It's the Alan Foreman Show!!! Alan briefly takes over the Forum with his one-man off-off-off-off-off Broadway Production of the Bobby McFerrin story. And guess what folks? It's Summetime! And that can mean only one thing... time to talk about the big summer blockbusters and predictions for future summer movies. Then Daphne Knouse-Frenzer and Rex Knouse-Frenzer drop by to give the kids' perspective on Hayao Miyazaki, Monsters, Monsters vs. Miyazaki, Miyazaki vs. Michel Gondy, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Foot-Spokespersons, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. And later, Joel and Alan get a special surprise from two globe-trotting pals of theirs.

MPC Digital in Soho will play host to ‘Urban Prairie’ an intuitive interactive art installation conceived and designed by their Digital department and Architecture firm *ın square lab. The project; developed in collaboration with existential ltd is for the London Festival of Architecture 2010 which runs around the capital June 19th – July 4th.

Day 3 of Oxberry Pegs Presents, the "Animators are god? series at Observatory features kid's book illustrator Ted Enik and his lecture on Cute Pollution! Characters morph toward Cute. Whether they originate in your father’s funny papers, animated shorts, or classic kidsbooks, a gradual juvenilization takes place: Betty Boop loses her dog-ears (you heard me) and becomes a flapper, Bugs crossdresses, and the Simpsons grow way less simian. In a brilliantly snarky article for Natural History Mag, evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould traced the calculated cutifying of Mickey Mouse, how the thin-limbed wiseass Steamboat Willie became the adorable spokestoddler / CFO for Uncle Walt.

Fifty years of research tells us that we Humans have ginormous radar for picking up the most subtle infant-like characteristics in both animate and inanimate objects. Apparently it’s good Evolution. Back in the `40’s, animal behaviorist, Konrad Lorenz (the duckling Imprinting guy?), determined that a babyfaced helplessness triggers our fundamental nurturing instincts. And last year the Lab Coats pinned it down: part of our lizard-brains called the nucleus accumbens actually gets a chemical buzz off of babies – or a reasonable facsimile. The kicker is, it’s the same Reward Area of the brain stimulated by drugs, food, and sex. And what we crave we go into credit-card debt over. Free Marketeers have known this for decades. Kewpie-Doll Bombshells and Little-Rascal Fratboys sell us cute cars (the Mini Cooper and new the VW), cute clothes (haute Flipflops), cute gadgetry (Navi’s, App’s, Tweets), cute food (the Boutique Cupcake), and cute carnality (sweethearts speak Motherese to each other as Mr. Wiener docks with the bajingo).

In a pop-culture-kaleidoscope of a lecture, childrensbook author / illustrator, Ted Enik will trace how we slip-‘n -slid from The Good Ship Lollipop to Lolicon, from Disney to Henry Darger, from “Hello Sailor” to Hello Kitty, how we all have been willingly polluted by the CUTE. :(…

Ted Enik has kept a gingerbread roof over his head for years by working with ever-so-cute classic and contemporary kidsbook characters: talking pigs, chameleon schoolbusses, Hispanic dragons, and pinky-up waifs. Google-Image him and go “Awwww.” You can find out more about Ted and his work at www.tedenik.com.

Anime Expo Los Angeles and the new - maybe even controversial - MAX event are coming soon. This should be an interesting July.

LAAFA Illustration & Digital Classes Summer 2010

We have a talented line up of instructors this summer quarter - classes start 7/6/10!

 

We are please that this summer LAAFA has a full line up of entertainment classes for our students.  We are excited to offer these great classes for you.  Take a look at the the full posting version.

Costumed Gesture Quick Sketch

(Starts July 19th - 10wks)

Instructor: Mark McDonnell has instructed at The Animation Academy & The Walt Disney Company
Monday, 7:30pm-10:30pm

Figure Drawing with Emphasis on Action and Form
(Starts July 6th - 10wks)

Instructor: Paul Wee is a character layout artist & assistant director on a little show called The Simpson
Tuesday, 7pm-10pm

Environment Layout Design
(Starts July 21st - 10wks)

Instructor: Robert St. Pierre is working for Walt Disney Feature Animation studios on their soon to be released “Winnie the Pooh” movie.
Wednesday, 7pm-10pm

Digital Figure Painitng (using Photoshop)
(Starts July 15th - 10wks)

Instructor: Alex Ruiz is a freelance concept artist/illustrator whose clients include 20th Century Fox, Universal Studios, Radical Comics, Zombie Studios, Virgin Comics, and visual effects houses such as Perspective Studios and S4 Studios.
Thursday, 7pm-10pm

Animal Drawing on Location
(Starts July 17th - 5 or 10wks)

Instructor: Jonathan Kuo is working as a illustrator/designer with Tap Out clothing line and teaching animal drawing. He’s also worked as a visual development artist for Cartoon Network and for other independent films. Jonathan was honored to be mentored by master animal painter Joe Weatherly.
Saturday, 10am-1pm

Drawing Storyboards/Graphic Novels with Light
(Starts Aug. 14th - 5wks)

Instructor: Marcos Mateu is a Visual Development artist at DreamWorks Animation, his film credits include 'The Prince of Egypt' and 'Surf's Up'. His book "Framed Ink, drawing and composition for visual storytellers" is being released this summer.
Saturday, 10am-1pm

Narrative illustration for Entertainment
(Starts July 17th - 5wks)

& Entertainment Composition
(Starts Aug. 21th - 5wks)

Instructor: Bryan Norton was a concept artist for Pandemic Studios for many years creating concept art for the Star Wars Battlefront series as well as Lord of the Rings: Conquest amongst other video games. He is the founder of Las Vegas based Artillory Studios which produces artwork and concept designs for multimedia entertainment projects and is producing his first of three epic graphic novels due out later this year.
Saturday, 2pm-5pm

Figure Drawing: An Analysis of Rhythm and Structure
(Starts July 11th - 10wks)

On a Full Forum Super-Seven-Student Panelpalooza, Joel and Alan survey animation students who study animation at Boston's extra-prestigious School of the Museum of Fine Arts about their likes, dislikes, and the future of future animation futures. During the course of the discourse, many fundamental life questions are questioned; what's the best way to animate glitter raining down on a stripping cat?, would you really give up your right pinky for the abilities of a changeling?, how can one take a shower in the classroom?, and most importantly, can Hamburger Helper help you to help yourself?

Based on the work of novelist Kotaro Isaka, Osuga’s adaptation brilliantly captures the tense mystery enveloping this teenage drama.

Attention aspiring film makers and writers. Here is your chance to put your creative talents to work. The grand prize: your work will be debuted at the world premiere of Kai-Ki: Tales of Terror From Tokyo at Club Nokia on July 1, 2010.

FAME LA and Animation Ink announce the Los Angeles Rock'n Comic-Con 2010 at the Pasadena Convention Center which supports the Arts, in Animation, Music & the Film Industries and their creative talents.

Animation Ink, in cooperation with Vanguard Productions and Desert Wind Comics, announces featured Guest of Honor, legendary Marvel Comics Creator Stan "The Man" Lee. Stan is the creator and/or co-creator of many of the greatest comic book characters ever including Spider-Man, Iron Man, Fantastic Four, Avengers, X-Men, Thor, Captain America, The Incredible Hulk, and many more.

Stan will launch our new convention with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, VIP Gold Room Meet and Greet, walk through, autograph signings, photos, and much more are scheduled for a total of eight hours on Friday and Saturday.  Stan Lee, Jim Steranko and moderator J. David Spurlock, Vanguard Press, will host a special guest panel for the 70th Anniversary of Captain America and Marvel Comics.

An ever-growing list of talents from the worlds of animation, film, comics, and music will be in attendence. Such favorites as J. Scott Campbell, Eisner-winning, Emmy-nominated Bill Sienkiewicz, Bernie Wrightson, Dean Yeagle, Jim Smith co-creator of Ren & Stimpy theme song will be performed live.

The world's leading late night talk show host and UFO expert George Noory from Coast to Coast radio,  Rodd Roddenberry and Marc and Elaine Zicree for Sci-Fi panels.  Animation panels, Musicians panel, Voice-Over Artists, Writers, FX and many more.

International television personality Sabrina A. Parisi, best selling author, columnist, fashion model will sign autographs, Meet-and-Greet and photo ops.

Fans can listen to DJ Shy, the first and only female mixer at the No. 1 top 40 radio station in America, 102.7 KIIS-FM. will spin albums, sign autographs, Meet-and-Greet.

The Main Exhibit and Artists Exhibit Hall will be filled with comics, art, books, merchandise, collectibles, artists and celebrities for autograph signings, photo ops, event exclusive Variant Comic Book, etc.

Industry Professionals will have lectures, panel discussions, demos by Animators, film screenings, portfolio reviews by Disney and others.

Horror Movie Panels, some moderated by Don Glut will include many special guests such as William Stout, "The Alien" Bill Blair, horror band Williow Wisp will make a special appearance and perform. Top Special FX Artists will display their Monsters original FX Props and Reproductions, and Famous Monsters of Filmland will also be exhibitors.

A Special Femme Fatales panel and celeb autograph signings, Cosmic Play Girls in Superheroine costumes and Star Wars re-enactment Saber Guild members will be judges int our Masquerade Costume Contest.

Our Entertainment Pavilion will feature Pirates of the Caribbean Cast Members from the Black Pearl, FX artists and merchandise, swords, amor, costumes, The Hollywood Film & Acting Academy and One-on-One Music Mentoring Sessions with Rock Stars.

Live music all day long from LA local bands in the Plaza Stage Area, while enjoying the Memorial Day BBQ with tri-tip steak and shaved ice.

Multi-tasking on the computer these days is enough to spread anyone's brain cells out pretty thin. Throw in our so-called 'smart' phones, iPods, etc, and what are our chances of getting any work done?