Cereal Thrillers
Why was animation used so often to sell cereal? A lot of people in advertising think cereal is just for kids, and they think the same thing about cartoons. Of…
Animation Anecdotes #185
The Sherman Brothers Mousecar. Richard and Robert Sherman were presented with the unique “Mousecar” award on August 8, 1985 at the Hollywood Bowl as part of Disneyland’s 30th Anniversary concert…
Paul Terry’s “Popcorn” (1931)
Early Terrytoons are a lot of fun… and here’s a little ‘Popcorn’ to go with that statement! I really wish we each had a little cinema down the street from…
Jerry Beck Event Calendar
Time-out for another update of my forthcoming classic cartoon screenings in the L.A. area. Here’s just a few of the animation programs I’m doing between now and New Years. If…
Annette Tells the Story of “Snow White”
Mouseketeer-turned-movie-star Annette Funicello was the first to tell the story from Disney’s landmark animated feature on Disney’s in-house record label. WALT DISNEY’S STORY OF SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS…
“Betty Boop at 16” Fleischer Promo Art #21
Continuing my postings of these rare Fleischer Studio promotional illustrations – this time from the November and December 1937 issues of in-house trade publication Paramount Sales News. As the panels…
My Top Ten Anime Features – In Conclusion
For the last six columns, I have listed what I admit are my 15 favorite Japanese anime features, as distinct from trying to figure out what the 15 “Best” might…
American Cartoon Stars in Japanese Commercials
Editor’s Note: Mike Kazaleh is taking a well-earned break this week, traveling back to his home town in Detroit. In his place today our colleague Charles Brubaker steps in with…
Animation Anecdotes #184
Designing Penelope Pitstop. The female Wacky Racer Penelope Pitstop was a last minute addition to the cast. “I remember sitting in my office while Joe (Barbera) was in a meeting…
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]
