Chatting with Hal Ambro and Lee Blair
Today two Disney veterans – Hal Ambro, who went on became a master animator, and Lee Blair who later ran one of the most important New York studios of the post-World War II era.
“Forgotten” Anime OAVs #24: “They Were 11” (1986)
They Were 11 was originally released theatrically by Toho Films. Based on a prestigious manga novel, a skillful blend of science-fiction and mystery.
Cynical Susie, a Fix-it Feminist
What did Susie of the comics pages have in common with her creator, animator LaVerne Harding? She fixed things. And maybe more than anyone thinks.
Animation Anecdotes #268
“I wrote several Snuffy Smiths and then went on to write several Beetle Baileys. This lasted till the following February, when Al Brodax wanted me for his new series, The Beatles.” – writer Dennis Marks.
The Hunt-For and Clean-Up of Original Cartoon Title Sequences
As we were searching through the Flip the Frog materials, Dave Gerstein was kind enough to make a title card sheet showing the original title cards we have seen up to this point.
Disney’s “Chicken Little” Cartoon from 1943
Not to be confused with the 2005 Disney feature, “Chicken Little” was first animated by the studio in 1943 – much more in line with the original folk tale, and as a dark piece of World War II propaganda.
The Final Two Albums of The Original Chipmunks
As the ’60s came to a close, Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. and his multi-million selling trio recorded two albums of songs from movies with before his untimely passing in 1972.
A Chat with George Nicholas
George H. “Nick” Nicholas was an animator with a considerable reputation both in the industry and among aficionados, winning praise from the likes of John Kricfalusi and Mark Kausler.
“Forgotten” Anime OAVs #23: “Fake” (1998)
Combine buddy-cops, homosexuality, mystery and comedy, and you get “Fake”. It was a leading comedy-drama manga of the 1990s; a yaoi (“boys’ love”) title, restrained enough to appeal to a general audience.
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]
