Craig Crumpton
03-04-2002, 10:17 PM
In the March issue of <a href="http://sequentialtart.com/">Sequential Tart</a>, Rebecca Salek interviews animator/comic artist <a href="http://www.gagneint.com/">Michael Gagne</a>, who worked on a number of animated feature films at <b>Warner Bros Feature Animation</b> and <b>Don Bluth Studios</b> on such theatrical fare as <i>An American Tail</i>, <i>Space Jam</i>, <i>Osmosis Jones</i>, and the highly-acclaimed <i>The Iron Giant</i>.
"Animation was my first career," says Gagne. "I started as an animator in 1985 and have worked on probably twenty movies up to now. I've had a great time in the movie business. After the completion of my short film Prelude to Eden in 1995, I started trying other medias. I first embraced painting and did a number of acrylics from 1996-98. During the day, I worked [at WB Feature Animation], and at night I was a consumed fine artist."
"I started at Bluth as they were wrapping up animation on An American Tail. I graduated to animator on The Land Before Time and worked on six features over a period of six years. I guess I probably spent about a year on each film but the total production time is about three years on average. I worked in the character animation division on the first few films and on the rest I was in the special effects department. "
"In December 2000, after seven years working as Supervisor/Designer/Animator for Warner Brothers Feature Animation, I decide that I needed a new challenge. So I left to become a full time independent artist."
"Creating comics is a time consuming endeavor that needed my full attention. When the time came to publish Zed, my first comic series, I had already learned a lot about self-publishing. We already had deals in place with distributors. So in 2001, Gagné ‰nternational Press moved into comic publishing."
"I initially came up with the concept and premise of Zed while I was at Warner Brothers working on Osmosis Jones. At first, I conceived it as an animated series, but then I thought, an animated show requires so many people, so many cooks in the kitchen. I know the elements of censorship you constantly have to face, all the friggin' producers and executives who want to put in their two cents worth. I've seen it happen time and time again. I couldn't put Zed through that. So I thought, why not try my hands at comics? I'm glad I did!"
To learn more about Gagne's comic endeavors, visit the link below:
http://sequentialtart.com/gagne.shtml
"Animation was my first career," says Gagne. "I started as an animator in 1985 and have worked on probably twenty movies up to now. I've had a great time in the movie business. After the completion of my short film Prelude to Eden in 1995, I started trying other medias. I first embraced painting and did a number of acrylics from 1996-98. During the day, I worked [at WB Feature Animation], and at night I was a consumed fine artist."
"I started at Bluth as they were wrapping up animation on An American Tail. I graduated to animator on The Land Before Time and worked on six features over a period of six years. I guess I probably spent about a year on each film but the total production time is about three years on average. I worked in the character animation division on the first few films and on the rest I was in the special effects department. "
"In December 2000, after seven years working as Supervisor/Designer/Animator for Warner Brothers Feature Animation, I decide that I needed a new challenge. So I left to become a full time independent artist."
"Creating comics is a time consuming endeavor that needed my full attention. When the time came to publish Zed, my first comic series, I had already learned a lot about self-publishing. We already had deals in place with distributors. So in 2001, Gagné ‰nternational Press moved into comic publishing."
"I initially came up with the concept and premise of Zed while I was at Warner Brothers working on Osmosis Jones. At first, I conceived it as an animated series, but then I thought, an animated show requires so many people, so many cooks in the kitchen. I know the elements of censorship you constantly have to face, all the friggin' producers and executives who want to put in their two cents worth. I've seen it happen time and time again. I couldn't put Zed through that. So I thought, why not try my hands at comics? I'm glad I did!"
To learn more about Gagne's comic endeavors, visit the link below:
http://sequentialtart.com/gagne.shtml