Animator Bob Harper sent over a link to this online print of Bob Clampett’s classic short COAL BLACK AND DE SEBBEN DWARFS. It is easily the nicest looking version of the film that I’ve ever seen posted online.

And below you can watch the Oscar-nominated 1941 Lantz short BOOGIE WOOGIE BUGLE BOY OF COMPANY “B”. It was posted online by Thad Komorowski of the incomparable Animation ID blog. The stereotyping is unfortunate and uncomfortable, moreso in this Lantz short than in COAL BLACK, though certainly evident in both films. The cartoons, however, provide some great entertaining animation and can hopefully be enjoyed as products of a less enlightened period in American history.

Here’s some great weekend reading. The ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive has posted another wonderful animation document: scans of a 1994 catalog for a Bill Tytla exhibit at the Katonah Museum of Art in New York. The exhibit was organized by John Canemaker and the piece about Tytla in the catalog is also written by Canemaker. The link above is to the first half of the article. The second half will be posted soon on the Animation Archive.

(via Michael Sporn’s Splog)

Scenes We’d Like To See Dept.

Our thanks to Brew reader Steve Austin who sent in this incredible drawing by Chuck Jones.

Sorry for the quality of the pic but I don’t know how to operate my wife’s so-called “idiot proof” camera. Chuck drew this for me in 1977 when I wrote an article on WB cartoons. During the interview I made a few comments about the iconic characters in a “where are they now?” situation. He liked the one about the Coyote so much that he drew it for me. I was stunned. It’s a scenario which never occured in the WB universe… and to the best of my knowledge, Chuck never drew this gag again.

Hopefully we’ll get this (and the other one) on the next Looney Tunes Golden Collection. For now, someone has posted on YouTube a version shot off a TV screen for your holiday enjoyment. How many animators can you spot?

As animated features currently dwell in a CG rut of fairy tale spoofs and talking animal adventures, television animation has become the place to see a more refreshing diversity of cartoon styles. The Nicktoons Network has quietly started premiering original programming - some good (Skyland), some bad (My Dad The Rock Star), some ugly (Thugaboo). I just recieved a preview video for a new one called THE SECRET SHOW, and this one’s pretty good. Keeping in mind that it’s aimed at the kids in the 9 to 14 year old demographic, it’s quite entertaining. Produced in CelAction, with nicely stylized art direction and clever scripts by Britian’s Collingwood O’Hare Entertainment, the show will begin regular weekly airing on the digital Nicktoons channel in January.Each episode starts off with an old Granny welcoming us to The Fluffy Bunny Show, after which secret operatives take over the scene and the real cartoon begins. It’s yet-another spy spoof, with shades of Get Smart, Austin Powers and a bit of Monty Python, but it never takes itself too seriously, and the plots are witty and fun. The Secret Show is certainly worth a look, and you’ll have your chance starting January 20th, 8:30pm on Nicktoons Network.

I was lucky enough to attend a wonderful Boxing Day party last night which was teeming with Hollywood celebrities (not to name drop, but my favorite character actors Fred Willard, Paul Dooley, Robert Forrester and Chuck McCann were there, as well as Stan Freberg, Harlan Ellison and Buck Henry, to name but a few). But, as likewise reported by Mark Evanier, the hit of the evening was this guy making balloon figures and objects. Anything anyone could throw at him, he was able to quickly concoct into a more-than-resonable likeness in colored latex. I saw balloon versions of Elvis, Jack Skellington, Goofy and The Little Mermaid. Songwriter Richard Sherman got a Mary Poppins, painter Olivia DeBeradinis obtained a balloon version of Betty Page, actor/movie collector Bob Burns recieved an amazing balloon rendition of George Pal’s Time Machine. Me? I asked for Tex Avery’s Droopy. And ya’know what? I’m happy! (photo of me with my Droopy balloon here)The balloon maker was Buster Balloon, a stout fellow in a zoot suit, looking like he just stepped out of a Columbia two reeler from 1944. Within a few minutes I was transfixed with his activities - and by the end of the evening he had won everyone over with his art. This is one of those things you just have to see in person to appreciate. I really admired his knowledge of cartoon character design which enabled him to create balloon objets d’art in seconds. If you are in a party planning situation and in need of something guaranteed to delight your guests, get Buster.
And invite me.

For Christmas of 1949, Walt Disney received a miniature ride-on steam locomotive from Santa, as seen in the first Disney TV special, One Hour in Wonderland (aired December 25, 1950). It was built by elves at the Disney Studio machine shop, and when installed in Disney’s backyard, the little train enabled Walt to entertain his guests on a theme park-type ride for the first time. In the photo above, Walt Disney (center) is seen at the premiere steam-up of his partially-completed miniature locomotive Lilly Belle (named for his wife Lillian) on December 24, 1949. Others on hand are (clockwise from left, studio draftsman Eddie Sargeant, machinist Dick VanEvery and animator Ward Kimball). Walt’s miniature railroad hobby was a precursor to what he created at Disneyland just five years later.Now, Disney’s original train can be seen in a rare Southern California appearance at the Richard Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, CA (extended through January 11th, 2007; closed New Year’s Day). The train likely won’t be shown again until the Disney Family Foundation opens a new museum at San Francisco’s Presidio in 2009. (The locomotive was once exhibited at Main Street Station in Disneyland, but was replaced by a replica several years ago.) Footage of the train in action can be found on the recently released Walt Disney Treasures DVD, Your Host Walt Disney. The exhibit will be staffed in part by members of Walt Disney’s miniature train group, the Carolwood Pacific Historical Society. The Disney train is just a portion of an exhibit that contains what has been called the biggest holiday toy train layout ever constructed. Click here for a CBS newscast video which explains more.(Thanks, Steve Waller)

Pascal Campion’s work is always a lot of fun, and his Flash-animated holiday greeting is no exception. But don’t blame me if you can’t get Feliz Navidad out of your head.