Movie Reviews & Stories Norman Babcock sees dead people. As the title portmanteau of ParaNorman—the second feature from Portland animation house Laika...   More

Murmurs City Commissioner Amanda Fritz won her council seat in 2008 with public financing, part of the short-lived experiment in Portland that voters killed last year. Facing re-election in 2012, Fritz    More

Movies & Television Phil Knight's animation factory Laika is getting started extra early on promoting its second feature, ParaNorman. The follow-up to Coraline doesn't have the Neil Gaiman name recognition factor built in; it's an original concept about a little boy who's a "ghoul whisperer." So 11 months before the movie's August 2012 premiere, the Portland studio has launched its first ParaNorman teaser trailer just ...   More

Movies & Television Buried deep within this New York Times story about Robert Downey Jr. providing the first-ever voice for Planters mascot Mr. Peanut, here's a local nugget: Portland studio LAIKA animated and helped design the character and his advertisements. To be precise, the puppet animation was done by LAIKA/house, the advertising wing of Phil and Travis Knight's cartoon empire. The company makes about 30 commercial ...   More

News ...   More

News I'm sitting in the front row of a fashion show at the Benson Hotel, and I've never been more uncomfortable. The show begins with a light and shadow display using canvas sheets, and a woman emerges in a Ace-bandage-like bondage gear suit. Six or so five-foot metal poles are connected to various points on the bandage suit, and they drag behind her like a strange, industrial-strength dress train. ...   More