Super Sentai Shows
WARNING! This week my column is not about animation! However, all the super sentai (aka super-team) programs I discuss here have a “cartoony” aura about them. When the Cartoon/Fantasy Organization…
Commercials Animated by Phil Duncan
For years Phil Duncan was one of those ubiquitous animators. You’ve seen his work a million times but you may be unfamiliar with his name. He was very stylistically flexible…
Animation Anecdotes # 133
Mickey’s Friend, Dracula. Actor Bela Lugosi, famed for his portrayal of Dracula, was a fan of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse in particular. He had a photo taken with a…
A Spooky Thunderbean Thursday: “Night on Bald Mountain” (1933)
Alexeieff and Parker’s Night on Bald Mountain (1933) remains one of the most unusual and unique looking animated films ever created. While visualizations of music have always been a popular…
“Kaibutsu Kun” (1968)
Cartoons centered on monsters has been a staple for generations. Series such as Milton the Monster and the animated versions of The Addams Family has been produced, and The Flintstones…
Filmation Tribute: “Groovie Goolies” & “Fat Albert Halloween”
This week, to celebrate the life of Filmation founder Lou Scheimer – as well as the coming Halloween holiday – we present two classic vinyl albums from record bins of…
In His Own Words: Jack Hannah on Walter Lantz
Disney Legend Jack Hannah, responsible for directing most of the classic Donald Duck short cartoons as well as co-illustrating the first original American Donald Duck comic book story with his…
Magical Little Girls
The first Japanese animation was theatrical, and meant for all audiences. The first TV animation was for adults (Otogi Manga Calender, 1962) and men and boys (Astro Boy, Hermit Village,…
Foiled Again! More Kaiser Aluminum Spots by Stan Freberg
We’re continuing from where we left off last week, with more goodies from the Kaiser quilted foil collection. Stan Freberg conceived these spots for the Young & Rubicam agency, and…
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 Cal Arts in Valencia, UCLA in Westwood and Woodbury University in Burbank – teaching animation history. More about Jerry Beck [Click Here]
