A Musical Up-Roar 1954-57
Fred Quimby departed from the reins, and Hanna and Barbera were forced to take over production on much tighter budgets.
The More the Merrier 3: Seldom Seen Christmas Specials
In a season filled with many Rankin/Bass’ popular offerings, it seems an opportune time to look back at some of their lesser-known holiday specials.
The Little King in “Pals” (1933)
The Little King’s Christmas short is odd, but it’s one of my favorites to watch each year!
Cartoons About Cartoons (Part 16)
A wild bunch of episodes today from 1947 and ‘48, including a quartet of Tex Avery adventures which are among his most controversial.
The Big Story of The Littlest Angel
A heavenly host of icons brought Charles Tazewell’s charming tale to records, TV, and animation.
Cold Comfort: The 55th Anniversary of “Frosty the Snowman”
This Rankin/Bass special could best be described as a cozy, animated Christmas card from another era.
The Almost-First Warner Bros. Cartoon: “Buster Bear” (1931)
Since scans were done in December 2016, I think it’s finally time to let poor Buster officially out of the bag!
Cartoons About Cartoons (Part 15)
Multiple cartoon-conscious visits with Warner Brothers, another with Droopy at MGM, and one-shots from the waning days of Columbia/Screen Gems.
A Musical Up-Roar 1953/54
The MGM cartoon division’s response to television was mostly derisive. Scott Bradley was now more willing to mine the classics – via the public domain.
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]
