Needle Drop Cuban Rhythms For Boop and Flip
Cuban rhythms really didn’t filter their way down to North American popular music – the kind that most folks would buy – until 1930. It’s an entertaining, if roundabout, story.
Forgotten Anime #37: “Battle Angel” (1993)
Battle Angel was one of the higher-class “forgotten” OAVs. Based on a popular manga by Yukito Kishiro, James Cameron currently has the rights for a live-action remake.
Palsy-Walsy with Russia
With Moscow. Against Berlin. The wartime patriotism of learning to speak Russian at the Lantz Studio.
Animation Anecdotes #282
“We had arguments with the people marketing the film,” stated animator Gary Goldman. “We made this film for us. We’re entertained by it, so why shouldn’t a teen-ager or an adult like it?”
UPA’s “The Brotherhood of Man” (1946)
Perhaps the first classic film that UPA made was The Brotherhood of Man. The short was produced for the United Auto Workers to help with race relations in their factories.
Animation Breakdown for “Svën Höek” (1992)
Who animated which scene – shot by shot? Yes, that’s right – This week’s breakdown features Ren and Stimpy, you eeeediots!
Walt Disney’s “Fun and Fancy Free” on Records, Part 2
“Mickey and the Beanstalk” inspired two different recordings, as well as an unprecedented hit radio show tie-in upon which Walt himself was the guest star.
Fleischer ‘Needle Drop’ Artists: Eddie Peabody and ‘Red Pepper’ Sam
Continuing our exploration of vintage recordings used as soundtrack in classic cartoons, we look at two popular performers whose musical abilities fit perfectly with the mindset at Fleischer Studios.
Forgotten Anime #36: “Dragon Century” (1988)
Dragon Century was a strange pair of OAV’s. They were very cheaply produced with extremely limited animation – but there were several things that I liked about them.
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]
