Fred Patten reviews Samurai from Outer Space: Understanding Japanese Animation.

One of Totally Hip's "Hip Clips"In the last issue, I looked at Macromedia's Flash, a program that allows you to do animation for the Web. This month, I tested out Totally Hip Software's WebPainter, a program with the same general purpose as Flash, but aimed at a different market. While Flash works with vector-based images and allows a considerable amount of interactivity for a rather high price; WebPainter allows you to easily create GIF animations, and is inexpensive, but lacks the interactivity and more professional look that Flash is capable of. If you already have a program like...

Wendy Jackson reports on new animation music, video and book releases.

Renowned drawing instructor Glenn Vilppu continues with his ninth "sketching on location" teaching installment. This month we learn about creating a silhouette and the importance of positive and negative shapes.

Danny the cat.I came to Cats Don't Dance with few expectations, thinking only "a flick with six Randy Newman songs in it can't be all bad." Things got off on the wrong foot with a lifeless, laughless Foghorn Leghorn short, Pullet Surprise (directed by Darrel Van Citters for Chuck Jones Productions) tacked to the beginning, but took a more promising turn as the feature proper got underway. Any movie that borrows successfully from Sunset Boulevard and Singin' in the Rain in the first reel is well on its way to winning this old film buff's heart. Cats...

Imagina 97From its start, Imagina has been organized by the French National Audiovisual Institute (INA) to coincide with the Monte Carlo Television Festival (this year celebrating its 37th anniversary). The 16th annual Imagina conference was held from February 19-21 in Monaco and highlighted new imaging and communications technologies. Traditionally, Imagina, like the American SIGGRAPH conference, has been devoted entirely to computer graphics and special effects for film and television. Gradually, it has added such areas as virtual reality, virtual communities on...

Ann C. Phillipon talks with "quintessential independent American animator, George Griffin" about his life and art.

Guillaume Calop gives Macromedia's Flash a spin.

Wendy Jackson reports on new animation music, video and book releases.

Logo du festival par Johan DeMoor.La seizième édition du Festival du Dessin animé de Bruxelles, organisée par Folioscope se tenait du 4 au 16 février, période de congé scolaire du Mardi Gras. Mis à part une rétrospective sur les pionniers du genre au Musée du Cinéma, la manifestation belge était circonscrite cette année dans une unique salle (celle du Passage 44). L'organisateur en effet, n'était pas parvenu à reconduire un accord satisfaisant avec le "Botanique" (centre...