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JERRY BECK (LA)
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Cartoon Brew's home for up-to-the-minute, unedited announcements and press releases direct from industry sources.
May 21, 2006 12:01 am


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Here’s a Sunday morning treat. Steve Worth at ASIFA-Hollywood’s Animation Archive has posted a beautiful set of eight TERRYTOON lobby cards for all to see.

May 20, 2006 11:00 am


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The Great American Ink animation gallery in Brentwood, CA has commissioned animation artist and director Toby Bluth (brother of Don) to create paintings based on Max Fleischer’s Betty Boop and Popeye. The Boop-Oop-A-Doop Collection will be unveiled with an artists reception on June 8th at 6:30pm. It’s an interesting mix of styles (Toby’s lush watercolor late-1930s feel combined with the grittier early-30s Fleischer). Not all the pieces are displayed online, so a trip to the gallery is worth it. (And they have some killer original pieces from Warner Bros. and Disney.)

May 19, 2006 3:10 pm


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Heads up! Nancy Beiman says:

This one’s a must have. I was one of the reviewers on Tony’s proposal and he covers nearly EVERYTHING. The book also includes a copy of ENDANGERED SPECIES, Tony’s new film which features a cameo voice by none other than Roy Disney Jr.!

Tony White’s new book ANIMATION From Pencil to Pixels seems to cover everything required to conceive, produce, direct, animate, assemble, and distribute an animated film. And if Beiman says it’s good… it must be!

May 18, 2006 12:00 pm


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Deputy Dawg lives!We found him on MySpace.(Thanks, Andrew J. Lederer)

May 17, 2006 3:00 pm


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In 1929, Charles Mintz (left) signs Ben Harrison and Manny Gould to long term contracts, to produce KRAZY KAT cartoons for Columbia Pictures release. (Not sure who the guy is on the right.) If you’d like to see a generous sampling of the cartoons they produced during that period, join us at the AFI Campus on Saturday in Hollywood, California. ASIFA-Hollywood is presenting its second program of newly restored 35mm KRAZY KAT cartoons at the AFI. We’ll also be crowning a new “Miss Krazy Kat” before the screening. Where? American Film Institute. When? Saturday May 20th at 3pm, in the Ted Ashley Screening Room (Warner Bros. Building), 2021 N. Western Ave. Here’s the map.

May 17, 2006 12:00 pm


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For the sum of $295.99, this incredible Tex Avery limited edition statue can be yours! And if that isn’t your cup of tea, check out these others featuring Red Hot Riding Hood, Droopy, Woody Woodpecker, Hot Stuff and Casper!

May 17, 2006 8:10 am


Disney and Warner Bros. animator/director and teacher, Nancy Beiman is writing her first book: PREPARE TO BOARD! Creating Story and Characters for Animated Features. Here’s what Nancy has planned for it:beimanbook200.jpg

PREPARE TO BOARD! distills thirty years worth of notes from Cal Arts and on-the-job knowledge. I discuss Concept, Technique, and Presentation of character designs and storyboards. Most of this material is not covered in other books, which is what inspired me to write mine in the first place. A comprehensive glossary of story and design terms is also included. In addition to about 300 examples of my own artwork, illustrations will include examples of my students work on paper and in CGI. There will be some ‘guest appearances” by artists Dean Yeagle, Mark Newgarden, David Chelsea and Nina Haley; and materials from my collection of cartoon art (some of which I guarantee you have not seen before). And there are a few more surprises that are still ‘in progress’ as I write this, but they are worth waiting for.I’m printing my interviews with Ken Anderson, Ken O’Connor, and T. Hee as appendixes (there will be some wonderful and surprising illustrations included.) My Tex Avery interview appears as part of one chapter. Anderson’s interview is a stunner and the other two aren’t bad. None of the material has ever been published before and all of it concerns technical and ’story’ issues (I thank my younger self for asking the right questions. Anderson’s, in particular, is terrific.) The rest of the contents will include: Story and Character Concept (first third), Technique (second third) and Presentation (third third.) There are about three hundred illustrations, some from my students (at RIT), some from other sources, most by me.

Sounds great to me. PREPARE TO BOARD! Creating Story and Characters for Animated Features and Shorts will be published by Focal Press in January, 2007.

May 16, 2006 5:14 pm


New Yorkers: DO NOT MISS THIS ONE!The Museum Of Modern Art (as part of their annual film preservation festival) will be screening a fully restored color Popeye two reeler, ALADDIN AND HIS WONDERFUL LAMP (1939) this Sunday.The two-reel Popeye short will be playing along with the 1940 verison of “THE MARK OF ZORRO” with Tyrone Power. GO to this screening. This might be your only chance to see an actual full 35mm restoration of one of the Technicolor Fleischer Popeyes, since there’s still no agreement between Time Warner and King Features to get a real dvd release of the Fleischer/Famous/Paramount Popeye cartoons. Warner Bros. is preserving the Popeye cartoons regardless, and have had few public screenings of their restorations. Even if you’ve seen this short a hundred times, I guarantee you haven’t seen it like this. Full, rich, restored color; the original Paramount titles; with crystal-clear sound and picture. You are in for a real treat.ALADDIN AND HIS WONDERFUL LAMP will be screening twice: Sunday 5/21 at 3pm and one last chance on Thursday 5/25 at 8:15pm. Again, I beg you NOT to miss this rare opportunity to see this classic cartoon the way it was meant to be seen.(Thanks, Nelson Hughes)

May 15, 2006 2:00 pm


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The Society of Animation Studies has their annual conference coming up July 7th through 10th at Trinity College in San Antonio, Texas. The theme of the conference this year is Animation at the Crossroads. Papers to be presented include Alan Cholodenko’s The Felicity of Felix, Michael Frierson’s J. Stuart Blackton’s Animated Films 1900-1910, Maureen Furniss’ John Whitney: The Early Years and Mark Langer on The Fleischer WWI Military Films.The Society for Animation Studies is an international organization dedicated to the study of animation history and theory. It was founded by Harvey Deneroff in 1987. Each year, the SAS holds an annual conference at locations throughout the world, where members present their recent research. For more information, contact president Maureen Furniss at mfurniss [at] calarts.edu.

May 15, 2006 1:45 pm


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I usually don’t plug internet comic strips – most of the ones I’ve seen are pure crap – but Brew reader Larry Levine sent me a few samples of his strip, Aw Prunes, and I must admit I like his cartooning style. He draws funny, like he’s watched too many cartoons or something, and that’s good enough for me. Good luck, Larry!

May 13, 2006 7:50 am


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In 1946, long before it owned the ABC Television Network or created alphabet spelling books for children, Disney made an industrial film for General Motors called ABC’S of Hand Tools. Bill Roberts directed this educational short, aimed at adults, which demonstrates the proper use of common tools. The interesting thing is that the film (and accompanying booklet) re-uses the character “Emotion” (an uncouth caveman, and caricature of Ward Kimball, from the 1943 wartime cartoon Reason And Emotion – also directed by Roberts), here with a new name, “Primitive Pete”. Bob Sokol posted a pdf of the entire booklet here. J.J. Sedelmaier sent us large scans (below) of several pages of his copy.

(Click on pages below for larger images)handtoolscvr4.jpghandtools1a.jpghandtools2.jpg

May 12, 2006 8:30 am


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John Lasseter sat down and answered questions at the French Premiere of CARS last night. Our friend Kinoo (of the French website, Pixar’s Room) has posted video and pictures from the event.

I had the luck to be at the premiere of CARS yesterday in Paris and attended the discussion with John Lasseter following the digital projection of the new movie (and the well received Ratatouille teaser). I was able to ask him a question about his future, as he has many resposibilities now following the merger with Disney, and if he will be able to direct another movie soon? His answer can be seen on the first video clip.

 This second video clip (below) shows Lasseter discussing his early cartoon influences, STAR WARS and TRON, the inspiration for CARS, and 2-D animation.(Thanks, Kinoo)