“A Charlie Brown Christmas” on Vinyl
Charlie Brown is a blockhead, but he did get a nice Christmas special — not only legendary for TV, but for the recording industry as well. A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS…
Entering The Stone Age: Fleischer Promo Art #29
Here’s a rather meaty post for you this round. We’re firmly in the Miami era of the Fleischer Studio, the period when the short cartoons arguably lost their sheen. But…
More Christmasy Cartoonz – Part 2: American TV Specials
To repeat last year’s “rules”: these are all animated TV Specials, including TV Specials based on TV cartoon series and movies. It does not include Christmas-themed regular episodes of TV…
Christmas in Advertising Land
Advertising does not slow down during the holiday season. On the contrary. Just ask your postman. He’s the one who has to deliver all those catalogues and flyers with all…
Animation Anecdotes #191
Disney Artist Norman Rockwell. Famed Saturday Evening Post cover illustrator Norman Rockwell ended up painting a cover of the well-loved Dell comic book series Walt Disney’s Comic Book and Stories….
Santa’s Big Picture Show
For this week’s Thunderbean Thursday, my good friend Chris Buchman has prepared a nifty article about Christmas on the home screen. Chris is one half of ‘The Blue Mouse Studio’,…
Cartoon Carnival: “Christmas Frolics” with Pooch The Pup
It’s almost Christmas, and there’s no better way to celebrate it Stathes-style than with a 16mm Cartoon Carnival event. I have to say, the annual Christmas show in my series…
The Secret History of “Little Audrey”
Readers of this site are familiar with Paramount’s (and later Harvey Comics) Little Audrey – a character created to replace Little Lulu in a series of animated theatrical cartoons beginning…
Rankin/Bass “Rudolph” on Records
In the wake of the 50th anniversary of the landmark stop-motion animated TV musical, here is a look at the holiday soundtrack that’ll go down in history. Rankin/Bass Present RUDOLPH,…
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]
