29 Comments »   posted in Classic, Chuck Jones

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If you have the slightest interest in classic Hollywood animation, do not miss this colossal 1991 interview with Fred Kopietz conducted by Michael Barrier.

Fred who? Kopietz is not a household name by any stretch of the imagination, even amongst animation historians, but he was a distinguished contributor to the Golden Age of animation who worked on Flip the Frog cartoons with Ub Iwerks, Oswald cartoons with Walter Lantz, and animated for years at Disney. Barrier’s interview with him sheds light on familiar studios, artists, and cartoons from a completely fresh perspective. Kopietz is remarkably modest throughout the interview, so much so that one might not realize how respected he was by his peers. There’s a good reason that Ward Kimball used Kopietz as his right-hand man on the title song animation of The Three Caballeros.

At nearly twenty thousand words, Barrier’s interview contains a veritable treasure trove of stories and insights, such as how Kopietz helped Chuck Jones get his first job in animation, wonderful descriptions of Lantz’s studio operations in the 1930s, Kopietz’s frustrations with how credit was doled out at Disney, why he refused to work with Woolie Reitherman, and his disastrous experience trying to direct Beany and Cecil for Bob Clampett. Amusingly, the interview is also peppered with Kopietz’s recollections about where various artists lived owing to the fact that he had a real estate broker’s license.

(Photo: Fred Kopietz on the right, with Ward Kimball)

7 Comments »   posted in Animators, Classic, Disney, Bob Clampett, Chuck Jones, Fred Kopietz, Ub Iwerks, Walter Lantz, Ward Kimball

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Looney Tunes teach Phonics

June 3, 2011 12:00 pm

The scene above obviously isn’t from the new Looney Tunes Show on Cartoon Network. It’s actually from a new set of Looney Tunes shorts being created for series of online Phonics lessons: Looney Tunes ClickN READ Phonics.

I can’t vouch for the lessons, but the cartoon segments are surprisingly good (they are actually making ten six-minute cartoons, in which excerpts are spread throughout the lessons). Considering that they are produced in Flash by a handful of people they are remarkable. True, there is no room for Clampett-style exaggerated action here, but they are as faithful as one can be to the originals considering the limitations.

The director of these is Rob Fendler, whose most recent credit was directing the MTV flash-animated series Popzilla. Looney Tunes comic book scribe Bill Matheny is writing the series, Joe Alaskey is providing the voices for all the characters, and the music – which I thought was needle-drop reuse of Carl Stalling – is actually newly composed by Hollywood orchestrator Milton Nelson.

The phonics lessons are given by a new character, a robot named Professor Wizbot, “created as the teacher character so that Phonics could be properly taught without an accent or speech impediment.” Check out the ClickNKIDS website to try a sample lesson and to see how the animation integrates with the educational content. Here’s a few scenes from the cartoons:

61 Comments »   posted in Classic, Looney Tunes

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“Koko’s Earth Control” (1928) by Max & Dave Fleischer

May 21, 2011 8:30 am

Max and Dave Fleischer (and animator Dick Heumer) explain it all in this 1928 classic cartoon.

If you had to recommend one cartoon for the world to see before we all perish – what would it be?

39 Comments »   posted in Classic, Fleischer Studios, Max Fleischer

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Auction Results for 20 Pieces of Animation Art

May 18, 2011 6:02 am

Last weekend, Profiles in History in conjunction with Van Eaton Galleries (disclosure: they are an advertiser on Cartoon Brew) staged a massive animation art auction. I’m not a collector, but found it fascinating to browse through the auction results and see what prices the lots commanded as well as what pieces didn’t sell (for example, lots of Fantasia art).

Here’s a sampling of twenty pieces and how much each sold for. The last few prices are staggering.
Read the rest of this entry »

26 Comments »   posted in Cartoon Culture, Classic, Animation Art, auction, Cels, Model Sheets, Tex Avery, Van Eaton Galleries

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“The Film Daily” 1922-1929 archives

May 12, 2011 12:05 am

Good news, animation historians! The complete 1922 through 1929 run, 22,000 pages, of industry trade paper The Film Daily has just been posted online at Archive.org. Reviews of rare and now-lost silent cartoon shorts, trade advertising (like the Krazy Kat ad above) and articles of historic interest are here – but you’ll have to diligent and scour each and every page to find nuggets like this ad for Winkler Felix the Cat and Disney’s Alice Comedies or this review of the second Mickey Mouse cartoon, Gallopin’ Gaucho. This is truly a gold mine for researchers like myself.

(Thanks, Leonard Maltin)

4 Comments »   posted in Classic, Film Daily

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Walter Lantz Christmas Cards

May 1, 2011 8:30 pm

Animation collector Martin Almeyra sent me another intriguing set of historical pieces from his archives to share with our readers: several annual Christmas cards from the staff of Walter Lantz Productions to Walt and his wife Gracie (the voice of Woody Woodpecker). Click thumbnails below to enlarge. The first one (below left) is undated but note the signatures of directors Alex Lovy, Paul Smith, and musician Clarence Wheeler. Not sure who drew the humorous image. The one from 1964 (center) shows how far the staff has shrunk, and is signed (among others) by animators Cal Howard and Les Kline. By 1971 (below right), the artwork matches the quality of the films… but is interesting nonetheless.

12 Comments »   posted in Classic, Walter Lantz

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How 3-D Animation Was Made Seventy Years Ago

April 27, 2011 9:46 am

In 1941, the Fleischer Studio constructed this elaborate three-dimensional distorted perspective set for the feature Mr. Bug Goes to Town:

Built of balsa wood and plastics, it required architect-artists four months to construct. The entire set rests on a steel turntable which can both revolve and move up and down. Drawings will be photographed a full six feet in front of the set and the combination of the “set-back” photography and the “distorted perspective” of the set will provide the illusion of third dimension, according to director Dave Fleischer, who is seen moving the set.

Here is how the set appeared in the finished film:

(via Ryan and Stephanie’s Fleischer art collection)

44 Comments »   posted in 3-D, Classic, Dave Fleischer, Fleischer Studio, Mr. Bug Goes to Town

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