Tagged animation
Sep 10 2026
A Conversation with Larry Houston, Filmation’s First Black Storyboard Artist and Director of X-Men Animation
Larry Houston, like most Black pioneers, may not be as widely recognized by name as he should be, but his work definitely is. If, like me, you grew up on The Tarzan/Lone Ranger Adventure Hour, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, Flash Gordon, Blackstar, and a host of other cartoons from the ’80s and beyond,…
Aug 12 2025
“How to Train Your Dragon” Is a Mostly Successful Recreation of a Modern Classic
Disney’s live-action remakes over the past decade have been a mixed bag. A few are well-received. Most are deemed uncreative copies. Just this year, Snow White flopped and Lilo & Stitch broke box-office records. I haven’t seen most of the Golden Age and Renaissance era classics that the reboots…
Jul 13 2025
“X-Men ’97” Marks the Spot
I’m a lifelong superhero fan with a plethora of props, posters, Pops, and, of course, comic books. Friends and family often struggle with finding the right birthday gift because no matter how creative they are, I already have the Spider-Man toaster, Mjolnir decanter, and Black Panther umbrella.…
Sep 27 2024
Going Rogue with X-Men Voice Actor Lenore Zann
For many X-Fans, Lenore Zann needs no introduction. She was the voice of one of the most popular characters, Rogue, in X-Men: The Animated Series (1992–1997) as well as the video games X-Men vs. Street Fighter (1996), Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes (1998), and Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age…
May 18 2023
Mechsplorers Showcases Minnesota’s Future for Animation Productions
As a state, Minnesota is no stranger to animation. Several talented animation marvels have grown up here, including the likes of Pete Docter (Up), Don Christensen (Disney animator), and even the legendary Ward Kimball (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs). Thanks to developments in software and various…
Jul 21 2022
MinnAnimate Is Back and Seeking Submissions for Its 2022 Animation Festival
MinnAnimate, an annual Minnesota showcase of indie animation, is back for 2022 after a two-year hiatus. The festival is currently seeking shorts of all types—as the website assures creators, “no movie is too short or too weird for MinnAnimate!” Works must be less than 10 minutes long and created after…
May 09 2019
UglyDolls Puts On a Colorful Face without Much Underneath
The fears of UglyDolls being little more than a phoned-in narrative built more for pushing toys than weaving a genuine tale are real. But what’s most maddening is that there’s so much potential in the concept that is left unexplored, and the film didn’t have to fall back on predictable characters and…
Dec 10 2018
Jump into the Spider-Verse for the Best Spider-Man Tale to Hit the Big Screen
Over the past two decades, there have been somewhere around 67 different Spider-Mans (Spider-Men?) swinging into theaters as part of their respective re-reboots of the franchise. It’s easy to feel exhausted at the idea of sitting through yet another Spidey origin story, disillusioned by…
Nov 12 2018
Yuri!!! on Ice Is a Delightful Anime That Will Leave You Wanting More
It’s always an unpredictable experience jumping into a mainstream anime series you’ve heard a lot about. By the time you sit down to watch it, you’ve probably heard so much about it that it’s hard to know what to expect, or even to be able to predict whether you’re likely…
Nov 28 2017
Pixar’s Chris Bernardi Shares How Art Imitates Life (and Death) in Coco
Pixar’s newest film, Coco, has melted hearts with its stunning visuals and emotional story centered around the celebration of Día de los Muertos in the week since its release. The film’s set supervisor, Chris Bernardi, stopped by the University of Minnesota on November 16 to share what…