There’s going to be a Gumby exhibit opening Aug. 4th at the Center for Puppetry Arts museum in Atlanta. Several original props and models from the series history will be on exhibit. On opening night, Friday, Aug. 4 from 8-9:30 pm, there will be a showing of rare Gumby films along with a Q&A session with members of Art Clokey’s family. You can find more official info by going to www.puppet.org or calling (404) 873-3391.

A very random post. Here’s a couple interesting commercials I recently saw on YouTube. The first is a beautifully animated spot for the orange drink Kia-Ora. It reminds me a lot of Oscar Grillo’s SEASIDE WOMAN and I’m guessing it’s by Mr. Grillo himself, but he’ll have to correct me if I’m wrong.

This next one is really goofy and stupidly simple. It was pointed out to me by Marc Crisafulli. It’s hard to tell who it’s by but I think the responsible individual is Len Glasser. If not, then it’s probably by Ernie Pintoff. I’ll try to find out.

Amid and I will be plugging Comic-Con International: San Diego several times during the next week as we slowly figure out what panels are worth attending.I’m interested in meeting as many Brew readers as I can. I’ll be running around the con handing out buttons to promote my Frederator cartoon short Hornswiggle. One way to get these rare collectibles is to attend the two events I’m moderating:

RANDOM CARTOONS SNEAK PREVIEW – Clips, interviews and production art from the new Nickelodeon Frederator series called Random Cartoons. Meet the creators, and get cool stuff! Sneak preview clips from various cartoons including MIND THE KITTY, ADVENTURE TIME, MOOBEARD, THE COW PIRATE and HORNSWIGGLE. Thursday July 20, 2:30pm in Room 2WORST CARTOONS EVER 2006 – My all-new annual screening of the rock bottom cartoon crap-ola, includes different episodes of SUPER PRESIDENT, MIGHTY MR. TITAN, JOHNNY CYPHER IN DIMENSION ZERO, as well as new discoveries like Sam Singer’s PADDY THE PELICAN and Harman-Ising’s SIR GEE WHIZ. Friday July 21, 9pm in Room CDEF

I’ll also be appearing at the ASIFA-HOLLYWOOD booth (#5434) on Saturday July 22 at 11am to hand out buttons there. So come up and say hello!

Check this out: Oliver on the Golden Age Cartoons Forum discoved the posting of an extensive interview (over four hours) with Joe Barbera (interviewed mainly by Leonard Maltin). This is part of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation’s Archive of American Television interview series and it’s presented in seven parts via Google Video. Recorded in 1997, it’s quite enjoyable and highly informative.

Greg Ehrbar, co-author of the new book Mouse Tracks, is hosting an ASIFA-Hollywood event this Thursday in Glendale. This is part of a whirlwind tour of southern California for Greg, with several book signing events lined-up (click here for his whole schedule). But Thursday at the Glendale Library Greg will be concentraing on the animation related aspects of the Walt Disney Records output, with many special guests including Jymn Magon and Phil “Phillio” Baron. Join him Thursday July 13th at 7pm in The Glendale Central Library, 222 E. Harvard Street in Glendale, CA.

Jenny Lerew recently posted a photo on her blog of Disney legend Ken Anderson posing for a publicity snap with an unidentified Japanese woman during the production of Disney’s 101 DALMATIANS. I thought I’d continue the theme and share the one photo I have that falls under the category of “Disney artists posing for publicity photos with weird foreigners during the production of 101 DALMATIANS.” This one features a newspaper reporter all the way from India. The artists in the photo are from the layout and background department. Identified left to right: Homer Jonas, Walt Peregoy, unidentified Indian man, Tony Rizzo, Ralph Hulett and Ray Aragon.

(click on image for larger version)

Veteran animation artist Floyd Norman has written a great piece for Jim Hill Media about what it was like to work in the Disney “bullpen” during the 1950s. The bullpen is described by Floyd as:

…the animation equivalent of the secretarial pool in the modern office environment. It was a training ground for the young artists as well as a resource for the animators needing their scenes in-betweened. Every young artist dreamed of moving out of the “Bullpen” and occupying a seat next to a real Disney animator.

For another vintage look at the Disney bullpen, see this post at the Animation Guild Blog with a 1954 caricature by John Sparey of Disney bullpenners.

Jason Vanderhill points out on the fps blog that the 2004 documentary, TINTIN AND I, about Tintin creator Hergé, will premiere this week on PBS stations in the US. In conjunction with the doc, the PBS website has audio and video interviews with the film’s director Anders Østergaard, as well as a series of online interviews with contemporary comic artists (Jessica Abel, Daniel Clowes, Phoebe Gloeckner, Jason Lutes, Seth, Chris Ware). LA folks can see the documentary on KCET this Saturday, July 15, at 9pm. For other cities, check your local listings.