“Monsoon” over on the Muppet Central forums posted links to these machinima Labyrinth movies made with the Sims 2, and after watching, I just had to share…

This first version is like Labyrinth mixed with cosplay – Jareth with cat ears! I like the creator’s take on the ballroom scene.

Entry number two adds more plot… and goblins! And baby-tossing Jareth! My favorite Sarah of the three. In the comments someone says they created Hoggle and Ludo sims — time to pony up.

The final Machinima is the most polished of the three and focuses entirely on the Jareth/Sarah story. So well done! They nailed Jarerth’s eyebrows. And the ballroom looks superb.

A heads up for Labyrinth fans in the Bay Area or those planning attending WonderCon, Tokyopop will be holding a Henson panel on Saturday, Feb. 23rd from 4:30-5:30. I’ll be there to answer questions about Return to Labyrinth and talk about where the series is going, but I’m sure there will be some other surprises as well. As the date gets closer, I’ll update with more details. Additionally, I’ll be on a Tokyopop creator panel on Sunday with other artists and writers — should be fun! This is my first time attending WonderCon (even though it’s my 3rd year living just a short walk away). Any advice from previous attendees?

In other news: 1) my new laptop arrives today; 2) I’m still basking in the glow of seeing the Kids in the Hall perform live for the first time in years; 3) A super-exciting and top-secret writing project is moving forward; 4) I’m going to Costa Rica at the end of next month; 5) A new job starts in March (more on that later!); 6) I finally fixed the defective “Archives” button at the top of the site.

So a few months back, I visited my sister in Alabama and we went on a road trip. As we were packing our bags, I suddenly had an idea – let’s invite Jareth! And so I looked into the mirror and chanted, “Goblin King, Goblin King, wherever you may be, come to Alabama with a banjo on your knee!” And lo and behold, he came! It was one heck of a trip, I assure you. And thanks to Jareth, we never wanted for catchy tunes in the radio wasteland of the deep south. First stop: Space Camp!

In case you were wondering, Space Camp is just like the movie, in that hardly anything’s changed since the 80s, only there were no artificially intelligent robots to accidentally launch you into space for real. Or maybe those were in the off-limits, campers-only sections (we really just toured the museum and grounds). My sister and I played on the Mars-themed climbing wall, but Jareth said the tight fitting safety holsters looked a little too snug for comfort. (Yeah, I know – who’s he to talk about groinal snugness?). After that, we saw the lunar lander, went inside a MIR module and played with the shuttle simulator. And to top off our adventure – Dippin Dots! (Jareth had Cookies and Cream). On the way out, we stopped by the grave of Miss Baker, first monkey in space. Jareth saw the bananas lying there and took one. I tried to tell him those were left for Miss Baker, but he just shrugged and ate it anyway. I guess the Dippin’ Dots weren’t filling enough for the Goblin King.

Next stop: Nashville!

Something of a change of pace from the usual manga/Labyrinth fare, I thought I’d share my thoughts on last year’s crop of films in the spirit of Oscar Season (TM). Before I got involved with writing and editing manga, I was a student at the USC Film school, and before that I was a movie junky with a permanent seat at the multiplex and a bladder adapted to storing 48oz sodas without the need to pee (which should give me at least as much authority in film criticism as Drew McWeeny). This past year I saw 57 first-run films in theaters, and after compiling my list, I pulled the films that stood out for me as the cream of the crop. I try to be equal-opportunity when it comes to genre films and so-called serious fare, so I wouldn’t leave something off the list just because it’s a popcorn movie. There were plenty of films that I enjoyed and admired (3:10 to Yuma and Harry Potter come to mind), but for one reason or another didn’t resonate with me on a personal level. I came up with 16 starred reviews plus a few slams at the bottom for films that stuck out in a bad way. Here they are, in chronological order… Read more…

Sometimes the first draft of a scene will make it to the final book word-for-word. Usually it takes a couple drafts of revisions either self-imposed or guided by Tokyopop and Henson before drawing commences. Most of those changes are done to improve the story or character development, but there were a few trims that had to be made just for the sake of page count.

The scene below is a scene from Chapter 3 (Educating Toby) of Volume 2 that expands the “B” story of Skub making his “Mak and Cheees.” Due to time and page constraints, we had to trim it down from eight pages to two. This scene was mostly an excuse to have Hana and Stank (the Fairy and baby-Ludo) get involved with some mischief, and a way to bring back some minor supporting characters, so trimming it doesn’t affect the main story. Still, I’m a sucker for cute critters and pratfalls, so I thought I’d share it before it before it’s lost forever. So here you the “director’s cut” version of Hana and Stank’s Cheese adventures!

Read more…

Some nine months ago, when my recently graduated sister found herself in need of freelance work, I suggested she get in touch with my old colleagues at Tokyopop. Sure enough, she landed a few script localization projects which have at long last come to print. When she told me she was working on a title called “Suppli” that was really awesome because the characters were roughly her age and so well-written, it didn’t really stick as I’d never heard of the series or its creator, Mari Okazaki. What a surprise it was to see her latest project pop up on several “best of” lists for 2007!

Suppli sounds a bit like Kimi wa Pet (Tramps Like Us) with romance between a driven career woman and a younger man, but it’s supposed to be pretty amazing. It even spawned a live action TV series! I’d better check this out to, if only to support my sis.

Her other series, Demon Flowers, just saw the release of its second volume. Congratulations, Liz!

After two weeks away from the internets, we’re back to ring in the new year right (and a week late…) on Gobblin.net! As promised last time, I’ve got new commentary on Return to Labyrinth Vol. 3, as well as a first glimpse of art. Granted, it’s just a thumbnail, but I think Labyrinth Fans will enjoy… Read more…