Fired up and ready to go!

So. I had the pleasure of taking Kat to the Denver airport yesterday, where she began her trek to Australia! She was pretty nervous, though if she knew I told you my life would be over, so keep it on the DL, OK?

In honor of this great opportunity for her, and a flimsy attempt at saying I’m doing ‘research’ for my upcoming webcomic, Howefitz Sequential, here is a list of the top five Australian cartoon characters:

5. Felix the Cat

Felix, Inky, and Winky in 'April Maze'. image via Wikipedia Commons

According to Wikipedia (What? How do YOU do research these days?), there’s some controversy surrounding the creator of Felix the Cat. Many historians believe it was American animator Otto Messmer who created the first cartoon character able to draw movie audiences. But the owner of the character, Australian cartoonist Pat Sullivan claimed he was the creator. Since Felix started in silent films, no one has heard his accent to know for sure…

4. Wolverine

'G'Day, Bub!'

Wait a minute, Justin! You’re supposed to be some kind of expert at these things. Everybody knows that Wolverine is a canuck! Epic fail, bro.

Not so fast. In the animated television pilot, Pryde of the X-Men, Wolverine is heard speaking with an Australian accent and calling random characters ‘dingo’. He was also played by Australian actor Hugh Jackman in the films, giving him more ties to the Land Down Under. PLUS since Weapon X messed up his head with all those memory implants, can we ever know for sure where Logan came from? ‘James Howlett’, indeed…

3. Dingo of ‘The Pack’

Who didn’t feel a thrill of excitement when the Gargoyles would tussle with the Pack? And any time Dingo was involved, you knew that the Gargoyles were going to have a tough time getting out of that one!

When he turned against the Pack and decided to fight for law and order in Australia, you couldn’t help but sympathize with the guy for all he went through with his crazy Pack teammates. Good on ya, Dingo!

2. Tasmanian Devil

Getting humiliated by rascally rabbits isn’t the only danger the Tasmanian Devil faces. The real Tasmanian Devil, found in Australia, suffers a rare cancer that causes contagious facial tumors and threatens to eliminate the species. In May of 2009, they were declared endangered.

Taz IRL

According to an article in the Independent entitled ‘Taz: How A Cartoon Character Has Come To The Rescue Of A Threatened Species’, Warner Bros. Studios are working with Australian scientists to help save the inspiration for their beloved Looney Tunes character. With any luck, the Tasmanian Devil can escape the fate of it’s cousin, the Tasmanian Tiger.

…And the number one Australian cartoon character in this blogger’s humble opinion?

1. Rocko

Who wouldn’t love to hang out with a comic book reading wallaby? Plus, his dog Spunky eats fingernail trimmings. Rocko goes to amusement parks featuring elevators to Hell and shows no fear. (Well, maybe a little fear…) Rocko is the embodiment of everything an animated nerd hero can be.

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I’ve already detailed here how I’m putting more effort into developing a webcomic based on the very family I hope to make proud, so I hope it will not come as a surprise that my blogging will become less frequent as I focus on my webcomic.

I still absolutely love Daddy Blogging, and I will continue to do it, but I feel that now’s the time to pursue my very first passion: making cartoons.

It feels odd. I haven’t seriously picked up a pencil for probably 10 years! And now the ‘pencil’ is on the computer screen. I hope you all will join me on this journey of rediscovery for me, but be forewarned: I will be first and foremost drawing cartoons that I enjoy. Sometimes, it will deal with parenting or marital issues that are near and dear to all of our hearts, sometimes I may go off on some geek tangent. (In other words, it’ll be a lot like this blog!) But here is my promise to you: I am going to have FUN! Hopefully, I can pass on to you a little enthusiasm for the artform known as comics, or if you want to sound all high-falutin’: ‘Sequential Art‘.

I appreciate your understanding, and I look forward to any constructive criticism or just plain jeering and heckling you may have.

One more thing before I leave you today: Have you looked in the mirror lately? Have you become who YOU want to be?

This all came out of me looking into that mirror and realizing that I didn’t want to be a ‘wannabe’ or a professional admirer. I didn’t want my kids to see me looking wistfully at a comic in print or on the web with a tear in my eye for what might have been.

Have you achieved your dreams? Have you given up? I refuse to believe that it’s ever too late. Find that thing that gets you going. Whether it’s a career change or simply an exciting new hobby, but stop cheating yourself and find that thing. I wish you the best of luck on your quest, as I step off of my soapbox.

I’ll leave you with my newest completed cartoon (click for larger image):

A funny thing happened at the park...

Incidentally Calli already gave me feedback on this one: she’s disappointed that I didn’t draw the entire playground.

I would love to hear about your passions, and whether you’ve achieved your dreams! Please feel free to share in the comments below!

This post brought to you by Dad-Blogs' FatherHood Friday. Be sure to swing by for all the other great Dads and Moms who love to share their lives online!

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Where The Wild Things Are

Who wouldn't want to watch this movie?

Wild Things is the swing and the miss. I attempted to watch this movie four times. Each time I got a little bit farther in… and fell asleep. Now, work had been stressful and I was exhausted, but I made it through the next cinematic adventure just fine, so what happened?

Where The Wild Things Are is one of my favorite children’s books. I’ve always loved the imaginative creatures that Max encounters and Maurice Sendak‘s breath-taking art work. So it was great to see these creatures come to life on screen… eventually.

They added a lot of angst to Max. From the book, I gathered that he was a brat. From the movie, he’s lashing out because his dad is … missing? And Mom has a new boyfriend that looks like kind of a sleeze. I get it, where are the Wild Things? Max imagines himself getting on a boat and landing in the land of the Wild Things. Finally!

The Wild Things start off promising. Smashing trees, throwing each other around… But then it’s as if Spike Jonze, the director, remembered that he’s an independent film director, so all the creatures started talking… and talking… … and talking.

I think the creatures are supposed to be personifications of Max’s psyche. They are an outward manifestation of all the issues of a child living in a broken home. It’s all very cathartic for him, but the audience languishes. When does the wild rumpus start? That’s what I’m here to see!

Breath-taking imagery just couldn't get me to sit through this one.

I enjoy great independent films. A lot of my favorites feature people sitting around talking. And, I don’t feel like you could carry a full-length feature with just smashing trees and flying around. I guess I just didn’t get who the targeted demographic should be, and that bugged me. Is this a kids’ movie? Or is it for young twenty-something independent film lovers with storytime nostalgia? I just don’t know who this movie is for!

My kid was bored and my wife and I are  just beyond being twenty-something (we’re now thirty-something), so the movie didn’t hit home for any of us. Swing-and-a-miss.

It got returned to the Redbox about half-watched after four attempts…

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Mr. Fox lacks the wonderful illustrations, but has the power of Roald Dahl's imagination behind it.

Fantastic Mr. Fox, however, sent it out of the park. Now, this film is rated PG and features characters that smoke, and, get this, ‘slang humor’. Honestly, I don’t want to spoil the fun of discovering the slang humor just by watching the film, but trust me, these animated animals are not going to say slang your kids shouldn’t hear.

I remember watching Mouse and the Motorcycle as a kid. I remember loving how the fur moved oddly (due to the animators no doubt inadvertently bumping it as they moved the characters around). It was the same wonder I would feel watching Claymation, and really watching the figures for fingerprints in the clay. It told me that someone made this! By hand!

My eyes popped out of my head watching this...

Fantastic Mr. Fox’s puppet-style stop-motion animation is a lot more cleaner and refined, but there is still that awe of knowing that these puppets were really made by someone! And they’re doing amazing things!

Add to that the direction perfection of Wes Anderson(Life Aquatic, Darjeeling Limited) and a stellar cast (George Clooney, Merryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Willem Defoe, Owen Wilson, to name a few); and this has the makings of a great film!

Also independent, also based on a children’s book (this one written by Roald Dahl, author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach and Matilda), this one succeeds where Wild Things fell on it’s big monster face: it appeals to ALL audiences.

Lately I cringe when a movie claims to be ‘great for the whole family!’ because that generally means it’s intended for kids, made by folks who may or may not ‘get’ kids. I’ve said it before, but kids’ movies shouldn’t talk down to kids. You should be able to watch films with your kids without feeling like stabbing sharpened pencils in to your ears and gouging your eyes out with spoons. Just sayin’.

Mr. Fox is truly a film the entire family will love. I laughed at stuff my kid didn’t get, she laughed at stuff I didn’t think was all that funny. The smoking thing? It was old school Disney: only the bad guys smoke. And those bad guys are gross. No worries of the kid coming out of the movie thinking that smoking is cool.

AND something that’s been missing in a lot of movies: it’s quotable. I’ve been driving my family crazy quoting and referencing since we saw the movie. But it feels good. I don’t have to keep pulling up original Star Wars trilogy quotes, I have something new!

Any thoughts?

Since everyone saw these two before me, care to weigh in? Did I break your heart by not being able to sit through Wild Things? Was Mr. Fox the biggest turd you’ve ever seen? Let me know below…

Probably since the first appearance of Dick Grayson as Robin: the Boy Wonder, the publishers of the Batman comics tried hard to give kids a ‘window’ in to the Batman mythos. After Robin, there have been two other Robins, two Batgirls, Alfred, Huntress, Damian (his son), many lovers, and even Ace the Bathound to make up the ‘Bat-Family’. With the exception of his son Damian, all of these characters have been essentially adopted by Bruce Wayne, but then one gets the feeling that he wants these people near him, but he doesn’t want them too close. As for his biological son? Well, it shames me to admit that my favorite super hero of all time is essentially a deadbeat dad. So Batman as family man is a dead end.

It seems that the creators of Batman: The Brave and the Bold understand this about Batman, so given the format of the show: Batman teaming up with other heroes, the creators have turned to other characters to give us the family feel. Plastic Man has  adventures with Baby Plas, all while trying to convince his wife that they are on a regular family outing.

Batman, Plastic Man, Woozy Winks (Plastic Man's sidekick), and Baby Plas are ready for action!

Mera asks, 'Are you even listening to me?' as Aquaman daydreams of super heroing on his family vacation.

Aquaman takes his wife and Arthur Jr. on a family vacation, complete with RV.

It all begs the question: are super hero fans just getting old? As a family man myself, of course I identify with these characters’ desires to have a family, but hang on to what they love to do. While promising his wife that he will not participate in any super heroics, Aquaman lets slip, ‘But we’re super heroes! It’s what we do!’ I think that ‘Brave and the Bold’ is acknowledging the fact that, yes, the super hero fans are growing up and having families of their own. But it also is allowing kids to watch not just good guys beating on bad guys, but super heroes that have lives and families too.

I love this show for being amazingly fun and for giving us a Batman that’s not afraid to smile and crack jokes and hang out with dopey dads like Plastic Man and Aquaman. I hope this show has a very long run, and continues to poke fun at super heroing and family life.

For as long as it lasts, you can watch Aquaman’s family vacation here: ‘Aquaman’s Outrageous Adventure‘.

I remember as a kid listening to Patrick Stewart narrate it from a cassette I found at the library. Of course, I saw the Disney version more times than I can count, and who can forget the use of the wolf’s theme in the holiday classic ‘A Christmas Story‘?

So I was surprised, as I went on a Netflix streaming video bender last night, that I discovered a new, unique retelling of the classic tale. Directed by Susie Templeton, this new vision of Peter and the Wolf is a stop-motion masterpiece. As you watch the film, you feel as if you are watching dolls created by a master craftsman come to life. It is easy to find yourself fully immersed within this beautiful universe.

While it remains true to the original incarnations by not utilizing any dialogue, it has some unique variations as well:

• The wolf is truly menacing, getting ahold of the duck, who does not survive. (I know, that was a spoiler, just thought I’d warn those with small children. If they are easily disturbed, you may wait until they’re a bit older.)
• The hunters are equally menacing, throwing Peter in to a garbage dumpster and threatening him with their rifle.
• The bird breaks his wing, and Peter gives him a balloon to help him fly.

I loved watching this. The ‘acting’ of the animated characters is captivating. You truly understand why Peter’s grandfather wants to keep Peter out of the forest. There is a scene with Peter and the duck ice skating on a pond that gives you the sense that you are skating along with them. It feels like the really good View-Master reels living and breathing in front of you.

This version of Peter and the Wolf won the 2008 Oscar for best animated short, and deserves all the honor that it has been given.

I leave you with a 30 second preview, and my highest possible recommendation. Enjoy!

And just for fun, here’s another vision of Peter and the Wolf by the beatboxing flutist, Greg Pattillo:

10. ‘The ORIGINAL Star Wars Trilogy‘ Help me out here and guide your kids through the Star Wars universe pre-Jar Jar Binks. Teach them that Luke didn’t see Hayden Christensen’s ghost in ‘Return of the Jedi’, but the crusty old white man that he unmasked. Please. I beg you.

9. ‘The Wizard Of Oz‘ You can’t argue with the classics, and with the newly released blu-ray and DVD, you can experience the magic again like you never have before.

8. ‘Wall-E‘ Every time I create a list of top family movies, I fight myself not to make it a list of Pixar films. Hence, the placement of ‘Wall-E’ at number 8. Wall-E is a wonderful cautionary tale told in the way that only a science fiction setting can pull off. While most animated sci-fi fall on their faces, (‘Titan A.E.’ and ‘Treasure Planet’) Wall-E delivers a gorgeously animated, solid tale.

7. ‘Labyrinth‘ At least in my home, Jim Henson’s tale of the trials of adolescence and the transition into adulthood has seen a revival with the manga series ‘Return To Labyrinth‘ from Tokyopop. Return to the film, and the whole family will tap their feet with the music and thrill to Sarah’s battle to save her baby brother from the Goblin King.

6. ‘Back To The Future‘ ‘Back To The Future’ is one of those 80′s movies that is infectious.  It is certainly dated, but kids of all ages can still get wrapped up in it. We own the entire trilogy on DVD, and I don’t know how many times I’ve caught the teenager watching it, and then act like someone else turned it on.

5. ‘Monsters, Inc.‘ ‘Monsters, Inc.’ held the top Pixar spot with me until ‘Up’ cut in line without so much as an ‘Excuse me.’ Being the father of two girls, Boo resonates with me more that a lot of animated characters. All the catastrophes she creates in the name of curiosity and fun are all too familiar. Mike Wazowski’s slapstick will keep the kids entertained, and Sulley will make you want to give him a big hug!

4. The ‘Shrek’ Trilogy The first ’Shrek’ is still, I believe, the best animated film Dreamworks has produced. It’s commentary on what Walt Disney has done to fairy tales is priceless. Sadly, by the third installment, Shrek lost a lot of his bite…

3. ‘The Princess Bride‘ OK, fine. I’m a fan of the 80′s movies. You got me. What can I say? The family movies of today, especially fantasy movies, lack a certain organic, heart-felt spark. ’The Princess Bride’ has heart in spades. It doesn’t date itself, except for that opening shot of ‘Hardball’ for the Commodore 64, that makes me chuckle every time. But you can fall in love with Wesley and Buttercup’s tale of woe and eventual triumph over and over again. ‘Anybody want a peanut?’

2. ‘The Iron Giant‘ For a long time, ‘The Iron Giant’ held the place in my heart reserved for best animated movie ever. I had often lamented the fact that Warner Bros. has so many resources at their disposal, but every blue moon when they did produce a theatrical animated film, it was crap. (I’m lookin’ at you, ‘Quest For Camelot’.) But along came ‘The Iron Giant’, and suddenly, I thought Warner Bros. was a force to be reckoned with. Sadly, box office ticket sales didn’t agree with me, and it seems that Warner Bros. has reduced it’s animation department to T.V. and direct-to-video efforts. Try to watch ‘The Iron Giant’ without tearing up as the lovable giant emulates Superman, I dare you! ‘The Iron Giant’ was directed by Brad Bird, the same director that brought us ‘The Incredibles’ and ‘Ratatouille’, if that helps to entice you!

1. ‘Up‘ I’ve said before that Disney/Pixar’s ‘Up’ changed my life. That is why it made it to the #1 spot in this top adult-friendly kids’ movie countdown. ‘Up’ has all the emotional resonance that adults crave, as well as the animated action/adventure, wacky talking animals and imaginative animated scenarios that kids crave. If you watch one animated movie on repeat, make it ‘Up’.

So, while I’m not a fantastic cook, and can’t give you pointers on getting your turkey just right this Thanksgiving (I now get the pre-made kind that comes already spiced and in a bag, just stick it in the oven. They turn out great!) I can attempt to entertain you. I hope these cinematic adventures help!

Pages from ‘I Die At Midnight’ depicting a man desperately in need of a good vomit…

Kyle Baker’s pacing and ‘acting’ on the cartoon page is flawless. That’s why, when I saw a book with a title that started with ‘How To Draw’ with Kyle Baker’s name on it, I knew I had to pick it up.

‘How To Draw Stupid’ reads more like an inspirational book than a straight-forward instructional art book. You won’t find any ‘draw a circle here, than a line there’ type of instruction here. What you will find are a few tips on character design, the layout on the page, and comedic timing. More importantly, you get a dose of Kyle Baker telling it like it is. He injects enough of his own personality and anecdotes from his own life as a cartoonist to make this an interesting read even to someone who has no interest in a career as an artist or cartoonist.

The most important lesson, repeated throughout the book, is that if you want to do something, just do it. In the introduction, I felt like Baker was talking directly at my younger self when he said:

‘When I was young, well-meaning adults would explain to me that it was impossible to make a living as a cartoonist. When I got older, well-meaning publishers, editors, and animation producers would tell me that it just wasn’t possible to publish or produce the kinds of cartoons that I like to make.’

When I was growing up, I wanted to be an animator. When I discovered comic books like Eric Larsen‘s Savage Dragon and Dave Sim‘s Cerebus , I loved seeing how creators could get away with anything and express themselves in a unique way through the comic book medium, without bowing down to some corporate hegemony. I wanted to do that!

However, I let outside influences effect me. I listened to the voices that said it couldn’t be done. I didn’t give 100% to achieving my goal. I didn’t dedicate the time I would need to to be able to hone my craft and earn a living making cartoons.

In the first chapter, Kyle Baker offers simple advice for becoming a cartoonist: ‘Do A Cartoon!’ He says not to worry about rejection or the cartoon being perfect because, ‘Dude, it’s a freaking cartoon!’

I will hope that my kids read this book , whether they want to make cartoons or not, for the simple message of letting everyone else think what they will, if you desire something it’s up to you to go for it!

At the end of the laugh-a-page book that follows, comes the advice that sums up the entire message:

And, finally, be the best!

…And you know why I’m the best? Because I say I’m the best. If you say you’re the best, that’s it. Try it.

…

Being the best isn’t an option these days; it’s a necessity. You don’t have to be competitive, but you must be the best.’

Sound advice from ‘The Greatest Cartoonist of All Time!’. I wish I’d gotten it sooner. But it’s never too late to start.

This is Justin M. Howe, author of the Howefitz Blog, greatest daddy blogger of all time, logging off!

Let's go, Squaddies!

Before my wife and I started having kids, I imagined some day in the distant future, bouncing my son or daughter (or both!) on my knee and trying to figure out how to introduce them to the wonderful comic book characters I knew as a child. The movies are too adult and the cartoons I watched as a kid are just plain old.

I started buying toys. Then, there was a line from Marvel called ‘Spiderman and Friends‘. These featured little kid versions of my favorite Marvel heroes. I snatched up everything from teethers to board books to action figures and vehicles, anticipating the demise of the current Super Hero trend.

The beginning...

When I was a kid, I would literally sit down with the TV Guide and plan my Saturday morning. I remember the excitement of revisiting old animated friends and finding new ones. I remember the slow let down as noon fast approached, and I knew that the animated adventures would soon give way to golf and Star Trek reruns (I just didn’t get Star Trek at the time. Now I get excited when I happen to find one, but I digress)…

I’ve mourned the loss of cartoons to get excited about for quite some time. I just can’t get into Phineas and Ferb, Chowder, or the like. They’re just… boring. I’ve watched my three year old watch these shows, and she looks kinda bored too.

But I am delighted to report that the folks at The House of Ideas, the wonderful people at Mighty Marvel have once again unleashed good old fashioned action and adventure to the Saturday morning lineup in the form of Super Hero Squad!

Now I’ve seen other blogs/reviews that are miffed that this show is for kids and not for ‘Marvel fans’. I’d like to offer an alternative stand point. I happen to think this is the perfect show for Marvelites.

Even if I didn’t have a young child in my home, I would love this show. It has everything you could want: Dr. Doom, M.O.D.O.K., Fin Fang Foom, and relics scattered across the world that offer infinite power. And that’s just the first episode! Make mine Marvel!

I’m continually confused by so-called ‘true fans’ that poo-poo every new version of their favorite heroes. What did you find appealing about super heroes in the first place? I’d bet it wasn’t for hard-hitting deep dark storylines. If you’re anything like me, it was the appealing way that good and evil were in an epic struggle and there were no blurring of the lines. Sure, that’s not real life, but since when did stories about mutants and monsters have to be ‘realistic’?

Back when I blogged about ‘Batman: The Brave and the Bold‘, I applauded Warner Bros. for bringing camp back to Batman and reminding us what Saturday morning was all about. I now applaud Marvel for bringing us more fun than you can shake an Infinity Sword fractal at.

With Super Hero Squad, Marvel has come up with a way to keep children and their parents happy. Children may delight in the action, but adults can appreciate the humor. And it’s not the ‘let’s talk over the kids’ heads and giggle at the innuendo’ kind of humor that’s found in most cartoons. Lines like ‘Hulk not do math. Hulk SMASH!’ and a bumbling Silver Surfer are all in good fun. The title cards are send offs of classic Marvel covers. I could go on and on.

My point is, you’re only as old as you feel. If you’re a Marvel fan and don’t like this cartoon, then you must be feeling pretty old. Lighten up, or better yet…

I dare you not to hum the theme song to yourself after watching this…

If you want to know more about Super Hero Squad or want to stream full episodes, make sure you visit the official home of Super Hero Squad online!

'Aaah, freak out!' Don't let this happen to you!

I took vacation this week and did a lot of house hunting. Right now we’re in a 2 bedroom apartment, which with the approaching birth of my son, will be waaaay too cramped for a family of five! So we’ve been looking for something a little bigger.

We found a townhome that I immediately fell in love with. Nice grassy back yard, another nice grassy area we can play in out front. (with no mowing by me, FTW!) It’s located on a quiet cul-de-sac, so no crazy drivers. 3 bed, 3 bath, fireplace, and a garage. Perfect. The two smaller rooms even already had a pink shade on the window in one and a blue shade in the other!

We looked at more, but that one was just calling my name. First freak out: I couldn’t remember which number in my phone was the owner’s cell! I left a message on his home phone, with no return call. Then I fumbled through my call history and called what I hoped was his cell. It was! Second freak out: it went to voicemail. I left a message, confident he’d return the call soon. A day passed. He finally called me back to tell me that his neighbor knows someone who really wants to buy it, so he’d rather go that route. They’re looking at it this weekend and he’s putting the renting thing on hold until then. Not so much a freak out as complete and total crushing blow.

One thing about me: I’m not the most assertive guy, nor do I plan for the worst-case scenario. I just knew that was the place for us, and now we have to keep searching. One thing about my wife: She IS assertive, and she doesn’t necessarily plan for worst-case, but she always has a back up. She already had a list of properties she’d seen in the paper, handed it to me and told me to suck it up and make some calls/send some emails. I just checked my emails, and someone sent me a reply at 10:30 at night! Hope springs eternal!

Add to the above destressing situation the new found fact that the doctors are talking like they are going to want to induce my wife a week early, moving the due date from around the 18th of August to around the 11th of August. Mind if I just lie down here for a minute?

Interlude: When I was in High School, I referred to myself as an ‘Amateur Animation Historian’. My love for animation and the history of the art survives to this day. So here’s an antecdote from early Disney history that helps me when times get tough:

The premiere for Fantasia was getting near, and the animators were still filming the ‘Ave Maria’ sequence. The scene required an extensive use of the multi-plane camera, which consists of a camera pointing down through multiple levels of painted glass that can be adjusted depending on the depth desired. So the filmmakers are filming the last sequence when the unthinkable happens.

Earthquake!

The animators could do nothing but watch helplessly as the plates of glass, and all their hard work, danced on the framework of the camera.

The earthquake stopped, they reset the shot, and got the film to the theater just in time for the premiere.

I think about that story and realize that things happen, but everything always works out. Maybe not the way you planned, maybe not without a few heart attacks along the way, but they always work out!

One other thing that helps: Check out Calli’s artwork! She turns three today, and look at the wonderful works she’s already created on a MagnaDoodle!

Here, Calli demonstrates her ability to achieve motion through speed lines. Dude! She did this all by herself! Major Daddy geek out!

Calli handed this one to my wife and said, ‘Look Mommy! A duck!’ Tell me this doesn’t look like something by Berkeley Breathed!

I better stop, my eyes are welling up! *sniff!* Thanks for reading, and Happy FatherHood Friday, everybody!

Check out the other cool guys and gals who participate in Fatherhood Friday at dad-blogs.com!

I personally have had a few movie moments like that. Some of those were in animated films. But I don’t think any of them affected me quite like Disney/Pixar’s ‘Up‘.

I’ve been a Pixar fan since practically the beginning of the studio, when I saw their short ‘Luxo, Jr.‘ in a presentation called ‘Beyond the Mind’s Eye‘ on PBS. My first post on this blog was ‘Wall-E Restored My Faith In Pixar‘. Needless to say I was excited about ‘Up’, I just didn’t realize how excited I should be.

‘Up’ is a film presented in 3D. I was not fortunate enough to see the 3D version, but I was amazed at the fact that the 3D bit almost seemed like an after thought. What the creators were concerned with here was, I’m not kidding, story. In my review of ‘Wall-E’ I marveled at how much story Pixar could convey with no dialogue. ‘Up’ has many moments where it is the faces of the characters, a clever camera angle, the music, that moves the story. And the story is very adult.

Stop right there!

Let me clarify something that has bothered me my entire life: the definition of ‘adult’ in animation. Here in the U.S., animation is seen as kid’s stuff. People that enjoy animation act like it’s because they’re still carefree. Like they’re more in tune with their inner child. But animated films can and should be for adults as well. This is something that I believe Pixar has flirted with and finally mastered with ‘Up’.

The film deals with a widower who, through life’s many complications, was not able to fulfill his beloved wife’s greatest dream. After her death he decides it’s time to honor her memory and her dream.

As heavy as that sounds, this film is hilarious. It has just the right mix of humor and seriousness, action and moments of serenity, to make you feel that you are living this life along with the characters.

This movie changed my life. It opened my eyes to parts of my life I’m not necessarily proud of. It made me realize that some of the day-to-day tasks pale in importance to those around us, especially those close to us.

Carl wasn't afraid to achieve a dream, Now, neither am I.

I feel like it’s New Year’s all over again. I’m redesigning some of those resolutions. Chief among them to make every effort I can to be a central part of my family’s lives. I will cherish them every moment I have them. I will do everything in my power to make sure that they do not take a back seat to blogging, or career, or any other interest that will crop up.

I’ve had a re-awakening. And a silly ‘kids’ movie’ is responsible.

I highly recommend ‘Up’. Even if it doesn’t give you a great spiritual renewal, I’ll dare you to find something not to like!