Disney’s “On Ice” (1935)
This week, we’ll look into another bona-fide Disney classic! Released in 1935, “On Ice” blends two breeds of artists present at the studio — seasoned animators and their less experienced counterparts.
The Musical Stylings of Hanna-Barbera’s “The Banana Splits”
The Banana Splits was one of Saturday Morning’s most popular shows – but it was also a very mixed bag. However, it featured songs created by some of the best pop music talents in the industry. Let’s take a spin.
Famous Studios 1951-52 (Part 1)
Sam Buchwald passed away on January 8th, 1951. His share in the partnership known as Famous Studios went to his estate. Buchwald was not replaced – Seymour Kneitel and Isadore…
Streamline Pictures – Part 15: “Vampire Hunter D”
In this installment, we look at U.S. critical reaction to the Streamline release of Toyoo Ashida’s 1985 Vampire Hunter D. Based on the novels by Hideyuki Kikuchi, illustrated by Yoshitaka…
Walter Lantz Plays it Lucky, 1928
Walt Disney liked to say that it all started with a Mouse, but there exists a Bizarro universe where the story goes differently. Here is the flip-side of that Mickey origin tale, where Walter Lantz is the guy at the table left holding all the chips.
Animation Anecdotes #222
Here Comes H.E.R.B.I.E.! “The New Fantastic Four” was an animated series produced by DePatie-Freleng in 1978 based on the Marvel comic book created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack…
Cartoon Carnival Summer Shows
The summer season here in New York City promises to be an exciting one for archival animation screenings, especially as far as early animation is concerned. Here’s information on my next two public shows.
The Future of Animation Film Restoration
Musings on mastering and some thoughts on the future of animated film restoration. And a visit with Scrappy and Bimbo.
Dick Lundy’s “Bathing Buddies” (1946)
Today, we’ll look into director Dick Lundy’s first Woody Woodpecker cartoon – with animation by Emery Hawkins, Paul Smith, Bernard Garbutt and Sidney Pillet.
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]
