Robert McKimson’s “Hop, Look and Listen” (1948)
We’re bouncing and hopping along with the latest Warners breakdown! With Hop, Look and Listen, Sylvester encounters an escaped baby kangaroo, which he believes is a giant mouse.
Disney’s “The Rescuers” on Records
The animated feature that was as an artistic bridge between two animation eras is also a recording that in many ways did the same thing for Disneyland Records.
Stop Motion Animation On Parade – with Jam Handy
The man responsible for the vast majority of the Jam Handy studio’s stop motion work was Francis Lyle Goldman, aka Frank Goldman, whose work has been sadly overlooked.
“Forgotten” Anime #33: “Black Magic M-66” (1987)
Black Magic M-66 is an adaptation of a popular 1983 manga novel by Masamune Shirow, who is very well known for his 1986 manga Appleseed, and the 1991 Ghost in the Shell.
Gag Men: Tex Avery and Cal Howard
A funny thing happened along the way and a little mouse hopped up to the cuspidor. Here’s the story behind this Tex Avery gag sketch.
Animation Anecdotes #278
“I was definitely influenced by the Hanna-Barbera drawing style, by The Flintstones,” says Matt Groening. “Homer’s beard line was definitely influenced by Fred Flintsone.”
Behind the Scenes at Various Studios, including the First Motion Picture Unit (1943)
I’m always fascinated by those films that show a ‘behind the scenes look into the animation process. Here are a few I love.
Andy Panda in “Playful Pelican” (1948)
This week’s breakdown is a Walter Lantz cartoon – starring a Dick Lundy/Freddy Moore redesigned Andy Panda!
The Rankin/Bass (and Paul Coker, Jr.) “Wacky World of Mother Goose” (1965)
The first Rankin/Bass cel-animated theatrical feature was a showcase for Paul Coker’s designs and the music of a veteran Disney Theme Park musical director.
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]
