Shots From The Studio #32
This past Sunday my wife was going to be gone at a tutoring job for the day so I decided to put in a movie and do some drawing. I asked my daughter, who is nearly 13 if she wanted to join me watching “Rock and Rule” and I gave her a brief description of the movie. She asked if it was OK if she worked on an art project that she was in the middle of and I said “Of course”. So my daughter and I watched “Rock and Rule”…and so should you.
This 2D traditionally animated film, released in 1983 by Nelvana Pictures, takes place in a post apocalyptic America where humans are extinct and street animals like dog, cats, and rats have mutated into the anthropomorphic population of the cities. The plot centers around two main characters Angel and Omar who, along with their friends Dizzy and Stretch, perform in a struggling rock and roll band called Drats. The other key figure in the movie is the legendary rock star Mok. Mok “The Magic Man” Swagger, enraged at his slipping popularity, is determined to show the world one final, unforgettable concert by raising a demon from another dimension. The only hitch in his diabolical plan is that he needs a very special voice to complete the spell. After a world wide search he finds that voice in Angel.
The movie features an array of amazing songs by Cheap Trick, Debbie Harry, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, Melleny Brown, and Earth Wind & Fire. It is a propulsive story moving through the seedy underbelly of the desolated future, rock & roll and the occult. The film has everything: horror, humor great music, stunning sci/fi production design, and gorgeous animation.
My daughter loved the movie. She has a bit of a darker edge to her (I can’t imagine where she gets that from.) so she liked the subject matter and the characters. She is also a budding artist and interested in animation so the “vintage” look of the film really drew her in. All in all a very productive Sunday.
About The Author
Justin White
Art Director, Chief Creative Officer, Artist. Justin White is an artist/writer, born and raised in Southern California. In the early 2000’s he started his own illustration and graphic design company, Necro-Sapien Press. His first published work was a comic strip called “The Graves” that he co-created. Justin has traveled throughout California and Nevada working conventions while selling prints and merchandise based on his artwork. Justin has been the primary artist on the ZKS comics, as well as providing the artwork for posters, prints, t-shirts and other merchandise. Justin also wrote, penciled, and inked a story called “The Mask of Devouring” for the Forbidden Panel horror anthology, Forbidden Tales.
You must be logged in to post a comment.