Starting another work week…

Thanks to everyone who e-mailed last week. I appreciate it. I know I didn’t respond back personally, but it was just cool that people wrote at all and stuff. I wasn’t sure how to respond, so I just kind of shut my mouth. (And you all know me, so that’s a really hard thing for me to do)

My hair’s almost at that “too long to be manageable” but “not long enough to tie back or look reasonable”… grrr, I wonder if I can wait it out. It’s so tempting just to hack it all off.

The animation studio was becoming a real mess and I was sick of being the janitorial Nazi so I painfully waited until the place became a complete junk heap. I kept my own office clean and finally, the guys realized and cleaned the place up. It may sound weird for me to bring this up here, but now that the place is clean it looks great and it just makes everything a lot smoother. Our schedule had been bad and the place was looking really apocalyptic.

With the script stuff and everything else, I lost a bit of time to do the comic art, but it’s coming back together and I want to attack some more pages this week.

Time’s flying by. I can’t believe August is almost here and that’ll be the end of summer. The weather here is such a mixed bag. Cold and rainy or sweat-like-crazy heat.

The boys and girls of Aurenya are trying to pull together a camping trip this weekend. If it goes through, I’ll give you all the details… might be interesting.

WHAT I’M LISTENING TO:
They Might Be Giants have a new album that’s only on the internet! The mp3 only album is called Long Tall Weekend and I downloaded it. It’s quirky and weird and as usual, quite satisfying. It reminds me of Residence and Sheridan times… whoah, time lapse.

Until next time.

I wish this were more coherent.

This is going to come off really cryptic, but because this newsletter is the closest thing I have to a diary, I have to vent somewhere.

I was almost positive that I had figured this situation out. There was someone here in Calgary that I was quite interested in. It seemed damn mutual and last night, something turned out very well and I was on top of the world. As cheesy and overly dramatic as this may seem… it sure as hell didn’t last long.

I figured I would circumvent problems by taking the bull by the horns and telling her how I felt. I wasn’t going to let it be a cheesy romantic comedy and always wonder “what if”. I felt it, she did to some degree and so it was time to talk about it. I was calm and forward and it just skidded to a halt.

Apparently, what was talked about the night before was not what was to be today…

When a girl tells you they want to stay as friends, it’s a pretty good indicator that she’s not attracted to you or you have some flaw that is not going to make this work. Ouch…even if that’s not true, it’s kind of hard not to feel that way.

Inadvertently, next week marks one year of being very, very single… groan

Now I remember why I was so focused on work. Even the uphill battle of getting an animation studio on the map is dwarfed by simple relationship letdowns.

I can’t get into details and I don’t think I really want to. But, I just wanted to vent and my friends and family, no matter where you are, seemed like a good place to go. This isn’t a cry out for cheesy “you’re a good guy” e-mails that will surely follow this message. I don’t need compliments or to be patted on the back. I just wanted to blab and know that it was heard. I’m still confident about the rest of my life here, it’s just the damn relationship thing I can’t get straightened out.

Signing off until next week…

Another week in the life of Zubby. Let’s see…

Through no choice of our own, we now have a cat. This cat kept camping out in our backyard and Nick and I befriended it. We don’t actually do much and we’re barely at the house at all, but it just sticks around and wants a little attention when we get in after midnight. I’m allergic to cats, so I do my best not to get too close, but it is darn cute. For now, Nick’s calling the cat Keane, after Glen Keane, the animator who drew Tarzan.

Teaching has been way relaxed so far with the Stampede on. Nobody’s stressed and yesterday’s staff meeting at the school entitled “Team Building” became “How to Kick People’s Ass at Quake 3”. I ended up winning the big match by the way, and that was the first time I’d played the game. Now all the staff are calling me “Killer”. Oh well…

With that schedule, I’ve continued laying out my comic book pages and I hope to have the breakdowns for the first 7 pages by the end of the week. They’re coming along at a decent pace and I’m really pushing myself to do detailed backgrounds and strong storytelling. When I have enough together to give an impression of what the story’s about, I’ll post it on my webpage for everyone to see.

WHAT I’M WATCHING:
I brought Beauty and the Beast- Work In Progress to show my class and I remembered how incredible it was. It’s a version of the movie with rough animation, storyboards and test sequences instead of the full color version you’d see in theatres. It really helps you appreciate that artists that work on this which becomes more difficult when it’s finished. I wish Disney would release more stuff in that form to increase the exposure of the artists. Inspiring and intimidating all at the same time.

Our composer should be back from vacation later this week and I’m looking forward to collaborating on some nifty tunes. On a whim he made up a theme song for one of our CG guys and I figure I should get myself a theme song too. Once that comes together I’ll get an mp3 file of it and post it up. It’ll probably be really cheesy. Maybe there’ll be a chorus singing “ZUB!”… I don’t know…

Lastly, my hair’s been pretty unkept since my cousin’s wedding and I was trying to decide what to do with it. I’ve got some ideas now, but it may be a while before it’s long enough to do what I want, which will result in that mid length yuck for a while. I’m thinking of cutting the sides and back short and having that kind of samurai ponytail with the top stuff. It’s neat and clean, but a little off the beaten path. I’m still weighing ideas. If I get sick of it in the meantime, I’ll probably just get it buzzed again.

Take care everyone and I’ll check in again next week.

Another week rolls on…

A few things of note.

4 people from Aurenya have birthdays this week so it’s an opportune time to get out and party this weekend. That and, the Calgary Stampede starts Friday. I can’t really understand why this whole city shuts down for Stampede (except for bars and restaurants) and I probably won’t go this year (and I didn’t go last year). Most of the time the city isn’t “hick” like everyone believes, but this week it’s all the biggest clichés or country hoe-down crap that I hate. Needless to say, I won’t be getting involved. We’ll celebrate the birthdays and ignore the cowboys and girls.

We had the first all-encompassing Story Meeting at work and I’m pleased to report that the first draft of the script will be underway in a week or so. These brainstorming sessions are at the heart of why Aurenya works and I’m glad my proposal’s being used as a springboard. A couple of producers have gotten in touch with us since Banff and we’re cautiously optimistic about the next few months.

I’ve finally got my personal summer project under way! The afternoon class I teach is pounding away at their final portfolio films and so I’m at my desk vegging for hours waiting for them to bring up footage to show me. Until now. I’ve started my own comic book story and I’m busting my butt to make it the best artwork I can produce. The script’s finished for the first issue and I’m laying out the first few pages as you read this. It’s really exciting and I don’t even care if it gets published because this is more of a test for myself than for anyone else. I’ll let everyone know when I post artwork up from the pages (soon, soon) so you can all check it out. I always wanted to be a comic book artist when I was a kid and now that I can actually work on it is such a rush. It won’t be superheroes beating the crap out of each other, it’s a little more character driven than that. More details as it progresses 🙂

The best part is that for some insane reason, the school where I teach gave the students the week off and told them classes were “optional”, so I’m not expecting great attendance. That’ll give me extra time and a quiet place to work on my own artwork.

We shifted around furniture and I’m now sharing an office room with John (our production manager) and Donovan (our composer) two great guys. I’ve got more room to spread out and between Donovan and I, the walls are covered with posters 🙂

WHAT I’M LISTENING TO:
The Crash Test Dummies first album The Ghosts That Haunt Me made it’s way back into my CD Player. It’s cheesy fun and reminds me of residence at Sheridan.

WHAT I’M READING:
Dream Country, by Neil Gaiman. This guy’s incredible and the short stories in this volume are all very impressive. There’s a sample of his comic book script in the back and it was informative and an enlightening read.

WHAT I’M WATCHING:
We sat down and watched It Came From Hollywood again. It’s the cast of SCTV making fun of old Black and White B-Movies. It’s funny and cheesy and seemed appropriate at 3 in the morning.

Until next week…

Another week and I am really, really tired…

The studio was on overdrive doing studio tests and I’m pretty worn out now. Between teaching 10 hour days and working umpteen hour nights at the studio, our little Zubster has got to get some sleep, and fast. The good news is that they’re mostly done now and ideally the results will be more than worth the pain.

My grand scheme is to do some kick butt work for Nickelodeon and then Aurenya’s gonna attempt to squeeze our way in on the upcoming Bone movie. If we got in on that, I’d absolutely freak out! Bone (if you don’t know) is an incredibly charming comic book about three brothers who get dragged into a fateful prophecy. The fact that they’re 3 squishy kind of cartoon creatures doesn’t matter and the situations are great! I just have to make sure we come off as professional as possible so that Nickelodeon doesn’t figure out I’d work on it for nothing ’cause I’m such an obsessed freak.

As always, if anything happens, you all will be the first to know.

Anyways… This weekend and Canada Day are looking more relaxed and I can’t say that I mind. Time to fill up the ol’ Brain Batteries with some rest and relaxation. Maybe I’ll have enough time to hit one of the pubs and enjoy a pint or three of Strongbow.

I’m writing a lot now and Nick and I have been collaborating on the script-stuff for Aurenya’s pitcheroo. The progress is great and the ideas are gelling very well.

Nick and I also decided that before we die, we will invest in a Sushi restaurant. I’ve been on a big sushi craving kick and we figure it’ll be a good way to conduct business meetings and such.

WHAT I’M WATCHING:
Saw The Maxx again last night. That is a great, underrated animated show that is so faithful to the original comic and so twisted with ironies and symbolisms it blows my mind. Check it out if you’re up for a freaky experience.

WHAT I’M LISTENING TO:
There’s a new Japanese animation coming out from Pioneer called Serial Experiments Lain and I’ve got the opening theme stuck in my head. Luckily, it’s in English, because having foreign songs in your head that you can’t sing really suck.

So, take care until next week and have a good Canada Day. I’ll celebrate Canada in my dreams while fast asleep.

Well, I’m back in Calgary and things are finally reorganized, so I thought I’d drop everyone a line and let you know how I’m doing. Even if I don’t respond to your e-mails, I always, always read them.

While I was gone, the company assembled our TV pitch initial reel and went to the Banff Film Festival to pass out 150 packages to potential producers, TV channels and investors. We’re not assuming anything, but of course it would be nice. At the worst, our name is now out there and the water’s are primed for further releases. This week, the classical crew is doing tests for Nickelodeon so with a bit of luck we’ll be bringing in our fair share of the finances very soon.

The school thing’s going well and the new class shows quite a bit of promise in terms of their attention and work ethic. It’s going to be great watching them grow and kick some big ass as artists.

Sarah Taylor, a second year animator from Sheridan arrived to intern with us for the summer and it’s been great getting caught up and touching base with someone from school. She bought a bike on the weekend so she could get around town and it’s this ugly neon green thing that looks like it’s going to be her trademark until we paint it 🙂

The whole company went out to see Disney’s Tarzan…
GO SEE THIS FILM! For all its Disney warts, it’s easily the best animated film I’ve seen in years. Nobody sings really (well, there’s a lullaby, but that’s it) and it has the most serious themes in a Disney flick ever. Great tension, wonderful characters and stunning visuals. Inspiring and intimidating all at the same time. Tarzan’s movements are incredible. Nick’s a wee bit obsessed with the film (he’s seen it 4 times already).

We went and played basketball yesterday and everyone was yelling “GO-RILLA!” from Tarzan… if you see the flick, you’ll know what I mean.

WHAT I’M LISTENING TO:
The company bought the Tarzan soundtrack and the office has been playing it non-stop since Friday.

WHAT I’M READING:
I’ve been writing scripts for our TV pitch and currently I’m into The Screenwriter’s Problem Solver by Syd Field. It’s pretty good material, but so far doesn’t have any stunning revelations about script writing that I didn’t already know.

Once I got back, I had to make the old transition to being in Calgary again and as usual, it was weird. I miss all of you and hope you’re doing well. It’s summertime, so it’s the perfect chance to organize car trips to Calgary
(hint, hint!)

So, until next time… if you can’t be good, be good at it!

Well, I’m typing this from my brother’s house and several of you are probably wondering why I haven’t contacted you since I came into Toronto.

I’m really, really sorry.

This week, that was supposed to be my vacation, has been much more busy than I anticipated.

So, to: Omar, Chris, Colin, Karen, Sheila, Cornflake, Nicole and Linda…I’m sorry.

What I thought was going to be just a wedding has been several more days of family stuff and I probably won’t be seeing you guys on this trip. I suck.

On the good side of things, the wedding was wild and I did drink too much and came away relatively unscathed, all things considered.

I can’t even believe my cousin’s married. She’s a year younger than me and it blows my mind that she’s all grown up because that means I am too 🙂 Well, as grown up as I can be drawing cartoons and being a goof like I do.

My cousin looked great and the groom was nervous but the ceremony went without a hitch. The reception was wild and weird… but I did dance a lot and I was in great company. I’m glad I bought a tuxedo when I saw them on sale at Christmas, it looked pretty slick.

So now, I have to face a horde of work back at the studio when I return and the batteries are sort getting recharged. I brought the ol’ Aurenya laptop to get some writing done and it’s been great. It was cool typing on the plane with a glass of red wine and a wee bit of turbulence 🙂

On Thursday, when I get back, I’ll be meeting the new interns in both Computer and Classical Animation… which will swell our numbers to 32. We’re all pumped about the upcoming possibilities with Funbag Studios and Nickelodeon. It’s scary and great at the same time.

Plus, my new class just started and they seem like a damn driven bunch. It’ll be cool seeing them progress.

Then, Friday we go to the premiere of Tarzan. it’s gonna be good. I’ll just ignore Rosie O’Donnell’s character.

I’m making headway on my own personal project for the summer as well as the scripts for our TV pitch. It started slow, but now the ideas are really flowing and I can see it coming together nicely.

I know I said I’d post my new mailing address, but I don’t have it on me as I type this, so expect it next time.

So, I appreciate everyone’s patience and stuff. It’s always awesome hearing from all of you about what you’re up to no matter where I am. This may sound like schlep, but I wish you could all move closer to me and make my life even more entertaining.

Until next week.

Let me apologize for not having gotten back to everyone in the last few weeks. I’ve been running around like a chicken with its head cut off lately, but it’s been good.

I’ll have to keep this short, but:

• I’ve finally got new art posted up at my site and there will be a lot more next week when I post production artwork from Aurenya’s new project and my own summer project progress.

• I’ll have my new home address (I just moved in to a new apartment) in the next newsletter.

• I’ll be in the Toronto area for my cousin’s wedding from June 10th until June 17th.

• The studio will be getting tests from Nickelodeon, Nelvana and a couple other studios so that we can do spill work to help bring in more money. So, right after the Banff Film Festival, we’ll be tackling those.

• My first class graduated and are now on their way. Several of them have decided to join up with Aurenya and so we’re expanding again and happy to have them aboard.

• My new class starts Monday and it’ll be great getting some new blood into the system and working with some fresh new faces.

WHAT I’M READING: I’ve been obsessed with a series running every so often in Heavy Metal magazine (the sci-fi magazine, not some music head banging thing) called Second Moon by Massimo Frezzato. It’s great artwork and really cool design.

I also read a really good book about comic scriptwriting called Writers On Comic Scriptwriting by Mark Salisbury.

Other than that, things have been relatively normal (or as normal as they ever get around here).

I’ll go into more detail next week.

Oh my god… I’m 23.

Well, that came up and just kicked me in the rear. Guess this is a good time to look back at the year and fill in some of the gaps for people.

So what outlandish plans do I have for my 23rd Birthday tonight? Not much.

I mean, it’s a Tuesday… what do you expect? My birthdays for the last 4 years have been disturbingly crazy nights with much alcohol and dancing but tonight’s looking quite a bit quieter unless someone has plans for me and I don’t know it. I’m probably going to a pub in town called Kaeli’s and having some Strongbow cider and a cigar. Pretty simple. Maybe this weekend I’ll break out and go wild…

So… let’s recap the year I’ve had since old 22…

• Last year at this time I was packing up my things to start my career in Calgary, at least for the summer.

• I decided to stay here and that’s why everyone gets e-mail from me instead of smiles in person or hugs 🙂

• My hair is back to its natural color, for better or for worse.

• The company I work for called Aurenya is growing fast and we’ve got ourselves focused in to the new millennium (ohhh… millennium’s such a commercial word right now).

• My webpage is taking off and I get lots of hits every day as well as fan mail from places like Greece, Spain, Japan, Brazil, France and all over North America.

• The Calgary Stampede last year was the only time I felt really alien in Calgary… and at least I know what to expect this year.

• After I decided to stay out here, my girlfriend dumped me and I’ve been single ever since… but I refocused my priorities and now I’m a better artist and person for it.

• I sold my car, “The Duke” and now I have to walk everywhere but with the money I got and am saving on repairs and gas… I shop a lot more and get cool things for myself.

• I went to do a presentation for a private school and it became an offer to teach. Now I’m teaching a Classical Animation course and my students are doing kick ass work. In fact, the course just got Certification so now I’m handing out diplomas to graduates instead of just certificates.

• Although there has been the odd turbulence, I’m kicking butt at work and loving what I do.

• I went to the Sheridan Open House and met up with old friends and saw my class graduate and head out into the big, big world. I saw the big, bigness one year early and I wish them well at it.

Not a bad little year, Jimbo. Kind of scary when you look back and see the changes so substantially. 24’s gonna be terrifying!

So, if you get a chance, toast one for me. Later…

Old Man Jim