Animation Anecdotes #302
When voice artist Mel Blanc passed away, Warner Brothers bought trade ads of characters Bugs, Porky and Daffy, their heads bowed near a microphone and the word “Speechless”.
Animation In Universal Trailers
This week let’s look at some Universal animated sequences in trailers (and a title you’ve likely seen). Dave Fleischer likely had a hand in these various Universal sequences.
Harman-Ising’s “The Calico Dragon” (1935)
After this post, I will be taking a brief hiatus. For my last installment of “Fairy Tale February”, here’s an Oscar-nominated cartoon from the Harman-Ising studios!
The Year Archie Rocked the World
Few creative entities enjoyed the phenomenal success that the Archie gang enjoyed in 1969, when they topped TV ratings and even beat The Beatles on the charts.
A Chat with Irene Wyman
Today’s episode from Martha Sigall’s fascinating series of video interviews features veteran ink and paint artist-production manager Irene “Peewee” Wyman.
Forgotten Anime #57: “Kirara” (2000)
Kirara is an adaptation of a six-volume manga by Toshiki Yui, an artist best-known for romantic comedy manga featuring sexy teenage girls with a lot of “fan service”.
The Mouse Strikes Back
Ben Clopton was a rugged cowpoke from Montana before he came to Hollywood. After he among others left Walt Disney to sign with Winkler Studios, it was The Mouse that got the last laugh.
Animation Anecdotes #301
Casper, Richie Rich, Little Audrey and others appeared in the very first giveaway comic book for an airline. Twenty-one issues of Astrocomics were released to passengers from 1968-1979.
Two (Funny) Faces have I – and Popeye / Betty Boop ‘Special’ set
Oddly, there are two versions of Funny Face. The one still extant in 35mm is a ‘second’ version of the film, with closeups of the Betty Boop-esqe character redrawn, changing her hair style.
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]
