|
|
|
|
POSTS FOR “July, 2009“Cartoon Brew's home for up-to-the-minute, unedited announcements and press releases direct from industry sources.
July 14, 2009 3:00 pm
I’m a big fan of Weird Al Yankovic… and I’m digging his latest video, designed and directed by Divya Srinivasan. Read the lyrics here. And cheer up Skipper Dan, John Lasseter started on the Jungle Cruise ride. > 21 Comments » posted in Music Videos July 14, 2009 11:10 am
Just got word that Dallas McKennon passed away this morning. Sunday would’ve been his 90th birthday. Dal was a prolific voice in animation, and you’ve heard him as the voice of Gumby, Archie, Buzz Buzzard, Ben Franklin at Epcot, the fox in Mary Poppins, and in numerous Sam Singer cartoons. He was an actor in many live action movies for Disney, Alfred Hitchcock, George Pal, and Anthony Mann, but was probably best known to people the real world as a regular on the TV series Daniel Boone, playing Cinncinatus the storekeeper.
I had the pleasure of meeting Dal nine years ago and hanging out with him during one of his visits to L.A. (photo above is of me, Dal, Will Ryan and Chuck McCann, July 3rd, 2000, having lunch at the Sportsman’s Lodge) and found him to be a wonderful person. My favorite role of his was as the old sea captain, polar bear and bulldog in Tex Avery’s The Legend of Rock-A-Bye Point. So in tribute… “Sing it again for me, will ya, Charlie…” (Thanks, Gene Hamm) 36 Comments » posted in TV July 14, 2009 9:00 am
Independent animation great Bill Plympton has released a new dvd collecting all of the shorts he has created between 2004 and 2008: Guard Dog, Guide Dog, Hot Dog, Spiral, The Fan and the Flower, Shuteye Hotel, and Santa, the Fascist Years. The disc is packed with tons of extras including music videos for Kanye West, Weird Al Yankovic, and Parson Brown, TV commercials, animated documentary excerpts, and a TV special 12 Tiny Christmas Tales, as well as pencil tests, animatics, storyboards and filmmaker commentary. Animation director David Levy wrote a review of the dvd with insightful thoughts about Plympton’s work in general. Levy’s comments about the Parson Brown music video “Mexican Standoff” stood out to me:
This morning, we’re giving away a dvd signed by the legend himself. To enter, leave a comment below until 11am (Pacific time) and we’ll choose a random winner from the comments. To order the Dog Days dvd, which is $24.95, visit Plympton’s website. 57 Comments » posted in DVD, Shorts July 13, 2009 8:00 pm
Here is third installment of Cartoon Brew’s guide to the 2009 San Diego Comic Con. Below are my recommended picks of animation-related panels scheduled for Sunday July 26th. It’s a light day for animation panels, most of them are voice-over related. I’m not recommending the American Dad panel or the advance screening of the new Scooby Doo movie – but if you want to see them, or other stuff like that, check the entire schedule for Sunday here. SUNDAY 10:00-11:00 Phineas & Ferb panel with creators Dan Povenmire and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh, plus the voice of Phineas, Vincent Martella, and other surprise guests — and sneak peeks of new episodes. Room 6DE 10:30-11:30 The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd—LIVE! Not quite animation, but a cartoon-like live radio show with Chuck McCann, Frank Conniff, and animation voice actors Moira Quirk, Alison Mork and Michael Rayner. Room 8 11:15-12:30 Cartoon Voices II Co-hosts Mark Evanier and Earl Kress discuss cartoon voices with Hank Garrett (G.I. Joe), Susan Silo (Biker Mice from Mars), Greg Cipes (Teen Titans), Tom Kane (Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends) and several more. Room 6A. 1:00-2:00 Business of Cartoon Voices A serious “how to” look at the business, telling you what it takes to get in and how to avoid getting ripped-off. Once again, Mark Evanier and Earl Kress assemble a panel of agents, casting directors and working actors for a no-nonsense look at the business. Room 2 After this, I’m goin’ home. 4 Comments » posted in Events, San Diego Comic-Con July 13, 2009 4:40 am
Here’s something you don’t hear often: an analyst on Wall Street admitting they’re wrong. Richard Greenfield of Pali Research told the New York Times that he was “dead wrong” when he suggested that investors sell their Disney shares, in part because UP would flop. Prior to the opening of the film, Greenfield had said, “We doubt younger boys will be that excited by the main character,” and he also claimed the film lacked commercial appeal because there was no female lead. Now that UP has become Pixar’s second-highest grossing film domestically, Greenfield is backtracking. It’s worth noting that Greenfield has a history of being wrong about Pixar and Disney. In 2008, he’d been hesitant about the potential of Wall-E, and in March of this year, he predicted that Disney’s stock would crash to $12.50 a share whereas it has jumped to over $22 in the past couple months. There is no animation business plan more foolproof than creating work from a foundation of creative integrity. Pixar gets that; it’s too bad the analysts on Wall Street don’t. 43 Comments » posted in Ideas/Commentary July 12, 2009 5:00 pm
It’s been a big week for Hollywood’s goal to turn every crap cartoon of the 1970s into live action blockbuster movies. Take the Smurfs… Please! Raja Gosnell (Scooby Doo 1 and 2, Beverly Hills Chihuahua) was just announced as the director of the live action-animation Smurfs movie from Sony Pictures Animation. It will be released in 3-D in December 2010. That’s the good news. The bad news is that Warner Bros. has just hired the man who brought you Carrot Top in Chairman Of The Board and the direct-to-video sequel to Inspector Gadget, Alex Zamm, to direct a live action feature length version of Hong Kong Phooey. If any of these films were half the fun as the Hanna Barbera action figures (above) from McFarlane Toys (designed by Scott Shaw!), it might actually be worth the effort. Instead, you can throw these two in the one dollar DVD bin. 37 Comments » posted in Feature Film July 12, 2009 4:00 pm
Here is second installment of Cartoon Brew’s guide to the 2009 San Diego Comic Con. Below are my recommended picks of animation panels scheduled for Saturday July 25th. This listing does not include all the animation panels that day, nor any comic book and movie panels, nor most of Mark Evanier’s panels (which I highly recommend) or events in the dealers room (which I still promise to post later). I’ll be back with the animation events scheduled for Sunday tomorrow. Click these links for a complete line up of Comic Con events: All Thursday panels • All Friday panels • All Saturday panels • Just Animation Panels SATURDAY 10:00-11:00 Writers’ Guild Panel: PG-13 Animation Alan Burnett (Green Lantern: First Flight), Matt Wayne (Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms), Michael Jelenic (Wonder Woman), Charles Horn (Robot Chicken), Paul Dini (Return of the Joker), Greg Johnson (The Ultimate Avengers, The Invincible Iron Man, Doctor Strange), and Stan Berkowitz (Justice League) will discuss writing for animation. Room 3 10:30-11:30 Spongebob SquarePants 10th Anniversary Paul Tibbitt, Vincent Waller and Steven Banks. The cast, including Tom Kenny, will perform a live table read of a classic fan-favorite from Season 1. Q&A with the cast and crew follows, and sneak peek of a yet-to-air episode, Greasy Buffoons. Room 6DE 12:30-2:00 Cartoon Voices I The annual gathering of the cream of the voice acting business. Co-hosts Mark Evanier and Earl Kress bring you the vocal stylings of Laraine Newman (As Told by Ginger), Bill Farmer (Goofy), James Arnold Taylor (Johnny Test), TV legend Chuck McCann, and others. Room 6BCF 1:00-1:45 Futurama with Matt Groening, David X. Cohen, and stars Billy West, Katey Sagal, John DiMaggio, and Maurice LaMarche and a top-ranking FOX executive announce details of the return of this fan favorite. Ballroom 20 1:30-2:30 Extract – Mike Judge is back with his latest live action film. Judge will discuss the film with his cast, Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, and Kristen Wiig. Hall H 1:45-2:30 The Simpsons Panel with Matt Groening, showrunner Al Jean, executive producer Matt Selman, and supervising director Mike Anderson. Ballroom 20 2:30-3:30 Spotlight on June Foray The first lady of cartoon voices! Mark Evanier and Earl Kress interview June about her career as a voice actress, author, and Hollywood legend. Room 5AB 5:00-6:00 What Is an Animated Film? In this screening and talk, Stephen Worth, director of the ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive, presents examples of animated films that don’t follow the established formulas; films that experiment with technique and storytelling to push the envelope of the definition of animation. Room 3 2 Comments » posted in Events, San Diego Comic-Con July 11, 2009 3:00 pm
Here is the first of Cartoon Brew’s guides to the 2009 San Diego Comic Con. These are only my recommended animation panels for Thursday July 23rd and Friday July 24th. This listing does not include all the animation panels, nor any comic book and movie panels, nor most of Mark Evanier’s panels (which I highly recommend), nor events in the dealers room (which I will post later), or any of the parties. I’ll be back with the animation events scheduled for Saturday and Sunday later this week. Click these links for a complete line up of Comic Con events: All Thursday panels • All Friday panels • Just Animation Panels THURSDAY 10:15-11:15 Astro Boy The all-new CG-animated feature film based on the classic manga with director David Bowers, producer Maryanne Grager, and stars Freddie Highmore (Astro Boy) and Kristen Bell (Cora) and exclusive footage. Room 6BCF 11:00-12:30 Disney: 3D Panel Key filmmakers, select cast members and previously unseen footage from its upcoming slate, including Disney’s A Christmas Carol, Alice In Wonderland and Tron. Special guests include Robert Zemeckis, Tim Burton, Sean Bailey, Steve Lisberger, and moderator Patton Oswalt. Hall H 12:00-1:00 Drawn to Life: 20 Golden Years of Disney Master Classes Disney Animation producer Don Hahn, famed Disney animator Glen Keane, creator of Aladdin’s Genie Eric Goldberg, director/teacher/animator Tom Sito, and sculptor Ruben Procopio for a discussion of the life and influence of Disney mentor, trainer, and artist Walt Stanchfield. Room 32AB 2:00-3:00 Sony Pictures Animation: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Appearing in person: Anna Faris, Bill Hader, Andy Samberg, Bobb’e J. Thompson, and directors Chris Miller and Phil Lord. Room 6BCF 3:00-4:00 Bill Plympton: King of Indie Animation Plympton presents Horn Dog, the fourth smash installment in his famed, Oscar-nominated “Dog” series. Bill will screen some of his new animated shorts, including Mexican Standoff and Santa: The Fascist Years and present some early scenes from his work-in-progress feature film Hanky Panky. Bill will also be available for Q&A after the screening, and all attendees will get a free Bill Plympton drawing. Room 5AB 4:15-5:15 5:45-6:45 John Kricfalusi Comic-Con special guest John K. will talk about his career in animation and what’s coming next. Room 6BCF 8:00-9:30 Green Lantern: First Flight World Premiere. Screening. Produced by Bruce Timm, directed by Lauren Montgomery and scripted by Alan Burnett. Ballroom 20 FRIDAY 10:00-11:00 Batman: The Brave and the Bold Screening and Q&A with Diedrich Bader (voice of Batman), John DiMaggio (Aquaman), and executive producer Sam Register, producer James Tucker, producer and story editor Michael Jelenic and voice director Andrea Romano Room 6DE 10:30-11:30 Coraline panel Henry Selick and Neil Gaiman discuss the making of the animated film. They will be joined by lead animator and LAIKA CEO/president Travis Knight, producer Bill Mechanic, character fabrication supervisor Georgina Hayns and voice actor Keith David. Room 6A 12:45-2:15 The Disney Animation Panel This is the BIG one… Previously unseen footage from its upcoming animated slate, including the Toy Story & Toy Story 2 Double Feature, Beauty And The Beast, Toy Story 3, Prep & Landing, The Princess and the Frog and Ponyo with Lee Unkrich, Kirk Wise, Ron Clements, John Musker and… Hayao Miyazaki. John Lasseter hosts the panel, with Patton Oswalt moderating. Hall H 2:30-3:30 State of the Animation Industry ASIFA-Hollywood’s annual overview of trends in the animation industry. Moderated by Tom Sito. Panelists include Raul Garcia (The Missing Lynx), Frank Gladestone (producer, Starz Media, Dreamworks), Jun Falkenstein (The Tigger Movie, Mulan II), Kevin Koch (Battle for Terra, Madgascar), and Danny Young (Land of the Lost). Room 10 2:30-3:30 9 – Focus Features presents an exclusive look inside director Shane Acker’s animated fantasy epic “9″ with Shane Acker, Tim Burton, Timur Bekmambetov, and actors Elijah Wood and Jennifer Connelly LIVE for this panel presentation in Hall H 3:30-4:30 Stan Freberg and his lovely wife, Hunter… introduced by Mark Evanier. Room 6A 5:45-7:15 DC Universe Animated panel with Bruce Timm, Andrea Romano, Lauren Montgomery, Alan Burnett, Christopher Meloni, Juliet Landau, Michael Goguen, Sam Liu, Stan Berkowitz and Kevin Conroy (voice of Batman). Room 6BCF 9:00-10:00 Worst Cartoons Ever! Yours truly, Jerry Beck (Cartoon Brew), returns with an all new program of some of the worst cartoons ever made. Room 6BCF To be continued… |
EVENTS
RECENT BREW TV EPISODESBy Sitji Chou. A man tries to understand the futility of creating human connections when they’ve been impeded by the microcosmic void between material particles. By Nikolas Ilic. A story of a Scottish sheep farmer who shears his sheep and tosses them cliff side… By Dylan Hayes. Lesson 1: Everyone gambles, not everyone loses. Lesson 2: The world is full of traps. Lesson 3: You cannot win if you don’t take risks. By Jean Yi. A personal and humorous exploration of being the ‘Nice Girl’ and coming to terms with the label and all its different meanings. ANIMATION TWEETS
What animation creators are saying on Twitter.
SITES WE LIKE
© 2012 Cartoon Brew LLC. Cartoon Brew is a trademark of Cartoon Brew LLC. All other names and trademarks appearing on CartoonBrew.com are the property of their respective owners. The written content on Cartoon Brew is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 Creative Commons license.
|