I only have one question for Jerry Beck... are you still producing animation? Because if you are you shouldn't be reviewing animated series. I have also heard that you take a consultancy fee from Disney. If this is true, please either confirm or deny it. I find the idea of anyone working in animation publishing criticism on other animator's work to be highly suspicious. If, in fact, you no longer are producing a project for MTV and no longer take money from Disney then I apologize for suspecting you. However, if you are working in animation you should alert your readers of that fact so they can take your reviews in context... that of someone who may be biased against shows that could compete with your own product.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST opened my mind to the world of film. Unfortunately,I did not see it in a theatre and hopefully I'll be able to find an IMAX theatre showing it. I don't think there are any where I live,though. I'm also worried about something: I'm worried that they might have tried to sneak Fife or Forte or any of the other characters from the blasphemy that was BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: THE ENCHANTED CHRISTMAS and I need to know that they are nowhere to be found.

Does anyone know what the recent ratings have been?

"for this reason alone The Iron Giant would have been one of the most unique animated films ever produced by an American studio. But after sixty-odd years of color features, no one -- even a talent such as Brad Bird --thinks that way anymore." "Iron Giant" IS one of the most "unique animated films" ever produced by an American studio. It's in color, because the idea to make it in Black and White wasn't NECESSARY. To say Brad Bird (the "talent") doesn't "think" that way anymore is hogwash (not to mention ignorant). Anyone who can make a film as entertaining and moving as "Iron Giant" SURELY could have made it in "black and white" should he have chosen--or should I say "if the film had called for it." But then again, maybe Anderson, Indiana has yet to get "color" projectors.... Carter Cooke Animation Historian

I have been into JtHM and Squee,and everything Jhonen for about 2 years now, and i thought THAT was funny...the first episode i ever saw of ZIM, i laughed my ass off...i love Jhonen's dark humor...it amuses me very much...he is such an intelligent man, i wish i could meet him someday.....ANYWAY! back to my point... i think Jhonen is the most creative writer on this filthy planet, and i hope he never loses his talents...The show is excellent, and pumped with extra funness, ok then...im a thinkin im done now...if you think im a loser, leave me alone, if i sound interesting to you, email me, cuz i need some other people to talk to about Jhonen...my email is: die_dustbuggies_die@hotmail.com, and my AIM name is NverSoLost...so please, talk to my face (yes, right to my face) ok then, bye bye now...i dont think i want to go yet....i watnt to stay! I WANT TO STAY!!

Jhonen Vasquez is a brilliant man, lol. I have read each JTHM comic book 100+ times. I can not get enough of it, my only problem is that I never got to see what happened with Devi and Nny, I did want them to get together in the end but there was no more comics. :( *checo*

There are actually a few animated b&w films. One which I especially like is "A Noite" by Regina Pessoa. I'm not too sure because I only saw it once, but isn't "Father & Daughter" also b&w? anyway, I can see where you're getting at. I personally prefer b&w photography, and marvel at old "Twilight Zone" episodes, but I'm not quite sure how audiences would handle it. probably that's why only independent (or semi-independent) directors have tried it recently.

I saw this film at the London Film Festival. Not being aware it was animation before going in, let alone what it was about, I was completely stunned by the visual style and story/concept. After 10 minutes I was worried if I would get nauseaus sitting through for 90 mins or so, but the graphics changed frequently enough to overcome this. I also wondered if I could cope with the variation of style during that time. It really goes to show that the medium is so symbiotic to the content. If this had been shown live action the story would have fallen flat. Likewise if the story was anything but an exploration of every meta-physical conversation and debate we had in college then the visuals would have left people lost and confused. This film was an excellent achievement of both and as to the debate to whether it qualifies as animation? It only goes to support my view that now we are entering an era of digital animation as well as drawn, we need to understand that the term 'Animation' is too limited. 3D Motion-Capture animation is as valid as 2D Drawn Classical Animation, they're just different. "The act, process, or result of imparting life, interest, spirit, motion, or activity." is a great explanation of the word 'Animation', it's not exclusive to one method or another. As we see this industry expand, we'll all have to think a little more about what we call the visual style of animation. Game Animation, Feature Animation & Televisual Animation are just 3 types that refer to the medium and represent fundamentally different styles. I am sure this debate will rage and I'd like to hear anyone's opinion ... ;-) Whatever you think though, go and see this film Ben Lock Head of Digital Production

Go forth, and partake of a hot dog on a friday--but not the bun...never the bun! The raisins watch me. xoxoxo jenny gutter

Jhonen rocks! invader zim is my fav show of all time, there's not ONE character that i dislike it it, they're all hillarious to me. When i watch zim i often burst out laughing, which is surprising since i usually never laugh at stuff on cartoons or shows or whatever. Which shows just how good invader zim is!! INFLATEABLE GUM WRAPPERS!!!

Pimp, your articles are growing slowly more coherent. I still don't get the character you're portraying; it's as unauthentic as "Moriarty" or "Hercules the Strong" over at that famous movie review site. But your take on Christmas is coherent, it's heartfelt, even if I don't fully buy your philosophy. However, you're sounding like you're making fun of Christmas depression. Guess what? It's real. People die of alcoholism and drugs around the holidays, because they miss love and affection or don't think they're worthy of it. Especially this year, when people are being fired en masse (especially in animation), we're at war and fearful, and we feel helpless in the face of foreign and American evil. The great Christmas story, which has never successfully been animated, was "It's a Wonderful Life." (Yeah, "It's a Wonderful Tiny Toons Christmas" parodied it. Who did it straight?) It includes attempted suicide, great evil which is never punished (Mr. Potter's still around at story's end, right?) and a man who sees his life as pointless. But, with no mention of Christ or religion or much of anything, George Bailey overcomes. Maybe somebody reading this might make a try at it. Failing that, in animated form, "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol" comes close. The redemption comes outside the actual story. It's the redemption of the cartoon character Mister Magoo, who was always a pompous and arrogant middle-class jerk. In this show, playing Scrooge, he shows sorrow, regret and understanding. It was also the redemption of Jim Backus - the second-best performance of his life (next to his dad in "Rebel Without a Cause").

Really, it was a very interesting read. I am greatful to have such a wealth of knowlege to draw from. Re: the show itself.... we'll, it's terrible. It's fodder for the masses. I've never seen such terrible animation and production values... BUT... Kids love it. THAT's what counts. Animators (including myself) are snobs. We can't help it... Good article, terrible show, and congralations for getting it done on budget and on time! (serisouly, congrats :) We need to see more on telly (admittedly better than this, but we need more, like you say, successful productions).

I understand the fact that "Butt Ugly Martians" was done on time and on budget, but come on....if that is the type of show that producers want, then fine, I officialy quit the industry. The show is terrible, the animation is weak, the stories are lame, and the characters look as stiff and dead as their movement. I refuse to believe that this is the type of production that people need to work on....this is the type of production I need to stay away from. What can an animator learn by working on a series that's motto seems to be "don't worry it's good enough, and besides kids are too stupid to notice that (insert problem here)!" I have seen all of the productions that Josh Prikryl has worked on.....remind me again why motion capture is considered animation....it turns the animator into a mouse monkey "tweeker". I am sure Josh Prikryl has alot of experience and I agree with alot of things in his article, but the fact that a terrible series like "Butt Ugly Martians" has been plastered all over the net, and is use as an example on how to do a cgi tv series for kids......ill put up with the advertising of the series, but there is no way I will look at it as some sort of goal to attain.

Wow, I feel like retard for posting, but ah well. I guess Jhonen's kinda like my idol....it's sad, really, yet true. I'm pretty new to his stuff although I read his comics before I saw the show. Zim is one of the couple of new wave cartoons that are starting to appeal to older kids as well as younger kids, which is good. The only TV I watch is cartoons ^^; My friend and I want to do an episode of a cartoon show on flash if we can and I'd probably animate it, although I have no idea how I'd do it since I don't have a tablet, don't have flash, and I'm completely ignorant as far as animation goes. I should probably poke around this site to find out about that....Oh, well....this interview was really cool, I was actually wondering what kind of school he went to since I'm pondering about colleges myself...(doncha love how you're forced to choose your career during the most fucked up mental/hormonal period in your life? Yum Yum) Anyways, I love his dark humor and his art style, they go together so well....I've always wanted to write him or e-mail him and ask his stuff, but...after the hell-fans meanwhile...I'm kinda scared to ^^; ah well, who cares cuz he's not gonna read this anyhow. Go to my websites because I say so. - http://visual_anarchy.tripod.com/ http://www.furnation.com/Arcane/ http://www.angelfire.com/me3/Gold/

Go Jhonen, go forth and conquer this world for it is yours for the taking.

Chris, most of your writing seems to be emanating from an alcoholic funk these days. Is that your modus operandi (sic) or are you actually a responsible daddy? You go; guy, continue to insult and digress (but make sure and change the baby's nappies). Regards the writer of these alphanumeric characters

Hey, Pimp, one of your best! Always seemed to me that Xmas specials concerned either someone finding out the "True Meaning of Christmas" (It's a former pagan holiday that takes place on Dec. 25; Jesus real birthday would be celebrated around the swimming pool), or somebody has to "save Christmas", typically because Santa has been somehow incapacitated (I would not want the jolly old codger's insurance premiums, nope!).or the animated docudrama of how some cockeyed Xmas legend came to be. Thanks for a fresh look at a hackneyed genre. Hey...I just heard something fall off my roof! What the hell....!

What Studio is JLA set up at?

It seems a dead giveaway that almost all the responses posted so far have been from people associated with the production of BUTT UGLY MARTIANS. This gives an impression of frantic damage-control propaganda. Publicly questioning Jerry Beck's objectivity is injudicious and petty. I have watched the show, and it is indefensible. I showed a tape of the show to two nephews, aged 8 and 10. Both immediately noticed the very poor quality of the animation and design, and the numerous technical deficits, although neither has any knowledge of animation production technique. The kids were bored and thought the script was "stupid". Other comments were "their elbows bend funny" and "why do they go through the ground and furniture?". The extensive merchandising effort seems to be ill-advised. The corporations involved may have hitched their wagon to a dog.

Splendid article. Regardless of the tools and techniques used, the final output is ultimately an expression of the story in graphic form - and whether the artist's hand is holding a pen, brush, or a mouse and keyboard, it is still performing essentially the same operation: re-creating mental imagery in a physical medium.