ASIFA-Hollywood is heading to next week’s Comic-Con Int’l in San Diego, Calif. with a series of panel discussions and screenings that illuminate various aspects of animation production and spotlight the best and worst that the genre has offered over the years. The organization will be located at booth #5434 at the San Diego Convention Center, and will be hosting an animation jam throughout the duration of the show.
The ASIFA schedule will kick off on Thursday, July 26 with ‘Animation on a Shoe String, Creating a Low-Cost Animation Studio with Your Home Computer.’ Held in Room 30CDE from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., the program will offer a practical guide to getting started in animation with readily available and affordable hardware and software solutions, as presented by Larry Loc, author of Animation on a Shoe String.
Following at 6 p.m. in room 3 is an hour-long program titled ‘Mavericks, Magic and Magoo,’ in which Tee Bosustow will look at the lasting legacy of his father’s animation studio, UPA. In addition to a panel of UPA veterans, the event will feature screenings of rare films and commercials.
From 7:15 p.m. to 8:45 p.m., ASIFA will take attendees behind the scenes of one of today’s top animation studios with The Pixar Story: To Infinity and Beyond (Room 6CDEF). The program will include a look at the new documentary The Pixar Story from Oscar-nominated director Leslie Iwerks, daughter of animation pioneer Ub Iwerks.
Rare films and animation artifacts will be on display with ‘Treasures From the Asifa Vault,’ an exhibition open Friday from 4:30 p.m. until 6 p.m. in room 3. The program drew big crowds on a Sunday last year, so attendees are encouraged to get there early in order to see everything. Afterward, fans of traditional animation can catch the Chiodo Bros. panel discussion ‘Stop-Motion in the Computer Age’ in room 5AB at 6:30 p.m. The animators who brought life to characters in Tim Burton’s Vincent, Jon Favreau’s Elf and Matt Stone’s and Trey Parker’s Team America: World Police will join other stop-motion professionals in discussing how computers have not replaced puppet animation, but have, in fact, revitalized the art.
Animation Historian Jerry Beck will close out Friday’s festivities at 9 p.m. with the return of his ever-popular ‘Worst Cartoons Ever’ program in room 6CDEF. This crowd pleaser will offer screenings of what Beck considers some of the most wretched animation ever made.
Toon fans and professionals are sure to line up on Saturday at 2 p.m. for ‘State of The Animation Industry’ in room 8. Guests lined up so far include Over the
Hedge co-director Tim Johnson, independent animator extraordinar Bill Plympton, Animation World Network editor Sarah Baisley, Base Station creative director Aki Umemoto, Chiodo Bros.’ Stephen Chiodo and Laguna College of Art & Design chair Aubry Mantz (formerly of ILM). The 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. hour will be filled by a book signing for Drawing the Line: The Untold Story of the Animation Unions from Bosko to Bart Simpson. Noted animator and animation director Tom Sito, former President of the Animation Union, will be signing copies of the book in room 4.
For more information on ASIFA-Hollywood’s animation jam, check out www.asifa-hollywood.org/blog/con2007/table.html. Larry Loc will also post daily updates about what is happening with ASIFA-Hollywood at Comic-Con on his website, www.agni-animation.com/blog/index.html.
