2008 Winsor McCay Award Winners Announced

This just in from the San Diego Comic-Con... At a private party for Annie Award recipients and nominees, the winners of the 2008 Winsor McCay Awards were announced. In attendance were past Annie honorees Ralph Bakshi, Bill Plympton, Antran Manoogian, and Stephen Worth.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (July 26, 2008) The International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood, announced its 2008 Winsor McCay Award recipients during a private reception Friday, July 25, at the Gaslamp Marriott during the annual Comic Con Convention in San Diego, California. This year's Winsor McCay recipients are: Mike Judge, John Lasseter and Nick Park (see bios below). Award recipients will claim their trophies at the 36th Annual Annie Awards scheduled for Friday, January 30, 2009, at UCLA's Royce Hall in Los Angeles, California.

Named in honor of animator Winsor McCay, best known as a prolific artist and pioneer in the art of comic strips and animation, the Winsor McCay Award stands as one of the highest honors given to an individual in the animation industry in recognition for career contributions to the art of animation.

"ASIFA-Hollywood is proud to present Mike Judge, John Lasseter and Nick Park each with a Winsor McCay Award," said Antran Manoogian, president of ASIFA-Hollywood. "Their career achievements and outstanding contributions to the art of animation are certainly worthy of being recognized with this honor."

The 2008 Winsor McCay Award Recipients are:


Mike Judge is the acclaimed creator of MTV's Beavis and Butt-head and Fox's King Of The Hill. Judge started his career as an independent animator creating several short films, including Office Space with Milton and Frog Baseball, animating them on his kitchen table. Judge provides the voices for his main characters (Beavis, Butt-head and Hank Hill) and has directed a feature length version of Beavis and Butt-head, as well as several critically acclaimed live action films. His third animated series, The Goode Family, will air next year on ABC.

John Lasseter is a pioneering computer animation director and currently the Chief Creative Officer at Pixar and Walt Disney Animation. Lasseter, a Cal Arts graduate, began his career in hand drawn character animation at Disney in 1975. He joined Pixar when it was still an experimental unit of Lucasfilm in 1984. He added a cartoonist's vision to the world of computer graphics, combining strong storytelling with classic character animation. After winning an Academy Award for his short, Tin Toy, he led Pixar to commercial and critical success with such feature films as Toy Story, A Bug's Life, and Cars.

Nick Park is the British clay animator who charmed the world with his Academy Award winning short, Creature Comforts, and hilarious characters Wallace and Gromit. He started his first film, A Grand Day Out, while still a student at the National Film and Television School. He joined Aardman Animation in 1985 and went on to complete three Wallace and Gromit shorts and co-directed two feature films, Chicken Ru and the Academy Award winning Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit. His fourth Wallace and Gromit short, A Matter of Loaf and Death, will be released later this year.

Just in!

Jerry Beck discusses ASIFA and his "Worst Cartoons" show...


When Cartoons Were Crazy
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ASIFA ComicCon Schedule

The San Diego Comic-Con
July 24th - 27th, 2008

ASIFA-Hollywood
Booth 5334
(To the right of the main entrance, against the lobby side wall.)

ASIFA's booth this year is completely redesigned, with information on membership, the Annie Awards and the Animation Archive. Members of the ASIFA-Hollywood Board of Directors will be on hand, as well as Annie and Archive organizers. The Animation Archive Database, which includes over 3,000 animated films and 10,000 images will be demonstrated. Stop by and see all the treasures on display!

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Booth Schedule


Wednesday July 23rd

8 am Setup: Volunteers needed to help move the displays in and set them up. If you are available to help setup, contact... sworth@animationarchive.org

6 pm - 9 pm Preview Night: Volunteers may stop by any time to give breaks to the booth workers. Just stop by the booth when you are available.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday July 24th - 26th

9 am - 7 pm ComicCon Public Hours: : Volunteers may stop by any time to give breaks to the booth workers. Just stop by the booth when you are available.

Sunday July 27th

9 am - 5 pm ComicCon Public Hours: : Volunteers may stop by any time to give breaks to the booth workers. Just stop by the booth when you are available.

5 pm Break Down: Volunteers needed to pack up the displays and load them in the car. If you are available to help break down, contact... sworth@animationarchive.org

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Events Schedule


Thursday July 24th

10 - 11 am: CLICK & CLACK'S AS THE WRENCH TURNS ASIFA-Hollywood Vice President, Tom Sito hosts a behind-the-scenes look at PBS's new primetime cartoon based on the radio show "Car Talk". Also scheduled are Bill Kroyer, Stephen Silver, Floyd Norman, Helen Jen, Tom Minton and Howard Grossman. Room 2

2 - 3:30 pm: ANIMATION ON A SHOESTRING- ASIFA-Hollywood Board Member, Larry Loc offers tips and advice to do it yourself animators on how to achieve bang for the buck. Room 30CDF

8pm: CLICK & CLACK PARTY- Private Party to celebrate PBS's new television series based on the radio show, "Car Talk" at the ASIFA-Hollywood suite at the Gaslight Marriott. Private party open to those who worked on CAR TALK and their friends. (For invitation, email cartalkparty@asifa-hollywood.org)


Friday July 25th

6 - 7 pm: STATE OF THE ANIMATION INDUSTRY- A group of animation professionals discuss current trends in the business. Room 3

9:30 - 10:30 pm: WORST CARTOONS EVER- ASIFA-Hollywood Treasurer, Jerry Beck hosts his annual collection of jaw-dropping animated faux-pas and just plain awful cartoons. Room 6CDEF

8 pm: ANNIE AWARDS PARTY- Announcement of the 2009 Winsor McCay Award honorees at the ASIFA-Hollywood suite at the Gaslight Marriott. Private party open to all past Annie Award winners and nominees. (For invitation, email annieparty@asifa-hollywood.org)


Saturday July 26th

4:30 - 5:30 pm: ARTISTS ONLY: A DISCUSSION WITH RALPH BAKSHI- alph Bakshi is responsible for some of the most wildly original animated features ever made- including Heavy Traffic, Coonskin and Wizards. Working in a largely collaborative medium hide-bound by the legacy of Walt Disney, Bakshi was able to rip the lid off of the moribund medium and create films with remarkable honesty and a startlingly unique point of view.

The legendary cartoonist Ralph Bakshi will be on hand to be interviewed by ASIFA-Hollywood Archive Director Stephen Worth on his life and career. He will be offering advice to aspiring cartoonists and reflecting on what it means to be an artist in today’s world. Whether you’re lucky enough to make a living doodling or whether you still dream of being paid to create, you won’t want to miss this important presentation. Comic-Con Room 10

8 pm: BAKSHI PARTY- Private Party open to all of Ralph's friends and former employees of Bakshi Productions. (For invitation, email bakshiparty@asifa-hollywood.org)

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Event: Ralph Bakshi Panel At The San Diego ComicCon

The ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive Presents:
Artists Only: A Chat With Ralph Bakshi

Ralph Bakshi is responsible for some of the most wildly original animated features ever made- including "Heavy Traffic", "Fritz the Cat" and "Wizards". Working in a largely collaborative medium hide-bound by the legacy of Walt Disney, Bakshi was able to rip the lid off of the moribund medium and create films with remarkable honesty and a startlingly unique point of view.

The legendary cartoonist Ralph Bakshi will be on hand to be interviewed by ASIFA-Hollywood Archive Director Stephen Worth on his life and career. He will be offering advice to aspiring cartoonists and reflecting on what it means to be an artist in today's world. Whether you're lucky enough to make a living doodling or whether you still dream of being paid to create, you won't want to miss this important presentation.

Saturday, July 26th 4:30 to 5:30
San Diego Comic-Con Room 10

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