Animation Anecdotes: Christmas 2016 Special Edition
From all of us to all of you – I wish you Merry Christmas with an all new collection of holiday themed anecdotes and quotes from Chuck Jones, Charles Schulz and Walt Disney!
Coronet Films “The Littlest Angel” (1950)
This short was a collaboration between Hugh Harman Productions and Coronet’s in-house staff. Coronet distributed this film for many years in 16mm for the educational film market in beautiful Kodachrome.
Spumco’s “Son Of Stimpy” (1993) – aka Stimpy’s First Fart
Others might disagree, but I believe Son of Stimpy (or Stimpy’s First Fart) should be ranked with the finest holiday TV specials. Here’s a breakdown that explains how it came to be.
Rankin/Bass’ “The Stingiest Man in Town” on Records
How could this 1978 TV special be one of the first musical adaptations of Dickens’ Christmas Carol when so many other Scrooge musicals seem to have come before it?
The King of Jazz gets Animated
Paul Whiteman conducted the biggest dance-band throughout the 1920’s, and into the 1930’s. He also appeared two cartoons with Oswald Rabbit and Walter Lantz.
Forgotten Anime #48: “Digital Devil Monogatori” (1987)
Ugly art, extremely limited animation, minimal characterizations, a sickening amount of gore, risqué dialogue and unbelievably inappropriate music. Have I missed anything?
Desegregation and the Cartoon Short’s Demise
“White flight” from desegregated theaters caused the demise of many theatrical cartoon programs in the South. As cartoon shows disappeared, the closings of cartoon studios accelerated in the late 1960s
Animation Anecdotes #293
Fred and Barney did not exactly “meet” Marvel’s Thing character except in the opening credits and short bumper segments. Where did this wacky idea come from and why was it bought by NBC?
Columbia’s Color Rhapsody “The Little Match Girl” (1937)
Columbia’s best shot at actually winning an Oscar was when ‘The Little Match Girl’ received a nomination in 1937. Directed by Art Davis, this adaptation is surprisingly poignant.
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]
