If the author had used more mature language, the insight attempted possibly could have been effectively addressed. I read the first part then stopped wasting my time. I'm surprised that AWN publishes such juvenile articles.

Thank You for sharing this information with us. I found it most helpful, and appreciate the tips. Chae

Jhonen Vasquez has to be the one of the greatest artists of all time. To many people over look him and only know him for Invader Zim and don't bother to learn more about his other comics. I really wish I could draw as good as him.. I work really hard too.. But I'm gonna keep working and look at Jhonen as kinda a mentor or hero sorta person. Hey maybe someday I'll hit it big too. *~Magic~* Feel free to e-mail :)

That theme tune is amazing!!! can i download it in MP3 format from anywhere??

I created Gay Dinosaurs and am part of the Idependent Film Makers Cooperative. I see you spoke with Calvin and Dan, whom I have both worked with. NOITANIMANIMATION is a partner in this, and you made it sound as if it is theirs and theirs alone.In the future you might want to be more inclusive. Karen Lee Leonard Executive Producer/ Creator Gay Dinosaurs Ltd. www.gaydinosaurs.com

so .. i see Murdocs been getting press in USofA .. are you guys sure you want to see his influence being spread about - his ego needs no massaging. the guy has one foul mouth on him. and as for Jamie H .. well murdoc aint chuffed about him taking all the credit.

Neil... You ask me in essence: What do you expect? I expect better. It might be common knowledge to you, but how many viewers are really conscious of the quiet, subtle gestures of intolerance and cultural arrogance going on in these films? As long as it's there, it needs to be discussed. Solutions? Be aware of simple thing: nothing is natural, everything is cultural

Wonderful! For young and old alike this animated creation is more than charming and educational. It's a return to feelings of child-like wonder and fantasy.

North American cartoons, especially feature films, are condescending, homogenizing, brain-dead peices of semi-pretty looking claptrap told with a single world-view in mind, based on what a group of socially-myopic producers "think" the audience wants to see. Suddenly, this is news?!? The whole problem boils down to critical mass. When you've got as many people and as much money involved as you do with your average feature-length animated film or even a t.v. series, mass-audience appeal is gonna colour everything you do. For massive productions, this is an automatic lost cause. Again, no big news. As cameras, 3d software, and pre/post production tools continue to get better, cheaper and easier to use, it's only a matter of time before we see more independent feature-length animated films and original t.v. concepts...hey, what're Barry Arynovsky and David Falcon workin' on...d'y'know? In the meantime, that there Gorillaz feature should tide you over. Hang on, rant away, and look to the indies, baby. Salvation awaits.

I just want to congratulate the Pimp on writing an article that contains so much of what I've often thought of myself. He has exposed some of the biggest problems with Hollywood in a highly entertaining, and very true, manner. Now I wonder what the solution will be to this long standing problem. I have been puzzling it for some time, perhaps someone has an idea?

say-jon....., thanks for the great report on the winners of the film festivals. i was wondering ...if? -there are any sites which actually showcase all the various "winners"? i need to see more of these shorts,and the impression ..... is; one has to actually "GO"...to the festival to get any idea of all the entries,and there appears to (be) sooo many of these festivals that one needs some of kind of "guide-book" on the whole scenario? am wondering if ..YOU have considered doing such a "guide-book"? last week, i tried using this site"s "links" about comming anmation-shorts festivals,and there were so many(pages and pages) that i began to wonder how IMPORTANT all these so-called competitions ...ARE!? my impression is; some festivals are "self- appreciating" with certain 'commercial-entertainment-draws made to benifit the local economy? i see entries having to spend a lot of research and time(= s lost creative time) if one is new on the scene. it appears "anything-goes" in terms of concept and characters+ affects+styles+types of various ways to animate? like 300 mghz. ....P C? i have created over 200 characters and plan to animate them with multiple- several characters-as the 'cast", and this comes to another conceptual question: are the "judges" of these competitions using conservative standards or are they LOOKING for somthing completly new and origional? i can see a LOT of time,money-resources ...wasted on these "judges"...IF one does not actually KNOW their intent. in other words,... i feel as-if i"m looking at a "gauntlet" of just where to began...if one wants(sanley)to enter any animation competition. i would like to se more writing on "multiple-character" concepts and discussions about the "one or two" character ,scenarios,such as disney"s "lilo and stich" which is consistantly keeping -story-telling stagnant,and boring! currently, we have -spiderman-shreck-etc., as winners,with many other major studios comming out with ...MORE "single-character-story telling scenarios." will it ever stop?..and are these "JUDGES" at animation festivals?...keeping this "system" alive?...by picking this as the winner!? monsters,poke mon,muppets, etc. are the exceptions,and they have succeesfully demonstrated this multiple -character scenario... works! dawk.......

Tiny Planets has become my 3 year olds favorite show. We love to play the games on the interactive site while dancing to the music. I'm just waiting for the soundtrack to come out??

DreamWorks needs A LOT of work when it comes to their story department. I don't care if you have the nine old men animating the movie...if the story is weak then the movie as a whole will suffer. When you think about it, there is hardly a story to be told in Spirit. A horse gets caught, more than once, then wants to escape. Hmmmm. The only obstacles in his way are all physical; not emotional or intellectual. Spirit does nothing in the movie that shows us his inner self. It was the equivalent of watching someone jumping over hurdles in the Olympics. There's no suspense or real motivation to his actions. He just does things because he's written to do them. It doesn't have to be Shakespeare but DreamWorks should at least adhere to some of the classic storytelling principles. DreamWorks is so concerned with the aesthetics of a film that they forget about the story (with the exception of the 2 animated features not produced at the Glendale facility: Shrek and Chicken Run....coincidence? hmmmm). It's a shame that they have all that talent over there yet they can't seem to learn that reinventing the storytelling wheel doesn't work. Disney has created classic after classic because they focused on the story first then the animation second (I'm speaking of the films made mainly with Walt). Now Pixar is copying that same old method of storytelling. Their movies reflect it. Well told story with very appealing characters. DreamWorks could take a lesson or two from Pixar. I bet Pixar could tell a story with paper cutouts and make it more interesting than Spirit. Let's hope that they do something different with Sindbad. Oh wait. They're Katzenberg's DreamWorks. They already animated a lot of the poorly developed story...I've seen it.

Great, depthy analysis--especially the Merchant-Ivory reference. Bravo.

Heard great things about the movie. I love to ride horses. can't wait to see it.

Its hard to say how "Spirit" will do. Considering that I haven't seen it yet, and I scared about how bad it might effect the animation world. Considering that Disney is closing their doors in five years to go completly 3D, the studios out there have to come up with a BETTER story. Come on, the horses dont talk, and thats what attracts the kids attention. "Shrek" was a great film, because of the story, and the characters. If studios continue to pump out films that dont have great storys, and characters we can attract to, then 2d animation for feature is doomed. Cheers!

Spirit sucks.....period.

My hat is off to Dreamworks for taking another step in a new direction. Beautifully animated without trying to be to hip, and without innuendo, or undertones, or topical gag humor. Its a clean film, and beautiful, and as 3d steps overtakes this industry, its quite possibly the last of its kind.. If you need a break from all the fast cutting, digital/phasers/explosions, then give this simple film a try. I think you'll be quite impressed. As an audience member, you need to choose carefully what type of film you want to support. Especially at the dawn of this digital age, your movie ticket dollar really plays a roll in which films will be offered in the future.. So I ask that you NOT give any studio exec, reasons to someday greenlight a Scooby Doo IV, or a 'Bullwinkle Babies', or "Hunchback of 105 dalmations returns to Jungle never-never land III". If you want more originality, or experimentation in your feature animation choices, then support films like 'the Waking Life', or Nightmare before Christmas, or any of Myazaki's work. Support Pixar's brilliant story crew, and Aardman's originality, and Shrek. And if you dont know who Hogarth is, meet him and his metal man in "Iron Giant." Go to local festivals and support those independant animators, and they will blow you away with humor and content and creativity at levels that Hollywood just cant factor in their formula spreadsheets.. (I tell you there is some FANTASTIC talent out there..) Great films are original films. Please support creativity and craft,, not crap. Viva animation!

Hi Pamela, I'm really glad finding your advices and I know you are totally right on that. Actually I didn't know exists a post like yours, I know it only since few days. We have a small animation studio in Hungary and I'm just trying to find any job from other countries as in Hungary this kind of business is still very little. My friend is working in this studio and was upgrowing in front of the computer... working since 6 years with Lightwave and learnt everything alone, trying out the programs' buttons whitout English knowledge! Most of the animators asking him if they are failing to make something. Specially we are looking for yob could be done from Hungary and I really don't know how we could get it. What do you think? Ml, Melinda

having only seen the trailer-visuals,i can probably agree with most folks who have seen this artistic movie,that is done with great "scenic"and "old west-indians-cowboys"...perfection, but did the "committe" deserve any "credit" for this? no-no-no,and no; because this "idea" about doing an animated story with all the "old-west" players ...has been DONE...over and over and over! the true folks taking (orders) from the "comitte" deserve all the credit+ the story teller. currently the western states are experiencing a severe drought; and...our movie-going folks are..ALSO dying of THIRST...for somthing to "drink"...which is not sickeningly-pittifully- insanley-redundant! this committe has taken upon itself to...continue ...THE DROUGHT! they do not care if audiences are LEFT to see a feature that has been done-probably hundreds of times. the least the comitte-controled dudes should do..is to apologize forlack of imagination, for not looking for somthing ..ORIGIONAL! do they use a "dart-board" to select the .."next production"? 10-20 years from now , the "drought" will continue..unless all the audiences get tired of being denied "a drink" of fresh water-animation. my apologies...for writing this in such redundant manner,and hope you-all reading this learn to recognize..REDUNDANCY, because the movie going audiences are still "buying" bottled-water,with NO WATER...IN THE BOTTLE! DAWK