Animating Fire on Taught by a Pro
December 20th, 2013

My first effects video class is now available from Taught by a Pro.

I never thought of myself as a teacher before, and doing this project has been very challenging. However, I trust that the end results were worth the effort.

I'm excited to find out if there's an actual market for this type of thing. I think it is important for classically trained animators to pass on the knowledge to the next generation so that the art form can continue to move forward.

I also did a brief interview for the Taught by a Pro Blog to go with the release of the lesson.

I'm already planning more videos and would love to hear your feeback and comments, if you purchased this first lesson.


ITSP Goes GFWL-Free with New Indie Bundle
December 10th, 2013

NEW BUNDLE SHOWCASES THE CREAM OF INDIE GAMES
Benefits Indie Developers and Charity

Insanely twisted and insanely playable! That neatly summarises the seven stunning Windows® PC games you’ll get in the awesome new Indie Capsule Bundle from Bundle Stars.

Curated by Capsule Computers, the new bundle features some of the best indie games on Steam for just $3.50. The Indie Capsule Bundle delivers an awesome range of titles across action adventure, platform, puzzle and survival horror, including three superb games making their bundle debuts.

Explore unique environments, battle bizarre creatures and solve complex puzzles in the highly acclaimed 2D action adventure Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet. Shoot, slash and smash your way in the macabre platformer Blood of the Werewolf. Immerse yourself in an unsettling, haunting world and use your instincts to get out alive in first person survival horror gameSlender: The Arrival. Encounter tricky situations and mind-bending puzzles in the highly original puzzle platformer And Yet it Moves as you master the skills of jumping, running and rotating the world in an extraordinary paper-collage world. Become a suicidal ninja robot in multiplayer action game Plain Sight, invent your own vehicles and tools in crazy puzzle platformer Doc Clock: The Toasted Sandwich of Time and save your cargo of crazy animals in the over-the-top physics-based indie driving game, Snuggle Truck.

Gamers who buy the Indie Capsule Bundle from Bundle Stars not only save an epic 93%* but also support the Australian Red Cross, with 5% of profits from the bundle going to the charity.

Michel Gagné and Joe Olson, creators of Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet said: "We're excited to be part of the Bundle Stars release, and by the same token, to officially announce the removal of Games for Windows Live from Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet. With Microsoft announcing the demise of the service earlier this year, we've been itching to make the transition to Steamworks. Now that this is done, we couldn't think of a better way to launch the updated release than to be part of a charity package such as Bundle Stars. Hopefully, this will be the beginning of a new lease on life for ITSP and a chance for players to discover the two co-op multi-player modes, Lantern Run and Shadow Hunters."

The Indie Capsule Bundle is available to own now at www.bundlestars.com for just $3.50.

* Promotional savings are based on retail prices charged to customers based in the USA for individual products, and are correct at the time of publishing.

Interview with Toon Boom
December2nd, 2013

I've been pretty vocal about my endorsement of Toon Boom Harmony, so I was not surprised to receive a call from one of the company's representative to discuss my experience with the software. We ended up chatting for about half an hour and from that conversation, an article was drafted and posted on their website. Check it out!

Taught by a Pro
November 30th, 2013

I'm back from a fabulous business trip in California. I had a blast and a very productive week meeting people from the industry and forging new alliances. A huge thanks to Tom and Tony Bancroft for letting me share a corner of their booth at the CTN Animation Expo in Burbank.

Tom announced his latest project at the show: Taught by a Pro, an online art training program that provides art instruction by professionals to artists in training who might not ordinarily have the opportunity to be taught by professional animators, comic book artists, comic strip artists, illustrators, video game designers and more.

On the press release, Tom states, “Our goal is to give artists in training access to the best professional artists without the expense of art school. Whether you are already a professional artist or an aspiring artist, it is critical that you improve your skills. Taught By A Pro is the platform for improving your abilities and enhancing your portfolio.

The types of professionals who will be sharing their techniques and tips to our students are Masters at their profession and don’t generally teach. These are artists who have honed their craft for some of the most prestigious film studios, video game companies, and institutions in the world. At Taught By A Pro, we are committed to bringing those artists to you!”

I've been working hard at putting together my first class which will deal with animating fire. Making a teaching video has proven to be a lot more challenging than I first thought, but I'm nearly there. For the next two weeks, I will be doing an intense job for Gearbox Software in Texas, and once that wraps (December 6th), I'm going to put the final touches on my class and have the video available on the site. In the meantime, check out what's available already and subscribe to the Taught By A Pro eNewsletter to get the latest updates.


Upcoming CTN Expo
November 5th, 2013

I wasn't planning on attending CTN this year but a chain of events and a collaborative project with Tom Bancroft made me change course. I will be sharing part of the Bancroft brothers' booth, promoting a project that involves all three of us. Tom will officially make the announcement at the show.

I just mailed two boxes filled with books to my friend's house in Burbank. He'll keep them safe for me until the show. Thanks Bob! Not sure if I'm going to bring any of my limited edition "Insanely Twisted Rabbits" statues. If you'd like me to bring one, leave a message on facebook or email me. My CTN special rate is $50 each. These are the only two still available:

Convention Fun
October 14th, 2013

I was a guest at this year's fifth edition of the Bellingham Comicon, last Saturday. It was a wonderful experience. People were very receptive to my work and Rex is definitely a hit with the kids! There were a lot of great costumes. Here's a picture of my set up as the show started.

Next in line is the Jet City Comic Show on November 2nd. For this, I will be doing a 2-hour talk at 2:00PM on The Saga of Rex: From Storybook, to Graphic Novel, to Animated Film. The rest of the time, I'll be at my table greeting people.

James Taylor, who organizes the con, asked me to do a pinup of the show's mascot, Bomber Girl. After I gave him the illustration, he announced this:

Exclusive Bomber Girl Print by Special Guest Michel Gagné
FREE to the First 200 Attendees

Hope to see you there!


Interview for Psychology Today
September 26th, 2013

Click here to read.

Explorer: The Lost Islands
September 25th, 2013

Just received my comp copies of Explorer: The Lost Islands. I was pleasantly surprised to realize that there's a hardcover version of the book. The whole thing looks very classy. Props to Kazu Kibuishi, Jason Caffoe and Sheila Keelan for editing such a nice volume. Pretty stoked to be part of it!

The book features 7 stories by 7 artists/writers. My 18-page story is an undersea tale called, LOAH.

Explorer: The Lost Islands will be available in bookstores by mid October and on Amazon.com at this link.