Terrytoons – The Viacom Years
CBS had allowed 20th Century-Fox to distribute Terrytoons’ new cartoons to theaters, but Viacom dealt strictly with television syndication. Then Viacom acquired the studio.
Animation Anecdotes #308
“His almost limitless ability to understand the essence of a character and to invest himself into its being is what made him so consummate an artist,” said Chuck Jones of Mel Blanc.
Terrytoons Always Look Better in IB Technicolor
Here is a really fun Heckle and Jeckle short from 1951, looking as it should in beautiful IB Technicolor. I’m especially fond of some of the Jim Tyer sequences.
MOONLIGHTING ANIMATORS IN COMICS: Dave Tendlar
This week’s post is dedicated to Dave Tendlar—an overlooked talent in the annals of theatrical animation.
Disney’s “Melody Time” on Records – Part 1
“Johnny Appleseed,” the third segment of Disney’s Melody Time (1948), was recorded by RCA and Disneyland Records with similar scripts but different production values.
The Ray Abrams Archives – Part 3: Cowboys, Co-Workers and Polo Ponies
Some more momentos from the archives of veteran Lantz/MGM animator Ray Abrams. This time a few items that reflect his personal interests – and his art.
Four Brothers Named Mills
A number of artists appeared in the Fleischer Screen Songs cartoons. One act not only did three Screen Songs cartoons, but had good-natured fun with caricature. That act was the Mills Brothers.
Dreamers Draw Big Eyes
Virgil Ross remembered some fascinating details of his time working with Tex Avery and Ray Abrams at the Universal Cartoon Dept.
Animation Anecdotes #307
The president of Tezuka Productions in Tokyo took note of some apparent similarities between Disney’s The Lion King (1994) and Osamu Tezuka’s TV series Kimba, The White Lion (1965).
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]
