Back to Banff

Going North! I'm going to give a talk at the world renowned Banff Centre, a conference precisely described, "Perfecting the Mix of Story, Character & Interactivity."

The Banff New Media Institute’s Accelerator program and the Digital Media Association of Alberta present Perfecting the Mix of Story, Character, & Interactivity. This two-day workshop targets gaming studios that aim to create successful interactive experiences that rival a movie’s level of depth and engagement. With key speakers Ronnie del Carmen from Pixar Animation Studios, Kris Pearn from Sony Pictures Animation, and Josh Staub from Cyan Worlds, Inc./Jubilee Studios.

I've gone to the Banff Centre before and I had such a wonderful experience and met so many great folks that I had to take them up on the invite this year. I'm bringing the presentation my fellow story leads at Pixar and I presented at the Screenwriter's Expo last year. Maybe get a hike in there somewhere as well (look at them surroundings, you just gotta). I'll report back on how things go this year.

The Banff Centre
The Banff New Media Institute
Digital Media Association of Alberta

Show night

The Boys are alright. I was visiting my Brother for a family anniversary and I decided to fly in earlier. I sprung the idea on Louie and his wife Julie that we could catch the opening of exhibit for The Ancient Book of Myth and War. They said yes and we were off. After slogging through some accident on the 101 we got there with just about an hour till closing.



The place was packed still. Reminds me our Three Trees exhibit. So happy for the boys. The show was a great success. I wanted to get some prints but I'll do that online. Racquel (Don's lovely wife) mentioned how proud she was of her hubby. We came up with a future show that might be called, "The Hubby Show" where all the hubby's exhibit--with all the work centered around our wives. "Even better!"

Congratulations to Scott Morse, Lou Romano, Don Shank and Nate Wragg on a successful show. The gallery will be up till April 8 so you all can see the artwork at Nucleus, you know where it is.


Nucleus Gallery
Scott Morse
Lou Romano
Don Shank
Nate Wragg

The Ancient Book of Myth and War

Oh, man! There's a new book on the horizon and it's awesome. Our pals from just around the next office have come up with quite a beauty. Scott Morse, Lou Romano, Don Shank and Nate Wragg, luminaries whose gorgeous artwork adorn the pages of The Ancient Book of Myth and War. I just saw it today and it's a lovely book.



Lucky for youse folks down in L.A. this weekend 'cause there's going to be a gallery show of these four gents. Real live artwork! I wish I could be there to get dibs on stuff myself. Check it out, it promises to be a blast.

With complimenting graphic and narrative styles, 4 Pixar artists/friends have come together to compile a book of illustrations based on epic legends and mythologies of the past. This beautifully illustrated book is both humorous and educational. Each artists previous work has been used for the development of various animated films such as the Incredibles, Iron Giant, and Powder Puff Girls just to name a few. Nucleus will be having a release party for the http://www2.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifbook in conjunction to the gallery show with an opening reception/book signing and an artist workshop the day after. We will have brand new originals, prints, and of course fresh copies of the book available.

Nucleus Gallery. March 24 - April 8 , 2007. Opening Reception, March 24, 7pm - 11pm

Nucleus Gallery
Scott Morse
Lou Romano
Don Shank
Nate Wragg

Nina Sleep Pattern

Drawn to sleep. I've been having better sleep of late and counting my blessings. I've been afflicted with a sleep disorder most of my life and when I was a child it used to terrorize me all morning. By sunrise I'd feel rescued. Then I would dread the sun setting knowing that night was coming and it starts over.

This explains why I follow the adventures of a character who shares my malady. I know it so well. But with a good regimen of exercise and focusing on modifying my old stress responses I seem to have gained an upper hand at it, after all these years.

Although I've lived long enough with it to know not to declare a victory outright. I've experienced many lapses in episodes over the years only to see them come back with a vengeance.

Drawing helps. So, here's our girl in a rare nap. She looks so tired and likely fell asleep during the day--messing up a job opportunity. I wonder what she's dreaming right now.

A Sketchbook page

Fabriano Quadrato Artist's Journal. Pencil and pen plus some cutouts.

The laboratory. As in, the sketchbook as laboratory. I do my thinking on my sketchbooks. I jot it down as I muse on what happens to Nina. The problem is I have so many notes to myself that I forget which ones to follow. I guess the most recent ones are the ones I use.

The current kick I'm on is the fact that I love my sketchbook drawings. So why not use those drawings for the book? Hmmm?

The truth is I could be staring at the obvious and not see it. I have to "talk" to myself about stuff. The sketchbook is a way for the dialog to actually take place.

We are officially strange as of today.

Nina Chapter Breaks

Grab what time there is. With schedules being what they are and no way to govern a world full of surprises I am left with little pockets of time. This is where I'm going to have to learn a more efficient (even better than the last ones) way to get the books out there. I've talked about a more relaxed approach for a while and it seems I'm closing in on the beginnings of one. I'll cross my fingers.

Thanks for the support out there. You all make it so worthwhile. I call the above illo a chapter break, but really, it's an exercise. Enrico and I try to nudge our personal projects along with little signs of progress here and there, we talk everyday about the challenges of keeping our books alive as well as progress our stories and drawings. All with just those little pockets of time.

Hope to keep myself honest. I'll post more as it comes.

Nina doodle

Photoshop CS2 with a customized brush. Click image for a larger view.

Because it's been a while. Been heavy on the schedule and work side. No time to doodle. I've been working on the next Nina stories. There's much to do that I'm so excited about, but no time. Yet.

I'll post sketchbook scans next.

Wondercon 'O7

Amy, Stuart and Steven hold up the freshly signed copies Enrico and I signed Thursday night as they were setting up.

My mistake, folks. When Stuart asked me about doing a live signing at his booth for Wondercon I was sure I had the date clear. I was wrong. I had a conflict! A wedding on Saturday and a trip to New York on Sunday. Man, I screwed up. And Stuart had announced our signing already! I was so mortified.

I will try to make it up to him. Along those lines, we signed copies of Three Trees Make a Forest Thursday night--the only signed copies of the book to be sold (signed by Enrico and I, that is. Tadahiro is back in Japan, natch). Stuart's offerings were already set up and ready for the throngs the next day. I had to shop.

Drop on by and check out them books!