Kit and Gerry Laybourne's Groovy Pad

Gerry and Kit Laybourne.
photo by Christopher Wahl for Dwell Magazine.

I was looking through the latest issue of the magazine Dwell: At Home in the Modern World checking out some of the ultra hip homes. I started reading the cover story about  a modern apartment in the Chelsea district.  It's owners are Kit and Geraldine Laybourne.

Wha?

Kit Laybourne,  author of The Animation Book, the book I devoured as a teenager, the book which fueled my desire to become an animator, and his wife Gerry, the brilliant executive (seriously) who put Nickelodeon on the map, have a place so stylish, it made the cover of a magazine dedicated to modern style.

Seuss for Sale!

You can stumble onto the coolest things in New York City.  Like the Dr. Seuss art sale at Pop Gallery.   None of it is original artwork, but there are a lot of very cool prints.  Some prints are from his personal artwork, some are blown up book illustrations.  Some have roughs paired with final art.   And then there's the Seuss taxidermy animals, faithfully reproduced from the originals.  There's also a six foot tall, bronze Lorax (only $34K!).

Upstairs to Arnold Roth

The Harvey Kurtzman exhibit at the Society of Illustrators. 

After indulging my eyes in two floors of artwork from Harvey Kurtzman and his colleagues at the Society of Illustrators in Manhattan, I was about to leave when I noticed artwork by other artists leading up the stairs.  I'm here, why not?  I thought.  At the top of the stairs I was pleasantly surprised to see the hallway lined with Arnold Roth's work from magazines such as Punch, The New Yorker, and Playboy.  As one of Kurtzman's contemporaries, and a partner in Humbug, it was only fitting to have Roth's work represented as well.  The only artist missing from the mix was Al Jaffee.

Chicken Fat at the Society of Illustrators

Even Harvey Kurtzman's signature is funny.

I don't live in New York, but I just happened to be there when the Society of Illustrators on 63rd Street opened its new exhibit, The Art of Harvey Kurtzman.  I have been a fan of Kurtzman since I was a pre-teen and discovered Mad comics through reproduced inserts in Mad magazine's "Super Special" issues. Even as a kid, I noticed there was something about those old comics that was lacking in the Mad magazine  of 1974.  I didn't know it then, but the missing piece was Harvey Kurtzman.  

Signe Baumane "Rocks" Kickstarter

Friend of FLIP Signe Baumane has taken to the fundraising site Kickstarter for financial support on her independent feature Rocks in My Pockets.  Rocks is the very personal story of Signe's struggles with depression.  Those familiar with her work know her humor is brutally honest.  She calls her film "a funny film about depression."

Memorial for Tissa David in NYC

A memorial for Tissa David, who worked on many animated films including Raggedy Ann and Andy will take place at the Academy Lighthouse Theater in New York City on Tuesday October 23rd at 7pm. 

The program will include five speakers and will include clips from the many films that Tissa worked on, including: Eggs, Everybody Rides the Carousel, Cockaboody, Raggedy Ann & Andy, Candide, The Soldier’s Tale, The Red Shoes, Lyle Lyle Crocodile, The Marzipan Pig, The Dancing Frog and POE.

Where: Academy Lighthouse Theater, 111 East 59th Street, NYC
When: Tuesday, October 23rd, at 7pm. Admission is free

--- Alex

"Rocks in my Pockets" trailer.

by Signe Baumane

Rocks In My Pockets is my first feature.  I used to call it "a funny film about depression" but it is more complicated than that; funny, sad, then funnysadfunny.  Honestly, how can depression just be funny?  If I had to put the description of the film in one sentence, it would probably be:

"A silent killer from my family's secret past is trying to get me. Will I survive this fight?" -very dark and dramatic!

We just finished (3 hours, 32 minutes, 12 seconds and 6 frames ago) a trailer for the work in progress, and I wanted to share it with you....

WORK IN PROGRESS TRAILER from Signe Baumane on Vimeo.

We were going to have a Kickstarter campaign in September, but things didn't pan out as intended (too busy with making the film ). We do need money for post-production, so we will postpone the the campaign until January, 2013. It would be great if you could click on 'donate' button on the film's website, http://www.rocksinmypocketsmovie.com/, but if you can't it, would be amazing if you could help to spread the word about the film. Show the trailer to your friends, post it on forums, help us to connect with the mental health community.

Or simply give us a feedback on the trailer -

1) does it intrigue you? does it make you want to see the film?

2) how does it flow? is it too long? too short?

3) do you have enough context to connect with the trailer/film's message?

4) do you understand who these creatures are - one in the water, the other in  forest?

5) do you care for the 4 women?

We are going to make another trailer in January, for the finished film and we want to learn from your feedback. If you want to read about the making of it, here's a bit on my blog:
http://rocksinmypocketsthemovie.wordpress.com/2012/10/02/trailer/.

And read more about Rocks in my Pockets in FLIP!