I’ve always been suspicious of Miramax’s relationship with animated features. Before they were bought by Disney, the company had picked up and released a handful of oddball animated films (LIGHT YEARS, TOM & JERRY THE MOVIE, FREDDY AS F.R.0.7). But since its Disney relationship, beginning with their release of ARABIAN NIGHT (1995), I’ve suspected that Harvey Weinstein’s company has been releasing animated films that Disney had secretly purchased, but were afraid to release themselves under the Disney or Touchstone labels.We all know Disney bought the Miyazaki films, so it’s clear they handed PRINCESS MONONOKE (1999) off to Miramax.
But why in the world would classy art film producer-distributor Miramax pick up the Pokemon franchise? POKEMON 4-EVER (2002) and POKEMON HEROES (2003) have been box office duds, but it’s transparent to me that Disney wanted to pull this anime fad out of theatrical competition - thus grabbed the opportunity to get the final films in the series to quietly dispose of them - through Miramax.Miramax has never done well with any of its animated features - so why do they continue to try? The answer since 1995 is that they are doing Disney’s bidding - following the corporate mentality to dominate the now-competitive U.S. animation market. Miramax is on track to release Miyazaki’s next film (HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE) and today announced a deal to acquire Sylvain Chomet’s new animated feature (through Miramax’s Dimension Films label).Despite the layoff of its greatest animation asset (its traditional animation staff), Disney is still competing in the animation arena… outsourcing 2D to India, doing CG in London and picking up French & Japanese cartoons for Miramax release.

No, I don’t care about Filmation’s ARCHIE. But because I do a film program at the San Diego Comic Con called THE WORST CARTOONS EVER, I get mucho e-mail from readers wondering where Filmation’s library is and why most of it isn’t on video.
You’re about to find out why.
Next week you can buy episodes of THE ARCHIE SHOW, SABRINA and ARCHIES TV FUNNIES on DVD (or VHS) directly from Archie Comics.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Here’s the LINK.

Nickelodeon Movies has officially announced its development slate - which includes THE SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS MOVIE, Steve Oedekerk’s CGI film THE BARNYARD and the long rumored John Woo feature, MIGHTY MOUSE.
You can read the entire press release here.

A reminder that this Saturday March 27th at 3pm, at the AFI in Hollywood, animator Mark Kausler will host a screening that will premiere his new 3 minute cartoon IT’S “THE CAT” as well as other classic Hollywood cartoons that influenced his work.
For details click here.

Meanwhile, on Saturday April 17th at 2:00pm, at the Egyptian Theatre a special program of three animated short films written, produced, voiced and scored by Paul McCartney will be screened on the big screen: “Tropic Island Hum,” “Tuesday” and “Rupert And The Frog Song”
The program also includes two mini-documentaries showing Paul McCartney and his team creating the traditional hand-drawn animation and an interview in which Paul speaks of his passion for animation and the early Disney films that inspire him.
This program is tied into a new dvd release, Paul McCartney: The Music and Animation Collection

There was a nice (albeit depressing) piece in yesterday’s LA TIMES looking at how Los Angeles animation artists are struggling to stay financially afloat nowadays and how some of them who can’t secure any cartoon-related work are finding employment elsewhere (like working at Trader Joe’s or opening their own retail stores). The article isn’t available on the TIMES website, but it’s been posted on this ANIMATION NATION thread. Next, BREW reader Brock Gallagher sends over a link to a terrific website that showcases Dr. Seuss’ early political cartoons, many of which were not published in the recent book DR. SEUSS GOES TO WAR. Last but not least, here’s a plug for artist Steven Wintle’s Flat Earth! blog, which offers insightful commentary on both animation and comics. In the past, Steve has been quite complimentary towards both Animation Blast and Cartoon Research, and now he seems to like the Brew as well, so needless to say, he has impeccable taste in cartoons.

Following the stunning 43% “no confidence” vote against his leadership at the annual Disney shareholder’s meeting earlier this month, Warner Books has delayed the June release of a book written by Disney CEO Michael Eisner. The book, CAMP, an account of life lessons that a young Eisner learned while attending a swanky summer camp for rich kids, was to have covered topics like teamwork, showing initiative and listening well. Insert your own ironic comment here.

Shane Glines has posted an interesting historical artifact on his CartoonRetro.com message board - a comic strip from the publication FRIDAY drawn by striking artists during the infamous Disney Studios strike of 1941. I wonder if that’s master animator Bill Tytla in the photo at right?

If they gave Clios for pretentiousness, then United Airlines’ new animated ad campaign would be a shoo-in. I just saw their second of four one-minute TV spots, and this one makes almost as little sense as the first ad that’s been playing all over TV these past few weeks.

The new spot, which has lots of light bulbs in it, is by British animator Joanna Quinn who has also recently created more straightforward and enjoyable animated spots for Charmin toilet paper (with the bears) and Whiskas cat food. All four of the United Airlines ads are set to George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” and are produced through Acme Filmworks. Like Quinn, the directors of the other spots - Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis (image at right), Michael Dudok De Wit and Aleksandr Petrov - have all been either nominated or won an Oscar for animated short. I’m all in favor of distinctive quality animation in TV commercials and the two United ads I’ve seen so far are pleasing to look at, but the storytelling is unnecessarily confusing, and I still haven’t figured out what message, if any, United is trying to communicate through these spots.