Serbian designer/animator Sinisa Sumina has created a really cool 30-second self-promotional piece that combines retro-imagery with a digital collage aesthetic. It’s called SOME KIND OF UFO BLAH BLAH and can be downloaded at the Tween blog. If you’re using a Mac and can’t view the video, try downloading the MPlayer. (Thanks, Aleksandar)

Bronwen Barry writes on Animation Nation:

I have to post this sad note on the passing of my dear,dear friend (and, at one time, bowling league teammate) Eddie Friedman. He had a lovely long life, wonderful career, adoring family. Your many friends miss you so much already,Ed.
Much love, Bronnie

Animator, director and long-time Guild supporter ED FRIEDMAN passed away on April 29 at the age of ninety-two. He had suffered a stroke about a year ago, and he had again been hospitalized earlier this month. From 1933 until 1989 he worked for Iwerks, Mintz/Screen Gems, John Sutherland, Disney, UPA, Format, Bagle Productions, Ed Graham and Filmation. He was active in the Screen Cartoonists Guild and he had served on Local 839’s Executive Board for almost thirty years. He received the Golden Award in 1984.

Services will be this Monday, May 2, at 2 pm, at Mount Sinai Memorial Park, 5950 Forest Lawn Drive in Los Angeles (east of Barham, next to Forest Lawn Cemetery); phone (800) 600-0076 or (323) 469-6000. Information and directions HERE.

Here’s a photo of Friedman (kneeling, far right) at the bowling alley on the night Kennedy was elected president. Fred Crippen is kneeling far left and Paul Shively is in the middle. Not sure who the people standing are.

As Amid is mired in deadline hell (see below) and I’m in the midst of a move (for the next three weeks), updating Cartoon Brew may be a bit spotty for the time being. Luckily with friends like Mark Mayerson and readers like Craig Harris, we will always have things to post.Mark sent me this link which is a very long, detailed account by Phil Vischer of the various problems that eventually killed Big Idea (The Veggie Tales company). Very interesting from a business and production standpoint.And Craig Harris has started a production blog for his promising 2-D short FRANKENBULB.

If you have called or emailed me in the past couple months and have not received a response, please accept my apologies. I have been living a hermit’s lifestyle as I work on finishing up my book on 1950s animation design. My editor at Chronicle informs me that the projected release date for the book is now April 2006. Before that day arrives though, a huge amount of work remains: writing will wrap up in May, image selection in June and book design in July. I fully expect these next few months to be as crazy and hectic as the last couple have been. Fortunately, the book is shaping up quite nicely and I’m anxious to see how it all turns out. Chronicle has been extremely accomodating throughout the whole process and they’re even giving me more pages than originally planned so the book is now 188 pages.

When you’re doing a book on the subject of design, it definitely helps to have a well-designed book. I have no worries about that aspect because Chronicle recently brought aboard an excellent designer: Peter Buchanan-Smith. Peter’s recent work includes THE WILCO BOOK and CHEAP LAFFS. He’s also the art director of PAPER MAGAZINE as well as co-founder of the incredibly cool art journal THE GANZFELD. The pieces are definitely falling into place; now hopefully, I won’t fall to pieces.

In the classic Looney Tune HIGH DIVING HARE (1949), Yosemite Sam — knocking loudly upon a door which has just been erected by Bugs Bunny — bellows, “Open the door!” Sam then takes a beat, and turns to us and says in a normal tone, “You’ll notice I didn’t say ‘Richard’.”For further background information about this gag’s dated reference, see David Hinckley’s article in today’s New York Daily News.(Thanks to B. Baker)

Saddened to hear of the passing of actor Mason Adams.He voiced Grandpa in Richard Williams’ RAGGEDY ANN & ANDY animated feature and was best known for his role as the editor Charlie Hume on the series LOU GRANT. Adams had a great voice (heard in many, many commercials) and was prolific in the golden age of radio drama. My favorite role of his was as “Atom Man” on the SUPERMAN radio show (I highly recommend the Radio Spirits CDs). It’s too bad he didn’t do more animation voice work.