INTRO
Hello, and welcome to this newsletter's inaugural message! I'm not sure how this newsletter format will develop, but at this moment in time, I will include three sections: an intro thing (here it is!), an update on my work, and a short + feature recommendation. Maybe I'll add more stuff in the future, who knows, I don’t!
WORK UPDATE
Two summers ago (!) I did the Light Grey Art Lab residency in Iceland. (It was an amazing, life-changing experience—I highly recommend it to artists...once the pandemic is “over” 😔). As part of our residency, we had to talk about our work and give a presentation to the group. For some reason, I did mine on CHAOS, and I've finally published it online as a Twine in its (mostly) original format. Its references are kind of outdated—like, I talk about improv a lot, like too much—but that's ok! We love to be cringe! You can interact with it here.
More recently, the first thing I’ve worked on for Vox’s Explained series will, like billions of underground cicadas, emerge into the world on May 11! This first miniseries is all about money, and I worked on two of its episodes. I truly had so much fun working on it and, uh, learning Illustrator in a week. I'll post some behind-the-scenes images once the actual thing is released, so stay tuned!
SHORT + FEATURE
H.A.G.S. by Sean Wang
One of my journalist friends sent me this lovely film—it's nostalgic, honest, and incredibly charming. Its visual minimalism makes me question why I decided to go to animation school. And as a mixed kid with two immigrant parents who was born the same year as the filmmaker...I really related to this film…and I wish I made it!!!
The Thief of Bagdad (1940) by Michael Powell, Ludwig Berger, and Tim Whelan
There's a lot to discuss here. Of course, it's a live-action, painfully orientalist visual feast in gorgeous technicolor—Aladdin (2019) could never—and it's an interesting step in the Westernization of the very, very old Middle Eastern folk tale about Aladdin. (Apparently it’s a misconception that this tale is from the original Arabian Nights—it’s older!) Some other things it reminded me of: The Adventures of Prince Achmed by Lotte Reiniger (same plot and archetypes) and the 90s-era Chinese-Canadian cartoon retelling of Journey to the West (西游记). I mean, I love a wily boy fighting a giant hand. My theory is that Sun Wu Kong has the exact same personality as Abu, except the Monkey King was born noble and Abu was born poor, so their trajectories and archetypes are mirrored. Think abt it.
Besides Abu's wanton disregard for both captivity and shirts, my favorite part of this film was...the costumes!! Of course, the princess' dresses and crowns are iconic, gorgeous, stunning, showstopping, never-before-seen, etc. But the Vizier is underrated—I counted a costume change for literally every single shot. We stan an evil wizard fashion king!!
Also, sometimes the genie's Brooklyn accent emerges, which is very period and location accurate. And the first half of this film is a musical, and then it stops being one. What fun for a summer evening!
Thanks for tuning in 🙂