Fantasy Football XV: Chargers vs Steelers

"Macs...why'd it have to be Macs?"

4 days...

The Noodles Challenge

Being a toymaker has lost its luster since all any kid wants is an iPhone.

This is my contribution to my former student Fernando Brandi's Noodles Challenge. The idea is to do a drawing in the time it would take to nuke a cup-o-noodles (an animator's main source of nutrition).  This month's theme is "Your Elf Self". Mine is obviously obsolete and bored since I am so technologically inept. 

9 days...

Steve Jobs (1955-2011)

 "The only way to do great work is to love what you do."

I was just saying the other day how Steve Jobs is this generation's Walt Disney. Steve may not have been a filmmaker or professional storyteller, but like Walt, he was a visionary and a dreamer.

In 1986, Steve bought Lucasfilm's computer graphics division. The Graphics Group, which was soon renamed Pixar, was just another high-end software company at the time, working for medical and government agencies. Pixar would have most likely flourished as a tech company, but Steve could see that Ed Catmull and the other Pixar founders were still storytellers at heart. He took a chance, and invested in his friends' dreams.

Thanks in part to Steve's vision and support, Pixar is now the most successful animation company in the world. The culture here at Pixar still reflects much of Steve's forward-thinking, trail-blazing attitude.

Thanks for your brilliance and generosity, Mr. Jobs. I think I'm going to go order an iPad now.

Steve Jobs' Commencement Speech to Stanford University: 

"How to Live Before You Die"

24 days...

CHADES CHALLENGE XXVI:
DC vs. MARVEL

The votes are in! The two heroes you wanted to see square off were Batman and Wolverine, and the winner (by a mutated hair) was ol' Canuklehead. Let me know if you have any submissions and I'll post them below.

"I can smell that black rubber a mile away, bub."

Calvin Tsang

Also getting into the superhero-spirit is my buddy Mach, who rigged his own arc reactor. For info on how to make your own, check out his blog! Don't worry, you won't have to suffer a major heart injury to do so.

And in honor of The 30th Anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back (2nd greatest film of all-time), the next challenge is Star Wars themed:

CHADES CHALLENGE XXVII:
"WE DON'T NEED THEIR SCUM."

Not all bounty hunters can be as badass as Boba Fett and IG-88. We'll be designing the losers who got turned away by the Empire. Submissions due May 21st.

iBalls
Just animated this on Ev's iPad. I'm becoming more convinced that I need to own one of these things.

iPad Impressions

Unofficial iPad spokesman Everett Downing let a few of us mess around with his 'Pad and asked for our opinion. Here's what we said:

It's a pretty fun little gadget: flat enough to eat off of, and the smooth sides make a handy straight-edge. Here's the heretofore mentioned ninja turtle:

Another of my iPad musings; I call it Requiem for a Trilogy:


Jim Lee seems a bit more adept at drawing with his finger than I am. Here's my iPad Joker:


And his:


Hey, at least my Joker is laughable.

My favorite webcomic, xkcd, had this to say about the latest iDevice:

Dear God. The machines have gained the trust of animals. It won't be long now before man's best friend turns against him in the war to come.


In other news, on-set shooting of Pam Walker's short film Trifles was wrapped this weekend. The REAL shooting, however, has just begun.


Photo by Mark Andrews

BACK...IN OUR FUTURE!

Christopher Lloyd is coming back as everyone's favorite scientist (sorry, Mr. Nye), Doc Brown in an O'neal McKnight music video. A clip from the set can be found here.
In bizarrely related news, real scientists today are making leaps and bounds in brain-to-machine algorithm technology, the field Doc is toying in before his accident in the bathroom. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology said Wednesday that they've developed an algorithm for a neural prosthetic aid that can link an individual's brain activity to the person's intentions; and then translate that intention into movement. More on that here.

CalArts first year Tom Moore had this video posted on his blog. It's Ferrofluid (liquid metal baby!) and it reminds me of Venom. Too bad the movie version of everyone's favorite Marvel baddy wasn't half as cool as this real life magnet goo.
And just for kicks, a couple other spectacular, uncanny, and all-around amazing science clips. Science rules!

Doc Ock
Electro