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…
Animation Anecdotes #153
Bedroom Story. According to legend, while Walter Lantz was on his honeymoon at a cabin at Sherwood Lake in California, his marital bliss was interrupted repeatedly by an annoying woodpecker….
“A Little Bird Told Me” (1934)
The response this week to the Gulliver Travels Blu-ray has been astonishing; I want to thank everyone for the great feedback and orders – and am glad people are enjoying…
Cartoon Research Round-Up: Broadcasts and Book Reviews
Today at 7pm Eastern/4pm Pacific I’ll be appearing once again on Stu’s Show, the weekly internet radio show that discusses all sorts of pop culture – but mainly classic television…
Muppet Babies Music
With a nod to the green of St. Pat’s day, we take a look at the two albums based on the Emmy-winning animated Saturday Morning series, Jim Henson’s Muppet Babies….
“Animation: The Naked Art” by Chuck Jones
Introduction by Mark Mayerson In the summer of 1974, I was visiting Washington D.C. While there, I found the latest issue of the AFI Report, the quarterly publication of the…
The Ultimate Indian Animation Update
Though my fascination with the contemporary Indian animation scene continues – my postings about it will end with this week’s post on Cartoon Research. Jerry will permit me to post…
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]
