Treasure Hunting Folly in Studio Crazy Horse's 'Eye of Mubala'

With a story inspired by the likes of Indiana Jones and Tintin, Eye of Mubala is a short animated film that is currently in production. The film is written and directed by Nas Pasha and Matt Bakerdjian, and is being animated by them along with a collection of friends comprising Studio Crazy Horse. It is about a reckless anthropology professor who snatches a forbidden relic, awakening a terrifying guardian named Mubala, and his plucky research assistant Pema, who has to keep her senior's ass out of the fire. The trailer Studio Crazy Horse released for the Toronto Animation Arts Festival showcases the film's three primary characters and its use of traditional hand-drawn animation:

The characters, although silent, demonstrate abundant personality in their animated expression. You really get a sense of The Professor's roguish nature in his treasure hoarding, and the cowardice on his face when he's chased by Mubala. Pema, on the other hand, gives off an air of heroism and determination, and perhaps also her frustration with always having to save The Professor. The use of traditional animation really lends itself well to this story, giving it a somewhat gritty aspect that really appeals to the relic-hunting genre. The environments this team have created are gorgeous, with lush backgrounds and realistic lighting. I caught up with one of the co-directors Nas to ask him about his process on the film and its influences:

Tell us a little bit more about your film and Studio Crazy Horse. How did they come about?

We're a group of likeminded animators, and the film is really just a codified way for us "Crazy Horses" to have some fun. We all love animation, and are pretty unhappy with the state of the industry today. Eye of Mubala is our attempt at taking an idea that we're in love with and sharing it for the only reason that should matter, so that people can enjoy quality hand-drawn animation uninfluenced by money.

In this short trailer I really get a good feel for the character of both The Professor and Pema. How did you first come up with these characters?

It's a funny story! In short, both Matt and I individually came up with two similar stories of a foolish character who steals a gem of sorts from a temple and is chased by a beast. We were dumbfounded that our stories were so similar. As we talked with the team members, we came to agree that there should be two characters in order to express both the desperation and determination of stealing a jewel so precious. So in essence, we have a Jack Sparrow-esque fellow who isn't stupid, but does seem to get himself into terrible situations, and his research assistant Pema, who is the actual brains behind the madness and bails him out of these sticky scenarios.

You have stated that Indiana Jones is a major influence for Eye of Mubala. Are you a big fan of the action-adventure genre? What other stories helped inspire the plot?

Definitely a lifelong fan of Indiana Jones, though I haven't seen the new one with the aliens in it. I love the idea of mysterious tombs and ancient curses, so along with Indiana Jones other influences include Tarzan, Uncharted (the PS3 game), Tomb Raider (though I haven't ever played it), and Mission Impossible. In terms of our film's plot, though there are probably similarities to other stories (since the treasure hunting genre can only be so varied), Matt and I weren't really influenced by any particular source. We just thought it'd be neat to create a treasure chase movie.

I see in your work a combination of both Eastern and Western influences. On your website you have lots of anime-inspired art, but the animation style of Mubala reminds me a lot of the work of Belgian and French comic artists, such as Hergé or Fabien Mense. Which artists and animators would you say most inspire your style and that of the film?

May I first answer this question with a big "Thank you" for regarding my name and that of Fabien Mense in the same sentence. Collectively our team is classically trained and therefore we almost all love the classic Disney animated films, and even though Disney hasn't done anything 2D in a long time, they're definitely in our DNA. That being said, Studio 4C, Ghibli, Bones, and Les Goblins are all major influences. Personally, the works of Fabien Mense, Joel27, BAHI JD, LeSean Thomas, Ki Hyun Ryu, Inseung Choi, and Yutaka Nakamura inspire me in my style of animation. Very snappy, so to speak.

Why did you choose to use traditional hand-drawn animation for Eye of Mubala over computer-aided animation?

Because I like it more, and though unfortunate, many animators these days don't even carry a sketch book - and I'm obsessed with drawing! We have a joke, among us: 3D animation makes all the hard things easy, and all the easy things hard. The skill involved in 2D hand-drawn animation is unmatched and timeless. Classic animation made decades ago still holds up today, The Jungle book is a perfect example.

Who makes up the rest of Studio Crazy Horse, and what are their roles in the film?

We're a team of 11! Here they are:

Animation:
Mark Conmigo, Matt Bakerdjian, Naseer Pasha

Layout:
Giuseppe Arabia, Dale Watson, Tenzin Chime, Mark Conmigo

Character Design:
Chris Morin, Dale Watson

BG Paint:
Mike Chung, Julien Nema

Cel Colour: Joseph Ng, John Chan, Matt Bakerdjian, Dale Watson, Naseer Pasha, John Chan, Giuseppe Arabia, Tenzin Chime, Chris Morin

Any idea when we might be able to see the completed product?

This is our first time making something so big from scratch together, so I don't want to speak too ambitiously, but we're hoping to finish it by the end of the year, or early in January.

Anything else you'd like to promote?

I'd like this time to thank my personal mentor, Bruce Lee, for all his - hah! Not really. I guess maybe to let anyone who's interested to check out the studio website, as we will constantly be putting up art, pencil tests, and all sorts of other goodies. Also, you can find me and my buddy Chris at FanExpo 2014, where I'll be selling my graphic novel series, Two Mistakes Two Many. You can find it in print at the show, or online for free on my website.

Thank you for your time!

The pleasure is definitely on this end. I speak on behalf of all the enthusiastic members of Studio Crazy Horse when I say thank you for taking an interest in our independently-produced 2D animation. Expect weird, wild things in the future!

What We Hope To See From Nintendo's E3 Livestream

It's E3 time! Tomorrow Nintendo is holding their live stream event starting at 9AM PST with information on games we've been waiting desperately for and the promise of the announcement of new games to come. The so far unseen Zelda for WiiU is going to be showcased, and a large focus is going to be on Smash Bros. for WiiU and 3DS. It's no secret that Nintendo has been having fiscal problems, part of which they plan to solve by creating a line of figurines that you can link to your games a la Skylander or Disney Infinity, but Nintendo's success has always been in its ability to delight its fans not with gimmicks but with games that are truly fun, epic in scope, and full of character. I may not work for Nintendo, but I am pretty sure we I what Nintendo needs to work on to get back on track:

A New Metroid Game: Whether first person or side-scrolling, Nintendo has been sorely lacking recently in titles starring everyone's famous bounty hunter Samus Aran. Set in the backdrop of space, hunting space pirates and solving the mystery of the jellyfish-like metroids, her adventures are truly worthy of a new installation. Retro Studios proved that Metroid could be pulled off well in first-person, but taking a cue from all the Metroidvania indie projects out there I'd even enjoy a retro side-scrolling Samus adventure. Like Zelda, Metroid is one of Nintendo's darker franchises, and it would be great to see Nintendo flex its creative muscles to bring this fantastic series into a new generation.

A New Starfox Game: If you believe this leaked Document listing Nintendo's titles being showcased at E3, this may soon be a reality! Fox, Falco, Peppy and Slippy have been languishing on Corneria, and it's about time for their return. An HD version of Star Fox on WiiU would probably be one of the most beautiful titles the system would produce, and the 3DS would loan itself well to Star Fox, giving players the option to use traditional or gyro controls and allowing for three-dimensional combat with friends over Wi-Fi. It's time to get mad at Slippy again!

A Brand New Franchise: Pikmin came out in 2004 to great acclaim, and while perhaps Nintendo would be reluctant to put their faith in a new product considering their financial straits, some new blood might just be what Nintendo needs to reinvigorate their image. Nintendo is nothing if not inventive, and probably has all kinds of ideas floating around just waiting to be developed. Be brave, Nintendo!

More Co-Op Games For 3DS: My poor 3DS is just dying for new games that I can play with my friends. Mario Kart 7 has been usurped by Mario Kart 8, and though Smash Bros. is coming out soon, there simply aren't enough co-op options for the delightful handheld. Streetpass and Pokemon are all well and fine, but the handheld has so much potential for real-time fierce multiplayer matches or engaging co-op with each player having their own screen. Consider perhaps a Mario game that has four player co-op like its WiiU's Super Mario 3D world over wi-fi, or (I say again) Star Fox space battles. Help me get my game face on, Nintendo!

A Console With Less Gimmicks: We're not likely to see it this E3, but how amazing would it be to have Nintendo go back to the basics with their consoles, pumping in a little more power and having standard controllers as default (I still think the N64 controller was the best). Perhaps then it would be easier for Nintendo to re-attract the third party games that they desperately need to provide a much-needed source of income. I admire Nintendo's inventiveness and do feel that it has a place, but this really ought to be secondary to creating great software. Also, playing Mario Kart 8 with a wii-mote and nunchuck just doesn't feel natural.

Localize Mother 3: This is reaching a bit. Fans of Earthbound have been dying for Nintendo and HAL Labroatory to release this Japanese-only cult-classic in the North American market. Written by Shigesato Itoi and directed by Nobuyuki Inoue, Mother 3 is the sequel to the wildly popular RPG Earthbound, a game with deceptively light themes that is also emotionally resonant and philosophical. Fans who have played the sequel's online fan translations say that it is even more profound than its predecessor, so shut up and take my money, Nintendo and HAL!

More Donkey Konga: Who doesn't love bongos? Louie Louie by the Kingsmen? I'm shocked that Nintendo hasn't released a bongo peripheral for WiiU yet considering how vastly popular this franchise was. Bang and bong along to you favourite B-list songs from the 90s and general obscurity with Donkey and Diddy Kong. Step 1: Bongos. Step 2: ???. Step 3: Profit!

Agree? Disagree? Anything else you think Nintendo needs to work on? Comment below!

Game Preview: Mighty No. 9

Classic Mega Man fans have been clamboring to get a look at the progress of the Kickstarter game project Mighty No. 9, and yesterday our prayers were answered as the team at Comcept put up footage from their latest beta. Spearheaded by Keiji Inafune, a long time veteran of the wildly successful Mega Man franchise, the Kickstarter campaign sought a mere $900,000 to get off the ground. 67,226 backers and $3,845,170 later, the project now will contain bonus stages and bosses, various extra modes including an online battle race mode, and will be released on PC, Mac, Linux, WiiU, PS3, PS4, Xbone, Vita, and 3DS. The game is described on the Kickstarter page as follows:

"You play as Beck, the 9th in a line of powerful robots, and the only one not infected by a mysterious computer virus that has caused mechanized creatures the world over to go berserk. Run, jump, blast, and transform your way through six stages (more than six, since the stretch goals for the project were demolished) you can tackle in any order you choose, using weapons and abilities stolen from your enemies to take down your fellow Mighty Number robots and confront the final evil that threatens the planet!"

Blast? Tackle? Confront? Yes please! Talk about nostalgia, Mega Man sidescrollers always had a certain energy and challenge to them that it seems like the team at Comcept is implementing well so far. The graphics are sleek and new but without sacrificing the timeless look of Mega Man's 32-bit Mega Man X days. The boss concepts look suitably deadly and fun, with a plethora of different attacks to keep you on your toes. Meanwhile the community of Kickstarter backers has been lively, with Q + A and fanart being being displayed by the team in the Kickstarter's updates on a regular basis. Clearly people are excited! The team even held a community vote to choose the look of Beck's companion Call in the game (get it? Beck and call?), with the winner displayed here. I can't wait to see what sorts of abilities Beck will be able to get. Apparently you not only get powers from bosses, but from enemies as well:

"It’s not only killing bosses that gets Beck new powers. Taking out other enemies with a certain weapon, or hitting them in their weak spot, can expose one of three types of “xel” (pronounced “cell”) energy Beck can sap (if he’s quick enough), store, and unleash later via his own Mighty Skills! Give yourself a double-jump and speed boost for a limited time, unleash a concentrated flurry of powerful punches directly ahead, or set off a blast that hurts everything on the screen! Whatever final form it takes, this system will add depth and strategy to the action, as you choose how to approach and defeat even normal bad guys to best fuel your special powers."

Considering this video is making my thumbs tingle and we've only had the most basic look at Beck's attacks and enemies, I think it's fair to say that I'm pretty stoked to play this game on my 3DS. Mega Man on Nintendo, just like the good old days. Only another year to wait! I just hope they implement the fateful scrolling boss corridors.

Follow Mighty No. 9 through their Kickstarter page or through Facebook.

"Book of Life" Paints a Vibrant Picture of the Dead

Coming from Fox Animation Studios this Halloween, The Book of Life, produced by the wonderfully prolific Mexican director Guillermo Del Toro, is an animation lover's dream. Set in the land of the living, the land of the remembered, and the land of the dead, this film draws its art direction from the colourful traditions surrounding Dia de Los Muertos, the Central American day to celebrate and remember the deceased. I love that the characters in the land of the living look like caricatures that have an uncanny woodcut look to them, as if they were marionettes, while the denizens of the lands of the deceased are full of vibrant colours and symbols paying homage to the beautiful iconography surrounding the Day of the Dead, making them feel much more alive then the living. However, As the title suggests, this movie is about Life more than Death, and Manolo's decision to leave behind unlimited churros in the land of the remembered to journey back to his beloved Maria.

The voice cast is diverse. Our hero Manolo is played by Elysium's Diego Luna, his lady love Maria is played by Star Trek's Zoe Saldana, and the obnoxious competition for Maria's affection Joaquin is played by he's in everything these days Channing Tatum. Other voice actors of note include Danny Trejo, Ron Perlman, Christina Applegate, and of course, character voice actress extraordinaire Grey DeLisle. She makes the cartoons happen!

In true Hollywood fashion, Disney/Pixar also has a film concerning the Day of the Dead in the works. Recently they ran into severe backlash when they tried to copyright the phrase Dia de Los Muertos. Oh Disney, you can't always get what you want! After severe public rebuke, they withdrew their copyright filing and changed the name of their film (currently unannounced), slated to come out an entire year after The Book of Life. I never did get the whole desire for Hollywood to copy one another, as if we really want to see two movies about bugs (Bug's Life and Ants) or fish (Finding Nemo and Shark Tale) or Snow White in quick succession (I didn't even want to see one version of Snow White). Still, I guess the one who gets to the finish line first gets the prize, and with a film looking this good I'm sure it won't have any problems at the box office.

The Book of Life comes out Halloween 2014.

JJ Abrams Announces Contest From Star Wars VII Set

We at Nerd Speaker are super excited to know that there is new Star Wars on the horizon, so we were pretty pumped to see some footage, albeit brief, of the new set in Abu Dhabi. Tatooine, perhaps? While JJ Abrams talks about his excitement that filming is underway, this plucky fellow to the left shows up. It's comforting to see that Abrams is still using puppets and costumes in the style of the original trilogy.

Abrams then announces a charity contest in which every $10 donation to UNICEF gives you one chance to actually be in Star Wars VII, in full makeup and all. You can bet there will be some starstruck geeks out there willing to spend a pretty penny to have a chance to be in Star Wars, and donations also grant you prizes such as posters and t-shirts for lower donations, and replica lightsabers and preview screenings for the big rollers. Definitely an exciting way to donate to charity!

3DS Preview: Retro Indie Games "Shovel Knight" and "Treasurenauts"

Unless you're into golf, the 3DS game market has been a bit stagnant recently. Thankfully we have Super Smash Bros. to look forward to in the Summer - but while you're waiting for that you should keep an eye out for these two retro indie treasure-seeking platformers coming out on the Nintendo eShop for 3DS sometime in Q3 2014.

Shovel Knight

Shovel Knight is a Castlevania / DuckTales mashup from Yacht Club Games that looks, well, rather epic. The end product of a very successful Kickstarter, you play as the eponymous Shovel Knight, a hero wielding a ShovelBlade and questing to destroy an evil sorceress and save his beloved. Also, you dig up buttloads of treasure to upgrade your weapon and armour. I love the aesthetic of this game, the worlds seem varied and interesting, with intricate backgrounds and a wide array of enemies and bosses. The ShovelBlade's utility as a weapon, shovel, and pogo stick, marks the game as a fitting homage to DuckTales on the NES, which was also about simultaneously questing and treasure hunting and pogo sticking. You'll clearly need to become pretty talented at the pogo stick mechanic to clear some gaps using the craniums of some of the games baddies. I love the intelligence with which the treasure hunting is incorporated into the game, as you will might miss it entirely if you're not fast enough to keep up with a treadmill or make a quick leap across a pit from which you can not return once you've fallen down. Platform fans rejoice, this is one to look out for!

Treasurenauts

Treasurenauts, by Renegade Kid, is the spiritual successor to Mutant Mudds, a notoriously tricky platformer also by the same developer. As either an adventurer, ninja, or that nerdy kid from Mutant Mudds, you scour dungeons questing after treasure. You need to be careful though, like Sonic if you get hit at least some of the treasure you've collected will go flying off in all directions. The enemies seem pretty tricky, and you have a choice of weapons to deal with them. Overall the world and characters don't seem as well fleshed out as in Shovel Knight; clearly this is not a narrative-driven game. However, one advantage this game has over Shovel Knight is cooperative play which you can engage in with a friend over wireless, and if we've learned anything from Gauntlet Legends it's that competing with your friends for who can get the most loot never gets old. Hooray for backstabbing!

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