Artist Spotlight: Hipster Totoro

Today's Artist Spotlight is a charming little illustration I found online. It's none other than "Hipster Totoro," or maybe "Indie Publisher Totoro." He looks just like me, except for that coffee (I had to give up coffee a year or so ago).

I remember a couple years ago when "Hipster Ariel" became a rolling internet meme. I can't see why Hipster Totoro couldn't work just as well. I'll just post this image here and leave you to create the funny wisecracks.

Unfortunately, I don't know the artist who created this piece. If you find him or her, be sure to send your thanks. Great watercolor design!

Hayao Miyazaki Announces Title For His Next Movie

This weekend, at the opening of a Natsume Soseki (Botchan, I am a Cat) memorial at Tokyo's Waseda University, Hayao Miyazaki discussed his upcoming movie project, revealing its title: "Kimitachi wa Dou Ikiru Ka?" The direct translation is "How Do You Live?" and is also the title of a 1937 children's book by Japanese author Genzaburo Yoshino. It is believed that the movie will be an adaptation of that book.

It was also recently revealed that Miyazaki's felt motivated to create a movie as a personal statement to his grandchild, as a final story to remember his grandfather. It is also known that the director felt inspired to return to feature film directing while working on his Ghibli Museum short film, Boro the Caterpillar. Once again, retirement does not suit him.

"Kimitachi wa Dou Ikiru Ka?" is currently under production, and is expected to last three or four years. It was originally hoped to be completed in time for the Tokyo Olympics, but that deadline has since proved impossible. Miyazaki's age was no doubt a major factor. Let us hope he remains healthy enough to create one more masterpiece!

Thanks to Crunchyroll and Kotaku for this morning's news scoop.

Artist Spotlight: My Neighbor Totoro by Louise Terrier

These excellent watercolor paintings were created by French artist Louise Terrier. She created a series of artworks dedicated to the movies of Studio Ghibli, including My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service and Howl's Moving Castle.

According to an article on Demilked, Terrier was inspired to create since early childhood, when she was encouraged by her parents. “When people ask me: where does that creative energy come from? I would say I don’t know! But it’s just a part of me, like my nose in the middle of my face! Even though my studies take the most part of my time, the pleasure to paint never leaves me.”

These watercolor paintings are absolutely spectacular. I wish I had a studio space where I could just cut loose and create wild colors like these. I'm a great fan of vivid color tones and expressionist brushstrokes, which these Totoro pieces have in spades. The compositions are also quite excellent, taking advantage of the picture frame to emphasize emptiness and action, movement and stillness. There's also something of an Asian style in the compositions, a use of flat planes instead of the Western "vanishing point". It fits the subject matter perfectly. Terrier's other Ghibli paintings are equally impressive, and I highly recommend you check them out.

As always, if you know of any other artists who you'd like to see profiled in out "Artist Spotlight" series, please send a message, including a link to the artist's website. Much thanks in advance.

Hipster Miyazaki Hated Weinstein Before It Was Popular

Hipster Miyazaki would like you to know that he hated Harvey Weinstein long before it became popular:

In 1997 the director signed a distribution deal with Disney. It was to prove a springboard to global renown, paving the way for a dedicated exhibition at New York's Museum of Modern Art and helping him secure the 2003 Oscar for Spirited Away. Even so, the nature of Miyazaki's films has been tweaked in transit. In Japan his films are blockbusters the whole family can enjoy. In Britain and the US he remains a predominantly adult, art-house phenomenon.

Miyazaki taps a cigarette from a silver case. The Disney deal suits him, he explains, because he has stuck to his guns. His refusal to grant merchandising rights means that there is no chance of any Nausicaa happy meals or Spirited Away video games. Furthermore, Disney wields no creative control. There is a rumour that when Harvey Weinstein was charged with handling the US release of Princess Mononoke, Miyazaki sent him a samurai sword in the post. Attached to the blade was a stark message: "No cuts."

The director chortles. "Actually, my producer did that. Although I did go to New York to meet this man, this Harvey Weinstein, and I was bombarded with this aggressive attack, all these demands for cuts." He smiles. "I defeated him."

The Making of Mary and the Witch's Flower

This 40-minute documentary goes behind the scenes at Studio Ponoc to chronicle the making of their debut animated feature film, Mary and the Witch's Flower. Narrated by Hana Sugisaki (the voice of Mary) and Hiroko Kimata, this program follows producer Yoshiaki Nishimura and director Hiromasa Yonebayashi during the production and promotion of their film.

Expect a cameo appearance by Studio Ghibli founders Isao Takahata and Toshio Suzuki near the end, as the finished movie is shown to Yonebayashi's mentors (Hayao Miyazaki declined to attend, but gave Mary and the Witch's Flower his thumbs-up). All parties involved see Studio Ponoc as the child of Ghibli, and wish for its success. The movie went on to moderate success at the box office; hopefully that was enough to convince investors to support more features (four short film projects are currently in production).

This video does include English subtitles. I wouldn't at all be surprised if this is included as a bonus feature on the inevitable GKIDS Blu-Ray/DVD.

Riffs: Lupin the 3rd, Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind

This first screenshot comes from the Lupin the 3rd Series Two finale, Farewell, Beloved Lupin. It features a heroine in blue who controls a giant robot and is forced to commit crimes against her will. This is an interior shot of Maki Oyamada, the heroine, operating the controls inside the flying robot.

Hayao Miyazaki was a fan of these kind of interior airplane shots. This specific shot appears to be quoted directly in Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind, which features a later incarnation of the director's iconic heroine. Both characters are also voiced by Sumi Shimamoto, further adding to the connection.

The giant robot, of course, is a tribute to the classic Fleischer Superman cartoons, and would later be revised into the giant robots in Castle in the Sky, as well as the God Warriors in Nausicaa, and especially the character of Ohma in the Nausicaa books.

Original Mediallion Used for Princess Mononoke Poster

A Reddit user named "ghiblithroway" shared this very rare item: a medallion used as the model for the US movie poster for Princess Mononoke in 1998. According to the owner, this sculpture was commissioned by Studio Ghibli for the poster design, and stayed with its creator until finally given to him some time later.

The sculpture is made of plastic, and given a nice bronze finish. It is roughly eight inches in diameter.

I wrote about this poster design years ago, and revised the article for inclusion in Bocanada Issue 1. It's a fascinating attempt at branding for the US release of Mononoke, which was later revised to feature the male lead, Ashitaka, instead of San. You are free to debate which poster suits the movie better. Or you can just pile the blame onto Harvey Weinstein, who deliberately tanked the picture as revenge against Hayao Miyazaki's refusal to allow any cuts.

Mary and the Witch's Flower: Studio Ponoc Interview

The Verge has an excellent interview with Studio Ponoc founder (and former Studio Ghibli producer) Yoshiaki Nishimura and director Hiromasa Yonebayashi (When Marnie Was There) about their latest venture, the animated fantasy feature Mary and the Witch's Flower. They discuss the movie, the studio's founding in the wake of Ghibli's sabbatical, and their future plans together.

Here is a short sampling of that interview. You can read the complete article at The Verge.

What was the process like of bringing Studio Ponoc together?

Yoshiaki Nishimura: This was a very difficult, tough three years for us. We were at Studio Ghibli until the end of 2014. And then two and a half years later, we had to complete a feature film, starting from zero, basically. And the two main difficulties were that we didn’t have the Studio Ghibli brand name, because our new studio was not known, and so trying to collect the financing was difficult. We had to work with a rather low budget. And at Studio Ghibli, there were 150 to 200 creators with the wonderful environment, with hardware, software, computers, servers all set up in the production studio itself. Whereas we had to start from zero, and build up that environment and equipment for our production.
We started with two to three people. But by the end, we were 450 creative people working on the film. Within these limitations, we had to aim for the quality and meaningful content similar to films Studio Ghibli had made. That was a very tough bar for us to accomplish.  

Why this particular story? What was the draw? 

YN: In order to make this first film for the studio, we thought it would be best to make a film that was quite the opposite from When Marnie Was There, the last film director Yonebayashi made at Studio Ghibli. When Marnie Was There is about a quiet girl in interior struggle. It’s a very calm movie. But the special talent director Yonebayashi has, that he gained from director Hayao Miyazaki at Studio Ghibli, is drawing dynamic action as an animator. So the idea was to have a very energetic girl moving around in a very fantastic way in a fantasy world. So the topic we chose was a witch. 

I read many children’s books and young adult books to search for projects to film. Many of those — when a witch character faces difficulty — they use magic to solve the problem. The Little Broomstick was the only story I saw where the heroine rejects magic at a crucial point, at the most difficult point. The quote from the book is something like, “I’m not going to use magic to open this door. I’m going to use my own powers. However long it may take, I’m going to do it on my own.” I thought that would be wonderful for the first concept of the film, because we have left the magic umbrella of Studio Ghibli, and now we have to walk with our own strength and power. So this fits the situation that director Yonebayashi and I as producer and other former Studio Ghibli creators faced as well. 

What’s next for Studio Ponoc? Are you are you planning on making more films that look and feel like Studio Ghibli? Does the studio want to branch out further? 

YN: One thing I learned from director Takahata is that the content decides what kind of expression to use. If you only have one form of an expression, it just becomes a style, rather than a fit with the content. So it depends on what kind of material we’re dealing with, as to what kind of expression and style we end up showing. Our heritage from Studio Ghibli makes us very strong believers in 2D animation. But it’s not that we reject 3D animation. There may be some content that would be good for a kind of fusing of 2D and 3D animation. 

At Studio Ponoc, we are working on four short films right now. One is being directed by director Yonebayashi, and there are three other directors working on the other shorts. But we also are determined to continue making feature-length film. And for us, the heroes and heroines are the children we are making the films for. We want to continue to make films that both children and adults can enjoy watching together. That is our mission, and that’s what we have brought forward from our experiences.

Is This the First Totoro Plushie?

Is this the very first Totoro plushie toy ever made? I found these photos online, claiming to be the original My Neighbor Totoro plushies from 1988. I cannot verify its authenticity, but the tag with Tokuma Shoten's information appears to checks out.

This is a very odd plushie, almost experimental, like it was assembled at a junior high school art class or your grandparents' nursing home. It does have a certain, albeit weird, charm. We must remind ourselves that Studio Ghibli was new to the merchandising game, and it took a while to properly learn the ropes.

It was the toys, after all, that made My Neighbor Totoro a success. Its double billing with Grave of the Fireflies was a major bust at the Japanese box office in 1988. Perhaps its style was just a bit too old-fashioned at the time. Remember that Akira was the hot property that year, as anime was going through its rebellious teenage phase. The simple childhood nostalgia of Totoro did not fit into that scene. It would take the growth of the toys, and the success of home video, to turn this hidden gem into a genuine classic.

And making a slightly less creepy plushie definitely helped. This is like that time Barney Gumble was dressed up to look like Krusty the Clown. "I am so Crunchy the Clown!"

Riffs: Porco Rosso, Finding Nemo

Here is a charming little Easter Egg for Studio Ghibli and Pixar fans. This shot of sailors joining together to form a giant arrow in Porco Rosso was directly riffed in Finding Nemo, where a large school of fish join together in another arrow. It's a funny little gag that works on its own, and if you're a Miyazaki fan, you'll be especially delighted.

Aside from the Totoro cameos in Toy Story 3, can you think of any Ghibli riffs in the Pixar movies? Any takers? Bueller?

Studio Ghibli Halloween Costumes For 2017

Halloween is only one week away, which means it's time for everybody to hurry up and finish their costumes. Ghibli Freaks of all ages will be eager to show off their love of their favorite animated movies and help spread the word to their families and neighbors.

These costumes were first shown at DramaFever, and if you follow the link, you will find a dozen more, all equally impressive. It's very clear that everybody invested an enormous amount of work for their costumes. "Cosplay" is a popular staple of anime and sci-fi conventions, and it seems as if that community has exploded in recent years, thanks to the soaring success of ComicCon and similar events. I remember kids dressing up in costumes at Star Trek conventions back in the late 1980s, but today's fans have taken the game to a whole new level.

Each of these makes for a terrific Halloween costume idea for parents and children alike. I especially like the My Neighbor Totoro photo at top, with the two girls pulling a Cat Bus wagon. The pet Ohmu is also pretty inspired...I wonder if it moves? That would be cool.

Studio Ghibli Music Box Medley

This is just too charming. A YouTube member named "BoxOfMusic" has created this video of a music box that plays a medley of songs from your favorite Studio Ghibli movies. The music box is a simple DIY machine that can be found at most arts and crafts shops at an affordable price, and plays music from rolls of paper with holes punched in the appropriate spaces. Anyone can compose their own music with a little time and effort.

In addition to composing the songs, this video artist has also drawn illustrations as each movie's music plays, in a rolling panorama of your favorite Ghibli highlights and characters. It's an especially nice touch for those of you who aren't as familiar with some Ghibli melodies.

The medley in this video includes themes from the following movies: Howl's Moving Castle, Kiki's Delivery Service, Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, The Cat Returns, and Whisper of the Heart.

Overall, this is very entertaining and clearly a labor of love. Kudos to BoxofMusic for putting this together and sharing with us.

Photos: Porco Rosso

Here are some Blu-Ray screenshots of Hayao Miyazaki's wonderfully nostalgic and bittersweet animated drama Porco Rosso. For the longest time, I felt this was the best movie Studio Ghibli ever made, and that may still be true. It doesn't rank as highly as some of the more visually dazzling or exciting movies, but it has a quiet confidence, a presence that is not immediately felt but revealed slowly over time. This is a movie that rewards multiple viewings, as its complicated back story is just as important as what happens on the screen.

It's fascinating that Miyazaki made a movie about romantic, adventurous air pilots, only to depict them in the closing days of their careers, instead of their younger years when legends were made. Marco the pilot is respected and awed by friends and rivals, and we only rarely see glimpses of the skills that created that respect.

A Hollywood production would focus on a younger Marco, not the disillusioned, older Porco. They would demand endless chase scenes and thrilling air battles. They certainly would not be happy if the director would decide, like Miyazaki, to limit the action to small fits and starts, and then turn the climactic showdown into the equivalent of a pie fight. The ending to this movie is a lot closer to Blazing Saddles, as Porco and his rival throw wrenches instead of bullets, and end up in a very stereotypical cartoon punch-out. Somewhere, Popeye and Bluto are feeling jealous.

Porco Rosso is the work of a mature storyteller. I don't think the younger Miyazaki could create something like this. He was wildly inventive and funny in Puss in Boots and Animal Treasure Island and Ali Baba, but those were over-the-top cartoons with no greater pretentious. This movie soars among the clouds, rich in unspoken histories and inferred legends.

Comics: Hayao Miyazaki as the Cat "Meowzaki"

This is just too good to pass up: a comic rendition of Hayao Miyazaki as a fussy house cat. There have been a million jokes about the director's on-again, off-again dalliances with retirement. It's almost customary to issue threats after the completion of the latest feature film. And, still, Miyazaki-san always sneaks back inside for another go.

The second comic is a little more sly and subtle, and a nice bit of cultural commentary. The line is a direct quote by Miyazaki from last year's NHK TV special, in which he was shown a disturbing piece of computer animation by some over-eager students. They expected praise; he proceeded to give them the riot act instead.

"Meowzaki" was created by Boulet...do I have the name right? I discovered these on the Buta Connection forums, which is published in France. If you have any questions, ask them. Better yet, just visit Boulet's Twitter page and skip the middleman. Ask for more "Meowzaki" comics!

Artist Spotlight: Studio Ghibli's Star Wars by Lap Pun Cheung

Back in 2016, a friendly arts competition entitled "Star Wars Reimagined" asked conceptual artists to create their own unique take on George Lucas' sci-fi universe. Lap Pun Cheung, a video game concept artist at Boss Mode Games took inspiration from the films of Studio Ghibli, creating a series of scenes the combine the visual flair of Hayao Miyazaki to the Star Wars saga. The resulting series of digital paintings are highly colorful and impressive.

I really enjoy seeing Darth Vader mashed up with Castle in the Sky, or Darth Maul in a Mononoke mask. Many of these designs have more of a generic "anime" style in terms of color and shape, and feel less like a "Ghibli" style, but the artist was no doubt aiming for variety. It wouldn't do much good to create half a dozen Future Boy Conan paintings packed with Ewoks and droids.

You can visit Lap Pun Cheung's portfolio, where he describes his Star Wars pieces in greater detail.

Beware Studio Ghibli Pirate Bootlegs

One of the biggest issues surrounding Studio Ghibli fandom in recent years is the explosion of pirate bootleg DVDs. Many online retailers are stocking DVD box sets that are, in fact, illegitimate and entirely unauthorized, and of questionable quality. If you see any of the packages shown above, avoid at all costs.

In the United States, Ghibli movies on DVD and Blu-Ray come from only two official sources: Disney and GKIDS. The Disney titles are well known and have been available on a number of home video formats for nearly two decades. GKIDS is a newer partner and are now in the process of releasing Ghibli features under their banner. Both brands are easily recognized and well known. They can be trusted.

The Collected Works of Hayao Miyazaki is the only officially-sanctioned Studio Ghibli box set available in the US. This Blu-Ray package includes all of the director's feature films, from Lupin the 3rd: Castle of Cagliostro to The Wind Rises. This deluxe set was released in 2015 and is available exclusively at Amazon. This is the same package as the one that was released in Japan, and exported to all major global markets.

All other "Studio Ghibli" box sets available online are bootlegs. All of them. Don't be fooled into thinking that you've found a bargain or a rare gem. The audio/visual quality on these pirated discs are sub-par at best, and often merely ripped from the ancient (and sub-standard) Video CD format, and nearly always come from China.

As always, caveat emptor. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Don't be taken in by pirate scams. And do not buy from online retailers who are selling you this junk. They're ripping you off. The official releases are widely available and easily affordable. Support those who are working hard to provide you with these great movies. Don't support the Chinese mafia, kids.

Mary and the Witch's Flower US Premier Announced

Animation movie distributor GKIDS has today announced the US date for Hiromasa Yonebayashi's Mary and the Witch's Flower. The film will play a special one-night premier on January 18, 2018 in select theaters. The screenings will be presented by Fathom Events, and you can purchase advance tickets directly from their website.

In addition, GKIDS has revealed the official US poster for the film, which looks terrific. It's different from the Japanese poster designs, but very similar. Studio Ponoc and "Academy Award Nominated" director Yonebayashi are given the top space, which is very generous.

Studio Ponoc is a new animation studio staffed by Studio Ghibli alumni, and Mary can be seen as a direct descendent to the films of Hayao Miyazaki. We see the obvious parallels to Kiki's Delivery Service and Spirited Away. What Yonebayashi brings to the table is a gentle sensitivity, an ability to get into the depths of his heroines. When Marnie Was There, his previous movie (and Studio Ghibli's final feature before their "retirement"), is an exceptional portrait of teenage alienation and loneliness, wrapped in the blankets of a nostalgic ghost story. He is a storyteller with great potential, and he is a rising star to watch in the coming years.

I have not seen Mary and the Witch's Flower yet, and I have consciously avoided learning too much, apart from the Japanese movie trailers. I always enjoy walking into a theater with as few expectations as possible. I know the former Ghibli crew will bring their "A" game. What more do you need to know?

GKIDS Animation is Film Festival Oct 20-22

The Animation is Film Festival, presented by GKIDS, continues this weekend in Los Angeles, presenting a wide variety of feature animated movies from around the world. This festival was created from a desire to expand the appeal of the medium beyond its "electric babysitter" ghetto.

This movie festival features the US theatrical premier of Mary and the Witch's Flower, the debut movie from Studio Ponoc and latest feature from Hiromasa Yonebayashi, the director of The Secret World of Arrietty and When Marnie Was There. The Sunday event has already sold out.

Other anime films from Japan include three from Masaaki Yuasa: Mind Game, Night is Short, Walk On Girl and Lu Over the Wall. This is a very welcome sight and will hopefully lead to wider recognition of this most visually inventive of anime directors.

On the Western side, the selection of animated features runs from mainstream blockbusters (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Incredibles, The LEGO Batman Movie, to a variety of independent movies, including the highly anticipated film from Nora Twomey (co-creator of The Secret of Kells), The Breadwinner, and the user-stylish French thriller, Zombillenium, a graphic novel adaptation where zombies, vampires and witches hide in plain sight by working at a horror-themed amusement park.

This festival is an excellent idea, and should be shown in more US cities. Hopefully a successful run in Los Angeles will inspire GKIDS and their sponsors to do just that. I am already saving my money for the inevitable GKIDS Blu-Ray releases.

The New Studio Ghibli Blu-Ray/DVD Movies Are Here!

This week, the first wave of Studio Ghibli Blu-Ray/DVD movie titles have been released in North America, courtesy of animation distributor GKIDS. The entire studio feature film library will come under one roof in a series of release dates from now until early next year.

The six movies released this Tuesday include My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle and Ponyo. All feature new cover designs that follow the GKIDS style, and fits perfectly on your bookshelf next to the other Ghibli Blu-ray titles.

Diehard Ghibli Freaks will be watching closely to see if Ponyo has lossless Japanese audio, and if Mononoke has proper subtitles. Early reports are very hopeful, but we will report on any surprises that arise.

Overall, GKIDS is doing a fantastic job with the Ghibli movie catalog. The packaging is excellent, the audio/visual quality is superb, and best of all, these titles are widely available at retailers. No more having to hunt endlessly to find that one remaining copy at Target for us.

Artist Spotlight: Kiki and Jiji by Ian Lee

Here is a charming illustration of Kiki and her pet cat, Jiji. I like this cartoon style a lot, and like many Ghibli art pieces, I'd like to see more. You can find Ian's Instagram page here. Send him your thanks.

Here Are My New Book Covers: Zen Arcade, Pop Life, Greatest Hits

Ladies and Gentlemen, here are the book covers to my upcoming books. The brilliant designers from 99 Designs created these great works, and I am forever in their debt. These just look amazing. I now turn to the skilled formatting designers to put everything together. Meanwhile, I will be working on setting up the new DT Media website, setting up the Amazon sales and author pages, and sending out review copies to pretty much everywhere.

When will these books finally be released? I'm still hoping for late October; Halloween would be nice. These titles will be available exclusively at Amazon, but later will be expanded to Barnes & Noble, Apple and Kobo at a later date. For now, I just want to concentrate attention on one single storefront before expanding.

I have not yet firmly decided on prices; I am currently thinking of $14.99 for the paperback and $4.99 for the ebook, but nothing is yet set in stone. There may also be some surprises for everyone on the mailing list, so if you're thinking of joining up, now's the time.

Finally, if you are a review critic for any media outlet, please contact me and I will send you copies of all three books as soon as they're available.

Zen Arcade: Classic Video Game Reviews

"Do you love retro video games? Are you a veteran collector, or a young player wondering where to begin? Zen Arcade collects 140 reviews of video games across six classic platforms: Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Super NES, Nintendo 64, NEC Turbografx-16, Sega Genesis and SNK Neo-Geo. Author Daniel Thomas MacInnes, a video game writer for over 20 years, guides you through this living history with intelligence, humor and wit. Zen Arcade is a celebration of the vitality and power of classic video games to inspire and entertain."

Pop Life

"Pop Life is a collection of essays across four broad themes: film & television, music & hi-fi audio, video games, and the political & personal. Author Daniel Thomas MacInnes tackles every aspect of 'the pop life' with biting wit, humor and keen insight, bringing readers on an illuminating journey across the cultural landscape. This book follows in the tradition of Roger Ebert, Pauline Kael, Chuck Klosterman and Hunter S. Thompson, and will prove insightful, illuminating and entertaining for all readers."

Greatest Hits: An Anthology in Four Volumes

"Greatest Hits: An Anthology in Four Volumes is a compilation volume of selections from two current books (Zen Arcade, Pop Life), and two upcoming books (Videogame Classics, Conversations on Ghibli). Author Daniel Thomas MacInnes examines and dissects the pop culture universe: film and television, animation and live-action, music and audio, video and computer games, politics and current events with sharp wit, humor and insight."

My Neighbors the Yamada on US Blu-Ray Release Date: January 16, 2018

At long last, it's nearly here! GKIDS has finally announced the long-awaited release date of Studio Ghibli's 1999 classic My Neighbors the Yamadas on Blu-Ray for January 16, 2018. No further word has been made regarding bonus features, but we expect to find some new goodies for the fans.

My Neighbors the Yamada is Isao Takahata's newspaper comic strip adaptation, an anthology of wildly amusing misadventures featuring an average Japanese family and their daily foibles. The visual style is practically groundbreaking, a zen-watercolor style with vast splashes of color, and equally vast splashes of empty space. There are a number of inventive CGI sequences that explode off the screen, a wonderfully surreal introduction to the family history from marriage to (folk tale) childbirth. And there is a jubilant, almost bittersweet musical number at the end that features fireworks, umbrellas, and seemingly half the population of Japan.

This is the movie that you wish Hollywood executives would watch when the time comes to attempt adaptations of popular comic books. It's like Bill Melendez' Peanuts cartoons, but with a vastly larger budget, wider color palette and stronger pop-jazz bent. Don't you dare try to make a Calvin and Hobbes movie without memorizing every frame of this near-masterpiece.

Listen to Paku-san, aspiring moviemakers. Always listen to Paku-san. He's the Yasujiro Oju of our generation and we must treasure him while he still walks among us.

Artist Spotlight: Studio Ghibli Pixel Art by Richard J. Evans

Three years ago, artist Richard J. Evans embarked on an interesting project: a series of digital artworks based on the movies of Studio Ghibli, rendered entirely in "pixel art." This is an art style that is deliberately low-fi, low-resolution and quite blocky, inspired, one supposes, by the look of computer graphics from the 1980s. This sub-genre of art has become very popular in recent years and shows no signs of slowing down.

Evans successfully captures the hand-drawn animation style of the Ghibli films quite masterfully, with a very wide color palette at his disposal (much more than what was available on computers and videogamess of the 1980s), and everything is sharply detailed, which maintaining those large blocky pixels. The ones you see here are my personal favorites, but the artist has also paid tribute to nearly every Ghibli movie ever made, and they're all terrific.

Overall, great job. Creating art within very hard limitations can be quite challenging, but the results are equally rewarding.

You can see more of Evans' work on his website. Be sure to send him a thanks for his efforts.