Did you miss them? The Rosses, I mean. The last we saw, Jadwin Ross was flying back from Africa in "The Missionary and The Brute" and Alwyn Ross was interviewing animators in "Animated Lives!" but O'Ryan Ross? Who in the name of William Faulkner is that?
Before we go too far, perhaps we should lay out the chronology we are encountering here. There are four Ross siblings (as far as we know). In descending order of age they are: O'Ryan, Jadwin, Dottie, Alwyn... When I was writing "The Missionary and the Brute" I quite deliberately avoided any semblance of backstory. I wanted the novel to be set in the universal NOW with no encumbrances of time or history to intercede on the reader's interpretation.
Now however, I have discovered that all of my books are inter-linked, and they ARE the backstory to one another. Jadwin Ross is a character in the upcoming "The Death of O'Ryan Ross" as is Alwyn. But 30 years or so before the events that take place in Missionary and Animated Lives!
Placed upon a rather shaky chronology and always subject to change, the Saga looks something like this:
"Ira, the Seeker and the Kid" - 2017
Timeframe: 1800s
Primary character(s): Ira Haseltine
Secondary character(s): Alwyn Ross, Ethan Ross
Minor/Mentions: None
"The Death of O'Ryan Ross" - 2012
Timeframe: Mostly O'Ryan and Jadwin's college years.
Primary character(s): O'Ryan Ross
Secondary character(s): Jadwin Ross, Sarah B., Professor Hays
Minor/Mentions: Alwyn Ross, Dottie Ross
"silent words..." - 2012
Timeframe: O'Ryan's college years as viewed from Alwyn today.
Primary character(s): O'Ryan Ross, Alwyn Ross, Sarah B.
Secondary character(s): None
Minor/Mentions: Jadwin Ross, Dottie Ross
"Man-soldier" - 2017
Timeframe: O'Ryan's college years
Primary character(s): Man-soldier, Slade
Secondary character(s): O'Ryan Ross, Jadwin Ross, Sarah B.
Minor/Mentions: Alwyn Ross, Dottie Ross
"Reject from Retard School" - 2013
Timeframe: Mostly Alwyn's Middle School and High School years.
Primary character(s): Alwyn Ross, GranPap Ross
Secondary character(s): Dottie Ross
Minor/Mentions: O'Ryan Ross, Jadwin Ross
"Straw Man" - 2014
Timeframe: Mid 2005
Primary character(s): Dottie Ross, Professor Hays
Secondary character(s): None
Minor/Mentions: None
"Animated Lives!"- 2011
Timeframe: 2009
Primary character(s): Alwyn Ross
Secondary character(s): None
Minor/Mentions: Dottie Ross
"The Missionary and the Brute" - 2011
Timeframe: 2010
Primary character(s): Jadwin Ross
Secondary character(s): Rev. Kweka, Godsend
Minor/Mentions: None
"The Blue Man" -2013
Timeframe: 2012 and 1930s (Alwyn's research)
Primary character(s): Alwyn Ross
Secondary character(s): Karen Wilcox
Minor/Mentions: Dottie Ross
"A Harlot's Diary" - 2015
Timeframe: 2013
Primary character(s): Sarah B.
Secondary character(s): Alwyn Ross
Minor/Mentions: O'Ryan Ross, Jadwin Ross, Professor Hays
"Chiaroscuro Bums" - 2014
Timeframe: 2013
Primary character(s): Jadwin Ross
Secondary character(s): Not telling
Minor/Mentions: None
"Believer" - 2015
Timeframe: 2014
Primary character(s): Alwyn Ross, Sarah B.
Secondary character(s): Dottie Ross
Minor/Mentions: None
"Lifecycle" - 2016
Timeframe: 2015
Primary character(s): None
Secondary character(s): Alwyn Ross
Minor/Mentions: None
"Shorts" - 2013
Timeframe: Multiple
Primary character(s): Alwyn Ross, Dottie Ross, Jadwin Ross
Secondary character(s): Godsend
Minor/Mentions: None
Showing posts with label Animated Lives. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Animated Lives. Show all posts
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Friday, March 23, 2012
Reviews, news, free books, cool movie and more...
A lot of great things all happening at once.
The first is that I got a really insightful review of "The Missionary and the Brute" on Amazon. The description and understanding of the novel are really dead on for me. Way cool. Read the review here.
The next is that my friend Floyd Norman (animation legend from Disney/Pixar/Tom Carter, etc.) did a mini-interview for my next novel, "The Blue Man". Floyd is sometimes referenced as the first African American animator in the industry and he did an awesome job answering questions from a fictional character (faux animation historian, Alwyn Ross). When Leslie Iwerks and I did a booksigning at Disneyland in 2001 for "The Hand Behind the Mouse", Floyd drove down and stood behind my chair the entire time telling me tales and keeping me company. It was so ironic that all these hardcore Disney fans were eating up Leslie and my signatures but it was FLOYD's they should really have sought. It was such a cool thing to have him there. I get choked up thinking about the kindness of that gesture to this day.
The next cool thing is that "Animated Lives!" is now available for Kindle! To celebrate that release, I am offering free downloads for Saturday and Sunday so get yours this weekend. If you like it please consider writing a review or ranking it or liking it or whathaveyou. It is much appreciated. Or if you can't wait, get it now!
"Animated Lives!" is a strange hybrid. Just as Floyd Norman was interviewed for a small section of "The Blue Man", real animators are interviewed by Alwyn Ross in separate chapters of this quirky little book. Each chapter features an animator working in short film. Some are famous, some are infamous, some are quiet little geniuses working alone for their art.
Gitanjali Rao was one of my favorites of these interviews. Her work, "Painted Rainbow" is a sensitive and sensitively-rendered work that embodies a visceral sense of loneliness and joy. Ostensibly it is the story of us all - escaping our pain through imaginations that set us free. Here is the film upon which her chapter is based.
The first is that I got a really insightful review of "The Missionary and the Brute" on Amazon. The description and understanding of the novel are really dead on for me. Way cool. Read the review here.
The next is that my friend Floyd Norman (animation legend from Disney/Pixar/Tom Carter, etc.) did a mini-interview for my next novel, "The Blue Man". Floyd is sometimes referenced as the first African American animator in the industry and he did an awesome job answering questions from a fictional character (faux animation historian, Alwyn Ross). When Leslie Iwerks and I did a booksigning at Disneyland in 2001 for "The Hand Behind the Mouse", Floyd drove down and stood behind my chair the entire time telling me tales and keeping me company. It was so ironic that all these hardcore Disney fans were eating up Leslie and my signatures but it was FLOYD's they should really have sought. It was such a cool thing to have him there. I get choked up thinking about the kindness of that gesture to this day.
The next cool thing is that "Animated Lives!" is now available for Kindle! To celebrate that release, I am offering free downloads for Saturday and Sunday so get yours this weekend. If you like it please consider writing a review or ranking it or liking it or whathaveyou. It is much appreciated. Or if you can't wait, get it now!
"Animated Lives!" is a strange hybrid. Just as Floyd Norman was interviewed for a small section of "The Blue Man", real animators are interviewed by Alwyn Ross in separate chapters of this quirky little book. Each chapter features an animator working in short film. Some are famous, some are infamous, some are quiet little geniuses working alone for their art.
Gitanjali Rao was one of my favorites of these interviews. Her work, "Painted Rainbow" is a sensitive and sensitively-rendered work that embodies a visceral sense of loneliness and joy. Ostensibly it is the story of us all - escaping our pain through imaginations that set us free. Here is the film upon which her chapter is based.
Monday, March 19, 2012
I empathize with mine-goblins in underwear. So what?
For my latest book, "Animated Lives!" I had the leeway to interview whomever the heck I chose. My main criteria for selection was that the animator had to have created work that I found enjoyable, interesting, challenging, important or hopefully all of the above. The first chapter kicks off with Slovenian interviewee, Dusan Kastelic who single-handedly made a strange little CGi film called "Perk" which can best be described as 'An out of work mine-goblin dances around his cave in his underwear to accordion-laced punk rock.'
I can't say honestly that it's all that important of a film. Nor is it really challenging. It wasn't meant to be. I suppose it's interesting, but that's not the word that comes to mind when most folks view it. Mostly it's just pure quirky, blissfully joyous entertainment.
Enjoyable? Heck, yeah! Unabashedly so.
Other chapters feature famed animators such as Suzie Templeton talking about her Academy Award-winning film "Peter and the Wolf", Andrew Jimenez of Pixar talking about "One Man Band" Disney's famed Ward Kimball walking us through "Stop that Tank"... but this little film by Kastelic may strangely be the most representative of the quirky films encountered in this little book.
And yes, strangely is the operative word.
Enjoy! Lord knows I do!
I can't say honestly that it's all that important of a film. Nor is it really challenging. It wasn't meant to be. I suppose it's interesting, but that's not the word that comes to mind when most folks view it. Mostly it's just pure quirky, blissfully joyous entertainment.
Enjoyable? Heck, yeah! Unabashedly so.
Other chapters feature famed animators such as Suzie Templeton talking about her Academy Award-winning film "Peter and the Wolf", Andrew Jimenez of Pixar talking about "One Man Band" Disney's famed Ward Kimball walking us through "Stop that Tank"... but this little film by Kastelic may strangely be the most representative of the quirky films encountered in this little book.
And yes, strangely is the operative word.
Enjoy! Lord knows I do!
Friday, March 16, 2012
Surprise! "Animated Lives!" Available Now!
The premise of "Animated Lives!" is that Alwyn Ross is a fictional animation historian who interviewed 20 different real-life animators working in short animated film. In actuality, I conducted the interviews starting in 2005 on the heels of the success of "The Hand Behind the Mouse: an intimate biography of Ub Iwerks" (Disney Editions, winner of the E.G.Lutz Award for best book about animation). It was thrilling to be able to talk with so many brilliant filmmakers working at such a high level of artistry.
If the name Alwyn Ross seems familiar to you, it is because he is the younger brother to Jadwin Ross, the Missionary from "The Missionary and the Brute". While the siblings are vastly different in temperament and personality, they together with their sister Dottie comprise the core of the Ross Family Saga - a sprawling fictional opus that shall eventually span at least eight novels.
I hope you enjoy this unique new book that offers an in-depth inside view of the wonderful art of animation and an interesting new character in Alwyn Ross.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Day 8: Alwyn Ross writes "Visions of Bakshi"
Day 8 and the road is a little bumpy today. Those weak of heart should probably turn around and wait for smoother paving tomorrow. Today the Missionary Jadwin Ross's younger brother, the animation historian Alwyn Ross, writes about animation legend, Ralph Bakshi. To much of the world, Bakshi is known primarily for directing the X-rated Fritz the Cat, but to animation historians he is known simply as a brilliant animator. The subject matter and context are not the point - the man is a genius at what he does. It is therefore fitting that today's blog stop lands at writer Max Loved's erotica website. Be warned this is a NSFW (not safe for work) site because of content. However, also be warned that the key word is 'writer'. She is simply a brilliantly elegant writer working in a unique genre niche - not unlike how some scribes work in niche markets - paranormal romance, steampunk, westerns. Each has a unique content and vocabulary and yet each requires a deft writer's touch to be successful.
Tis a fitting stop then for a story about Ralph Bakshi - and Alwyn Ross...
Today:
Wednesday March 7th
"Alwyn Ross writes: Visions of Bakshi" (NSFW)
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Complete Schedule:
Wednesday February 29th
"Interview with John Kenworthy"
Thursday March 1st
"Mrs. Starr's EZ Peasy Spinach Surprise"
"Stunt Double"
http://honiebriggs.com/2012/03/02/stunt-double-2/ Saturday March 3rd
"Educating Tanzania"
http://www.raychelle-writes.blogspot.com/2012/03/guest-blogger-john-d-kenworthy-talks.html
Sunday March 4th
"Kenworthy interviews Author Raychelle Muhammad"
http://www.raychelle-writes.blogspot.com/2012/03/kenworthy-interviews-author-raychelle.html
Monday March 5th
"Kenworthy interviews the Missionary Jadwin Ross"
Tuesday March 6th
"Interview with John Kenworthy"
Wednesday March 7th
Thursday March 8th
"Raven's Reviews" at
Friday March 9th
"How to get a bad review without slitting your wrists" atSaturday March 10th
"Kenworthy interviews author Sam Kirshaw"
Sunday March 11th
"Free Excerpt of The Missionary and the Brute"
Monday March 12th
"Travel Tips with Jadwin Ross"
Tuesday March 13th
"Interview with John Kenworthy"
Enjoy!!!
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