These Spongebob character expression and pose designs by Robert Ryan Cory raise TV animation to the level of art. The creativity and design in these drawings is invigorating and inspiring.

According to an article posted today in the trade publication Broadcasting and Cable, Cartoon Network will start advertising its new CN Real (live action) block with a marketing blitz, which will include a Facebook page and a “fanzine”. The article states:

“Cartoon is also relying on decidedly old-school technology in an attempt to lure viewers to the new lineup: a fanzine. The network is printing eight million copies of the fanzine, which will blend pop culture tips with promotional messaging related to the new shows. The publication will be distributed at movie theaters, Six Flags amusement parks, the Essence Music Festival, Cartoon Network live tours and other events.”

Wait a minute… “a fanzine?” Eight million copies? Any publication printing eight million copies, being bankrolled by a major corporation, and distributed in movie theatres and amusement parks isn’t exactly a fanzine. But then again, Cartoon Network isn’t exactly a Cartoon Network anymore…

P.S. While I was searching Facebook yesterday, I found this Boycott Cartoon Network’s “CN Real” Block page. Thought you should know.

Three more vintage pieces from TV Guide, presented for your historical reading pleasure. Click thumbnails below to enlarge and read. First up, on the far left below, a color spread on Ward Kimball’s first Tomorrowland episode Man In Space from the March 5th, 1955 issue.

In the center, a review of “TV Cartoons” from the December 30th, 1961 edition. Esteemed critic Gilbert Seldes (The Seven Lively Arts), in the brief space alloted, manages to praise early Disney, Bullwinkle and “a 15-year-old (Paramount) Popeye” - while putting down the use of canned laughter, The Flintstones and Disney realism. A good read.

Finally, on the far right, a page from the February 16th 1963 issue commemorating the birth of Pebbles on The Flintstones.

(Thanks, Stu Shostack)

Sony Pictures Television has dumped its 2008 TV pilot, The Adventures of Captain Cross Dresser on the internet, via its web portal Crackle.com. Had you even heard of Captain Cross Dresser? Neither had we.

George Shapiro and Howard West (Seinfeld, Man on the Moon) produced this. You’ll note no “Created by” credit… we understand Carl Reiner may have been more than just a voice (he’s voicing the psychiatrist, Dr. Fillmore). Fred Willard (Wall-E) does the honors as the Captain. Note: It’s nine minutes long, and is preceeded by a commercial. Ed Wood would be quite proud.

(Thanks, Charles Brubaker)

Mike Judge’s new series The Goode Family made its debut on ABC tonight. It’s gotten mixed reviews from the media — here’s what the L.A. Times and the NY Times had to say. What did you think?

I hadn’t seen this before, but thanks to You Tube we now know that long before Robert Smigel and TV Funhouse, a short-lived British sketch comedy show The End of Part One (1979-80), also featured a parody of limited animation TV cartoons:

(Thanks, John Dredge)

I was, and still am, a huge fan of Dreamworks Kung Fu Panda. But the announcement today of the a new Nickelodeon TV series based on the movie has saddened me.

If ever there was a character with the potential to fuel a series of theatrical sequels, it’s Po. I don’t expect Jack Black to be providing the voice and personality of the character for the TV version.

A TV series poised to appear before the second film (now in production) seems like a business decision based more on a way to make some fast cash, rather than a sincere effort to nurture a worthy property. Going to series doesn’t neccesarily negate the possibility of further theatricals, but it sure cheapens the franchise.

Couldn’t Nick have been simply based a series on the Panda’s co-stars, The Furious Five?

Remember they used to run “What-A-Cartoon”? Now it’s “Where’s-the-Cartoons?”

A channel called Cartoon Network continues to produce and acquire live action programming. I’m not sure why this still surprises me - or why I even still report on it here.

In case you haven’t heard: The original BBC version of The Office starts running on Adult Swim this summer. The Mighty Boosh, another BBC live action pick up, is already running on the Cartoon Network’s nighttime block.