I will be interviewed on American Public Media’s WEEKEND AMERICA - Topic: hidden gags in classic cartoons. I don’t know what time or what station this plays in your area (though it’s on Saturday afternoon 1pm -3pm on KPCC 89.3 in Los Angeles), but you can also listen to it on internet. You’ve been warned.

Wanted: Any information — personal or professional — about Disney Animator John Sibley. Also seeking Sibley artwork. Sibley worked at Disney as an animator from March 1937 to August 1965, most famously with Woolie Reitherman on the Goofy short films. Also animated the Siamese Cats in “Lady and theTramp.” Please contact Pete Docter at doc@pixar.com or 510 752-3410.Thank you!

I didn’t get much response to my request for convention photos. At right is me with a guy dressed in his home made Kirk Alyn Superman costume (he told me I was the only person at the convention to recognize the costume was styled from the 1948 Sam Katzman Columbia serial - for some reason that made me feel good).Larry Loc has posted more pics from the WORST CARTOONS EVER panel on the Asifa-Hollywood blog.

A nice picture of me interviewing J.J. Sedelmaier at the 2005 San Diego Comic Con, last Friday, is posted on the Asifa-Hollywood blog.Being the ego-maniac I am, if anyone else posted pics (or took pics) of me hosting the Disney panel or Worst Cartoons screening (or reviewed those panels in a Con Report on their blog) I’d love to see ‘em.

My favorite book publisher — Chronicle Books — is having their semi-annual sale this week. Any book ordered from their site is 40% off. The sale lasts through Friday, July 22.

The main contents of LOONEY TUNES GOLDEN COLLECTION Volume 3 were revealed last week on various websites. Sixty classic Warner Bros. cartoons, lavishly restored, will make their dvd debut on October 25th. A list of the 60 cartoon titles are posted here.However, the set contains many bonus items just as coveted as the cartoons themselves. What follows below is a partial list of the extra materials you can expect:• PHILBERT - a rare 1963 TV pilot (Theatrical version)•Private Snafu in GAS
•Private Snafu in RUMORS
•Private Snafu in SPIES•POINT RATIONING OF FOODS (a rarely seen wartime short released 2/25/43)• THE BEAR THAT WASN’T (the 1967 MGM Cartoon by Chuck Jones, based on the book by Frank Tashlin)•THE BUGS BUNNY SHOW - “The Honeymousers” (Production #1822 telecast 7/24/62)•STORYBOARDS (includes deleted scenes):
1. FALLING HARE
2. PORKY’S PARTY• FROM THE VAULTS:
1. SINKIN’ IN THE BATHTUB (1930 - first Looney Tunes cartoon)
2. IT’S GOT ME AGAIN (1932 - pictured above, the first Warner Bros. cartoon nominated for an Academy Award)• New Documentaries on:
1. Frank Tashlin
2. Black & White cartoons
3. Restoration of cartoons
4. Pepe Le Pew
5. The Bugs-Elmer-Daffy Trilogy
6. Looney Tunes Go To War
7. Birds Annonymous tributeAudio track commentaries by:
Joe Dante (Porky Pig’s Feat)
John Kricfalusi (Wakiki Wabbit, Porky’s Party, A Gruesome Twosome, An Itch In Time, Falling Hare)
Bill Melendez (An Itch In Time and Falling Hare with John K.)
Eric Goldberg (Robin Hood Daffy, Duck Rabbit Duck)
Daniel Goldmark (Pigs In A Polka, Swooner Crooner)
Paul Dini (Super Rabbit, Rocket Squad)
Greg Ford (Hare Remover, Hare Tonic, Hare Grows In Manhattan, Daffy Duck In Hollywood, She Was An Acrobat’s Daughter)
Mark Kausler (Porky’s Romance)
Milt Gray (A Gruesome Twosome)
Michael Barrier (Bowery Bugs, Hillbilly Hare, The Coo-Coo Nut Grove, Odorable Kitty and Walky Talky Hawky)
Eddie Fitzgerald (Wakiki Wabbit, Claws For Alarm)
June Foray (The Honeymousers)
Jerry Beck (Hollywood Capers (with Martha Sigall), The Wabbit Who Came to Supper (with Martha Sigall), Birds Anonymous (with Art Leonardi), Gonzales Tamales (with Art Leonardi), Philbert (with Art Leonardi and Trustin Howard) and I Haven’t Got A Hat)And more!

If you haven’t picked up my book THE ART OF ROBOTS yet, now might be a good time to grab a copy on Amazon. There is currently a “bargain price” deal where the book has been marked down to $14.99. Even better, Chronicle Books has also marked down THE ART OF INCREDIBLES to $14.99, and the earlier Pixar books — THE ART OF MONSTERS, INC. and THE ART OF FINDING NEMO — have been knocked down to $17.99.

This is a painting by John Dunn (1920-1983), the supertalented story artist and designer who will be profiled in ANIMATION BLAST #9. Speaking of BLAST 9, I’m planning to finish up the issue as soon as I wrap on my 1950s animation design book. The issue has continued to evolve over the past year and there are a number of new articles planned for BLAST 9, including a wonderful little piece on WWII gag drawings by the likes of Tom McKimson, Rod Scribner, Preston Blair and Bill Justice. I am trying my best to make this the strongest issue of the BLAST yet, and around October 05, it’ll hopefully be printed and ready to send out to everybody.