Identifying Classic Animators Identifying Classic Animators
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My new favorite blog of the moment is Thad Komorowski’s “Identifying Animators and Their Scenes.” The site has only been up for a few days and it’s already packed with excellent material. As the name of the blog implies, its concept is dead simple: post clips from Golden Age cartoons and identify who animated the scenes. For example, check out this great post about Walter Lantz shorts where Thad identifies scenes by Fred Moore, Ed Love, Pat Matthews and Grim Natwick. Absolutely incredible detective work. The site has plenty of other animation clips posted already, animated by the likes of Emery Hawkins, Virgil Ross and Manny Gould.

If there’s one thing that ties together the work of all of these distinctive animators, it’s how beautifully they communicate with cartoon imagery. I had the sound on my computer turned off when I first started viewing these clips, and I’d watched four or five clips before even realizing that there was no sound. There are significant lessons to be learned here about visual storytelling and clarity in staging and acting.

One more impressive thing worth pointing out: according to Thad’s Blogger profile, he’s only 16-years-old. These crazy animation historian types…they’re getting younger everyday.

Amid Amidi

Amid Amidi is Cartoon Brew's Publisher and Editor-at-large.

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