Walt Disney’s “Enchanted Tiki Room” on Records
When the soundtrack LP for Disney’s first Audio-Animatronics attractions premiered, it brought a lot of the animation legacy along with it – plus significant roots in “hi-fi” history.
The Popeye Specials That Could Have Been
Considering the hits Fleischer had with the two-reel Popeye epic adventures, a continuation of that format would have a good idea. But it was not to be.
The Origin of Scooby Doo
While we have all accepted the stories about the birth of Scooby-Doo, there are still some things left to be discovered.
A Thunderbean ‘Fireside Chat’ (without the fire since nitrate is involved)
This ‘chat’ is about film collecting, digital cleanup, Vinegar Syndrome, and even a little 9.5mm and 28mm thrown in for good measure.
Happy Henfruit Pt. 4: “More Eggs-acting Detail”
A new decade – an old breakfast. Eggs continue to be delivered sunnyside up by all the major animation studios. Let’s serve up a dozen this week so there’s plenty to go around.
1938-39 Merrie Melodies: The People’s Choice (Pt. 1)
The musical highlights from those Merrie Melodies cartoons familiar from television as part of AAP’s package of shorts, first syndicated in 1956.
Postwar Donald
After World War II, the Donald Duck cartoons rolled on uninterrupted, reflecting the new reality in which the artists—and humanity at large—found themselves.
The Wally Wood Animated Series That Never Was
While much of Wood’s comic book work has been reprinted, none of the work he did for animation has been captured in a permanent form.
Your Top Five Essential Films from Five Series
Here, in no particular order, are 5 ‘essential’ films from various animated theatrical and TV series. Would love to see five of yours – and why!
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]
