The Last Two Flights
February 27, 2010
Kazu Kibuishi has announced, "The next couple of years will mark the end of the Flight series. We will be wrapping it all up with Flight Volume Eight."
It breaks my heart to hear this. I saw Flight as a perfect playground for my concepts. I don't have time to be a full time graphic-novelist - I can only do so much in a day. Creating an installment of 40 pages a year is doable. That's why an outlet like Flight was so amazing for me. Also, being part of such a great group has challenged me to become a better artist and storyteller.
Flight 7 will be coming out in July. The work I've seen so far is phenomenal. I applaud Kazu's decision on Volume 7, to have text in every story. It certainly took me out of my comfort zone. I had to figure out a way to integrate prose into the Saga of Rex, which up until now has been completely silent.
All previous volumes are gorgeous and can be ordered on Amazon.com.
Fun Times in Barbados
February 20, 2010
Nancy and I had a great time in Barbados where I was invited to present a workshop at the Paint Me Barbados art festival. We enjoyed being part of the event, as well as meeting and hanging out with some of the other artists, Alcina Nolley, Robert Fionda, and Brian Stewart and his wonderful lady companion, Joanne. The people from the island were nice and the Caribbean Sea and white sand beaches were gorgeous.
My many thanks to Susan Phillips (whose vision made this event possible) and Grace Husbands (a talented singer and a classy lady) for taking care of us. Extra points for the Barbados rum. Hmmm, that stuff was good!
The workshop went well with over thirty attendees in an intimate setting. The class reacted with enthusiasm, making comments and asking questions throughout most of the presentation which lasted over three hours.
 Barbados has an amazingly efficient transport system. There are busses at your disposal every couple of minutes and the rate is very reasonable. You can choose between either the larger Transport Board buses, or the smaller privately owned buses or vans.
The ZR vans (pictured on the left) are the most frequent and they were our favorite! The driving is fast and furious and as many people as possible are crammed in. I ended up sitting on somebody's lap a couple of times! It's not for the faint-hearted, that's for sure, but it's a good way to meet the natives and a fast way to get around.
Paint Me Barbados
February 8, 2010
 From February 12th to February 21st, the Creative Artworx Design Group in Barbados will be hosting Paint Me Barbados - The Ultimate Artist Experience, where several international artists will be giving workshops and lecturing about their respective fields of expertise. It should be a great time for all who attend. I was asked to be a part of the event, and I'm pleased as punch! My presentation will be on February 13th from 3:00 to 6:00pm.
WORKSHOP DETAILS
I will give an overview of my art career and discuss creating animation and special effects for movies; designing characters for animated films and television projects; visualizing videogame projects; creating comics and graphic novels.
I will share my philosophy about creativity and give insight on how to be successful as an independent artist. The presentation will include several video clips and images showing my process and approach to various assignments ranging from mainstream Hollywood movies to personal fine arts.
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I am excited about this trip. Besides the lecture (which I hope will be inspiring to those who attend), I look forward to meeing the people, visiting the island, swimming in the beautiful ocean, and reading some good sci-fi books!
Those in Barbados who think I still look like that picture above might be a bit disappointed, though ...hehehe.
Click here for a full schedule of the events.
The Toon That Changed My Life!
February 3, 2010
To celebrate their 200th issue, Animation Magazine asked some of their favorite animation artists to tell 'em about the movie/TV show or characters that made them realize they wanted to work in the toon business. When asked, I chose the four animated films I felt had a biggest impact on my youthful years. Read the article here.
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