Cartoon Brew

Gumby Documentary Tomorrow

GUMBY DHARMA is a new documentary about Gumby creator Art Clokey. It's directed by Robina Marchesi, with new animation by Tim Hittle, and includes interviews with Ray Harryhausen, Henry Selick and Hittle, among others. A rough cut/work-in-progress print will screen tomorrow afternoon at 3pm at the Mill Valley Film Festival. Details can be found HERE. According to ASIFA-San Francisco prez Karl Cohen, the film is not sugar-coated in the least and offers an insightful look into Clokey's work and life. Says Cohen: "The film is about where his creativity comes from, but instead of this being a cute charming story about inspiration, it is a biography involving several deaths, a childhood interrupted by a broken marriage, a cruel stepfather, rejection and other non-Disney elements. There is much joy in it including Art living with a grandfather who provided him with a new lease on life. Art explains that Gumby is his vision of a world where he can safely celebrate life and that he and all of us can be Gumby. The Gumby episodes are his daydreams of a world he missed growing up." If you're unable to make the screening tomorrow, the film is eventually going to be released onto home video.

DREW CAREY'S GREEN SCREEN

We are overdue in mentioning Drew Carey's Green Screen Show. It's been on for two weeks now (Thursday nights at 8:30pm on The WB Network) and I've really enjoyed both episodes that have aired. In addition to the improv comedy provided by Drew and his talented crew, the animated embellishments from Ron Diamond's ACME Filmworks are delightful, funny and visually arresting. This is a must-watch show for cartoon fans - the greatest collection of animated styles collected in a half hour since Pee-Wee's Playhouse.

That's fitting as Prudence Fenton (of Pee Wee's Playhouse, Liquid Television, etc.) is producing the animation with Diamond - and they have assembled an incredible array of talent to back up the comics: Eric Goldberg, Bill Plympton, Scott Ingalls, Mark Cabellero & Shamus Walsh, Bill Kroyer, Chris Prynowski, Paul Vester, Janet Perlman, Marv Newland, John Dilworth and Cordell Barker (to name but a few).

The animated bits are outstanding. You can never tell what style of animation is coming up next - cartoon cel, stop motion puppets, rotoscope, CG - and that's part of the fun of watching the show. Each segment has merit - and the show on the whole is an outstanding achievement (especially considering the short schedules the animators had to work within). I highly recommend you check it out.

Just A couple of Oreb Drawings

I saw this drawing by Tom Oreb (character stylist on SLEEPING BEAUTY and TOOT, WHISTLE PLUNK & BOOM) for the first time yesterday. I'm not sure what it's from, though it seems to be a design/layout drawing for the DICK TRACY TV series (1960) or a sketch from that era. For all its simplicity, the drawing works beautifully. It has personality, style and humor (the hands especially are funny), but more than anything, it's just plain fun to look at. Oreb knew exactly where to add little hints of dimension, showing the underbrim of a hat and the inside of a character's shirt, to give a sense of form to the otherwise flat designs. And below is a page of doodles by Oreb. Not quite as impressive, but still nice to see (click on the image for the full version).

Pixar and The Uncanny Valley

I stumbled across an interesting blog post over at RobotJohnny.com that again mentions the "Uncanny Valley" theory and how Brad Bird has overcome this obstacle with THE INCREDIBLES. This comment in his entry perfectly sums up my thoughts: "The moment I saw the trailer for THE INCREDIBLES, I knew that Pixar had done something that no 3D film had done yet — they had created human characters that had some style to them and that didn't try to emulate life."

This Holiday Season give your family nightmares

'Nuff said.

Home, Sweet (Icelandic) Home

Friday, July 23, 2004
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The alert reader will notice that there was no description of yesterday's events.

We will speak no more about it.

I've been spending a lot of time with Stefan, teaching him how to talk like a pirate and swapping tall tales. He's a really funny guy, and is becoming one of my pals in this production. We even dress alike, as the picture below illustrates.

Today's a big day. I'm getting relocated from my temporary residence into my new "crib" (or "ágætur íbúd í the midja af the borg" as the kids in Iceland call it). It's smack dab in the center of the city, and every time I show my gawking cohorts the address I receive gratifyingly raised eyebrows and "ahs" of envy. When the landlord asks me what my wife's name is so he can put it on the mailbox "to make her feel that she has a home in Iceland when she visits" I almost weep.

Another important aspect of the day is the arrival of Cole Zaslove, Mark Zaslove's kid and my little Oddchild. Cole is instantly smitten by Julianna, who he refers to as "the pink-haired girl." I think she's the first great love of his life (besides his mom, who's also here), and it's pretty damn adorable. I snap a picture of Cole and Julianna, an image that he will doubtlessly treasure forever.

Thorir tells me about a band that's playing at a local guzzlery, but when I get there at 10pm the bar is practically empty and there's no band. I spend some time (and WAY too much money) at a nearby strip club, and when I get back to the bar the joint's jammed and the band is cranking. Thorir is nowhere to be seen, but that doesn't stop me from ordering a Viking (the local brew) and listening to the REALLY LOUD music. I finish my beer and split, my ears ringing in Icelandic.

I weave through the streets as midnight approaches. The sun is visible on the horizon, and the sidewalks are crowded with people just getting ready to party. As I'm admiring a group of blond goddesses one of them smiles at me and breaks from the pack. It's Gudrún, a seamstress from the show. She and I enter a nearby bar and chug suds and swap gossip for an hour. Gudrún, thanks for being my first Icelandic drinking buddy!

I stagger back to my new ágætur íbúð í the miðja af the borg and work on a LazyTown script in bed until I fall asleep with my computer heating my belly like a high-tech hot water bottle. Thank God this new place has blackout curtains. I just wish it had soundproof windows, because there's a party right outside that ends up lasting until 5am.

Ken Pontac,
Pleasantly buzzed,
Iceland

Ren & Stimpy Uncut?

Apparently the new REN & STIMPY: THE COMPLETE FIRST & SECOND SEASONS -- UNCUT are not exactly uncut. Though the edits seem relatively minor, it's hardly a smart idea for Paramount Home Entertainment to release a DVD with "uncut" printed in big letters on the cover when there are obvious edits in numerous cartoons. I haven't seen a complete list of cuts yet, but some of the them are mentioned in this message board post. Also here is a letter from John Kricfalusi explaining his side in the whole matter.

BETTY BOOP CAFE

If you happen to be driving through St. Martin, Minnesota you should grab a cup of coffee at the new Betty Boop themed resturant, Dizzy Dishes.

HOME MOVIES

Long before dvd discs and vhs tapes there were home movies - physical celluloid film in 16mm and 8mm widths on reels that you had to run through a portable home movie projector. And those films were sold in camera shops, department stores and through mail order companies. The boxes they were packaged in were, at times, attractive and today some of those boxes are worth more than the films themselves!

I've posted a few vintage home movie boxes on various pages of my Original Titles website. You can also see a gallery of great ones at Harry McCracken's Harry-Go-Round website. They don't make 'em like this anymore.

Why CG Humans Are Creepy

It's a little too late (or is that too early) to be thinking such deep thoughts, but there's a fascinating post on Momus' blog about the "Uncanny Valley" theory. While this is a robotics principle dating from the '70s, it is extremely relevant today in the world of computer animation and offers an interesting explanation for why CG attempts at human realism in films like FINAL FANTASY are disturbing to our sensibilities. The comments section expands the discussion to encompass Thomas and Johnston's ILLUSION OF LIFE, Tintin and Hello Kitty providing for some thought-provoking reading.

First Brando, now Chris Reeve...

When Brando died, he left behind an embarassing voice track for an awful looking animated film. Apparently Kal-El is following in Jor-El's footsteps... According to the New Jersey Star-Ledger:

Christopher Reeve's last legacy to film will be an animated children's feature by IDT that is expected to hit theaters in 2006. The 52-year-old actor was in the midst of directing an animated feature tentatively called "Yankee Irving" about a poor boy in the Depression who befriends Babe Ruth and delivers a game-winning hit for the Yankees. Animation was a perfect fit for Reeve because there was no need to go on location. IDT rigged up two large computer screens in Reeve's home in Connecticut so he could monitor work done in the company's studios in Newark, Canada and Israel.

Now Even More Fantastic

The French animated feature FANTASTIC PLANET (1973), directed by Rene Laloux, is slated to be remade in live-action. Emru Townsend puts it best on his fps blog: "Um, why?"

Blogging Pixar

Ken Bautista has started a new all-Pixar blog called LUXO. And if you're wondering why you can't find any INCREDIBLES toys at your local Toys R Us, just take a look at the photos of Ken's office. (via Animated-News.com)

Some Rumors on the Internets

> Archive.org has posted another industrial film worth checking out: MAN ON THE LAND, a 1951 UPA production designed by Bill Hurtz for the American Petroleum Institute. Not UPA's best industrial work by a longshot, but still plenty of nice graphic work to recommend. (link via Jared Chapman)

> Garth House, ex-production coordinator on MUCHA LUCHA, has relocated to China to take a course in Maya. He's documenting his experiences abroad in a fascinating on-line journal/blog: SWEET AND SOUR STORIES. (via fwak! blog)

> Couldn't soak in enough of that Kricfalusi magic when John visited Los Angeles last month? Then you'll want to head down to the Virgin Megastore (8000 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90046) this Tuesday, October 12, where John K will be making a special appearance to sign DVDs of this holiday season's must-have animation release REN & STIMPY: THE COMPLETE FIRST & SECOND SEASONS -- UNCUT. He'll be signing from 7-9pm.

> Being a member of ASIFA-Hollywood really pays off around this time of year. They're hosting a bunch of free screeenings in the coming months, including DISNEY'S TEACHER'S PET film (with the filmmakers present), THE SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS MOVIE, SHARK TALE (nice try DreamWorks, but not even a free pass will get me in a theater for this one), and Ron Diamond's annual cartoon extravaganza "The Animation Show of Shows" which is notable this year because it will include a screening of RYAN with director Chris Landreth in person. See the ASIFA-Hollywood site for complete details.

> There's an animation festival taking place in LA at the end of this month and not a single person I know has heard of it. I only learned about it when Bill Plympton mentioned it to me in Ottawa. It's called ION INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION GAMES AND SHORT FILM FESTIVAL and it takes place October 29-31 at Culver Studios. It's billed as a "convergence festival" and seems somewhat business-oriented. More details at IONFilmFest.com.

> Disney is claiming that they don't owe royalties on a new PETER PAN-related book they published because the copyright on the work has expired. The PETER PAN copyright is held by the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, which received it as a gift from PAN creator J.M. Barrie before his death in 1937. By withholding royalties, Disney is denying the hospital funds which would go towards helping sick people. There is no small irony that Disney would claim somebody else's copyright has expired while the company simultaneously lobbies Congress to change existing laws that would extend its own copyrights.

Christopher Reeve (1952-2004)

Played a superhero on the screen, became a superhero in real life.
Rest in Peace.

Clean Streets and New Friends

Wednesday, July 21, 2004
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What grim and violent ancestors these nice Icelandic natives must have had! The landscape is littered with statues recounting their forbidding exploits. It's quite a contrast from the cheerful and friendly locals I've encountered so far, but maybe I'll meet a dragon-slaying, mad-eyed marauder at some point. Probably in a bar.

I'll tell you one thing about these guys, though. They must have instilled their progeny with a doctrine of cleanliness that's been passed down through generations. This is the cleanest place I've ever been. The vehicle below is a spray-truck that circles the pond, its only mission to eradicate the omnipresent piles of goose-shit with a high-pressure water stream.

I spend the day writing scripts and shooting movies of my amused co-workers. This really helps me remember their names. I study the pronunciation every night, but certain sounds I'll never master.

I'm glad these people are all so nice. It makes the separation from all of my friends and loved ones a little more bearable. I've only been gone a week and I miss everybody.

Ken Pontac,
Crying in my beer,
Iceland