In His Own Words: John Hench on “Fantasia”
John Hench’s work on Disney animation is often forgotten, and his contribution to Fantasia has not really been documented – even in the book he wrote himself.
Category Archives: SUSPENDED ANIMATION
Disney’s Never Made “Hiawatha” Animated Feature
“One theme that kept haunting Walt was the story of Hiawatha,” said Frank Thomas. “He kept bringing it up over the years, trying to find the right way to do something with it.”
Mickey Mouse in “Plight of the Bumblebee”
The Plight of the Bumblebee was a nearly completed Mickey Mouse cartoon from 1951. Director Jack Kinney called it “The best Mickey never finished.”
Who Was Harry Holt?
Holt was a Disney animator and sculptor who officially retired from the company in 1982. Here is his story.
In His Own Words: Bill Scott on UnSold Jay Ward Pilots
I got a chance to do a lengthy interview with Bill Scott in 1982 where I asked him about a variety of things – including about some of those unsold pilots the Jay Ward studio produced.
Pogo Special Birthday Special
Walt Kelly’s popular comic strip Pogo was turned into a network prime time TV special in 1969, with Chuck Jones as director, in the hopes it could kickstart an animated franchise like Peanuts.
Danny Kaye’s Weavie-Weavies
Walt Disney was always looking for opportunities to find additional work for his artists. One solution was supplying short animated segments for features from other movie studios.
Pondering “Pocahontas”
I think Disney’s Pocahontas will seem better as time passes. While it is flawed, there is still much to recommend in it. Here’s my opinion.
Bob Clampett’s “John Carter of Mars”
In 1936, Bob Clampett met author Edgar Rice Burroughs and tried to convince him he could sell a series of cartoons based on his John Carter of Mars stories.
The Unknown “Prep & Landing” Comic Book Story
One thing that animation fans may have missed was an eight-page comic book story of Wayne and Lanny preparing The Avengers mansion – Prep & Landing – Mansion: Impossible!
