Seven Secrets of the Seven Dwarfs
Proposed names included Thrifty, Shifty, Nifty, Hotsy, Jumpy, Blabby, Burpy, Weepy, and Snoopy. That’s but one of the many secrets revealed here.
Mighty Mouse in “Hansel and Gretel”
While Hansel and Gretel is pretty standard Terrytoons stuff, it does show off some of the best qualities of the studio: beautiful backgrounds and entertaining animation.
Flights of Fancy (Part 10): Pass the Ammunition
We progress further into 1942, the planes kept rolling out of the factories and into the air, inspiring animators and providing our continued focus for this series.
Max and Dave: Shiver Me Timbers!
Popeye was an immediate smash with both moviegoers and exhibitors, as the first official episode of the sailor’s own series came out only two months after his animated debut.
Mickey Mouse: Movies into Comics #2 “Traffic Troubles”
This time the comic continuity appeared in newspapers in mid-January, while animation of the film was still in progress.
The Original “Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers”
There was mixed-reaction this week to the release of the trailer for the upcoming Disney+ Chip N’ Dale movie. So I figured we should take a look back at where that idea all began.
Van Beuren’s “Old Hokum Bucket” (1931)
Van Beuren proves that if a cartoon is cute enough you can have drugs and death go unnoticed.
Flights of Fancy (Part 9): Battle Stations
Even in the most lighthearted of films, topical wartime references were likely to pop up, leading to the inevitable coverage of wartime air activity turning up in the unlikeliest of places.
Whatever Happened to Huckleberry Hound?
Huckleberry Hound is the classic showbiz story of a top star who was upstaged by one of his supporting players.
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]
