Monday, February 2, 2015

THE 42nd ANNUAL ANNIE AWARDS


Animation award shows can be dangerous.

That's why it's best for hyper-important
visiting dignitaries to turn up well protected to
ASIFA HOLLYWOOD's
ANNIE AWARDS.

Case in point,
ASIFA-EAST Co-President
Linda Chittick Beck
who flew in from NYC
for the festivities and 
surrounded herself with a
six foot two,
large foreheaded lunk
 to throw off the targeting of would-be
snipers and assassins.

Namely,
ME:


It was a great crowd this year;
smartly dressed
and happy to be out for an evening
of recognizing the best in animation.

It started with a champagne reception
on a beautiful LA Winter night
(sorry cold weather peeps)


Huge props go out to 
ASIFA HOLLYWOOD
president
Jerry Beck and company
for overhauling the awards to make them
classier
funnier
and
(thankfully)
FASTER
than ever before!


Disney TVA
KILLED 
it this year by
winning
9 of it's 10
nominations
including
GRAVITY FALLS
winner of best 
TV Production for Children


TVA's
MICKEY SHORTS
rocked it
with a 
ton of awards
including
sooper pals
Darrick Bachman
(writer)
and
Illya Owens
(editor)
pulling honors.
Executive Producer
Paul Rudish
(middle)
has truly made something remarkable
with these films and 
voters everywhere are saying so.


In features,
Dreamworks's
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2
rightfully 
dominated the proceedings but
the crowd went wild 
(also rightfully)
for
Jorge Gutierrez and Sandra Equihua
winning Best Character Design
for
THE BOOK OF LIFE


The party afterwards was a blur of
food
fun
and
friends,
both old and new.

I wish I had snagged more pics
(i've stolen a bunch of the above off assorted social media)
(sorry) 
but here's a great one of 
comrades in cartoons
Titmouse's
Chris P
Antonio Cannobio,
the aforementioned,
Jorge Gutierrez
and
producer
John Andrews


And how happy was I to catch up with
Number Four
(aka Dee Bradley Baker)?


Yeah.
It was a 
GREAT
year at the Annies!

Especially since no visiting
dignitaries
got murdered on my watch.