“Song of the South” Animation
With Disney+ not including Song of the South in its offerings, it once again ignited the controversies about the film that are often based on misunderstandings and urban legends.
Thunderbean Travels – and an RKO Newsreel Featuring ‘Snow White’ (1938)
Here’s an RKO Newsreel from 1938, the second half of which features behind the scenes footage of the Disney Studio producing several shorts and Snow White.
Beware the Leprechauns! (Part 1)
With a tip o’ me hat, I present the first in a series of articles paying tribute to those diminutive Irish mischief makers: The Leprechauns!
Spin Special: Remembering Hanna-Barbera Composer Jack de Mello
Renowned for helping to popularize music and artists of the Polynesian artists, Jack de Mello’s music could also be heard on The Flintstones, Magilla Gorilla and other cartoons.
Walt Disney Classified: The Layout Manual, Part 4 – Dimensional Models
Shooting models was not new to the Disney Studios, it was a technique used on Pinocchio for the gypsy wagon, bird cage and stagecoach.
Kid Kong
Multiple attempts have been made to translate the iconic King Kong character into animation. Here is the story of one aborted attempt by Filmation.
Thunderbeaning – and ‘The Popeye Club’
TV was once filled with cartoon hosts like Captain Don, Skipper Tom and Cousin Cliff. Did you have a favorite TV Cartoon host?
Hearts and Flowers – Part 5
A new movement among America’s youth briefly gave some theatrical animators a chance to express modern commentary, by spotlighting the signature personality of the 60’s – the flower child.
Merrie Melodies 1936-37: Building a Better Terrace
By the beginning of the 1936-37 season, many of the building blocks that would form the ediface of Warner Bros Cartoons were available to Leon Schlesinger.
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]
