The Saga of Rex Update
January 24, 2009
I just finished the latest chapter of The Saga of Rex. "Soulmates" is a 42-page interplanetary romance. It will be featured in Flight: Volume 6 this coming summer and I hope you'll love it!
Flight is a yearly comic anthology published by Random House. I love working with all these great artists and Kazu Kibuishi is a top notch editor (as well an amazing artist). Check out these other volumes of Flight containing chapters from "The Saga of Rex".
Toonboom Aquires Animo
January 18, 2009
For many years, I've been using the software Animo for most of my animation projects. My short film, Prelude to Eden, was the first to test Animo at film resolution and output to 35mm. My friend Jon Hooper and I were instrumental in the early development phase of the software, writing long reports on how the interface should be laid out and what tools should be created so that the software would be attractive to animation companies. I did a couple of stints in Cambridge, UK where I worked with the developers and programmers to help them perfect the software. Being one of the first Animo experts, I demonstrated the software to many companies including Warner Bros and Dreamworks. Early on, I was given a lifetime license to thank me for all my services.
A few weeks ago, when I heard that Animo might be in trouble, I hoped for the best. This week, I learned that ToonBoom, one of the prime 2D animation software companies, bought Animo. I'm extensively using Animo in my upcoming animated projects and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Toonboom will keep providing proper support and upgrades. I hope to be using Animo for many more years to come. Read the press release here.
Fan Art Wood Work
January 9, 2009
Fans have sent me interpretations of my ideas in all sorts of media, but this is a first. This cute wood diorama inspired by this image, was emailed to me by Art Bellen:
Dear Mr. Michel Gagné,
I had the good fortune to read your blog and be entertained by your art and writing. I teach mathematics and I am cautious to not copy the original work of others, but when referenced, feel obligated to site any sources. I previewed your fan art section and decided to integrate your art form with some wood work.
I worked with veneer's, (no paints were used) to generate the work illustrated in the attached photos. Please fill free to comment and critique. The woods are dyed white/black/green/yellow and includes some English maple.
Respectfully,
I've been taking advantage of the Holiday season to get rolling on the last chapter of The Saga of Rex which will be featured in the upcoming "Flight Volume 6". My deadline is January 12th and I still have quite a few more pages to complete - I really need to buckle up and get my butt in gear. I'm excited about this particular installment as this will wrap up the saga in what I hope to be a spectacular fashion. The final chapter will clock in at 40+ pages!
Then, I'll start tackling the movie... but let's not get ahead of ourselves for now.
