June 1996 Vol. 1, No. 3 Blechman Goggle-Eyed Plympton’s Metamorphosis The I ndependent Spirit ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE Volume 1, No.3 – June 1996 Editor's Notebook: The Independent Spirit and An Invitation by Harvey Deneroff 3 Plympton’s Metamorphoses by Mark Segall 5 Bill Plympton, the master of the outrageous, is in the midst of making his newest feature, I Married a Strange Person, in which, as Mark Segall reports, the noted animator puts us through some strange changes. Transfixed and Goggle-Eyed by R.O. Blechman 9 R. O. Blechman, who has long charmed us with his films and illustrations, takes a humorous and often sardonic look at the resurgence of all things Disney and what it all means. Shifting Realities: In the Metaphysical Realm Between Live Action and Animation by Suzanne Buchan 12 The Brothers Quay, those enigmatic masters of stop motion, have now come forth with The Institute Benjamenta, their first “live-action” feature. Suzanne Buchan takes a look at the film and their career. Instinctive Decisions -- Dave Borthwick, Radical Independent by Frankie Kowalski 16 Dave Borthwick and bolexbrothers studios represent the best of Bristol’s thriving animation underground. Their productions include the feature-length Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb, which is a far cry from the usual version of the Grimm fairy tale.. Don Bluth Goes Independent by Jerry Beck 20 When Don Bluth suddenly left Disney in the late 1970s to strike out on his own, it led to a chain of events that sparked today’s renaissance in feature animation. Jerry Beck provides a brief memoir of the days when Bluth appeared to be animation’s white knight and could do no wrong. Lotte Reiniger by William Mortiz 23 The long and varied career of Lotte Reiniger, best known for her exquisite Adventures of Prince Achmed, one of the first feature - length animated films ever made, is detailed by William Moritz. Cabin-Fever Animation by Gene Walz 29 The recent Siberian winter in Winnipeg may have been marrow - freezing, eyeball - aching weather, but it was also perfect animation weather. Gene Walz provides a rundown of what’s been happening with the likes of Neil McInnes, Cordell Barker and Brad Caslor, among others. The Trance Experience of Zork Nemesis by Donna La Brecque 33 Donna La Breque interviews Activision producer Cecilia Barajas about the company’s new hybrid animated - and - live action offering, Zork Nemesis -- the latest in the ongoing Zork saga. Film Reviews: Ghost In the Shell by John R. Dilworth 36 Desert Island Series... Independents on the Shore!! compiled by Frankie Kowalski 41 News 43 The Oslo Animation Festival, News + Notes from E3. Preview of Coming Attractions 46 Cover: Self Portrait by Bill Plympton © Bill Plympton 1 2 ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE June 1996 The Independent Spirit Mark Segall recently visited Borthwick has a habit of using live- The terms “independent” and Plympton at work in New York and action actors as animated puppets. “feature film” are not often thought reports back in “Plympton’s Combined with conventional stop of in the same breadth when it Metamorphoses.” motion model animation, Bort- comes to animation. The conven- R.O. Blechman, despite wick and his colleagues at tional wisdom still sees indepen- the critical acclaim gained bolex-brothers have cre- dent animators as filmmakers who by his two hour-long spe- ated their own pixilated toil away producing highly per- cials for public tele-vision, universe. Several years sonal and/or experimental short Simple Gifts and L’Histoire ago, he ventured into subjects. Unlike their live-action du Soldat (The Soldier’s Tale), features with The counterparts, making an animat- has still found it diffi- Secret Adven- ed feature is seen as beyond the cult to find backing tures of Tom scope (financial and otherwise) of for his various fea- Thumb, most animation artists. ture projects. In and in The truth is that there is a his rather uppi- “Instin- growing number of animators ty and cutting essay, “Transfixed ctive Decisions,” discusses his who are making feature films out- and Goggle-Eyed,” he ponders the methods and his plans for the side the mainstream. Some have current state of feature animation future with Frankie Kowalski. gained funding from television, and of the hold Disney has on the Although it may be hard to specialized distributors or even out psyche and pocketbooks of conceive of Don Bluth as an inde- of their own pockets. In this issue, Hollywood and filmgoers alike. pendent, his apostasy in leaving we look at a sampling of filmmak- The iconoclastic Brothers Quay Disney back in 1979 to go on his ers who have taken various roads have long been known for their own was very much an act of to making independent features. stop motion puppet films. independence. It was also a move Perhaps the most persistent of However, their entry into features that generated considerable independents in this area is Bill was recently made via the live- enthusiasm and hope for the Plympton, whose wild and wacky action The Institute Benjamenta, future of animation. Jerry Beck, shorts have given him an almost which also includes animation. who was a sometimes close wit- cult following. Although his first Suzanne Buchan, in “Shifting ness to these events recalls what it feature effort, The Tune, was far Realities,” reports why the medi- was like in his “Don Bluth Goes from a runaway success, its initial um’s most famous twins, despite Independent.” box office reception has not appearances to the contrary, are In “Lotte Reiniger,” William stopped him from going ahead not about to abandon animation. Moritz chronicles the career of one with I Married a Strange Person. Elsewhere in England, Dave of animation’s truly great pioneers. 3 ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE June 1996 For those who still associate the artists who would like to contribute beginnings of feature animation articles, film/TV/interactive/book with Disney’s Snow White, it is a reviews or news items, as well as useful reminder of the richness cartoons or comic strips. and sophistication animation could Although I sometimes have ANIMATION WORLD NETWORK and did achieve in its early years. delusions of being a world 6525 Sunset Blvd., Gene Walz, in “Cabin-Fever renown expert in animation, there Garden Suite 10 Animation,” provides the first of is no way that either me or my Hollywood, CA 90028 Phone : 213.468.2554 what will be an ongoing series of Associate Editor, Frankie Kowalski, Fax : 213.464.5914 regional roundups, focusing this can be aware of all that is going Email : [email protected] time on Winnipeg. The city has on in today’s rapidly expanding emerged as a center of innovative animation universe. For instance, filmmaking far from the beaten as of this writing, Animation World ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE track, Walz reports on Cordell Magazine has been “visited” by [email protected] Barker’s foray into CGI, as well as readers from at least 52 countries, PUBLISHER Ron Diamond, President other local talent. Meanwhile, and the number is constantly Dan Sarto, Chief Operating Officer Donna La Breque, in “The Trance growing! EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Experience of Zork Nemesis,” So, I extend my invitation to Harvey Deneroff examines the role played by ani- please email me with your ideas ASSOCIATE EDITOR/PUBLICITY mation in the latest update to the and/or request a list of our require- Frankie Kowalski Zork computer game phenome- ments and what we pay. (It’s not CONTRIBUTORS : na. much, but we do pay contribu- Jerry Beck R.O. Blechman This issue ends with John tors.) Although English is our main Suzanne Buchan Dilworth’s review of Mamoru language, we will accept submis- Harvey Deneroff John R. Dilworth Oshii’s cybertech thriller, Ghost in sions in other languages; in such Frankie Kowalski the Shell, while Frankie Kowalski instances, we will probably pub- Donna La Brecque offers up some Desert Island picks lish the piece in both the original William Mortiz Mark Segall from a variety of independent film- language and in English. (How- Gene Walz makers who, at one time or anoth- ever, it does speed things along if Le WEBMASTER er, have indulged their fantasies you submit queries in English or Guillaume Calop about making animated features. French.) Thank you. DESIGN/LAYOUT : — Harvey Deneroff IMP Graphic e-mail : [email protected] An Invitation ([email protected]) Christa Theoharous I suppose this is in the way of ADVERTISING SALES a help wanted ad, which I guess North America : Wendy Jackson is nothing to be ashamed of. So, ©1996 by Animation World Europe : Vincent Ferri Network. All rights reserved. No Asia : Bruce Teitelbaum here it goes -- Animation World parts of this periodical may be UK: Roger Watkins Magazine is looking for writers and reproduced without the consent of Animation World Network. 4 ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE June 1996 Plympton’s by Mark Segall Metamorphoses At first glance, you wouldn’t from the 300 individual sketches colorists are helping on Strange peg lanky, laconic Bill Plympton push-pinned to the studio wall— Person, but once again all the as the kind of guy who likes to the working storyboard for animation will come from his electrocute people. Or squash Strange Person—this comedy/ hand. them, burn them, and blow thriller will be full of the kind of While prolific draftsmen ani- them up. But don’t let that inno- transformations that have be- mating single-handedly isn’t un- cent, boy-next-door look fool come a Plympton trademark: known, it’s still pretty rare. Ani- you. When it comes to cartoon men turning into lizards, char- mation pioneer Winsor McCay violence, Bill is an innovator on a acters tearing themselves to worked that way on such films par with Tex Avery and Bob pieces, lawns refusing to be as Gertie the Dinosaur, before I Married A Strange Person © Bill Plympton Clampett.