In Peques and Más we bring an interview with Abraham López Guerrero, director of the short film Blue & Malone Imaginary detectives which is nominated for the Goya Awards 2014. Abraham studied physical sciences by the UNED although what he liked was draw comics and write articles I was publishing sporadically in specialized publications. In the late 90s he decided to train in audiovisual language at the EICTV of San Antonio de Baños in Cuba. There he learned to tell stories with images of great masters such as Gabriel García Márquez, Pascal Aubier or Francis Ford Coppola. He started as a 3D animator, character designer and screenwriter for Aragon Anima2 in 2002. He has also worked in advertising and in 2006 he was director of the audiovisual department of Netthink - Aegis Media. Together with Gerardo Álvarez and Jorge Medina, he has his own production company called The Impossible Journey with which directed two series of animation: Mad and bad Y The Paper Journey in addition to launching the production of the short film Blue and Malone Imaginary Detectives which is the candidate for the Goya 2014. Abraham is also the producer of the series Clanners for Clan TV from RTVE which still leaves him time to make his first feature film with Blue & Malone.
Who are Blue and Malone and what is the origin of these characters
They are two imaginary detectives who are dedicated to helping children solve their fantastic little cases. Morting It is the soul of an intrepid adventurer caught in a cartoon dog. Cat He is an intelligent and silent giant and blue tiger. Both complement each other and give meaning to the children's adventure of getting older without giving up on dreams.
What has been the evolution of Blue and Malone over time?
The characters began to be the protagonists of a feature film project, the same that we are now trying to raise, after the success of the short. Then, for a long time, they were cartoon characters that we published in a blog while we planned to shoot the short film. Now they are finally the protagonists of this small great production.
What is your professional profile?
In the world of creativity, audiovisual narration and 3d I have done almost everything: I have animated, modeled, written scripts, designed characters and made series, shorts and spots. I consider myself an apprentice of many things, but above all an apprentice director.
Who are your references in animated cinema?
In Spain I admire a lot of people and I have them as references. Right now Mario Serrano, an amazing short-acting animation short film still to the public. To Fernando Moro and Manolo Galiana, live legends of animation, to Coque Rioboo, Sergio Pablos, Manuel Cristóbal, a multi-prize producer who really understands animation as a technique and not as a genre. To Enrique Gato and Manuel Sicilia for everything they have advanced Spanish animation. And comic book authors like Juanjo Guarnido, Paco Roca and Alfonso Azpiri.
I admire Enrique Gato and Manuel Sicilia for everything they have advanced Spanish animation
On the international scene, of course I declare myself a follower of Pixar and from Miyazaki and the study Ghibli. But I have also been influenced by movies that are not animation, such as the great work of the producer of Jim Henson. From Dark Crystal and Labyrinth to Los Fraggle. Also comics like Calvin and Hobbes, Peanuts or Madalfa. Amazing series like Adventure Time and Gumball are true references to how much animation can give.
Is animation cinema and videogames converging?
He is already doing it. A large part of videogames are made cheering and made animators. but indeed, I think they will converge even more. I am one of the convinced that the new generations will study classical history and physical sciences not only with books, but also playing video games.
Is Blue and Malone a comic that is made movie or a movie that is made comic?
It is both. It all starts on paper, and just as the intention is to make movies and TV series with the characters, we also want to publish his comics in comics.
What is the future of animation cinema regarding distribution?
I think that in addition to the appearance of new processes that modify the distribution channels of the animation, in the end there are also cycles and there are coexistence. There was a time when it was said that the theater was on loan to the movies, TV and video. And now the theater coexists with the other media with an iron health.
Are you going to make a long movie of Blue and Malone?
That's the idea. We have an advanced script and a lot of meetings every week, with televisions, investors and interested co-producers.
The goal is to make a long with Blue & Malone, imaginary detectives
What are the resources you have used to make the short of Blue and Malone?
In Blue and Malone they have collaborated 184 professionals for more than 4 years. 3d animation, traditional animation, filming with a child actress and state-of-the-art cameras have been used, numerous special effects, made with Spanish software, dolby 5.1 sound and a seven-band jazz band, Racalmuto, which has recorded among three other tracks Composed especially for the short film.
Who were your idols of small drawing and how have you evolved since your first drawings and designs?
Actually I have devoured all kinds of comic that has passed through my hands. I started reading American comic books from Marvel and DC but my father taught me the comics he read: The Jabato and Captain Thunder. I also read a lot Mortadelo, Asterix and Tin Tin, but my favorite above all was always Super Lopez.
Later I discovered the European comic: Moebius, Hugo Pratt, Enki Bilal. My mother, I've spent half a life reading comics!
At what ages can children approach the history of Blue and Malone?
I think that the audience that enjoys the shortest is first of all the one that goes from six to twelve years old and secondly, the one that goes from 35 to 55 (which are the parents and grandparents of these children).
What are your next projects
We have the firm intention, as I said, to lift the series and the movie of Blue and Malone. In parallel and since we are almost the same team that has made Clanners for the Clan Channel, we have a very nice little series of different characters. I briefly and exclusively advance the idea: they are the single animals that were left out of Noah's ark.
How can parents contribute to increasing children's reading habits, a taste for illustrations and entertainment in the cinema?
It is simple and at the same time incredibly complicated: spending quiet time reading with them.
And here the interview with Abraham López Guerrero. I have to thank Patricia Tablado (@patchgirl) editor of this blog that put us on Abraham's lead when she told us about Blue & Malone as imaginary friends for children and adults. We also thank Abraham for his collaboration with Peques and Más for publishing the interview showing us the excellent health of Spanish animation in which there are great professionals and with important successes. We wish him the best and hope they can fulfill their dream of making a Blue & Malone feature, for now and as an appointment for next February 9, 2014, we hope that Abraham will take the stage to collect the award for the best animated short film of the Goya 2014.
