The Boss Man Brings Home the Gold!

Mandrews brought the Oscar around for a bag-pipe laden victory lap around the studio. The first stop: the Animation Department.

If anyone is wondering: no, we don't all get an Oscar, we just share the one. We place it on a stone plinth and surround it with booby traps and interns.

Alba gu bràth!


32 days...

Bravery at Comic Con

There isn't a Brave comic (yet), but that didn't prevent our little movie from having quite the presence at the world's largest comic convention! I did my best to snap a pic with every Merida I crossed paths with, and even spotted a wee Merida from the film's prologue!

I even took a moment to enjoy a Kilt Friday at the local Tilted Kilt!

If you have any Brave pics from Comic Con, please leave a note in the comments below!

10 days...

Batman Warm-Up Sketches

I finally translated what Bane's been saying this whole time!

Sketching on the iPad with Everett over coffee, and getting stoked for Comic Con. We made a wager on whether Avengers or Dark Knight Rises will make more money this Summer. The loser has to draw their superhero getting the superhero serum kicked out of them by the other guy's hero, similar to last Summer's Thor/Captain America drawing bet.

With Dark Knight's opening weekend already selling out and tickets going for $100+ on eBay, I told Ev he could go ahead and get started on my drawing.

15 days...

The Bear King

One more highlander for today's Chades Challenge. I couldn't let the day pass without posting a sketch of my favorite Brave character, King Fergus. 

This one's for my cousin Patrick who goes in for surgery next week. I wanted to encourage Patrick to be Brave, and to look on the bright side--at least he's got both legs!

That's Patrick below, on the far left.

As you can see, the kid's got good taste!

0 days...BRAVE premieres today!

Chades Challenge LXV: Highlanders

You can keep your Christopher Lampberts and Adrian Pauls, when it comes to Highlanders, there can be only one!

If you have any Highlanders, let me know and I'll post them below. Otherwise join in July 6th for...

Chades Challenge LXVI: 

Time-Travelling Comic Con Attendees

Jimmy "Rob LeRoy" FauntLeRoy

Kyle "Tilted Kilt" Baeta-Orick

Josh "Freeeedoooooommmm!!!" Billings

David "Never Forget" Campbell

Deena "Princess of Dubai" Stevens

James "Rad Plaid" Trujillo

Austin "The Spartan Tartan" Reinkens

Zane "Scotland Yarb" Yarbrough

This Chades Challenge today is in honour of Brave's release and our last Kilt Friday. We'll be raising a glass tonight to all our cousins in Scotland and across the world. Alba gu Brath! 

0 days...BRAVE premieres today! 

Last Day of AM/PM Class

Last night was the final class of my third semester teaching at the Academy of Art University. 

Brave's director, Mark Andrews, was our guest lecturer. Fresh from finishing the final cut of the film, Mark gave a talk on the slings and arrows of filmmaking and the story process. I think it's safe to say all of the students came bounding out of the lecture, their cups brimming with a fresh serving of inspiration.

We asked our class to bring in scenes where a character experienced victory, to celebrate the end of a successful term. This scene, in particular, fit what Paul and I put our students through and the vindication of passing our class.

The clip warranted a final whiteboard sketch.

As you may know, we have a tradition of bringing a dessert to class. This week it was my turn, and I wanted to send my class of in the most decadent chocolaty style.

Congrats to our class, and all you film students out there who are wrapping up a semester of hard work!

37 days...

Brave Lectures

Yesterday, I gave animation lectures at San Jose State and Cal. A note to anyone giving a lecture at Cal: don't open with, "Hello Stanford!" I thought I was going to be drawn and quartered for that one.

At San Jose State, I was greeted by members of the Shrunken Head Man Club, the campus's animation collaborative. The group is named after a fortuitous paint spill on one of the department stools.

The students at both campuses were fantastic, and I was more than happy to hang around afterward for questions and drawings. I even signed a few sketchbooks, Pixar postcards, and the odd sweatshirt or two.

These are actual notes for my lecture. How the students gleaned any information from my talk is a mystery.

0 days...AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!

Nerd of the Rings

Pixar's improv team, The Improvibles, is delving into the land of trolls, hobbits, and level eight gelatinous cubes tonight with our first Dungeons & Dragons show (the first of many, this bard hopes). What makes this show particularly special is our guest star, Brave director Mark Andrews!

One show to rule them all!

7 days...

Yo.

Every now and then, working at Pixar gets a little surreal. Standing in front of a giant lamp and fictional vehicle, with a mini stone henge looming in the distance is one of those moments.

We also have the Brave wrap party coming up, so naturally everyone's getting fitted for kilts, provided by St Kilda USA.

As always, accessories make the man. And no kilt is complete without a quality sporran. The selection on the left is dire wolf fur, I believe.

And, finally, the formal jacket. Brah brecht, moonlit necht tonecht!!

8 days...

Merida and the Frightening Forest

The Japanese may have an odd title for Brave (they call it Merida and the Frightening Forest), but they certainly have a kickass poster!

11 days...

The Prize

Fasten your kilts, laddies, the new Brave trailer is here!

3 days...

Change Your Fate

The new Brave poster is sporting some serious ginger pride. Watch out Cartman, she's coming for you.

Stay tuned, the new trailer debuts tomorrow!

Alba Gu Bràth!

4 days...

Engarde!

When I get in a disagreement with my director, we settle it with a duel!

If you like this post, feel free to riposte.


17 days...

Alba gu bràth

The new trailer's out for another little film I'm working on...

This is why we wear kilts every Friday.

While I'm on the subject, remember not to miss Angus MacLane's Small Fry, which will premiers next Wednesday in front of The Muppets.

7 days...

TERRORDACTYL, page 3 of 11

Pictured in this week's page: Pteranodon, Eomaia, Rhamphorhyncus, Meganeura

Available this Summer in paperback through Afterworks III and digitally through the Whamix app. Next Monday, page 4: "The Primordial Sea"

While we're on the topic of sneak peaks, there's a new article at EW on Pixar's upcoming film, Brave. I just wrapped animation on Cars 2 last week, so this is the next project on my plate and I couldn'a be happier abou' it (as the Scots would say)! Alba gu brath!

20 days...