... except for the technical difficulties that eventually made my ear ache.
And not everyone had the best time...
And I guess I might as well say what was going on...
Last night, I did my first Skype conference call. It took a bit of planning and arranging, but it connected three countries. It was myself here in the US, Sam Milazzo in Maroubra, Australia, and Al Cook in Glasgow, Scotland. This also meant three very different time zones were to be considered. For me, it was 5PM on Sunday night. For Al, it was 11PM, also Sunday night. And for Sam, it was 10AM on Monday morning! (But when Daylight Savings Time begins, that's going to mess up that system...)
I did record the conference call, but out of respect to Al and Sam, none of it will be online without their full permission. (We did record Al reading a line from The Patchwork Girl of Oz that will be used in an upcoming video.) The call lasted about forty-eight minutes. Al took his leave at about 33 minutes into the call.
We did discuss a few Ozzy things, and Sam brought up an interesting point about Jack Pumpkinhead's house. In The Road to Oz, Baum describes six steps leading up to the house. In Neill's frontispiece illustration of the house, there are only five. In The Patchwork Girl of Oz, Baum describes only three, and Neill didn't draw the house again.
Al replied that when you're writing a series of books, sometimes you forget little details like that, and these inconsistencies help make the books a bit more endearing. I just commented that maybe the house was sinking into the ground.
What I wonder about Jack's house (but didn't mention) is the stovepipe. Why does Jack Pumpkinhead need a stove? Wouldn't something to make the place cooler be better suited to his purposes, for keeping the pumpkins fresher?
Al was having some technical difficulties that resulted in an echo and delayed audio, which was one reason why he left early. The lad may have also been feeling poorly.
Sam and I talked a bit more, and wound up debating on the correct pronunciation of "Kalidah." *Sigh.* We agreed that there is no definite pronunciation. Ah, well...
EDIT: Looking over the recording, which saved into a split stereo track with me on one track and Sam and Al on the other, they sound great, I sound awful. Just plain awful. Okay, not that bad, I am audible. But there's background noise that I didn't get filtered out from my microphone.
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Al Cook. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Al Cook. Sort by date Show all posts
Monday, March 02, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
John R. Neill - An Appreciation - Volume 5
"Volume 5" refers to the number of blogs I have done about Neill's work. This is the first audio entry I've done.
Get your copy of Ozma of Oz out. In this special audio edition (which also serves as a test version of my podcast idea), Al Cook, Sam Milazzo, and myself discuss many of the illustrations from this book. Al cut out early, but Sam and I stayed in and continued the discussion some more.
I chose Ozma because it's where Neill really came into his own as an Oz illustrator. Sam has studied art, and Al is a professional illustrator, so I thought both would offer interesting insights into the artwork.
For the ease of anyone who wants to follow along with our analysis, I tried to make sure we mentioned page numbers, which refer to the Books of Wonder edition. (The page numbers will also be the same in some other editions, such as an original or Reilly & Britton/Lee reissues, and possibly the Dover edition, though Sam mentions a few disadvantages to that edition in the podcast.)
Al and I were using Skype and I recorded the call with Call Graph, and edited with Audacity. Sam was using a telephone, so that is why he sounds rather different from Al and I.
I hope you enjoy it. I'd appreciate any feedback and comments anyone has.
More links, including download links, can be found here: http://royalpodcastoz.podbean.com/2009/03/21/ozma-of-oz-illustrations-part-one/
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Al in Oz?
My friend Al Cook asked if I could give him a little plug.
He's a professional artist with a very unique style. Recently, he completed this album artwork:
I have no idea how many Biro pens have died at that man's hands.
However, Al is a fan of the Oz books as well and has mentioned to me he'd enjoy an Oz illustration job. I tried to get him to illustrate Outsiders, but we couldn't work out a schedule, and being a professional artist, my terms of payment weren't quite what he needed.
Still, if you got an Oz project you think might meet his style, drop him a line at brokenglasseye@hotmail.com
He's a professional artist with a very unique style. Recently, he completed this album artwork:
However, Al is a fan of the Oz books as well and has mentioned to me he'd enjoy an Oz illustration job. I tried to get him to illustrate Outsiders, but we couldn't work out a schedule, and being a professional artist, my terms of payment weren't quite what he needed.
Still, if you got an Oz project you think might meet his style, drop him a line at brokenglasseye@hotmail.com
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Coming Soon...
I just finished recording another Skype call between Sam Milazzo, Al Cook, and myself. This time, it was a test version of my podcast idea, and we made it an audio edition of the John R. Neill - An Appreciation blogs. As Al is a professional illustrator, as well as a fan of Neill's artwork, and Sam has studied art to some degree (as well as having colored many Oz illustrations), I thought both would offer an interesting analysis on the subject at hand.
The book we chose was Ozma of Oz. We didn't do quite as much as we liked, Al had to cut out early (we got about a half-hour of him, though).
I'm not uploading it yet, because the audio may be out-of-sync (if it is, it is easily fixed, but you have to find where it goes out), there are gaps, and there are parts that don't apply to the topic at hand. In addition, I'll be adding an introduction and a closing statement. It'll be up at http://royalpodcastoz.podbean.com/ , but I might be using that only for this, as I'm in talks for a different, permanent host for a podcast.
Anyways, keep your eyes open, it'll be up soon.
The book we chose was Ozma of Oz. We didn't do quite as much as we liked, Al had to cut out early (we got about a half-hour of him, though).
I'm not uploading it yet, because the audio may be out-of-sync (if it is, it is easily fixed, but you have to find where it goes out), there are gaps, and there are parts that don't apply to the topic at hand. In addition, I'll be adding an introduction and a closing statement. It'll be up at http://royalpodcastoz.podbean.com/ , but I might be using that only for this, as I'm in talks for a different, permanent host for a podcast.
Anyways, keep your eyes open, it'll be up soon.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Getting an Illustrator
So, how did I get Shawn Maldonado to illustrate The Outsiders from Oz?
To be honest, he offered. A long time ago, he tweeted on Twitter that if Nathan DeHoff or I had something to be illustrated, he'd do it. And I warned him I might take him up on it.
Not that he was actually my first choice. I asked my Scottish friend Al Cook if he'd be interested, and he was, since he enjoys drawing Oz characters but rarely has a reason for it. However, we had a snag: I was still writing the book and didn't want an illustrator to draw something I might change or remove later, thus wasting their effort. Since he was unable to schedule it and had other illustration jobs coming (plus concepts for a morbid webcomic in his head), Al eventually declined.
I also asked Sam if he'd be interested, but since he hadn't done any professional art, he wasn't sure he could do it. However, I later asked him to do "decorations," so he provided chapter headings and a design for the table of contents.
But that came after Shawn agreed to do it. I had just about always had him in mind, but considering his cartoony style for Oz, I wasn't sure if he'd be appropriate for my story, which, while it isn't a dark story, does have some heavy stuff in it. (Or at least, I think so.)
The first completed picture for the book I saw Shawn posted on his blog. I had to ask him to revise how the Wizard looked, but it looked all right. Still, it was the first chapter, which set up the two alternating plots throughout most of the book. I wasn't really sure if Shawn's work matched the tone.
In late May (Shawn was working on two other illustration jobs at the time, and I know he just finished one of them, not sure about the other one), I saw another picture. This one featured Button-Bright, who was one of the principal characters. I had previously indicated to Shawn that I wanted an "older" Button-Bright from what he'd drawn for other projects, such as "The Ransom of Button-Bright" in the 2009/2010 Oziana. I'd expected Shawn would have Button-Bright based on his look in Sky Island and The Lost Princess of Oz.
So, imagine my surprise when I got a boy with neat but shaggy hair, a t-shirt, and khaki shorts. But, for some reason, I liked it. Yes, the classic Button-Bright was a favorite of mine, but I was able to embrace this new version as well. In my writing, I was not specific as to when the story took place, willing to let the reader make up their own mind about that, if they so chose. It was definitely post-Baum. Shawn's illustrations put it in more modern times.
So, I like where Shawn is going with the illustrations, but at the time, I didn't know if he could pull off the tone I needed.
Some of my story was derived from plot elements in Baum's Oz-related The Magical Monarch of Mo, which had been illustrated by Frank Ver Beck. In fact, the Monarch of Mo himself does appear in the story. Ver Beck's illustrations showed the Monarch as a dumpy silly character. One of the next illustrations Shawn showed was the Monarch, based on his appearance in Mo, but he was tall and stout rather than squat and dumpy. It was a excellent mesh between the Mo Ver Beck showed us, while working within the world we know from John R. Neill's illustrations.
Still, the tone. Early in the story, the Wizard and Button-Bright find themselves among some ruins. On June 17, my birthday, I got an illustration of this part of the book. Shawn's picture presented a gloomy landscape with Button-Bright and the Wizard looking for a way to leave it. Perfection!
As I've assured folks, Shawn is working hard on the illustrations and he wants to complete it soon. He's been busy and 2011 wasn't kind to him at all. Unlike John R. Neill who didn't take more than a month to illustrate an Oz book, he doesn't get paid that type of salary. While I intend to compensate Shawn for his amazing art somehow (in fact, there's a few pieces of art I may offer to buy from him), it's fact that we Oz fans write our stories and create pieces of art out of a love for Oz rather than a desire to make money from it.
To be honest, he offered. A long time ago, he tweeted on Twitter that if Nathan DeHoff or I had something to be illustrated, he'd do it. And I warned him I might take him up on it.
Not that he was actually my first choice. I asked my Scottish friend Al Cook if he'd be interested, and he was, since he enjoys drawing Oz characters but rarely has a reason for it. However, we had a snag: I was still writing the book and didn't want an illustrator to draw something I might change or remove later, thus wasting their effort. Since he was unable to schedule it and had other illustration jobs coming (plus concepts for a morbid webcomic in his head), Al eventually declined.
I also asked Sam if he'd be interested, but since he hadn't done any professional art, he wasn't sure he could do it. However, I later asked him to do "decorations," so he provided chapter headings and a design for the table of contents.
But that came after Shawn agreed to do it. I had just about always had him in mind, but considering his cartoony style for Oz, I wasn't sure if he'd be appropriate for my story, which, while it isn't a dark story, does have some heavy stuff in it. (Or at least, I think so.)
The first completed picture for the book I saw Shawn posted on his blog. I had to ask him to revise how the Wizard looked, but it looked all right. Still, it was the first chapter, which set up the two alternating plots throughout most of the book. I wasn't really sure if Shawn's work matched the tone.
In late May (Shawn was working on two other illustration jobs at the time, and I know he just finished one of them, not sure about the other one), I saw another picture. This one featured Button-Bright, who was one of the principal characters. I had previously indicated to Shawn that I wanted an "older" Button-Bright from what he'd drawn for other projects, such as "The Ransom of Button-Bright" in the 2009/2010 Oziana. I'd expected Shawn would have Button-Bright based on his look in Sky Island and The Lost Princess of Oz.
So, imagine my surprise when I got a boy with neat but shaggy hair, a t-shirt, and khaki shorts. But, for some reason, I liked it. Yes, the classic Button-Bright was a favorite of mine, but I was able to embrace this new version as well. In my writing, I was not specific as to when the story took place, willing to let the reader make up their own mind about that, if they so chose. It was definitely post-Baum. Shawn's illustrations put it in more modern times.
So, I like where Shawn is going with the illustrations, but at the time, I didn't know if he could pull off the tone I needed.
Some of my story was derived from plot elements in Baum's Oz-related The Magical Monarch of Mo, which had been illustrated by Frank Ver Beck. In fact, the Monarch of Mo himself does appear in the story. Ver Beck's illustrations showed the Monarch as a dumpy silly character. One of the next illustrations Shawn showed was the Monarch, based on his appearance in Mo, but he was tall and stout rather than squat and dumpy. It was a excellent mesh between the Mo Ver Beck showed us, while working within the world we know from John R. Neill's illustrations.
Still, the tone. Early in the story, the Wizard and Button-Bright find themselves among some ruins. On June 17, my birthday, I got an illustration of this part of the book. Shawn's picture presented a gloomy landscape with Button-Bright and the Wizard looking for a way to leave it. Perfection!
As I've assured folks, Shawn is working hard on the illustrations and he wants to complete it soon. He's been busy and 2011 wasn't kind to him at all. Unlike John R. Neill who didn't take more than a month to illustrate an Oz book, he doesn't get paid that type of salary. While I intend to compensate Shawn for his amazing art somehow (in fact, there's a few pieces of art I may offer to buy from him), it's fact that we Oz fans write our stories and create pieces of art out of a love for Oz rather than a desire to make money from it.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
John R. Neill - An Appreciation - Volume 2
Neill was instrumental in Reilly & Britton getting on their feet as a publishing house. He was a staff illustrator, so just about anything published got artwork by him produced for it.
Among Reilly & Britton's early titles was "Children's Stories That Never Grow Old," also available as "The Children's Red Books." I own one of these, and when I get a new scanner, will be sharing some pictures from it. It seems that one of these was an adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice books. I have some pictures of his artwork, courtesy of Al Cook, who found them on eBay about six years ago. (So we can't exactly link you to the source.)
The pictures Al gave me were rather bright, so I adjusted the colors in Photoshop. Because I have no idea what the originals looked like, I just had to go with a look that was easy on the eye.
Alice look a little... familiar?
Among Reilly & Britton's early titles was "Children's Stories That Never Grow Old," also available as "The Children's Red Books." I own one of these, and when I get a new scanner, will be sharing some pictures from it. It seems that one of these was an adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice books. I have some pictures of his artwork, courtesy of Al Cook, who found them on eBay about six years ago. (So we can't exactly link you to the source.)
The pictures Al gave me were rather bright, so I adjusted the colors in Photoshop. Because I have no idea what the originals looked like, I just had to go with a look that was easy on the eye.
Alice look a little... familiar?
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Next podcast?
Just letting you know we're trying to get the next podcast together soon. Some of us are up for a Wednesday morning (for the US) recording time, while we're still trying to see if the other is ready.
This one we're planning will reunite Sam Milazzo, Al Cook, and myself for more Ozma of Oz illustration discussion, but expect a bit more of a formal format this time. I've picked out ten illustrations to discuss and how to properly open it and close it.
If it works out, it should definitely be up at the end of the week. It's just that with three people who have jobs and lives and who live in three different countries with different time zones and different Daylight Savings Time rules (and two are in the Northern hemisphere, while the other is the Southern hemisphere), it can get a little difficult to find a good time for all of them to do such a call...
As such, don't expect both Al and Sam to appear together in many future podcasts...
Remember folks, I'm open to suggestions for topics, as I don't want to limit the podcast to one Oz subject. I've got my contact information in a link over to the side there...
(Please don't contact me to suggest interviews with yourself.)
This one we're planning will reunite Sam Milazzo, Al Cook, and myself for more Ozma of Oz illustration discussion, but expect a bit more of a formal format this time. I've picked out ten illustrations to discuss and how to properly open it and close it.
If it works out, it should definitely be up at the end of the week. It's just that with three people who have jobs and lives and who live in three different countries with different time zones and different Daylight Savings Time rules (and two are in the Northern hemisphere, while the other is the Southern hemisphere), it can get a little difficult to find a good time for all of them to do such a call...
As such, don't expect both Al and Sam to appear together in many future podcasts...
Remember folks, I'm open to suggestions for topics, as I don't want to limit the podcast to one Oz subject. I've got my contact information in a link over to the side there...
(Please don't contact me to suggest interviews with yourself.)
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Another John R. Neill tribute
Hey, remember Alan Cook? The guy who did a cover of "The Wonders of Oz" song for me? The guy who's illustrating Matt Bloom's book?
No?
Well, just look for blogs of mine mentioning Al or Alan Cook.
Anyways, I think I established he's a big fan of John R. Neill's artwork. Well, he's planning on showing some non-Oz Neill artwork on his blog. (Warning: Not an entirely family-friendly blog, though the entries I'm linking to should be all right.)
Today, he's already posted his first four entries!
John R. Neill
The color plates from The Sea Fairies
Selected illustrations from The Sea Fairies
Illustrations for a 1914 Bridal Book
And there's more coming! Keep up with this link: All of Al's blogs tagged with "John R. Neill"
No?
Well, just look for blogs of mine mentioning Al or Alan Cook.
Anyways, I think I established he's a big fan of John R. Neill's artwork. Well, he's planning on showing some non-Oz Neill artwork on his blog. (Warning: Not an entirely family-friendly blog, though the entries I'm linking to should be all right.)
Today, he's already posted his first four entries!
John R. Neill
The color plates from The Sea Fairies
Selected illustrations from The Sea Fairies
Illustrations for a 1914 Bridal Book
And there's more coming! Keep up with this link: All of Al's blogs tagged with "John R. Neill"
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
What have I gotten myself into?
Hey, been having some technical troubles, so haven't been blogging much this week. (I am on Twitter now, though...) And as one technical issue involved me having to restore my computer to factory settings, I have to re-install all of my video software. Well, not exactly all... But most!
But, anyways, today I got a package from Sam Milazzo for the Wonders special episode about the Land of Oz itself. Not only was there a video disc, but there's a printed version of the script Sam wrote himself. (Sam's calling this one "The Wonders of the Land of Oz.") It's been annotated by hand, and there's also about three other pages of notes describing each shot on the disc and how shots from previous footage I've received will work into it.
The funny thing about the disc is that while it does contain video, I'll be using it mainly for audio content. Sam wrote and narrated this whole episode by himself, but in lieu of a microphone (that will change... I'll see to that!), he filmed video, using book illustrations, liner notes, video clips, even colored illustrations Sam has photocopied and colored by hand.
However, that's very much a pre-visualization of how the episode should look in it's final form. The finished video will be completely different.
There's even a couple quotes from the Oz books, and Sam has his mum voice Glinda. There's also a line by the Shaggy Man, however, we have four takes of that dialogue, two of which we are happy with. One had Sam directing his father reading the line, while we also have a version read by Al Cook that we did during that Skype conference call. Sam says the choice is up to me which one to use, but I might be hard pressed here. Both performances are very good! (I've decided to put the unused version after the end credits of the final video, so in the end, people will hear both.) So does a Scot or an Aussie voice the Shaggy Man?
But above all, I'm floored by the work Sam's already done here! I can say without a doubt that Sam's got a future in this business...
But, anyways, today I got a package from Sam Milazzo for the Wonders special episode about the Land of Oz itself. Not only was there a video disc, but there's a printed version of the script Sam wrote himself. (Sam's calling this one "The Wonders of the Land of Oz.") It's been annotated by hand, and there's also about three other pages of notes describing each shot on the disc and how shots from previous footage I've received will work into it.
The funny thing about the disc is that while it does contain video, I'll be using it mainly for audio content. Sam wrote and narrated this whole episode by himself, but in lieu of a microphone (that will change... I'll see to that!), he filmed video, using book illustrations, liner notes, video clips, even colored illustrations Sam has photocopied and colored by hand.
However, that's very much a pre-visualization of how the episode should look in it's final form. The finished video will be completely different.
There's even a couple quotes from the Oz books, and Sam has his mum voice Glinda. There's also a line by the Shaggy Man, however, we have four takes of that dialogue, two of which we are happy with. One had Sam directing his father reading the line, while we also have a version read by Al Cook that we did during that Skype conference call. Sam says the choice is up to me which one to use, but I might be hard pressed here. Both performances are very good! (I've decided to put the unused version after the end credits of the final video, so in the end, people will hear both.) So does a Scot or an Aussie voice the Shaggy Man?
But above all, I'm floored by the work Sam's already done here! I can say without a doubt that Sam's got a future in this business...
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Sketchy Details
I've been a little excited about that animation to open the Wonders finale. (I wanted to be a Disney animator when I was a little kid. Now, I have the opportunity to animate, but I wouldn't do it for Disney...)
Anyways, here are some idea's I've had... I sketched these with ink pens and mechanical pencils on scrap paper, so...
The Palace of the Emerald City, based on a photo of the Mitchell Library in Glasgow from Al Cook's blog.
A sketch of the towers of the Emerald City. Those squiggly lines are supposed to represent marble, which I can't seem to draw...
This is how Ozma's dress will look from the front in the animation. I've done no back sketches. Note that the sleeves (which are supposed to be green) attach to green cape/cloak, that I plan to have a gold version of John R. Neill's OZ insignia on the back. Also, I was going to do a full body picture of Ozma, but had no room for her head in proper proportion, so just imagine that Ozma's dress is on a headless mannequin, or Langwidere is modeling it without wearing a head...
Ozma's face, not too different from Neill's idea. I can't seem to avoid making her hair look wet...
THIS is not going into the animation, it was just a fun scribble...
Anyways, here are some idea's I've had... I sketched these with ink pens and mechanical pencils on scrap paper, so...
The Palace of the Emerald City, based on a photo of the Mitchell Library in Glasgow from Al Cook's blog.
A sketch of the towers of the Emerald City. Those squiggly lines are supposed to represent marble, which I can't seem to draw...
This is how Ozma's dress will look from the front in the animation. I've done no back sketches. Note that the sleeves (which are supposed to be green) attach to green cape/cloak, that I plan to have a gold version of John R. Neill's OZ insignia on the back. Also, I was going to do a full body picture of Ozma, but had no room for her head in proper proportion, so just imagine that Ozma's dress is on a headless mannequin, or Langwidere is modeling it without wearing a head...
Ozma's face, not too different from Neill's idea. I can't seem to avoid making her hair look wet...
THIS is not going into the animation, it was just a fun scribble...
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Got it!
Well, I finally got my copy of the Spring 2008 Baum Bugle, which was an enjoyable read. I usually talk about the contents of each issue, and how I liked them, but this time I won't, since most people who are entitled to their copies have them and have already read them. (I understand that I'm not the first person who didn't get their Bugle on time. To err is human, to forgive is divine, and I tend not to hold grudges.)
I did get a kick out of seeing my review for Hungry Tiger Press' edition of John Dough & The Cherub in print! I don't think much was changed from the final draft I sent off. The reason, it's the first Oz-related item I've written that has been printed. In fact, it's first thing I've written PERIOD that has been printed. I was just glad to help out, and yes, you can expect more reviews from me in the future.
Over the past few days, though, I have actually spoken to some of my overseas friends using Skype. Saturday night, I talked to Al Cook (I'm the "pal in Missouri" he mentioned in his blog) in Glasgow, Scotland, making this the first time I've called another Skype user, so the call was free. Last evening, I had an hour-long talk with Sam Milazzo (actually, for Sam, it was morning) of Maroubra, Australia, and we discussed some recent Oz comic books. We also tried to see who could do a better Wicked Witch of the West impression. (Not really, but we both tried.) Despite his Australian accent, Sam won. (Neither of us can cackle, though...)
I did get a kick out of seeing my review for Hungry Tiger Press' edition of John Dough & The Cherub in print! I don't think much was changed from the final draft I sent off. The reason, it's the first Oz-related item I've written that has been printed. In fact, it's first thing I've written PERIOD that has been printed. I was just glad to help out, and yes, you can expect more reviews from me in the future.
Over the past few days, though, I have actually spoken to some of my overseas friends using Skype. Saturday night, I talked to Al Cook (I'm the "pal in Missouri" he mentioned in his blog) in Glasgow, Scotland, making this the first time I've called another Skype user, so the call was free. Last evening, I had an hour-long talk with Sam Milazzo (actually, for Sam, it was morning) of Maroubra, Australia, and we discussed some recent Oz comic books. We also tried to see who could do a better Wicked Witch of the West impression. (Not really, but we both tried.) Despite his Australian accent, Sam won. (Neither of us can cackle, though...)
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Anything of Oz
I know I keep bringing Al Cook up, but why not? He loves John R. Neill's artwork, and said that this was his favorite piece:
He and I were talking about this piece (via IM), and he mentioned that he thought it would be great if someone made a story out of it. Then he went on to say that it would be even better if it was a series of interconnected stories...
... So... Considering that I administrate a site for fan fiction... I whipped this up: LINKAGE!
We're both stumped as to why Neill drew the "OZ" insignia backwards, though... "Z" is a pretty hard letter to do backwards.
He and I were talking about this piece (via IM), and he mentioned that he thought it would be great if someone made a story out of it. Then he went on to say that it would be even better if it was a series of interconnected stories...
... So... Considering that I administrate a site for fan fiction... I whipped this up: LINKAGE!
We're both stumped as to why Neill drew the "OZ" insignia backwards, though... "Z" is a pretty hard letter to do backwards.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Happy Birthday, Ozma!
It's August 21, and it's Ozma's birthday once again. Before I fire up the CTC production of The Marvelous Land of Oz on my DVD player (first non-Russian Oz movie I've watched in awhile), let's do some quick updates...
Wonders fans, Movie Maker now refuses to save video files. I'm about to try out yet another video editor, wish me luck!
I'm also considering doing a re-editing of the series after the finale episode... But, just to answer a question I get from Oz fans, I can't sell you a DVD of the series. I could claim that I'm charging for labor and shipping, but still, Wonders does contain material I don't own the copyright for, and selling it is illegal.
That's why my next big video series project will only use original or public domain/royalty free material...
And speaking of that, I might as well announce that the project will be an Adobe Flash animated adaptation of L. Frank Baum's The Enchanted Island of Yew, tentatively retitled Prince Marvel. If you haven't read the book, the series will follow the adventures of Prince Marvel and the Lord Nerle as they journey the Island of Yew, righting wrongs and bringing peace to the island. The only thing is, no one seems to know where Marvel has come from, and he plans to only be on the island for a year.
And now you may want to know "Will you ever animate Oz?" The answer... Yes! The opening titles for the "Wonders" finale, if I can get a handle on Flash by that time, will be animated and set to a special cover of "The Wonders of Oz" song. (Ever wanted to see an animated Ork?)
I got the finished version of the song yesterday. It was rearranged and performed by Alan Cook, an Oz fan, illustrator, and singer who lives in Glasgow, Scotland. And well, I think it sounds great! Al is quite excellent at his crafts, in fact, I got acquainted with him because he's working on an Oz-related illustration project.
And, while I'm mentioning him, today he put a video on his YouTube channel, he's the "clown" at the end...
And one last thing... It was Al's suggestion I publicly reveal my e-mail and instant messaging identities. It's the blog post linked at the top of my blog's links called "Contacting Me," but in case you can't see the link from here, here's a link to the entry: Contacting Me. Please use wisely.
Wonders fans, Movie Maker now refuses to save video files. I'm about to try out yet another video editor, wish me luck!
I'm also considering doing a re-editing of the series after the finale episode... But, just to answer a question I get from Oz fans, I can't sell you a DVD of the series. I could claim that I'm charging for labor and shipping, but still, Wonders does contain material I don't own the copyright for, and selling it is illegal.
That's why my next big video series project will only use original or public domain/royalty free material...
And speaking of that, I might as well announce that the project will be an Adobe Flash animated adaptation of L. Frank Baum's The Enchanted Island of Yew, tentatively retitled Prince Marvel. If you haven't read the book, the series will follow the adventures of Prince Marvel and the Lord Nerle as they journey the Island of Yew, righting wrongs and bringing peace to the island. The only thing is, no one seems to know where Marvel has come from, and he plans to only be on the island for a year.
And now you may want to know "Will you ever animate Oz?" The answer... Yes! The opening titles for the "Wonders" finale, if I can get a handle on Flash by that time, will be animated and set to a special cover of "The Wonders of Oz" song. (Ever wanted to see an animated Ork?)
I got the finished version of the song yesterday. It was rearranged and performed by Alan Cook, an Oz fan, illustrator, and singer who lives in Glasgow, Scotland. And well, I think it sounds great! Al is quite excellent at his crafts, in fact, I got acquainted with him because he's working on an Oz-related illustration project.
And, while I'm mentioning him, today he put a video on his YouTube channel, he's the "clown" at the end...
And one last thing... It was Al's suggestion I publicly reveal my e-mail and instant messaging identities. It's the blog post linked at the top of my blog's links called "Contacting Me," but in case you can't see the link from here, here's a link to the entry: Contacting Me. Please use wisely.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Roselawn
Over to the left, you can see a test drawing Alan Cook did for the story, and he intends to make a painting. (He did it before I finished the story, so I did have to write the final scene around it.)
Since the story is far too short to make into a book, and there isn't enough of an Oz connection for Oziana, I have opted to just have the story online. Perhaps if I get enough requests, we could use Al's picture for the cover of a pamphlet and print it that way.
As I said, this is the first draft, so I may revise it, and yes, I'm open to criticism, especially if it's constructive.
At the moment, I'm hosting a PDF file through Dropbox. I have heard that too many downloads may make the file unavailable, so we'll see what happens.
Anyway, here it is, Roselawn!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
