Tag: Animation

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Design Precognition

I am known to fanboy design firms. Yes, I used fanboy as a verb. Sue me. In any case, the three companies that I most admire, sorted by coolness in descending order are: IDEO, Art. Lebedev Studio, and frog design.

On my bookshelf I had a coffee table book called Frog: Form Follows Emotion, which is sadly, just not very well designed. It does have a lot of design eyecandy, but provides very little information about the design process and philosophy, about the story behind the beautifully designed objects.

The book is already 8 years old, so some of the projects seem dated. It’s still worth a read, especially since it sells for only 65 cents, used, on Amazon.

I was looking through it recently, and found a very interesting picture.

Looks pretty similar to the “table lamp” mac, which itself is pretty dated now, doesn’t it?

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Avast, Me Hearties!

Happy International Talk Like a Pirate Day, Ye Scientists, Naugty Wenches, Sea Dogs, Cheese-eating Surrender-pirates, Gothpirates, Scurvy Lubbers and Assorted Bilgerats!

P.S. Would a real pirate drive a Honda?

Ad:

The first book is from the founders of Talk Like a Pirate Day. A good read. Why TLAPD is not a national holiday is beyond me.

From the book cover: “Gideon Defoe, who lives in London, is twenty-eight. He wrote The Pirates! to convince a woman to leave her boyfriend for him. She didn’t.” Gideon Defoe is also rumored to be a relative of _that_ Defoe. In any case, I really don’t see why that woman did not leave her boyfriend, as Mr. Defoe is a genius.

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What’s Wrong With Frank the Goat?

Dear Mena, Studio Ghibli called. They want their mascot back.

Maybe I am not with the times, and this is all a part of “remixing culture.” Like Chibi Totoro being “remixed” into Toph and TophToph and Mei being remixed into “a little 10 year-old girl named Hana”.

I think Mr. Miyazaki will not be amused. Neither will be Frank.

Don’t be like Mena. If you haven’t watched “My Neighbor Totoro” you are missing so much.

There’s also a cheaper 2 disk set

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The Diddler And Us

I have insomnia again. This little quote from Ellen Ullman’s “The Bug” keeps going through my head:
“And so we waited. Tick-Tock, blink-blink, thirty seconds stretched themselves out one by one, a hole in human experience. Waiting for the system: life today is full of such pauses. The soft clacking of computer keys, then the voice on the telephone telling you, “Just a moment, please.” The credit-card reader instructing you “Remove card quickly!” then displaying “Processing. Please wait.” The little hourglass icon on your computer screen reminding you how time is passing and there is nothing you can do about it. The diddler at the bottom of the browser screen going back and forth, back and forth like a caged crazed animal. …”

I already forgot that the little widget, the weird faker, which unlike it’s honest brother the progress bar, does not really indicate progress, is called a diddler. It just keeps going back and forth, imitating a progress bar, or takes a form of rotating logo or some other animation. Evil little bastard.

Brooklyn, Around Noon. Well, actually later.

Manhattan, same time. Or maybe not.

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Now, This Is Way Retarded

Animation cells. there are millions of them made while making cartoons. And most are amazing pieces of wall art perfect for any geek’s cubicle or bedroom wall. Fox sometimes sells Simpsons and Futurama cells as well as limited edition posters in one of the conference rooms at a discount to Newscorp employees. I’ve visited a few times, but still shelling out $150 – $200 for one seemed a little bit extravagant. I mean, for that kind of money I can get something more awesome.

Now, just this morning the best post-Soviet animation company Pilot was moving to new headquarters. What do they do with archives? They throw the entire thing into a dumpster without warning anyone. Animators and everyone else rush to grab what they can. What kind of fucking stupidity is that?


I absolutely loved early Pilot cartoons. I think I’ll check at the friendly neighborhood Russian bookstore if they have Pilot DVDs.