The Guest Stars of “The New Scooby-Doo Movies”
This cartoon series served as “product-placement” for some of the network’s other offerings between 1972 and 1974.
Number One Super Guy: The 50th Anniversary of “Hong Kong Phooey”
Hanna Barbera combined the superhero fad with the kung-fu craze – and turned it on its ear.
Van Beuren’s “The Nut Factory” (1933)
The story work, the gags, the funny designs and animation are all so much fun.
Cartoons About Cartoons (Part 5)
All action today takes place in 1938, and all from two studios: Warner Bros and Paramount.
A Musical Up-Roar 1944-46
The MGM cartoons of the 1940s were no longer 30s cutesie-poo – being replaced by the fast-paced, gag oriented style of Avery, Hanna and Barbera.
An Interview With Ralph Bakshi
I interviewed Ralph Bakshi in late 2023 about queer representation in his films.
One Giant Step: Looking Back at the Anime “Jack and the Beanstalk”
This anime feature celebrates the 50th anniversary of its release in Japan – on July 20th, 1974.
Scrappy in “Yelp Wanted” (1931)
Anyone reading this column with any regularity knows that I love Scrappy. And his first cartoon is essential viewing.
Cartoons About Cartoons (Part 4)
The 1930’s continued to progress, as animated characters became more and more knowledgeable about their own world.
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]
