Have a Heart: The 50th Anniversary of “Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown”
Like the other Peanuts TV specials, this one had quite an impact on kids when it first aired fifty years ago.
“The Rover Boys in Peril” (1948)
It’s somewhat a UPA sequel to the famous Warner short The Dover Boys — in several ways.
Cartoons About Cartoons (Part 22)
More self-referential fare, with Bugs and Daffy – and some surprises from a few relative-unknowns at Terrytoons.
The Partial (and Mostly Lost) History of Animation Smear Terminology
An examination of the terms used to create abstract motion blur and their usage in early animation.
Ralph Bakshi’s “Sad Cat”
The five Sad Cat cartoons are all plagued by the same rough animation – and singular lack of humor.
Boy Wonder: The 85th Anniversary of Walt Disney’s “Pinocchio”
Walt Disney’s animated masterpiece first debut eighty-five years ago today, on February 7, 1940.
Jerky Journeys: “Bungle in the Jungle” (1948)
The hard-to-see Jerky Journeys cartoons are golden-age oddities that have, up to this point, half shown up. Here’s one.
Cartoons About Cartoons (Part 21)
Character recognition of the cartoon medium tends to come in short spurts during the years of 1953 and 1954.
Columbia’s Musical “Gems” 1930-32
Joe De Nat’s music is peppy, without being all that distinctive. But his use of popular tunes continues.
Jerry Beck is a writer, animation producer, college professor and author of more than 15 books on animation history. He is a former studio exec with Nickelodeon Movies and Disney, and has written for The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. He has curated cartoons for DVD and Blu-ray compilations and has lent his expertise to dozens of bonus documentaries and audio commentaries on such. Beck is currently on the faculty of CalArts in Valencia, UCLA in Westwood and Woodbury University in Burbank – teaching animation history. More about Jerry Beck [Click Here]
