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.
A Paramount Screen Song: “The Circus Comes to Clown” (1947)
I’m actually most fond of this one because of the character designs and the very odd appearance of Blackie the Sheep, unusually miserable in this one short.
Aw, Whadda You Afraid Of?? (Part 1)
We are fast approaching Friday the 13th and the various forms of superstition that have provided jinxes and hoodoos to many an animated star over the years.
Back to School with Jiminy Cricket and His Friends
Few cartoon characters helped us learn more about safety, math, language, manners and plain common sense than Official Conscience Jiminy Cricket, with some help from his pals.
A Look at the Music Behind Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas”
Having worked with Tim Burton on five previous films prior to The Nightmare Before Christmas, Danny Elfman found this collaboration to be even easier than the rest.
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.”
An Archivist’s Dream: Eshbaugh’s Technicolor “The Wizard Of Oz”(1933)
Pondering Ted Eshbaugh’s Technicolor “Wizard of Oz” short, and the interesting history behind its creation.
We, Robots! – Part 2: The 30’s – Of Title Bouts and Technocrats
The earliest cartoon robot man appears in the Van Buren Aesop’s Fable talkie The Iron Man. Here’s a survey of all robot men in the 1930s.
Merrie Tunes and Looney Melodies: Bosko Carries On!
The initial 1930-31 Looney Tunes were doing respectably well in the marketplace, as they continued to plug songs from Warner Bros. various publishing companies.
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]
