Hearts and Flowers – Part 1
As Valentine’s Day approaches, it seems appropriate to celebrate the season with the start of a retrospective on the involvement of flowers as a central figure in the animated cartoon.
Merrie Melodies 1935-36: Let’s Meet Some Old Friends
Here are the melodies that inspired much of the “merrie” in the AAP package, syndicated to local television from 1956 through the 1980s.
The “Cheater” Cartoons
Cheaters typically had plots involving someone sharing memories of the past. Every time a memory would be announced, the old clip would appear. Here’s a list of those cartoons.
King Kong: Ten Times As Big As a Man
The King Kong Show was the third animated television series produced by Rankin-Bass. The character designs are attributed to Rod Willis and Jack Davis.
“Lesser-Known” Films You Might Have Missed
The joy of discovering something I haven’t seen – I never seem to lose it. This week I post a few films YOU might not have seen.
Animation Ski Trails – 4
In a wrap-up to the subject of skiing – we’ve reached the foot of the mountain, and an early thaw is setting in. Our final run on the subject.
The Tale of Disney’s Cinderella Storyteller Albums
In celebration of the film’s 70th anniversary year, here’s a look at five Cinderella story albums–all as lovely as their name–from Disneyland Records between 1957 and 1980.
Japanese Intros for Hanna-Barbera Cartoons
When Hanna-Barbera cartoons aired in Japan, many sported new theme songs created by Japanese composers and singers. I thought it would be fun to showcase some of the more notable ones.
In His Own Words: Ken Anderson on Disney’s “Robin Hood” (1973)
What makes Disney’s Robin Hood a milestone is that it is one of the major inspirations for the official birth of furry fandom around 1980.
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]
