Self-taught Australian animator Lluis Fuzzhound’s Marooned On Watango Island is a loving tribute to the Cartoon Modern style, complete with jazz and tiki.

Cartoon Brew | Permalink | No comment | Post tags: Australia, Lluis Fuzzhound

…but I admit this trailer looks kinda cool. Is anyone here into Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt? If so, please write in and explain it to us.

It’s apparently a Japanese take on American cable cartoons. According to Amazon.com:

The Anarchy sisters, Panty and Stocking, are angels who were kicked out of Heaven due to bad behavior. They are sent to Daten City, a place located on the edge of Heaven and Hell, where creatures called “Ghosts” have run wild — feeding on human desire. Under the watchful eye of Reverend Garterbelt, it’s up to Panty and Stocking to destroy these Ghosts, in order to collect enough Heaven Coins to return to paradise. Only the Anarchy sisters can save humanity from these monsters and when they’re not bickering with each other, they’re unstoppable.

13 episodes come out on DVD July 10th. For those curious about seeing the actual show before it comes out on DVD, you can watch a few episodes on FUNimation’s official site.

(Thanks, Samuel Einhorn)

Cartoon Brew | Permalink | 25 comments | Post tags: Panty and Stocking

(Thanks, Gibbs Rainock)

Cartoon Brew | Permalink | 5 comments | Post tags: Mixtape Club

Make the Mongolian (Haz el mongol) is very simply drawn, crayon styled animated piece with a real catchy beat. Low budget but highly enjoyable.

Cartoon Brew | Permalink | 3 comments | Post tags: Los Temblooores, Spain

Cartoon Brew | Permalink | 52 comments | Post tags: Adam West, Dan O'Shannon, Fabio, Garrison Keillor, June Foray, Mia Farrow, Michael Richards, Redux Riding Hood, Steve Moore

Vladimir Mavounia-Kouka created a real winner with this video for Odezenne’s catchy hip-hop tune “Dedans.” The stark black-and-white visuals evoke a 1930s Fleischer Studios cartoon nightmare. But this is no pastiche. Mavounia-Kouka has a graphic style that samples from the past, but speaks in its own fresh voice, much like Odezenne’s song, which smartly weaves classic big band samples into its contemporary sound. (P.S. – The filmmaker says on the Vimeo page that a version with English lyrics is forthcoming; the animation tells a story in itself, but it’ll be great to know what they’re saying.)

CREDITS
Direction and Design: Vladimir Mavounia-Kouka
Animation: Laurent Box & Vladimir Mavounia-Kouka
Music and sound design: Odezenne
Song extract from the album O.V.N.I _Edition Louis XIV

Cartoon Brew | Permalink | 2 comments | Post tags: France, Laurent Box, Odezenne, Vladimir Mavounia-Kouka

British animator Cyriak does more with less than just about any other animator today. In Because, he “found a stupid photo of my face and decided to make a video out of it. Why? Just because.”

Cyriak pushes off-the-shelf software to its absolute creative limits. Because’s outlandish array of creatures and spacecraft were created using 3D layers in Adobe After Effects. He composed the film’s music, too.

Cartoon Brew | Permalink | 8 comments | Post tags: After Effects, Cyriak, UK

Internships are addressed with increasing frequency on Cartoon Brew. While there is value to the concept of internships, too many studios use internships as a means to free labor for their animated projects. The practice is both unethical and illegal.

Time published a piece earlier this month suggesting that the era of unpaid internships may be coming to an end. It’s a good introduction to the issues surrounding interning and a must-read for any student.

The growing backlash to unpaid internships is not limited to just the animation industry. Companies who are accused of wrongdoing in the Time article include movie studios (Fox Searchlight), TV shows (PBS’s The Charlie Rose Show), and magazines (Harper’s Bazaar). More and more workers who have been victimized are filing lawsuits against their employers, a trend that could eventually pressure the US government to more strictly enforce labor laws regarding interns.

If you work in the animation industry and feel you have been subjected to an unfair labor situation, please contact me (names and contact info will be kept confidential). I can’t follow up on every request, but Cartoon Brew will continue to bring light to labor issues as much as possible.

(Thanks to Jaime Ekkens for the link; photo of girl via Shutterstock)

Cartoon Brew | Permalink | 23 comments | Post tags: Artist Rights, Interns, Internships