Talk to the Snail

Okay, so Mitchell and Webb are sending up the world of the author/editor, but you can just as easily imagine them in most any artist/executive relationship. Or… don’t.

– Eric

This Animation Magazine calendar I’ve got hanging on my wall says the Nickelodeon Animation Studio here in Burbank opened ten years ago today, March 4, 1998. I don’t know if that was the official opening or what, because folks were moving into the building weeks before that. In any event, Tracey, who not only runs the studio’s operations but is one of the very few folks who has been at NAS throughout the whole decade, was kind enough to lend me some pictures of the facility being built, incorporating an existing building, during the previous May. Here are a handful of 1997 shots, mixed in with a few taken just moments ago.

– Eric

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Salerno, Italy, that is.

Random! Cartoons’ “Samsquatch” (which Nickelodeon still hasn’t aired, yet *cough*) will be featured in Cartoon on the Bay’s International Showcase screening in April. The showcase “gives a picture of the latest cultural, technological and industrial trends in the field all over the planet, giving special attention to those that seem most innovative. “

Congratulations to Mr Adam Muto and his cast and crew on a job well-done.

– Eric

The boys from Ghostbot - Brad Rau, Roque Ballesteros, and Alan Lau - are down in L.A. from S.F. this week and were nice enough to stop by the Frederator compound this afternoon. You’ve all seen their Flash work, mostly through their Esurance ads. They’re also famous for their past and future contributions to Channel Frederator. Thanks for visiting, guys.

– Eric

After our catching up with Jun last night, I ran into Ms Anne Marie Walker this morning. As you recall (from so many years ago), Anne’s the creator of one and a half Random! Cartoons. After a good long stint at Renegade on the Mr Men project, she’s back on a Frederator show, this time storyboarding on Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!, produced out of Film Roman. Hopefully, we’ll get another round of shorts soon, with Anne back making her very own cartoons again.

– Eric

Fred and I met with Jun Falkenstein tonight to figure out life for Kyle + Rosemary beyond her terrific seven-minute short which hasn’t aired even yet. Since Random! Cartoons, Juns’ been journeywomaning for a variety of cartoon projects around town including AstroBoy, 9, and a couple of features at Starz. Right now she’s directing a feature animated film about which I can’t tell you. Best of luck, Jun.

– Eric

Morning KidScreen highlight: meeting producers Peter Lewis and Anne Sweeney from Ireland’s Boulder Media. If you’ve seen El Tigre! or Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, you’ve seen their fantastic animation work.

– Eric

Day #1 at KidScreen (”the ultimate kids industry experience of the year”) in dreary NYC. Luckily, Walden’s here to point me where I need to go.

– Eric

Tomorrow (Saturday) night’s the opening reception of “A Band of Bugs”, an eight-artist exhibition of “insect paintings, plush, sculptures, and installations.” Held at Nucleus in Alhambra, the event features work from Anna Chambers, Lou Romano, Don Shank, Megan Brain, Chris Rabilwongse, Michelle Valigura, Amanda Visell, and Alex Kirwan (that’s Alex’s stag beetle above). It’s free, the artists will be there, and the festivities begin at 7:00 p.m. If you can’t make it tomorrow night, you can still see the exhibition until March 3.

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You know, I’ve seen it coming for a while, and I’m the one who blogged it, but I still didn’t catch the fact. Anyway, we’ve just passed Frederator Blog Post No. 5,000. Of course, I’m too lazy to track down when we first went online with this, but it was probably sometime in 2005. Now, I’m no mathlete, but I figure 5,000 divided by 2005 equals about 2 ½ posts per hour. Not too shabby. Thanks to all our contributors and readers and commenters. Here’s to the next 5,000.

– Eric