R.I.P. Catholic author Michael Dubruiel

Yesterday, Catholic author Michael Dubruiel (husband of author Amy Welborn), collapsed and died while working out at the gym. He was 50. Please keep their family in your prayers. Here's the link to Amy's popular blog.

What do you think of our last issue?

Maybe this can become a regular feature, but I'm running this specific post about our RNC coverage issue. We had to rely on Catholic News Service's coverage since we couldn't attend the convention in person. The early reviews are mixed in that some appreciate the life focus of many stories, and others are upset and accusing the Catholic Church of forcing its members to vote for one party (which it's not).

So... your thoughts are appreciated.

Groundbreaking Catholic Animation Camp

The Colorado Catholic Herald is proud to be a sponsor of what we consider a groundbreaking idea... a camp that aims to teach folks the basic tools of computer animation so that he/she can produce Catholic-themed art. The inaugural Catholic Animation Camp will take place June 23-27 at John Paul II Center in Denver. The teacher is Steve Baker, who teaches animation at the University of Colorado in Denver and is the founder of Holy Solies Media.

The ambitious schedule for the camp includes participants creating elements that will be combined at the end of the camp to make a Catholic music video. Participants will get to dabble in character construction and motion capture. The $600 camp cost includes a software license for Softimage XSI, which is used by top animators in Hollywood for films and games.

There are only a dozen spots open, and several spots are already taken. This year is, in part, about getting the word out about this great idea. We recommend interested folks get involved now, as the uniqueness of this camp is likely to cause a waiting list for future camps. This camp is being promoted nationally and the hope is that interested people can fly in for future camps and that a community can be created for participants to share ideas and support each other.

Another dream for the camp is that, as word gets out, a scholarship can be created in memory of Mark Golden, a good friend of Baker who died in a hiking accident in 2004. Golden was a composer both for story ideas and music in past projects, including their first video "The Kings of Christmas."