A Thunderbean Rambling
Some thoughts at the end of a day, related to animation, preservation, creative endeavors and the small windows that are often the difference between something happening or not.
Walter Lantz’ “Fish Fry” (1944)
Here’s an Oscar-nominated Walter Lantz cartoon with Andy Panda! Director Shamus Culhane particularly detested the good-natured panda, claiming his cartoons to be “too goddamn sweet and cuddly.”
A Very Brady Animation Spin
Here’s the story, of the kids named Brady, who were animated for a little while; all of them played groovy songs, from their albums, in that Filmation style.
A Chat with Leo Salkin
Leo Salkin started his career at age 19, after graduating from High School, at Walter Lantz in 1932. Salkin then moved over to Mintz, where he worked on Krazy Kat and Scrappy cartoons, followed by a stint at Disney.
“Forgotten” OAVs #9 – “Phantom Quest Corporation” (1994)
This didn’t seem to be a forgotten OAV series. It was four half-hour “incident files”, released every two months by Pioneer LDC. Favorably reviewed at the time but almost entirely forgotten today.
World War Woodpecker, 1941
For $21 a day, once a month, a soldier’s life was just the fit for these characters from Toyland, and Bugs Hardaway was the veteran of a real war who made up the gags.
Animation Anecdotes #252
Mickey Mouse Club 1931. Theaters often needed safety even back in 1931 when the Fox Mission Theater in Southern California had its Saturday morning Mickey Mouse Club which would cost…
Thunderbean Thursday: Space Cartoons!
There’s a ton of animated cartoons made over the years about space travel, and I thought it would be fun to talk about those this week. Here are the first ones that came to mind…
Disney’s “Donald’s Better Self” (1938)
Today’s breakdown features a clash between right and wrong – with Donald Duck! Originally intended as a Silly Symphony, the idea evolved into a Duck cartoon, initially titled “Good and Evil”.
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]
