UP at SDCC Saturday, July 26, 2008

A snapshot of the Pixar theater screen during one of our internal screenings. That's our movie's hardworking logo.

A SNEAK PEEK! Less than a year from now the movie we've been working on now for over three years will be in theaters. I wish I can show you the sequences, the characters and the locations...Hey, wait a sec, I don't have to wait. The Con is upon us and we got a show!



This Saturday at the largest multigenre fan convention on the planet, Pete Docter, our fearless leader and director will walk you through what we've been up to.

Saturday, July 26, 2008 at 3:00 p.m. Room 30AB
Disney Pixar's "UP"

From the inventive storytellers that have taken you into the worlds of space, toys, and superheroes comes the extraordinary adventure that will take you to a lost world where anything can happen, and everything will. Meet director Peter Docter (Monsters, Inc.) as he presents the first-ever look at Disney Pixar's new animated 3D adventure comedy, UP.

It's been quite a trip. Literally. We had the grand daddy of all research trips. Easily the most adventurous, rigorous trip I've ever been involved in (and I've been in a few. They are a walk in the park by comparison). Danger at every turn: snakes, falling off cliffs, lethal bugs, spelunking under a crumbling cave ceiling...you know, fun.



Come on by and say hello. I'll be at the sidelines making silly faces and nodding a lot along with our dauntless producer, Jonas Rivera, who is no stranger to pitching a movie to thousands of people.

I'll be walking the convention floor Starting Friday. It's been a while since I've been and I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of old friends and checking out this year's crop of illustrated wonders. See you there!



Official UP Website
Wikipedia on UP

Totoro Forest Project

A thank you for inspiring us. This has got to be the auction/fund raiser to beat all. Hayao Miyazaki has been the singular filmmaker who's movies continue to amaze and inspire me over the years. In an animation world that's gone 3D specific (and even going 3D, as in glasses necessary) Miyazaki's movies connect with audiences around the world and holds up even after decades and styles move onward.

The singular, most loved movie of his oeuvre is "My Neighbor Totoro." The forest creatures of all our childhoods come alive in this one simple tale. Miyazaki had an actual forest in Tokyo to serve as his inspiration: Sayama Forest. Today all is not well in this real life forest.

Sayama Forest (approx 8750 acres) is located right outside Tokyo. Urban developement over the last three decades means the forest is losing its land. In 1990 Hayao Miyazaki set up the national trust,Totoro Forest Foundation to preserve the environment in the forest.

To help this cause we have The Totoro Forest Project, a fund raising/auction to suppport the foundation involving donated original art from over 200 internationally acclaimed artists, designers and storytellers from across studios, disciplines and media. All the proceeds will go to help the foundation in preserving Sayama Forest.



The event will be held at Pixar on September 6, 2008 where all the artwork will be on display for a silent auction and live auction following. We expect this to be an amazing day to celebrate and show our gratitude to master Hayao Miyazaki as well as come together to support a cause that can help avert an environmental tragedy.

A high-end catalogue featuring all the amazing artwork in the show is currently being prepared to be available for this night. Along with that the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco will host a special exhibit of this show running from September to December. Watch this blog for further details.


The work-up to the finished piece. More relaxed with this one than the first painting I did. The finished work is 15"x 20" and can be seen on the Totoro Forest website roster. Or click on the image above.

A monumental effort to bring this all to fruition by Dice Tsutsumi, who had the spark of the idea to help the forest after a visit to his home in Japan and hearing of the forest's plight, dedicating all his spare time (and then some) to make this all real for us. My thanks to Yukino Pang of the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco's tireless efforts to realize this dream as well my partner in studio, book and art crimes Enrico "No slow button" Casarosa.

Please check out the official Totoro Forest website to take a gander at the donated wonders from a roster of great names in art, illustration and animation.


Totoro Forest Fund

Totoro forest Project
Dice Tsutsumi
Yukino Pang
Enrico Casarosa
Cartoon Art Museum