Springtime for Creativity
Animation fans always get a sense of happy anticipation whenever Portland’s stop-motion powerhouse Laika is about to release one of their beautifully crafted movies in theaters. This spring, we are treated to the marvelously imagined adventure Missing Link, which takes us from the old-fashioned rooms of late Victorian-era London to the sweeping vistas of
Northwest America and on to the snow-filled landscapes of the Himalayas. Written, directed and designed by Chris Butler (ParaNorman), this cinematic journey is a rare stop-motion effort that never gives in to the previous limitations of the craft. No scene or backdrop is too impossible to envision with Butler and his brilliant team.
We hope you enjoy our in-depth conversation with Butler and producer Arianne Sutner, who shared us some of the behind-the-scenes secrets of Laika’s fifth motion picture. And make the effort to see Missing Link on the biggest screen you can find! Like Lawrence of Arabia or Around the World in 80 Days, it deserves to be seen in its full cinematic glory on the widest screen possible.
This issue also features our annual Rising Stars of Animation feature. We usually try to keep the spotlight limited to about a dozen individuals, but we had so many great candidates this year that we actually had to increase the number to 16. We were so pleased to discover that most of
our stars were both female and ethnically diverse.
It’s a great reflection of the winds of progressive change sweeping the animation industry, and we couldn’t be happier about this trend. A big thumbs up to all the gatekeepers and people in charge of hiring at the studios who are finally making this shift happen everywhere.
Incidentally, we also happen to highlight two wonderful new animated series that are created and run by two hugely talented women: Lauren Faust’s Warner Bros. series DC Super Hero Girls, which premiered in March on Cartoon Network, has been applauded for creating a colorful superhero universe aimed at young girls. Meanwhile, Netflix is serving up Tuca & Bertie, a femme-centric adult toon created by comic-book artist Lisa Hanawalt (BoJack Horseman). I’m so glad we were able to feature both projects in this issue. As different as these offerings are, they also reflect a new era for TV projects created and led by women at different animation studios.
Don’t forget: Next month, we spotlight all kinds of independent, animated movies from all over the globe — and the U.S. as well. If you can’t go the Cannes Film Festival, this issue will be the next best thing to get a good sense of the international animation scene. Until then, have a fantastic spring. Ramin Zahed Editor in Chief ramin@animationmagazine.net