Top Ten Most Fascinating Animated Characters: Number 5

In the spirit of full disclosure, I did not grow up a ravenous anime connoisseur, as so many of my fellow animation geeks. I enjoyed some shows that were anime without really noticing that they were (like Rainbow Brite and TMNT), but I didn’t watch much Pokemon, Yu-gi-oh!, or Dragon Ball Z (much to my husband’s chagrin.) I did see Spirited Away the year it won the Academy Award and I, to be perfectly honest, did not get it. So much more fantastical and bizarre than what I was used to, I wrote it off as “weird.” Yet, I always knew there was something great I was missing–whether because the whole world was raving about it or from some inherent awesome-story-detector deep inside me, I’m not sure. In any case, it is now one of my favorite animated films, and Chihiro is one of the most interesting, admirable characters ever depicted–on-screen or in print.

Viewpoint: ‘Big Hero 6’ and the Unexpected Year

Last year, I set a simple, clear, well-defined goal—get invited to a screening of Big Hero 6 at Walt Disney Animation Studios. It was a goal that I wanted ardently and one that I etched into my psyche. I mean, I even wrote it down (because “a goal not written is only a wish,” true?). I figured that if mommy bloggers and other fan sites could get invited to a day at the vaulted Disney Studio lot, why not Animation Fascination and why not for this film?

A Hiro’s Journey: Ryan Potter Talks About His Experiences Working on ‘Big Hero 6’

Ryan Potter is one cool dude. I had the chance to speak with him over the phone to promote the recent Blu-ray release of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ hit film Big Hero 6.

Cool New Stamps Celebrate Irish Animation

Check out these wonderful new stamps from An Post, the national postal service in the bonny country of Ireland. The four new stamp designs celebrate the Irish animation industry, an industry of which the country is extremely proud. And they have reason to be–millions of people around the world are discovering the great animation being produced by the talented artists on the Emerald Isle.

GKIDS to Release ‘The Prophet’

Kahlil Gibran’s 1923 book of philosophical poetic essays The Prophet has been turned into a very unique animated feature film and has now been picked up for distribution by GKIDS. The film will be released in New York and Los Angeles on August 7 with other cities to follow in subsequent weeks. A new trailer has been released, too.

Animation Fascination Purchased by Pixar, to Become Official Podcast of Studio

In an unprecedented move, Pixar Animation Studios today announced that they have acquired the Animation Fascination podcast and website. The venerable podcast will become the official podcast of Pixar and co-founders Marc Vibbert and Matt Quest will join the staff of Pixar Animation Studios.

New Details Released About ‘Frozen 2’

Disney has made exciting announcements today about the upcoming production of Frozen 2, the sequel to the most successful animated film in the universe, Frozen 1.