Animation Obsessive

From: Robot Dreams (2023), dir. Pablo Berger, Arcadia Motion Pictures

Character design work by Yasuhiro Nakura for Moomin (1990–1991), dir. Hiroshi Saito, Telescreen

The Music of 'Samurai Champloo' Plus: news.

Another great free Sunday newsletter from Animation Obsessive, unpacking the unique music of Samurai Champloo
animationobsessive.substack.com/p/the-music-...

After two decades, Samurai Champloo's soundtrack is still iconic. Its influence is everywhere.

Shinichiro Watanabe loved underground hip hop -- and he hired artists like Nujabes to create music that doesn't just fall into the background. We explore: animationobsessive.substack.com/p/the-music-...

The Bloody Lady The legend of Elizabeth Báthory-the early-17th-century Hungarian countess accused of torturing and killing hundreds of women, and rumored to have bathed in their blood as a means of preserving her youth-receives a most singular retelling in Slovak animator Viktor Kubal's largely silent opus, rendered in a minimalist fairy-tale style. Jela Lukešová narrates. 72 min. Standard; Soundtrack: Slovak DTS HD mono Master Audio; Subtitles: English; bonus feature "Jurko the Highwayman" (1976); bonus shorts; theatrical trailer. In Slovak with English subtitles.

Not sure if it's streaming anywhere, but there's a recent Blu-ray collection of Kubal's work that includes it: www.amazon.com/Bloody-Lady-...

From: The Marzipan Comedy (1987), dir. Viktor Kubal, Slovenská Filmová Tvorba

A very unusual retelling of the Hansel and Gretel story

From: My Friend Tiger (2021), dir. Tatiana Kiseleva, Soyuzmultfilm

From: Magic Boy (1959), dir. Akira Daikubara and Taiji Yabushita, Toei Doga

YouTube video by Nemzeti Filmintézet Az 1812-es év (Reisenbüchler Sándor, 1972)

That comes from The Year of 1812! You can see it here (it has flashing images, just as a heads up): www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-vd...

They're all fascinating! These are their titles in order of appearance: The Metamorphosis of Mr. Samsa, Frank Film, Begone Dull Care, The Year of 1812, A Chairy Tale, The Kidnapping of the Sun and Moon and New Janko the Musician.

You don’t need Disney-level resources and drawing skills to create animation.

People have made classics with sand and a source of light. With magazine clippings, or their own bodies animated via stop motion. There’s no barrier to entry, as we explore: animationobsessive.substack.com/p/sand-and-a...

YouTube video by spktra spktra - Spirit Jumper (Official Animated Music Video) [4K]

That comes from this music video, which emulates the backlit-animation look with digital tools: www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC_8...

Concept art by Alex Niño and Marcelo Vignali for Mulan (1998), dir. Barry Cook and Tony Bancroft, Walt Disney Feature Animation

'Sand and a Source of Light' Plus: news.

The latest newsletter from the Animation Obsessive @ani-obsessive.bsky.social is very good, discussing the many options available to animators and the splendid works of art people can create with unorthodox styles and materials. It highlights

animationobsessive.substack.com/p/sand-and-a...

Thank you so much! Really happy to hear this. To us, art is definitely closer to the latter -- it makes us feel human again. There's a line from an animated film that goes, "Without art and music, what do we have in this world full of conflict and war?" That one hits home for us, for sure.

From: Cannon Fodder (1995), dir. Katsuhiro Otomo, Studio 4°C

This film was designed to flow without hard cuts -- the camera just goes and goes and goes

Thanks a ton!

YouTube video by spktra spktra - Spirit Jumper (Official Animated Music Video) [4K]

The track is Spirit Jumper by spktra -- you can find it here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC_8...

God the money I'd pay for a physical @ani-obsessive.bsky.social magazine.

Thanks very much!

This style of light doesn't really appear in animation anymore. You know it when you see it -- it's bright, hot and almost dangerous.

Our new issue explores the tricks behind it, and how one artist has revived the look for the digital age: animationobsessive.substack.com/p/dangerous-...

I wrote an article for my favorite substack, @ani-obsessive.bsky.social about the research and technique that went into making the light in Spirit Jumper.

Dangerous Light On a lost effect from the analog film era.

Very cool and enlightening article on @ani-obsessive.bsky.social about how to achieve the backlit glows from 80's-90's cel animation, as shown in @spktraspktra.bsky.social's new music video: animationobsessive.substack.com/p/dangerous-...

You can see it on Animatsiya, in two parts. The site legally overlays subtitles onto YouTube embeds of Soviet animation:

www.animatsiya.net/film.php?fil...

www.animatsiya.net/film.php?fil...

From: Treasure Island (1986–1988), dir. David Cherkassky, Kyivnaukfilm

Visual development art by Lou Romano for The Incredibles (2004), dir. Brad Bird, Pixar Animation Studios

Thanks! For those interested in how Prince of Persia got made, you can find my published journals, and my graphic novel REPLAY, on my website at jordanmechner.com -- along with archival materials and commentary (some of which is referenced in this article).

Thanks very much!

Prince of Persia was an experiment in rotoscoping. It put lifelike animation on '80s home computers.

Designer Jordan Mechner converted VHS tapes and movie footage into pixels -- and went way beyond the tech of his time. We explore: animationobsessive.substack.com/p/how-the-li...

A selection of shots animated by Geoff King for Song of the Sea (2014), dir. Tomm Moore, Cartoon Saloon