Today’s ‘Dead Ringo’ pic

Fwak! is coming back!

Our new pilot ‘Dead Ringo’ is alive

Well after working around the clock on our first full length feature, Los Campeones de La Lucha Libre we needed a break.  But 2009 was ridiculous!  Three stalled projects (more on these later) doesn’t make for a robust IMDB listing!  But when you answer to no-one and can make your own destiny, good things happen.  Despite the lack of production, here are 2009’s best bits:

• Toon Boom ‘Animate’ and the ‘Animate Latin America Tour’.   One plus was that we had more time to delve in Animate and we have been nothing but happy with the results.  We were also pleased to be offered the chance to tour Mexico City, Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo and demonstrate the software.  And we were able to keep updating our ‘Toonboom-bastic’ blog with things we continued to discover.
• Series Development. We storyboarded and produced some animation for our ‘Bostie Boys’ series idea (which provided another opportunity to finesse our background style using ‘Animate’).  We also developed our ‘Dance Crasher’ project to full series bible, and started on pre-production for our latest idea…
• …‘Dead Ringo’.   Happily, we are being funded in December to produce a pilot for Dead Ringo.  This is going to be an all Fwak! production…concept, storyboards, design, animation and music…and we couldn’t be happier.  What a great way to end the year.

We try not to dwell on negative things on this blog, but sometimes it is unavoidable – and I think necessary –  just to show that animation has its major pitfalls.  Case in point, our ‘Rocquita’ project with Cartoon Network Asia/Pacific, which has just passed its 2 year anniversary in development hell.  2 years!  Life is short, and 2 years of bad communication and lack of vision has really killed this one.  There was also a brief dalliance with Disney with ‘Dance Crasher’ which started promisingly, but after 3 months of ‘tweaking and refining’ went nowhere.  And then there was a series of  Lucha Libre-themed shorts for Mun 2 which collapsed after close to 6 months of waiting when the sponsor pulled out.

But the great thing about 2009 is that Fwak! gets to do what it started out doing, and was meant to do; create and produce its own content.   With the ‘Dead Ringo’ pilot, 2010 has got off to a great start.  Merry Xmas/Chanukah/Festivus/whatever.  Check back for ‘Ringo’ updates in 2010!

Production stills from ‘Dead Ringo

Mimoco and Munky King Designer Toy Store Team Up For Month Long Los Angeles MIMOBOT Pop-Up Shop

Mimoco is re-releasing Lili’s GINCHY mimobots (amongst others) in new 16 GB versions!  Come along tomorrow night in LA and meet Lili at the release party…

Mimoco and Munky King Designer Toy Store Team Up For Month Long Los Angeles MIMOBOT Pop-Up Shop.

More Animation effects

Don’t forget our Toonboom-Bastic blog, where we post scenes we have produced using ‘Animate’.  The Multiplane camera in Animate is the best thing ever, and we are having a blast with it; it really adds an extra dimension to our truck ins/outs/pans…

A True Birthday Story

 

 

Rasslin’ Riot: a review of Los Campeones

Dann Lennard (“Writer, dreamer, drunkard, zinester, Bettie Page expert, wrestling journalist”)  went and saw Los Campeones this weekend and wrote a review on his blog.

REVIEW:  Los Campeones De La Lucha Libre… Everything’s Buena!

THANK YOU, DANN!

And here’s an old photo of  me and a copy of Betty Paginated zine.  And my back cover – Sorpresa!

Los Campeones – repeat screening in Sydney

Sunday 23rd August

Mu-Meson Archives
Doors 7.30 for 8pm start
$10 with supper

Details: www.mumeson.org

Link: Los Campeones website

Los Campeones in France – Screening Date!

Los Campeones makes its French debut at the Strasbourg International Film festival on September 2nd.  Full festival schedule and screening locations here.

Calling all Boston Terrier people

Boogie Loves All-Mighty postcards

If you have seen any of my other internet profiles (flickr, facebook etc) it’s clear that I am obsessed with my boston terrier – Boogie,  adopted from Boston Buddies Rescue.

Next month on September 12th is Boston Buddies’ 4th Annual Boston Tea Party, in Huntington Beach. There will be hundreds of boston terriers & their people present. There will be contests, food, adoptable BTs, photo ops, auctions of BT-related stuff, and BT-related giveaways. These postcards above were created for the All-Mighty Clothing gift bags, and they feature Boogie and gals wearing All-Mighty apparel.

Come and join the party! (Which is open also to non Boston Terrier People)

Below is a sneak peek of a new Boogie series in the works…

… as a sequel to last year’s Boogie On calendar series:

Yes, I am a crazy boston terrier person. :)

Vintage Mexican Sci-Fi film festival

We are so excited about these Hammer Mexican Sci Fi screenings! A related article on Wired.com HERE.

La Nave De Los Monstrous in particular – because we have only seen this on low-quality VHS in Spanish, with no English subtitles,  and it was inspiration for many a monster in Los Campeones! :)

Vampire women

Hitlerbot

Cyclops

Brain

Saving this date: Friday August 28th, 7.30pm.  UCLA Billy Wilder Theater. See you there!