Saturday, November 28, 2009

Exotique 5, Character Modelling 3 -ARRIVED


Friday, November 27, 2009

New FFXIII Trailer!

With only a few more weeks to go until it's Japanese release date, a new trailer for the game was released titled 'Feel the Pulse.' You can see it here:

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Samurai Jack - The Movie!

Recent news has come about that J.J. Abrams and his Bad Robot Production company (LOST, Cloverfield, the recent Star Trek movie) will be co-producing an animated film about Samurai jack with Hanna-Barbera.

The film will be 2-D animation mixed with CG and be in stereoscopic 3-D to boot! Can't wait to see the result of those efforts! Disney is also reportedly doing a stereoscopic 3-D transfer of their famously animated Beauty and the Beast. Robert Zemekis is also trying to do the same with his upcoming Roger Rabbit movie. Can 2-D animation also work in stereoscopic 3-D? Guess we'll have plenty of chances to find out!

You can read more about the planned Samurai Jack movie here.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Toronto Cartoonists Workshop

Anyone interested in professional storyboarding, comic book inking and writing can apply for winter courses at the Toronto Cartoonists Workshop! The instructors are well known in the industry with a lot of credit to their names and the fees are very affordable! See their flier here for details:


More info is available on their website:

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

World of Warcraft Papercraft!

Here's an interesting blog for fans of 'World of Warcraft' and paper origami creations!

http://wowpapercraft.blogspot.com/




Thanks go out to Brent Smith for the link!

Monday, November 23, 2009

NINJA ASSASSIN


Releasing this Wednesday is 'Ninja Assassin' a violent action film directed by James McTeigue and produced by the Wachowski Brothers and Joel Silver. McTeigue was a 2nd unit director for the Wachowskis on the Matrix Trilogy and for Speed Racer and got his first directorial debut with the adaptation of Alan Moore's V for Vendetta.



McTeigue's new film is inspired by martial arts flicks and anime such as Ninja Scroll and he tries to bring the anime violence and aesthetics into live action to create an intense action flick that combines various styles of martial arts, parkour and stylized ninja arts and fight sequences. You can find a good interview with James McTeigue here.

The film stars Korean pop star 'Rain' who trained intensely for this movie and who North American audiences were first introduced to in Speed Racer. This looks sure to be his breakout performance on the action movie scene! You can watch a great behind-the-scenes video of his training and the various fight coreography here:

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Early Disney 'Where the WIld Things Are' Animation Test

Here's another look back in time at an early Disney CG/2D test animation short based on the main character from 'Where the Wild Things Are.' The project was directed by Pixar's John Lasseter.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

The Act

GamesRadar has pointed out something intriguing from back in time. Before David Cage and upcoming games like Heavy Rain there was a game company making an arcade game called 'The Act' that was targeted at casual audiences and people who wanted a different experience from their video games and tried to follow in the footsteps of games like Don Bluth's Dragon's Lair. The developer Cecropia hired Disney animators to create quality 2D Animation that were run in real time and tied to a very simple control scheme to control the player's emotion/reaction levels that affected the outcome of each individual scene the player found themselves in.

The game's story revolves around that of a regular guy who is an employed window washer who falls in love with an incredibly attractive Nurse and tries to win her heart. The following video from an old news story that showcased the game before its release will show and explain more:

Unfortunately the game bombed due to the failing arcade scene in the US and didn't manage to make it to consoles. But it really looks wonderful and hopefully it'll make it to the Wii or as a downloadable game someday, but this looks very unlikely as the developer who made it is no longer around...

Friday, November 20, 2009

Art of Toy Story - This Tuesday

In Shop Tuesday:

New Peter Pan story book featuring art by Mary Blair. If you haven't seen her Alice in Wonderland book or Cinderella book, you definately should stop by the shop and have a look.

Art of Toy Story - New Edition from Pixar.


Expected on Tuesday. This is a new edition of the long out of print edition.

Exotique 5 & D'Artiste Character Modelling 3 - On their way

NEW Exotique and Character Modelling 3 almost here.

Not in just yet, but thought it was worth sharing that they are on route to us right now. We expect them shortly and since the dollar is favourable right now, the prices should be good too.

Expect another posting when they arrive at the shop. If you want us to call you personally when they come in, or reserve a copy, please email us with your phone # or call the shop and say you would like to request a copy. Our phone 416 840-4506 or email us: info@thelabyrinthstore.com



Note, we will also be getting a fresh restock of sold out titles, so if you are looking for other books, please ask.

Incognito, DnAngel 13, Chew, Deadpool Classics 3

Arriving on Wednesday Nov 25th at the Labyrinth Books on Bloor























Full List Below
CODE GEASS LELOUCH REBELLION HEROINES TRIBUTE HC
DRAW FURRIES SC
GOTH LOLI VOL 13
LOOKING FOR CALVIN & HOBBES SC
NEW WORKS OF DORIAN CLEAVENGER EUROPEAN HC ED
TRE TARINO GN
ARCHIE #603
WRITE ENVIRONMENT JOSS WHEDON DVD
BERSERK TP VOL 32
CODE GEASS LELOUCH OF THE REBELLION GN VOL 06
CODE GEASS NIGHTMARE OF NUNNALLY GN VOL 03
DNANGEL GN VOL 13 (OF 13)
FLASH VS THE ROGUES TP
FUTURE DIARY GN VOL 04 (OF 6)
HACK ALCOR GN
LAGOON ENGINE GN VOL 06 (OF 7)
LUCKY STAR GN VOL 03
MARIA HOLIC GN VOL 02 (OF 3)
ME & MY BROTHERS GN VOL 10
SPARKY O HARE MASTER ELECTRICIAN GN
TAKERU OPERA SUSANOH SWORDS O/T DEVIL GN VOL 03 (OF 4)
THIS UGLY YET BEAUTIFUL WORLD GN VOL 01 (OF 3)
WARCRAFT DEATH KNIGHT A WOW ADVENTURE GN
YOUR AND MY SECRET GN VOL 05 (OF 5)
MGS 4 SNAKE CROUCHING UDF
ASTONISHING X-MEN TP VOL 05 GHOST BOX
AVENGERS INITIATIVE TP VOL 04 DISASSEMBLED
BATMAN BATTLE FOR THE COWL HC
BORGIA HC VOL 03 FLAMES
BOYS HC VOL 02 LTD ED GET SOME
BOYS TP VOL 05 HEROGASM
CAPTAIN AMERICA DEATH OF OMNIBUS HC
CHEW TP VOL 01
DARK REIGN ELEKTRA TP
DEAD KINGDOM OF FLIES TP
DEADPOOL CLASSIC TP VOL 03
EAGLE ANNUAL BEST OF THE 1960S COMIC HC
GERONIMO STILTON GN VOL 03 COLISEUM CON
IMMORTAL IRON FIST TP VOL 05 ESCAPE FROM EIGHTH CITY
INCOGNITO TP
JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL TP VOL 03
PM23 YEARS OF THE ELEPHANT GN
POWERS HC VOL 03 DEFINITIVE COLLECTION
SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING HC BOOK 02
SGT ROCK THE LOST BATTALION HC
SHADE THE CHANGING MAN TP VOL 01 AMERICAN SCREAM NEW PTG
STAR COMICS TP ALL-STAR COLLECTION VOL 01 GN
WINTER MEN TP
X-MEN WORLDS APART TP

Red Line - Trailer

Takeshi Koike is an animator known for his highly energetic and outrageous style! He directed animated commercials and the opening credits of films and came to fame as the director of Animatrix's World Record episode as well as for his work on the film Dead Leaves and was also responsible for the pilot episode of Afro Samurai.



Koike is working on a new film whose release date is still unknown at this time, but awhile back a trailer released showing off more of his outrageous and highly animated style. The film is titled 'Red Line' and is somewhat like Speed Racer only way more over the top and stylized in a manner only Koike can deliver! You can watch the trailer for his new film here, and hopefully more details about it will release soon.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Satoshi Kon's Next Film!

Fans of Anime director Satoshi Kon (Perfect Blue, Millenium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers, Paranoia Agent, Paprika) will be pleased to know that Satoshi Kon is working on a new film called 'Yume-Miru Kikai' (Yume Robo or literally, "The Dreaming Machine"). This new film appears to be aimed at general audiences and is a futuristic take on folklore tales. A Japanese website has gone online and features some stills as well as production artwork for the movie. So feel free to check out it's gallery section for more!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Dante's Inferno - Anime Compilation

EA Games will be releasing a new game called 'Dante's Inferno' loosely based on the original poem. And to help market it they've hired some of the top anime studios in Japan to create a compilation of short animated films based on their new property. A new trailer was released awhile back and you can view it here:

You can view the trailer for the game here.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Epic Mickey

Disney's 'Epic Mickey' is a game currently in development exclusively for the Nintendo Wii console, and it's drawing quite a lot of buzz due to it's nature, under development by Warren Spector and his (now Disney Interactive acquired) studio Junction-Point, the game is planned as a somewhat twisted return to the classic Mickey Mouse alongside paying tribute to the Disney and Mickey Mouse characters of olde, including Walt Disney's first animated character Oswald Rabbit!

Game Informer has a big story on the game along with many interesting articles, including one that details the history of Mickey Mouse that animation history enthusiasts will find interesting. You can find the Mickey Mouse article here. A lot of classic Mickey Mouse cartoon environments and characters, most notably the villians, will play a huge part in the game. The game is also planing to feature a painting mechanic in its gameplay that will make use of Nintendo's motion controls. An interview with Warren Spector can be found here.

Also of interest is that a lot of early concept art was revealed for the game which really displays an original and totally radical steampunk vision of Disney. Although the art direction of the game has been toned down, a lot of the early concept art is a sight to behold!



You can find more concept art here & here.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Assassin's Creed: Lineage

Many of you might be picking up the game 'Assassin's Creed II' today! You'd be interested in knowing that Ubisoft has created a prequel film for the game called 'Lineage' that details events that happened to the game protagonist's father before the game begins.

The film was made by Ubisoft after they acquired Montreal-based Hybride Technologies. A veteran FX studio that worked on films such as '300' and 'Sin City' that are also currently working on James Cameron's 'Avatar.' Ubisoft hopes to expand itself into film and other mediums to make the most out of its gaming franchises and this film is a test of their ability to do so as well as to help market 'Assassin's Creed II.'

The film uses the same voice and mo-cap actors from the game filmed on green screen that were later composited against CG environments taken directly from the game itself! The entire film has now been made available to watch!



'Assassin's Creed: Lineage' takes place after the first 'Assassin's Creed' and its upcoming PSP game sequel 'Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines' and acts as a prequel to 'Assassin's Creed II.'

The first and second game are now both available for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360.

Additionally you can find a better quality version of the film along with making-of videos on Ubisoft's official Youtube page.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Final Fantasy XIII - Release Date + Announcements!


The official release date for Final Fantasy XIII in North America has been revealed to be March 9th 2010! Square Enix has released a new video to reveal it along with more announcements, interviews and new gameplay footage! You can watch it here:



The game will be releasing for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360!

Oban Star-Racers, Charley Harper, Art of Star Trek the movie

Arriving Tuesday:

You might have seen the $200 version of the Charley Harper Book, and thought -that could possibly be the best book in the world, but I don't have $200. Well, guess what? Now the publisher has released the same book, in a smaller format for a fraction of the original cost. Stop by and see it for yourself and discover the amazing Charley Harper.



The Art of Star Trek came in last week and flew in a flash before we could even post it arrived. So be warned, if you liked the movie, this book is very cool and very reasonably priced. Check it out on Tuesday!


The Art of Oban Star-Racers will be here Tuesday too.


For those who aren't familiar with it. here's a trailer



and

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Cencoroll - A one man animation project!

Some of you might remember the celebrated film 'Voices of a Distant Star' which was all the work of one man, Makoto Shinkai, who later went on to make 'The Place Promised in our Early Days' and '5cm/sec.' He's been hailed as the next 'Miyazaki' and now it's time to hail 'Atsuya Uki' as the next 'Makoto Shinkai'!

This new film 'Cencoroll' is based on Uki's manga and this 30 min film has all been animated entirely by him! A one man project! Though unlike Shinkai he received funding for it! But prepare to be blown away by his efforts!

Here are two trailers showcasing 'Cencoroll'!



Friday, November 13, 2009

Nomad Artists Page!

The Nomad Gallery is run by Animator Craig Harris and hosts his work along with the work of other artists and cartoonists! At the link you'll find a list directing you to their blogs where you can find an assortment of artwork from sketches to finished pieces!

Spectrum 16, Dr Horrible #1, Gentleman's Alliance Artbook..

Arriving Wednesday Nov. 18th!


AMAZING LEGO STORY SLIPCASED - Hard Cover Art Book



THE CARTOONIST - DVD


SPECTRUM TP VOL 16 - Art Book


DR HORRIBLE ONE SHOT - Comic Book


BRAVE STORY NOVEL

CASE CLOSED GN VOL 32




GENTLEMEN'S ALLIANCE ARINA TANEMURA ILLUSTRATIONS

GURREN LAGANN GN VOL 03





KEKKAISHI GN VOL 19


LUCKY STAR GN VOL 02

OISHINBO VOL 06 JOY OF RICE


PLUTO URASAWA X TEZUKA GN VOL 06





TEZUKAS BLACK JACK TP VOL 08







VAGABOND TP VOL 30

SMURF CHESS SET



PUNISHER DARK REIGN TP


THE NAM TP VOL 01



WOLVERINE ORIGINS TP DARK REIGN






Full list of stuff arriving Wednesday Nov. 18th:

AMAZING LEGO STORY SLIPCASED HC art
CARTOONIST DVD art
SPECTRUM TP VOL 16 art
DR HORRIBLE ONE SHOT comic
BRAVE STORY NOVEL manga
CASE CLOSED GN VOL 32 manga
GENTLEMENS ALLIANCE ARINA TANEMURA ILLUSTRATIONS manga
GURREN LAGANN GN VOL 03 manga
KEKKAISHI GN VOL 19 manga
LUCKY STAR GN VOL 02 manga
OISHINBO VOL 06 JOY OF RICE manga
PLUTO URASAWA X TEZUKA GN VOL 06 manga
TEZUKAS BLACK JACK TP VOL 08 manga
VAGABOND TP VOL 30 manga
SMURF CHESS SET toy
24 OMNIBUS TP VOL 01 trade
ALIEN LEGION OMNIBUS TP VOL 01 trade
BLACK LIGHTNING YEAR ONE TP trade
CASPER FRIENDLY GHOST 60TH ANNIV HC trade
DAREDEVIL NOIR PREM HC trade
DARK AVENGERS TP VOL 01 ASSEMBLE trade
DESTROYER PREM HC trade
FALL OF CTHULHU TP VOL 06 NEMESIS trade
GERONIMO STILTON GN VOL 03 COLISEUM CON trade
GREEN LANTERN CORPS EMERALD ECLIPSE HC trade
JAMES BOND OMNIBUS trade
JANE HC MISADVENTURES OF BRIGHT YOUNG THING trade
JSA TP VOL 03 THY KINGDOM COME PART 2 trade
MIGHTY AVENGERS TP EARTHS MIGHTIEST trade
NANCY DREW GN VOL 19 trade
NEW AVENGERS TP VOL 11 SEARCH FOR SORCERER SUPREME trade
PICTURES THAT TICK TP trade
POTTERS FIELD HC trade
PUNISHER DARK REIGN TP trade
RIP KIRBY HC VOL 01 trade
RUNAWAYS HOMESCHOOLING PREM HC trade
SHOWCASE PRESENTS DC COMICS PRESENTS TP VOL 01 trade
SPIRIT TP VOL 04 trade
TARZAN THE JESSE MARSH YEARS HC VOL 04 trade
THE NAM TP VOL 01 trade
WAR OF KINGS HC trade
WASTELAND TP VOL 05 TALES O/T UNINVITED trade
WOLVERINE ORIGINS ROMULUS PREM HC trade
WOLVERINE ORIGINS TP DARK REIGN trade
YEAR OF LOVING DANGEROUSLY HC trade

Thursday, November 12, 2009

tekkon kinkreet - FOR REAL THIS TIME

Expected late in the day Friday - Japanese Art books are coming back in stock.

Koji Morimoto Orange -the head artist behind studio 4c, the guys who put out Tekkon Kinkreet



Capcom : Monster Hunter Illustrations 2 book set.


Gundam 00 1st

New Gurren Lagann Art book


Queen's Blade Perfect Visual Book


Sacred Blaze Visual Collection

Tales of Symphonia illustrations


Tekkon Kinkreet artbooks. Black Book features mostly sketches, with a few paintings.
White book features mostly paintings with a few sketches. There is very little to no overlap between the content of these two books.


Wednesday, November 11, 2009

KICK-ASS Movie Trailer!

Matthew Vaughn is directing an adaptation of 'Kick-Ass', the comic book by Frank Romita Jr. & Mark Millar who also wrote 'Wanted.'


'Kick-Ass' tells the story of a young boy who loves comic-books that one day decides that he would become a super-hero and fight crime despite having absolutely no super powers or any strength beyond that of a normal adolescent. However, his antics inspire many others and soon he finds a fan an an imitator in an 11 year-old trained assassin raised to kill by her vigilante father (Played by Nicolas Cage).

You can view the officially released trailer here:

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Fumiko's Confession - Student Animated Short Film

Here is a short film "Fumiko no Kokuhaku" from a group of students in Japan studying in the Animation Department of Kyoto Seika University's Faculty of Manga.



You can find a better quality version here.

A rough translation of the first and last scenes' bits of dailogue between the girl and the guy go:

(First Scene)
"Umm, umm. Please go out with me!"
"Sorry! Right now, I want to concentrate on baseball!"
...
(Last Scene)
"I'll make miso soup for you every morning!"
"Sorry! I want to concentrate on baseball!"

The group of students that made this are comprised of the following members:

Director/Animation/Background/3D CG/Editing/Sound: Hiroyasu Ishida
Background/3D CG Textures: Yūko Iwase
3D CG Textures/Background: Kazuhiro Murakami
Animation: Tatsurō Kawano 3D CG Modeling: Yūsaku Nagata

They have even set up a site where you can view screenshots, artwork, backgrounds, character model sheets and even the entire storyboard sequence and other documents from the film! You can find it here!




Let it be a bit of inspiration for your animation projects!

Monday, November 09, 2009

J Scott Campbell Calendar, Sky Doll Factory, Do Sheep Dream..

ARRIVING THIS WEDNESDAY

The Calendar is in. Don't miss yours!

New Draw - Always worthwhile. The guys behind this magazine are working professionals (animation/comics) that do this in their 'free' time. So while its not quick to come out, it is a labour of love as each issue is packed with nothing but art instruction goodness.



note there are supposed to be 2 different covers for the sky doll factory comic #1 -which features pencil artwork and extras. one cover is by Wendling (above) and the other by the creators of sky doll (not shown)

The image for Do Androids dream of Electric Sheep above is for the comic, but what is coming is the first collected book. The title may sound familiar as there was a small film back in the day called Blade Runner that might have had something to do with all of it >_<

For anyone that wanted the whole thing in one book. Alex Ross - Justice Absolute edition is here.









The full list of stuff arriving on Wednesday

CLINT EASTWOOD ICON ESSENTIAL FILM ART COLL HC
DRAW #18
FUTURE OF FANTASY ART HC
J SCOTT CAMPBELL FAIRY TALE FANTASIES 2010 CALENDAR
SKY DOLL DOLL FACTORY #1 (OF 2)
SKY DOLL DOLL FACTORY US WENDLING VAR #1 (OF 2)
BLUE SHEEP REVERIE GN VOL 02 (OF 2)
CAT PARADISE GN VOL 02
CIAO CIAO BAMBINO GN
DEVIL INSIDE GN
FLAME OF RECCA TP VOL 33
GA GEIJUTSUKA ART DESIGN CLASS GN VOL 02
GREAT PLACE HIGH SCHOOL GN VOL 01 STUDENT COUNCIL
HAYATE COMBAT BUTLER TP VOL 13
HIGURASHI WHEN THEY CRY GN VOL 05
ICHIROH GN VOL 02
IKIGAMI ULTIMATE LIMIT GN VOL 03
INU YASHA TP VOL 42
INU YASHA VIZBIG ED GN VOL 01
JACK FROST TP VOL 02
JORMUNGAND GN VOL 01
MILLENNIUM PRIME MINISTER GN VOL 02 (OF 4)
OH MY GODDESS RTL TP VOL 13
RECORD OF A FALLEN VAMPIRE GN VOL 07
SUNDOME GN VOL 06
SWANS IN SPACE GN VOL 01 (OF 3)
SWITCH GN VOL 11
TRAIN TRAIN GN VOL 03 (OF 3)
TSUBASA GN VOL 24
YAKITATE JAPAN TP VOL 20
ABSOLUTE JUSTICE HC
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN BY JMS ULTIMATE COLLECTION TP BOOK 02
ANGEL AFTER THE FALL TP VOL 02 FIRST NIGHT
AVENGERS X-MEN UTOPIA HC
BATMAN PRIVATE CASEBOOK TP
BEAST GN
CRIMINAL DELUXE ED
CRIMSON SHELL GN
CSI OMNIBUS TP VOL 01
DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP HC VOL 01 (OF 6)
DOCTOR WHO CLASSICS TP VOL 04
ESCAPISTS TP
ESSENTIAL MOON KNIGHT TP VOL 03
FARSCAPE UNCHARTED TALES HC VOL 01 DARGOS LAMENT
GREEN LANTERN AGENT ORANGE HC
HULK GREEN HULK RED HULK HC
INSOMNIA CAFE HC
JUDGE DREDD COMPLETE CASE FILES TP VOL 14
JUDGE DREDD MECHANISMO TP
NYLON ROAD GRAPHIC MEMOIR GN
OUTSIDERS THE DEEP TP
PROJECT SUPERPOWERS BLACK TERROR TP VOL 01
SPIDER-MAN DIED IN YOUR ARMS TONIGHT PREM HC
SPIDER-MAN DIED IN YOUR ARMS TONIGHT PREM HC DM VAR
SUPERGIRL WHO IS SUPERWOMAN TP
SUPERMAN RED SON DELUXE EDITION HC
TRANSFORMERS BEST O/T UK CITY OF FEAR TP
USAGI YOJIMBO HC YOKAI
WOLVERINE TALES OF WEAPON X TP GN
WOLVERINE WEAPON X ADAMANTIUM MEN PREM HC VOL 01
X-FACTOR TP VOL 07 TIME AND A HALF
X-FILES TP
X-MEN LEGACY TP SALVAGE
X-MEN MANIFEST DESTINY TP
X-MEN WOLVERINE GAMBIT PREM HC

M.M.'s Pockybox. A Talented Student Artist!

Maren Marmulla is a 20 year old communication design student from Dortmund, Germany. She is passionate about videogames and drawing and has a great sense of humor! Her work is a great example of a hardworking student who's constantly doodling and creating fan art and comics about her interests; much of which springs from games such as Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill, and numerous other franchises from games, comics, films, manga and anime alongside many of her own original works. Her site is designed to be like navigating a videogame and her gallery and blog contain many sketches, colourings, works in progress and some step by step breakdowns of her art. She works in both digital and traditional disiplines. There is much to see and take inspiration from!








Sunday, November 08, 2009

Illustrator Su Haitao


Anyone interested in gorgeous illustrations and charming designs of characters, robots, mascots and caricatures can find inspiration in the work of Su Haito. Working in Harbin, China, Mr. Haito is a very talented freelance artist for hire and also founded one of China's first Sci-fi and Fantasy Illustration Magazines. You can find a selection of his works on his official website as well as his blog.


http://www.suhaitao.com/

http://suhaitao.blogspot.com/










Saturday, November 07, 2009

James Cameron's 'AVATAR'

The grand marketing campaign for this highly anticipated film has kicked off this month! Avatar promises to be one of the most ambitious and spectacular showcases of digital CG effects and the most immersive stereoscopic 3-D experience ever! James Cameron has developed some revolutionary filmaking techniques in virtual cinematography and pioneered real time 3D technology and cameras to bring his vision to life. And it also helps to have some of the very best concept artists and production designers around to bring the colorful alien world of Pandora and its creatures to life!

Here are some links to interesting articles and interviews for anyone interested in the work involved behind the production for this film:

An interview with Sculptor Jordu Schell, who created the designs for the Na'vi alien characters out of maquettes.
http://io9.com/5354315/avatar-concept-designer-reveals-the-secrets-of-the-navi

An interview with concept/production artist James Clyne about working with Cameron on Avatar as well as his Battle Angel Alita adaptation.
http://marketsaw.blogspot.com/2009/04/concept-designer-james-clyne-talks.html

An excellent 12-page article about James Cameron from the start of his career right up to some behind the scenes information on Avatar. It really highlights the enormous amount of effort and money filmaking requires in this day and age. A very informative and inspiring read for anyone aspiring to get into filmaking!
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/10/26/091026fa_fact_goodyear

Also here's a special featurette video about Avatar:


If you haven't had a chance to check out the official trailer, you can find it here!
Eleven in Motion: Abstract Expressions in Animation



Anyone interested in experimental and artistic animated short films is welcome to attend a free screening for the film 'Eleven in Motion.' Taking inspiration from the local Painters Eleven Movement of the 50s, 11 commissioned animation directors have created some unique pieces ranging from 2 to 5 minutes based on the artwork of the original Painters Eleven Group. You can learn more here.

Other events will also be taking place, so for anyone interested in taking advantage of this, details are below:

Eleven in Motion Events include:

Free World Premiere Screening
All filmmakers will be in attendance
Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 8 PM
Cinematheque Ontario
Art Gallery of Ontario, Jackman Hall
317 Dundas Street West, Toronto

Gallery Opening
Wednesday, November 18, 6 – 9 PM
Christopher Cutts Gallery
21 Morrow Avenue, Toronto
Exhibit will be on Display November 18 – 25, 2009

Free Artist Talk
Tuesday, November 17, 7 PM
NFB Mediatheque
150 John Street, Toronto

Hands-on Workshop with Richard Reeves
Learn how to scratch & paint animation/sound directly onto 16mm & 35mm film
Sunday, November 15, 2009, 11 AM – 5 PM
CineCycleCoachhouse behind 129 Spadina Rd, Toronto

Thursday, November 05, 2009

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON - Trailer!

Dreamwork's Animation has a new 3D animated film coming out that will be playing in both 2D and stereo 3-D in theatres and IMAX. Adapted from a book by Cressida Cowell, the movie is set in the world of Viking and Norse mythology where a young boy who wishes to be a warrior captures a baby dragon and raises him as a pet. It is being directed by Chris Sanders, the creator of Lilo and Stitch who took over the reigns of the project from a previous director and redesigned the dragon to suit his character style. You can view the trailer here:

Monday, November 02, 2009

art of kung fu panda, NEW Shane Glines Sketchbook

Art of Kung Fu Panda - back in stock on Thursday!



Shane Glines Lily and Finch Sketchbook IN STOCK NOW!


Monster Green - Sketchbook back in stock. limited quantities.


Friday, October 30, 2009

IRON GIANT PROJECT & SALE- SATURDAY NOV 7TH


SATURDAY NOVEMBER 7TH.

THE IRON GIANT PROJECT
IN-STORE ART DISPLAY WILL GO UP
in our gallery space.

Stop by and have a look.

This is a tribute art show by artists from around the world that are also fans of this fantastic film, that never really got the attention or financial success that it deserved.

Brad Bird, Tony Fucile and hundreds of talented artists worked on this fantastic film. This art show is a tribute to them. It's a way for the artists who are participating to say - thanks for inspiring us.

The deadline for submitting artwork is this coming Monday November 2ND. If you have a last minute urge to join, please do the work and email us. our email: info@thelabyrinthstore.com
You can also find more details on website: www.irongiantproject.blogspot.com

On Sunday November 8Th - the Iron Giant Project website will post all of the submissions along with links to the artists that did the pieces. This website will remain up for all Iron Giant fans to enjoy. You can see a few images there now, but for the rest you will have to wait for the 7Th if you come by, or the 8Th if you are looking on-line.

Since many of the pieces are digital, we have gotten submissions from around the world including India, England, South America, The United States and more. Proof, at least to us that Iron Giant really did touch artists all over the globe.

The in-store display will remain until November 30Th.

IRON GIANT BOOK SALE:
Sadly, there are no Iron Giant books -but The Labyrinth will be holding a special sale on Saturday November 7Th to co-inside with the launch of the Iron Giant Project Show.

Any books with any of the following words on the front COVER of the book, will get 15% off.

The words to look for on the front cover are:

Iron
Giant
Hogarth
Superman
Dean
Kent
Annie
Frank
Thomas
Ollie
Johnston
Brad
Bird
Tony
Fucile

if you know the movie, you will know why we chose the words we did.

Some examples:

1. Burne Hogarth Dynamic Anatomy -
has the word 'Hogarth' on the cover -so will qualify for the discount.

2. Iron Man - has the word "Iron" on the cover -so will qualify.

ONE MORE DEAL:

Any book with a ROBOT on the front COVER will also qualify for the 15% off sale..

Rules:
at least 1 of the words from the above list, or a clear image of a robot have to appear on the front COVER of the book for it to qualify for the discount. It doesn't matter if the name is inside the book. IT MUST BE ON THE COVER.

The sale is ONE DAY ONLY and applies to in-stock items only. First come, first serve. This is an, in-store SALE. You must be in the shop to get the discount on Saturday November 7Th.

Vampire Knight 8, Claymore 15, Hellblazer..

ARRIVING IN STORE AT THE LABYRINTH BOOKS TORONTO ON WEDNESDAY NOV 4TH














NEW MANGA:

AIR GEAR GN VOL 14
BEAST MASTER GN VOL 01
BLACK BIRD GN VOL 02
BODY GN VOL 07
CLAYMORE TP VOL 15
D GRAY MAN GN VOL 15
DANCE IN THE VAMPIRE BUND GN VOL 05
FAIRY TAIL GN VOL 08
FUSHIGI YUGI GENBU KAIDEN TP VOL 09
GIN TAMA TP VOL 15
HIGH SCHOOL DEBUT GN VOL 12
HIKARU NO GO TP VOL 17
HONEY HUNT TP VOL 03
KAMICHAMA KARIN-CHU GN VOL 06
KAZE HIKARU GN VOL 15
KUROHIME TP VOL 14
KYO KARA MAOH GN VOL 04 (OF 4)
LA SATANICA GN
LOVE COM TP VOL 15
MINIMA GN VOL 04
NANA TP VOL 19
NEGIMA GN VOL 24
O PARTS HUNTER TP VOL 18
OTOMEN GN VOL 04
OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB TP VOL 13
PAPILLON GN VOL 04
PRINCE OF TENNIS GN VOL 34
SA GN VOL 13
SELFISH MR MERMAID GN VOL 02 (OF 2)
SHAMAN KING TP VOL 25
TSUBASA GN VOL 23
VAMPIRE KNIGHT TP VOL 08
WAQ WAQ GN VOL 02
WE WERE THERE GN VOL 07
XXXHOLIC GN VOL 14
XXXHOLIC OFFICIAL GUIDE SC



NEW GRAPHIC NOVELS:

BATMAN BATTLE FOR THE COWL COMPANION TP
BOYS HC VOL 01 LTD ED NAME OF THE GAME
CAMILLA DERRICO BURN GN
EXILES POINT OF NO RETURN TP
GHOST RIDER DANNY KETCH TP VOL 01
HELLBLAZER SCAB TP
JUNGLE GIRL HC VOL 02 OVERSIZED
MARVEL ZOMBIES 3 TP
NOVA TP VOL 05 WAR OF KINGS
SHERLOCK HOLMES HC VOL 01
SHERLOCK HOLMES HC VOL 01 TRIAL OF SHERLOCK HOLMES
SPIDER-MAN SHORT HALLOWEEN PREM HC
SUPERMAN BATMAN SEARCH FOR KRYPTONITE TP
TERROR INC TP APOCALYPSE SOON
TIMESTORM 2009-2099 HC
VATICAN HUSTLE GN
WONDER WOMAN RISE OF THE OLYMPIAN HC
WONDER WOMAN RISE OF THE OLYMPIAN TP

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

NEW Sandman, Old Man Logan, BPRD

IN STOCK TODAY

EXTREME WORLDS COMP GT DRAWING PAINTING SCI FI ART
FANTASY ART FOR BEGINNERS SC
ARIA GN VOL 05 (OF 12)
BLOODY KISS GN VOL 02 (OF 2)
BOYS LOVE GN
GAME X RUSH GN #2 (OF 2)
INVU GN VOL 05 (C: 0-1-2)
KURASHINA SENSEIS PASSION GN VOL 01 (OF 3)
KYO KARA MAOH GN VOL 04 (OF 4)
LIBERTY LIBERTY GN
MIKANSEI NO 1 GN VOL 01
NG LIFE GN VOL 03 (OF 6)
PET SHOP OF HORRORS TOKYO GN VOL 06
PHANTOM DREAM GN VOL 04 (OF 5)
SHINOBI LIFE GN VOL 03 (OF 5)
TOGAINU NO CHI GN VOL 04 (OF 5)
TRINITY BLOOD REBORN ON THE MARS NOVEL SC VOL 03 (OF 6)
TSUBASA GN VOL 03 (OF 3) THOSE WITH WINGS (TKP)
WEIRD FISHES GN
ZONE 00 GN VOL 02 (OF 5)
ANITA BLAKE VH LC TP BOOK 01 ANIMATOR
ARTEMIS FOWL GN VOL 02 ARCTIC INCIDENT
BATMAN MONSTERS TP
BATMAN THE KILLING JOKE NEW PTG
BPRD TP VOL 11 BLACK GODDESS
FAT FREDDYS CAT OMNIBUS
FREAKANGELS HC VOL 03
FREAKANGELS TP VOL 03
GI JOE COBRA TP
HACK SLASH TP VOL 06 IN REVENGE & IN LOVE
HULK PREM HC VOL 03 HULK NO MORE
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN TP VOL 02 WORLDS MOST WANTED
KABUKI TP ALCHEMY
LEGION OF SUPER HEROES ENEMY RISING TP
MAP OF MY HEART GN
MERCY SPARX TP VOL 01
MMW AMAZING SPIDER-MAN TP VOL 03
NEW AVENGERS TP VOL 10 POWER
PRINCE VALIANT PAGE HC
RED SNOW HC
SANDMAN THE DREAM HUNTERS HC
SPIDER-MAN AMERICAN SON PREM HC
SWORD TP VOL 03 EARTH
TANK GIRL REMASTERED ED TP VOL 04 ODYSSEY
TRANSFORMERS ALL HAIL MEGATRON TP VOL 03
TRANSMETROPOLITAN TP VOL 04 THE NEW SCUM
VLAD THE IMPALER MAN WHO WAS DRACULA GN
WARREN ELLIS FRANKENSTEINS WOMB GN CON ED
WOLVERINE HC OLD MAN LOGAN
WOLVERINE HC OLD MAN LOGAN TURNER VAR

Saturday, October 24, 2009

digital painting volume 1 -now in stock

from 3Dtotal - the company that brought us Digital Masters - comes a new instructional Digital Painting book. Stop by to take a look!

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Book Sketching Continues with X-men

Book Sketching continues to show our store manager's struggle to re-learn to draw. The blog maybe helpful to anyone learning to draw on their own, or looking to get back into it after a long hiatus. Follow his progress here

j scott campbell calander -now accepting Pre- Orders

NOT IN YET -BUT we are accepting pre-orders now. This is essentially the same calendar that was sold at comic-con and now selling for too much money on eBay. This item is slated to come in November at around $20 US price. If you love Fairy Tale Characters as only J Scott Campbell could do them, place your pre-order with us now.

Attention online customers -we won't know shipping charges until the item arrives next month.


Customers in the GTA who will want to pick up, can also pre-order by emailing your request along with your phone # so we can call you when they arrive. Or place your request in shop when you stop by.


books new and back in stock

Paul Bonner's awesome concept book is finally available again.


Tim Burton's art show at MOMA is now in a book form for all to enjoy, and boy is it cool. Not big, not expensive, just fun.

Another new concept book -Extreme Worlds. Worth a look.

How did we miss this one?! Soul Eater manga 1 from Yen Press is in stock.

Monday, October 19, 2009

gears of war, rin-ne 1, darkstalkers tribute art book

ARRIVING ON WEDNESDAY at the labyrinth books store toronto


















DARKSTALKERS TRIBUTE SC
BOYS LOVE GN
CODE GEASS NOVEL STAGE 03 SWORD
DEATH NOTE L CHANGE THE WORLD NOVEL
DRAGONBALL Z VIZBIG ED GN VOL 05
GESTALT GN VOL 03
HAPPY BOYS GN VOL 01
INUBAKA CRAZY FOR DOGS TP VOL 14
NAOKI URASAWA 20TH CENTURY BOYS GN VOL 05
REAL GN VOL 06
TSUBASA CHARACTER GUIDE SC VOL 02
VAGABOND VIZBIG ED GN VOL 05
WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD GN VOL 01
WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD GN VOL 02
SENSE AND SENSIBILITY AND SEA MONSTERS SC
BOOK ABOUT MOOMIN MYMBLE & LITTLE MY HC
CAPTAIN AMERICA ROAD TO REBORN PREM HC
CTRL+ALT+DEL TP VOL 02 DARWIN WOULD BE PROUD
FINAL CRISIS LEGION OF THREE WORLDS HC
FRANKENSTEIN MOBSTER TP VOL 01
GARTH ENNIS BATTLEFIELDS HC VOL 01
GEARS OF WAR HC BOOK 01
GWAII SC
JONAH HEX LEAD POISONING TP
LENORE NOOGIES HC COLOR ED
LOCKJAW AND THE PET AVENGERS HC
LOOKING FOR GROUP TP VOL 02
MARVEL ADVENTURES AVENGERS TP VOL 10 DIGEST
NEXUS SPACE OPERA TP
NOIR TP VOL 01
QUESTION TP VOL 05 RIDDLES
RIN-NE GN VOL 01
RUNAWAYS ROCK ZOMBIES TP
RUNAWAYS TP VOL 09 DEAD WRONG DIGEST
SAVAGE TALES OF RED SONJA TP
SCALPED TP VOL 05 HIGH LONESOME
SHOWCASE PRESENTS HOUSE OF SECRETS TP VOL 02
SPIDER-MAN DEATH & DATING TP
SPIKE OMNIBUS TP
STUART & KATHRYN IMMONENS NEVER BAD AS YOU THINK HC
SUPERMAN ADVENTURES OF FLAMEBIRD & NIGHTWING TP
TALKING LINES HC
TERRY MOORES ECHO TP VOL 03 DESERT RUN
THUNDERBOLTS TP BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE
UNCLE SAM DELUXE HC
WAITING PLACE GN
WAR MACHINE TP VOL 01 IRON HEART
WOLVERINE DARK WOLVERINE PREM HC VOL 01 PRINCE
WOLVERINE NOIR PREM HC

Monday, October 12, 2009

Absolute Death, Akira 1,Zombie Survival Graphic Novel

NEW ITEMS BELOW will be IN-Store at the Labyrinth on Wednesday October 14th.

NEW ARTBOOK BY OSAMU TEZUKA:

Note: Akira and Ghost in the Shell are back in print under a new publisher (Kodansha). they are the publisher in Japan and now in North America for these titles. Both books have been long out of print. Expect future Akira volumes to follow every couple of months.





FROM THE AUTHOR OF ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE - COMES RECORDED ATTACKS BY MAX BROOKS. THIS BOOK WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OUT A FEW MONTHS AGO, BUT BETTER LATE THEN NEVER.

It only took about a million years, but the really gorgeous Wolverine Vs. Hulk by Leniel Yu is now out in a graphic novel format!
Long out of print, this new hardcover collects 2 of the Marvel 1602 sequals - new world has been out of print for at least a couple of years, so if you were curious about it, now is your chance to read it for yourself.

Man Eating Cow demonstrates how far they took the Tick concept back in the old days. Now you can make fun of it, as part of your collection.







Absolute Death - a perfect title for a great book by Neil Gaiman with fantastic art by Chris Bachalo.


All items arriving Wednesday Oct 14th
ABSOLUTE DEATH HC
ACT I VATE PRIMER HC
AIR TP VOL 02 FLYING MACHINE
AKIRA KODANSHA ED GN VOL 01
ANITA BLAKE VH GUILTY PLEASURES COMPLETE ED HC
BATMAN CHRONICLES TP VOL 08
BATTLE ANGEL ALITA LAST ORDER TP VOL 12
BLACK LAGOON GN VOL 08
BLOOD AND WATER TP
BOYS OVER FLOWERS JEWELRY BOX GN
DAREDEVIL RETURN OF KING TP
EC ARCHIVES FRONTLINE COMBAT HC VOL 01
EPIC CHRONICLES OF HAGAR THE HORRIBLE HC 1973-74
FAMILY SECRET GN
FIXER & OTHER STORIES TP
GANTZ TP VOL 07
GHOST IN SHELL KODANSHA ED GN VOL 01
GIMMICK GN VOL 09
GROOM LAKE TP
HAMMER O/T GODS TP VOL 01 MORTAL ENEMY (IDW ED)
HEAVY LIQUID TP NEW PTG
HOW OBELIX FELL INTO MAGIC POTION HC
INU YASHA TP VOL 41
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE HC
KULL TP VOL 01 SHADOW KINGDOM
MANEATING COW & CHAINSAW VIGILANTE COMPLETE WORKS TP
MARVEL 1602 PREM HC NEW WORLD FANTASTICK FOUR
MARVEL ZOMBIES 04 HC
MISTER X CONDEMNED TP
MOON KNIGHT TP VOL 05 DOWN SOUTH
NEGIMA NEO GN VOL 03
O PARTS HUNTER TP VOL 18
ODYSSEUS THE REBEL GN
PRIDE & PREJUDICE PREM HC
RED RIVER GN VOL 27
RED SONJA HC VOL 07 BORN AGAIN
RUNAWAYS TEENAGE WASTELAND TP
TRINITY TP VOL 03
ULTIMATE WOLVERINE VS HULK PREM HC
UNCANNY X-MEN MANIFEST DESTINY TP
XENA ARMY OF DARKNESS TP VOL 02 WHAT AGAIN
YOU ARE THERE HC
ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE RECORDED ATTACKS GN
ART OF OSAMU TEZUKA GOD OF MANGA HC