Holiday Book Signing at Shreveport's Toy Fair

On Sunday, December 2nd from 3 to 5pm, Toy Fair will host a book signing for William Joyce at their store location in Pierremont Mall on Line Avenue. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet Joyce and have their books autographed. Books are available for purchase at Toy Fair in Pierremont Mall.

Joyce has authored more than fifty children’s books, including: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, George Shrinks, Santa Calls, Dinosaur Bob and his Adventures with the Family Lazardo, Rolie Polie Olie, The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs, and A Day with Wilbur Robinson. Joyce is a Shreveport native, an Academy Award® winner and cofounder of the Moonbot Studios, a Shreveport-based interactive storytelling studio. His latest film is Rise of the Guardians, based on his New York Times-bestselling book series, The Guardians of Childhood. The film and books explain the mythologies of childhood icons such as Santa, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy.

Those attending the book signing are invited to get pictures taken with Santa, and enjoy complimentary coffee and cookies.

Toy Fair is a local Children’s clothing, shoe, and toy store. The store was founded in 1951 by Joy Goldberg Baskind, and it continues to be run by the Baskind family to this day. Currently in its third generation, Toy Fair is now run by Julie Baskind Bryan. Over the years, Toy Fair owners and staff have built a reputation in the community for helping children and parents find the toys, shoes, and clothes that best suit their interests and needs. At Toy Fair it’s not about selling toys, it’s about creating childhood memories and experiences that will last a lifetime.

Louisiana Premiere of Rise of the Guardians

On Thursday, November 15th, William Joyce and DreamWorks Animation will present the Louisiana Premiere of Rise of the Guardians at the Strand Theatre and the grand opening of the exhibition “The Making of…Guardians” at artspace.

The event begins at 6:30 pm with an introduction of the film by the Executive Producer, William Joyce and the Production Designer, Patrick Hanenberger. Immediately following the premiere, audience members will follow Nicholas St. North in a parade down Louisiana Avenue, under a cascade of confetti to artspace for a first look at the exhibition. Patrons will celebrate at a street party complete with live music by Brady Blade and Friends. 

For tickets and more information, call the Strand Theatre box office at (318) 226-1481. Proceeds from the ticket sales will benefit artspace, Robinson Film Center and The Strand Theatre.

Rise of the Guardians is an epic and magical adventure that tells the story of Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, and Jack Frost – legendary characters with previously unknown extraordinary abilities. When an evil spirit known as Pitch lays down the gauntlet to take over the world, the immortal Guardians must join forces to protect the hopes, beliefs and imagination of children everywhere. Produced by DreamWorks Animation and directed by Peter Ramsey, the film will be released on November 21, 2012 in theatres nationwide.  William Joyce and Guillermo del Toro executive produced the animated, feature-length film.  For more information about the film, visit http://riseoftheguardians.com

William Joyce's New York Times-bestselling GUARDIANS OF CHILDHOOD book series is set 200 years before the adventures from Rise of the Guardians. The 13 book series published by Simon & Schuster sets up the mythology of these legends through vividly illustrated picture books and chapter books for young adults. "There's a lot of stuff in the film that's fed the book series in ways I didn't expect and made it all together stronger and more interesting. It was a delight to work on both the books and the film," says William Joyce.  For more information about the book series, visit http://theguardiansofchildhoodbooks.com.

Three Fantastic Book Signings for Toothiana and Sandman

The newest additions to William Joyce's Guardians of Childhood book series will be released on October 2nd. The third chapter book, Toothiana, Queen of the Tooth Fairy Armies, introduces one of the most riveting, mysterious Guardians of all time: the Tooth Fairy. The Sandman: The Story of Sanderson Mansnoozie, the second picture book in the series, tells how the Sandman dreamed up his sweet-dreams legacy. William Joyce will be at three spectacular book signings to celebrate:

CHICAGO
Tuesday, October 2 at 7PM
Anderson's Book Shop
Pfeiffer Hall, 310 E. Benton Ave., in Naperville

MILWAUKEE
Friday, October 5 at 7PM
Boswell Book Company
2559 N. Downer Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53211

SHREVEPORT
Sunday, October 7 at 3PM
Barnes & Noble
6646 Youree Drive, Shreveport, LA 71105

Pre-order a book now through Amazon:

• The Sandman: The Story of Sanderson Mansnoozie
• Toothiana, Queen of the Tooth Fairy Armies

William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg in NYC August 4th

Bill and Brandon are strapping on their jetpacks and heading to New York City on August 4th to give a talk at Apple’s newly revamped SoHo Store (72 Greene Street  New York, NY 10012) at 11AM. After their talk, the dynamic duo will conduct the world’s first app signing. Make sure to download the latest version of the Numberlys, The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore and the IMAG•N•O•TRON!

 
Later that day, Books of Wonder (18 West 18th Street New York, NY 10011) will host an in-store event from 3-5PM. It’s the perfect place to pick up the New York Times Bestseller The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore, The Man in the Moon or any of the other Guardians of Childhood books. Find out more at the Books of Wonder blog.

"Perhaps most fascinating, the movie, app, and book taken together present an entirely kid-friendly opportunity to talk about the interplay between content and format."

Another kind review of The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore picture book, this time from ALA's Booklist Online:

"Perhaps most fascinating, the movie, app, and book taken together present an entirely kid-friendly opportunity to talk about the interplay between content and format." Read more...

"The best part? Lingering quietly while savoring the atmospheric scenes of Joyce’s narrative vignette."

School Library Journal wrote a lovely review for The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore picture book:

JOYCE, William. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. illus. by author. 56p. S & S/Atheneum. 2012. ebook $12.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-6489-6; Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-5702-7.

Pre-Gr 3–Joyce’s Academy Award-winning animated short-film-turned-app that celebrates those who care about  (and receive nourishment from) books is, ironically, now a picture book. The wonder and mystery inherent in the wordless film and the ability to manipulate the visuals and play the soundtrack on the app’s piano beg the question: Can the book compete? As it turns out, the book has its own rewards. Clarity comes from Joyce’s well-chosen words. In the opening on a New Orleans balcony, readers learn that Morris “loved words…stories…books.” Every day he would “write of his joys and sorrows, of all that he knew and everything that he hoped for.” When an Oz-like storm turns everything topsy-turvy, the melancholy man in the pork-pie hat spots a lady held aloft by a “festive squadron of flying books.” Her gift leads Morris to a book-filled sanctuary set in a landscape staged and lit like a Maxfield Parrish painting. He tends to the volumes, distributing favorites to visitors, whose once-gray bodies blossom with color. Every life and story ends, and those struggling with their own goodbyes (and yearnings about printed books) may find comfort in seeing the fading elder revert to his younger self in order to be transported by the joyful squadron–just as a little girl arrives to choose Morris’s story. The author’s motivations (explained on the flap) will resonate with adults in the reading business. The best part? Lingering quietly while savoring the atmospheric scenes of Joyce’s narrative vignette.
–Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library

Check out the book from your local library or pick up a copy.

Introducing IMAG•N•O•TRON

NEW YORK, JUNE 29– Simon& Schuster Books for Young Readers, Academy Award ™ winner William Joyce, and Moonbot Studios have partnered to share extraordinary digital content for TheFantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (available in book stores everywhere now).  

Moonbot Studios has created a digital app called IMAG•N•O•TRON“The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore” Edition, available now oniTunes. This app gives readers a thrilling new reading experience through access to augmented reality features. The genius of IMAG•N•O•TRON is that, unlike other “app-centric” apps, it is unabashedly “book-centric.” Users can download the app for 99 cents starting today and use their physical version of The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore to unlock exciting content on every page. The augmented reality experience will combine the real scenes from the book viewed by the reader with virtual scenes generated by the handheld device. Books fly off the page, Humpty Dumpty befriends you, and you get a sneak peek into a different part of Lessmore’s world, not shown in the book or movie. The app currently works on iPads 2 and 3 and iPhones.

Originally created as a short film, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is a remarkable bridge between the book world and the digital world. Inspired by Hurricane Katrina, Buster Keaton, and The Wizard of Oz, the book and film are a love story to people who devote their lives to books and to how books return the favor. The short film received an Oscar at the 84th Academy Awards™.

“What excites me is how William Joyce and Moonbot are constantly pushing the envelope, but always in service of the book,” said Justin Chanda, Vice President and Publisher of Atheneum Books for Young Readers.  “This groundbreaking app allows readers get more out of the book they were able to purchase anywhere.  How terrific to have something that is looking to enhance the printed experience, not replace it!”

Book Signings

Joe Bluhm and William Joyce at the Shreveport, LA Barnes & Noble book signing.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore picture book is now in stores!

In New Orleans this Friday? You don't want to miss a special New Orleans Center Creative Arts Academy event, hosted by Octavia Books.  Beginning at 6 PM, the evening will include a screening of the The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore film, a book signing, and Times Picayune Book Review Editor Susan Larson will conduct an interview with William Joyce. The interview will be broadcast on WWNO's The Reading Life . For more info, check out NOLA.com.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore Picture Book

The story that inspired the Academy Award®-winning animated short film The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is now a picture book! Select your favorite retailer from our list at morrislessmore.com and pre-order your copy today!

Experience Mr. Morris Lessmore's story once again, this time in the classic picture book format. Filled with 50 pages of beautiful illustrations, the book has earned a Kirkus Star and will be in stores on Tuesday, June 19th.

William Joyce at Book Expo of America 

Will you be attending the Book Expo of America?  The event takes place June 4-7 2012 at the Javits Center in NYC. William Joyce will be in Simon & Schuster Booth (#3657) signing copies of the Morris picture book  on Tuesday June 5th at 12:30 PM.

Future Events

• Tuesday June 19th at 6 PM: Book Signing in Shreveport, LA Barnes & Noble 
• Friday June 22nd: Book signing in New Orleans, details TBA
• Sunday June 24th: ALA Conference, Anaheim, California, details subject to change
• September 7th-9th: Southern Independent Booksellers Convention, Naples, FL, details TBA

Rise of the Guardians Trailer

The Jade Sphinx James Abbott has published his review of Book Two of The Rise of The Guardians series: E. Aster Bunnymund and the Warrior Eggs at the Earth's Core!.  

Joyce’s imagination is like a great attic filled with comics, old TV shows, pulp novels and adventure stories, toys and Americana, and tumbled and jumbled together until it forms something uniquely its own.  Part of the great fun is running a mental finger down the line of his inspiration and watching him tickle the source.

Book Events
Book Expo of America, NYC: June 5-7th 2012, details TBD
American Library Association, Anahiem, CA: June 21-26th, details TBD

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore picture book will be released mid-June 2012.

In Rise of the Guardians movie news, Dreamworks recently hosted a preview of the film along with the first theatrical trailer. You can catch the trailer in theaters starting April 6th. The film is set for release mid-November of this year!  

“The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore” from Moonbot Studios Wins Best Animated Short in 2011 Oscars

Image source: msn.com

William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg take home Academy Award for first original film

Los Angeles, CA – February 27, 2012 – Just announced last night at the 84th Annual Academy Awards®, Moonbot Studios took home an Oscar in the animated short film category for the studio’s very first project, “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore,” directed by William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg.  “Morris Lessmore” was released in February 2011 in conjunction with the launch of the studio itself.

“The idea for the film was inspired by a dear friend and mentor, Bill Morris, a lover of books and a grand old gentleman of children's book publishing,” said William Joyce, co-founder of Moonbot Studios and co-director on the “Morris Lessmore” film.  “I know Bill would be touched to see a film about his life’s passion honored by the Academy.”

Inspired, in equal measures, by Hurricane Katrina, Buster Keaton, The Wizard of Oz, and a love for books, “Morris Lessmore” is a poignant, humorous allegory about the curative powers of story.  Using a variety of techniques, including filmed miniatures, stop motion, 2D, and 3D animation, award-winning author and illustrator William Joyce and co-director Brandon Oldenburg present a hybrid style of animation that harkens back to silent films and MGM Technicolor musicals and is the most cutting edge of today.

“We created our film and our studio at the same time,” said Brandon Oldenburg, co-founder of Moonbot Studios and co-director on the “Morris Lessmore” film.  “The short is a sort of gumbo of everything we love about film and animation and so is our studio.”

The Moonbot team created thousands of hand-painted books and constructed a full city block of the New Orleans French Quarter in 1/12th scale.  The entire production of the film spanned a year’s time.  After the release of the short, Moonbot unveiled an interactive iPad App version of the story which has received worldwide praise as a ground breaking leap forward in storytelling on the iPad.  The best-selling, interactive “Morris Lessmore” iPad App is available on iTunes for $4.99 in the App Store.

Much of what has allowed Moonbot to flourish creatively can be attributed to the company’s strong local roots, including support from the State of Louisiana and the City of Shreveport.  The creators are closely associated with ArtSpace, Shreveport’s regional arts center, and the Robinson Film Center, a non-profit organization that hosts independent, international, and classic films and assists with film education.  In keeping with the local theme, Joyce and Oldenburg were even outfitted for the Oscars in custom tuxedos created by Dickies, the clothing designer traditionally known for its “work wear” based in Oldenburg’s hometown of Fort Worth, Texas.

“We can’t emphasize enough how much the support of Louisiana Economic Development and the Shreveport community has helped to get Moonbot where it is in such a short time,” said Lampton Enochs, co-founder of Moonbot Studios and co-producer on the “Morris Lessmore” film.   “With the support of State incentives and workforce training programs, we’ve been able to build a strong team of talented artists and storytellers and have far exceeded our expectations for what we could accomplish in our first months of business.”  

The second book in The Guardians series, E. Aster Bunnymund and the Warrior Eggs at the Earth's Core! is now available for purchase.

Interviews
Bill Desowitz's comprehensive interview covers past and future projects including The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore and Rise of The Guardians.

DMagazine has posted their interview with William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg.

Upcoming TV Appearances
Good Morning America (ABC) Thursday 2.23.2012 & Saturday 2.25.2012
CBS Sunday Morning Sunday 2.26.2012
The 84th Academy Awards® (ABC) Sunday 2.25.2013

“The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore,” directed by William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg, is one of five animated short films that will be considered for outstanding film achievements of 2011 in the 84th Academy Awards,® which take place on February 26, 2012. Since the final nominees were announced, William Joyce has been quite busy!

 Nominees Luncheon Photo: ©A.M.P.A.S.®

Meeting Steven Spielberg

Arriving in LA earlier this week

Keep up with the Oscars Adventure by following @MoonbotStudios and @MorrisLessmore via Twitter and visiting the Moonbot blog as well as www.moonbotstudios.com. 


In other news, the Discovery Channel has released a series of interviews with William Joyce via Curiosity.com. Watch them all here.

January 2012 Update

Greetings from the moon! We've been quite busy here at "The Museum of Future Children's Classics", aka, Moonbot Studios. Our new storybook app, Numberlys, out now on the iTunes App Store, happens to be the App of the Week for iPad and iPhone! Huzzah!

  

The Numberlys presents a fanciful depiction of the origins of the alphabet and is the newest interactive epic from Moonbot Studios, the creators of The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. The Numberlys is a story App celebration of the early fantasy epics King Kong, Metropolis and Flash Gordon with a dollop of the Marx Brothers, a splash of the Fleischer Studios technicolor Superman and a little bit of the 1939 New York World’s Fair.

The Numberlys is huge in scope. It's an adventure! A mystery! A game! And a story!

It's a new way to entertain, learn and rediscover our storytelling "golden age".

Interested in learning more about William Joyce's copious creative endeavors? Animation Magazine's detailed report/interview, Expanding the Magical World of William Joyce, is profuse with the author's thoughts on projects past and future, including everything from Leafmen to Morris Lessmore to Rise of The Guardians. 

 

Last but certainly not least, we encourage you to enjoy this video, courtesy LPB.