Murakami Funeral

Yesterday afternoon, in St. Patrick's in Monkstown, we gathered to say goodbye to Jimmy T. Murakami. Some really touching words, reflecting the man's great generosity and his human impact on us all. Farewell Jimmy!

Murakami Gone!

Thanks to Barry O Donoghue for telling me about the passing of Jimmy Murakami, aged 80. Not only one of 'the founders of Irish Animation', but a truly global animation star, working for UPA, Toei and George Dunning's TVC as he criss-crossed the planet as a journeyman animator. With Fred Wolf, he setup Murakami-Wolf in 1965, the studio becoming one of the busiest commercial studios in the US. Murakami came to Ireland in 1971 and was supervising Director on 'The Snowman' in 1982. In Dublin, the Murakami-Wolf studio became synonymous with the 'Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtle' tv series.

Murakami had an unshakable belief in the importance of art in animation and in the necessity for individual animators to make strong, personal, uncompromising and challenging statements through animation. In Ireland, we have long depended on Jimmy for his advice and guidance on all matters of animation education, art and business. We shall all miss him.

http://www.cartoonbrew.com/rip/when-the-wind-blows-director-jimmy-murakami-rip-96140.html

Animation At The Cutting Edge - An Alphaville Symposium UCC 150214

Thanks to all at Film Studies in UCC for organising an excellent Alphaville Symposium last Saturday afternoon. Some great presentations, especially Paul Ward's 'Animation as Atavistic Magic' and Helen Haswell from Queen's University on Hand-drawn aesthetics and Affection for the past in Pixar's Pioneering Animation'.

Thanks also to Yuanyuan Chen (UCC) for her presentation on Bu Hua's animation, and for assembling the Bu Hua screening after the presentations.

Some great potential linkages into the future. Excellent!

The Film and Screen Media Auditorium, Windle Building, UCC

Paul Ward (Arts University Bournemouth) sets up his 'Animation as Atavistic Magic' presentation

http://animationcuttingedge.wordpress.com/programme/

http://www.buhua.com

http://www.buhua.com/flash.html

'cutbacks' on breakingnews.ie!

Thanks to Clare Carroll for spotting this breakingnews.ie article about me! Headlined as 'Irish animator takes on Justin Bieber', the article swings through 'cutbacks' and even takes a look back through history as far as the Bosco days... Even Faherty is quoted...

Thanks to breakingnews,ie's Conor Hallahan. Well done!

http://www.breakingnews.ie/discover/irish-animator-takes-on-justin-bad-boy-bieber-620934.html