“The Year Without a Santa Claus” on Records
A recorded history of the original book and its 67-year journey from print, to audio, and of course, to a stop-motion animated classic.
The Last Days of Tex Avery
In his final years, Tex was toiling on the most banal and pedestrian of animated series – one he did not live to see completed.
The 30th Anniversary of “Toy Story”
The first computer-animated feature film would usher in a new age for the medium.
“Dolly Doings” (1917)
I was honestly surprised that I never posted this short before — but then again, maybe it would have been better to not post it now either!!
Cartoons At Bat (Part 25): The Wind-Up
And so we come down to the final strikes and outs. The fat lady is singing. GAME OVER!!
Lantz – a Lot! (Part 5)
Although Pooch the Pup never did catch on, the Oswalds were continuing, most recently with a run of operetta cartoons and gagged-up fairytales.
Animator Breakdown: “Porky’s Five and Ten” (1938)
A deep dive into Bob Clampett’s seventh black-and-white Looney Tune.
The 85th Anniversary of “Fantasia”
It’s hard to believe there was a time when the film was considered a bitter disappointment.
Vintage Commercials! What are some of *your* favorites??!?
Here’s a few of my favorites from over the years.
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]
