Santa Bear's High-Flying Adventure

As the 2025 comes to an end like most I have a tendency to reflect on the past. 

this year has been crazy, and I took a deep dive into my past "Santa Bear's High-Flying Adventure" is the very first animation project I worked on.   

Happy New Year!

A Tribute to Michael Sporn

A Tribute to Michael Sporn

As I put my belongings together for the conference a friend of mine

Masako Kanayama

shoots an email to me saying final done!  

The Michael Sporn Tribute Reel  

Not a day goes by I don't think of him

Michael Sporn was one of the giants of the New York animation community

 

I have dusted off the DVD's and sat back to watch films I worked on some twenty years ago

On Monday March 2nd I will be part of a panel decision  



 Michael Sporn was one of the giants of the New York animation community. From 1980 until his untimely death last year, Michael Sporn’s studio produced many acclaimed television specials, most of them animated entirely here in New York.

 

To commemorate the first anniversary of his passing, ASIFA-EAST is hosting an evening of Tribute to Michael Sporn–and we’re encouraging members of the animation community to contribute to a tribute reel to be presented at the event and preserved online.

 

ASIFA-East Tribute to Michael Sporn Monday, March 2, 2015 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm (doors open at 6:00 pm) SVA Theatre [Beatrice] 333 West 23rd Street (between 8th & 9th Ave.) New York, NY (no RSVP required).

 

Please join the others who knew him, worked with him, and read “Splog”–his celebrated blog to look back at his foot prints and keep his legacy alive for the future.
 

Asifa East Animation Awards one week after

The 45th ASIFA - East Animation Awards this year was held at the NEW Tishman Auditorium. And the animation was great! I think some of the best I've seen; truly a great job among the student films.

The award ceremony was hosted by Liz Miele standup comic and creator of the animated web series ”Damaged” outside of botching a couple of names she did a nice job as host.

I had a good time watching the films and enjoyed the company of Heidi Stalling at the ceremony, also catching up with a few old friends at the after party.

 

  We need to support the arts; as people talked around the room work is getting harder to find. NYC is becoming a ghost town what once was the thriving city for the arts is now a joke from independent books stores, theater, animation, etc…
   

I will continue do my part to support artist, I hope others will do the same.

 

ASIFA link to the winners and the runners up Congratulations to all!

Michael Sporn

Today I am saying goodbye to my friend Michael who past away on Sunday 19th of January.

He was my boss, teacher, and friend.

I am missing him dearly and thankful we shared sometime together talking before it all hit the fan.

 

If you are interested and want more details of this incredible man John Canemaker wrote an obituary click here  

  

some of Michael's animated shorts on Fandor 

 

Animated Mice

 

Clink on my illustration,

the link will show you the mice swimming.

 

 This is part of a payment for creating color designs for a possible animated series

I somehow found my self

 knee deep in  

ASIFA Award Winners



On Sunday I was at the 2013 ASIFA East Animation Awards Festival. I walked away very happy with what I seen in the show some of the entrees could of used a little more clarity but over all a lot of substance. I applauded the winners and runners up Great job!!

 

 

   Follow link the ASIFA blog to see the winners

 

LINK: 

2013 ASIFA- East Animation Festival

 

It is that time of year again so please come out and support NY talented animators

I am looking forward to seeing some old colleges

and watching animation 

 

 

link: ASIFA East

 



Poe is Back!

Poe is back!

 Round two
 I am very happy to see Michael restart this pledge drive to get Poe animated
Just click on the above image to bring you to the
indiegogo pledge site

Facebook Like page

ASIFA - East

This year I will not be able to go, because I will be eating cake with my uncle for his birthday. I am a little bummed because it is away for me to stay connected to the world of animation and also catch up with a few friends who are still working in the business. But there is nothing to be done about it there is always next year and family comes first. But if you enjoy animation I would suggest going and having a great time!

ASIFA - East

43rd ASIFA-East Animated Film Festival Awards Ceremony







   my uncle and I

Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol

The Christmas season has arrived,

well it really came along on October 31 when I started to see holiday

gift wrap and ornaments going on sale.

But

"Mr. Magoo's

Christmas Carol"

can be considered one of the very first animated holiday special made for TV

according to "Wikipedia" December 1962, yes even before Rudolf.

I love the design and text used to create this animation UPS did some wonderful work that will most likley never to be seen again.

"The Illusionist"

At my local movie theater

 The Kew Gardens Cinemas 

 I went t see

"The Illusionist"

(film description)

"A story about two paths that cross. An outdated, aging magician, forced to wander from country to country, city to city and station to station in search of a stage to perform his act meets a young girl at the start of her life's journey. Alice is a teenage girl with all her capacity for childish wonder still intact. She plays at being a woman without realizing the day to stop pretending is fast approaching. She doesn't know yet that she loves The Illusionist like she would a father; he already knows that he loves her as he would a daughter. Their destinies will collide, but nothing - not even magic or the power of illusion - can stop the voyage of discovery."

My overview/Review:

Animation is not Dead YET!

The story kind of drops in the middle but over all well done. The use of the rabbit nipping at every one made me smile and the only scene that bothered me a little was when he was in Scotland and the owner of the pub puts up his poster over the dartboard later on the poster is missing. This film is worth seeing I found it beautiful to look at. The scenes of him traveling on the train are wonderful it made me want to take a train ride across the country. If you love animation then see this film A film like this does not come around every day. So go out and support this film it worth seeing on the big screen.
It makes me want to work in animation again.

This is a link to a post from Michael Sporn who can write a lot more eloquently then I about this wonderful film "Magicians Do Not Exist" (Click Me)

    

July 15 2011 Pooh is BACK! :)

Well mark your calender because on July 15 2011

 "Winnie the Pooh" is back!

 with all his friends and there relations in a new Walt Disney Animated film.

 According to the article from Ap Associated Press it has been thirty (30) years since they did the last big screen "Pooh" adventure. It does not surprise me they are working on a new film considering that "Return to the Hundred Acre Wood" was just published back in 2009. What I do find surprising and thankful is that they are bring back the old charm of the original films and it will resemble the the classic shorts from the 1960s and 1970s I can't wait!!!!!

 I'm not a fan of  some of the newer version they created with computer generated silliness

And this is the original
"The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh"
That I grew up watching.

Click: The link to see the trailer  the trailer looks wonderful

I hope the rest of the movie is as charming

ASIFA EAST

(photo courtesy of Asifa- East blog)

On Sunday May 9th 2010 at the Tishman Auditorium at The New School, NYC

I went to the 41st Asifa-East Animation Festival.

It was a lot of fun. I saw wonderful animated films done by professionals as well as students that would of past me by if it was not for the festival. Award were given out, I kept scanning the audience for some of the winners because I new them and was hoping to connect with them latter at the party, well not all showed up that was a bit of a bummer but I did get to reconnect with a few. One told me we are getting old I agreed as I looked around the room to see young animators ready to take on the world and the buffet table which was stacked with sandwiches & cookies. I ran straight for the beer (I ate before) and watch with fondness the time I would of ran for the food then the beer, who am I fooling I still would of ran for the beer first.

I enjoyed watching one of my ex colleges John R. Dilwoth sign autographs, Who intern introduced me to a very nice young women Alma Sheppard who is just finishing school.

I also got a kick when David B. Levy president of Asifa and also ex Michael Sporn Animation Studio employee introduced me to people as a children's book illustrator.

(pat pat pat...)

Over all It was a good night It gave me time to reflect what I have accomplished over the years

and watching this group of people also made me miss that time in my life.

(I'm in the photo standing to the left of the screen with a bite size brownie stuffed in my mouth)