Apofiss is an artist from Latvia that is known for his dreamy pictures of adorable dinosaurs and mischievous cats. He is also the creator of “Boggart,” a humorous comic that centers around a somewhat egotistic fairy-cat. Apofiss also makes live wallpapers (images that move even when set as a background on a phone or computer), which you can find videos of on his Youtube account, along with videos of how he speed paints some of his images.

ToonariPost (TP): How and when did you first start practicing your art (are you traditionally trained or self-taught)?

Apofiss (A): I would say I returned to drawing back in 2008 and not long after that I got my first and current tablet. I’m fully self-trained; learning and creating new things is always rather exciting and nowadays with such a huge resource as the internet it is quite handy to do!

TP: What mediums do you use for your art work?  Which is your favorite and why?

A: I tend to work with digital mediums such as Photoshop or Paint Tool SAI, both great software to work with. As for the traditional approach, it’s mostly a sheet of paper and a mechanical pencil.

TP: What piece of your work is your favorite and why?

A: The is the hardest question. I like most of my works, really… yet if I have to pick only one then “mutual thing” is the one because, basically, it’s where it all started. Also the concept itself turned out quite original and visually eye-catching.

TP: When you first started did you ever hit any bumps in your art process? How did you overcome them?

A: Of course, there are always times when I get frustrated with something and can’t get it to look the way I want, but this is just a part of learning and growing up art-wise. How do I overcome such moments? Well, I think I overcome these moments rather naturally and easily, as the learning part is something I really enjoy!

TP: Who or what are your inspirations and why?

A: To put it shortly, the internet. Artists, movies, anime and what not… it’s a great daily dose of inspiration! I also have an influence map in my DeviantART gallery.

TP: What artists would you consider working with to do a piece?

A: So far I prefer to work alone, because I don’t think I have what it takes to work together with artists I like or actually to create a piece I would be super proud of… but we’ll see!

TP: If there was any art medium that you wish you could master, what would it be and why?

A: Traditional oil painting! I definitely love the traditional approach and the results you get… such work has a bit more value to it, you can actually touch it!

TP: What are your goals in life?  Do you plan to continue art as a hobby or make it a career?

A: Personally I don’t really like the word “career”, at least not in its usual meaning. I want to keep my art as a hobby, a serious hobby because of the healthy conditions it provides to create original and hopefully amazing art for myself to enjoy and for others to appreciate.

TP: What is it about “career” that you don’t like?

A: Career in its classic meaning ( or understanding? ) usually includes a lot of work done for the sake of money. I like to put the enjoyment of the work as the primary matter and financial matter as the secondary one… it doesn’t always work out like that, of course. In other words, the enjoyment of creating something is what keeps me doing what I do.

TP: Do you feel that your culture has influenced you in some way that makes you different than other artists?

A: I think it has an impact to some degree. In my opinion most artists have something specific about them, it’s like a signature of life experience that shows in every brush stroke. We each see our world a bit differently. The environment and overall life experience is what makes us different, yet amazing when it comes to art.

TP: Can you tell me more about your background?  What experiences brought you to be the person you are today?

A: I think I have creating something for ever, beginning with sand towns, papercraft, even chemistry and experimental “inventions”, haha, back in my childhood that is. Back in 1991, I think, Disney’s “Duck Tales” was the first one to steer me back to drawing while it wasn’t anything that serious.

Later animation movie The Lion King or the movie The Fifth Element had a HUGE impact on me, it’s was like a whole new world! Also,the gaming world has had a big part in everything, still has, it kind of kept me on the creative side.

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The Lion King musical is based on the 1994 Walt Disney animated classic, The Lion King.  The musical is adapted from the screenplay by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton and produced by Peter Schneider and Thomas Schumacher.

This musical debuted in 1997 in Minneapolis, Minnesota and has now become the seventh longest running show on Broadway and is the highest grossing Broadway show of all time, having grossed $853.8 million. The show has toured in multiple cities across the U.S. as well as around the world.  I had the opportunity to attend the show at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre in Orlando, Florida on May 9.

Fans of the film will not be disappointed with the musical. It is breathtakingly beautiful, and the actors give an outstanding performance that will have audiences rising to their feet to give a standing ovation at the end of the show.

Both the film and the play are about a young lion cub named Simba who, through deception and betrayal of his jealous Uncle Scar, is wrongfully blamed for his father Mufasa’s death and runs away from his home.  He meets a meerkat named Timon and a warthog named Pumba, who are outcasts like Simba.

They become friends and live a carefree lives under the motto “hakuna matata”, which means “no worries.” Years pass, and back home, Simba’s uncle rules the kingdom and allows his allies, the hyenas, to eat as much as they like, breaking the circle of life. Now all grown up, Simba’s childhood friend, Nala, leaves the pride in search of help and finds Simba. With the help of the wise mandrill, Rafiki, Simba returns home, confronts his past, defeats Scar, and restores the balance. He finally accepts his rightful place as king, and all is well again in the pride lands.

The show opens with a bang. The Pride Rock is the setting for the first scene, as baby Simba is revealed to the rest of the kingdom as Rafiki and the Ensemble cast belt out the “Circle of Life” with “Nants’ Ingonyama.” The drummers-who are placed on both sides of the stage-closed the opening number with a resounding thump on their African drums, which brought the audience to applaud with excitement and approval for what is to come.

The show is about two hours with one fifteen-minute intermission and moves along at a balanced pace. Act One is the longer of the two acts and the better of the two as well. Act Two opens with the Ensemble cast singing “One by One”, a happy and joyous tune. This leads into Scene One which starts out with vultures hovering in the sky, representing the death and lack of food that has occurred under Scar’s reign. It is a stark contrast.

All of the actors’ performances were wonderful, but there were a few that shone brighter than the rest. Actress Buyi Zama was rightfully cast as Rafiki. Her performance was my favorite, as she made the audience laugh throughout the evening and received the most applause. J. Anthony Crane, who portrayed Scar, was memorable. He portrayed the villain excellently and even received a few boos mixed in with the applause. Finally, Mark David Kaplan, who played Mufasa’s confidant Zazu, was hilarious and provided zingers at the right times during the play.

In addition to the original tunes from the film with music and lyrics by Elton John and Tim Rice, the show has additional music and lyrics by Lebo M. Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor, and Hans Zimmer.  Out of these new tunes, the most notable was “He Lives in You,” which is first performed during the Under the Stars scene in the first act when Mufasa is disciplining Simba. There is a reprise of the song later on in the second act.

Visually, the show is strikingly beautiful with its sets and lighting which bring out the African themes quite well.

The musical features actors in animal costumes that are designed by Julie Taymor, as well as masks and puppets varying in size, also designed by her and Michael Curry. All of the costumes and puppets were colorful and magnificent. The cheetah costume was the coolest, as it featured an actor using their hands to control the front part of the cheetah’s body while their own legs were inside the hind legs of the puppet, propelling the puppet to move as though it was a real cheetah. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

The hyenas were another costume that stood out. The actors’ legs were the hyena’s hind legs, and their hands held sticks molded to look like a hyena’s front legs. Their hyena masks even had moveable mouths.

All in all, The Lion King is a worthy successor to the film. The show will finish its Orlando tour on May 13, so check your local theater to find out when the musical will be coming to your town.

Image Courtesy of   The Lion King

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In a continuing effort to better serve the Hispanic audience, Walt Disney Records will be releasing two Song & Story titles and a collection of Disney Princess songs in Spanish for the very first time. The label will also release the Spanish language digital soundtracks for Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King. All five albums will be released on March 20, 2012.

Each Canta y Cuenta release features three to four songs from and inspired by the films, plus an audio story and will be available physically and digitally.

Canciones de las Princesas spotlights Disney’s most beloved heroines with Spanish versions of classic songs from magical films such as “Tangled,” “The Princess and the Frog,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Little Mermaid” and many more. This enchanting collection features several highlights from Mexican talent, including “Cuando Empezare a Vivir” by singer/actress Danna Paola (“When Will My Life Begin” from “Tangled”),  “Un Mundo Ideal” by Analy and Best Actor Oscar nominee Demian Bichir (“A Whole New World” from “Aladdin”), and “Colores en el Viento” by Susana Zavaleta (“Colors of the Wind” from “Pocahontas”). Sixteen-year old Danna Paola said, ”I’m thrilled to have collaborated with the team at Disney on the track ‘Cuando Empezare a Vivir,’ from the movie ‘Tangled’ (‘Enredados’). It was a fantastic opportunity to be part of the magic behind this love story.”

La Bella y la Bestia digital soundtrack features 10 songs in Spanish, five score cues and the title track performed by Mijares and Rocio Banquells. El Rey Leon includes 12 songs (six in Spanish), four score cues and two versions of “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” by Elton John.

“We’re thrilled to offer Spanish-speaking families an additional way to experience the magic of Disney music in their native language,” says Cathleen Taff of Disney Music Group.

All five albums will be available on March 20, 2012. Canta y Cuenta: La Sirenita, Canta y Cuenta: Toy Story will be available wherever music is sold, digitally and physically. La Bella y La Bestia and El Rey Leon will be available at online retailers. For more information on Walt Disney Records’ releases, please visit Disney.com/music, become a fan at Facebook.com/disneymusic or follow us at Twitter.com/disneymusic.

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