Wanted: Sith Lord

• animation powers: strong like ox

Have you seen the TV spots for the Episode 3? Yes this is the one when Anakin becomes Vader. We knew it would happen. Vader is being featured quite a lot in the marketing of the film because well.....everybody freaking loves Darth Vader. Then it hit me. One of the many reasons the prequels have been "bleah" is that there is no one bad guy that everyone loves to hate.

In the original trilogy, Vader was the man and by the end of the 3rd film big, bad Vader was defeated. Who is the villain to be defeated in this trilogy? The boring ass Trade Federation? Darth "oo you can't see my eyes..I'm so scary" Sidious?

The promotion for Episode 1 made us all think that Darth Maul would be the Vader of the prequels, but no, he got split in two. In Episode 2 we had Count Doodoo, but he was only almost threatening for about 5 minutes and once Yoda started jumping around everyone was laughing too hard care. Now in Episode 3 we have General Grievous, leader of the droid army who was apparently on holiday during the first 2 films.

Now someone had the theory that Vader embodies the evil hentchmen of the 3 prequels. Vader is ruthless and dangerous like Darth Maul, has the elegant grace of Count Dooku, and the mechanized evil of General Grievous. Its an interesting idea.

Guess we'll see how it all pans out in a couple weeks.

Milkshakes....you complete me

• animation powers: shakey

It has been established amongst many coworkers that tomorrow we will be dining at Red Robin for lunch. RR is like a TGI Friday's or a Chili's, except not called either of those names. The mere mention of "hey do you want to go to Red Robin for lunch?" makes the mouth water and the eyes glaze over. They have, in my opinion, the best damn sandwich...EVER..the Whiskey River BBQ Chicken Burger (also available as a hamburger). The reason said sandwich is hailed as perfection, is that it has fried onion straws on it. Yes you would not think this one item could propel a sandwich to god like statue, but trust me, it does. You get that sandwich and a chocolate shake, and together, you have achieved total bliss.

Every time I go, I get people sucked in to getting the sandwich and the shake. The first time I went with Monkeyman and he asked "what's good here?"...I gave him the pitch. Within moments of the first bites, tears streamed down his face from the total joy. He admitted later that the only other thing that has brought him as much joy, was the birth of his son.

It has come to the point that no matter what size group we have that goes to RR, we all get a Whiskey River Burger and a shake. If someone opts out of a shake we have an immediate intervention....for without the shake its only 60% bliss. And who doesn't want a full 100%?

Tomorrow will be our first time back since the water explosion of two weeks ago.

As the waitress was bring our waters, I was describing a deleted scene from Toy Story in which Woody whooshes Buzz' helment back and kisses him. As I was saying "whoosh" and making a big whoosh gesture with my arm, the waitress was in mid delivery of my water. My arm smacked the glass right out of her hand...it flew up slightly and over, hitting MonkeyMan's hand which was in the air, then bounced off the side of his forehead..rotating forward, spilling water all over the table as it hit the table and came to rest. Surprisingly no one got wet....really.

For the next fifteen minutes lunch turned into the JFK assassination committee as we recounted and pieced together those three seconds. We determined where everyone was at the time of impact. If there was a risk of more spillage. And of course tracing the path of the glass through the entire event; which became known as the magic glass theory. We made charts and graphs. We even reenacted the event using really bad actors that looked nothing like us.

Hopefully tomorrows lunch won't be as eventful.....as I will try to better control my arms....

Tired, tired....oh so tired...

• animation powers: sleepy

After a few days of screwing around with my secret identity site, I have finally got the thing all up and looking spiffy. I did some reorganizing of things and added a few things. Hopefully it is better than it was before.....better...stronger...faster....I had the power to rebuild it.

I also included some pictures of my pirate desk in the Jimmy Neutron Animation Section. Once we are done with Ant Bully I will probably create a general DNA area. However, since Jimmy is the only DNA thing I can show at the moment, little big head has an area located within a general animation area. Asleep yet? Man I'm about to fall face first on the ol keyboard.

Here's one of the many shots of me pirate theme

No fear of evil curses says you...

• animation powers: powered by Aztec gold
  

Avast there me hardies. Are ya like me? Did you really dig the Pirates of the Caribbean movie? I always enjoyed the ride at the Disney parks, but I was a bit skeptical as to how that would translate to the big screen. But then I saw the first real trailer and thought "arrrrr....this is gonna rock" And a swashbuckling good time it was at that. I've watched the DVD numerous times. I even have pirate fortress theming around me desk here at the studio...complete with cannon and treasure; be needing to post some pictures.

There are some kick ass POTC action figures out by NECA..check em out: http://www.necaonline.com

So, with two sequels in the works, I am both excited and nervous. Excited because....hell yeah..more pirates!!....nervous because they are shooting them back to back ala the Matrix sequels and I wish them not to suck like the Matrix sequels. I've heard rumors that there could be a kid in one of them. Jack's kid/ Will and Elizabeth's kid.......arrr shiver me timbers..no kids..."You call him Doctor Jones!!"...remember Temple of Doom??..no no no. Of course rumors are rumors...

If ye be wanting to keep up on the sequels and all manner of news regarding POTC, check out the fan site http://www.keeptothecode.com Thinking of a visit says you, a proper idea says I........

Fool's named April

• animation powers: fooling everyone

At the signing of the Declaration of Independence, after John Adams had put fake dog poo on Washington's chair for the umptnth time, our forefathers made the bold decision to devote one day a year to such foolishness....... and thusly April Fool's Day was born. Here we are and unlike most every other day of the year I can think of nothing foolish to say.... or.....can I.....

This one day in grade school I thought it would be hilarious to stick this little eraser thing up my nose....go up to a bunch of girls...fake sneeze and holy moly...an eraser. The plan was perfect except for one small problem. After my "Hey everybody watch this!!" I faked sneezed...and..the eraser would not come out. The damn thing was stuck in my nose. A series of tries to blow it out were unsuccessful. I tried again and again and again. Each time becoming a little more violent. At this point my audience...was staring at me as if a third eye had just opened on my forehead...and winked at them. I continued with the unsuccessful blowing of the nose....my body moving in a jerky manner like I was having a fit.....or trying to dance.

At the point of giving up I decide to do the "ol close one nostril and blow real hard" trick. Yes it was risky but I had run out of options. As we all know this technique usually means that if anything exits the nose it will continue to travel until it hits something, as its hard to cover your nose while doing a single nostril mega blow. In this case what exited, hit the floor in the form of the eraser, along with a 6 inch long strain of green snottage. It was indeed...... my finest hour.

Toy Story 3

• animation powers: open windows to the future

I posted this earlier today on CG-Char regarding Disney's sequel division

I would not be surprised if the Disney sequel division does NOT do Toy Story 3. Apparently they are looking for animators. Seems kind of early for a film that's due out in 2008. Pixar doesn't deliver their last film under the present contract until 2006, making 2007 the year of their first potential non-Disney film. Bob Iger will be taking over as CEO of Disney on Sept 30 and has said he and Steve Jobs have been in communication; which seems contrary to what was in the press months back of "its over...blah blah". I'm sure in these the discussions the topic of Toy Story 3 has come up. So what if they put the brakes on TS3? It can happen. Remember the Disney FL studio was doing My Peoples...then one day they weren't. But to not do TS3 may not be the kiss of death to the sequel studio. Disney has made 2D sequels to all their 2D films....logic would suggest they would want the same for all their 3D films.

So here is my prediction: Iger will strike a new deal with Jobs by the end of the year. He will do what Eisner could not and instantly become beloved by Disney fans and stockholders. It will be seen as a sign that the company is on a upswing. Not a bad way to kick off your reign eh? The sequel studio will either A. continue with Toy Story 3 with Pixar's blessing (not likely) or B. start preproduction on Chicken Little 2. Remember Chicken Little? It comes out this fall.I think the idea of Pixar sequels without Pixar was Eisner's way of saying FU to Jobs....we don't need you. With Eisner heading for the door....that could change......

I could be wrong......but if I'm right....well...then someone owes me a cookie....

Clone Wars

• animation powers: filled with the dark side

After a pretty bleah Monday at worked I came and rewatched some of Cartoon Networks Clone Wars, which if you haven't seen them race on over : http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/promos/200503_starwars/index.html

The first series aired last spring and was comprised of 20 episodes clocking in at about 2-3 minutes. The new series are only five episodes at around 10 or so minutes each. They are, in my opinion, much more rewarding than the first 2 prequels movies. It's what we want to see. The Jedi in their prime. There was glimpses of this in the first 2 movies but nothing like what we see in Clone Wars. We see why the Jedi are protectors of the galaxy.....because they kick ass!! No standing in a circle deflecting shots....they actually use the force to throw back swarms of battle droids, to crash ships into each other and to pick crap up and throw it at bad guys.

Remember when Vader tore shit up in Cloud City and threw it at look Luke.....sweeeeet.

They are masters of the force and they know how to use it (remember the force George.....you came up with it)....in the first run of Clone Wars episodes there was a whole bit of Mace vs an army of battle droids...he wiped em out....Yoda didn't appear with reinforcements...he did it all himself. Watching this animated series gets me excited about Star Wars...and yes the 3rd movie....but then I realize that I shouldn't get my hopes too high. Damnit George I want to believe, but from the moment Jar Jar popped on screen....bouncing around like Goofy with a speech impediment, I've been skeptical. However with talk of a future Star Wars something-something coming to TV, I do hope its an animated series...

..sigh..

• animation powers: low
  

It's monday. What else is there to say? I'm still recovering from all the chocolate goodness of Easter; curse you peanut butter eggs!! About the only thing exciting happening today is the simple thought that there is a new episode of LOST on Wednesday.....sweet..finally. I pretty much only watch three shows with any regularity. LOST, which rules, Smallville, which sucks more each week and 24. 24...dear dear 24..I just haven't been feeling it this season..its seems a little "been there done that". And you know that no matter what the hell happens Jack will save the day in that last hour. Have the world asplode in that last hour or maybe Jack gives birth....that would be unexpected.

Well not everyone is having a bleah Monday. I want to give a shout out to 2 of our production assistants, Tonymator and Bluebarry, who offically start as animators today. They will be working on two Jimmy Neutron specials that recently went into production here. God be with you....er...congratulations.

The View from Down Here

• animation powers: weaken by excess chocolate eggs

Happy Easter everyone! Yes I'm talking to both readers of this blog. I had a revelation in Church today. I was sitting with my daughter at a point when everyone else was standing. As I looked around and noticed other children...some sitting...some standing...I realized that from roughly age 1 to maybe 5..our entire lives our made up of us looking at crotches and butts. Its true. At the eye level of a child that is all they can see. As I kinda slumped down to get more at the eye level of my daughter, I looked around thinking "how do they get along like this, its a people forest at this height. With crotches and butts as far as the eye can see." It made me hope that when aliens invade the planet and start living among us, they are not taller than humans. Having alien crotches and butts at my eye level is not something I can live with...

Death by Chocolate

• animation powers: weak and defeated

Tonight my wife and I went out to dinner. While at face value this is not something extraordinary we have a daughter who is almost 2. So typically going to dinner is the three of us climbing into the Animato-mobile and heading out someplace kid friendly where we can sit down and eat in about 30 seconds. However tonight was our bi-annual "go out without Wonder-pea". So we went to Saltgrass Steakhouse...ate at a relaxed passed and did the unheard of...we got desert. After reviewing the desert tray of plastic replicas, we made our superpowered decision: brownie sundae.....yummy. When it arrived and we began diving into it, I began to reflect on the tray o plastic we had looked at earlier. Every desert was perhaps 3 times bigger than any mere mortal could eat alone. When did this happen? At what point did they start injecting steriods into the deserts. No no a 2 layer cake isn't big enough...make it 10 layers! So during the course of eating my wife did the "spoon release/push back from the table" signaling she was finished and at last I could pull the goblet close and go to town. Its the signal men wait for during any "desert sharing" experience. In fact when the desert first arrives we are already calculating in our heads how many bites it will take to fill up her wee tummy. And now that it had happened and it was all mine for the taking..mine mine mine. Oh how glorious. But as I looked inside the goblet of fat, I realized there was a lot left and my stomach had just about reached critical mass. But I....must...finish...I.....caaaaaaaaaaaaaan not. The shame. I summoned all the powers a animator sidekick is allowed to have but alas all I could muster was a few wee bites......at which point my stomach damn near asploded.

The Blog Begins

• animation powers: soggy

Yes its a rainy Saturday here in Texas. What better time to start a blog. I've never had my own blog before so it may take me a bit to get it going the way I want. I am but a simple animator-hero sidekick. This strange new world with its....blogs and mini Macs frighten and confuse me. I mean have you seen that mini-Mac? Its like a little candy tin. Give it a look :http://www.apple.com/macmini/