The 35th Anniversary of “The Brave Little Toaster”
Thirty-five years later, The Brave Little Toaster is noteworthy as an animated film made at the precipice of that blockbuster animation renaissance.
Bill Nolan Teaches Disney a Lesson
Here’s the evidence that a mail-order lesson by a notable animator reached an even more famous student.
The Tinker Bell Movie Never Made
John Lasseter was reported to have seen a work-in-progress screening of the Tinker Bell film and told CEO Bob Iger that it was “virtually unwatchable”.
The Slow Drip of Progress…
…is a universal experience when it comes to animation and animated content.
Where There’s Smoke (Part 1)
It’s supposed to be prohibited speech to yell “Fire!” in a crowded theater. So we’ll stay within the law, opening this new series by yelling “Theater!” at a crowded fire.
Max and Dave: Popeye 1936 – Of Fists and Folios
During the 1935-36 season, Popeye had become a multi-media sensation. There was that radio series starring actor Floyd Buckley… and, or course, recordings ensued.
Animator Breakdown: “The Adventures of the Road-Runner” (1962)
Chuck Jones developed an animated pilot for the ABC network featuring the Road Runner, which ultimately became a theatrical featurette. Here’s the story.
Comic Books That Never Made It To Animation
While many popular comic books have been translated to animation, there were even more never made the transition.
Bill Nolan directs: “The Foul Ball Player” (1940)
Nolan should be considered an animation pioneer, and he never really has gotten the accolades he deserves.
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]
