Skwigly - The Big Animation Magazine Now Available for UK and World Fans of all Things Animated

(PRWEB) April 17, 2005

It finally happened, like an irresistible force of Nature. With the animation industry in the UK and elsewhere growing by leaps and bounds, David R. Smith’s popular on-line website known as Skwigly (http://www.skwigly.co.uk) has morphed onto the print page, and the first issue of ‘Skwigly-The Big Animation Magazine’ is available as of April 12, 2005. What you don’t know about the animation industry will soon be replaced by all the great details you’ll find in this exciting first-edition.

This initial run of 10,000 copies of the full-color, glossy-print magazine will be sold at on-line at http://www.skwigly.co.uk/print/. A special discount for early customers is available, with the news-stand price set at £3.50 British Pounds.

‘Skwigly-The Big Animation Magazine’ will be one of the UK’s first new animation industry print magazines for the new century, so collectors may wish to get in line for this limited run.

What you’ll find inside are 68 pages of news and resources for animators, artists, writers, and fans. Insightful articles from a great staff of experienced writers, and full-color artwork in a modern package, will provide readers with hours of enjoyment. ‘Skwigly-The Big Animation Magazine’ includes news, reviews, articles, features, commentary, event calendars, premieres, and more, on all subjects related to the entire animation industry. Big-budget 3D-CGI films, more modest 2D films, video games, new techniques, tutorials, artist profiles, software reviews, TV offerings, trends and styles, are found in a complete industry review with every edition.

On the cover of the April, 2005 issue, is the story of the UK’s first 3D-CGI feature-length animation film for wide release. ‘Valiant’ from Vanguard is not just the story of a World War-2 homing pigeon, it’s also the on-going saga of the UK’s hope for a leading role in the feature animation industry, as well as all about how the film was budgeted and produced, in this article.

Also featured is a look at development and production of the new animated series for BBC-TV from London’s Iain Lauchlan of Tell-Tale Productions, and how he pulled together the funds and talent needed for this show. Lauchlan explains his way-out idea for ‘BB3B’, his production pipeline, and why he chose to create this show with the popular Flash animation program, in his own words.

You’ll also find an article about the release and production of a new video game and cinematic from Oddworld; a guide to story-boarding from one of UBSoft’s Canadian animation directors; an article on the puppetry of Sean and Barrie Robinson with their new creation, ‘Project Cobra’; a profile of well-known animator Richard Bazley who is working on Steve Oedekerk’s ‘The Barnyard’; a complete review of the 23rd Imagina Convention and digital arts festival held in Monaco in February (including interviews with Pixar animator Travis Hathaway and Japanese anime creator Mitsuhisa Ishikawa); a talk with Studio AKA’s Philip Hunt about commercial animation in the UK; as well as 10 pages of industry news, film and product reviews, and more.

You’ll also learn how you can contribute to efforts to provide food and resources for the needy in Africa, with an on-line auction of some great studio prints and art-work. The Skwigly Charity Auction features prints from ‘The Cramp Twins’, and original story-boards and art-work from other shows, with all proceeds donated to SANFO (Save the African Needy Foundation). Find out how you can link to the auction on Ebay through the Skwigly website, with information in this issue of the print magazine.

And if you like animation art-work, the Skwigly Sketch Pad in the first edition includes three colour pages of drawings, original sketches, images and creations from well-known UK freelance animators. Check out their new ideas, experimental doodling, and way-out inventions in this unique exhibition of self-expression.

The publication is supported by animation-industry advertisers, volunteers, and sponsors, with funding from the Welsh Development Agency. Printing services are provided by the family-run press at Warner’s in Lincolnshire, UK “They’ve been very helpful,” said Skwigly’s David R. Smith. “After we went to press and got a view of how it would look, it was very exciting.”

Smith is founding editor and publisher, with Editor Wade Konowalchuk, associate editor Amy Hodman, 2nd associate editor Giselle Fox, editorial assistant Rebecca Downes, deputy art editor Adam Caldicott and 2nd deputy art editor Stuart Jones.

Magazine Contributors are: Wade Konowalchuk, Keith Miles, Julian Philips, Giselle, Eduardo Azevedo, Daniel, Tulay Tetiker, Nancy, Raja Bhattacharya, Stewart Jones. Production offices are in Monmouth, UK. “We have contributors from all around the world, talking to UK animators,” said Smith. “I’m extremely pleased. It’s taken a while and we’ve had our problems, but we’ve overcome them and it came together really well.”

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