Book signing in la!

Thanks to jerry beck for this photo from Comiccon of the designing the secret of kells books arriving at comic con ! Come down and get one signed today or any day until Sunday! 

limited edition prints

http://www.secretofkellsstore.com/

We have released a limited edition range of Prints featuring scene illustrations from The Secret of Kells.
Please check out the link above for more info...

Paul Bolgers "Hound"

Paul Bolger is a filmmaker, animator and illustrator based in Co.Kilkenny who has been planning a version of the Cuchulainn myth for as long as I've known him and quite a few years before that.

It looks to be a fantastic comic and film, please vote for it on this Guinness Arts Grant site to help him achieve the funding needed....

Here is the voting link  - 

www.arthurguinnessprojects.com/arts/hound-1

ICN have run a little article too and also put up some final art for people to see here - 

http://www.irishcomicnews.com/2013/07/vote-for-hound-on-guiness-arts-projects/

rte2 New Year's Eve

Celebrate the end of 2012 and the start of 2013 by watching The Secret of Kells tonight at 6.30

Brendan is with the Vikings!

 

The Northmen of Denmark  will finally be able to see Brendan in their own country.

Thankfully we are all friends now and even coproducing our new film Song of the Sea with our Viking comrades at Noerlum Studios , Viborg.

Danish animation fans please go along and support our film !

Goooooooold!

Soul of the Song

https://www.cic.ie/2064-product-anam-an-amhr%C3%A1in-by-cartoon-saloon-s%C3%B3nt

Hey - here is Cartoons Saloon and Sonta Teos coproduction of animated traditional Irish songs available to buy on DVD!

Anam an Amhrain - the Soul of the Song, with animated segments animated ,designed and directed by our finest Salooners, including myself :-)

Great stocking fillers!

Song of the sea production Blog

http://songoftheseamovie.blogspot.ie/

Here we go again ;-)

Evan McGuire Voice of "Brendan"

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/irish-teen-evan-mcguire-powers-to-olympic-record-3101011.html

Young "Brendan" Evan McGuire seems to be carving out an impressive career as an athlete now. Wow.

Song of the Sea

http://www.cartoonsaloon.ie/2009/06/feature-films-song-of-the-sea/

We recently posted some Scene Illustrations from my new Film Song of the Sea on the Cartoon Saloon site.
I'll be starting a public production blog soon - I hope so you can follow my adventures in directing this new film  there.

Vegtoons

http://is.gd/vegtoons Hey friends , we recently partnered with Greg Singer to help him produce his series "veg toons " which promotes a plant based diet thru animation, there's a Kick starter campaign going to help fund it - please take a look at the link above. Thanks!

Last Orders

Hi there,

Just a note that this week will be the last week for a while that I take orders on watercolour paintings on the Cartoon Saloon shop.
I really enjoy making these paintings for fans who request them but I need to get my weekends back :)

So - if you want a little painting you will need to order this week ...

T

Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/comic-riffs/post/st-patricks-day-google-doodle-artist-illuminates-the-true-inspiration-behind-todays-elegant-irish-design/2012/03/16/gIQAIHQnHS_blog.html

ST. PATRICK’S DAY: Filmmaker illuminates the lure of ‘Kells’

By Michael Cavna

.
IN THE SPIRIT OF St. Patrick’s Day, Comic Riffs reflects on one of the more striking Irish-themed films of recent vintage: the stunningly lush animation that is “The Secret of Kells.”
Comic Riffs caught up Tomm Moore, the Irish director of the 2010 Oscar-nominated film, to share his thoughts on the lasting allure of the 9th-century “Book of Kells,” the artistic pride of Ireland that offers perhaps the greatest illuminated manuscripts in history.
“ ‘The Book of Kells’ is a sort of visual-culture backdrop here in Ireland,” Moore tells Comic Riffs. “Before the euro, we handled coins and notes everyday with designs from its pages, its patterns have found their way into every strata of culture here, from tattoos to high-quality jewelry, signs on pubs to official government buildings and fixtures.
“It was a wish to adapt this visual culture to animation that brought us to research its roots,” Moore continues, “and that was when we encountered the stories and legends around ‘The Book of Kells.’ “
[GOOGLE DOODLE: “Kells” inspires St. Patrick’s Day logo]
Moore is struck by how “Kells” — in which Celtic monks illustrated the Gospels — mixes the faiths of Church and folk ritual.
“The stories from that time are fascinating — a sort of blend of old pagan beliefs with Christianity, and so saints are often given the powers and legends of figures from mythology that preceded them,” Moore says. “Often they share names and sacred pagan sites became Christian sites. St. Patrick’s Reek in Mhaigh Eo (Cro Padhraig) was once Croms Reek, for example, or St. Bridgid’s legends that are obviously build on an earlier deity.
“This blending, and the fact that the book contained so many multicultural influences, is what inspired my colleagues and I to make the film.”
Moore underscores how central the book is to Ireland’s rich history. ”There is one story I always think of from an later period that seems to show how emblematic the book became to Irish culture — Queen Victoria signed it!” the filmmaker says. “Seems a pretty symbolic act to me.”
And that illuminated allure continues undimmed today.
“I’m delighted to say the influence is still being felt as we had a young fan visit the other day with her parents,” Moore relates. “They were from Kansas City, and had made their first trip out of the U.S. to Ireland based on seeing ‘The Secret of Kells!’ “

Longway North

Pilote Tout en Haut du Monde / Longway North from Sacrebleu Productions on Vimeo.


Here is the beautiful trailer for "Longway north" , a feature film by Remi Chaye.
Remi was one of the most important crew members on the Secret of Kells, he worked as assistant director, storyboarder, and layout man.
A really talented and experienced filmmaker , he will surely create an amazing film.
Add to that some of his crew are my old friends from production on Kells, Eve, Andrejz, Ray and Lionel and I think we are sure to see something very special when this film is finally released.

Happy saint Patrick's day

My first saint Patrick's day in Ireland in three years! Great memories from Boston and Washington but nice to be home. Today I shall mostly be storyboarding on my new film Song of the Sea.

The Animation Art Auction

todays Guardian

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2011/sep/28/artists-artist-animators

Dinner with Mr.Lasseter

Had the pleasure of having dinner with John Lasseter ,his family and the lovely people from Disney Ireland, Brown Bag Films and IFTA on Monday night.

John told me he picked up a  copy of the The Secret of Kells Blu Ray in his local Barnes and Noble :)

Thanks to Trish Long for inviting me and to Darragh O'Connell for this nice snap!

Back to kecskemet

Today I am travelling to Hungary to serve on the jury for kaff - kecskemet films animation festival.
I look forward to meeting old friends from our time working with them ....

http://www.kaff.hu/news/show

gingerbread is ready...

http://www.todpolsonart.blogspot.com/




see if you spot any familiar faces in Tod Polsons latest masterpiece...

Watercolours

Its a bit amazing to me to still be regularly creating Secret of Kells artwork so long after production wrapped.
These are my favourites of the recent commissions and gifts I've painted.
Its very relaxing to create purely painted pieces - no photoshop! 
Theres still a long list of people I've promised to paint something for - please be patient folks!