June 25, 2005

CONTEST #3


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DASTARDLEY AND MUTTLEY IN THEIR FLYING MACHINES and THE PERILS OF PENELOPE PITSTOP contained the work of some of the greatest talents in animation. In addition to stories by Michael Maltese, direction by Charles Nichols and designs by Iwao Takamoto, the voice casts were loaded with our favorites - Paul Winchell (Dastardley), Janet Waldo (Penelope), Don Messick (Muttley), and Mel Blanc (as various recurring gangsters).

Today's Question was: On The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop what part did voice actor Gary Owens enact in each episode? The answer was "the narrator".

Our winners today recieved either the DASTARDLEY dvd set (1st place winner Ben Radcliffe) or the PITSTOP complete dvd collection (2nd Place champ Mark Ayala).

Thanks to everyone who entered our contests the past few days. Stay tuned, more cartoon competitions to come!


Posted by at 09:00 AM

June 24, 2005

CONTEST #2

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In today's contest, the first two readers that correctly answered the question below won a prize. The First Prize was the brand new PERILS OF PENELOPE PITSTOP complete 17 episode collection. Second place winner recieved TOP CAT (The Complete Series).

TODAY'S QUESTION: In The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop, sweet Penelope is pursued by Sylvester Sneekly (aka "The Hooded Claw"). Who was the voice of "The Hooded Claw"?

The answer was: Paul Lynde. Our first place winner was Bryan Brown of Aberdeen, North Carolina. Second Place was won by Shane Amerman of Hagerstown, Maryland!


Posted by at 09:04 AM

Happy Birthday, Cartoon Retro

Cartoon Retro
This past Monday was the one-year anniversary of CartoonRetro.com, an incredible source of daily visual inspiration that never fails to impress and inspire me. In my humble estimation, it's the only website worth paying a monthly subscription fee for; there is quite simply nothing else like it. The reason the site works is because of its founder -- Shane Glines -- who is passionate not only about rediscovering great cartoonists and illustrators of the 20th century, but in studying their techniques and applying it to his own work. Shane took an incredible risk last year when he left a successful career in TV animation, and dedicated himself completely to Cartoon Retro. He wrote on his site recently about his life in the past year, and discussed both the struggles and rewards of freeing one's self from the system:

It's been over a year since I accepted any paying work. 100% of my income has come from subscriptions and original art sales. This hasn't been easy. I've supplemented the money from subscriptions with original art sales, but I've flooded the market and now can hardly give the drawings away. I've turned down some incredible job offers, not an easy thing to do when that 72 hour eviction notice appears on the door.

I'm not complaining, though, and I don't have any regrets. My drawings have improved drastically over this past year, and while I still have many highs and lows the highs are more consistent, and my satisfaction with my work is now to the point where I can actually look at a finished piece and be somewhat pleased with the result rather than only seeing where I failed. I really feel like I'm finally learning to draw, rather than relying on happy accidents, and I don't think it would've happened if I continued to work on material that I had no emotional investment in. I needed to be able to fully concentrate on my own ideas, make my own mistakes and find the right direction for my work. Cartoonretro has given me that opportunity, and I owe you all a big thanks for supporting the site.



Posted by AMID at 04:02 AM

June 23, 2005

CONTEST #1

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The first two readers to correctly answer the question below will win a prize. The First Prize is the brand new DASTARDLEY & MUTTLEY AND THEIR FLYING MACHINES complete 17 episode collection. Second place winner will recieve THE FLINTSTONES (The Complete Second Season).

TODAY'S QUESTION: Paul Winchell was the voice of Dick Dastardley... Who was the voice of Muttley?

The answer is Don Messick. Today's winners were Rob Buttery of Lansing, Michigan (1st place) and Dan Blank of Los Angeles, California (2nd place).

Winners are disqualified from entering the contest on Friday and Saturday - so join us again tomorrow around 9am for another chance to win one of these Hanna-Barbera video collections.


Posted by at 09:03 AM

June 22, 2005

Le Building

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LE BUILDING is a minute-and-a-half film that was used as an opening for the 2005 Annecy International Animated Film Festival. The film was made by five students at the Paris animation school Gobelins. I'm constantly amazed at the quality of student work coming out of this French school. Their work is probably the slickest and most technically proficient of any animation school I've ever seen. And it's hard to believe that the 2D medium is dead or in any danger of extinction, when students are capable of producing hand-drawn animation of this caliber. Check it out HERE!
(Thanks to Ted Pratt for the link)

UPDATE: Both Tom Neely and Andy Janes wrote in to give this LINK for a 'making of' video of LE BUILDING. I don't have a fast net connection at the moment so I can't speak of its contents. I initially recognized the CG elements in the film's backgrounds and props, but did not realize that any of the character animation might have been done with a computer. But Ward Jenkins says that the pizza boy was entirely animated in CG, and upon closer observation, that definitely seems to be case. All I can say is WOW!


Posted by AMID at 05:16 PM

CONTEST TIME!


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Who wants to win a Hanna-Barbera dvd set?

Once again, starting tomorrow at nine a.m. (unless we oversleep) we will post a brain twisting cartoon trivia question - the first two correct answers will win a prize.

You can win one of the new DASTARDLEY AND MUTTLEY or PENELOPE PITSTOP complete series collections... so join us each day, for the next three days, at 9am Pacific (12 noon Eastern).


Posted by The Brewmasters at 08:57 AM

June 21, 2005

BOSKO AT MGM

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I love seeing publicity photos and behind the scenes images from classic cartoons. Ernesto Pfluger sent me two pages from a Spanish magazine - Lecturas from 1935 - featuring several images of directors Hugh Harman, Rudolph Ising and composer Scott Bradley posing with MGM contract starlet Cecilia Parker (from the Andy Hardy films) and cartoon star Bosko (before his miraculous transformation into a little human boy). I've added these to my Cartoon Research MGM Pages.


Posted by at 09:56 PM

Noble Books

Tod Polson, co-director of the recent indie animated short THE PUMPKIN OF NYEFAR, lets us know about some interesting forthcoming projects that are related to legendary layout artist Maurice Noble (1910-2001). Tod worked closely with Maurice in the '90s, and he was one of the original "Noble Boys," the hand-picked group of artists that Noble trained as layout artists and designers. Tod writes:

The Noble Boys are working on a Maurice layout and design textbook, based on Maurice's notes, as well as the lessons he gave us. He had started the book before he passed on... and asked me to see it through. The folio of his personal prints is something we would like to put together... and if there is enough interest, we will. Probably self publishing through Noble Tales.

A couple of Maurice's prints are included in this post. If you'd be interested in purchasing a book of these prints, send an email with a simple 'Yes, I'd be interested,' note to "todpolson (at) lycos (dot) com". There's no obligation to purchase anything, but Tod is trying to gain a sense of whether there is enough interest within the animation community to go forward with a book of these prints. The profits would be put back into more Noble Tales animated film projects. He can definitely sign me up for a copy.



Posted by AMID at 08:34 PM

LOONEY TUNES IN CHINA

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I'm glad the classic Looney Tunes will be broadcast somewhere in the world... they certainly aren't being shown in the U.S. anymore.
"Toddlers play with a statue of cartoon character Bugs Bunny at a children's park in central Philippines. Bugs Bunny and friends are going Chinese under a deal unveiled by Warner Brothers...
LINK


Posted by at 09:35 AM

MUTT & JEFF

The latest Inkwell Images' dvd, MUTT AND JEFF: THE ORIGINAL ANIMATED ODD COUPLE has been officially released.


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The tall and short comic duo, created by cartoonist Bud Fisher in 1908, quickly became a part of American culture. They were one of the earliest comic strip characters to be adapted to animation, beginning in 1916, and were among the first animated characters to display distinct personalities. Animation historian Ray Pointer has compiled many rare prints for this collection -- including Cramps (1916), Flapjacks (1917), Where Am I? (1925), The Big Swim (1925), Dog Gone (1926), A Kick For Cinderella (1926), Where Am I? (1930 sound color version), The Globe Trotters (1927 black and white version) and The Globe Trotters (1930 sound color version) -- and bonus materials including posters and variant versions of some of the cartoons. We applaud Mr. Pointer for continuing to produce such tributes to the origins of American animation. For more info, visit Inkwell Images Ink.com


Posted by at 08:51 AM

REVIEW: CAMP LAZLO (Cartoon Network)

CAMP LAZLO

Cartoon Network sends me screeners for their new shows and specials at least once a month, and I generally toss them straight into the trash to save myself the aggravation of watching contemporary TV animation. On a whim though, I decided to check out the latest one they sent for the new series CAMP LAZLO, set to debut July 8.

CAMP LAZLO was created by Joe Murray, whose earlier creation ROCKO'S MODERN LIFE aired on Nickelodeon in the mid-90s. He has spent the past few years pursuing children's book illustration and other non-industry activities. The show is a graphic delight. The designs are crisp and appealing, and the animation is solid and moves nicely (with the occasional bit of creative action that is very funny, like the camp nurse who only rolls around in her swivel office chair without ever bothering to stand up). The strongest visual element in the show is the excellent art direction by Murray and art director Sue Mondt (POWERPUFF GIRLS), along with their crew of layout artists and bg painters, which includes SAMURAI JACK's Dan Krall (check out his website to see some of his concept paintings for the show). The backgrounds are thoughtfully composed, and packed with inventive organic shapes and creative color schemes. The painting style uses a heavy textural approach, with a lot of visible "brush" and "colored pencil" effects, which seems perfectly appropriate to the show's outdoor setting. It also shows that 'modern' backgrounds are possible without relying on the hard-edged geometric shapes that are so prevalent in designed animation nowadays.

The show owes a strong visual debt to Nick's SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS. Some of the characters, like Slinkman and the Dung Beetles, look like they are designs taken right out of SPONGEBOB, but beyond these obvious examples, there is an overall graphic clarity and simplicity to the character designs that emits a heavy SPONGEBOB vibe. It's not only in the design that the SPONGEBOB sensibility is felt, but many of the character expressions in LAZLO also look like they were taken directly from SPONGEBOB boards. This is not because the artists were copying Nick's underwater series, but rather because many of the LAZLO artists are alumni of SPONGEBOB, including three of the show's six storyboard directors: Kaz, Kent Osborne and Sam Henderson. The similarities to SPONGEBOB end however with the visual direction of the show; storywise and contentwise, unlike SPONGEBOB, CAMP LAZLO has minimal appeal and entertainment value for anybody outside of its target six-to-ten-year-old range.

CAMP LAZLO

CAMP LAZLO is an outright success artistically, but it falls apart where most other children's animated series also tend to falter: specifically, annoying voice acting where too often speaking with a funny voice substitutes for acting, incessant dialogue, stock character types with underdeveloped personalities, and generally uninspired plotlines and storytelling. Fortunately, these elements are not offensively bad -- say, on the excruciating level of a FAIRLY ODDPARENTS -- but it is enough to prevent me from wanting to watch the show again.

It is incredibly perplexing to me that why, on a show with so many distinguished artists, the filmmakers feel the need to cover the artwork and action with wall-to-wall dialogue. Not even the talkiest Billy Wilder films have as much dialogue as some of these modern animated TV series. It's not as if the characters are saying anything witty or having thoughtful exchanges of dialogue; they just yak, yak, yak, explaining every bit of action and every feeling they're experiencing. On more than one occasion, I noticed a scene where the joke was purely visual, yet they had a character injecting a comment on top of the action. Not only was this unnecessary, but also incredibly distracting. For all the talking, it is ironic how little the show actually says. CAMP LAZLO lacks a strong point-of-view that compels the audience to make any type of emotional investment in the characters, or to feel one way or the other about their actions. In other words, it is typical, generic children's TV animation. . . good-looking, but ultimately empty and unsatisfying.

CAMP LAZLO


Posted by AMID at 12:48 AM

June 20, 2005

OPPOSITES JAMBOREE

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Floyd Bishop at Bishop Animation does good work.

We just finished our latest short, "Opposites Jamboree", an educational film. Kids tend to get a lot of things backwards or switched around. This short talks a little bit about opposites. It's in the spirit of the old Sesame Street cartoons and borrows heavily from animation design from the late 50's. You can see a portion of the film on the gallery page of our site bishopanimation.com. We used Maya 6.5 for this piece. It was a great break from chrome
spheres, lens flares, and checkerboard floors.

Posted by at 10:01 AM

Perhaps they could make animation exec pinatas...

Cartoon Pinatas
Triple Threat: Tweety, Barney and Shrek
Photo thanks to Harry McCracken

There was an interesting story in the LA TIMES yesterday about corporations trying to shut down Southern California pinata makers who produce counterfeit (and hilariously off-model) pinatas featuring the likenesses of popular cartoon characters such as The Incredibles, Winnie the Pooh, Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob. The lawsuit was filed against two SoCal pinata makers, or pinateros, by Disney, Sanrio, Cartoon Network, Viacom and Hanna-Barbera. It's too bad that corporations can't take the enlightened position of MUCHA LUCHA creators Lili Chin and Eddie Mort, who are always ecstatic when they find unauthorized pinatas and other products related to their show. After all, unauthorized merchandise may be the truest indicator of a show's success amongst the general public, and the long-term financial benefits of keeping the show in the public eye more than offsets the immediate loss of a few bucks to the private entrepreneurs. Alas, the studios are well within their legal rights to go after these pinata operations, and history teaches us that if a corporation can sue, it will.

UPDATE: Nathan Mazur writes:

I think you may have forgotten to incorporate a key piece of information in your latest post regarding the pinata lawsuits. While it is true that the "long-term financial benefits of keeping the show in the public eye more than offsets the immediate loss of a few bucks to the private entrepreneurs", as copyright and trademark owners it is their legal responsibility to defend said copyright. There are some horribly gray areas in the U.S. copyright law that would allow "work" to casually slip into public domain unless the copyright is defended.

I figured that many readers may be thinking along similar lines -- that if the studios don't sue, they're in danger of losing their copyrights to these characters. But though these pinatas are illegal, it's a fallacy that the studios face any risk of having their work fall into the public domain because of such products. Corporations only frame the discussion in such a manner to mislead people into believing that they had no other option but to sue. Worth checking out is this article, "10 Big Myths About Copyright Explained". From myth #5: "Copyright is effectively never lost these days, unless explicitly given away." Another recommended bit of reading is this recent entry at BoingBoing.net. The reader comments in that post are very insightful. It's worth noting that the pinata situation is clearly different from the cakes being discussed in that piece: those cake decals are drawings made by individuals for personal use; these pinatas are made by an unauthorized third-party for sale to the public. But the discussion of copyrights falling into public domain is applicable to both issues.


Posted by AMID at 12:53 AM