Tezuka’s “Adult” Features: “A Thousand and One Nights” (1969)
In the 1960s Osamu Tezuka’s Mushi Productions was one of the leading producers of TV animation in Japan. Three of his Mushi series had been sold to American children’s television:…
Cartoons and Beer, Animated Cheer!
What is it about cartoons and beer? There are millions of animated beer commercials, invariably featuring happy characters who live for the stuff. Mind you, we never actually see them…
Animation Anecdotes #154
Story Behind Mickey and the Seal. “Walt had seen ‘Mickey and the Seal’ storyboards and in his own way raved about it, saying: ‘That is like the old-time shorts; who…
“Beauty Shoppe” (1940) with Gran’ Pop Monkey
Here’s a good cartoon break for today, and a less-seen one for sure. Back in July we talked a little about See How They Won, and I’ve been meaning to…
“Wilbur Right and Wilbur Wrong” (1944)
Today, a World War II training film produced by the Army Air Force animation division, The First Motion Picture Unit (FMPU): Elementary and Pylon Eights (1944) – one of a…
Saving Mr. Flintstone
Hanna-Barbera produced quite a few oddball vinyl records in the ‘60s, but look at this one-of-a-kind wonder—it has Disney songs and HB characters all in one! FRED FLINTSTONE AND BARNEY…
The Launch of “Toon Disney”
To a lot of us back in the 1990s, the very idea of a 24-hour television channel devoted to cartoons seemed like a fantasy – and when Ted Turner launched…
Fred’s First Anniversary Post
I am interrupting my schedule to celebrate a special occasion. Jerry posted my first weekly column on March 14th, 2013, so this column is one year and a couple of…
Sesame Street was brought to you today by…
It was the experiment that succeeded beyond anyone’s wildest expectations. You might say that The Children’s Television Workshop created a monster. When it premiered in late 1969, Sesame Street was…
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]
