Han Hoogerbrugge, the Rotterdam-based digital artist, is the subject of a new book - Modern Living: The Graphic Universe of Han Hoogerbrugge. The 200 page book (which comes with a DVD) opens with a multi-panel comic of Han commenting on the book itself. It’s only fitting, as Hoogerbrugge has made himself the subject of the balance of his popular work (the interactive, Flash-animated series Modern Living/Neurotica, Hotel and Nails) but not in a self-obsessed way. The stark, often whimsical renderings of himself are more of a diary of his take on pop culture or simply what he observed during the day. In this way, Hoogerbrugge’s work is surprisingly accessible for, what most would describe as, surrealist material. In fact, Han drops the veil completely near the end of the book and offers a step-by-step instruction of how, with the help of a green screen, he digitally produces his work.

Speaking of his work, here’s 20 of Hans’s Flash-animated shorts assembled into a 7-minute clip:

The coffee table book, which sells for €39.00 (approx $50 USD), reads like a graphic novel for the post-modern digital art aficionado. Essays on Hoogerbrugge’s work, life and interactive pioneering are interspersed between large comics, prints of his work and stills from animations. We also learn that Hoogerbrugge, dubbed “The Fellini of Flash,” has produced in nearly every medium imaginable; sketches, paintings, installations, music and of course his 10-years of interactive, online animation. And somehow, a book, a medium that has existed for almost 4,000 years, manages to capture the essence of this dizzying array of Hoogerbrugge’s progressive artistic outlets.

The artist known as Ckoe has been featured here a few times, once in recognition of his film Sad Dog being accepted into Annecy, and a second time for inclusion in MTV’s Load. Ckoe, who once interned for Hans Hoogerbrugge, has created another Flash-animated short - this one is titled Udder and Piglet. It falls into his ‘minimation’ project which includes short animations, drawings, photos and experiments.

Back in January, CHF featured a music video for a UK-band called
The Young Punx. Their video for their song You’ve Got To… was brought to life by Han Hoogerbrugge, the popular Dutch artist and animator. The band has again tapped Hoogerbrugge, and this time for their song Wake up, make up, bring it up, shake up.

Han Hoogerbrugge, the Dutch animator and artist, has just finished a music video for The Young Punx, a London-based electronic dance duo. The video is for the song You’ve Got To…, which is off their forthcoming debut album.

Hoogerbrugge has gained popularity from his often interactive Flash animations and a series of Hotel shorts produced by Submarine Channel.

The SubmarineChannel is an Amsterdam-based online entertainment network that features a great deal of Flash animation. They’re hosts to none other than Han Hoogerbrugge, an avant-garde animator from Rotterdam whose series ‘Hotel’ plays on SubmarineChannel.

I’ve recently been in touch with Remco Vlaanderen, the editor of SubmarineChannel, and he confirmed that their latest release, Amaya, a haunting collaboration between animator Ryosuke Aoike (’Catman’ and ‘Perestroika’) and musician David Kristian, is indeed animated in Flash. The project also received some post touches in After Effects; adjusting colors and adding light effects.

And don’t miss ‘Valley of the Cnuties,’ a series by Craig Robinson.