Clowning Around at the Cartoon Carnival
For my final Cartoon Carnival 16mm film screening of the summer, we will honor clowns and circus life with the likes of Felix the Cat and Koko the Clown.
Gus Wicke, An Appreciation
Wicke only voiced the villainous Bluto for a few years, from approximately 1935 to 1938, but to highly memorable effect, especially in Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad.
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.
Scrappy in “The Gold Getters” (1935)
The Gold Getters is far from a highlight of the Scrappy series, and its a really good example of how sometimes the Columbia cartoons are not quite cohesive.
Bugz’ Livez: Antz (pt. 2)
We continue along last-week’s trail, following closely behind the protruding abdomen of a marching ant, as his column descends into the depths of a subterranean tunnel.
Looney Tunes 1931– A Good Year, Indeed!
First up in the new series of animated shorts – the “Merrie Melodies” – was Lady, Play Your Mandolin, based off a recently popular song, trading in a Latin-Americn exoticism.
Sharing the Second Side of Animation’s Picture Street
Jam Handy stressed the importance of bringing high production values and the professional skills to educational films, industrial shorts and other sponsored productions.
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.
UPA’s “After the Cut” (1946) and “Landing Accidents” (1946)
After the Cut and Landing Accidents were produced for the Navy. These are especially hard to come by, leaving vintage prints from the era being the only copies available.
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]
