Monthly Archives: July 2015

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Pedro Astudillo

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What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Pedro Astudillo and I am a freelance graphic artist and character designer.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I was a truck driver for almost 5 years. In retrospect, it wasn’t that bad.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I was very young when I started working in the animation field but am still proud of the work I did back then.
When I was living in Spain I worked as a freelance animator for two animation studios simultaneously. I wasn’t really doing great work but I am proud of the fact that my earnings helped support my family for two years.  Many years later I worked in the toy industry as a character designer for entertainment properties, for a few years. It was one of the most prolific periods for me as an artist and am proud of my body of work during that time. Most recently and while I was still working at Disney I worked on a Pinocchio program that consisted of designing and supervising several items of limited edition. That was the last interesting project assigned to me during my last months at Disney and am very proud of the results. The fact that Pinocchio is my favorite animated Disney film only increases that feeling.
How did you become interested in animation?
I  fell in love with animated cartoons at a very early age, long before I Continue reading
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Chad Essley

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What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Chad Essley, and I’m the owner  / director of CartoonMonkey Studio.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I started into my animation career in my early 20’s, so I have to go back to my teens to remember early crazy-ish jobs..hmm..
I once worked for a short period of time, at a factory where they made basketball hoops. A robot would weld the hooks onto an iron hoop, and I would stand with these thick leather gloves on, grabbing the hoop as it came off the robot (still white hot from the welding) and file off all the extra bits before stacking it on a forklift palette. The place was full of 40 to 60 year old people who really never saw the sunshine outside the bounds of this dismal industrial factory who would drink on the job, and smoke copiously in the break room. Think I lasted about four days before walking out into the sunshine, never to return.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
Someone from Microsoft contacted me, and flew me up to the Tablet PC headquarters to design all the game graphics for a children’s handheld tablet console called the KidTab. I was given a big bunch of money, and given almost total free reign to come up with whatever I wanted. This was for the research and development department, and I workedwith some people on the Continue reading

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James McDermott

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What is your name and your current occupation?
James McDermott, currently I’m the Character Design Lead on a newPrimetime FOX series being produced at Bento Box called “AllenGregory”.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting intoanimation?
My first job, I worked as a kids counselor at a summer camp when I was 14. I was incharge of twenty 6 year old kids every week. Looking back on it I’mnot quite sure how I did that but I did it with joy. I once was asked to dress up as a feltfilm strip character in front of a boardroom full of people, selling itas a brand hallmark for a movie theater chain, I forget which one, for$100 while in art school. Needless to say it was very embarrassing atthe time as a teenager.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been apart of?
Well even though it was cancelled, my time on “Neighbors from Hell” was probably one of the better experiences I’ve  had in production. I loved the style of the show, so much fun to draw. I had the opportunity to work with Continue reading

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The Little Red Haired Girl Makes Her Debut

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THE LITTLE RED-HAIRED GIRL FIRST MENTIONED: November 19, 1961 Not much is known about the The Little Red-Haired Girl except that she is Charlie Brown's unrequited love in the Peanuts comic strip. Charlie Brown never found the courage to talk to her and she was never actually seen. The closest she came to appearing in Peanuts was in May, 1998, where she is seen in silhouette dancing with Snoopy. DID YOU KNOW: In the animated specials, which Charles M. Schulz considered non-canonical, the Little Red-Haired Girl is named Heather.

THE LITTLE RED-HAIRED GIRL
FIRST MENTIONED: November 19, 1961
Not much is known about the The Little Red-Haired Girl except that she is Charlie Brown’s unrequited love in the Peanuts comic strip. Charlie Brown never found the courage to talk to her and she was never actually seen. The closest she came to appearing in Peanuts was in May, 1998, where she is seen in silhouette dancing with Snoopy.
DID YOU KNOW: In the animated specials, which Charles M. Schulz considered non-canonical, the Little Red-Haired Girl is named Heather.

Today, The Little Red Haired Girl from THE PEANUTS MOVIE made her debut with the help of  Francesca Capaldi, voice of The Little Red Haired Girl in the movie. Head over to Francesca’s Instagram page to check out the adorable first look!
See the Little Red Haired Girl on Francesca Capaldi’s Instagram HERE: https://instagram.com/p/4620d6SWJ9/?taken-by=imthefrancescac

This is the first time the Little Red Haired Girl from the movie has been seen!
To learn more about the Little Red Haired Girl and the real-life woman who inspired her, check out this story from The Washington Post:: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2015/07/09/exclusive-1st-look-thanks-to-peanuts-movie-heres-your-new-little-red-haired-girl/
THE PEANUTS MOVIE hits theaters everywhere on November 6, 2015!
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THE PEANUTS MOVIE
3D Animation
Release: November 6, 2015
Director: Steve Martino
Based upon the comic strip by Charles M. Schulz
Producers: Craig Schulz, Bryan Schulz, Cornelius Uliano, Paul Feig, Michael J. Travers
SYNOPSIS
Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus and the rest of the beloved “Peanuts” gang make their big-screen debut, like they’ve never been seen before, in state of the art 3D animation.  Charlie Brown, the world’s most beloved underdog, embarks upon an epic and heroic quest, while his best pal, the lovable beagle Snoopy, takes to the skies to pursue his arch-nemesis, the Red Baron.  From the imagination of Charles M. Schulz and the creators of the ICE AGE films, THE PEANUTS MOVIE will prove that every underdog has his day.
THE PEANUTS MOVIE Official Socials
Official Hashtag: #PeanutsMovie
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Michael Hill

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What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Michael Hill. I’m a Lead Artist at Hound Comics, character designer and creator of the new original spy series Operation Spyhard.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I’ve done it all! lol From unloading trucks and stocking dairy to making hams and sacking groceries. The jobs weren’t crazy but a lot of the people were. lol I should write a book. Hmmm…………..
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
Since I’m new to the animation industry, I haven’t completed a project as of yet but I’ve met some of the amazing artists who have worked on projects like, Young Justice, Justice League, Batman TAS, The Boondocks, Batman Beyond, DC and Marvel animated features, and more! Incredibly humble guys who have respect and advice for  genuine new talent that are serious about growing in the industry. I’m honored to learn from their years of wisdom and success.

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I’m originally from Birmingham, Alabama but I will soon be relocating to Los Angeles to have direct access to Continue reading

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Nickelodeon Show Creator Launches New App For Kids

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WGlkpbEji4

Originally printed in the Conejo Valley Happening

As if creating several successful animated shows for the Nickelodeon network weren’t enough, Butch Hartman (The Fairly OddParents, Danny Phantom and T.U.F.F. Puppy) has just launched a mobile app geared for kids and teens.

An animated world filled with cartoons, video games and live action shows, The NOOG Network is a project Hartman has been developing for the past six months. “I wanted to do something where I could branch out on my own,” said the Calabasas resident and last year’s Reyes Adobe Days featured artist. “Having my own space is the perfect opportunity to showcase things that I’ve always wanted to do.”

Hartman, though he loves working in traditional children’s television, has always felt the need to branch out into the app space. He compares the technology to “the wild west” where there aren’t that many rules yet and you can experiment a lot more easily. ” If I think of something on Monday I can have it up by Friday,” he said.

According to Hartman, Noogs are fuzzy little interactive creatures of all shapes and sizes that escort players through their unique city landscape. “As kids watch things, they can earn points and buy more characters, which I think keeps things more interesting,”

LAND OF NOOG COLOREDThe programming, tailored for kids ages 6-14, was developed and created by Hartman and his family which keeps production costs down. One live action show, Zack 2.0–made up of 10, two-minute episodes and described as a teen drama with a sci-fi twist–was shot on-location at Agoura High School and features Hartman’s daughters, Carly and Sophia, in the cast. His wife, Julieann, was the line producer.

Currently, there are six 30-second cartoons, two live action shows, a kids’ newscast and three video games. “By this time next year I hope to have about 20 shows, 50 cartoons and 10 video games,” he said.

Currently, the app is free and can be found on mobile devices. In addition, Hartman will be hosting an upcoming event to showcase the app at The Garage teen center located at the Agoura Hills Recreation & Event Center. Stay tuned for details.

Incidently, we interviewed Butch back in 2011

– See more at: http://conejovalley.happeningmag.com/nickelodeon-show-creator-launches-new-app-for-kids/#sthash.0lMyg3go.dpuf