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May 14th, 2008
10:20 am - Lost Winds
WiiWare started this week, which are original games for the Wii that you can download and play for a small fee. The best launch title released is Lost Winds, with its intuitive interface, enjoyable gameplay and simple design. I downloaded it yesterday and am enjoying making my way through it in my (admittedly limited) spare time.
I woke up this morning and decided to warm up with a sketch of Toku, the main character from Lost Winds. Then I scanned it in and started fiddling... digital inks and some quick highlights later, it was complete. More work than I'd originally planned to put into it, but I do like the final result. My digital inks are getting stronger bit by bit.
I love little mythical worlds like this. Games that exude a feeling of mystical wonderment always draw me in - Ico, Okami, Shadow of the Colossus and Lost Winds all have an aesthetic that I greatly enjoy.
Toku and Lost Winds © Copyright 2008 Frontier Developments Ltd.
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May 13th, 2008
08:21 am - Speed Racer
Last week I had a blast filming a short spot for Canada's Space Channel, talking about the history of Speed Racer. Instead of just filming at the studio down on Queen Street, we actually went out to the go-kart track up at the Sega Playdium in Mississauga.
You can watch a streaming version of the episode here at this link. My piece starts at 3:20 into the stream.
We buzzed around the race track and made goofballs of ourselves for over two hours to get a couple minutes of footage... always amusing. Spending the afternoon go-karting and blabbing about anime as part of my job is a bit surreal. Things are good.
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May 9th, 2008
07:59 pm
So apparently when that person from Fed Ex called today and told me that a package would be delivered and I should be around for it, what they actually meant was...
"Yeah, that package was reclaimed by customs for some inexplicable reason and you're just gonna sit on your ass all day and into the evening wondering where it is while we do our best not to communicate with you or have any relevant information."
Awesome.
Even more fun is now that Friday is gone, Monday will be wasted trying to figure out where the package ended up and how I can actually get it because they don't deliver or do paperwork on the weekend.
Thanks for sucking, Fed Ex.
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May 6th, 2008
06:26 pm
While Erik was in Hong Kong on business over the past couple of weeks he saw the new Chinese edition of our Street Fighter digest trade paperbacks. Each volume comes with special bonus material and a soundtrack CD of music from the video games:
Nifty!
Wait a sec...
We never licensed our comics to China!
Oh fuck, these are bootlegs.
The lettering is professionally done, with all our word balloons and captions immaculately touched up and replaced with Chinese, even the semi-transparent ones. The credits and copyright info is scrubbed out and there's no Chinese publisher listed, but otherwise it looks like a quality foreign edition... that sells for less than half the price of our legitimate book (yes, even with the CD pack-in). *sigh*
It's simultaneously flattering and frustrating seeing this. Erik's more amused than I am by it but, then again, he's from China so none of this phases him in the slightest.
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May 5th, 2008
11:18 pm - Korean Surprise
Just as Matt and I wrapped up layout on the Street Fighter Tribute book and prepared to send it off to print we received an amazing gift from our friends at Seoul Visual Works, the artists behind Apple the new lush Korean comic anthology UDON is bringing out here in English...
The Apple artist crew had created a slew of amazing new Street Fighter Tribute imagery for us! Unbelievable!
We talked about what we could do. We'd already solicited the book based on the page count and price point we had. Even so, we couldn't turn away this awesome artwork from our colleagues.
So back to layout we went, quickly breaking our previous page count to make room for the new illos...
Street Fighter Tribute is now an incredible 320 pages!
Even with 40 more pages of content, there will be no change in price.
Everyone just gets a bigger book than we'd originally planned. :)
Here's a sneak peek at one of these amazing late additions to the book:
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May 4th, 2008
08:03 pm - Street Fighter Tribute Pre-Orders
The massive project that's been at the center of my attention for the past couple of months, the Street Fighter Tribute book, is available for pre-order. UDON has never done an online pre-order for any of their convention-exclusive hardcover editions before, so it'll be interesting to see what the response is like from fans who can't make it to the big North American cons in person. It's a sweet high-end gift for any anime/video game fan.
We'll have a regular soft cover edition released in comic and book stores this fall. This hardcover is definitely going to be a beauty however and, like the rest of our con-exclusives over the years, it will probably sell out by summer's end.
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Fine art meets martial arts!
It’s been 20 years since legendary video game developer CAPCOM® unleashed Street Fighter® upon an unsuspecting gaming public. Since then the game has become a worldwide phenomenon, with the ‘fighting game’ genre now a staple of the video game industry and dozens of memorable Street Fighter characters entering the realm of pop culture.
UDON Entertainment’s Street Fighter Tribute is a special volume of original illustrations from artists all around the globe, professionals and fans alike, commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Street Fighter franchise.
Inside are over 200 brand new pieces portraying the Street Fighter cast in a dizzying array of styles and designs, from ultra-rendered realistic paintings through to abstract and iconic. This is a video game art gallery in a book, bursting with inspiration and energy.
Fans of UDON, comics, video games, concept art and anime will all find Street Fighter Tribute an exciting new vision of the World Warriors, brought to you by the studio that introduced a new generation of fans to the magic of CAPCOM.
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* Limited hardcover edition, not available in stores!
* 8.5" x 11.5", 280 pages, full color.
* Artwork from UDON artists including Arnold Tsang, Alvin Lee, Omar Dogan, Jeff 'Chamba' Cruz and Joe Ng.
* Artwork from other professional artists including Adam Hughes, J. Scott Campbell, Gabe from Penny Arcade, Sean 'Cheeks' Galloway, Bobby Chiu and many more.
* Artwork from professional caliber artists around the globe: Israel, Italy, Germany, Australia, Brazil, India, Singapore, Japan, the Philippines, Canada and the USA.
* Orders received before May 15th 2008 include a free UDON Convention Sketchbook (worth $20) at no extra charge. North American orders received before May 15th 2008 will also be entered in our Capcom Game Giveaway.
*NOTE: This is a pre-order. Orders will ship no later than August 31, 2008.
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We accept Paypal, VISA and many other major credit cards.
PRICE: $80 for the hardcover edition.
SHIPPING: $19 US/Canada orders, $39 for international orders.
This is a hefty hardcover book sent with proper packing to keep your order safe and sound.
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May 1st, 2008
11:03 pm - Iron Man
Just got back from a preview screening of Iron Man.
Wow.
A dump truck full of money is about to hit the Marvel offices after this weekend.
The movie isn't perfect, but as far as delivering on the tightrope balance between fanboy wants and mainstream movie needs, Iron Man pays off extremely well. It's got far more character moments than I expected and takes a character whose potential has never really been reached outside of a few pointed comic stories and delivers him to the A-list of Marvel franchises. The minor pacing and plot issues get washed away by a slew of great moments.
If I was twelve and I saw this movie, I would've lost my goddamn mind with glee.
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10:11 am
The Calgary Comic Expo expanded to a 2 day show and, once again, kicked all kinds of ass. The con treated us great, the fans were fantastic and the whole weekend went incredibly smooth. This is what all cons should feel like.
Having anime painter/superstar Jo Chen at our booth proved to be a winning combination, with her fans lining up almost constantly for autographs and art prints. Even with a booth twice as large as last year's, we were swamped with fans and sold every book we shipped out to the show.
The trip up to Banff afterwards with friends and fellow pros was also wonderful, as usual. Hanging out in the mountains and making new friends while enjoying the scenery and chowing down on barbecue fare is one of my favorite parts of the con season. I came away refreshed and ready to rock this summer.
I've posted up a bunch of photos from the Expo and accompanying Banff trip up on Facebook. Check them out by clicking on the photo below:
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April 30th, 2008
12:37 pm
This year's Calgary Comic Expo was incredibly good. The con went very well and the trek out to Banff was relaxing and engaging as always. It's the perfect opener to the con season and energizes me for the shows ahead.
This weekend is spending time with Stacy and settling back in to a semi-normal schedule for a few weeks before the real craziness begins.
Photos and more from the show when I get back tonight/early tomorrow.
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April 21st, 2008
11:50 pm - NYComicon Wrap-Up
The New York Comicon experience was a varied and enjoyable one. Good people, interesting sites and great conversation. Not being tethered to a booth gave me a great deal of freedom to tour around and talk at length with people. That, in turn, led to better interactions and a much more relaxed atmosphere, even as the show crushed full of people on Saturday afternoon. I didn’t have to push against the crowd – I wasn’t in a rush.
This weekend proved to me that “nerd culture” is the absolute mainstream, staring everyone in the face even if they don’t realize it. The evidence is everywhere.
Comic book based movies tent post Hollywood’s summer schedule, manga and James Jean art define the look of trendy clothing stores like Uniqlo and Prada, Naruto dominates sales charts and giant billboards all around us advertise the impeding mega-release of the Grand Theft Auto IV video game...
Here we are.
Like it or not, our favourite metaphorical indy band is now the radio-play pop rock sound. The only geek shame left is the kind we give to ourselves.
The hardcore fans simultaneously wanted and loathed the idea of mainstream vindication of their pursuits. Now that the attention is here, it’ll be interesting to see if the industry properly capitalizes upon it or just flares out.
Click on the photo below to check out my NY Comicon shots. There are some pretty priceless ones in there.
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April 20th, 2008
08:08 am
The New York Comicon is going pretty well so far. Lots of little encounters and fun conversations with people.
We added another person to our hotel today and small world syndrome kicked in. It turns out that Franz's "buddy Mike who wants to check out New York" is also friends with old work mate's of mine from Halifax. He pulled out artwork from the web comic he's just started and it's ridiculously cute and awesome:
Click on the pic above for his web comic site
We toured around the con and I introduced Mike to some publishers and web comic people so he could get the word out about the cute he's creating. I hope it does well for him.
Photos and more coming soon.
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April 17th, 2008
03:21 pm
Our Porter flight to New York this morning was pretty much flawless - convenient and simple with great service. It was one of the nicest flight experiences I've had in the past 6 years of con travel.
Even though I'm feeling pretty groggy, the city seems more inviting this time. I had lunch and great conversation with Robert Khoo, business mastermind for Penny Arcade. We've done this a couple times, meeting up and blabbing a bunch about inspiration and business. He's one of the most grounded and capable people I've ever met in this ridiculous industry. It's always nice volleying thoughts back and forth with him over a meal.
Since UDON doesn't actually have a booth at the New York Comicon, this may actually be somewhat relaxing and enjoyable. I have a few key business meetings lined up and some particular social events I want to attend, but otherwise I'm open to going with the flow and seeing how it all plays out. I hope that leads to some fun little adventures.
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April 16th, 2008
10:55 pm
Jim: According to Google News, one of the most important headlines at this moment is that Martha Stewart's dog died today.
Stacy: ... I hate everything.
Kayla: I didn't even know she had a dog.
Jim: Well, now she doesn't.
Dan: So now it's like you were right all along.
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April 15th, 2008
10:43 pm - Sequentially
I was invited out this evening for a meeting at Tinlids (school and library wholesaler) to talk to a group of librarians about graphic novels in general and Makeshift Miracle in particular. One of the librarians had been passed a copy of my book, thoroughly enjoyed it and when the wholesaler found out I was local she dropped me a line.
For three and a half hours we sat around a table, munched on pizza and chatted about comics. It was unbelievably engrossing watching this group of adult librarians gushing about manga and graphic novels, stressing the fantastic stories and characterization, lauding praise on all kinds of titles and prodding each other to read more. After each meeting they pick more titles to review for the group and also pass along books to each other so they can read them first hand before stocking a particular title.
They weren't biased about any particular genres or publishers and didn't have loyalty to any particular creators. They're purely in it for the stories and visuals, evaluating each title on its own terms and letting each other know about any 'red flags' of questionable content depending on the age group they're stocking for. They want variety and strong stories, period.
Imagine hearing this kind of stuff from your middle school teachers:
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"I just finished reading Death Note."
"No spoilers! I have to get caught up but I'm reading so many other titles right now... I'll get to it after I finish Swamp Thing."
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"A bunch of the students chose Full Metal Alchemist for their last book report."
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"We do side-by-side comparisons of the prose and graphic novel versions of Artemis Fowl, showing how the artist interprets the original text in their comic pages. The students are loving it."
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"We need graphic novels for the White Pine Awards."
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(holding up a copy of Skim like it was a picture book, presenting it to the group of us)
"Notice the lovely rendering and storytelling here... I love this book."
It was surreal and amazing.
We talked about graphic novels being incorporated into English and Art curriculum, the use of visual language and the complex storytelling inherent in comics. It shocked me to see so much genuine fresh interest and excitement about the medium.
These librarians are trailblazing some fantastic titles into their schools and public libraries, championing graphic novels and their importance to young readers. They're in-touch with their students, reading the material and are voracious.
I was inspired.
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April 14th, 2008
10:20 am - Spiderwicked
Stacy and I went to go see the Spiderwick Chronicles movie over the weekend at the Bloor cinema. I've always been a huge fan of Tony DiTerlizzi and wanted to check out the film sooner but there's been a tornado of things to do, as always.
(Uh oh, Jim's reviewing a movie. Get on your protective gear because he's about to spew venom like he always does.)
It was delightful.
No, really.
The first act introducing the characters felt rushed and I wished they'd spent a bit more time setting those elements up before diving into act 2, but after that it was thoroughly enjoyable and very well done. The story roars along at a good pace, the conflicts and resolutions play out well and everything wraps up convincingly. It's dark and complex enough not to bore parents while staying kid (older kid, mind you) friendly and accessible. DiTerlizzi's creature designs translate wonderfully to the special effects, with convincing motion and texture.
I know Spiderwick didn't light the box office on fire when it opened earlier this year, but I'm pretty sure it will have a healthy life on home video. I could see it gaining momentum generationally like the Princess Bride and Neverending Story have, eventually building a strong audience even though their theatrical business didn't boom.
Seeing sweeping modern fantasy portrayed well fills me with glee. It was a nice surprise finding some movie magic on a Saturday afternoon.
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April 12th, 2008
01:21 pm
Summed up from a conversation Stacy this morning:
Possibly the toughest thing about working with students and artists-to-be is convincing them to really focus on the basics. It's very difficult to get through to them "Stop drawing characters ripped off from the things that inspired you and draw the human figure from life". Your influences will become clear as your work improves. Do perspective drawings of geometric solids and work your way up to objects and environments instead of sketching out 'Vein-Guy the Bloodletter' 4000 times. They're surrounded by shiny/sexy/dangerous motorcycles and we're telling them to mount training wheels on their BMX bikes and put on a helmet.
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April 10th, 2008
12:01 pm
Spring is finally here and that means things are getting really hectic in Jim-ville.
End of semester marking and admin tasks up the wazoo? Check.
Creative services projects stacking up in a Tetris-like manner? Check.
Conventions coming up faster than I'd like? Check.
Publishing logjam of things that need to get done? Check.
Social interaction and personal projects falling to the wayside? Check.
Not having classes on Good Friday several weeks ago has thrown off my end of semester something fierce, especially when buttressed up against the New York Comicon. It's going to make for an entertaining week.
What are people up to this weekend?
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April 7th, 2008
03:46 pm - Street Fighter Tribute Contest Winners
We busted our butts to sort through the more than 1300 submissions we received for the contest. It was incredibly difficult narrowing down our selection, even after we decided to expand the page count on the book and more than double the number of fan submitted art to be included…
163 fan submission pieces were chosen for the book!
Even if you didn’t win, we’ll be showcasing more of the fan art in our new Street Fighter II and Street Fighter III comics coming out later this summer, so keep your eyes peeled for that.
We’ll have more information on the book release and samples to show you all soon.
Thank you so much for your hard work and dedication. Capcom and Udon are blown away by the response to this contest.
Here is the Winner’s List:
http://www.udonentertainment.com/blog/?page_id=102
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March 31st, 2008
08:11 am - The Flood Continues
When I said yesterday I was getting Street Fighter Tribute art "every 5 minutes", I wasn't kidding...
I went to bed at midnight last night and the Tribute in-box was empty and sorted.
8 hours later I woke up to 106 new e-mails.
480 minutes / 106 e-mails = 1 submission every 4.5 minutes
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March 30th, 2008
07:08 pm - Submission Joy
I woke up and checked my e-mail - over 70 new entries for our Street Fighter Tribute art contest were sitting in my in-box. Another submission or two have been dropping in to my in-box, literally, every 5 minutes.
Um, wow.
When I first pitched the book, I hoped we'd have 50 entries done by fans that would be good enough to put in the 200 page book.
Here are my sorted submission folder totals so far and we still have over a day to go:
NO = 603
Maybe/Yes = 196
The best submissions have been wonderfully creative and are professional quality. There's an incredible range of styles and moods. We're talking about adding more pages so we can put in more of this great art.
That doesn't even include the 50+ invitation pieces done by professionals.
This book is going to kick all kinds of ass.
Very happy. :)
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