I’m really enjoying these busy weeks (even though I’m really tired!), and wish there were ways to make everything move even faster. I’ve been concentrating on details as both Thunderbean and other projects move into finishing and out the door. Popeye is going through authoring right now while waiting for the very last films to be cleaned up. It will be followed closely by Rainbow Parade Vol. 1, Cartoon Commercials 2 and at least six ‘special’ sets should I be able to get everything scanned. Some of the last of the Flip the Frogs we’ve scanned are getting cleaned up right now by my very capable freelance cleanup staff; the work coming back from this and the Stop Motion Marvels sets are looking great. Two big batches of things to be scanned are about to go to two different scanning places. After spending a few days this week cranking on some animation, I’m happy to get back to directing and animating again for the Rainbow Parade titles. My freelancers are doing lovely things- and I can’t wait to get back to my own contributions.
A film frame from the Linus cartoon, “Shadow Thief”
Since all the scan shops close to here are either still closed or unavailable, I managed to get materials scanned by taking a day trip to a small telecine shop near Pittsburgh. They’ve converted a Rank Turbo into a new sort of 2k scanner – and scanned a reel with the remainder of the Popeye set on it while I picked weeds of out the sidewalk cracks (a real story).
Giving each one of these projects a special touch is both the pain and the fun of finishing them. It’s a slow process at times. Some of the films going to be scanned include a batch of Van Beuren Tom and Jerry shorts – they’re sitting in front of me now!
As with (basically) most of the Thunderbean sets, I take more than a great interest in trying to find prints with original titles if they exist – especially on cartoons that usually don’t have them. On some of the DVD versions, I knew there were prints that existed with original titles that I just couldn’t get. You never know when some aspiring collector with a love of these cartoons will come along and do an even better version, but for now, I’ll at least try to make them the best we can from the materials we know exist- and I don’t mind doing everything I can to track down some of them (within time constraints that are already too lax!). With the Cubby Bear Blu-ray, I was really lucky in finding a lot more of the films with original titles and in better quality than I had for the DVD. Van Beuren’s Tom and Jerry is similar in this way. Funny enough, When I’ve posted that I’m searching for prints with original titles, sometimes people send me a link (or a still) of one of the titles we recreated!
Here’s a pretty quick ‘hands-on’ breakdown of some of the materials I’ll be sending to scan (or not!). This is ‘old hat’ to you long-time collectors out there, but I thought it might be interesting to see and hear some of the reasons to use one print over another. For you that know these things already, there’s plenty of animals surrounding me tonight for additional entertainment.
Have a good week all! I’m looking forward to next week!
Steve Stanchfield is an animator, educator and film archivist. He runs Thunderbean Animation, an animation studio in Ann Arbor, Michigan and has compiled over a dozen archival animation DVD collections devoted to such subjects at Private Snafu, The Little King and the infamous Cubby Bear. Steve is also a professor at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit.
Looks like you SHAVED for the occasion!
The song heard at the beginning of “Barnyard Bunk” is “I Want to Go Back to Michigan (Down on the Farm)” by Irving Berlin. Judy Garland, who was born in Grand Rapids, sings it in “Easter Parade”. The official state song, “My Michigan”, is rarely heard because the state never bought the rights to it, and it hasn’t yet fallen into public domain. Better known is “Michigan, My Michigan”, sung to the tune of the German Christmas carol “O Tannenbaum” (as is Maryland’s official anthem). There’s also a “Michigan Waltz”, not to be confused with Waltz, Michigan, in Wayne County. A lot of people think Michigan needs a new state song, but I’m worried that someone like Ted Nugent or Kid Rock will wind up writing one.
Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice! Et TUEBOR!
‘Down on the Farm’ is performed even earlier, in Laurel & Hardy’s 1st starring feature ‘Pardon Us’, from 1931.
I’m not surprised. Berlin wrote the song back in 1914, and it quickly became a vaudeville standard.
Judy Garland was born in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, not Michigan, unfortunately. One of the books got that wrong. By the way I live in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Thanks, Ray, for pointing out that error, which I’m sorry to have perpetuated. I’ve seen Judy Garland’s name on lists of famous Michiganders, along with Marlon Brando, who was actually born in Omaha!
As a LONG TIME native of Michigan going back over 130 years, I must say that the a resident of Michigan is Michiganian, NOT Michigander as popularized by the last and stupid Governor, Rick Snyder. But since he looked like Donald Duck’s cousin, Gus Goose, he couldn’t help it.
I love these video posts! I feel like I learn so much from them. In a way, you’ve come full circle, advising younger collectors like me on some of this stuff.
Hopefully you’re able to scan those Van Bueren Tom and Jerry cartoons soon. That’s one of the sets I’m most looking forward to!
Thanks for including Daisy, Oscar and Boba in this week’s video! Wow, do you go through a lot of trouble for those old Van Beuren Tom and Jerrys! I don’t mind a few splices and scratches here and there, after all these are all pretty old cartoons and SHOULD look used. I love how Boba kept getting in the way of the projector beam.
Who’s Daisy? I know Oscar and Boba are the cats. Who are dogs?
By the way, Cathy thinks that Boba is “impurrtinent”!
Love that kitty, its so cute :3
Would love a Linus the Lionhearted release! It was a real treat to meet Sheldon Leonard late in his life… A terrific gentleman.