June 1st is the release date for Winsor McCay: The Master Edition (Milestone Films) a dvd collection featuring brand-new digital transfers of every surviving film, a new piano score by composer Gabriel Thibaudeau, and John Canemaker’s wonderful documentary Remembering Winsor McCay (1976).This is obviously a must-have: the collection includes the stunning hand-colored Little Nemo (1911) mastered from the only known 35mm print in existence, and Gertie the Dinosaur (1914) which was recently restored by the National Archives of Canada using four 35mm nitrate prints from the Cinémathèque’s collection.It also includes How A Mosquito Operates (1912), The Sinking Of The Lusitania (1918), the existing fragments of the lyrical The Centaurs (1918-21), Gertie On Tour (1918-21) and Flip’s Circus (1918-21). McCay’s final three works, all from his surreal “Dreams from a Rarebit Fiend” series are featured: Bug Vaudeville (1921), The Pet (1921) and The Flying House (1921). There is also an audio track commentary by John Canemaker and a still gallery from his amazing collection of McCay memorabilia. Order it from Amazon.com for $20.99

A little out of season, but here’s an interesting set of Christmas cards drawn by animation artists, from the family collection of Golden Age director/animator Dick Huemer. Lots of other Huemer-related historical artifacts can also be found on the site.

(Thanks to Ken Coleman for the link.)

We’re excited to announce our first guest blogger, Mark Mayerson, who will be joining us on Cartoon Brew next Monday, May 3. Here’s a little bit about him:

In 28 years in the business, Mark Mayerson has worked on commercials, TV specials and TV series in both drawn and computer animation. In addition to animating, he’s also written, directed and produced for MONSTER BY MISTAKE, a computer animated series he created. Mark lives in Toronto, Canada.

Both Jerry and I greatly enjoy Mark’s thoughts on modern and classic animation, and we’re looking forward to his contributions in the coming weeks. Here’s a few of Mark’s longer pieces on cartoons:

Ranking the Classic Animation Directors

Animators and Their Scenes

Personality vs. Character

Here’s three books that I’ll definitely be buying (or perhaps stealing) when they’re released later this year.

ANIMATION NOW!: A visual survey of contemporary world animation

by Julius Wiedemann

Taschen, 576 pages, paperback, $40

June 2004

THE ART OF THE INCREDIBLES: The ‘art of’ book for the animated film I’m most looking forward to this year
by Mark Cotta Vaz

Chronicle Books, 160 pages, hardcover $40

August 2004

THE MISCHIEVOUS ART OF JIM FLORA: The first book devoted to the art of the influential Fifties record cover designer
by Irwin Chusid

Fantagraphics, 150 pages, paperback, $25

September 2004

(Thanks to Thorsten Hasenkamm, who keeps very good tabs on upcoming animation art books. Check out his fine website HERE.)

While discussing cartoon trivia at a brunch yesterday (with friends Keith Scott, Will Ryan, Harry McCracken, Amid Amidi, Milt Gray, Tom Knott, Mark Kausler and Mark Evanier) I was surprised to learn that many of my friends hadn’t seen, nor heard of, a great new book on Dr. Seuss I bought a few weeks ago. So I made a note to mention it here.The Seuss, The Whole Seuss and Nothing But The Seuss A Visual Biography of Dr. Seuss by Charles D. Cohen ($35.00 Random House) is a must-have for Suess fans and animation buffs. The book discusses Seuss minutiae and traces Ted Geisel’s inspirations and influences. This includes much about his work on Private Snafu, The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T, and Gerald McBoing Boing.The book is very well written and researched - he even draws a line between Krazy Kat, Felix and Dick Whittington’s Cat (illustrated by showing the Iwerks film’s one sheet poster with Wittington’s cat, in a hat, a pose almost identical to Seuss’ CAT IN THE HAT). The book is loaded with lavishly illustrated with rare and oddball Suess cartoons and ads. There is much information on Geisel’s Hollywood writing - including the lost 1931 Flit films Put On The Spout and ‘Neath The Bababa Tree(both released by Warner Bros.). If you have any interest in this subject - I urge you to buy this volume. It’s great!

Saturday’s Asifa-Hollywood screening & tribute to UPA was an incredible success - thanks to the number of UPA veteran’s who showed up and participated. We showed eight films (35mm prints) including ROOTY TOOT TOOT, UNICORN IN THE GARDEN, WILLIE THE KID, TELL-TALE HEART, HOW NOW McBOING BOING, CHRISTOPHER CRUMPET, HAM & HATTIE: SAILING AND VILLAGE BAND, and in CinemaScope, MAGOO’S PUDDLE JUMPER.Tee Bosustow showed us a brief clip of his work-in-progress documenmary “UPA: Mavericks, Mayhem and Magoo” which included rare 1952 footage of Bill Melendez animating Christopher Crumpet. But the highlight of the day was our guest panel: Alan Zaslove, Bob McIntosh, Fred Crippen, Mel Levin, Ed Friedman and Joe Siracusa. Also in attendance, Bob Kurtz, Henrietta Jordan (UPA manager), Martha Sigall and Mrs. Art Babbit. The program was taped for Bosustow’s documentary. We all felt transported to the 1950s - all the panelists were candid, and no one had a bad word about the studio or its directors, designers and producers. It sounded like they were all having a ball - and they produced animation changed the world.
My thanks to the panelists and the audience who shared this experience. If you were there yesterday, I’d love to hear your comments and recollections on our Animation History Forum

Brew reader (and artist extrodinaire) Stephen deStefano wants to call your attention to a rather exceptional film that’s come out of New York, directed by a super talented young animator.

“His name is Alex Woo, and you can check out a trailer for his film, REX STEELE, NAZI
SMASHER at Monkeysuit.com. Watch it, I think you’ll enjoy it, then wrap your mind around the fact that it’s actually a student film, which Alex produced this past year at NYU. Of course, he had a bit of help from co-producers Bill Presing and Matt Peters, two NY animation veterans.
Still, Alex’s talent is undeniable. Also, if you’re not familiar with the work of the uber-talented Mr. Presing, you may soon be. I worked with him here in NY at a studio called Noodle Soup, where he was Storyboard Supervisor. Around the beginning of this year, however, the west coast called, and Bill is now at Pixar. Bill’s not quite thirty yet, but has unbelieveable gobs of talent.”

In today’s New York Times critic Elvis Mitchell ponders Pixar’s success and the possible demise of hand drawn features.

“Every few decades an entire field of filmmaking ends because of a single technical innovation. “The Jazz Singer” finished off silents by popularizing synchronized-sound movies. The introduction of Technicolor has been slowly choking off black-and-white pictures, with the exception of the odd music video or art-house film. And now, because of the successive digitally animated box-office winners from Pixar, hand-drawn animation seems to be on the way to theatrical obsolescence.”

Look, No Hands: Pixar’s Killer App By ELVIS MITCHELL