia Festival Update

2009-07-02T23:39:00.004-05:00

National Film and Sound Archive
Arc Cinema, NFSA
McCoy Circuit, Acton
Canberra

Arc Cinema, National Film and Sound ArchiveA new, state-of-the-art 250-seat cinema, Arc offers an outstanding cinematic experience and a unique pre-screening light and sound show.

Thursday, July 16, 2009
2-2.50pm: Big shots, small packages #2 Short films for kids aged 3 to 7
Check here for festval details

Little Big Shots International Film Festival for Kids

2009-05-31T21:07:00.004-05:00

AFC is now touring in Australia!
It will be appearing in various places thoughout the summer. Sydney details coming soon.

Here are some of the details:

Screens in:

Melbourne
June 03, 2009: 11.30am-12.20pm: Big shots, small packages 2: Short films for kids aged 3 to 7 at Artplay on Birrarung Marr
June 05, 2009: 11.30am-12.20pm: Big shots, small packages 2: Short films for kids aged 3 to 7 at Artplay on Birrarung Marr

Melbourne
June 06, 2009: 11.15am-12.15pm: Big shots, small packages 2 Short films for kids aged 3 to 7
June 08, 2009: 9.30am-10.30am: Big shots, small packages 2: Short films for kids aged 3 to 7

Adelaide
July 18, 2009: 9.30am-10.30am: Session 8 Short films for 3 to 7-year-olds

Kalamazoo Animation Festival International 2009

2009-04-24T15:15:00.004-05:00

AFC will be showing at KAFI, May 14-17.

Check out the festival website for all the events!

BAMkids Film Festival - New York!

2009-02-08T23:44:00.003-06:00

The next Stop for AFC is New York City - the 11th annual BAMkids Film Festival! Check it out at the end of this month for it's New York Premeire.

Shorts Program: Worldwide Wonders
When: Sat, Feb 28 & Sun, Mar 1 at 3pm

TF backlog

2009-01-19T22:56:00.007-06:00

Kermit the Gorf
Moose

Yo-Yo

Skyscraper

Snowman

Vampire

Transformer

Nerd

Yoda

Gun

Elephant

Garbage

Fly

Chef

Umbrella

Pumpkin

Atari 2600 - Adventure T-Shirt

2009-01-19T22:37:00.004-06:00

You can't get more classic than Adventure for the Atari 2600. Still the best Dragon design in videogame history. As a Christmas present, I created this T-shirt with all 3 of the dragons in their passive pose. Made with a hand-carved template and some fabric paint.

Kid Drawing

2008-11-04T18:21:00.002-06:00

This is a piece I did for the Art Jumble topic - Kid Monster drawings. I had my niece, Jenna, whip something up. She mailed it to me, and I tried to faithfully reproduce the essence of her creation. Nothing can beat that charm that a child can capture so effortlessly.

Chicago International Childrens Film Festival

2008-11-02T23:56:00.006-06:00

I just returned from the last evening of the festival and it was an extremely fulfilling experience. The films from around the world were all unique in their own way. Seeing how this fest brought them all together, with the primary purpose to entertain and inspire kids, made it all the more exciting to be a part of. Being from Chicago, the film houses were not too far from my door, but most of the film making attendees came from across the globe.

Here I am at the Nov. 1st showing of my film at the Biograph theatre - answering questions from the crowd. The crew from the film "Elephants" (to the right of me) was in from London. It was a treat to hear audience responses to AFC first hand, laughing and reacting to the humor and tender moments (and getting the applause at the end of coarse). Thanks so much to everyone that said they enjoyed AFC. Hearing that it connects with kids and adults alike is so rewarding for me. The crew from Facets and all the members of the CICFF were extremely friendly and really had the shows well choreographed. Everything ran like a well oiled machine. Even the children, who were a huge part of the audience, were all well behaved and sat quietly in every showing I sat in on.

It was a delight to be a part of this festival. My wife and I already have the brain juice flowing with new film ideas thanks to the inspiring work we saw.

Chicago International Children's Film Festival

2008-10-05T20:59:00.006-05:00

AFC will soon be showing in Chicago. Great for me because I can actually attend this fest since I live here! :) Anyone in the area be sure to save one of these dates to attend. There's a Weekday and Weekend showings. See below and look for these show titles to find AFC.

Saturday October 25, 3:00pm - Facets Cinema

Animation shorts block - "That's What Friends Are For!"

Tuesday October 28, 11:45am - Facets Cinema

Animation shorts block - "It's A Small World After All"

Saturday November 1, 11:00am - Biograph Theatre

Sunday, November 2, 11:30am Wilmette Theater

Both days, Animation shorts block - "Perfect Pedigree"

You can also check these links to check the entire CICFF schedule:

Weekday

Weekend

More TF!

2008-09-23T23:02:00.014-05:00

Here is the latest TF work from the last couple weeks - the topics I could get to anyway :) Enjoy!

Mailbox

Highway

Juggler

Computer

Wagon

Toad

Robotic Twinkie

Microwave

Skeleton

Giraffe

Grotesque Wonder Woman

TF - Week Four

2008-09-05T20:11:00.003-05:00

Link

King

Jellyfish

Gorilla

Eel

Penguin

Cherub

Another week of TF Illos! And as a special bonus, k. borcz of ChicagoAnimators.com posted my comic-con interview! Check it out and the other interviews from artists and animators from the San Diego Comic Con.

TF - Week Three

2008-08-25T22:32:00.004-05:00

Plant People

Punch

Bed

Cake

Hunchback

Lincoln

Beatnik

Scorpion

TF - Week Two

2008-08-18T22:44:00.011-05:00

Enjoy this weeks Thought Faucet offerings!

Green vs. Yellow

Washington

Clouds

Sink

Backpack

Doll

Hand

TF - Week One

2008-08-10T13:51:00.007-05:00

It was a busy and productive week. The Thought Faucet had it's first full week and there were some wonderfully diverse contributions. Here are my contributions based on the topics:

Pull

Top-Heavy Robots

Ear

Damage

Zeppelin

Enforcer

Knight

THOUGHT FAUCET

2008-08-02T17:31:00.007-05:00

I've joined up with a new art blog group to keep the creaitive inspiration going. It's called "Thought Faucet" and it's all about interpretaion - how one artist sees something will inspire another and the chain from artist to artist keeps it going. Wonderfully designed and already filled with some great talent, it should be a fun blog to keep an eye on.

Here is my first submission - the first daily topic was "Toaster".

COMIC CON 2008

2008-07-23T00:34:00.009-05:00

UPDATE: Thanks to everyone for making the trip to San Diego so memorable. I'm so grateful for all the positive feedback I received from all who watched the movie or checked out my artwork. Anyone who decided to buy a book, print or buttons - extra thanks for liking the work enough to own it for yourself - it means so much to me. Lastly, thanks Bob for the teamwork, inspiration, and just being a good friend.

Time for the art social of the year. When you are strolling the floor this year, check out the dudes dressed in Orange and Green - The combo art book from me and Bob Rissetto, Inner Workings will appear for the first time in San Diego, as well as some extra treats, like Inner Workings collector button sets. Stop by booth F5 to pick up your copy and say hello!

I will have some prints available too. The first 2 in a series of "Big Robot" images, RED and BLUE will be available for the first time.

Lastly, "Alien for Christmas" will be showing on a repeated loop for all to see. I'd love to have you come see it in person and talk about the process of animated film making!

And what would the Con be without friends around you? Check out the booths of these awesome artists from Chicago!

Javier Guzman, Tae Young Choi, and Bruno Werneck

51st San Francisco International Film Festival

2008-04-23T02:38:00.003-05:00

ALIEN FOR CHRISTMAS will be screening in STAY TOONED, KIDS! shorts program at the 51st San Francisco International Film Festival at the following times:

Friday, May 2, 2008 at 10:00 AM -- Sundance Cinemas Kabuki

Sunday, May 4, 2008 at 10:15 AM -- Sundance Cinemas Kabuki

Wednesday, May 7, 2008 at 12:45 PM -- Sundance Cinemas Kabuki

The screening on May 2 is an educational "Schools at the Festival" screening, offered exclusively to local school groups.

Check out the films!

California Independent Film Festival

2008-03-02T21:12:00.005-06:00

The next festival in the lineup is the 10th annual California Independent Film Festival, April 16th-20th, 2008.

AFC will play Sat, Apr 19, 2008 in the 10:00 am block of children's shorts.

Hey, it's on a Saturday so this could be a great start for your weekend :)

Vine Cinema
1722 First Street
Livermroe, CA 94550
(925) 447-2546

You can check out it's own page (where you can even comment on the film if you're so kind).

For a complete line of films showing at the festival look here.

WONDERCON

2008-02-01T16:05:00.000-06:00

The next stop on the festival tour will be at WonderCon!

I'm excited about this one because all the comic fans will finally have a venue that's convenient.

"Alien for Christmas" will screen at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 23. - Part of the San Francisco Bay Area International Children's Film Festival, Feb. 22-24 at WonderCon at the Moscone Center South.

Show Off Your Short Film Festival

2007-12-30T18:50:00.000-06:00

AFC will be appearing in the Show Off Your Shorts Film Festival in Hollywood. Also, AFC is a 2008 "REEL AWARD" nominee in the "Best Animation" category.

The film will be showing on
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 17TH of 2008 in the 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. block of shorts.

I have no location news yet, but I'll update when it comes in.

Santa's bag of goodies

2007-12-25T02:09:00.001-06:00

Hopefully all that behaving pays off for you this year!

Festival Winner

2007-12-03T21:57:00.000-06:00

AFC won a Golden Pencil Award in the 2007 2D or not 2D Animation Festival!

It took the award in the category of "All-style Animation/ Best Film"

The award is literally a giant pencil - something I'll be proud to display for years to come :)

You can read more about the festival at the PENCIL LINES blog.

2D or not 2D Animation Festival

2007-11-02T18:02:00.000-05:00

Here is a last minute update on another screening - AFC will be showing in the 2D or not 2D Animation Festival in Washington! Go check it out if you live close by or happen to be attending the fest!

The 2D OR NOT 2D ANIMATION FESTIVAL is to be held at the Historic Everett Theatre, 2911 Colby Ave, Everett, WA 98201, USA. Tel: 425 258 6766.

Saturday November 3rd, 2007 - 11:00 AM block. It's also a finalist for the Golden Pencil Award!

http://www.2dornot2d.org/program.htm

Film Festival Update

2007-09-18T23:52:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone,

My film showed at the LA Shorts festival in Burbank, CA this weekend. I wasn't there, but I hope anyone who may have been there Sunday night enjoyed the film. I just realized that among the jurors for the festival were James Franco and Tia Carrere. I'm honored that they got to see AFC. :)

http://www.lashortsfest.com/jurors.asp

The winning animated short in the festival was "The Golden Age". A funny (and violent) short about a Coco puffs type character that looses his mind.

http://www.lashortsfest.com/video_list_by_category.asp?CategoryID=1

Upcoming festivals include the Cinema City International Festival at Universal City AMC theatres in LA - between September 26-30. (see previous post below)

AFC will screen:

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2007
11:00am - SCREENINGS @ CityWalk AMC Theatres

http://www.cciff.com/schedule.htm

Next is the Great Lakes film festival in Erie PA.
It will be showing Saturday Sept. 29 2007. It will be showing in the 10am block

http://www.greatlakesfilmfest.com/2007%20Film%20Festival/Schedules/Saturday%20Schedule.htm

Also, AFC has been nominated for best animation!

http://www.greatlakesfilmfest.com/2007%20Film%20Festival/2007%20Film%20Nominations.htm

New festival announcements include the California International Animation Festival

AFC will screen on October 2nd at the Galaxy 12 Theatres in Riverbank, CA.

http://www.calanifest.com/2007/schedule.html

Not only that, but AFC has been nominated for best 2D animation
http://www.calanifest.com/nominations.html

AFC will also soon be screening at the Los Angeles International Children's Film Festival

http://www.lachildrensfilm.org/films.psp

It will screen on Saturday October 6 in Program #2 (10:30am - 11:30am) at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

http://www.lachildrensfilm.org/film.psp?id=190

Dig Dug Lego

2007-09-10T02:01:00.001-05:00

As a fun project over the Labor day weekend, I decided to build myself some pixel art out of Legos. Here is the finished result - about 10" wide x 12" high versions of Dig Dug, Fygar, and Pooka true to their video game incarnations. These are glued to wood boards so that everything stays together permanently, and can be hung on the wall (now just to find the perfect place to hang them). Making these really makes me want to tackle other favorite old games!

BIG DAMN FILM FESTIVAL

2007-09-06T00:45:00.000-05:00

This one is coming up fast! The BIG DAMN FILM FESTIVAL is this Saturday (September 8th) in Chicago! Check out the website - it's in the first block of films.

http://www.bigdamnfilmfest.com/chicago.html

Dragon*Con This Week

2007-08-29T02:17:00.000-05:00

Alien for Christmas will be playing On Friday August 31st.

It will be part of Animation Block 1 - starting at 2:30PM.

http://filmfest.dragoncon.net/filmfest07sched.htm

THE GREAT LAKES FILM FESTIVAL

2007-08-15T23:55:00.000-05:00

"Alien for Christmas" has been accepted into the Great Lakes film festival in Erie PA.

It will be showing Saturday Sept. 29 2007.

Check out the website for times and other animations in the program!

CINEMA CITY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

2007-08-10T01:27:00.000-05:00

AFC has been accepted into the Cinema City International Film Festival. This festival takes place at Universal City AMC theatres in LA - between September 26-30. More details when I find out program and showtime information.

LA SHORTS FESTIVAL

2007-08-09T01:00:00.000-05:00

More news about the day and time that "Alien for Christmas" will be showing. I'm sure this will be a worthwhile event, knowing that my film will show alongside fellow Chicago filmmaker B. J. Crawford! His wonderful film, "A Time for All Seasonings" is showing in the same program :)

Check it out if you live in LA:

AMC Burbank Town Center

6770 N. First St.

Burbank, CA 91502

Program # 115

Sunday, September 16th at 9:45PM

INNER WORKINGS BOOK NOW AVAILABLE!

2007-08-07T23:58:00.000-05:00

Inner Workings is a brand new art book collaboration with fellow artist and good friend Bob Rissetto. It just came fresh from the press a few days ago.

Click here and pick up a copy for yourself!

Dragon*Con Update

2007-08-06T01:00:00.000-05:00

You can now check out this Dragon*Con site to see the films being shown.
http://www.filmfest.dragoncon.net/filmfest07.htm.

Festival news

2007-07-30T13:36:00.000-05:00

The first 2 festivals that "Alien for Christmas" will show in are Dragoncon in Atlanta GA, and the LA Shorts festival in Los Angeles CA. Hopefully there will be many more to come! If you live in either of these areas, go check it out. More details to come if I get news of exact days/times of when it will show.

A BEVY OF BUTTONS

2007-07-24T01:34:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone. Comic Con is getting closer - and if we get to meet there, maybe you'll get to pick up one (or a bunch) of these stylish Alien for Christmas buttons! All handmade for that personal touch. Collect and trade!!!

SAN DIEGO COMIC CON

2007-07-13T18:29:00.000-05:00

Here's a few artists friends who will be selling things at the show this year - all great folks and inspirational to me too!

- Buddy Bob Rissetto and his art-filled sketchbook "BOOB"
- The awesome Javier Guzman with his sweet babe themed art offering "GLAM"
- Concept Artist Bruno Werneck with his new art book - "SPLASH" (A must have i'm sure!)
- Sam Aquino with her girlie dominant sketchbook "CHOOBIE KYUTE" (more sweet babes)
- Cyber-Animator Ryan Summers and his sketchbook "ODDERNOD"
- Kevin Barber with his sketchbook "THE BOY WHO LOVED COMICS,...A LOOK INSIDE THE SKETCHBOOK OF KEVIN BARBER" (He's from Disney - drawing is his life's work!)
- Artist/animator extraordinaire Robin Mitchel with his newest art book "THE ART OF ROBIN MITCHEL VOLUME 2"

Oh, and if you were wondering about Alien, I'm hoping to have a little something there to share with everybody at the Con :) See ya there!!!

Portage Theatre Event

2007-06-17T03:59:00.001-05:00

On June 15th, Chewbone Animation sponsored a private screening of Independent Chicago animation. This was quite an event - probably a few hundred folks showed up, which really showed that there is a strong interest for independent work. "Alien for Christmas" showed, along with 8 other great films. Check out Ben Chow's blog to see the great poster art done for the show.

Here's the marquee. The Portage is a vintage theater, restored recently to preserve it's grandeur.

Here's some of the poster art - B.J. Crawford's wonderful film - "A Time for All Seasonings" and my film.

There was some selling of Sketchbooks and art in the lobby - Here's a shot with Artist Bruno Werneck, Artist Sam Aquino, Artist Jasmin Segarra, and programmer Daren Ng.

A bunch of friends showed up too! Here's a random group in the audience, First Row: Animator Mike Feeney, Animator Kurt Kanellos, Animator Jeff Williams, Programmer Daren Ng, Second Row: Animator Marco Plantilla, Animator John Juarez, Animator Bob Rissetto and his sister Sam. Back Row: Animator John Griffin and friend munching on popcorn.

I really want to thank Joe Merideth, B.J. Crawford, and Lisa Barcy for their hard work putting this together and their consistent passion and support for independent animation. If you have time, check out Mike Owens' blog where he continues to put the Animation community in awe, and expresses the purpose behind Chewbone Animation.

Thanks

2007-06-12T00:54:00.000-05:00

What a busy month! With the end in sight for AFC, I'd like to give thanks to the folks that contributed along the way. Below is a peek at the credits from the film.

First of all, without the creation of the brilliant song "I Want An Alien for Christmas", I never would have had these images running through my head. Thanks go out to "Fountains of Wayne" (Chris Collingwood, Adam Schlesinger, Jody Porter, and Brian Young) for creating such a catchy tune. Probably one of the only songs I can listen to hundreds of times without getting tired of it. Thanks to the management company QPrime for the permission to use the song.

Then there's the living Flash machine Bob Rissetto. Without this guy, who knows when I would have picked up using Flash as the end-all/be-all of animation production. Thanks for all the support along the way buddy!

"Teeny" Dan Segarra, I appreciate the help with animation on the opening scene. Nice subtle touches from a top notch animator.

Joe Merideth, thanks for the help and advice with the animatic when I needed an expert opinion.

And my wife Heather, I love you and thanks for continuing to be my biggest supporter :)

On the Post End, Ron Fleisher and Dennis Keeling have openly offered their help and services getting this project though the technical hurdles. My sincerest gratitude gentlemen.

Now all that's left is to master the HD images. I really look forward to seeing this in Hi-def one day.

Lastly, thanks to Chewbone Animation and B.J. Crawford for giving me the extra push to wrap things up!

DIG DUG

2007-04-23T00:18:00.001-05:00

Here is my take on Dig Dug, the main character from one of my all-time favorite arcade games as a kid. Although the hero of the game shoots his victims and pumps them up until they explode, it's all portrayed in a terribly cute way. Nowadays, you can play Dig Dug on just about every console and portable game system available. Maybe I'll play some right now :)

Road Trip

2007-03-29T02:08:00.000-05:00

Face Off

2007-03-17T03:10:00.000-05:00

The Royal Family

2007-02-20T01:52:00.000-06:00

In this image I was playing around with the idea of a "Royal" family made up of cards shapes. I tried drawing up a nagging Queen next to the King, but the composition wasn't working out too well. I resorted to having him beside a spoiled Prince on a pompous horse.

Football Follies

2007-02-06T22:24:00.000-06:00

I'm not a super huge football fan, but you gotta appreciate when your home team makes it to the big game. What can you say? It was a fun ride while it lasted.

FISHMINGO

2007-01-14T15:10:00.000-06:00

This is from an OAC topic posted a few weeks ago. My first version of this was absolutely horrifying. Click here if you want to see my first attempt. I was just trying to stay loose and go with the idea of combining a fish and flamingo - which in reality may not be a very pretty creature. After the first try, I decided to try a design that would be more whimsical and appealing.

Animation Phase 1 - Complete

2007-01-02T01:55:00.000-06:00

Hey all,

Over the holiday break, I finally put together the entire first cut of the film. All the scenes are now animated, and I'll be prodding some folks for feedback over the next few weeks. There is so much that I would like to go back to and tweak, so I need to know what parts really need some attention, and what parts aren't worth stressing about. I know that some festivals will not accept a film that has already been shown on the web, so unfortunately I'll only be able to show this edit in person. Thanks in advance for your feedback.

In Brussels

2006-12-18T23:50:00.000-06:00

It's been some time since the last post. I recently returned from a trip to Belgium, and it was a delight. Why is it that trips always set in and feel more special after you get back home? I always try to take in the moments while I'm there - but they go by so fast! I started off in Antwerp (beautiful city), then visited the canal filled streets of Amsterdam (another place I'll visit again). I ended up in Brussels during their Christmas festivities and it was truly a magical experience. Here's a dramatization of me shooting lasers over "The Grand Place" in Brussels. If I get any chance to, I'd like to paint up some other images of sights that left their impressions on me!

Holiday Mix Up

2006-11-22T00:09:00.000-06:00

I decided to have some fun with 2 holidays that were pretty much at opposite ends of the spectrum. Easter is a proper holiday where you watch your manners - and St. Patrick's Day is a holiday where anything goes (especially liquor into the belly). Also, this was just a good excuse to draw a Leprechaun barfing on Easter bunnies.

Some Star Wars postings

2006-11-08T02:46:00.001-06:00

Here are a couple images I did for 2 of my favorite Star Wars characters - IG-88 and Bib Fortuna.

Nursery Rhymes

2006-10-29T11:38:00.000-06:00

I had some fun coming up with some altered nursery rhymes based on traditional storybook characters. I hope you like 'em! I seem to have an attraction to drawing characters eating. I don't expect it to end any time soon.

2006-10-12T22:45:00.000-05:00

SESAME STREET TRANSFORMERS

The OAC topic this week was "Worlds Combine". Here, I put my favorite Sesame Street characters, Bert and Ernie, in the style of the Transformers universe. Drawing in this style was not a natural thing - so I did heavy reference of the comic and toy art from the series.

AFC Update

2006-10-12T22:35:00.001-05:00

Animation continues on AFC - Just really slowly. Additional projects, work, and clubs give me about an evening a week to work on this. Most of the main animation is done - mainly just some appendages left to add. Hopefully a full film cut is due before Christmas. Maybe I'm dragging my feet because I like having it as a project in the cue - I'm sure there are all kinds of psychological reasons for it :) Thanks friends for continuing to ask.

2006-10-08T03:31:00.000-05:00

KIDDIE CAGE FIGHT

Here is the 5 year old kid that can kick ass 6 ways to Sunday. He's really more like 4 and 1/2 years old, but you'll soon forget when you're picking your brains up off the floor after being hurled through a chain link fence.

2006-10-02T00:54:00.000-05:00

Tap Dancing Animals

You should always be careful of the backstabbing that goes on in community theatre groups.

2006-09-24T23:02:00.000-05:00

T.V. DINNER

I wanted to do something completely wholesome this week (trying to make up for the Hulk's actions in the last post). I also tried to make it look like a fun advertisement for a pretend T.V. Dinner. So delicious, how can you resist? Everyone is happy.

If that is too lame for you, pretend that the ghosts of a deceased 50's family haunt an innocent television set after he moves into their home.

I also included some of the idea pictures I doodled when I thought this one up. Originally, I was going to do an ironic image where the TV was eating packaged humans. A fun idea no doubt - but I was more interested in trying to do something that could be mistaken for authentic. Maybe I can come back to that Idea later in a different style. I really want to draw that guy popping his head out of the creamed corn! The other doodle represents the final, but I was originally thinking that the layout would be vertical, like a magazine ad. At some point, I decided to try and draw the family in a linework style - more like the 50's ads I was researching. Then, when I tried to put the food on a fork, the vertical layout didn't work any more. Hope you enjoy.

2006-09-16T00:37:00.000-05:00

HULK SMASH

The Hulk is a kind, gentle, stupid monster. He likes to play, and is very inquisitive of the world around him. Unfortunately, having super strength causes more trouble than it's worth for poor Hulk. In this particular scenario, even the combined might of Superman, Santa Claus, Abe Lincoln and Orko can not stop The Hulk before it's too late.

2006-09-11T00:39:00.001-05:00

CLAWFUL and BUZZ OFF

Without a doubt, my favorite toy line of the 80's was Masters of the Universe. The colorful characters were immediately a draw for me, and although the cartoon sucked - the fun I had with the action figures could not be measured. It wasn't a hard choice to make for this week's OAC theme, but to choose characters to draw was a challenge in itself. I decided on a good guy and a bad guy that were not too common to most people, but represent the fun of the toy line. BUZZ OFF and CLAWFUL were released in about the 3rd or 4th wave of figures. They share claw hands from the same mold (sharing parts is VERY common for original Masters of the Universe figures), and just because of that, I would make these guys fight a lot. I decided to draw representations of these guys based off the new toy/statue line because they look WAY cooler. I forget just how lame the 80's toys looked. Anyway, hope you like my interpretations. I also have a trivia question . In the original 80's toy line, which character shared the same torso as BUZZ OFF?

Spawned from the depths of Hell

2006-09-04T15:34:00.000-05:00

This image is probably better left to interpretation. This week for OAC, the idea was to show a person you admire in a state before they were famous. With my life being heavily effected by Lucas, I felt compelled to portray him, but not without getting a little revenge for some of that Prequel stuff that was hard to swallow. Just trying to have some fun here. Hopefully George won't have any hard feelings - I'm paying for his youngest to go through college with all the toys I bought.

2006-08-25T21:15:00.000-05:00

Equinophobia - Fear of Horses
Although I'm not particularly fond of horses, I sure do like doing funny horse drawings.

2006-08-25T21:06:00.000-05:00

Xanthophobia - Fear of the color Yellow
Fearing the color yellow also means you'd be frightened of things like baby peeps.

I tried to go outside of my usual art comfort zone and paint up a girlie character, but I feel like something about her is a little off. I wasn't going for realistic proportions, but if anyone notices something that you think could improve my choices, please give a little critique.

Kids at Play

2006-08-18T22:27:00.000-05:00

This weeks OAC topic was kids at play. I decided to create a real world image and an image of what's in the kid's mind. Who didn't wish at some point to be Han Solo flying the Falcon? I wanted each image to be equally fun and interesting to look at - and it was a good excuse to draw Chewbacca.

Scene 45

2006-08-18T22:11:00.001-05:00

With the startup of the Outsider Art Club, I've been dividing my time into tiny bits - spreading it across multiple projects. I spend about 2 evenings a week still working on AFC, so there is still progress being made. The newest news is I finished scene 45 this week - which is exciting because I now have only one scene left to animate! I can almost smell the doneness. The shot itself doesn't look so new. It's just a shot back to Santa, looking embarrassed, pulling the Alien out of the stocking and handing it to the boy (o/s).
Here's a little look back at the evolution - from storyboard, to Flash symbols, to finished shot.

2006-08-18T22:02:00.000-05:00

"GARBAGE MAN"

You know how your family says they will love you no matter what you decide to do in life - even if you decide to be a garbage man? Well, I thought it would be fun to picture myself as a garbage man - but not doing a humdrum job where filth is nasty, but instead playing in trash that's a ton of fun! There's an endless amount of crap to play with - and I would get to hang out with my muppet pal Oscar!

In this picture, Oscar wants to kill me.

Love Zombie

2006-08-18T21:55:00.000-05:00

Here's a quick image of a very hideous zombie that needs love, just like everyone in this world.

Batman and Robin

2006-08-12T12:29:00.000-05:00

My brother and I would dress up like Batman and Robin when we were kids. At that time in my life - Batman was what I wanted to be when I grew up (so I could marry Batgirl). Taking our wardrobe cue off of the Batman TV show, we would find clothing in the house that would best match the costumes of the dynamic duo. Our best option for capes was to steal 2 of our dad's tank tops (which he didn't like) and wear them by placing our heads through both arm holes. The colors weren't exactly right - the Robin "cape" was a very puke-like yellow - but it didn't matter because we were transformed into superheros. The emblems were paper with tape on the back, and the utility belts were made of cardboard. Yes - I did wear underwear on the outside of my pajamas. Those were good times.

Zombies Vs. Pirates

2006-08-05T04:34:00.000-05:00

This Zombie isn't such a bad guy. He's just a little hungry. Don't feel too bad for the Pirate - I'm sure he hurt someone real bad and deserves being devoured. A corpse can also make a good sofa.

This week I joined up with The Outsider Art Club for the sheer fun of it. This club is comprised mostly of the friends I work with, and there should be a topic each week to keep our creative juices flowing. The club is being moderated by my pal Ryan Summers (Thanks Rye). Hopefully in the weeks to come, this will direct some ideas that I normally wouldn't persue.

OTS Santa and Alien

2006-07-26T18:37:00.000-05:00

The Flash Animation was completed for this scene today. I faked in the blurred shadow on Santa and the Alien as a test to see how it might look (to be added in After Effects later). Also, the boy's cast shadow will probably get multiplied and faded so you can see the floor planks through it. I won't do the composite until I get back to Chicago (no AE on this laptop). Now only 2 shots left!

Animation Clip

2006-07-18T23:08:00.000-05:00

A good friend of mine let me borrow some space to post a film clip. So many people have been asking to see animation that I felt I had to put SOMETHING up. Here is the last scene I did. I hope you like it, sorry there isn't more. But the good news is there are only 3 shots to go. I haven't gotten to work on the film recently because I've been preparing pitch materials for Comic-con. Hopefully right after - I can plug away on AFC again! Hope to see you in San Diego!

Alien for Christmas - Scene 43

Stocking Stuffing!

2006-07-06T00:38:00.001-05:00

Here are the latest stills from the finished animation - Santa suffs the Alien into the stocking - but both notice something just out of shot...

Animation Progress

2006-06-25T23:41:00.000-05:00

I was hoping to do some step by step stuff during this last section - but I got a little ahead of myself over the last week - so here's the update.
I started off by using the animatic for the rough layout. Once I placed it over the new background, I tried to find a good placement for the characters. The layout of the project is wider than the animatic, so the staging has to change a bit. I did the stocking first. You can see it sitting all by it's lonesome in the top image. It was a fight to get the right colors. First I thought to make it greenish - but I didn't want to compete with the Alien. Then not too reddish pink - don't want to compete with Santa's reds. The salmon/pink seemed best for now. I build the stocking right over the animatic, and adjust the strap so it hangs properly. The placement over the background may still move around, so The second "Background" stocking is left as an overlay that can be placed anywhere. There are 3 moves in this shot, and I like to play around with them so I leave everything editable.
I animate the stocking first - the way it will be effected by the Alien in the shot. Whenever something is effected by something else, I like to plan the elements out based on that. The stocking has limitations in it's movement - being attached to the mantle, so I determine the limits of it's movement.
I animate the Alien second - with Santa's hand attached to him. Santa places him in the stocking in the beginning of the shot, and how he gets placed in the stocking was the trickier action to figure out. I animate all the Alien action and just place Santa Keys in for now. Santa mainly reacts to the Alien in this shot.
In the second picture you can see a pose as it relates to the animatic. Characters more on model - with some layout changes.
The Alien's animation is complete and I have all of Santa's animations left - hopefully another week of work at the most.

Last of the Backgrounds

2006-06-15T00:27:00.000-05:00

It took longer than I hoped - but the BGs are finally done. I did these last 3 together to keep continuity and to have one whole stage complete. Film dedication has been a little lighter than usual - still sharing free time with other projects - but I cross my fingers and hope that when I get into the animation on this sequence, I get on a good roll!

Storyboards for the last sequence

2006-05-31T23:45:00.000-05:00

I'm now in the process of working out the final sequence. As seen in the last post - I'm painting the BGs. I'm hoping to do all of these first - hopefully then I won't break the momentum when I get to the animation state. Here are the storyboards for the last part of the film. Look at them if you wish - the end of the film will be revealed to you (but you could probably guess the ending if you've been following along). So as you can see, I have 3 BGs to do - one of which is a reuse for 2 shots. I'll post the finished BGs in a bit. Thanks again to everyone for the kind comments and encouragement - it really helps motivate.

2006-05-24T02:53:00.000-05:00

Here's the latest - just working on some background painting for the final group of shots. This sequence takes place in the main family room - and I'm using previously completed shots to keep the palette consistent. Here you can see some of the reference I'm using in Photoshop to paint the new BG (bottom).

Out the Door

2006-05-08T02:15:00.000-05:00

This is the last shot in the bedroom sequence. The boy catches a glimpse of Santa's shadow as he passes through the hallway. I'm off to E3 this week and a graduation out of state by weeks end. Maybe I'll get a chance to paint some BGs for the last and final sequence while I'm away - just being hopeful!

Hard to sleep...

2006-05-02T02:20:00.001-05:00

In the wee hours of Christmas Eve, a dark shadow moves across the bed of a small boy. With all the anticipation of presents ahead - it's only normal that the boy was sleeping lightly - and awakened by a mysterious shadow that moves through his room from the open door. This scene is now a wrap - kind of cute as the boy wakes up groggy - a few stills from the finished shot.

Some Updates

2006-04-27T22:36:00.001-05:00

Here's the AFC stuff I've been working on since the last post -

First off, I needed to add a little more life to the street scene. I animated three generic shoppers to walk by in the background.

After the street shot was complete, I had to go back to this toy store window scene and give the boy a size reduction. It was a low angle shot that was supposed to have a little forced perspective - but in the end he just looked fat. The image on the bottom is the boy after the fix.

While in LA a week ago, I painted up the BG for this scene and finished the animation a day ago. I'm back to working on the end sequence of the film - this shot was an easy one. The boy does some subtle breathing as we truck in on him in bed. This immediately follows the reindeer on the roof scene.

Here's the shot I'm currently working on. The boy, peacefully asleep in bed, wakes up suddenly as a dark shadow passes through the light of his open door. I hope to finish this one up soon!

More soon!

2006-04-13T02:10:00.001-05:00

Finally coming to a close on this one - Just a few missing details.