Updates

Wow. Remind me never to say "coming soon" again... So the school year is just about ready to take off. 10 classes of horror to chip through, starting with an acting class. I figure after all the other times I've been dragged out of my comfort zone, what the heck is "Gestures and Emotions" possibly gonna do???

So, to quickly summarize how Comic-Con 2010' went, THIS is how it went.
Yyyyep. That's TOTALLY the original black ranger sharing my photo. Walter "Zack" Jones. Heck, since this happened on the last day, I pretty much forgot any good bullet points from earlier. Well in addition, I'll definitely have to make different portfolios for every studio I apply to. TV studios like realistic life drawings, while feature houses seem to like the more creatively driven stuff.

Until next time!

Gesture Drawings + Coming Soon

My yearly "gush" on how awesome Comic-Con was will come shortly. In the mean time, here's the 2 gesture pages I brought to the portfolio review (minus the old 2 minute figure page) . All 3 met a surprisingly positive response from the Disney recruiter. During my critique, it came up that more of this energy needs to make it's way into my storyboards. Can do!

Comic Con 09'

I used to always say that "nothing pushes a student forward like a retail job". The challenges of which build character and are a constant reminder of what they're working for. I was...half-right. I at least have to give conventions a shot at that title. At a convention, you are literally surrounded by those who have succeeded, repeatedly, at what you only dream of. Upon returning, my entire party of 4 felt inspired to pursue their hopes and dreams. I for one felt refreshed.

Comic-Con 09' was a bittersweet experience. A lot...A LOT of things went wrong (I totally should've hit on that slave leia...). Thankfully, far more things went right. A special thanks to all who made that possible (you know who you are and you're all awesome!). I had 3 great portfolio reviews, where I made new friends and got valuable feedback. I'll want to kick a lot of butt this coming semester to reward my reviewers' good faith.

I met a lot of "famous" artists (famous to me...), one of whom being MR. KEVIN EASTMAN (look up the Ninja Turtles)!! He was a nicer and classier guy than I could ever hope to be. I'm just glad my parents didn't get a chance to curse him out for all the merch they had to buy me. At the DC Animation panel, I asked a production-related question that seemed to put the fun Q & A to a screeching halt (you're welcome). In my defense, I had to ask a question none of the 8 dudes in front of me wouldn't think of.

The guys at ShadowMachine kicked off a national "Robot Chicken Roller Derby" tour in San Diego. The music was loud as high crap, making simple conversation difficult, but that's another rant for another time. Guys like Seth Green, Mike Fasolo, and Matt Senreich were freely skating around (along with their freely gigantic security guards). Also on the floor was Clone Wars Superviser, Dave Filoni. They were all cool, but frankly, if you weren't a hot chick, you might've had challenges getting their attention. Fair enough.

It was definitely an inspirational experience. I'd say that everyone should make the trip down there, if there weren't over 150 thousand B.O.-wofting fans down there, already. Once again, I came back with a decent-sized stack of S.W.A.G. So to all my friends, have at it.

Wondercon Recap

This WonderCon was admittedly milder/smaller than many of the recent ones I've attended, but I was fortunate enough to stumble onto some amazing experiences. I met a bunch of AAU freshmen at the con and hope to see them again in the halls (a half-sane 5th year senior...best. representative. ever.) . Above are a few of the autographed thingies I picked up.

Thank you to all the industry professionals (i think the entire story teams of Pixar and Dreamworks were scattered about the exhibit floor lol) who took the time out to let me pick their brains (And thanks for the pep-talk, Mr. Balistreri). You may never remember me, but I'll never forget the gesture. It was more than worth buying the merchandise which I've yet to fully enjoy, and it was arguably worth the panic attack I suffered at the sight of my bank account. Also, a big shout-out to my myspace pal, Steph Laberis, who I ran by serendipidously.

I went to not 1 but 2 backstage signings, a first and second ever for me. One was for "Sit Down, Shut Up", where I met the likes of Kenan Thompson, Henry Winkler, and Will Arnett. The other was for "Spectactual Spider-Man". I decided to go to that instead of the "Up" panel and was rewarded handsomely for 'keepin' it real'. I had plenty of time to hang with the Spidey crew, including character designer, Cheeks Galloway! I saw the animated Wonder Woman, but had to give up my ticket to the Watchmen screening to a friend who was staying in SF (i couldn't miss the last BART train).

I also went to the panel for "League of Super Evil" which had a modest turnout. No matter, since when we ended early, the exec. producer, Asaph Fipke came down from the podium and rewarded 3 of us with an brief 3-on-1 micro-clinic on breaking into cartoon writing, making a proper pitch document and his insights regarding the animation market in Canada and the US (thanks again, man. awesome stuff.).

I also managed to bring back some manga swag for my young buddies at the TKD school, as usual ;).

COMIC-CON 2008!!!

"It ain't over till the paramedics arrive", I always say. And as the men in white proceeded to wheel a plus-sized Superman away, I knew it was time to say goodbye.

I arrived home at about 3am this morning. The Con was awesome, overall. Though I can see why people like Paul Dini and Kevin Smith have so many good things to say about SF's Wondercon. There were soooooo many people there, you could barely sit down...or think...

On the plus side, the con was a feast for animaton artists looking to schmooze! I came back with autographed merchandise from:
- Don Bluth & Gary Goldman ("The secret of NIMH"/ "An American Tale"/ "The Land Before Time")
- Chris Sanders ("Lilo & Stitch" creator/director/voice)
- Eric Goldberg (Superviser of Aladdin's "Genie")
- Man of Action! (Team of creators behind "Ben 10")
- Bill Plympton ("The Animation Show",...eh, look him up. He's got too many credits)
- Stan Sakai ("Usagi Yojimbo" creator)
- Robin Mitchell (Talented character/toy designer)
- Greg Weisman (Disney's "Gargoyles" creator, Spectacular Spider-Man producer)

I also managed to meet up with some professional friends from MySpace who had booths like Steph Laberis (Girls Drawin' Girls), and Molly Hahn (Mollycules.com). They were hard to find, but I always try to catch and support these guys in person when I can. Until then, it's hard to say that I KNOW them. I love having faceless contacts and penpals, but it means so much more to actually show up and meet your friends, right?

Ah, panels. Special presentations of productions to come! There were so many it was a real pain to choose between them all. I was quite annoyed by the high attendance. I was squeezed out of a Disney Story panel, which I assumed no one wanted to go to (Wondercon). At San Diego, you have to get to your panels about an hour early to secure a seat. Which means you can only make it to every other panel, if your lucky. I eventually figured it out though, and had a decent schedule working.

I saw the trailer premier of the upcoming series, "Batman: The Brave and The Bold". It was AAAAWESOME!!! I found out that at a product testing, The Blue Beetle action Figure rated almost as highly as the Batman figure! Blue Beetle: The Animated Series debuts fall 2012 (kidding) ! Jamie Reyes, The Hispanic new Blue Beetle's armor looks like a combination of the Guyver and Iron Man. I've been following this interesting character for a while now. His voice will be provided by Batman Beyond's Will Freidle!

I also caught the 3 episode sneak peek of the OTHER upcoming series, "Wolverine and the X-Men". I was really nervous about how this show might come out, and I wasn't disappointed. Marvel has always managed to provide great stories, but starting with "x-Men: Evolution" and "Spectacular Spider-Man", they're finally starting to find methods of producing higher quality TV animation to match it! Boyd Kirkland (ironically of "Batman TAS" fame) is seeing this baby through. The series is going to be like crack for fans of the "Astonishing X-Men" comic.

The "Hulk vs. Wolverine" DTV was designed by Jeff Matsuda and was richer for it. Who knew that animation-friendly character designs could help the animation process?... The movie involved the infamous Weapon X program, so fan favorite characters Deadpool and Lady Deathstrike were applauded upon arrival.

Saw a lot of animation panels. Went to a voice acting workshop where I learned a lot, plus another where a group of fan-favorite V.O. artists did a hilarious cold read of a Superman radio show. I caught a glimpse of "Treehouse of Horror 19" at the Simpsons panel. And I went to ANOTHER one where I was introduced to this effin' brilliant show, "The Mighty B"! Amy Pohler sure put her foot in that one! As far as Family Guy goes, you know you're in a good panel when Seth Green goes under the table and pretends to "service" Seth McFarlane.

As far as live-action panels, "The day the earth stood Still" looks good, and apparently there's a slick-looking new "Tron" movie coming out! Great footage for that one was shown. Kevin Smith was there, stealing the show along with newcomer, Seth Rogen. I unwittingly missed the UNANNOUNCED world premier of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" footage. I'll be kicking myself for that mistake...

What an adventure. We went to In N' Out every night and partied all day. I think I saw that "Watchmen" trailer about 78 times before the Con ended. BTW, Connie, if you're reading, I brought back about 3 bags-worth of freebies you and the crew can pick apart. How's that for "goodies"? lol