The Comic Cast and the Frog

When you wish upon a star your dreams come true. So you must have been wishing really hard for us to review Phillip Barrett’s My First Festival, Nick Roche’s Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers, AJ Lieberman & Riley Rossmos’ Cowboy Ninja Viking and Joe Kelly’s & J. M. Ken Nimuras’ I Kill Giants.  We also lock heads over Disney’s The Princess and the Frog as well as news updates on the fantastic Irish animation nominations at the Academy Awards (Cartoon Saloon’s The Secret of Kells and Brownbag Films’ Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty) and we discuss the comic book potential of Apple’s ipad and what to see animation wise at this years Dublin Jameson Film Festival 2010. Magic.

Download Link:  The Comic Cast 09/02/10

Re-Writing the Book of Kells: An interview with Tomm Moore

This week the Comic Cast talks with Tomm Moore, the director of  a very exciting and beautiful new Irish animated film The Secret of Kells (in cinemas March 6th). Tomm studied classical animation in Ballyfermot College in Dublin before co-founding the Cartoon Saloon animation studio in Kilkenny. We ventured down there to discuss the making of The Secret of Kells, writing and illustrating two comic books that will act as prequels to the film as well his work as artist on two Irish langauge comic books of An Sclábhaí and An Teachtaire. The comic books of the movie of the book? And you thought Tristram Shandy was confusing! Enjoy.

Download link: The Comic Cast 17/02/09

Show Links:

The Secret of Kells trailer

Tomm Moore’s Blog

The Blog of Kells (fascinating and honest production blog for the film)

Cartoon Saloon

The Secret of Kells official website

The cast of The Secret of Kells do The Last Supper

Tristram Shandy?

Something to get animated about

Chocolates. Give her chocolates. And if you want more sound Valentines advice from the men who know then this weeks Comic Cast is for you! We review Chris Ware’s Acme Novelty Library #19, his DVD/book collaboration with Ira Glass on Lost Buildings, Gerward Way’s The Umbrella Academy, Peepshow: the comic diary of Joe Matt, Tim Lane’s Abandoned Cars and Jim Kreuger’s Earth X. And to celebrate the release of Tomm Moore’s animated film The Secret of Kells (interview in 2 weeks) we discuss some of our favourite animated films from the likes of studio giants Disney and Ghibli as well as reviewing The Powerpuff Girls 10th Anniversary Box-Set. And all because the lady loves . . . comics.

Download Link: The Comic Cast 09/02/09

Show Links:

The Secret of Kells trailer

Lost Buildings by Chris Ware (Ebay)

Main Theme from ‘Basil the Great Mouse Detective’ by Henri Mancini

Joe Hisaishi (famed Studio Ghibli composer) conducting a breathtaking performance of My Neighbour Totoro