Here’s an odd one.We are the Strange is an independent animated feature film about “two outcasts caught in the middle of a deadly battle between bizarre monsters on their way to the ice cream shop”. The trailer is a bizarre combination of Brother Quay-like stop motion, CG and anime, and well worth checking out. It was created by someone called M dot Strange. Video game producer Shane Neville just posted an interview with Mr. dot Strange, on his webblog.

Just what we need – a revival of Jay Ward’s animated classic, George of the Jungle. However, a new series currently in production is apparently based more on the Brendan Fraser live action movie than Ward’s original Saturday morning cartoon. The website of Vancouver’s Studio B (who are producing the 26 half hours) has pre-production art from the series that at least somewhat resemble the original Jay Ward designs. The image above was distributed by Classic Media at the Licensing Show last month in New York – I guess they figured they’d go in a new, Cartoon Network-derivative direction (especially as Cartoon Network U.S. and Europe will air the show in Fall 2007). Oh well… I wish them luck.

One more time: Here’s where you can meet me at Comic-Con International: San Diego today (Thursday), tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday:

RANDOM CARTOONS SNEAK PREVIEW – Clips, interviews and production art from the new Nickelodeon Frederator series called Random Cartoons. Meet the creators, and get cool stuff! Sneak preview clips from various cartoons including MIND THE KITTY, ADVENTURE TIME, MOOBEARD, THE COW PIRATE and HORNSWIGGLE. Thursday July 20, 2:30pm in Room 2JUST ADDED: On Friday night I will be moderating the SNL: Saturday TV Funhouse Panel with Robert Smigel from 7:30 to 9:00pm. The Emmy Award-winning writer, producer and creator of Saturday Night Live’s hilarious animated “TV Funhouse” segments, Robert Smigel. We will be discussing the upcoming DVD release of SNL: The Best Of Saturday TV Funhouse, show clips from “The Ambiguously Gay Duo”, “X-Presidents”, “Saddam and Osama”, “Mr. T” and other favorites, as well as notable “lost” cartoons, banned from the airwaves forever. Q & A to follow! With appearances by animator/director Robert Marianetti and, possibly, Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog (pictured above). Friday July 21, 7:30-9pm in Room 6BThen I’ll run next door at 9pm to present…THE WORST CARTOONS EVER (2006 edition) – My all-new annual screening of rock bottom cartoon crap-ola, includes different episodes of SUPER PRESIDENT, MIGHTY MR. TITAN, JOHNNY CYPHER IN DIMENSION ZERO, as well as new discoveries like Sam Singer’s PADDY THE PELICAN and Harman-Ising’s SIR GEE WHIZ. Friday July 21, 9pm in Room CDEF

I’ll also be appearing at the ASIFA-HOLLYWOOD booth (#5434) on Saturday July 22 at 11am. I’ll be handing out promotional HORNSWIGGLE buttons and postcards at all these events, and everywhere I go. See you there!

Our blogging buddies Mark Evanier, Scott Shaw!, and Earl Kress are moderating (or appearing) on several panels of note at the San Diego Comic Con later this week.Earl Kress will be discussing PINKY AND THE BRAIN and ANIMANIACS on Thursday, 4:00pm in Room 6B.Mark Evanier’s panels are always a highlight of the con. He’ll be hosting the annual Jack Kirby tribute (Friday 2pm, Room 8), interviewing artists Jim Mooney, Jerry Robinson and John Romita, and moderating two panels (Saturday at 2pm, Sunday at 1pm, Room CDEF) devoted to Cartoon Voice actors (including appearences by Billy West, Maurice LaMarche and Bob Bergen, among others). Mark will also be appearing on a panel discussing SHE-RA AND HE-MAN / DUNGEONS & DRAGONS on Friday at 4:30 PM in Room 5AB.Scott Shaw! will be at table I-8, right next to Sergio Aragonés. He’ll also be appearing, sometime during the show, at McFarlane Toys’ booth, which will have the company’s new line of classic Hanna-Barbera action figures (which Scott designed) on display. If you haven’t seen it, don’t miss Scott’s hilarious Oddball Comic Slide Show on Saturday at 4:30 PM in Room 5AB. Even if you have, this is the place to see it again!

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences in Beverly Hills has set Friday August 18th for A Salute To Norman McLaren. Hosted by animation critic Charles Solomon, the evening will include the screening of thirteen newly restored and remasterd 35mm prints of McLaren’s pioneering work for the National Film Board of Canada. Films include NEIGHBORS (1952), A CHAIRY TALE (1957), BEGONE DULL CARE (1949), STARS AND STRIPES (1940), BLINKITY BLANK (1955) and eight others. A panel discussion will precede the screening; panelists to be announced. Tickets are $5. and the event will be presented at 8pm in the Academy’s Goldwyn Theatre at 8949 Wilshire Blvd. More information will be posted on the Academy’s website.

Clearly the presence of animation and animators at the San Diego Comic Con will be great. On Saturday at 12 noon a whole jam of events is happening in aisle 700.

Booth 720 = Thinking Animation book signing.
Booth 720 = Mike Polvani and Wayne Carlisi from the 1 on 1 Animation school will be looking at portfolios and demo reels, and talking to students about their school in North Hollywood.
Booth 721 = Rik Maki will be sketching and signing his book Scribblin on Scrap
Booth 722 = Brandon Ragnar Johnson of littlecartoons.com will be doing a signing.

I noticed the similarities to the current feature film LITTLE MAN to a particular Bugs Bunny cartoon when I first saw the trailer back on May 3rd – and many critics have mentioned it in their reviews. I have no interest in seeing the flick. But thankfully our pal Art Bininger scored a free ticket and reports back that the film is even closer to the cartoon than we thought:

LITTLE MAN, from the Wayans Brothers, is an unmistakeable rip-off of BABY BUGGY BUNNY, which you mentioned in Cartoon Brew a while back. As comedy misfires go, this one does have a few chuckles sprinkled throughout. There are at least three lifts from the Bugs Bunny
cartoon:1. The couple discovering a military tattoo on the tyke.
2. John Witherspoon (“Pops”) giving the “baby” the old “upsy daisy” against the ceiling.
3. The lights-out gag, where little Calvin clubs a henchman (in cartoonish silhouette) every time the lights are turned off. The henchman then leans over the sleeping baby, says “Click” and gets whomped again.I stayed through the closing credits, hoping that maybe there would be a reference to Chuck Jones or Michael Maltese but no such luck.

Based on the opening weekend grosses, and the success of Disney’s Pirates of the Carribbean, perhaps the Wayans brothers should have studied BUCCANEER BUNNY instead!

The annual Screenwriting Expo in Los Angeles (October 19-22) is turning its focus to Pixar this year. The conference will have a whole day devoted to Pixar, with Andrew Stanton delivering a keynote address titled “Understanding Story” or “My Journey of Pain.” Pixar principals Lee Unkrich, Brenda Chapman, Gary Rydstrom, along with story artists Jim Capoblanco, Ronnie Del Carmen, and Jason Katz will appear on panels – and at 6pm Brad Bird and Mark Andrews will discuss Creating The Incredibles. Should be very interesting!(Thanks, Micah)

There’s going to be a Gumby exhibit opening Aug. 4th at the Center for Puppetry Arts museum in Atlanta. Several original props and models from the series history will be on exhibit. On opening night, Friday, Aug. 4 from 8-9:30 pm, there will be a showing of rare Gumby films along with a Q&A session with members of Art Clokey’s family. You can find more official info by going to www.puppet.org or calling (404) 873-3391.

Amid and I will be plugging Comic-Con International: San Diego several times during the next week as we slowly figure out what panels are worth attending.I’m interested in meeting as many Brew readers as I can. I’ll be running around the con handing out buttons to promote my Frederator cartoon short Hornswiggle. One way to get these rare collectibles is to attend the two events I’m moderating:

RANDOM CARTOONS SNEAK PREVIEW – Clips, interviews and production art from the new Nickelodeon Frederator series called Random Cartoons. Meet the creators, and get cool stuff! Sneak preview clips from various cartoons including MIND THE KITTY, ADVENTURE TIME, MOOBEARD, THE COW PIRATE and HORNSWIGGLE. Thursday July 20, 2:30pm in Room 2WORST CARTOONS EVER 2006 – My all-new annual screening of the rock bottom cartoon crap-ola, includes different episodes of SUPER PRESIDENT, MIGHTY MR. TITAN, JOHNNY CYPHER IN DIMENSION ZERO, as well as new discoveries like Sam Singer’s PADDY THE PELICAN and Harman-Ising’s SIR GEE WHIZ. Friday July 21, 9pm in Room CDEF

I’ll also be appearing at the ASIFA-HOLLYWOOD booth (#5434) on Saturday July 22 at 11am to hand out buttons there. So come up and say hello!

Check this out: Oliver on the Golden Age Cartoons Forum discoved the posting of an extensive interview (over four hours) with Joe Barbera (interviewed mainly by Leonard Maltin). This is part of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation’s Archive of American Television interview series and it’s presented in seven parts via Google Video. Recorded in 1997, it’s quite enjoyable and highly informative.

Greg Ehrbar, co-author of the new book Mouse Tracks, is hosting an ASIFA-Hollywood event this Thursday in Glendale. This is part of a whirlwind tour of southern California for Greg, with several book signing events lined-up (click here for his whole schedule). But Thursday at the Glendale Library Greg will be concentraing on the animation related aspects of the Walt Disney Records output, with many special guests including Jymn Magon and Phil “Phillio” Baron. Join him Thursday July 13th at 7pm in The Glendale Central Library, 222 E. Harvard Street in Glendale, CA.

Dan Goodsell’s Sampler of Things blog is a daily must-see for everyone who loves classic cartoons and great retro package design. Today’s post is a particular nostalgic blast for me: a 1962 Kellogg’s promotion for it’s Hanna Barbera sponsored TV shows. I vividly remember cutting out these “trading cards” and package-back “pin-me-ups”. Around this time I also joined Hanna-Barbera’s Huckleberry Hound Fan Club – and getting the package, sent to home with my name on the label, was the first mail I ever received. I can never forget that thrill. In fact I think I still have the envelope. Thanks Dan, for reviving that cherished memory.

Where’s Waldo? Check this out.