No Comments »   posted in Animators, Classic, Bob McIntosh, Jirayr Zorthian, Oskar Fischinger, Trigg Ison

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In memory of Ronald Searle’s passing, we present this tribute by Matt Jones. Besides working as a story artist at Pixar, Matt is the curator of the Ronald Searle Tribute blog, a fantastic repository of Searle’s artwork and a required first-stop for anyone interested in his work. In the piece, Matt speaks about the friendship he formed with Ronald Searle in the final years of his life.

My Friend, Ronald Searle
by Matt Jones

Disney’s Nine Old Men, Ken Anderson, Chuck Jones, Tex Avery, Bob Clampett, Joe Grant, Art Babbitt . . . all the American icons of animation had already left us. I moved to the United States too late to meet any of them, but at Pixar I work with many people who had the privilege of knowing and learning from these legendary artists, and I listen to their tales with glee. When I lived in Europe, however, there was still one legendary artist left who had outlived them all, one who had influenced them all, and one who I was fortunate to meet and get to know—the incomparable Ronald Searle.

I first became aware of Searle’s work trawling the second hand bookshops on London’s Charing Cross Road. His work struck me as the forebearer of a British cartooning tradition dominated by Ralph Steadman and Gerald Scarfe at the time. I had discovered them in art school and came to realize that Searle was the original master of the scratchy, spattered ink line, influencing all who followed. I was dissatisfied with the materials that were available online about Searle, and sought to establish a resource of choice scans from my growing collection of his books. I undertook the blog merely as a fan. Little did I know that I would later come to know the artist and even have him contribute material to the site.
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16 Comments »   posted in Animators, Illustration, Matt Jones, Ronald Searle

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Ronald Searle (1920-2011)

January 3, 2012 10:30 am

Ronald Searle with Walt Disney. Click for bigger version

World-renowned cartoonist and illustrator Ronald Searle passed away peacefully in his sleep on Friday, December 30th, 2011. He was 91. Here is the BBC News obit.

In addition to his print work, Searle worked on numerous animation projects throughout his career including Energetically Yours and Dick Deadeye, and has indirectly been responsible for the look of countless other works of animation, most notably Disney’s 101 Dalmatians.

Here’s a Channel 4 interview with Searle on the occasion of his 90th birthday in 2010:

Below is the 1957 industrial film Energetically Yours that Ronald Searle designed. There are lots of behind-the-scenes photos and artwork related to the film on the Ronald Searle Tribute blog:

This is an animation test of his St. Trinian’s characters animated by Uli Meyer:

A photo of Ronald Searle visiting with Disney director and animator Ward Kimball in 1957. Click on the image for a larger version:

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Note: Gallery Nucleus will present a Ronald Searle Exhibition January 7th through 29th, 2012. The opening reception is this Saturday at 7 pm – 10 pm.

Searle, an influential figure in the cartooning world since the beginning of the post-war era, his drawings identifiable by their scratchy textures, controlled gestural line quality, and often exaggerated human forms. This exhibit features a collection of Searle’s published and preliminary works including caricatures, illustrated typography, completed cartoons, and signed lithographs.

For more information on this Los Angeles area event, click here.

20 Comments »   posted in Animators, Ronald Searle

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“The Strange Case of Dad’s Missing Head” teaser

December 27, 2011 10:30 am

Our friends at Headless Productions, the independent studio based in Barcelona Spain run by Adrian Garcia, Alfredo Torres, Victor Maldonado and Julien Bizat, have just made public this teaser piece created for their proposed 2D feature. The idea is fanciful, the graphics are amazing; I’d trade ten Tintin’s for one of these…

31 Comments »   posted in Animators, Headless Productions

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A Documentary about Alberto Mielgo

December 26, 2011 4:01 pm

I’ve often praised Alberto Mielgo’s background paintings on the Brew. He’s the art director on Disney’s upcoming Tron TV series, which is largely the reason I’m excited about that show. It shouldn’t be surprising that an artist of his caliber wouldn’t restrict his skills to the animation world. This short documentary directed by Alexis Wanneroy (who also happens to be an animator at DreamWorks) takes a look at the creation of one of Mielgo’s recent paintings, in which porn actress Belladonna modeled for him. If you can’t tell by the video thumbnail, it’s probably NSFW, but it’s also a fascinating look at the artistic process of one of the most original artists working in animation today.

24 Comments »   posted in Animators, Alberto Mielgo, Alexis Wanneroy, Belladonna, Painting

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Daily Christmas Card (#11)

December 25, 2011 12:05 am

To “Pat and Kenny” everywhere, Seasons Greetings from Freddy Moore and Cartoon Brew.

(Courtesy the collection of Tim Walker)

9 Comments »   posted in Animators, Fred Moore, Merry Christmas

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Congrats to Rob Kohr!

December 16, 2011 2:19 pm

Earlier this week, I traveled to the Bahamas for the wedding of my pal Rob Kohr (seen above in his self-designed cake topper). Rob is not only a friend, but also the webhost and tech guru for Cartoon Brew. He’s the unsung hero who keeps us up and running, and without his attentive daily management and skillful problem solving, there’s a very good chance you wouldn’t be reading this site right now.

Of course, it’s only fitting that Cartoon Brew’s tech genius would also be an animator. Rob’s day job is at Viacom where he works in their on-air promo department, animating Nick Jr. projects in both Maya and Flash, like this:

But having a full-time job and running a webhosting company isn’t nearly enough for Rob, who gives new meaning to the term workaholic. He also recently completed his first independent animated production, the anime-flavored The Lift, which has screened in nearly fifty festivals and won multiple awards. Take a look:

So here’s three cheers for Rob—for finding a great lady AND for keeping Cartoon Brew pumping!

4 Comments »   posted in Animators, Rob Kohr

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Jennifer Yuh Nelson and Angelina Jolie In Conversation

December 14, 2011 5:04 am

The Hollywood Reporter offers a joint interview between Kung Fu Panda 2 director Jennifer Yuh Nelson, and the voice of Tigress, Angelina Jolie, who also recently directed her first feature film. While the interview doesn’t offer any earth-shattering insights, it’s a rare treat to see animation and live-action directors interacting as equals.

16 Comments »   posted in Animators, Feature Film, Angelina Jolie, DreamWorks Animation, Jennifer Yuh Nelson, Kung Fu Panda 2

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