#it would be a very bold step for a modern children's cartoon

[vihattu-thethoroughbredofsin]

Okay, transformers fans, I need answers from you.

SPOILERS are possible, but not really. It's better not to read if you haven't watched the cartoon yet. Now a new animated series has been released, and for some reason I see the same thing in all opinions  — complaints and misunderstanding about why the GHOST is catching Decepticons and keeping them in prison. To this I have a counter question — why shouldn't they? It seems to be confirmed that for some time in the past, transformers openly fought on Earth. I very much doubt that they did it carefully and absolutely without harming humans . It is unlikely that the military conflict of huge robots did without any casualties at all (If it turns out that way, well... that would be stupid). And when the Autobots, and then Megatron after the destruction of the space bridge, went to cooperate with humans, the rest of the Decepticons did not. That is, there is a situation when supposedly aggressive huge robots that have not accepted the peace agreement are walking free, and it is not known what they have in mind. I doubt that all Decepticons are playful white and fluffy bunnies, considering the conditions they found themselves in. It is unlikely that they are just sitting peacefully somewhere without harming anyone. At least twice already, two of them were going to harm the child, presumably for the sake of entertainment, judging by the accompanying phrase before that. Moreover, there were rivals nearby who could really do harm, but they still threatened children who could not attack effectively. In such a situation, capture and detention in prison seems to be the only way out, if they did not come to an agreement in a good way. It's another matter what they do with them later, but the audience complains about hunting. Maybe the GHOST will turn out to be an evil insidious organization that eats poor and unfortunate Decepticons for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but so far their actions seem quite logical. Even if the Decepticons are starving and suffering, it doesn't automatically make them good guys. There may be reasons for fear. To condemn plot decisions with the fact that "well, they're cute and suffer!" when we don't even know what they did and what consequences their actions lead to is a bit strange. Maybe they demolished cities, maybe  humans were killed or maimed, we just don't know yet. If that was the case, then where else would they be if not in prison? There are more questions for Megatron, what kind of leader he was if the whole faction told him "No!" and went to hide and starve, just to disagree with his decision. Did he try to probe the ground before his decision at all? How did he not find like-minded Decepticons among his own soldiers? Did this Megatron really manage his troops so badly? Well, before condemning the actions of Optimus, he could think about what he could do to improve the situation. And if he has not come up with anything better than direct obedience... Then we found the winner in the nomination "The worst Decepticon leader". From this, I have a more global question for the fandom — do you really love Decepticons so much? To some strange blindness about the plots with them. After about a year of being in the fandom, I somehow got the impression that Decepticons are the public's favorites, no matter what, when fans treat Autobots rather coldly. And this applies to almost any media. Moreover, I do not judge from the point of view of morality, evil characters can be loved, there is no such popular "problematic" here. But it's just interesting. I can't understand what moods are floating in the fandom, I would like to know.

[thanksjro]

Children of a Lesser Matrix: It’s Like A Saturday Morning Cartoon, But With… Genocide

Children of a Lesser Matrix is by no means a complete work- more of an outline that never got past the “slap some ideas in as they come to you” stage. Fun fact: you don’t have to write in sequential order if you don’t want to. It can actually help with writer’s block to jump around.

Let’s take a look at the writing process, shall we?  

I wasn’t kidding when I said the self-insert got the shaft in Eugenesis.

It turns out that back when the Transmasters UK club was a thing, it was pretty common for the members to have a sort of mascot for themselves, a character that would show up in their work repeatedly. You see it nowadays with fanfic writers too, so it isn’t exactly an odd phenomenon, but it’s something I found interesting.

You know who else shows up repeatedly in Roberts’ other works?

Throwback.

But that’s a topic for another day.

This story takes place in the year of 1990. No peering into the future here; this was probably set in the modern day at the time of writing. Seeing as Eugenesis was first published in 2001, it’s safe to assume that we’re looking at the work of a very young Roberts.

Our focus at present is an asteroid in uncharted space.

Oh!

Oh.

Looks like these guys are Autobots, and their ship crashed into this space rock, killing them instantly. These must be the equivalent of Transformers’ red-shirts, because it usually takes a little more to take them out. There’s also a Decepticon, but we’ll get to him in a second.

What else is on this asteroid? Oh, y’know, nothing special. Just the Creation Matrix.

AND IT’S EVIL.

And everyone knows that green is the color of EVIL.

We’ve got an interesting take on the Matrix here, in that A) it’s evil, and B) it’s sentient. Like, really sentient. Also, it can summon demons, and is gonna stuff them in these Autobot corpses it found in the ship.

No mention of what it does with Thunderwing, if anything at all.

Yep. Thunderwing. If you read the IDW Stormbringer miniseries, or the MTMTE Revolutions one-shot, you know about Thunderwing at least a little. In the Marvel UK comics, his whole shtick was that he was obsessed with obtaining the Creation Matrix, believing himself to have an affinity with it. Guess that sort of backfired on him here.

This is the first time I’ve seen something bolded like this in Roberts’ work, and I really couldn’t tell you exactly why, but it’s oddly endearing. Maybe it the mental image of this 14-year old kid just furiously getting this outline down, underlining the word “will" so hard the lead in his pencil breaks off.

We get hit with an interlude, taking place inside a robot grandpa.

Of course, I’m being facetious, but this is a little interesting. Perhaps this is referring to his base on Cybertron, and not Alpha Trion himself. It seems more likely than Roberts mistaking the name for a place.

And who’s inside Delta Triton? Why, it’s Skimmer!

You probably don’t know Skimmer.

Skimmer was actually in MTMTE #41- or at least, he was mentioned. Hailing from Caminus and serving under Thunderclash, the comic doesn’t even know what gender he is. He’s male. Probably can’t put that on the wiki, seeing as this is about as far from “canon” as it gets- an unpublished, basically unwritten fanfiction. It’ll be our little secret, just between you, me, and James Roberts.

Skimmer runs into his boss Quillion- who does not show up anywhere else, as far I can can tell- who doesn’t look terribly happy at the moment. There’s a huge blip on the radar, and it isn’t anyone they want to have over for tea.  

Language!

Quillion orders for these massive rocket boosters they’ve strapped to the moon be turned on so they can get the hell out of the way of this honestly preposterously large pile of Decepticons coming their way. They flip the switch, and moon #3 blasts off.

Oh hi, Luna 01, didn’t recognize you there!

Back at the asteroid, the Matrix went and brought the Autobots back from the dead, and proceeds to wax poetic  on the nature of life, and how its new underlings will serve it.

That’s the royal we, baby. The Matrix is making no bones about it, this thing is KING. Seems like the Omniforce is a Roberts-original idea. Wonder what that’s all about. And what of this new force of evil?

Oh my fucking god his name is Genocide.

If I were a middle-school kid reading this outline, I’d be losing my mind over how cool and edgy this was. Roberts is trying so hard here, and I’m all about it. You go, tiny JRo. You go full cowl on these evil robots.

Our Omniforce have personalities to match their new looks and identities, and it’s about what you’d expect- these boys are a drop of blood in the water away from going completely feral. Also, Thunderwing’s starting to wake up. So, that’ll be a thing soon.

Back at the interlude, everything’s settling down as the gravity rights itself. The moon almost hit light-speed- which, holy shit- but it looks like the laws of inertia in a vacuum are on vacation today.

Not that I expect a kid from the 90’s to know about that.

They’re roughly 7000 hours away from Cybertron, so they better start heading back now. Assuming that there’s still a Cybertron to go back to.

Back with the first plot, Thunderwing’s having a seizure- Roberts’ prose characters seem to do that a lot- and the Matrix is freaking out, because if he dies, they won’t have a ride off this barren space rock. There’s only one thing to do!

The Matrix zaps Thunderwing with green (evil!) lightning, saving him from the brink of death. Thunderwing is less than enthused with this turn of events.

You get redundancies like this when outlining, it happens.

Thunderwing is pissed, and the brand-spanking new Omniforce isn’t super sure how to handle the current situation. The Matrix, thinking quickly, merges with Thunderwing.

This does not help the situation.

You’ve had them for five minutes, and you’re already killing them. I know you’re new to this, Matrix, but come on now.

TWENTY THOUSAND YEARS LATER, it turns out that Quillion’s estimate of their arrival back at Cybertron was off by just a smidge. The moon runs into a tomb of all things in the depths of space, and brings it on inside to see what all the hubbub’s about.

It’s got a Mind-Krell in it.

No, I have no idea what a Mind-Krell is. Another Roberts original. He’s always been rather ambitious as a writer, it would seem.

Jumping back in time, Thunderwing’s throwing out his rawest lines, and it’s amazing.

Like holy shit, I unironically love this. I wish he’d decided to do more with this, it’s fantastic.

We get our first taste of action. Theres a lot going on here: Genocide is apparently a necromancer, capable of controlling the dead, which Thunderwing currently technically is. However, this takes time to set up, so it’s Black Fusion’s turn to step up to the plate. He shoots off a volley of Black Fusion from his eyes, knocking Thunderwing over.

Yes, they’re named after their powers. Or are their powers named after them? Anyway, they’re about to head for the shuttle, when Genocide orders Kaos to use his- you guessed it- Kaos Energy.

We’re also dealing with the “can’t just use said” phase that every young writer goes through. Kaos’ staff, which he’s had this whole time, turns into a gun? It’s not clear, but he shoots Thunderwing and then dives into the shuttle at the last possible second, Indiana Jones-style.

As the shuttle takes off, Genocide warns their resident possessor Daemon to not do the thing, even though he really, really wants to. With that, they train the onboard weapons systems on Thunderwing below- all of them.

And that’s all we got for Children of a Lesser Matrix.

Clearly there would have been more if he’d continued with the ideas, but as is we have a fascinating snapshot of what was probably one of Roberts’ first forays into writing. You don’t get to do this with very many authors, where you can go this far back and see what they were doing, what changed, what stayed the same. I wasn’t expecting to see ideas from MTMTE pop up here- and certainly not ones that were as big as the moon thrusters.

If this entry seems a little soft around the edges, it’s probably because it is. I’m of two mind about covering this at all. On one hand: it was published online for others to read, which makes it free game, and it’s a part of his growth as a writer, so of course I’m going to look at it! On the other hand: Literal. Child. I wouldn’t make fun of a kid just starting out now, and I’m definitely not trying to rag on a young writer retroactively. That being said...

I’m not gonna lie, this is kind of a rough sit. I mean, other than it being an idea springboard that never went anywhere. There are some neat ideas, but… look, anything that’s truly made from the bottom of one’s heart, out of pure love, is always going to be at least a little cringe-inducing. That’s just how it goes, even with the best writers, and this is an outline written by a kid who grew up on 80’s-era media and was just starting out.

Still, there was a lot of potential here. It’s ambitious, it’s over the top, it’s silly and earnest. I like it. It makes me smile to read it and think about the person creating it and having fun doing it.

It just goes to show that no one starts out amazing at what they do.

Up next, a relic of a bygone era- the ‘zine! It’s The Mystery of the Transformer Decoys, a ‘zine that was printed out and sent via snail mail. We truly are spoiled by the internet.

[personalcoachingcenter]

How To Make Your INTERIOR DECORATING AT HOME Look Like A Million Bucks

New Post has been published on http://mydecoradvice.com/home_design/how-to-make-your-interior-decorating-at-home-look-like-a-million-bucks/

How To Make Your INTERIOR DECORATING AT HOME Look Like A Million Bucks

Interior design isn't hard and doesn't require years of professional expertise in order to help you design your home. Simple steps and ideas can already have you thinking and acting like a pro. The post below focuses on some of the great ways that you can use interior design to your home's advantage!

  If you have children, you should take them into consideration before planning your interior-design project. For example, you will probably want to stay away from furniture pieces that have extremely sharp corners, as your children can easily harm themselves on them. It would be a waste if you were to purchase's pieces that end up breaking or causing harm to your children.

    A great interior design tip is to start going to more yard sales and thrift stores. You'd be amazed at some of the unique things that you can find at these avenues versus the typical places like Ikea. You might come across a great end table or beautifully decorated vase.

  When choosing furniture to place in a small room, look for pieces that have versatility. Instead of a sofa or chair, you may want to go with an ottoman. An ottoman can double as a table or a seat to maximize your small room. Get the most out of items for dual purposes works best in a small space.

  Benefits of Natural Light

centsationalstyle.com

"*in partnership with Milgard I’ve been working with a client for almost a year on a full scale remodel. It’s remarkable how this home has changed from a dark and run down home to a fresh and functional abode that suits her lifestyle. When she came to me, overwhelmed, at the beginning stage of her Keep Reading →" https://centsationalstyle.com/2019/07/benefits-of-natural-light/

When redesigning the kitchen, be creative with counter tops. Classic granite is always lovely but concrete, wood and cork can also be viable options. Some other options are cheaper, and will make your kitchen unique from others.

  A great interior design tip is to start going hunting for antiques. You don't have to pay a fortune to get some interesting antiques. You can always go to local stores and try to barter with them. Who knows, you might end up with something that will spark many conversations.

  You can create very interesting interior designs by choosing a focal point. Your focal point could be a view, a work of art, an original piece of furniture or a useful appliance. Avoid cluttering around this important point and use this focal point to set a theme or a motif for the entire room.

  Lamps are a great addition to any home as these can be included in the living room or right by your side in the bedroom. Not only do these devices provide you with additional light to read and write, but they can give your home a classical look and match many different styles.

  How to: Turn a Baking Rack Into a Modern Grid Organizer

www.curbly.com

"After the hustle and bustle of the season, I find myself going into this weird funk. Our home felt like it was going to burst at the seams with all the stuff we had accumulated. The last couple weeks I've been on major purge mode to help get things feeling peaceful once more. Plus it doesn't hurt to be more organized! ��This simple project is all about making life easier when it comes to rearranging the home. And all it takes is breathing … Continue reading on Curbly.com" https://www.curbly.com/turn-a-cooling-rack-into-a-scandinavian-grid-organizer

A great interior-design tip for budget minded individuals is to switch up your rooms completely. Turn your office into the bedroom and your bedroom into the new office! With completely different functions, furniture and decorations, each new room takes on an entirely new look and personality. It's also a total and enjoyable change up for you, that costs nothing.

  Use warm flooring in the bedroom. A cold floor can be a nasty shock first thing in the morning. Be sure to use something like carpet or wood flooring in the bedroom. Avoid ceramic, marble, or any other cool surfaces. If warm flooring isn't an option, put a rug down under or near the bed.

  A good interior-design tip is not to get too carried away with color. There have been many studies made on color and how they can affect you. Even if you love strong colors, and they fit with your personality, the next family or couple that moves in might be put off by them.

  If you tend to redecorate your rooms often, it would be wise to have furniture and walls that are neutral and then accent them with colorful, eye catching accessories. This way, when you next redecorate your room, you would only need to change out the accessories instead of totally redesigning your room.

  Budget Decorating: Forgotten Secrets #2

inmyownstyle.com

"This post is from the blog, InMyOwnStyle.com Skirted tables are one decor item that not only adds color and pattern to a room, but they can be changed easily seasonally while providing hidden storage. In this post I am sharing a few that I think will inspire you to think about how one would fit into your decor and storage needs. This… Read More If you enjoyed this post you may also enjoy the easy to follow DIY Decorating Tutorials and Creative Ideas on my blog, In My Own Style.com" https://inmyownstyle.com/trendy-and-modern-skirted-table-decorating-ideasas.html

When thinking of what color to paint your bedroom, remember that the bedroom is a place for relaxation and calmness. Bright colors, like pinks and purples, do not give off a feeling of relaxation. Instead, you should try to stick to more neutral colors, like beiges, whites, grays and light browns.

  Put pictures at eye level. Never put pictures up high on a wall. Handing pictures at eye level doesn't just make them easier to view. When you position pictures up high, it makes your ceiling appear lower. Leaving them at eye level creates a nice focal point and opens up the room a bit.

  Stick to "ceiling white" when freshening up ceilings. This paint is designed with a special high-gloss that helps to reflect the light of the room. If you are putting it to use, you will notice a large change in how your room looks.

  Neutral colors are great to use in any room of your house as they can match almost any design or color. These colors include beige, taupe, black and white and are a very good type of shade if you are decorating with a contemporary style. Incorporate these colors if you want to be on the safe side with your color scheme.

  Children's bathrooms should be fun spaces that are full of color and design. Consider implementing a favorite television or cartoon character into the design of the space with the use of a shower curtain, towels and removable wall stickers. This is a fun way to customize the space in a way that can easily be changed in the future.

  Paint is one of the easiest way to transform the look of a room. If you want to make a big impact in a room, try adding a bold color to just one wall for maximum impact. You can also try a painting technique on that wall such as stenciling, venetian plaster or marbling.

  Your personality deserves a home that is unique to your needs and desires; this is where interior design can help! This post has hopefully cast light on this subject for you and has given you insight to all of the great ways you can achieve the perfect design for your home.

[jamiekturner]

The Best Animated Movies For Adults: The ones to put on your list

Animated movies (or cartoon movies, if you prefer so) take us in a different world, and help us escape a mundane reality with highly exhilarating emotional and intellectual experiences.

The best thing about them – they’re not made only for children! Adults love watching them too, and they certainly have a few favorites among them.

Now, nobody implies that Bambi would be an adult person’s first choice, and even if it is – what the hack? If you’re a fan yourself, we have a delectable list of best animated movies for adults that may be marketed right towards you.

Here are the best animated movies for adults you shouldn’t miss:

Chico and Rita (2010)

Here’s a magnificent member of the list of best animated movies for adults –an evergreen romantic tale that will touch your heart!

Chico and Rita is a smoky love story from Cuba that feels incredibly real, despite of the fact its characters are fictional. Their messy and roiling passion that sustains their even messier and broken jazz musician lives got nominated for an Oscar, and will stay remembered for decades to come.

With so many ups and downs, this romantic and thrilling story brings us to a conclusion – There’s a bit of Chico and Rita in all of us!

‘Persepolis’ (2007)

Rather than another romance, we present you a dead-serious animation for adults that doesn’t exactly show the most pleasant story. Producers adapted Marjane Satrapi’s 2003 graphic novel that describes life in Iran before, during, and after its Islamic Revolution (1979), bringing to life a number of involving line-drawn images.

The tale was pictured with incredible clarity, and shed light of this important historical moment people in the US don’t really know much about.

The story is very well-animated, and supported by Satrapi’s bold cartoon expressionism that helps understand it.

Belladonna of Sadness (1973)

Jules Michelet’s book La Sorciere inspired many great cinematic pieces, including top quality adult animation movies. The topic is, as you recall, Middle Age witchcraft, and this movie helps us experience this period rather than simply analyzing it.

When you read the book, you get sad and involved into the tragic destiny of new wed Jeanne, and who was raped violently (yet lawfully in this period) by the feudal lord and his minions. The tormenting experience inspired her to make a pact with the devil, and to try hurting those that hurt her.

While it is difficult to depict her hatred and revenge with words, this hallucinatory and occult masterpiece does that just fine – at times, it is so explicit and severe that people misunderstand it.

Following its first release in 193, Belladonna of Sadness was restored in 4K, and promoted again. We’d say – it finally got the acknowledgement it deserves!

Fantastic Planet (1973)

Fantastic Planet is another great animated movie for adults that appeared on 1973. We get a unique opportunity to find out how it would be when humans would live on a giant plant, and be considered as animals.

Our opinion is that this is one of the best Sci-Fi movies made so far, with a recognizable visual style and stop-motion animation. Deep under the imaginative and superficial story of people being sub-leveled, this movie tackles important social questions such as racism and genocide.

Renaissance (2006)

Renaissance’s story takes place in Paris, several years from now. A brave cop is looking for the kidnapped scientist who holds the secret for an eternal life.

The use of specific techniques such as motion capture animation is what makes this animated adult movie a visual delight – it mixes up genres in a crafty way, and depicts our dystopian future in black and white. You wouldn’t believe how well that worked out!

‘My Neighbor Totoro’ (1988)

Hayao Miyazaki can safely be put on top of any animation creators’ list, and this is his masterpiece. My Neighbor Totoro is a nostalgically innocent story of a unique friendship between a kid and a giant, and the side effect is invoking pleasant memories of our childhood. At the same time, it is an adult cartoon movie that the entire family can watch.

FRITZ THE CAT (1972)

Here’s the debut and subversively successful animation of Ralph Bakshi, the man we today call the Father of modern American animation for adults. The movie is a total opposite to common, Disney-imposed views on animation – its visuals and its story aim to overcome political incorrectness, rather than simply providing an hour of entertainment.

Unlike most 70’s animated movies, this piece is slightly offensive and crudely satirical, which made it a common object of controversy.

One couldn’t expect less from a movie tacking the unused potential of letting anthropomorphic cats explore drugs, radical politics, and love. And yet, of course, it is not about cats, but about people. No wonder this movie has such historical significance!

Sita Sings the Blues

There are many reasons for Nina Paley’s Sita Sings the Blues to be considered and unique. To start with, the animation was distributed for free due to disputable music rights. Secondly, Paley used Flash to create almost all animations herself.

Last but not least, there’s the distinctive style – Paley combines scenes from her own life with renowned Ramayana tales, and delivers them with beautiful Indian shadow puppetry visuals. Now imagine that paired with some Annette Hanshaw’s 1930s jazz!

Beowulf (2007)

Beowulf is among the oldest and most legendary English epic manuscripts, which means that not every movie can bear its weighty legacy. Roger Avary and Neil Gaiman made the brave attempt to imaginatively adapt it, and created a fantastic adventure for adult viewers.

The cast was all-star (Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich, Robin Wright, Angelina Jolie, and Ray Winston), which means we get to enjoy both amazing visuals and starring performances. The piece is vastly entertaining and exhilarating, especially when you watch it in 3D cinemas.

Watership Down (1978)

Watership Down is one of the dark cartoon movies you don’t want your children to see, as it could create a very traumatic experience. At first sight, the animation looks like a family saga full of animals and adventure, but nothing in there is family-friendly. The highly-nuanced piece features devastating war scenes and societal conflict, and it is emotional enough to make everyone cry.

Paprika (2006)

Paprika is a fantastic Sci-Fi movie by Satoshi Kon with the most incredible story – the world where scientists don’t only analyze patients’ dreams, but also navigate through them. You’ll see lots of menacing dolls, marching appliances, collapsing cities, and disturbing sex scenes; and you’ll have to figure out the logic of such dreams yourself!

Heavy Metal (1981)

The animation flick shows us how a glowing green orb threatens a young girl with horrible, yet sensual fantasy stories. It follows the original concept adopted by Heavy Metal magazine – there are several stories instead of one, and each brings us a different entertaining affair. Beware – Movies like Heavy Metal are pretty explicit in how they depict violence and sex.

‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ (1993)

We’d call this animation the best Christmas film ever, and we’d recommend you to watch it even before the season’s on. Filmmaker Tim Burton blended in a unique way the charm of Halloween and Christmas, and introduced us to the pumpkin king who discovers the fun of celebrating Santa’s big day. Pretty awesome, isn’t it?

Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

Although kids play the main roles in Grave of the Fireflies, this movie goes nowhere close to a kids’ animation. Isao Takahata wants to share the shocking experiences of a brother and a sister who try to survive the WWII bombing in their hometown in Japan.

To soften the scary moments in the movie, Studio Ghibli’s experts employed some seriously accumulated artistry. Rather than fancy, this piece is low-key and non-sensational, and it is exactly the scenes of deceptive reality that make it that devastating.

American Pop (1981)

American Pop chronicles how a Russian-Jewish musician’s family lived throughout four generations. Their stories are being brought to us with subtle narratives, only to provide the most profound experience possible.

The reviews and ratings for this movie are mixed, but we believe there is nothing that can hamper the beauty of such a fine musical drama. In fact, American Pop has become more and more popular over the years, only to become Bakshi’s most praised animation work ever.

‘Fantasia’ (1940)

We all watched Fantasia as children, but how much of it did we really understood? The experience of watching it as an adult is something else, so give it a try!

Tower (2016)

Animated sequences are used in innumerous documentaries, but Keith Maitland developed a fresh approach to them. His relatively new piece Tower aired at SXSW in 2016, praised for its unique structure and meaningful message to our society.

Maitland worked with original materials; rot scoped reenactments, and animated interviews – a brave, but totally effective step in the animation world. This organizational structure was the best deal he had for drawing attention towards mass shootings in the States.

Heavy Traffic (1973)

In Heavy Traffic, we meet a young and eccentric cartoonist with bizarre fantasies… and a whole army of his imaginary and weird characters that inspire his art. The piece is once again signed by incredible and wildly original Ralph Bashi, whose authoritative control can be observed in every single scene.

The movie doesn’t go as far as becoming uncomfortable or self-indulgent, but still features incredibly personal and intimate sequences. MPAA rated it with an X because of its explicit nature, but critics called it ‘the best work Ralph Bakshi ever did’.

‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’ (2009)

There’s a bit of an inner hipster in all of us. If you don’t believe it, check whether you will like Fantastic Mr. Fox. We bet you will!

The animation debut of Wes Anderson goes around an idiosyncratic fox and its adventures. The well-dress and socially acquainted protagonist leads a pleasing life, but can’t resist the urge to go back to wildness and cause a retaliation against all animals. We’ll see it rescue its community, and help it come to peace with the idea of not being immortal.

A Scanner Darkly (2006)

Richard Linklater chose the works of Philip K. Dick to create this amazingly inventive movie show. He confirmed in such way that this author did not only predict technological development, but also criticized American mores.

Sad and funny at the same time, this story used Sci-Fi elements to recreate the 1977 War on Drugs, and featured a number of iconic counterculture protagonists with all their good and bad sides.

Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters (2007)

This movie offers an unexpected mix of surrealism and humor, and belongs to the very few Adult Swim series that actually got a movie. Many critics, however, disapproved of the movie’s silly storyline and shallow approach.

Note that the movie also has an R rating for violent images, strong language, and adult humor.

‘The Triplets of Belleville’ (2003)

If a tour de France accompanied by typical French ladies and their cute dogs qualifies as a movie you’d watch, go for this one. The picture is pleasure-stuffed and yet dialogue-free, an excellent attempt of Sylvain Chomet to embrace the technique of silent storytelling.

The adventure of these adorable ladies features multiple references to modern pop culture, as presented by novice cartoonist Max Fleischer. You will find it easily understandable, relaxing, and truly charming.

Akira (1988)

Some viewers claim that Akira is monotonous to that end of becoming interminable, but that doesn’t decrease Katsuhiro Otomo’s great contribution to the anime world.

His cyberpunk zeitgeist and violent dystopian saga set the standards for many movies to come, even if the piece has little in common with classics such as Blade Runner.

Waking Life (2001)

Once again, it is astonishing how Richard Linklater looks at life, consciousness, unconsciousness, and the mere purpose of our existence. This time, he introduces us to a man who dreams constantly, and who’s struggling to find genuine answers about life.

The atmosphere in the movie is almost surreal – it pulls us right next to the dreamer, and it hypnotizes us with astonishing images we will remember for a long time to come.

There is nothing comparable to Waking Life – the piece never got an Oscar nomination, and we believe that’s where Academy members made a serious mistake. Yet, we should be aware that the movie contains some harsh language, and was therefore rated R.

‘Wallace &Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit’ (2005)

There is no Wallace & Gromit movie that you shouldn’t watch, but the Curse of the Were-Rabbit is the one you mustn’t miss! A feature-length and brilliant piece of visual delight, in particular for British movie fans ready to pack for an adventure. It is one of the very few movies on this list we recommend both for adults and for children.

South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut (1999)

Do you remember the iconic sitcom ‘South Park’? Here’s a great movie based on it, and a story nothing less hilarious than you’d expect. Four underage boys got caught watching an R movie which happened to be Canadian. As a result, their mothers decided to initiate a war against Canada for trying to corrupt their kids.

As you can guess, the movie boosts with improper language and explicit scenes, and it therefore got an R rating shortly before it was released. Despite of the censorship issues, it has an incredible artistic value, and it is the only South park movie created so far.

‘The Lego Batman Movie’ (2017)

The Lego Batman Movie is way more about humor than it is about action and superheroes. We’ve got comedy legend Will Arnett playing the very self-involved and ultra-ego Batman – a combination that will make us laugh for hours.

Pink Floyd – The Wall (1982)

If you’re a fan of rock music, put this movie on your list right now! The cult classic focuses on a young and lost rocker, the world he’s created for himself, and the emotional dangers he’s afraid of. Here, we can see paranoia and self-destruction at their best animated versions, but as disturbing as this protagonist’s character is, we still find him fascinating and unforgettable.

This is another movie whose raw and intense depiction of violence and sexuality led to an R rating – yet, it is qualified as one of the best adult animations ever.

‘A Scanner Darkly’ (2006)

The original, life-like animation of Scanner Darkly was a staggering success, in part because of the excellent acting crew behind it. What is really specific is it being shot with actual live action footages that took a year to animate. In 2018, the movie may seem a bit outdated, but it still deserves a look.

Waltz With Bashir (2008)

Member of the specific genre of animated documentaries, Waltz with Bashir brought memories of Lebanon’s 1982 war, and did so better than many live scene movies. It is a masterpiece of director Ari Folman, the guy who used his own memories to portrait the deadly conflict, and to remind us of the cruel reality of war. This movie is not only psychologically effective, but even damaging – the viewing experience is so dark and provocative, and explores such devastating themes that you will never be able to forget it.

At the same time, its disturbingly violent and sexual content, and the number of disturbing graphic images brought it an R rating. Well, we all expected that.

Fire and Ice (1983)

There are two distinctive paths in Ralph Bakshi’s career: his pioneer animations from the 70s that were edgy and explicit; and the early 80s when he created epic and influential, but generally underappreciated fantasies. Among those was also Sorcery cult Fire and Ice, following the intriguing adaptation of The Lord of the Rings.

Bakshi had one of the best fantasy painters Frank Frazetta working on the case. He made the heroic and archetypical tale even more attractive, and took us on a joyful ride to the medieval age of good kings, dark lords, and brave warriors. We’d put this animation work right next to Conan the Barbarian, and name it one of the best animations the world has ever seen.

Team America: World Police (2004)

The classic mixes up politics with pop culture – the protagonists are a commando unit whose headquarters are secret and hidden. They look as glorified versions of Barbie and Ken dolls, as they have loping bodies and fragile marble eyes. You wouldn’t really picture them using a ‘xenophobic bluster’ in their administration, but well…they do!

The movie revives the stoicism of 60s Thunderbirds, which makes it even more intricate and explicit. For instance, there are enough montage puppet sex scenes to consider them as the focal point of the movie; as well as excellent showbiz satire brough to us by Janeane Garofalo and Sean Penn.

‘Yellow Submarine’ (1968)

A play of postmodern puns and surrealist conceits – that’s the best description of this brilliant Beatles movie. Get yourself a bottle of wine, and devote an evening to this pop art splendor and miracle of animation.

Anomalisa (2015)

What if you were a bored customer service agent whose life never seems to become more interesting? That’s the very story of Anomalisa, where the protagonist falls in love with a beautiful woman, and changes his life completely. The piece is touching and romantic and it inspires all of us to look for our soul mates. Just like other Charlie Kaufman movies, it stays under the skin and makes us want to watch it over and over again.

It’s Such a Beautiful Day (2012)

This movie was completely hand-made by Don Hertzfeldt’s, and it may not be the most visually exciting anime on this list. Yet, the piece is intellectually and emotionally involving, as it questions the meaning of life as observed by disordered protagonist Bill. The fun and the thrill are way bigger than the synopsis would indicate, so give this masterpiece a try!

Ghost in the Shell (1995)

Ghost in the Shell is another awesome attempt to use alternative anime for political goals. It focuses on conspiracy and sexual exploration paired with awesome Sci-Fi actions, a one-of-a-kind mash up with great influence on modern Sci-Fi.

Perfect Blue (1997)

The list of best adult animated movies wouldn’t be complete without this masterpiece of Japanese Animation. Perfect Blue follows the path of a singer who wants to become an artist, but descends instead in the dark and compromised world of her own expectations and ambitions. Practically, Darren Aronofsky recreated the timeless Black Swan piece, but with even more psychodrama and trilling experiences.

Ending thoughts on the best animated movies for adults

Now that we presented the best animation movies for adults, go ahead and have some fun! Both adult cartoon movies and dark animated movies guarantee some serious fun, and they’re all that good that you’ll find it hard to pick a favorite!

If you enjoyed reading this article about the best animated movies for adults, you should read these as well:

The most popular DC animated movies to watch in a lifetime

48 Of The Best Short Animated Films (Oscar winners included)

34 Of The Best Motion Graphics Studios And Their Work

Amazing Adobe After Effects Tutorials You Need To Watch

The post The Best Animated Movies For Adults: The ones to put on your list appeared first on Design your way.

from Web Development & Designing https://www.designyourway.net/blog/inspiration/motion-graphics/best-animated-movies-adults/

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The Iron Man: Character Design

In this post, I’m looking at my process of creating character designs, working directly from literary source. 

To begin the process, I wanted to read the novel once more, noting down any descriptive prose for any of the characters. This was rather difficult with Hogarth, as apart from a “fisherboy”, what he looks like is largely up for interpretation. 

This was likely on purpose, allowing young readers to project themselves onto Hogarth’s character - to imagine themselves in the story. Audience identification is a large element to children’s entertainment, and this is something Hughes’ did to engage his readers - not restrict the character to one particular identity - but more of vague personality traits and ideals. Everyone feels guilty, and everyone feels scared. We can relate to Hogarth. 

Hogarth

However, this was something I wanted to challenge, somewhat. My task was to produce an engaging and interesting design for a character - so I had to inflict some actual personality and character. 

Working on the slender and simple shapes of cartoonist Tom Gauld’s work in books such as Mooncop, I experimented with a range of different visual styles for the character, before settling on this final concept. In these final design illustrations, I wanted to challenge myself to develop my skills using a brush pen, achieving a varied quality of line - and giving the character a more interesting and visually engaging style than a flat rendering of the character using the same light weights. 

I think using a brush pen gives the illustration somewhat of an edge, a point of visual interest that allows the work to be more exciting to an audience. For the actual character design, I played around with the idea of wearing a fisherman’s hat, but abandoned the concept after a few sketches. Using these simple, basic shapes, I took the original sketch and re-drew the character, using the brush pen. I wanted the character to be in a state of shock, surprise - he’s just seen the Iron Man for the first time. Just from this character design, we can tell that the character isn’t anyone special - feeling left out and lonely. He’s holding a bucket with the label BAIT taped to it, showing the family’s home-made mentality. His hair style is long, circular - certainly not “cool” amongst his peers.

When responding to the text, I thought that Hogarth likely lived a solitary, quiet life - fishing at night, by himself. I began developing ideas from this, creating a series of sketches looking at different emotions and feelings, and experimenting with a hatched visual style inspired by Gauld, which I thought works quite well. In terms of a final animation visual language, my initial idea was to use a similar style, embracing a time-less look akin to traditional fairy-tale illustrations. Through developing these characters, however, I was reminded of the works of Bruce Timm. Looking at a more gloomy, dark visual language - more cinematic and less cartoon-like. Whilst I was reading the text, I felt that this type of visual style would work better - and fit the cinematic qualities the first two chapters possess. 

Iron Man

The easiest and most enjoyable character to design was Hughes’ titular metal man - the Iron Giant himself. Most of the first chapters of the book are spent describing the character, though being wildly inconsistent considering his size. Taking lines from the book and drawing directly from the imagery allowed me to challenge my ability to illustrate from a literary source - and my abilities to realise concepts and ideas. 

This is something I began to explore in my previous project Poets, but here I was able to develop my skills to produce a final design - rather than just sketches. 

In these reactionary sketches, I was loose in my approach to drawing the Iron Man, alternating his appearance with each sketch to visualise my initial ideas. In these drawings, I’m purposely not settling on one design - just focusing on getting my ideas down on the page. An idea that interested me, and one that allows me to distance myself from the original animated feature - run with the idea of a clock-work Iron Man. 

Through these early sketches, I established the idea of an Iron Man with a big body and small head - and there’s something inherently endearing about that design - that idea of a “gentle giant”. After this, I moved straight onto developing these initial sketches into character design ideas, producing a range of designs inspired by my reactionary drawings and the printed compositions made in a previous workshop. 

In these sketches, I was building upon the ideas expressed earlier, using a bold red pencil to avoid any smudging. My first design was based on a egg-shaped Iron Man, with sleek, white robotic limbs inspired by the work of artist Jake Parker. I experimented with more retro and modern interpretations of robots, playing around with various body types, shapes and sizes. I experimented with different facial features, adding ears and a nose. 

Something that I considered when drawing these designs was the simplistic visual language of Bruce Timm’s character designs for Batman The Animated Series. 

With Timm’s designs, there’s a clear focus on simplicity, and minimal visual noise on each character. Considered, purposeful dynamic lines and simple shapes define the series’ overall look - a streamlined, clean and exciting visual language. This dynamic style is something I found very effective - and is a successful example of engaging my target audience. 

Having produced three final concepts for the Iron Man, I wanted to create a definitive design - achieved by taking the various elements that I found effective in each drawing and combining these aspects to create a new character. I liked the bulky, large chest of #3, the bulbous, oval body shape of #1 and the slender, mechanical joints of #2. I found that adding a nose to the character makes him an Iron man, rather than a Giant and the bucket-shaped head was the most effective. 

Combining these designs produced this final character design, which I  think works well. With a small head, and large body - the character is instantly seen as a gentle giant, with the egg-shaped body only emphasising this. The large rounded shoulder pads make the Iron Man look somewhat intimidating, which is then completely opposed by slender joints with a small, rather pathetic claw. The segmented limbs are left in place from #1, providing the character with the ability to walk and run, properly. 

Something which I considered was the character’s ability to move - the design has to be able to be drawn over and over again, and thus should not be too complicated for the screen. The character should have suitable articulation for the intended animation. My plan is to produce a short sequence showing the Iron Man walking across the cliff, before sitting by the edge, legs dangling. This small action instantly humanises the character - and requires suitable articulation in the legs and arms. My final design meets this requirement. 

Before moving onto designing the Space-Angel-Dragon, I wanted to work on the Iron Man’s silhouette - an exciting character design should have an interesting silhouette. Look at Mickey Mouse and the afore-mentioned Batman for key examples of this idea - you know who that character is, just from the iconic shape alone. 

I was able to simplify and streamline my design in this process, producing an intimidating and exciting silhouette for the character, in preparation for my title sequence animation. This will feature a silhouette of the character for most of the animation, so creating a clear shape was vital for the process. 

Actions

Having produced the three character designs, I will now look at how to make a successful book-to-screen adaptation, exploring a few examples and looking at what steps the creators took to adapt the script to screen, the changes they made and how they engaged their audience in doing so. Examples including The Iron Giant from Warner Bros. 

These sketches will be included in my final presentation pitch, which I will create after having produced the final animations and narrative plot lines.