Designer, author and all-round top toon talent Curtis Jobling is currently putting the finishing touches to “Frankenstein’s Cat”, a new 30 x11mins series that’s all set to hit the BBC this Autumn. The patchwork moggy in question here is known as Nine, and the series follows his antics and adventures with a girl called Lottie. As voiced by Celebrity comedian Joe Pasquale, Nine has the unenviable bad habit of coming apart at the seems, usually at the most inopportune times…
As part of the buildup to the series launch, Curtis has been busy preparing a series of 9 (or should that be “Nine”?) limited edition giclee prints for folks to purchase and drool over, and he’s just posted the first bits of preparatory art on his fab little blog. Each piece is centered around a favourite episode title, with Nine and Lottie and their munster friends and foes. And my, they’re shaping up very well indeed…
And whilst we’re referencing Mr Jobling, it’s great to see another of his projects, “Bob the Builder” finally getting a proper DVD retrospective. Bob the Builder – Series 1 was released a couple of weeks ago, and will hopefully usher in a complete run the show. That’s something us completists have been clamouring for, ‘cos we’ve had to make do with no end of hatcheted compilations,
thus far…
More: Curtis Jobling
Daring news (29.08.07)
So Dan Dare is in the news again this week. It appears that Richard Branson’s Virgin Comics are set to publish a new monthly comic series, written by Garth Ennis (“Preacher”, “Hitman” etc) and drawn by Gary Erskine, and it’s said to be just the forerunner to a big new revamping/relaunching for the heroic space Colonel. Mr Branson is something of a Dare fan, we’re told, with several original pieces of Dare artwork on show in his Virgin Atlantic lounges. What’s more, a live-action film adaptation is in the works as you read this, with Virgin working closely with CAA in the States to package and promote the proposed movie franchise to Hollywood…
But even though this is all exciting stuff, it’s a little hard to get too worked up. That’s ‘cos poor Dan has seemingly “returned” umpteen times over the years. Latterly, we’ve had a 90’s comics reimagining from Grant Morrison and the short-lived CGI series, plus all those ongoing announcements concerning a Dan Dare theme park proposal. It leaves one wondering why it is that none of these announcements and happenings have quite caught on with the wider public. So what’s changed now. Why is this new Virgin push going to succeed when so many others have fallen short?
You see, there’s an ongoing problem here. For folks of a certain age (older than The Hound, thank you) Dan’s arrival on the 50s comics scene was akin to a sci-fi explosion in their young lives. Bang! – There he was – a pioneering new hero, traversing the spaceways of the future in glorious technicolour panels… Frank Hampson’s strips were, and still are, magnificent works of art to drool over. Most of the folks keeping Dan alive hail from that original era. Branson too, counts himself as a paid-up member of the original Dare fan club. But the fact is these folks are clinging to the coat-tails of their comics nostalgia. Dan Dare was a hero for a particular moment in our post-war history. Only, the world has moved on. There are new heroes for us to embrace. Elaborate sci-fi tales and sophisticated science-fantasy adventures now fill our cinema screens. Today’s generation of kids have their own new brooding comic heroes; their own X-box and PlayStation stars to oggle at. Dan Dare today has lost his relevance. Even the name is somewhat clunky. It harkens back to a past world of intrepid comics heroes which today’s audience neither recognises, nor – and it’s painful to have to say this – appreciates.
So Dan Dare is returning again? – Well, let’s hope this time they can seize the imagination of the wider public. Certainly, Garth Ennis is a good choice of writer for the new comics. Let’s hope he can put a spin on the concept to make Dare relevant once more. And not only relevant, but desirable, so the calling for an all-new Dare becomes a clamour. It’s a tough ask. But we’ll see how things are shaping up come November, when the title launches…
More: Virgin Comics Dan Dare Corp.
Cereal killers (21.08.07)
Look out, folks. There are unseen dangers lurking in the depths of your morning cereal bowl. There are sugar-frosted smiles, and fast food freaks down there, just waiting to reel in the unwary…
Yes, the perils of cartoon promotions and tie-ins are back on the menu, thanks to this latest Which? report. Only, do we really need another organisation or body to jump on this runaway wagon? When The Hound was still a young pup he was surrounded by the likes of Klondike Pete, Tony the Tiger, Honey Monster and the Treborland gang. They were jumping up and down on his television, and grinning in the pages of his weekly comics, and all of them were pestering him to purchase and devour their sweet delights. But you know, there was there was an Evil Villain out there, ready to thwart these Super Sugary Heroes at every turn. And that was my Mother.
Nowadays, Mums and Dads appear to be complicit with the bodies and organisations demanding change. There’s no doubt that the word “no” doesn’t appear to mean what it used to, when parents are faced by cartoon smiles and fun in every aisle of their local supermarket. Maybe they should just try a little harder to rebuttal, rather than taking the softer option of banning all things for everyone. Yes, this sugarcoated confectionery is bad for you. Yes, it’s encouraging an awful lot of childhood obesity here in the UK and indeed, around the world and some reining in is most certainly required. But even so, thanks to a good firm “NO” from my Mum, and Dad, and a bit of proper food education, this particular Hound didn’t do so bad…
…Which leads us neatly into a bit more toon food news, regarding the chap who seems to be jumping all over the sweet, sweet heart of this most topical of debates. You see, Aardman Animation have just announced that they’re teaming up with celebrity chef Jamie Oliver to bring us a toon series about his youthful cheffy exploits with a group of happy-go-lucky pals. No one’s commissioned “Little J” yet, but with exposure like this, and such a topical theme, it’s surely won’t be long until Mr Oliver’s topping the teatime schedules and helping to promote his very own line of tasty low-sugar treats to the same tykes he’s been trying to protect. That is, of course, if there are any tv slots left in which to broadcast his new toon. After all, it’s this selfsame junk food advertising ban that’s playing a major part in the demise of the kids tv schedules here in the UK…
More: The Guardian The BBC Save Kids TV
A Fluffy promo (17.08.07)
Just for you… Just because it’s Friday… Just because it’s there…
Here’s a lovely little trailer-come-promo for Jason Tammemagi and Monster Animation’s delightful new series, “Fluffy Gardens”.
And if that’s got you all fluffy and excited, then make sure you tune in to Cartoonito in the UK, where the show’s currently airing thrice daily. What’s more, the episode “Tooty the Elephant” has just been selected for inclusion in this year’s Prix Danube – which is a jolly prestigious nomination, so it is. “Fluffy Gardens” is a delight from start to finish and it deserves all the praise and attention it can get its soft little paws upon…
More: Fluffy Gardens Monster Animation
Graphic prize (15.08.07)
Random House have just launched a rather jolly competition for budding graphic novelists. If you’ve got the inspiration, they want you to create a single-page tale to titilate their panel of judges, and they’ve got a £1000 top prize on offer. More importantly, the winner gets to see their creation printed across a full page of “The Observer” newspaper!
The judges – including the likes of Nick Hornby, Posy Simmonds, and Paul Gravett of Comica – are looking for a self-contained tale, so there’s no point submitting a sample from your 200-page uberwork. They want just one page. And if you win, you’ll no doubt be buying lots of copies of “The Observer” on the 14th October, ‘cos that’s the day they’ll be publishing the winning entry in all its glory. As for the prize-giving itself, that takes placeat the Comica Festival at London’s ICA on the 20th October.
You’ll find more info on the rules and prizes and whatnot, on the Random House web pages. And you’ve got until Monday 3rd Sept. to complete and submit your one-page masterpiece!…
More: Graphic Short Story Prize
The wonderful web (10.08.07)
Isn’t cyberspace wonderful?
The reach and range of this place never ceases to amaze. In the last few years there’s been a veritable explosion of new folks entering the realms of the web with their own self-created and maintained sites and blogs and info pages, and almost every time The Hound logs on it seems that someone else has popped up online, waving their flag and sharing a wealth of wonder about themselves, their work and their lives online.
Want some examples? – Well, one of the more recent has been the official web site for Curtis Jobling, erstwhile designer of “Bob the Builder” and creator of the soon-to-be-huge “Frankenstein’s Cat”. Curtis has maintained a jolly informative blog for a wee while, but now he’s branched out into a fully-fledged web site all about his creative endeavours…
Then there’s Laura Howell, a rather talented lady who’s recently turned her talents to “The Beano”. Her web site has been growing nicely all year and is an excellent showcase for her work. Laura’s a star in the making methinks…
And right over the other side of the great comics spectrum we have Mr Chris Weston. Chris is something of a Comics God, really. His work for the Big Comics Boys – Marvel DC, 2000ad and almost everything inbetween continues to make us lesser mortals salivate with delight and envy. Chris not only has his own web site, but he also has a very fine blog, keeping us all smack-bang up to date with his day-to-day endeavours…
Meanwhile Jason Tammemagi, the friendly fellow who’s currently bringing “Fluffy Gardens” to life, has been maintaining a suitably fluffy blog in the run up to the series’ launch on Cartoonito (it’s on at 6.45am,
9.30am and 6.45pm, so set your video, Freeview box or DVD!)…
How ironic that, as these talented folks pour themselves into their online prescence, so Big Business seems to be floundering. There are far toom many companies out there, sinking big bucks into bland, corporate spaces. Take Cosgrove Hall. Now here’s a big name company with a wealth of wonderous productions to their name. For months now, we’ve been promised a shiny new company web site “coming soon!” Only, the one that’s finally appeared doesn’t really do justice to the studio at all. Sure, it teases us with its delights, but its content is – well – rather weedy right now. Of course, it’s early days with this one; the site has only recently gone live. But if it were me, I’d have made sure all the series detail, programme info, credits and background wonders were correct and present from the reboot date. As it stands, despite the gee-whizz whistles and bells, there’s a rather corporate feel about the place, as if the site is talking down to its visitors. It’s such a contrast to the sites and blogs identified earlier in this commentary.
Folks, it’s the personal touch that grabs the visitor. It’s why the web can be so completely addictive as you hop around, peeking through all those little windows into the lives of your favourite artist and creators and seeing what makes them tick. And I’d like to think Toonhound is run like that too…
British animation news and Frankenstein’s Cat updates from August 2007
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Scaredy
Cat (31.08.07)
Designer, author and all-round top toon talent
Curtis Jobling is
currently putting the finishing touches to
“Frankenstein’s Cat”, a
new 30 x11mins series that’s all set to hit the
BBC this Autumn.
The patchwork moggy in question here is known as
Nine, and the
series follows his antics and adventures with
a girl called Lottie.
As voiced by Celebrity comedian Joe Pasquale,
Nine has the
unenviable bad habit of coming apart at the
seems, usually at
the most inopportune times…
As part of the buildup to the series launch,
Curtis has been busy
preparing a series of 9 (or should that be
“Nine”?) limited edition
giclee prints for folks to purchase and drool
over, and he’s just
posted the first bits of preparatory
art on his
fab little blog. Each
piece is centered around a favourite episode
title, with Nine and
Lottie and their munster friends and foes.
And my, they’re
shaping up very well indeed…
And whilst we’re referencing Mr Jobling, it’s
great to see another
of his projects, “Bob the Builder”
finally getting a proper DVD
retrospective. Bob
the Builder – Series 1
was released a couple
of weeks ago, and will hopefully usher in a complete
run the show.
That’s something us completists have been clamouring
for, ‘cos
we’ve had to make do with no end of hatcheted compilations,
thus far…
More:
Curtis Jobling
Daring
news (29.08.07)
So Dan Dare is in
the news again this week. It appears that Richard
Branson’s Virgin
Comics are set to publish a new monthly comic
series, written by Garth Ennis (“Preacher”,
“Hitman” etc) and drawn
by Gary Erskine, and it’s said to be just
the forerunner to a big new
revamping/relaunching for the heroic space Colonel.
Mr Branson is
something of a Dare fan, we’re told, with several
original pieces of Dare
artwork on show in his Virgin Atlantic lounges.
What’s more, a live-action
film adaptation is in the works as you
read this, with Virgin working
closely with CAA in the States to package
and promote the proposed
movie franchise to Hollywood…
But even though this is all exciting stuff, it’s
a little hard to get too
worked up. That’s ‘cos poor Dan has seemingly “returned”
umpteen times
over the years. Latterly, we’ve had a
90’s comics reimagining from Grant
Morrison and the short-lived CGI
series, plus all those ongoing
announcements concerning a Dan Dare theme park
proposal. It leaves
one wondering why it is that none of these
announcements and
happenings have quite caught on with the wider
public. So what’s
changed now. Why is this new Virgin push going
to succeed when
so many others have fallen short?
You see, there’s an ongoing problem here.
For folks of a certain
age (older than The Hound, thank you) Dan’s
arrival on the 50s comics
scene was akin to a sci-fi explosion in their
young lives. Bang! – There
he was – a pioneering new hero, traversing
the spaceways of the future
in glorious technicolour panels… Frank Hampson’s
strips were, and
still are, magnificent works of art to drool over.
Most of the folks
keeping Dan alive hail from that original era.
Branson too, counts
himself as a paid-up member of the original
Dare fan club. But the fact
is these folks are clinging to the coat-tails of
their comics nostalgia.
Dan Dare was a hero for a particular moment in
our post-war history.
Only, the world has moved on. There are new heroes
for us to embrace.
Elaborate sci-fi tales and sophisticated science-fantasy
adventures
now fill our cinema screens. Today’s generation
of kids have their
own new brooding comic heroes; their own X-box
and PlayStation stars
to oggle at. Dan Dare today has lost his relevance.
Even the name is
somewhat clunky. It harkens back to a past
world of intrepid comics
heroes which today’s audience neither recognises,
nor – and it’s
painful to have to say this – appreciates.
So Dan Dare is returning again? – Well, let’s
hope this time they can
seize the imagination of the wider public.
Certainly, Garth Ennis is a good
choice of writer for the new comics. Let’s hope
he can put a spin on the
concept to make Dare relevant once more. And not
only relevant, but
desirable, so the calling for an all-new Dare
becomes a clamour. It’s a
tough ask. But we’ll see how things are shaping
up come November,
when the title launches…
More:
Virgin Comics Dan
Dare Corp.
Cereal
killers (21.08.07)
Look out, folks. There are unseen dangers
lurking in the depths of
your
morning cereal bowl. There
are sugar-frosted smiles, and fast food
freaks down there, just waiting to reel in the
unwary…
Yes, the perils of cartoon promotions and
tie-ins are back on the
menu, thanks to this
latest Which? report. Only, do we really need
another organisation or body to jump on this runaway
wagon?
When The Hound was still a young pup he was
surrounded by the
likes of Klondike Pete, Tony the Tiger, Honey
Monster and the
Treborland gang. They were jumping up and down
on his television,
and grinning in the pages of his weekly comics,
and all of them
were pestering him to purchase and devour
their sweet delights.
But you know, there was there was an Evil Villain
out there,
ready to thwart these Super Sugary Heroes
at every turn.
And that was my Mother.
Nowadays, Mums and Dads appear to be complicit
with the
bodies and organisations demanding change.
There’s no doubt
that the word “no” doesn’t appear
to mean what it used to, when
parents are faced by cartoon smiles and fun
in every aisle of their
local supermarket. Maybe they should just
try a little harder to
rebuttal, rather than taking the softer option
of banning all things
for everyone. Yes, this sugarcoated confectionery
is bad for you.
Yes, it’s encouraging an awful lot of childhood
obesity here in the
UK and indeed, around the world and some reining
in is most
certainly required. But even so, thanks to
a good firm “NO” from
my Mum, and Dad, and a bit of proper food
education, this
particular Hound didn’t do so bad…
…Which leads us neatly into a bit more toon
food news, regarding
the chap who seems to be jumping all over
the sweet, sweet heart of
this most topical of debates. You see, Aardman
Animation have just
announced that they’re teaming up with celebrity
chef Jamie
Oliver to bring us a toon series about his
youthful cheffy exploits
with a group of happy-go-lucky pals. No one’s
commissioned
“Little J” yet, but with
exposure like this, and such a topical
theme, it’s surely won’t be long until Mr
Oliver’s topping the
teatime schedules and helping to promote his very
own line
of tasty low-sugar treats to the same tykes
he’s been trying
to protect. That is, of course, if there are
any tv slots left in which
to broadcast his new toon. After all, it’s
this selfsame junk food
advertising ban that’s playing a major part
in the demise of the
kids tv schedules here in the UK…
More:
The
Guardian The
BBC Save
Kids TV
A
Fluffy promo (17.08.07)
Just for you…
Just because it’s Friday…
Just because it’s there…
Here’s a lovely little trailer-come-promo
for Jason Tammemagi
and Monster Animation’s delightful new series,
“Fluffy Gardens”.
And if that’s got you all fluffy and excited,
then make sure you tune
in to Cartoonito in the UK, where the show’s
currently airing thrice
daily. What’s more, the episode “Tooty the
Elephant” has just been
selected for inclusion in this year’s Prix
Danube – which is a jolly
prestigious nomination, so it is. “Fluffy
Gardens” is a delight from
start to finish and it deserves all the praise
and attention
it can get its soft little paws upon…
More:
Fluffy Gardens
Monster Animation
Graphic
prize (15.08.07)
Random House have just launched a rather jolly
competition for
budding graphic novelists. If you’ve got the
inspiration, they want
you to create a single-page tale to titilate
their panel of judges, and
they’ve got a £1000 top prize on offer.
More importantly, the winner
gets to see their creation printed across
a full page of “The Observer”
newspaper!
The judges – including the likes of Nick Hornby,
Posy Simmonds,
and Paul Gravett of Comica – are looking for
a self-contained tale,
so there’s no point submitting a sample from
your 200-page uberwork.
They want just one page. And if you win, you’ll
no doubt be buying lots
of copies of “The Observer” on the
14th October, ‘cos that’s the
day they’ll be publishing the winning entry
in all its glory. As for
the prize-giving itself, that takes placeat
the Comica Festival at
London’s ICA on the 20th October.
You’ll find more info on the rules and prizes
and whatnot, on the
Random
House web pages. And you’ve got until Monday 3rd Sept.
to complete and submit your one-page masterpiece!…
More:
Graphic
Short Story Prize
The wonderful web (10.08.07)
Isn’t cyberspace wonderful?
The reach and range of this place never ceases
to amaze. In the last
few years there’s been a veritable explosion
of new folks entering the
realms of the web with their own self-created
and maintained sites
and blogs and info pages, and almost every
time The Hound logs on
it seems that someone else has popped up online,
waving their flag
and sharing a wealth of wonder about themselves,
their work and their
lives online.
Want some examples? – Well, one of the more
recent has been the
official web site for Curtis Jobling, erstwhile
designer of “Bob the Builder”
and creator of the soon-to-be-huge “Frankenstein’s
Cat”. Curtis has
maintained a
jolly informative blog for a wee while, but now he’s
branched out into a
fully-fledged web site all about his creative
endeavours…
Then there’s Laura Howell, a rather talented
lady who’s recently
turned her talents to “The Beano”.
Her web site
has been growing
nicely all year and is an excellent showcase for
her work. Laura’s
a star in the making methinks…
And right over the other side of the great
comics spectrum we
have Mr Chris Weston. Chris is something of
a Comics God, really.
His work for the Big Comics Boys – Marvel
DC, 2000ad and almost
everything inbetween continues to make us lesser
mortals salivate
with delight and envy. Chris not only has
his own web
site, but he
also has a
very fine blog, keeping us all smack-bang up to date
with his day-to-day endeavours…
Meanwhile Jason Tammemagi, the friendly fellow
who’s currently
bringing “Fluffy Gardens” to life,
has been maintaining a
suitably fluffy
blog
in the run up to the series’ launch on Cartoonito (it’s on at 6.45am,
9.30am and 6.45pm, so set your video, Freeview
box or DVD!)…
How ironic that, as these talented folks pour
themselves into
their online prescence, so Big Business seems
to be floundering.
There are far toom many companies out there,
sinking big bucks into
bland, corporate spaces. Take Cosgrove Hall. Now
here’s a big name
company with a wealth of wonderous productions
to their name.
For months now, we’ve been promised a shiny
new company web
site “coming soon!” Only, the
one that’s
finally appeared doesn’t
really do justice to the studio at all. Sure, it
teases us with its delights,
but its content is – well – rather weedy
right now. Of course, it’s early
days with this one; the site has only recently
gone live. But if it were
me, I’d have made sure all the series detail, programme
info, credits
and background wonders were correct and present
from the reboot
date. As it stands, despite the gee-whizz whistles
and bells, there’s
a rather corporate feel about the place, as if
the site is talking down
to its visitors. It’s such a contrast to the
sites and blogs identified
earlier in this commentary.
Folks, it’s the personal touch that grabs
the visitor. It’s why the web
can be so completely addictive as you hop
around, peeking through
all those little windows into the lives of
your favourite artist and creators
and seeing what makes them tick. And I’d like
to think Toonhound is
run like that too…