I don’t know why, but it seems like there’s always a Thunderbean Thursday post on Thanksgiving! 😉
In semi-Thunderbean news:
This Saturday, I’m happy to be hosting (along with John Monahan) this year’s edition of the Redford Theatre Classic Cartoon Festival. It’s a fun event, and, as usual, we’ll be showing 35mm as well as digital presentations.
Here’s info on the event.
The Redford Theatre
Now, back to Thanksgiving:
If you’re inclined to eat Turkey this thanksgiving, here’s an advert to encourage you to buy Butterball:
And, of course, we have no real choice but to watch this Famous Studio classic:
I’ve used this space on Thanksgiving’s past to talk a little bit about the things I’m especially thankful for; in looking back over the years I realize there’s so many people and I’m very grateful for, and it seems like it’s a good time to recap the year in thanks. Feel free to post what you’re thankful for as well this year.
Jerry Beck, researching something, years ago…
I want to thank Mark Kausler for his continued support of so many projects over the years that have helped to make classic animated films accessible as well as invaluable help on nearly every Thunderbean project. I’m looking forward to hearing your Walter Brennen impressions the next time I’m in LA, and, if we’re lucky, maybe finally getting access to those things we’ve all been trying to make accessible all these years. We’re all fellow vinegar fighters at this point.
Walter Brennan – NOT Mark Kausler
Thanks also to Serge Bromberg of Lobster Films. It’s taking a long time to finish *all* of these things, but I feel we’re really getting them right, and, in that way, doing a service to the original creators and their wonderful imaginations. I’m so happy to be working with Serge on these projects.
Kevin Wollenweber
I want to thank my high school art teachers this year: Steve Perry, for encouraging my short films and listening to be talk endlessly about 1930s animation, and Cary Culbertson, who introduced me to film language and the love and enjoyment of film as art. High school teachers don’t often know their impact; I can truly say I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing without your care and guidance.
I’m especially thankful for the scrappy Thunderbean team working all over the place to clean up films. Thanks so much to Dave, Thad, Kimmi, Becca, Nancy, Devon and everyone working on these sets.
I’d like to thank recent collaborators Chris Buchman, Rex Schneider and Dennis Atkinson. Your lifelong love of films is being passed on to both new and old fans through your efforts.
Lastly, I’m especially grateful for so many friends that I’ve met in one way or another through Thunderbean, friends and colleagues at the school, and for so many talented students. I’m especially grateful for my best friends who put up with everything with less than a full eye roll; I appreciate you all!
Have a Happy Thanksgiving all!
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.
Well, well, well, happy Thanksgiving to all of you at Cartoon Research and Thunderbean. Steve, I have to be thankful, up front, for all the good that you’re able to do for classic animation, and here’s hoping that you can even someday be instrumental on major studio projects, as few as they are, regarding the classic cartoons that really *NEED* to now be unearthed before the good source material collapses and, as John Lennon once put it, “the dream is over”. That dream truly is *NOT* over if acted upon very, very soon, and you, Steve, and your thorough team of restorative talent, your staff and collector acquaintances are all real troopers for finally making available the good films we’ve all been anticipating. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
And many, many thanks and appreciation has to go out to Jerry Beck and George Feltenstein and the staff at Warner Brothers who are still kindred spirits and believe in the saleability of fully restored cartoons! To WB and the major studios who still have animation in those vaults–we are not your enemies. We only want to see some interesting collections of these cartoons, as history lessons and even musical ones. Yes, what does keep even the most politically incorrect material so desirable and interesting are the accompanying scores. The early 1930’s, 1940’s, 1950’s and whatever remains of the grand theatrical years continue to be interesting because even the simplest animated antics are scored by not just a handful of musicians but large orchestras, the same orchestras that enhance the sophistication of all our live action favorites; that addition alone doubles the enjoyment. Just think about any classic LOONEY TUNES cartoon without the efforts of those who score them, how we all wish our own lives could be scored, daily, by Carl Stalling! Even the “PRIVATE S.N.A.F.U.” films have some utterly fantastic moments of musical brilliance as the action rushes at us across our screens for victory.
Ah, but yes, I am thankful to Jerry Beck who has unearthed news of completion of the first of what we hope will be a series of volumes of POPEYE THE SAILOR full technicolor cartoons from Paramount/Famous. It will be delightful to finally see these projects finally achieve fruition. I’ve already ordered a copy on both formats, yes, two copies, thus making December 11 the first Christmas celebration in my house, in the general sense! I am sure that many talented hands went into preserving these great films, and George Feltenstein must be beaming with victory over this one!
This has indeed been an expensive year for me, because of all the worthwhile music releases, especially the few completist boxes out there. Maybe, someday, we’ll see an animation collection of that magnitude, even as a last hoorah to those golden decades and to make it worthwhile even for the big studios that own them to put together collections in the future.
Jerry, have a turkey harmonica humdinger on me (that means enjoy your HAPPY HARMONIES this Holiday Season), and may these other projects that you’ve got cookin’ also achieve success. When I first started collecting video, I swore that I would someday have that animation collection that I always dreampt of, going back to the mornings that I woke up and found so many great classics still being broadcast on TV. I haven’t entirely lost all hope that this will happen, and what you’ve managed to do this year has kept that small light burnin’!
Again, Steve, hang in there. Once the big titles become available, I know there will be much good talk on this column, and we will all enjoy the physical media pouring from your own access to those vaults, wherever you can gain access. Good luck in your show. We need more theatrical showings of classic cartoons. Multi-plexes around the country should set aside a room for such things, and I’ll bet that such a room might prove to be the largest audience that a theater has seen in a long, long time, even if the sources are digital ones instead of film. Just seeing those things on a large screen is worth the bucks. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, all. Every day in our lives should feel this good!
There are too many things I am thankful for to list here, so I’ll keep it cartoon related!
I’m thankful for the Redford Theatre’s Classic Cartoon Festival, see you Saturday afternoon!
I am thankful for your hard work, Steve, along with the rest of your crew at Thunderbean Animation! Your commitment to excellence in restoring vintage animation that may otherwise be lost to time is admirable. We might have to wait a while to get it (I’m still waiting on several sets), but it’s always worth it! Thanks for all the hard work you do!
I’m also thankful that the Warner Archive is opening up the vaults to release more Popeye cartoons, this time on Blu-Ray! I really hope it sells well so we will see other similar classic releases!
I hope you have a great, relaxing Thanksgiving, Steve. See you Saturday at the Redford!
Thank you, Steve, for Thunderbean. Now that the major studios have basically stopped releasing their classic animation, you are the one we turn our cartoon lonely eyes too.
Thank you Steve, Jerry, George, and everybody for all the work you do to preserve the classic cartoons that we love.
Who provided the animation for the Butterball commercial?
The animation for the butterball spot was produced at the Ray Patin studio. Manny Perez animates. Ken Champin is probably the director.
Dad gummit, Kate served me a tuh-key cooked in wine! I ain’t gonna eat no tur-key that had to git likkured-up just to get OUT HERE! Happy Thanksgivven, yuh flatland turister!
Dhere’s some good eatinnn’ up in them hills an’ hollars an’ Moooeee havvvy desserrrts!
Who did the HOLIDAY INN animation?