From All of Us to All of You
For cartoon fans of “a certain age” (like myself), one of our Christmas traditions was an annual viewing of this very special episode of the Disney’s Sunday night program.
Animation Anecdotes #342
Don Bluth recalls, “Many people were saying, ‘Don’t touch animation. It’s a dinosaur that doesn’t work anymore’. But American Tail went on to gross over $150 million and suddenly, it looked viable again”.
More Japanese Animated Commercials
If you think all anime is all the same – check out this all new selection of off-beat, wacky, vintage animated TV commercials from Japan.
Tom & Jerry in “Tee For Two” (1945)
Today we’re out on the fairway with Tom and Jerry in this week’s animator breakdown!
The Rankin/Bass “Frosty” Specials on Records
A crystal-clear look at the jolly happy soul, whose TV specials melted the network competition and whose albums–particularly his Disney LP–sold like hotcakes.
Cartoons Considered For An Academy Award – 1979
Don Bluth’s Banjo The Woodpile Cat was one of 33 animated shorts submitted, qualified and screened – but snubbed for an Academy Award in 1979.
Sing Me A Cartoon #22: Original Mousetracks
You would think that, by 1936, the folks at the Walt Disney studios would have every way figured to promote their product. Toys . . . newspaper comic strips ….
Celebrating Disney’s Silly Symphony: “The Night Before Christmas”
In December of 1933, The Walt Disney Studios released its own version of the classic Clement Clarke Moore poem as its fortieth animated Silly Symphony cartoon.
Animation Anecdotes #341
“Dastardly and Muttley was originally called Stop the Pigeon. The network came up with the idea of substituting Dastardly and Muttley, for two other characters that Hanna-Barbera showed us.”
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]
