Inanimate


Click here for my G.I. Joe blog
New Comic Now On-Sale Here posted 27 April 2013 Jet Brick and the Half-Chaste Date, a 26-page comic, and my first solo book since 2006, is now available here at the For Sale page. It's the ups and downs of two weeks in the life of a 20-something guy who has a great first date with an intriguing gal. Check out the cover and interior previews!
New Comic Debuts at Boston Comic Con posted 10 April 2013 I'll be tabling at Boston Comic Con April 20 and 21, selling Jet Brick and the Half-Chaste Date, my first solo comic in seven years. Click on the image at right for a tease.
10 Things You Didn't Know About G.I. Joe posted 26 March 2013 Just in time for that big budget sequel I've been hearing about, I wrote an article for pop culture blog TheFW.
Next Appearance: Boston Comic Con posted 26 March 2013 I'll be tabling next to Joe Quinones at Boston Comic Con the weekend of April 20 and 21. I'll be selling Gore Squares, TransSpoof, sketches, and a debuting a new comic. Check back here in April for more.
Book Update #28: Winter 2013 posted 27 February 2013 Progress from the past semester: Starting a third draft of Chapter 10, a second draft of Chapter 11, and early work on a first draft of Chapter 12. Also for Chapter 12: found some photos, interviewed three media people who will fill out the narrative there. Also, interviewed a toy designer to better balance the opening of Chapter 9, which I had thought was done, but turns out really needed this interview. At right, editor Nick Nadel and I working on Chapter 11 in January.
Dark Knight on a Dark Knight 2012 posted 27 February 2013 Coming down from the walls at Hub Comics at the end of last month was the 4th annual Dark Knight on a Dark Knight show of Batman (a Dark Knight) art to celebrate the winter solstice (a dark night). My contribution, originally drawn this summer when I saw "The Dark Knight Rises," is at right. See the art and the opening reception here, and read Mark Perigard's Boston Herald coverage (paper version) here or (online) here.
Tabling and Panelling at MICE @ Lesley posted 27 September 2012 The fifth annual MICE (Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo) is this Saturday, September 29th, from 10am to 7pm in University Hall at Lesley University, Porter Square, Cambridge. I'll be tabling with AIB students and selling Gore Squares. Then at 4:30 I'm moderating the "Mixing Media" panel with guests Doug De Rocher, EJ Barnes, Adrienne Nunez, Raul Gonzalez, and Cathi Chang on the topic of comics as the intersection of low brow and fine art. Admission to the show is free!
Hub Comics, One Year Later posted 08 September 2012 My employees and friends had a surprise party for me at Hub Comics on Tuesday to celebrate the one year anniversary of me taking over the store. The math does work out even if renovations started 14 months ago and our RELAUNCH! party was 9 months ago -- Our first shipment of new comics arrived one year ago on August 30th, 2011. At right: Jack, Erika, Joe, Jesse, Grace, Liz, Dave, Andrew, and Sara. Thanks, gang!
G.I. Joe Field Manual out now posted 08 September 2012 Jim Sorensen and Bill Forster's great book of G.I. Joe animation model sheets is out. I contributed a few pieces. The book looks great, guys! Attention, Russ Heath fans: this is a treasure chest.
Blog Update posted 08 September 2012 If you haven't been to arealamericanbook.wordpress.com recently, you've missed out on my adventures as a Sunbow intern, the recolored Hit & Run figure that never was, an unseen Joe Kubert sketch of Sgt. Savage, and more. Updates once a week, usually Mondays or Fridays, comments welcome.
Comicazi Mini-Con This Saturday posted 17 June 2012 I'll be selling Gore Squares and sketching at the Comicazi Mini-Con in Davis Square, Somerville, this Saturday from 1 to 5pm. It's also Art Beat, so you've got two reasons to come out.
Book Update #27: Summer 2012 posted 17 June 2012 After a very busy year of school, store, drawing, and blogging, the school portion is over and I've got time to get back to writing my G.I. Joe book. That means finishing that first draft of chapter 10, starting a first draft of chapters 11 and 12, and sending out a few fact-check e-mails.
Westport Youth Film Festival 2012 posted 17 June 2012 In June I was the Animation jury at WYFF 2012, held in Bridgeport CT, and run by the super-organized Evan Neidich. Careful observers may have called foul on a perceived bias on my part -- I picked a LEGO stop motion made by a 14-year old boy and my first cartoon was a LEGO stop motion made when I was 14. Competition was fierce, though, and the festival was lovely. Photo at right by Helen Kilsser During.
New Comic @ Boston Comic Con posted 16 April 2012 This weekend I'm tabling at Boston Comic Con and debuting "Gore Squares," a month-long journal comic I made with Liz Prince, Maris Wicks, and Joe Quinones. "Four Squares" and "More Squares" will also be for sale at the show, and "Gore Squares" has now been added to the Inanimate store. Cover, pg 1, pg 2.
Larry Hama @ Hub Comics posted 16 April 2012 Last weekend I organized an artist talk for G.I. Joe scribe Larry Hama at AIB and a signing at Hub Comics. Pictures are here.
Full page in this week's DigBoston posted 03 March 2012 I get a cover blurb and almost a full page in the February 29th-March 6th issue of DigBoston. Hub Comics, teaching at AIB, and G.I. Joe all get covered. A longer version should be posted to the DigBoston website in a week. Thanks to interviewer Corey Estlund, photographer Jamie Meditz, and art director Scott Murray for the kind coverage.
On television posted 03 March 2012 Somerville, MA has a large per capita population of comics artists. Rachel Strutt of Somerville Community Access Television interviewed me, Liz Prince, and Jef Czekaj for her show "Culture Club." For a half hour we discussed drawing comics, comic book stores, not quitting your day job, and even my G.I. Joe book. Photos here and the whole episode here.
Book Update #26: Winter 2012 posted 03 March 2012 It's not a first draft yet, but I do have an assembly of Chapter 10. Book designer Liz has turned in her first pass of Chapter 9.
Hub Comics' RELAUNCH! posted 03 March 2012 Last month my comic shop celebrated its new ownership and its 4th anniversary with a big party. We broke a record for store attendance, friends and family travelled from out of state, and customers new and old devoured 102 cupcakes, 8 bottles of wine, and 15 liters of soda. Photos here.
Dark Knight on a Dark Night posted 03 March 2012 Near the winter solstice Hub Comics celebrates Batman with an annual art show. I contributed this Two-Face piece. Photos of the reception and other work are here.
Interview with Flag Points podcast posted 19 November 2011 Dave and Don of the G.I. Joe podcast Flag Points interviewed me about my book. We covered research, the cartoon, and toy samples, and talked for so long they broke up the episode into two parts, here and here. ("Flag Points" are the '80s and '90s G.I. Joe toy package proofs of purchase.)
I Bought a Comic Book Store posted 19 November 2011 Hub Comics opened its doors in January 2008, but the store fell on hard times and owner James Welborn passed away this past May. So I stepped in. While maintaining normal business hours, the store has undergone some renovations -- new paint, new bookcases, and de-cluttering. Next: New awning and website. Like us on Facebook! GRAND RE-OPENING PARTY on January 14th! At right, Manager Jesse and I.
Book Update #25: Fall 2011 posted 19 November 2011 Where did summer go? And no updates in such a long time. I've been busy with the blog, which updates Mondays and Fridays. Check out never-seen art and musings on fandom. You can subscribe, and like it on Facebook. Turning to the book proper, Chapter 9 has been delivered to designer Liz, along with its TIFFs and list of what loosely goes where.
OIAF 2011 posted 19 November 2011 Old news from September: Autumn brings the annual Ottawa International Animation Festival, 5 full days of screenings of films new and old, long and short, domestic and international, and made by individuals or made by studios. This was my 13th consecutive year, and AIB's 6th. We took some Monsterrart and sMFA folk with us.
Blog Launch! posted 18 June 2011 Two weeks back I launched A Real American Book!, my new blog. It updates 2 or 3 times weekly, and features behind the scenes info on my book, short texts about the making of it (like interviewing, research trips, and treasure hunting) and light commentary on all things G.I. Joe. You can sign up for e-mail alerts and "like" it on Facebook, too.
Book Update #24: BEA 2011 posted 01 June 2011 Last week I attended Book Expo America to network with editors and marketers. A few publishers of fine coffee table books kindly looked at my samples, but the ball's in my court to follow-up. And finish writing the damn thing. Photography wasn't allowed, so here's me at the show entrance within the Javitz Center in NYC.
Book Update #23: Spring 2011 posted 12 May 2011 Editor Nick was busy being a Segment Producer for a talk show on Hallmark Channel last month, and couldn't check draft 2 of Chapter 9, so I started writing Chapter 10. At right is our last editing session from January.
My Film @ the ICA/Boston posted 12 May 2011 Sorry I didn't hype this beforehand, but my film CYMoKay screened this past weekend at the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston as part of its bi-annual New England Animators curated show. I attended both days. Photos here at my Flickr page. Yes, I have a Flickr page.
Book Update #22: Winter 2011 posted 25 February 2011 In December and January I interviewed four key creatives from the DIC seasons of G.I. Joe, greatly adding to what will be Chapters 10 and 11. Editor Nick has delivered his comments on Draft 1 of Chapter 9, so now it's time to dive back in. I also had lunch with author Amid Amidi, who offered helpful advice on pitches and publishers.
New Art posted 25 February 2011 Excepting tiny demos for my students each January, I haven't drawn any observational figures from a live model since 2007. Until last night. I'll add these to the long-neglected Portfolio section later, but for now, here's two highlights. In college I did this twice a week.
"Hotcakes" Opening @ Bloc 11 This Sunday posted 06 December 2010 Come by and see original comic book art, handmade plush super-heroes, prints, and spare part animal sculptures. Our art show (which has been up for weeks) has its formal opening party at Bloc 11 in Union Square, Somerville this Sunday from 5pm to 7pm. At left: Ann, Joe, Maris, and Evan.
Book Update #21: Fall '10/Photoshoot #9 posted 06 December 2010 Between teaching a new comics class, SPX, NYCC, More Squares, MICE, Ottawa, and Halloween, and a computer crash book time has been hurting, so Chapter 9 is about where it was in August. But last Friday Andre shot some copy work of art too big to scan, and we arranged an action figure set-up (at right) to replace a boring catalog scan in Chapter 7.
CYMoKay @ the IMDB posted 06 December 2010 I've consolidated all the different imdb listings of "Tim Finn" (minus the kiwi rocker) into one, so at last I have a proper presence there. CYMoKay has an entry, too. And a stream.
Art Show Hanging @ Bloc 11 posted 06 December 2010 Four years later and it's time for another cafe art show. Last month Maris Wicks, Joe Quinones, Ann P. Smith, Evan Larson and I hung Hotcakes at Bloc 11 cafe in Union Square, Somerville, MA. Liz Prince is also in the show, but was unable to make the hanging. Our opening is Sunday 12 December 5pm-7pm. Photos in EVENTS soon.
Festival News: CYMoKay @ Ottawa posted 06 December 2010 CYMoKay screened with OIAF's International Showcase #2 three times. The first, at the Empire Cinemas atop the Rideau Center mall, was three-quarters full. I skipped the second, a free screening for teens at the National Gallery. And the third played to a packed Bytowne Cinema, my students cheering when my name was called. It felt great to finally have a film in the festival after attending for 12 years.
Compilation DVD! posted 18 October 2010 updated 06 December 2010 Five years late, but just in time to promote CYMoKay at Ottawa, at last I've made a DVD: Inanimate: Six Films By Tim Finn! Watch Limboscape, Animation News on the March (aka "The Ottawa documentary"), It Is What It Is, the Liz 2006 birthday card, Letterpress, and CYMoKay without the internet! Only $3 plus shipping.
New Comic For Sale! posted 14 October 2010 As a follow-up to our split minicomic Four Squares, Liz, Maris, Joe and I just finished More Squares, our daily autobio comics for February 2010. See our live cross paths as we eat food, watch movies, go to work, and complain away the winter. We debuted the book at MICE, which was great. And it's for sale here.
Profiled in Local Mag posted 14 October 2010 If you live in Somerville, Massachusetts, as I do, then you may be familiar with the Somerville Scout, a quarterly magazine mailed to all residents. The newest issue has an article by Lorie Reilly on the comics scene in our fair city, and features Liz, Maris, Joe, and myself. I don't think the article is online, but if you're at my house you can look through my copy. At right is Maris and Liz's cover.
Festival News: CYMoKay @ Ottawa posted 04 August 2010 My new film has been accepted into the International Panorama at the 2010 Ottawa International Animation Festival. This will be my 12th year attending OIAF, so I'm psyched to have a film play there. I should probably burn some DVDs to hand out there in October.
Book Update #20: Summer '10 posted 04 August 2010 Designer Liz is working on Chapter 8. I finally know what Chapter 9 is about. I'm trying to track someone down to interview for Chapter 10.
Site News: 5 old films debut @ Inanimate posted 04 August 2010 Friend Adam Swaab was kind enough to tell me how to post fast streaming Quicktimes in Dreamweaver, so you can now watch my college junior film, my senior thesis, at last a streaming clip of this summer camp film and a birthday card I made for a friend, and more. Right here on this very site.
Festival News: CYMoKay @ ANIMATOR posted 27 May 2010 My new film has been accepted into the ANIMATOR Festival in Poland. If you're in Poznan this July, go check it out.
Book Update #20: Spring '10 posted 27 May 2010 Chapter 7 proceeds at a glacial speed. I'm aiming for a photoshoot in June, and will attack Chapters 9 and 10 this summer. Editor Nick and I did attend the annual G.I. Joe Collector's Convention in Providence, RI last month, and had a great time, but it was more about window shopping than networking. Nick at last met designer Liz and photographer Andre, and saw Gladworks' space.
Archive Report: VHS Reclamation 2010 posted 27 May 2010 I've been making movies since 4th grade, and all the footage originates on VHS. For years I've been meaning to transfer it all to miniDV and then onto my hard drive, and now the process has started. Sad news: Electrons eventually lose their charge and Cross Country '99 is only half salvageable (see right). Good news: Machine Gun Man is pristine and saved for posterity.
CYMoKay debuts here @ Inanimate updated 22 April 2010 Watch my new film via YouTube right here. In the meantime, I'll try to get a proper 720 x 480 stream native to Inanimate.
Comic Book Workshops 2010 posted 12 April 2010 The NEA's The Big Read is back in full swing, and in March Nick Nadel and I journeyed to Tennessee for three workshops on graphic novels and Edgar Allen Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher. Almost 50 attendees came to the Giles County Public Library, Martin Methodist College, and the Maury County Public Library for our 2-hour slideshow/demo/activity. Photos in EVENTS later this week.
My New Film @ the Coolidge posted 06 December 2009 A new annual film festival debuts this Thursday at the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, MA: the Cormack Cook Colossal Cinema Collection. I've got a 1-minute animated film in the show, plus I provide the voice of the villain in Alex Cormack's "South Pole," the centerpiece of the evening. Admission is free, and the program starts at 7pm.
Book Update #19: Thanksgiving '09 posted 22 November 2009 Chapters 2-5 are done. Designer Liz is moving things around in Chapters 6 and 8. Editor Nick is reading the second draft of Chapter 7. I'm trying to interview people for Chapters 9 and 10. At right, a Russ Heath G.I. Joe: The Movie design that didn't make the cut for Chapter 8.
Hosting Duties: Animation Workshop posted 22 November 2009 Yesterday I hosted a screening of films, talked animation, and answered questions for an audience of 30 at the Belmont Studio Cinema, a lovely one-screen movie theatre near where I live. The event was organized by Belmont World Cinema. I showed two films by Karen Aqua and two of my own, It Is What It Is and Letterpress. Pictured is the theatre about 50 years before I showed up.
Visiting Artist Talk at Monsterrat posted 22 November 2009 In October I visited the Character Design classes of two friends, Joe Quinones and Evan Larson, who teach at Monsterrat College of Art, showed my work (both still and moving), and talked character design. I also showed Ernest Pintoff's 1957 animated short Flebus. Photo at right by Joe.
Book Update #18: End of Summer '09 posted 22 September 2009 Editor Nick is taking his Really-final pass on the text of Chapter 8, while designer Liz is done laying out Chapter 5, but waiting on two more images from me. She's also close to finishing Chapter 6. Once editor Dad takes a look at Chapter 8, I should be able to get that to Liz as well, and I need to get back to writing Chapter 7, which I psyched myself out of over the summer.
Indirect Press: Comics Alliance posted 12 August 2009 With The Rise of Cobra in theatres now, online columnist Nick Nadel wrote a funny piece called "The Most Ridiculous Moments In 'G.I. Joe' History" for Comics Alliance. I helped him with research and image gathering.
Book Update #17: Photoshoot #8 posted 07 August 2009 Back to Glad Works for some basic "catalog"-style shots of those G.I. Joe models I borrowed last week. Click the thumbnail at right to see.
Book Update #16: Photoshoots #6 & #7 posted 06 August 2009 Yesterday photographer Andre and I set up three shots in-studio, one a re-do for Chapter 3, one missing photo from Chapter 2, and a sweet shot of Snake-Eyes version 2. I also left some Real American Hero artwork of unmade '92 figures too big for my scanner that Andre's shooting today. Click the thumbnail at right to see.
Book Update #15: Summer '09 posted 01 August 2009 Editor Nick has taken a final pass on Chapter 8 (we're skipping 7 for now while I still work on it), and Editor Dad has taken his pass on Chapter 6, while I figure out what Chapter 9 is all about. Yesterday I drove to a toy designer's house to borrow some 1980s G.I. Joe vehicle mock-ups. More on Thursday...