July 23, 2005

Frank Espinosa's Rocketo

ROCKETO
I don't get much excited over comics, but then again, comics like Frank Espinosa's ROCKETO don't come along every day. This is without doubt one of the most awesome books I've seen in a long while, and it's one of my favorite discoveries from last weekend in San Diego. I was prepared for a letdown as soon as I saw ROCKETO's cover because there's no way the interior art could live up to such a masterful drawing, right? Well, what an incredible surprise to open it up and find an entire comic that looks like this. Every page of ROCKETO is a jaw-drop gorgeous work of cartoon art, with tight drawing, color and design throughout. The expressive use of color and rhythmical black inks give the book a distinctive feel that defies comparison to any other current American comic; you have to look at European comics to find anything that remotely resembles ROCKETO's stylish cartoon sensibility.

I was equally surprised to find out Espinosa's background: until recently, he'd been drawing Bugs, Daffy, Tweety, et al, at WB Consumer Products. Among other things he was responsible for the Looney Tunes USPS stamps and (get ready for this) the original designs for Baby Looney Tunes. Now, fortunately for us, he's out of there and working on his own projects. In San Diego, Frank debuted ROCKETO #0, a short 16-page introduction to the series. ROCKETO #1 is out in August from Speakeasy Comics. Looks like I have a reason to start dropping by Meltdown again.

Rocketo


Posted by AMID at 09:07 PM

July 22, 2005

Oh Yeah! Blogs

OH YEAH 4
Anybody can start one blog. Been there, done that. But it takes some fortitude to launch thirty-nine blogs. That's right, thirty-nine blogs. That's exactly what animation producer Fred Seibert is doing for the fourth season of OH YEAH! CARTOONS, the series that he's exec producing for Nickelodeon. Seibert is encouraging every creator to start their own blog and document the production of their animated short. The first couple blogs are already up and running, and can be accessed from the main Frederator blog HERE. Seibert has been experimenting with blogs for the past year, first with the Teenage Roblog, a blog by the crew of MY LIFE AS A TEENAGE ROBOT, and more recently with The Wubblog, a journal by Bob Boyle documenting the production of his forthcoming Nick Jr. series WUBBY WIDGET AND WALDEN.

It's great to have an enlightened animation producer who understands the grassroots value of connecting with audiences through blogs, and is now allowing the creators of all these shorts to share their creative experiences with the online community. Not only are blogs a common-sense way of creating and building a fanbase for tv shows, and distinguishing the series from the rest of the competition, but blogs can also help to demystify the animation process, allowing the average viewer an insight into how animated films are produced. That may not sound like a huge thing, but it seems like every other day that I meet a regular joe who is unable to distinguish between cg and hand-drawn animation and who doesn't have the vaguest clue about how cartoons are produced. Educating audiences about the production process, and all the hard work and thought that goes into the making of an animated film, is perhaps the first step towards achieving the respect and recognition that this art form so very rarely receives.


Posted by AMID at 02:27 PM

RADIO BREW

I will be interviewed on American Public Media's WEEKEND AMERICA - Topic: hidden gags in classic cartoons. I don't know what time or what station this plays in your area (though it's on Saturday afternoon 1pm -3pm on KPCC 89.3 in Los Angeles), but you can also listen to it on internet. You've been warned.


Posted by at 11:59 AM

WANTED: JOHN SIBLEY!

Wanted: Any information -- personal or professional -- about Disney Animator John Sibley. Also seeking Sibley artwork. Sibley worked at Disney as an animator from March 1937 to August 1965, most famously with Woolie Reitherman on the Goofy short films. Also animated the Siamese Cats in "Lady and theTramp." Please contact Pete Docter at doc@pixar.com or 510 752-3410.

Thank you!


Posted by at 11:13 AM

MORE COMIC CON

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I didn't get much response to my request for convention photos. At right is me with a guy dressed in his home made Kirk Alyn Superman costume (he told me I was the only person at the convention to recognize the costume was styled from the 1948 Sam Katzman Columbia serial - for some reason that made me feel good).

Larry Loc has posted more pics from the WORST CARTOONS EVER panel on the Asifa-Hollywood blog.


Posted by at 11:07 AM

July 20, 2005

CONVENTION PHOTO

A nice picture of me interviewing J.J. Sedelmaier at the 2005 San Diego Comic Con, last Friday, is posted on the Asifa-Hollywood blog.

Being the ego-maniac I am, if anyone else posted pics (or took pics) of me hosting the Disney panel or Worst Cartoons screening (or reviewed those panels in a Con Report on their blog) I'd love to see 'em.


Posted by at 07:47 PM

July 19, 2005

Another Book Bargain

My favorite book publisher -- Chronicle Books -- is having their semi-annual sale this week. Any book ordered from their site is 40% off. The sale lasts through Friday, July 22.


Posted by AMID at 03:57 PM

LOONEY TUNES DVD V.3 BONUS MATERIALS

itsgotme.jpg

The main contents of LOONEY TUNES GOLDEN COLLECTION Volume 3 were revealed last week on various websites. Sixty classic Warner Bros. cartoons, lavishly restored, will make their dvd debut on October 25th. A list of the 60 cartoon titles are posted here.

However, the set contains many bonus items just as coveted as the cartoons themselves. What follows below is a partial list of the extra materials you can expect:

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• PHILBERT - a rare 1963 TV pilot (Theatrical version)

•Private Snafu in GAS
•Private Snafu in RUMORS
•Private Snafu in SPIES

•POINT RATIONING OF FOODS (a rarely seen wartime short released 2/25/43)

• THE BEAR THAT WASN’T (the 1967 MGM Cartoon by Chuck Jones, based on the book by Frank Tashlin)

•THE BUGS BUNNY SHOW - “The Honeymousers” (Production #1822 telecast 7/24/62)

•STORYBOARDS (includes deleted scenes):
1. FALLING HARE
2. PORKY’S PARTY

• FROM THE VAULTS:
1. SINKIN’ IN THE BATHTUB (1930 - first Looney Tunes cartoon)
2. IT’S GOT ME AGAIN (1932 - pictured above, the first Warner Bros. cartoon nominated for an Academy Award)

• New Documentaries on:
1. Frank Tashlin
2. Black & White cartoons
3. Restoration of cartoons
4. Pepe Le Pew
5. The Bugs-Elmer-Daffy Trilogy
6. Looney Tunes Go To War
7. Birds Annonymous tribute

Audio track commentaries by:
Joe Dante (Porky Pig's Feat)
John Kricfalusi (Wakiki Wabbit, Porky's Party, A Gruesome Twosome, An Itch In Time, Falling Hare)
Bill Melendez (An Itch In Time and Falling Hare with John K.)
Eric Goldberg (Robin Hood Daffy, Duck Rabbit Duck)
Daniel Goldmark (Pigs In A Polka, Swooner Crooner)
Paul Dini (Super Rabbit, Rocket Squad)
Greg Ford (Hare Remover, Hare Tonic, Hare Grows In Manhattan, Daffy Duck In Hollywood, She Was An Acrobat's Daughter)
Mark Kausler (Porky's Romance)
Milt Gray (A Gruesome Twosome)
Michael Barrier (Bowery Bugs, Hillbilly Hare, The Coo-Coo Nut Grove, Odorable Kitty and Walky Talky Hawky)
Eddie Fitzgerald (Wakiki Wabbit, Claws For Alarm)
June Foray (The Honeymousers)
Jerry Beck (Hollywood Capers (with Martha Sigall), The Wabbit Who Came to Supper (with Martha Sigall), Birds Anonymous (with Art Leonardi), Gonzales Tamales (with Art Leonardi), Philbert (with Art Leonardi and Trustin Howard) and I Haven't Got A Hat)

And more!


Posted by at 12:02 AM

July 18, 2005

"Art of" Book Bargains

If you haven't picked up my book THE ART OF ROBOTS yet, now might be a good time to grab a copy on Amazon. There is currently a "bargain price" deal where the book has been marked down to $14.99. Even better, Chronicle Books has also marked down THE ART OF INCREDIBLES to $14.99, and the earlier Pixar books -- THE ART OF MONSTERS, INC. and THE ART OF FINDING NEMO -- have been knocked down to $17.99.


Posted by AMID at 04:42 PM

Monday Afternoon Inspiration: John Dunn

John Dunn Painting

This is a painting by John Dunn (1920-1983), the supertalented story artist and designer who will be profiled in ANIMATION BLAST #9. Speaking of BLAST 9, I'm planning to finish up the issue as soon as I wrap on my 1950s animation design book. The issue has continued to evolve over the past year and there are a number of new articles planned for BLAST 9, including a wonderful little piece on WWII gag drawings by the likes of Tom McKimson, Rod Scribner, Preston Blair and Bill Justice. I am trying my best to make this the strongest issue of the BLAST yet, and around October 05, it'll hopefully be printed and ready to send out to everybody.


Posted by AMID at 04:27 PM

TOONZONE ASKS A FEW QUESTIONS

An interview with me has just been posted on TOONZONE.


Posted by at 03:52 PM

WORST CARTOONS EVER

superprez9.jpg
Super President
The 2005 San Diego Comic Con was overwhelming. Huge crowds, movie stars, people in costumes... and, oh yeah, a couple of booths selling old comics.

The best time I had (and I had several, including moderating the Disney movie preview and interviewing J.J. Sedelmaier) was presenting my screening of THE WORST CARTOONS EVER. The crowd laughed long and hard. I was pretty proud of the selection this year and I was surprised how many people wanted to buy a copy. In fact I'm getting a lot of email today from people wanting to purchase a copy to show their friends (If you are interested in buying a dub of the show, write to me for details).


Posted by at 09:47 AM

DAN BESSIE ON BERNIE GRUVER

Filmmaker and former animator Dan Bessie sent in this reminiscence of his friend Bernard Gruver, after seeing Gruver's name referenced here on the Brew:

Bernie was a good friend of mine from the time we worked together at Ray Patin Productions in Hollywood, until about five years later (this would be around the time he left Playhouse, to work for Melendez on the Peanuts shows). I was an assistant animator at Patin at the time, having begun as an apprentice at MGM, and leaving there when the studio closed its cartoon department in 1956 or 57. (Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera found all of us inbetweeners jobs at other studios.)

Soft spoken, gentle, kind and helpful, Bernie was also a very funny guy and a great draftsman. Though we lost contact in later years, I was shocked to learn that he died at only 62 (never did learn the details, if you know, please tell me). He and his wife and children lived in the San Fernando Valley, where my family also lived, and we spent many enjoyable times together. Never spent too much time in the mainstream Hollywood cartoon industry myself after about 1970, as I went on to start my own company, producing mainly educational films, in both live and animation.

Dan Bessie began his career at MGM Animation Deptatment (at $36.45 a week), then went on to animate episodes of Saturday morning TV shows like The Marvel Superheroes, Linus the Lionhearted and Mr. Magoo. Bessie also co-wrote, directed and animated the award-winning Hey Culligan Man! soft water commercials for 15 years. Later, he parlayed that experience into writing and directing more than 120 of his own films, both live and animated; including educational films, features, and TV specials that have appeared on CBS, HBO, SHOWTIME, and the Disney Channel. His new book, REELING THROUGH HOLLYWOOD:How I Spent 40 Fabulous Years in Film and Never Made a Nickel will be published in the fall.


Posted by at 09:20 AM

July 17, 2005

DAVE SPAFFORD SPEAKS!

Ian Failes talks to animator Dave Spafford on vfxblog.


Posted by at 10:15 PM