January 2020 Issue No. 296 How director Sergio Pablos and his team of gifted artists at SPA studios re-imagined Santa Claus and restored the glory days of 2D animation with Klaus. Blue Sky’s 13th animated movie Spies in Disguise puts a state-of-the-art CG spin on the classic genre and delivers a message about leaving the world a better place. Randy Rogel looks back at his career and writing music for the classic Warner Bros.’ series Animaniacs. Japanese auteur Makoto Shinkai discusses his career and the acclaimed new feature Weathering with You, which arrives in U.S. theaters next month via GKIDS. The Animation Lover’s Holiday Gift Guide Russell Dodgson shares the details of producing the stunning effects for HBO and BBC One’s acclaimed adaptation of His Dark Materials. Tech Reviews: Acer ConceptD 7 and LIFTiD The Talk of Toon Town: A report on the 2019 World Animation and VFX Summit at The Garland in N. Hollywood. How Ne Zha, an unusual Chinese animated movie about a mischievous demon boy, became one of the surprise hits of the year. DC Comics’ hugely popular villainess Harley Quinn steps into the spotlight with her own adult Warner Bros. Anima-tion series. The new PBS show Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum puts an animated spin on Brad Meltzer’s popular books about famous historical figures. U.K.’s award-winning Lupus Films delivers a charming, 2D-animated adaptation of The Tiger Who Came to Tea. Michael Morpurgo’s Mimi and the Mountain Dragon becomes a musical animated holiday special thanks to U.K. studio Factory.
