Spending time, living in and discovering a foreign country is exciting and enlightening to me. So, on this particular occasion returning to the “New World” proved to be more of a sobering experience than usual. As you read on, you will realize that it actually tested and contested my own tolerance and open mindedness.

Eric Fogel, creator of MTV's Celebrity Deathmatch, starts blogging on AWN with a little background on a youth spent at his drafting table creating comic books.

Veteran animator and storyboard artist Ryan Woodward goes indie again with "Bottom of the Ninth," a unique animated graphic novel app designed specifically for iPad

Seoul International Cartoon and Animation Festival

July 18th-22cnd

Seoul, South Korea

The Seoul International Cartoon and Animation Festival (SICAF), which is now firmly established as the biggest cartoon and animation festival in Korea, marks its 16th anniversary this year. Based on its main theme, "Paradise Filled with Heart-Throbbing Happiness," the SICAF 2012 offers visitors opportunities to enjoy a joyful journey while escaping the mundane routine of everyday life.

This year, in addition to COEX exhibition halls, the SICAF 2012 promotional pavilion will be set up in Palkak-Square at Namsan Park on Mt. Namsan where the Seoul Animation Center is located. The Mt. Namsan Pavilion will stage an animated film festival as well as providing information on SICAF events and also staging exciting accompanying events such as caricatures for visitors. The SICAF 2012 Exhibition will offer visitors an opportunity for rediscovery where one can experience cartoonist imagination, enjoyment, education and inspiration all at once through various cartoon and animation contents, educational and first-hand experience programs.

SICAF2012 Official Competition, one of the best Asian animated film festivals, had total entries of 1,362 outstanding films from 45 countries. Selected after the pre-selection held from 16 to 20 April, 152 films from 30 countries ― 5 feature films, 48 professional shorts, 42 student shorts, 28 TV films, 29 commissioned films ― will be presented to the International Jury and the audience at CGV(Myung Dong Yeok) & Seoul Ani-Cinema(Seoul Animation Center) from 18 to 22 July, along with the films invited to the Special Programs.

International Animation Festival Hiroshima

August 23rd-27th

Hiroshima, Japan

Hiroshima International Animation Festival was established in 1985, as a project commemorating the 40th anniversary of the atomic bombing. From the beginning, Hiroshima City and ASIFA shared a same idea, that is, to promote the international mutual understanding and to pursue eternal world peace through the development of animation art, which is a medium common to all human beings beyond nations and languages.

Hiroshima Festival is a comprehensive animation festival, featuring competition programs to choose the Grand Prix, Hiroshima Prize and other prizes out of many latest animation shorts submitted from around the world. The festival also offers many special programs including retrospectives of masters and talented filmmakers, feature animations, high quality student works, animations for peace, for children, as well as seminars, symposiums, workshops, exhibitions, and educational film market, etc. With its outstanding international programs and administration, the festival is highly recognized not only within animation field but also throughout the media art society.

Disney has just released 8 character portraits with descriptions from Tim Burton's upcoming stop-motion horror flick, Frankenweenie. Check 'em out in 1200x1800 pixels grandeur.

6 new character posters have been released for the new DreamWorks feature, Rise of the Guardians, set for release November 21, 2012, including the evil villain, Pitch.

This reflection is devoted to the spirit of imagination, innovation, ideation and invention: how these precious values are reflected through the architectural realizations of the country called the “New World”. In my humble perception, something has gotten lost in translation. Are we slipping, losing it?

This new book celebrates in wonderful detail the art, rather than the making, of Pixar’s latest feature film.

Walt Disney Studios announces a touring exhibition of the art of "Frankenweenie," the new stop-motion feature from Tim Burton.