Author Archives: Jerry Beck

Animator Comics Super-Market

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Super*market LA is a quarterly independent comics event based in Los Angeles. The next one, this Sunday March 30th, will spotlight comic book creators working in the animation industry. The show will also include comic book and indie artists from the local area and as far as New York bringing their books, mini-comics, zines, and original art. Our friend Stuart Ng will have a special booth there showing off comics and sketchbooks by French and European animators.

Publishers/creators wanting to sign up for the event can follow the link above or email exhibitors-at-supermarketla.com. More info about Super*market LA can be found on its website.

Super*market LA: The Animator Special – March 30 – 12 noon to 6pm – at Meltdown Comics, 7522 Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood, CA.

The Origin of Mankind

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They say animation warps impressionable minds. Here is a piece of propaganda that was created to scare people from becoming Mormon, produced on the level of a 1970s Filmation cartoon.

Let me apologize in advance. This may be one of the all-time worst things I’ve ever posted on the Brew. It’s not a TV Funhouse parody, it’s for real; it includes some scary, racist propaganda. I do not condone the message or beliefs presented in this film, it is posted as part of my ongoing research for the Worst Cartoons Ever Made.

2007 Award Finalist: The Hanna Barbera Treasury

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I just found out that my Hanna Barbera Treasury has become a finalist in ForeWord Magazine’s Book of the Year Awards.

Before we get too excited, keep in mind I’m competing against 652 finalists in 61 catagories. The Hanna Barbera Treasury is nominated in the Popular Culture catagory, against some strong competition, including one book on The Beatles and another on Alex Raymond (Flash Gordon).

According to the ForeWord Magazine website, “ForeWord’s Book of the Year Awards program was designed to discover distinctive books across a number of genres. The winners will be determined by a panel of librarians and booksellers, selected from our readership. Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners, as well as Editor’s Choice Prizes for Fiction and Nonfiction will be announced at a special program at BookExpo America at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles on May 30. The ceremony is open to all BEA attendees.”

My thanks to the editors and designers at Palace Press/Insight Editions for creating such an incredibly fun tribute to the legacy of Hanna Barbera. This was a rare case where the finished book turned out exactly as better than I envisioned it.

Top Carrot

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Tim Hollis sent this in:

Last night, while clearing things out of a glass display case, I found the this plastic bag that someone sent to me probably 20 years ago. I thought you might get a chuckle out of such blatant H-B trademark infringement. All I can say is that it’s a good thing Officer Dibble wasn’t a vegetarian… or a rabbit…

“Yes, he’s a chief, he’s the king, he’s a vegetable thing…”

Get Well Soon, Jim Korkis

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jimkorkis1.jpgAnimation historian Jim Korkis had a series of three small strokes last week. The strokes were in a portion of the brain that control balance and equilibrium, so he’s a bit unsteady, but he has no paralysis or speech impediment, and did not have a heart attack (as many stroke victims do after their initial incident). I understand he’s doing pretty well, all things considered.

Jim is one of the most renown and respected animation historians in our field, and certainly one of the most knowledgeable Disney scholars I know. He’s also a great friend. Get well soon, Jim!

Mike Nguyen’s blog

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Mike Nguyen is one of the best traditional character animators I know. Fiercely independent, Mike’s working on his own feature film essentially by himself, and has been blogging about it, and his random thoughts about animating – with video clips, sketches and sculpture online – every week on rainplace.net. Check it out. To paraphrase the motto of the old Gotham Book Mart: “Wise animators fish here”.

Cartoon Dump again!

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We’re baaaaack!

Live comedy! Horrible animation! Cartoon Dump is live in Los Angeles every 4th Tues. of the month at the Steve Allen Theater, 4773 Hollywood Blvd. Hope to see you on Tuesday March 25th when we welcome this month’s Special Guest: Greg Proops!!

LA Review

Feature article by Peter Sanderson of Quick Stop Entertainment

An interview with Compost Brite

Advanced tickets

Photo above from our November show (Left to right: Jerry Beck, Joel Hodgson, Frank Conniff, Kristen the Cue Card Goddess, Erica Doering, Lizzy Cooperman and Patton Oswalt.)

Kung Fu Panda kicks ass!

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I see a lot of animated features in advance and, for the most part, keep my opinions to myself until the movie is in general release. Today I had the opportunity to screen Kung Fu Panda and cannot contain myself. I’m not going to write a review or post spoilers – but I just want to alert you to what I believe is one of the best CG animated films I’ve ever seen.

Yup. Right up there with The Incredibles. Dreamworks has done it. No joke.

The art direction, the voices, the character animation, the comedy, the action scenes, the opening 2-D cartoon sequence, the heart… it all works. Don’t miss this in a theatre. I don’t care what you think of the trailer, or Dreamworks track record, or anything like that. None of that matters. This film is good, and will a big hit. Mark my words – you’ll want the action figures.

Yes, this is a rave. I’ll post a more formal review as we get closer to its release. I just wanted to be the first to tell you.

[Disclosure: I am currently working on a book (unrelated to Kung Fu Panda) for Dreamworks.]

TMBG music videos

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I just had to share. I’m really enjoying these recently posted animated spots which adapt songs from the They Might Be Giants-Disney CD, Here Come the 123s.

Pascal Campion directed this little treat (via yesterday’s No Fat Clips blog): 813-Mile Car Trip; and today Cold Hard Flash previewed I Can Add by Adam Sacks and David Cowles. Disney is posting a new one each week on itunes. Collect them all!

Frederator Awards

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frederator2poster2.jpgSpeaking of Leslie Cabarga (as I did in the previous post below), Leslie just designed the beautiful poster for the 2nd Annual Channel Frederator Awards (click thumbnail at left for larger image).

Fred Seibert threw a great big Hollywood party last year to honor animators and cartoonists, and he’s doing it again on June 4th. This time the bash will be in New York City, downtown at Canal Room (Broadway and Canal). Fred will post more details on his blog as they are set.

Last year Seibert’s CFA honored John Lasseter as “(Animated) Cartoonist of the Year”. I’m not sure what nominees they have in mind for this year, but I’ll bet our Brew readers can name a few deserving individuals.

Hot Stuff

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The latest compilation book of vintage Harvey Comics, Hot Stuff – Harvey Comics Classics Vol. 3 is now on sale (though the official publication date is technically next Wednesday, March 26). Leslie Cabarga and I present the best stories and art from this classic Harvey series, which features (in my humble opinion) the finest comic art that Warren Kremer and Howard Post ever did for the company. Leslie laid out the book, and touched up the color art and original black & white proofs for outstanding reproduction, I provide a historical overview of the strip in my Introduction, and Harvey expert Mark Arnold contributes an informative Foreword. Check out the amazon link to see a preview of several pages. For 480 pages of devilish fun (only $13.57 on amazon), you can’t go wrong.