Hi there! Jerry Beck here. It’s a lazy weekend – and so I thought it would be a good time to hone my drawing skills. And who better to teach me? Preston Blair? No! Walter Lantz? Nah? Frank and Ollie, Richard Williams, Eric Goldberg – No-no-no!
I choose to learn from a real pioneer. A true legend in the field. Creator of many popular characters you’ve all heard of and love… Yes, that’s right: Mr. Paul Terry. Luckily Terry jotted down his animation secrets in a 24 page booklet – How To Draw Funny Cartoons!
Yes – it’s a real book. It was included in a Terrytoons “How To Draw Cartoons” set, marketed to children in the 1950s by game-maker, Gabriel & Sons. It seems to be drawn by either Bob Kawahara, Marty Taras and/or Art Bartsch… maybe… ?? Actually I’m not sure. Well, anyway… here it is. With luck, you’ll be drawing run cycles, sketching mustachioed villains in top hats or animating hundreds of mice running off into the distance… in no time.
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 [
A heavenly post. Tank u
Fun!
There should have been a followup book for advanced levels: How To Draw Terrytoons Like Jim Tyer.
If only! I’d buy it in a heartbeat ❤
That would be spectacular!
Thank you for posting that amazing booklet! 🙂
Pretty great stuff, Jerry.
A GREAT POST! I’m going to draw & color all the pictures, sign my diploma and become a member on Terry’s junior cartoonists club. Please let me know where our meetings are going to be held……
What?! No Kiko the Kangaroo?!?!
Great post Jerry! I vote for Marty Taras on the Mighty Mouse story part of the booklet.
Terry could have had himself a cartoon kit empire like Bruce Blitz!
YAAAY!!
I’ll get my Junior Cartoonists Club Diploma!!
Thanks for the post, Mr. Jerry!
Greetings from Brazil!!
Cover: Bartsch
To Lesson VII: Bob Kuwahara; looks like unique inker.
Mighty Mouse/Bunny pages: Rasinski.
Love how Terry’s signature clearly doesn’t match with the lettering or the art. Walt Disney’s “signature” was actually a logo, but it looked plausible.
Compare the “skeleton” of the characters with the finished product and you’ll see why this book is quite problematic. You can’t construct a three dimensional character by utilizing flat shapes. This is the same issue I had with the Preston Blair book.
While I do agree with Ricardo that this book has a flaw that Terry should have rectified, and GDX on this being expanded with Tyer’s how-tos; at least I can credit Terry for trying to give kids a heads up.
Well, HELLO… a spontenaous, fun, little post by Jerry! This reminds me of the good ol’ days – on that other blog whose name shall not be mentioned.
Do you think you could make high res scans of these?