Blue Moon Rising » Animators

The Fantastic Truth of Ninja Assassin

Jeff — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:52:22 +0000

With all of its explosive combat, deadly weaponry and grievous injuries, it’s easy to see how moviegoers could mistake Ninja Assassin for a martial arts movie. Yet the superhuman acts of acrobatics and recovery, and a liberal application of shinobi magic throughout, place this raucous action adventure firmly in the world of fantasy.

Ninja Assassin was born of Korean pop star Rain’s martial prowess in the psychotropic (more…)

Annie Rodrigue

Jeff — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:31:19 +0000

If flights of fantasy are born in childhood, it may be surprising to find that they cannot be fully explored or shared without the experience and maturity that comes with time. Annie Rodrigue clearly has the illustration skills to realize her visions, while keeping a clear eye on the dreams and nightmares of her youth.

Brave heroes, mischievous sprites, whimsical wisps are all captured with childlike glee in Ms. (more…)

Nick Southam

Jeff — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:50:16 +0000

In a world where tots and teens reign supreme, surely Nick Southam would be king. His whimsical, moody illustrations reveal a youthful spirit, but the studied grace of his forms reveal artistic experience beyond his years. Manically wandering between cartoon and painting, Mr. Southam’s works are unified by the expressiveness of his characters and the depth of his settings.

While precious few of his creations appear (more…)

Zombieland isn’t Your Typical Comedy Horror Action Romance

Jeff — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:41:36 +0000

Some misguided moviegoers have foolishly avoided the recent theatrical release of Zombieland, perhaps for fear of a bizarre slapdash retread of the standard zombie apocalypse. Never have so few been so right and wrong all at once, for this brilliant film is both pleasingly familiar and excitingly innovative.

From the slow motion title sequence to the gopher-themed after-credits quotation of Jean (more…)

Anders Finér

Jeff — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 04:31:22 +0000

For many, the ancient past is a dusty collection of books, and a cloudy haze of half-remembered names and dates. Anders Finér sweeps these moldy musings aside with his smoldering, atmospheric works of historical illustration. An undeniable air of authenticity permeates even his fictional and dark fantasy settings, allowing the real and unreal alike glow with life.

Valiant warriors, reluctant heroes and (more…)

9′s Precocious Puppets Persevere in Post-Apocalyptic Purgatory

Jeff — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:21:06 +0000

It certainly seems reasonable to presume that a film about spunky sackcloth puppets would be perfectly suitable for children, but Shane Acker’s first foray into feature films, while beautiful to behold, is truly the stuff of nightmares. His new epic in miniature, simply titled 9, chronicles a small band of mysteriously animated dolls, and their fight for survival against a decaying world.

Our story begins with the last of these (more…)

Meg Lyman

Jeff — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 18:22:51 +0000

While it is generally known that the surface of the Earth is two-thirds water, few realize that less than five percent of our oceans have been explored. With so little known of the briny deep, no one can conclusively deny the existence of the charming cephalopodic creatures so finely crafted by Meg Lyman.

Octopuses, squid and and cuttlefish populate the magical waters of Ms. Lyman’s (more…)

Lydia Burris

Jeff — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:03:09 +0000

Have you ever woken a fitful sleep, uncertain if you had just escaped a nightmare’s icy grip, or had been rudely snatched from a beautiful dream? Lydia Burris‘s ghostly portraits and shifting imagery may leave you similarly conflicted.

Her heavily textured, yet gracefully flowing forms seem composed entirely of delusion and fantasy, trapped on canvas by the weight of her brush or (more…)

District 9 Delivers Raw Action with a Conscience

Jeff — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 05:04:19 +0000

How can it be in a summer of vapid special-effects extravaganzas that the film with the most riveting, convincing visuals can so easily overshadow them with gut-wrenching social commentary and an engaging, nuanced performance by a novice leading man? There is no easy answer to this question, nor to the painfully-relevant questions of explosive racial prejudice and rampant corporate fascism raised by District 9.
(more…)

Six Answers from Heather V. Kreiter

Jeff — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:38:02 +0000

Many of our friends are veterans of countless fantasy gaming and media conventions, and few have traveled farther or setup their table more often than Heather Kreiter. We wanted to know from whence her beautiful, twisted imagery comes.

What was one of your earliest fantasy experiences? (more…)

Thom Scott

Jeff — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 04:50:17 +0000

In recent times, the world of high fantasy has been revealed as a darker, more sinister place that previously believed. With his somber, determined adventurers, Thom Scott excels in delivering such grim, yet oddly hopeful revelations.

With a demonstrable affinity for dark elves and crazed sorcerers, Mr. Scott depicts a world dominated by powerfully arcane magics and fearsomely (more…)

Highlights from San Diego Comic Con 2009

Jeff — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 03:28:35 +0000

While no fan of mega media conventions, I still feel the small sharp sting of jealousy for those willing and able to brush elbows with hordes of costumed fanboys and self-published fanfic authors for the chance to glean the latest genre media gems.

Even though Comic Con’s track record for predicting mainstream success is questionable at best, there were more than a few projects that deserve to (more…)