Michel Gagné and Joe Olson of Shadow Planet Productions describe how XBLA hit Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet came to be, why it ended up on Xbox instead of Wii and what platform it’s coming to next. Listen here.
The X-Bit show, which debut on March 30th in Seattle, will feature lots of footage of Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet on a multi-screen set-up. According to show producer, Teo Acosta, "Our VJ is incredibly talented, and I think people's minds will explode when they see Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet projected on 4-5 screens." If you're in the area, make sure you check it out!
I was so sad that Joe Olson (my game partner) and I couldn't attend the BAFTA ceremony, but we made sure to have our eyes glued to the live streaming version of the show. We anxiously awaited with sweaty palms as the "Best Debut Game" category was announced. Then, our minds were blown... pure and simple. Watch the video below.
British Academy Award Interview and Streaming Info March 14th, 2012
Being nominated for a British Academy Award is quite a thrill. Here's an interview I just did with them. I'm so sad that I won't be able to attend the award ceremony but you can bet I'll be watching the live streaming version of the show on Friday, March 16th at 2pm PST (9pm GMT).
Well, it had to happen one day or another. I finally joined Twitter and will be adding quick updates with news items, links, appearances and thoughts. I've been busy tweeting for the ITSP tweeter account for several months, but this new account will be of a more personal nature.
This morning, I learned that Moebius (AKA Jean Giraud) has passed away and my heart is heavy with grief. Few artists have impacted my life the way he did. When I discovered his work in my early teens, I was immediately taken by his imagination. As I dug deeper into his opus, I felt a spiritual connection. His work moved me in a truly special way.
Moebius brought a sensibility and sophistication to comic book art and storytelling that few have matched. He was in a class by himself.
I had the chance to meet him at a Gallery showing in Los Angeles in the mid 90s. We had a nice discussion. I told him how much his work had affected me, for which he seemed really grateful. Without me asking, he picked up a pen and drew this beautiful line drawing for me.
It's always a pleasure to get fan mail. A couple of weeks ago, we received an email that really put a big smile on my face. I asked Jamie, the author of the email, if it would be okay to share it with our readers and I was enthusiastically given permission. Here it is!
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Hi Michel
My daughter, Milla Beene, she's 5 years old, loves your game. She finds it delightfully scary and is always getting us to play it. She really loves the art of the game and I guess the cute little spaceship, fighting against the odds.
Anyway, she drew a whole heap of pictures in honour of the game (this is what is attached). I tried to find some comparison screen shots so you have some idea of what she was drawing. She calls the eyeball monster at the end of the demo the 'mummy' monster and absolutely loves the spider stalking creatures.
So thanks for making a game that delights a little kid so much that she feels the need to replicate the art.
Looking forward to see what you come up with next. Congrats on all your success.
This coming Monday (March 5th), I'll be doing a talk at Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. It will be fun to visit the school again after so many years. Sheridan is where I studied classical animation from 1983 to 1986. There, I learned to flip paper, use an animation stand, and was taught about exposure sheets.
To commemorate my visit, I uploaded my third year student film from 1985/86 on YouTube (embedded below). Looking at it now, it feels a bit crude compared to some of the student films I see these days, but then again, we had virtually no digital technology back then. The whole thing was animated on paper, inked and painted on cel, and shot on 16mm film.
~ News Archives
2012 - Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr - May - Jun - Jul - Aug - Sep - Oct - Nov - Dec -
This morning, I learned that Moebius (AKA Jean Giraud) has passed away and my heart is heavy with grief. Few artists have impacted my life the way he did. When I discovered his work in my early teens, I was immediately taken by his imagination. As I dug deeper into his opus, I felt a spiritual connection. His work moved me in a truly special way.
