Lao American animator Carol Rasaphangthong and Cool Town Creations

This week, over at Little Laos on the Prairie, I did an interview with artist and stop-motion animator Carol Rasaphangthong, founder of Cool Town Creations. She brings some great perspective to her art for consideration by emerging artists and creators.

I've been a big fan of stop-motion animation since I was young, whether it was the holiday specials like Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer or the California Raisins, but particularly early 20th century masters like Harry Harryhausen and his work on films such as Clash of the Titans, the Golden Voyage of Sinbad and so on. I'd further cite the work of Tim Burton, Aardman Animations and the Brothers Quay as key influences on my taste for stop-motion. I'm glad to see it still has its fans and we have a new generation of animators taking the time to learn the craft and to create great works for the world.

It will be interesting to see if we can soon develop a stronger network of animation studios to develop an aesthetic that is distinctly Lao.