Japan Issue of Stop Motion Magazine Available for Download!!!

Stop Motion Magazine Issue #10 is now available for Free Download at www.stopmotionmagazine.com!

This issue was originally scheduled for release in February but due to technical issues (Hard Drive Failure), along with further delaying the issue out of respect for our friends and their families that were effected by the Tsunami. We are happy to announce that the issue is now available. There are some great interviews in this issue. We interviewed Fumiko Magari (Animator : New Adventures of Pinoko, Mad Monster Party, Pingu), dwarf inc (Domo, Komaneko), Ryo Yoshida (Master Ball Joint Doll Maker), and upcoming animator Keita Funimoto. 

I really wanted to put a lot more into this issue. But since most of the photographs and some interviews were lost during the making of this issue, I was lucky enough to have backed up a good portion of the main articles. I will definitely be going back to Japan in the future and will have more opportunities to meet with animators and studios to give you more insight into Stop Motion in Japan. Also, I will most likely be venturing to other parts of Asia and the world and this will result in further issues of the magazine focusing on those regions visited. 

I hope you enjoy this issue as much as I have.

Keep Animating

John Ikuma

Executive Editor

Stop Motion Magazine 

Issue#11 April 2011 Available Now!!!

Ok, I know your thinking"Wait thats the December Issue!", but it's the April 2011 Issue with the image of Will Fiesterman which was mistakenly put onto the December 2010 Cover...

So what did we do with the December Cover you ask? We'll we reposted it with Will Vinton on the Cover the way it should have been in the first place. It's only right to have the King of Claymation be on his own cover. There are however some pictures of Will Fiesterman in Will Vintons article, but thats unavoidable considering how few images we were allowed to use for Vintons Interview. Anyway......

Back to the Issue at hand. This issue (I mean the April 2011 Issue) has tons of great stuff in it and a very awesome interview with William Fiesterman. The guy is such a wealth of knowledge and experience. I really think he should have a memoir written.

I also would like to take the time to thank Don Carlson for a great beginners tutorial for lighting Clay Animation. We hope to keep Don around to write some more articles for us and not just tutorials. He's a fun guy to have around and we appreciate his contribution to the magazine.

There's much much more in the issue and instead of you reading this Blog Entry, I'll let you go so you can get to reading the latest issue.

Oh Yeah! Stop Motion Magazine is taking submissions for the 2011 Stop Mo Film Festival. So tell your friends!!!

Keep Animating
John Ikuma
Executive Editor
Stop Motion Magazine

Pax Paint Tutorial is Now Available

Ok, its been a long time since we update the blog. There's a bunch of reasons for this so I'll give you the short list... Computer Failure, Tragic World Events that effected us, Payed Commercial Gigs that ate up the little time I personally had....

Good News!!! We are back in action! The video you see above is one that many many many people have been requesting of late. It's the basic tutorial on how to make and use PAX Paint in a brushing method. This video is the last in the Stop Motion Foam Latex Puppet Series.

There will however be more puppet making videos in the future. So keep an eye out for those. Also, some fun short films will be added.

So for now, checkout the video and start making some awesomely cool puppets!!!

December 2010 Issue #9 Finally Available!!!

Yeah!!! The December Issue is finally available for free download. Sorry for the delay. Will Vinton was kind enough to do an amazing interview with us and we hope you enjoy it.

Go to StopMotionMagazine.com and download your free copy now!!!

Count Down to final moment of Donations

So the final count down has started and there are only a few hours left to donate your hard earned money to help in the production of  the Feature Length Documentary "In the Shadows of Light". You can make a donation at this link: http://www.indiegogo.com/In-the-Shadows-of-Light
Production has been great! Though some interviews have had to been rescheduled due to the Holidays. But not a worry at all since shooting should conclude by the end of January. There's so much to do with the film and so much footage to review and edit. It's been great meeting people in the Stop Motion Community here in Los Angeles. Everyone has been really supportive and open. Recently I interviewed the makers of the short film "Nanuk" and their lead animators. They were super awesome and fun to hang with.

If you can make a small donation to the film that would be great and would help in the supplies cost for making this documentary about Stop Motion in Los Angeles.

All the Best
John Ikuma
Executive Editor
Stop Motion Magazine

Harryhausen Issue is Now Available!!!

The long awaited Ray Harryhausen 90th Anniversary Issue is now available for free download at http://www.stopmotionmagazine.com/!!! Enjoy!!!

Harryhausen Issue Coming this Week!!!

The Picture above really tells the story of whats been going on. It's totally been a "Tortoise and the Hare" race around here. Some things are going very fast and others are taking a very longtime to finish. For one thing I am very greatful to Tony Dalton and Ray Harryhausen for helping out on the latest issue. Many many many hick-ups along the way have delayed the issue far beyond it's due date. But luckily we are close to completion. In fact the issue should be out this week!!!

On another note... The Documentary has been keeping myself very busy and filming is halfway done. If you'd like to help out with a donate then please do... It would make a great Christmas Gift for someone and would help to push the project along.

"So whats been going on really?" you ask.... Fo one thing there's been a ton of puppet making and animating thats been happening. Recently I was forced to make some Puppet Rigs for animating Walk Cycles using a Ball-N-Socket method. Fun but a ton of work. Also, we have a couple of videos in production for our YouTube Channel. One is a Sappy Robot Love Song and the other is a cute Munny Animation Song. Juggeling these with the normal everyday work is very dizzing. But it's all moving along.

And one last note.... Will Vinton interviewed with us for the up coming December Issue which will be out on Christmas. Will was awesome to speak with and we hope you enjoy that issue.

Stay Tuned this week for when we announce the release of the Harryhausen Issue

Keep Animating
John Ikuma
Executive Editor
Stop Motion Magazine