SPX is bearing down on us sooner than we could have expected — September 11-12 — and guests are being announced — Kate Beaton, Dean Haspiel, James Sturm, Raina Telgemeier and Jim Rugg have thus far been announced. And now the selections for the first annual Animation Showcase are here and it sounds like a fine addition to an already great show.

The 2010 SPX Animation Showcase features indepedently made animation created in a variety of styles and techniques. “These films let people know independent animation is as sophisticated as its big-budget brothers,” says Showcase committee co-chair Paul Nadjmabadi. “Every year at SPX we see that pool of talent in comics that hasn’t been recognized yet, that one-off that someone did that’s the most amazing thing you’ve seen all year. We want to bring that to animation.”

Animations screening in the showcase include traditional and abstract storytelling in a variety of styles including stop-motion, clay-mation, hand-drawn, and computer animation. Selections include:
Good %^&$ing Morning                  Nick Arcidy
Suck It Up                                     Rebecca Boensch
Building Blocks                                Vanessa Chan
Bleach and Glitter                   Vanessa Chan
Head Garden                                    Lilli Carre                 
The Discovery                                   Rodgers Dameron
The Magician                                    Dustin Maassen                 
Wonders of Nature: Our National Parks Yosemite                   Clasrissa Maralone
Hocas Croakus                                   Mark McDonald
One of a Kind                                    Dixie Pizani
The Melting Pot                   Shani Vargo
Krawll                                                 Matthew Wade
Birdy                                                    Agnieszka Woznicka
Deadline                                     Bang Yaoliu
 
More information on animators and films is available via the SPX Animation Showcase Web site at www.spxpo.com/animation.