ASIFA-Hollywood will celebrate the tenth anniversary of Warner Bros. Animation’s The Iron Giant with a panel discussion featuring several of the key animators and crew members responsible for the 1999 animated masterpiece.

Among the many artists expected to attend will be writer and director Brad Bird, background artist Anne Guenther, art director Alan Bodner, lead animator Steve Markowski, and artistic coordinator Scott Johnston. The panel will be moderated by animator Tom Sito.

The event will take place Friday, October 23, 2009, at 7:30 p.m. at the Fletcher Jones Foundation Auditorium, on the campus of Woodbury University, 7500 Glenoaks Blvd., in Burbank, California. Seating is limited. Reservations are required for this event and tickets are available through www.asifa-hollywood.org/irongiant. Members of ASIFA-Hollywood and students of Woodbury are $5; non-members $10. Parking is free. Proceeds from this program will benefit the ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive.

UPDATE: I was just informed, 24 hours after this posting, that this event is now SOLD OUT!

On Sunday, October 4th, Renegade Animation will host an exhibition of serigraphs by animation veteran David Weidman. Best known for his work on Mr. Magoo, Fractured Fairy Tales, King Features TV Popeye and Hanna Barbera cartoon series of the 1950s and ‘60s, Weidman will also sign copies of his new book The Whimsical Works of David Weidman, And Also Some Serious Ones. The event, which is open to the public, will occur from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Renegade Animation’s studio, 116 N. Maryland Ave., Lower Level, in Glendale.

We mentioned Weidman and his new book here back in March. Now, you have a chance to meet the man in person. Weidman, now 87, began his career as a designer at John Hubley’s Storyboard, and later worked as a designer at UPA where he developed his signature personal style while creating backgrounds for animated shorts. He also worked in magazine illustration and commercials. His many credits include Crusader Rabbit, Calvin and the Colonel, The Boing Boing Show, Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol and Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines. Weidman will also be signing copies of Renegade Animation director Darrell Van Citters’ new book, Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol, The Making of the First Animated Christmas Special, which highlights Weidman’s work. For fans of the special, there will be production artwork for sale from Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol. Click on thumbnails above to see larger images of Weidman’s art.

For more about David Weidman, visit his website and read an interview with him in Swindle Magazine.

For the second year in a row, Brewmaster Jerry Beck will be programming a selection of strange and creepy Halloween related animated cartoons on the big screen at the Silent Movie Theatre in Hollywood. Using vintage prints in 16mm and 35mm, this years’ Animation Spook-tacular will screen next Tuesday, October 6th at 8pm. Milton the Monster, Casper, and all the famous monsters of filmland will be here. Special guest animators will show their films and discuss their ghastly influences. For more information and to order advance tickets, click here.

Next week, as part of it’s Perspectives on Editing series, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is hosting a seminar on Editing For Animation. Hosted by Academy Editor’s Branch Governors Donn Cambern (The Last Picture Show) and Mark Goldblatt (Teminator 2), the seminar will feature film clips and open discussion between audience and guests. Panelists include Kent Beyda (Scooby Doo), John Carnochan (Ice Age, The Simpsons Movie), Nancy Frazen (Runaway Brain, Surf’s Up), Lois Freeman-Fox (Fantasia 2000, Osmosis Jones) and Kevin Nolting (Up).

The event takes place at the Academy’s Linwood Dunn Theater on Vine St. on Tuesday September 29th 7:00-10:00pm. For more information and tickets, visit oscars.org.

ASIFA-Hollywood has announced its Call for Entries for this year’s 37th Annual Annie Awards.

Annie Awards will be presented in 25 categories including best animated feature, home entertainment, television production, television commercial, short subject, video game, as well as individual achievements. Entries can be submitted for consideration from productions released in the United States between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009. The deadline to receive entries is Friday, October 16, 2009.

Some big changes to the voting rules have been instituted this year, most significantly that ASIFA-Hollywood members will vote only on the Production categories, and that a final election committee of animation professionals will determine the award recipients for all of the Individual Achievement categories.

This year’s ceremony will be held on Saturday, February 6, 2010 at Royce Hall on the campus of UCLA. The updated ‘Rules and Categories’ list, entry forms and more information can be found online at www.annieawards.org.

Once again, a plug for my monthly comedy-and-cartoons craptacular: Cartoon Dump! MST3K’s Frank Conniff (TV’s Frank) and J. Elvis Weinstein (Dr. Erhardt & the original Tom Servo), Erica Doering and special guest star comedian/trickster Michael Rayner join me at the Steve Allen Theatre Tuesday September 22nd at 8pm. Comedy! Songs! Puppets! Magic! And God-awful cartoons from the wasteland of 50s and 60s Saturday morning television! Advanced tickets click here.

And on Friday September 25th, it’s Fleischer-palooza on Hollywood Boulevard! I’ll be introducing a double feature Max Fleischer’s two great animated features, Gulliver’s Travels (1939) and Mr. Bug Goes To Town (1941) at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. Both will be presented in 35mm, with uncut IB Technicolor prints projected on the large screen, just as they were meant to be seen. And psssst! Surprise short subjects will be shown! More info here.

Too Art for TV, the annual exhibit of fine art by animation artists, returns to Brooklyn tonight for its 4th edition. Masterminded by Liz Artinian, the color supervisor on The Venture Bros., the show offers a solid line-up of animation artists displaying their personal art—most of them from the New York area, but from other parts of the world as well. Opening reception is from 6-9:30pm at Erebuni (158 Roebling St. Williamsburg, NY). The show will remain up through October 17.

Anyone who has been to the Shine Gallery at L.A.’s Farmer’s Market or has seen Shine’s collection showcased on the Walt Disney Treasures DVD know that Bernie Shine is one of the world’s biggest collectors of original Disney memorabilia.

Former LA County District Attorney Gil Garcetti has recruited Shine to host a party in his home for a very worthwhile charity, Wells Bring Hope. That’s Willie Ito’s art on the poster (above). Rarely does Shine allow anyone but his closest friends into his home see his entire collection. Please click this link for full details of a unique evening of cartoon fun for a good cause - a must for Disney fans who think they’ve seen it all. It’s happening on Friday October 16th at 7:00pm. If you are in L.A. that evening, it will be well-worth attending.