Cartoonz for U.

Bambi (1942)

2012-02-06T20:49:00.000-08:00

Ah, Bambi. The charming little movie that scared millions of kids for life. No point in bringing up why. We all know what happened. No reason to say what it is. No sir... no point at al....

.... dammit....

Well, after watching it again I'm here to tell you that there's more to Bambi than that famous scene. So much more. First, let's look at the story.

One morning in the spring, a baby fawn is born. This gathers the attention of all the woodland critters (thank God not the South Park ones...) because this particular fawn happens to be the prince of the forest. Why? Because.... deer are graceful. Anyway, he is christened Bambi and learns much about the forest while gaining friends in a rabbit named Thumper and a skunk named Flower. All throughout the seasons, little Bambi learns all the skills he needs to live from his mother. Then winter comes and... you-know-what happens. His father is there to take Bambi under his wing (or foreleg) and returns to the forest as an adult in the spring, antlers and all. After reuniting with Thumper and Flower all grown up, they later get twitterpated and meet their future mates, including Bambi with a fawn he met only once as a fawn named Faline. After a fight with another stag, Bambi has won Faline over. All's well until the most sinister of creatures enters the wood and makes hell for the animals... MAN!! After a really intense climax, we cut to next spring when the forest recovers after a forest fire caused by man. It seems the cycle has started over again as Bambi and his father look over the next generation of forest royalty.

Well, to be honest, the artwork in this movie is fantastic. The backgrounds, I hear, were done entirely in watercolor, a Disney first. And it's pulled off very well. It's like watching Earth, you really feel like you're out in nature. Everything about it seems real. Even the animals are animated very realistically with a touch of that Disney style of course. I think that the animators must have actually studied how these animals act because their effort really shows.

The characters themselves are just ok. Bambi himself isn't the most interesting character, but he's not supposed to be. He's more like the every man, an observer of the world and his character is carved from experiences. That's surprisingly very realistic. Also, there's something about Bambi's father. Every time Bambi sees him, he's more scared than happy. Sort of an interesting form of dysfunctional family we have here. Then again, I know that does are the ones taking care of the fawns and not bucks, so I supposed it's more true to nature this way. Nothing wrong with that. Anywho, since Bambi's the main focus, the other characters don't really have a chance for development, but they're still cute and enjoyable. I find myself liking Flower and that old owl had a lot of funny moments.

Another great thing about it is the atmosphere. What I mean by that is that it's never really in the same tone. It mixes a lot of warm and cute scenes with ones more dark and forbearing. I know a lot of people give that famous scene a lot of attention, but there's other really intense scenes. I actually thought the end scene where Bambi fights off the dogs and escapes a forest fire where more intense and far more dramatic. Thankfully, the movie seems to find a perfect balance of happy with the dramatic stuff. It's funny how the atmosphere is the movie. Like I said before, the simplified version of the story is that it's about the life of one deer. The narrative isn't very coherent and clear cut. But, you know what? That's life! It's not always coherent and clear and Bambi seems to reflect that aspect so well.

Best scene: too many to choose. But if you want to go for something funny, I just love the scene where the trio try to take an oath to never fall in love, but they wind up doing it anyway. Their reactions when they do meet their lady friends are hilarious.

Overall, this is easily one of Disney's finest movies. The artwork and atmosphere mixed with a compelling coming-to-age story are way to good to pass up. Yeah, it gets intense at some parts, but I handled it fine as a kid and I suppose your kids can use some tough material. It's funny how even though I own the movie, this is actually one of the Disney films I watched the least as a kid and even as an adult. It's kind of like Citizen Kane or the Stanley Kubrick library, I respect it more than I watch. And I think that theory holds true for a lot of folks. Just have a tissue-box ready for when it happens.

Oh and I forgot to start the Sterling Holloway counter from Dumbo. We're on movie number two now.

Dumbo (1941)

2012-02-01T22:23:00.000-08:00

Whenever I watch animated films, I can't always expect something with the majesty of Snow White or Fantasia. Sometimes, just having a lot of charm is enough to make me like them. Dumbo is one of those movies.

One night, storks are delivering babies to circus animals in modern-day Florida (which begs the question: if storks deliver the babies, then what makes the babies?) One of the late deliveries of the circus is a baby elephant with unusually large ears. The other elephants make fun of him to the point where they ostracize him for his large ears, but his mother is there to give him love and care. One day, momma Jumbo tries to protect little Dumbo from jeering bastard-kids but gets caged and chained later because the people though she was attacking the kids out of nowhere. The only person there for him is a little mouse with a ringmaster clothes, a New-Yorkese accent, and a heart of gold. He tries to help Dumbo become accepted but as a result from one disastrous mistake on an act, Dumbo gets demoted to a clown. After a visit with his mother, Dumbo and the mouse get drunk (the mouse was trying to cure Dumbo's hiccups with what he thought was water) and wind up in a tree the next morning. The mouse tries to figure out how the hell the both of them wound up in a tree and come to the conclusion that Dumbo flew up the tree. With the help of some crows, Dumbo learns to fly and becomes a big hit in the circus. They even free momma Jumbo in the end! Yay!

That's the story. How does it fare?

Like I said earlier, Dumbo is a very charming film. It's not as artistically groundbreaking as Snow White or Fantasia, I don't think it was ever supposed to be. It just sets it's own rules and boundaries and performs well under them. As Doug Walker put it, the story is your typical outcast-with-what-appears-to-be-a-handicap-but-in-the-end-works-in-his-favor-and-becomes-accepted-by-society story, like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. The characters were a lot of fun and I enjoyed them for the most part. My personal favorite? Dumbo. It's rare for me to say I liked a main character in a Disney flick since I adore side characters mostly, but I just can't help but love the little guy. Even as a kid, I remember loving Dumbo to the point where I wanted him as a pet. What can I say, I love elephants. They're my favorite animals. Most of all, I find it fascinating that the Disney animators gave Dumbo a strong personality and not even give him a line to say.

Speaking of characters, I'm sure a lot of you are curious to know how I feel about the crows seeing how they've caused some controversy over the years. Yeah, it's true that they speak slang and have mostly black actors portraying them (the leader is played by Cliff Edwards, who did the voice of Jiminy Cricket), but Disney never pulled them off like Sunflower in Fantasia or Song of the South. Well, truth be told, I really like these guys too. They're cool, they're classy, they have style, they become one of the few friends of our main hero and even help him fly. They're f-n awesome! But hey, there may be something I'm missing here, feel free to give a shout on that.

The best scene? With out thinking twice, the pink elephants sequence. Yeah, it's pointless and it traumatized a lot of my friends, but it's awesome!

Overall, I really have a soft spot for this movie. It's simple and really enjoyable with some good animation, even if it feels like I'm watching a short cartoon. But hey, I still love it. And apparently, so do a lot of folks. After doing some research, I found out that this movie actually cost a third of what it cost to make Snow White. It wound being such a big critical and financial success that it made over $1 back. It's a little film that really helped Disney in the long run because had the movie failed, the studio would have likely closed down. I'm grateful for that, so that's another reason why I always find myself putting Dumbo in my top 10 Disney films.

One more thing: here's an ode to all the moms out there. Love you, Mom and thanks for everything.

The Reluctant Dragon (1941)

2012-01-27T19:57:00.000-08:00

Before this point in the Year of Disney, we've witnessed some of the greatest animated films the studio will ever produce. Ever wonder how they made those films? This movie (or documentary?) is your answer. Let's take a look.

Our film begins at the home of comedian Robert Benchley. His demanding wife claims she has an idea for a new Disney cartoon based on Kenneth Grahame's (author of Wind in the Willows) story, The Reluctant Dragon and demands that her very reluctant husband go to Disney himself and pitch the idea. He goes there and actually gets more than he bargained for with an entire tour of the studio. Benchley gets to see every single process that goes through an animated film, from concept art to camera work, concept art, storyboards, sound effects, voice overs, how to impersonate Donald Duck, and more. He has a good time getting to know some of the artists until he meets uncle Walt himself and shows Benchley his latest short film. In some kind of a cruel twist, it's The Reluctant Dragon. After that, Benchley nags at him about getting there earlier to pitch her idea, he gets back at his wife by throwing a small tantrum a la Donald.

Until I started looking at animation, this was one of the few Disney films that actually stayed under my radar. I mean, I've seem the titular short before, but never in it's source material. I will admit that after seeing it for the first time, I actually kind of enjoyed it. Like I said, you get a glimpse at how Disney made these cartoons before today's methods and even (what was then) a sneak-peek of some of the films I'm going to review next, Dumbo and Bambi. Benchley himself is entertaining and it is nice that you get to know the people that work on these films. More than what I can say for Saludos Amigos. The film also starts in black and white but ends in color. Sounds weird, but I think it's supposed to show how camera technology has changed, which is nice. You also get to see some short cartoons in between. The only thing I think I didn't care for was that officer that gives him the tour and Benchley's wife. They came off as kind of annoying to me.

The cartoons themselves are nice.I liked the Baby Weems story (done entirely by storyboards, but they were in that department so it makes sense.) and the Goofy cartoon, How to Ride a Horse, is hilarious. The title cartoon was only ok, I thought. The animation and colors are nice and it does actually get a laugh out of me, (especially the dragon and Sir Giles' "fight"). Trust me, I didn't expect the dragon to sound like he does. Hell, I saw the picture of him before and though the was a girl! Didn't see that coming, but he does get a laugh out of me by just how... well, femmy he was. It makes up the final 20 minutes of the film which kind of fits into Mr. Benchley ironic situation. It's funny and entertaining, but not Disney's best short.

So that's The Reluctant Dragon. If you're interested in the process of traditional animation or if you just want to see some entertaining cartoons, I'd say give this movie a shot.

Here's some poetry from our dragon.

Fantasia (1940)

2012-01-24T22:25:00.000-08:00

For a while now, the Disney movies had simple, yet coherent stories to them. So for their third feature, Fantasia, it seems odd that they did the total opposite of that. It's not one story, but seven pieced together with classical music. The result is a film that's more than just a movie. It's a powerhouse of art and sets new standards for not just animated films, but music videos too. It's really the first Disney film mainly for adults, but there are things that kids can enjoy about it. It's not just my favorite Disney film, it's one of my favorite films of all time.

Like I said before, it's not just one story, but a bunch of them with no dialogue except from our host, Deems Taylor and a scene with Mickey Mouse and our conductor, Leopold Stokowski. So because of that, I'm going to analyze each segment and then review it as a whole in the end. I'll do the same for other films like this, fyi. So, let's get started!

We get our introduction from Deems Taylor about how the film is going to be. He states that there are three kinds of music: First, there's the kind that tells a definite story. Then there's the kind that while it has no specific plot, it does paint a series of more or less definite pictures. And then there's a third kind, music that exists simply for its own sake. The first piece is music of the third kind, Johann Sebastian Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor. What we see are a bunch of abstract images. It may seem pointless, but if you listen to it again and close your eyes, these images may be the first to jump in your mind. It's a very interesting and bold way to start your movie and easy one of the best scenes in the film.

The second is Pyotr Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker Suite. This scene has a lot of nature themes in it, the biggest idea being that fairies control morning dew and even help with the changing of seasons. As the music goes on, we're also introduced to Chinese mushrooms, dancing flowers and goldfish, and end with summer turning into autumn and winter. It's another scene with powerful imagery. Sometimes, just the falling of leaves has a bigger impact than the internal struggles of a character. It's a great part and one I always enjoy seeing.

Next is the most famous scene: Mickey Mouse starring in Paul Dukas' The Sorcerer's Apprentice, and the first clear-cut story in the film. We see Mickey learning under a sorcerer named Yen Sid (see if you catch that reference!) as well as doing a few chores for him. One day, the master leaves his hat, leaving our mouse to make some mischief by turning a broom alive to do the work for him. Only problem is the broom doesn't stop. So, thinking fast, Mickey chops it up with an ax only to have it multiply. They flood the place until Yen Sid comes back and fixes everything. Obviously, this is the most kid-geared section of the music, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't entertaining. Fun fact: this short is actually how the film came about. IT was originally supposed to be just this one, but Disney must have liked the idea and wanted to try it out some more music and stories. The love really shows here and in the other segments.

Now we have Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring. Originally a series of tribal dances, the Disney artists had recreated Stravinsky's original idea for the piece: the evolution of life (at least up until the dinosaurs to avoid problems with religious folks.) This is probably my second favorite segment in the movie. There's a lot of drama and more serene moments in here, but that's life itself. Emotionally, I'm never sure how to feel when watching this. The dinosaurs are there, then they're gone. That's it. There's no good vs. evil, there's no heroes or villains. It's animals living their lives. And I always find stuff like that fascinating.

After that, we take a break and see the orchestra take a jazz break and watch a segment with an animated soundtrack. It's a nice break and this segment does get a chuckle out of me. On top of that, the animation on the soundtrack, like the rest of the film, is beautiful. So, I'd say give it a watch.

We come back to see an interesting interpretation on Ludwig van Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony (#6). Instead of the German countryside, like how Beethoven originally envisioned, we see a delicately colorful meadow inhabited by creatures and Gods of Greek mythology, like unicorns, satyrs, pegasus families, centaurs in love, a party hosted by Bacchus and his unicorn donkey (something I'd actually like to attend. He seems like a cool guy.), Zeus breaking up the party, and everyone settling down as the days end. It's pretty colorful and I have to admit, I do enjoy this segment too. It's at least in a lighter mood after the last, really heavy segment. I should also bring up the fact that this is usually censored in almost all prints available. Disney later edited out a black centaur character named Sunflower that acted as an assistant to all the other lady centaurs. I have seen a version with this character in it from YouTube (I guess someone had the original reel) and can tell you that while it's not the most racist thing I've ever seen (It's actually hard to tell with Disney...), Disney should at least have this open for people to make fair judgments for themselves. Another thing, they kept two zebra-centaurs in the film, so why edit Sunflower out if you're going to leve those two in? Besides, the efforts to edit her out are really obvious and a little distracting.

Ok, now we have Amilcare Ponchielli's Dance of the Hours as performed by hippos, ostriches, crocodiles, and elephants. Different parts of the ballet represent different parts of the day both visually and audibly. Out of all the segments in the film, this one is probably the funniest. There's some good, silly, physical humor in it while keeping a sense of dignity like the rest of the film. The choreography of the dancing is good, too.

At last, we come to the finale of Fantasia. Combining Modest Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain with Franz Peter Schubert's Ave Maria sounds like an odd way to end your movie, but they contradict each other so much that it's downright beautiful. It combines all the darkest and most evil things on earth (including a kick-arse devil animated by Bill Tytla) with all the goodness in the world prevailing over it. This has to be, emotionally speaking, the most powerful scene not just in the movie, but out of everything Disney has done that I'm reviewing this year. I swear, that choir brings a tear to my eye every time...

So that's the film in a nutshell. It's a very powerful tour de force not just in film, but the art of animation itself. Remember what I said about Snow White and Pinocchio working due to emotional simplicity? This is the film that perfects that concept. It's like going to an art museum if the exhibits were alive and moving in front of you. It's Disney's magnum opus.

Fun fact here: Walt originally wanted this to be a part of a continuing series of films. Unfortunately, this film didn't make the money it needed back when it was first released (even though it was the 2nd or 3rd highest grossing film that year), making another was financially ridiculous. One was made almost 60 years later, but I'll get to that one when it comes around.

How about some clips? Here's The Nutcracker Suite and Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria with some scenes of Sunflower that I mentioned.

Pinocchio (1940)

2012-01-18T21:03:00.000-08:00

After the success of Snow White three years ago, we come to another landmark in Disney animation, Pinocchio. Another critical success as well as a financial one, this film became another staple in Disney animation. Let's take a look.

The story goes that one night a long time ago, a puppet maker in a village (I'm guessing in Italy) makes what he considers his best work yet: a little boy marionette he names "you-should-know-this-by-now". He makes a wish to a wishing star and wants nothing more than his puppet to be a real boy. Then suddenly, a Blue Fairy comes by and grants Gepetto his wish and appoints a little cricket named Jiminy Cricket to be the boy's conscience. The fairy also mentions that if Pinocchio learns right from wrong, he'll be a real boy. Together, the two overcome some obstacles so that Pinocchio can get his wish to be a real boy. After an exciting climax escaping a ferocious sperm whale, he sacrifices his own life to save his father. Seeing this, the Blue Fairy gives him life again, Jiminy receives an official conscience badge and they all lived happily ever after.

As weird as this premise sounds, the artists create this world for the movie where it doesn't have to make sense. I especially love it when Honest John (a fox) and his pal Gideon (a cat) are just walking down the street like normal people and are shocked to see a marionette skipping past them on his way to school. It's pretty damn hilarious when you think about it. There are more weird images than this in the film, like the nose growing when Pinocchio tells a lie or turning into a donkey when he's bad. But at least it has a purpose: it's there to teach lessons. And with visuals like that, they sort of stick to you like a burr to your sock.

The main characters are pretty good ones. Pinocchio himself is, forgive the pun, a real boy. He's curious, he wants to do good and bad things sometimes, but he's not rotten. What sets him apart is that he does learn his lessons in the end. Then there's Jiminy Cricket. I find it interesting that people have mixed feelings for this character: you either love him or you hate him. Me? I always thought he was an ok character. Give him credit, the story is told in his perspective. I do kind of like his voice and I did find him pretty appealing both visually and as a character. He clearly does want to help his friend out, but appears easily frustrated when things don't quite go as planned, which makes him a little more interesting. I give animator Ward Kimball my props for him. Oh, and Milt Kahl for Pinocchio too. One more thing: Gepetto has a few funny moments too, so you may enjoy him.

Like Snow White, emotional simplicity is what makes this film endearing. The difference being that in Snow White, where if you have a dark/sad moment, things turned out alright in the end. Here, it's not always like that. The bad guys were never defeated, they're still out there doing what they do, like the coachman (who I consider the most underrated Disney villian). He kidnapped boys and turned them into donkeys where they got sold to miners. He also keeps the ones who can still talk and God knows what he's gonna do to them. And, you know what? HE'S STILL OUT THERE KIDNAPPING MORE KIDS!

The songs are fun too, the best one being the title song When You Wish Upon a Star. The song's so famous that it's basically one of Disney's trademarks! Surprisingly, I hear it's causing some controversy over the theory that the song says just wishing for things will make everything ok. Well, I see it as more of a ray of hope, a bright light in an otherwise dark and melodramatic situation. After all, kids are much smarter than we give them credit for. They know things aren't going to be fine just for wishing for it to be ok. I've never meet anyone who took that idea seriously, so that argument is really invalid. I don't know, I guess someone needed something to complain about...

My final analysis: it's a great film filled with atmosphere kids and adults will appreciate, good characters and music, and some really dark and creepy imagery. Just don't watch this with anyone squeamish...
..
Feel brave enough? Here's the creepiest scene in the whole film... Enjoy!

Hope this makes you feel better: the most beautiful scene.

Some things first!

2012-01-16T13:58:00.000-08:00

First of all, I'm really sorry I haven't posted in a week. The screen on my laptop broke and I'm currently waiting for a new one to arrive. So maybe tonight, I can get Pinocchio's review up followed by Fantasia another day this week. I'll try to catch up with the time I lost, so just bear with me here. And thanks for understanding.

-JSmith

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

2012-01-04T21:43:00.000-08:00

Let's kick off my Year of Disney with the very first animated film ever, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The film that started it all and one that countless critics call the greatest animated film ever made. Do I feel the same way? Well, let's have a look and see.

The story goes that in a kingdom once upon a time, an evil and jealous queen finds out that she's not the fairest lass in all her kingdom. According to her magic mirror with one of those play masks inside it, that title belongs to a young woman called Snow White. So the queen hires a huntsman to kill her and bring back her heart as proof (seems logical, right?) but he can't do it. So SW runs away only to bump into some very helpful forest animals that show her to a cottage where she can hide from the queen. Only problem is that seven Mini-Me's.... er, dwarfs, live there but thankfully they agree to help her out. The Queen finds out and tries to find and kill her herself with a poisoned apple, but is saved by her prince's kiss and they all live happily ever after... except the Queen.

So is it as good as the critics make it out to be? Well, I think so. It's as basic as a film can get, but there's a lot of heavy atmosphere in this film for being a Disney film. You get sucked into the film from minute one. There's also some really dark imagery, in fact some of the darkest ever. Hell, I remember being freaked out by the scene where SW first gets lost in the woods. Speaking of imagery, the artwork is just incredible. Just looking at some of these backgrounds and animation just blows me away. After all, this was the studio's first film and by the look of it, they really put their damnnest into this flick.

But that doesn't mean the film is100% perfect. Some of the scenes feel like filler to me, like when SW cleans the house with the animals. Then again, turning a seven-page story into an hour and a half feature isn't the easiest thing on earth to do, so I'll let it slide. The prince is really boring (he's only in two scenes and barely speaks a line) The queen, as a villain, is only a jealous bitch. Compared with some of the other villains we'll see later, her motives and persona are not that strong.

I have mixed feelings for Snow White. She's not the most interesting Disney princess either. She's nice, that's it. But on the upside, she's.... nice. Hey, want proof that she's nice? She makes a pie for Grumpy near the end of the film. GRUMPY!!! And is it me, or does her singing remind you of Mae Questal's singing for Betty Boop?

The best characters by far are the dwarfs themselves. I like how the Disney artists decided to make each dwarf different by having their names represent their emotional status. They're the most interesting characters in the whole movie and to me are the heart and soul of the film. The relationships between them and Snow White is a rather interesting one. You really feel like they care about this girl and want to keep her as safe as possible. If I had to pick a favorite, it's Grumpy, hands down.

The best scenes? Well, it depends: if you wanna laugh, then the scene when the dwarfs get back home after a day's work and find there's something their house really leaves me in stitches. The climax where the dwarves chase the queen after she kills Snow White is really friggin' good (speaking of which, her death is really one of the most gruesome in a Disney flick. Hell there's vultures following her. That should say something) I'll admit, I got really teary-eyed watching when the dwarfs have a funeral for SW. THAT is the most depressing scene in a Disney film ever! Screw Bambi's mom, Grumpy friggin' cries for her death... no, sobs over her. They all do!

Despite some flaws, it's still a great movie. Like a said earlier, this film has great atmosphere and it really sucks you into this world Disney has created and I find movies like that fascinating. I think why these early Disney films work so well is that you become attached emotionally to these films and so, we endear them. Overall, I'm glad I saw this film again and it really is one of Disney's best. Not the best, but top 10 easily.

To finish off, here's a clip of the best song in the movie:

The Year of Disney

2012-01-04T13:50:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, readers!

If you guys read the Blue Bayou post, I'm planning on reviewing all the Disney animated features. That's my plan and I'm sticking with it. So you're probably asking why on Earth I'm doing this. Well, I love the Disney films (well, most of them as you'll see). After all Disney is usually the first thing we're ever exposed to as kids, and it's really hard to avoid it once something like Disney has entered your life. Hell, it's practically family to us. I suppose I could have just made a list of what were my favorites to see if anyone agrees, but I always feel like I have to express why it is I like/don't like the film, that way, it comes off stronger.

So here's how this is gonna work; once or twice a week, I'll watch a movie in order of thier release and give my two cents on it, as well as share a video of what I consider the best scene. (I'm not uploading the whole film, just a smidge of it) If you like or don't like anything I like or don't like, that's fine. Everyone has their own opinions and I have mine. That's part of why I made this blog. So maybe tomorrow or so, I'll get started on the reviews, so sit back, relax, and enjoy the Year of Disney.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

2011-12-25T00:10:00.000-08:00

Where do I begin? Well, it's a classic and the first Dr. Seuss adaptation we see. It's wonderful, both in story and design. Chuck Jones' crew was really on their A-game with this short (especially considering the not-so-stellar Tom and Jerry shorts produced by him at this point.). I really enjoy the animation here. Again, this is stellar looking animation for a 1966 television production and you can tell the artists put their damnedest into it. I hear Ben Washam co-directed this with Chuck and I think his drawing style prevails here too, epecially in some of those grimaces the Grinch makes. (He had very unique expressions in Chuck's WB cartoons) That's my guess though. It's probably someone else, but that's my best bet. ;)

Best. Smile. Ever!

The story is sweet, simple, and translates well into the animated medium. The acting and narration by Boris Karloff is admittedly an odd, but fantastic choice. After all, it's the Frankenstein monster reading a kid's book! How cool is that? Dr. Seuss' rhyme scheme is charming, the music is audible candy, and so is the famous song we all know and love! (I don't even need to say it. You know what it is!)

So here's my Christmas gift to all of you: you get to enjoy this Christmas classic here in the best quality I have. Again, Merry Christmas, and may all your New Year dreams come true.

And a bonus, my favorite holiday tune that perfectly describes Christmas.

Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer

2011-12-20T13:51:00.000-08:00

P.S.: NOT the Rankin-Bass one.

Merry Christmas, folks.

Blue Bayou vs. Claire de Lune

2011-12-12T17:56:00.000-08:00

Today's post is focused on two versions of a Disney short film. Released as a part of the film Make Mine Music in 1946, Blue Bayou is a short that takes place in a marsh at night with some images of egrets flying and... that's pretty much it. What makes the short work, though, is the backdrop music chosen. Here, it's a popular song (well, back then anyway) named Blue Bayou.

However, another version of it exists. It's the same animation as before, but in tune to Claude Debussy's Claire de Lune. This version was originally intended to be a part of Fantasia, but was cut out of the final movie, probably for time allotment. Six years later, the Disney artists decided to use it in Make Mine Music, but attached the song Blue Bayou to it. This version was lost for a long time until some folks at the studio found an original nitrate of it in 1992 and decided to remaster it. You can find this version in Make Mine Music's DVD features. Which one is better? Well, both are beautiful shorts, but I think Claire de Lune works a lot better.

To give you guys a fair judgement, here's what wound up in Make Mine Music.

Now here's the Fantasia version.

Oh, and FYI, I'm thinking about doing posts starting in January that review every single animated Disney film. If you guys like the idea, give me a shout.

The Legend of Rockabye Point

2011-11-29T21:29:00.001-08:00

I don't know why, but I've been watching Chilly Willy cartoons lately. And of course, the best were the two directed by the man who designed his current look, the greatest cartoonist that ever lived, Tex Avery.

I find it odd that not a lot of people mention his post MGM stuff, but maybe that's because he didn't last too long in the business after Walter Lantz's studio. It sucks that he had a crap contract with them, because I could see him make one friggin' awesome Woody Woodpecker cartoon!

Anyway, this is my personal favorite during Tex's short 4-cartoon stay at Lantz's studio. Even though Avery kept saying he felt burnt out by this point, this shows that he still had the magic touch he's had since his early WB days. And goddamn, is it hilarious!

Insert Penn State joke here.

I feel bad that I can't distinguish who animated what scenes, but it's still well animated.

The Cuckoo Clock

2011-11-01T17:15:00.000-07:00

Another Avery cartoon that gets overlooked a lot, in my opinion. It makes a good Halloween cartoon since it can be interpreted as a psychological horror, like in 1959's The Haunting. (Of course from the cat's point of view. That's a great design, by the way!) There's a lot of neat backgrounds in this one and some of Grant Simmons' finest animation. I'm pretty sure he did that great scene where the bird shoots himself with a finger-gun. Cracks me up every time. Below are some model sheets from Kevin Langley's great site and a restored version of the cartoon. Happy belated Halloween!

Tex Avery: Who Killed Who?

2011-10-25T12:06:00.000-07:00

Ah, good ol' Tex. Nothing you make ever disappoints me.

Model sheet of Tex.

Now, assuming you didn't know who I'm talking about, Fredric Bean Avery (nicknamed "Tex" by his friends) was an animator from, big surprise here, Texas who completely revolutionized the way we look at cartoons today. To keep it short, here's a passage by Gary Morris who, I think, Best describes Avery's approach:

"Above all, [Avery] steered the Warner Bros. house style away from Disneyesque sentimentality and made cartoons that appealed equally to adults, who appreciated Avery's speed, sarcasm, and irony, and to kids, who liked the nonstop action. Disney's "cute and cuddly" creatures, under Avery's guidance, were transformed into unflappable wits like Bugs Bunny, endearing buffoons like Porky Pig, or dazzling crazies like Daffy Duck. Even the classic fairy tale, a market that Disney had cornered, was appropriated by Avery, who made innocent heroines like Red Riding Hood into sexy jazz babies, more than a match for any Wolf. Avery also endeared himself to intellectuals by constantly breaking through the artifice of the cartoon, having characters leap out of the end credits, loudly object to the plot of the cartoon they were starring in, or speak directly to the audience."

A few examples of what we're talkin' about here. Trust me, there's more. Lots more. :)

Be sure to find this book! Worth every penny! :D

I think the reason I look up to him is because he and I are actually very similar. Avery was actually a very shy person, but really expressed his true feelings on screen with his films. And while Avery was born in Taylor, I was born in Seabrook (about a 30 min drive from Houston). I think my sense of humor may have come from his cartoons, actually. Tex was wonderful at using sight gags and was just as witty verbally. (See pics above)

If you're interesting in learning more, John Canemaker has written a book all about Avery's best work: at MGM studios. It's a little pricey (from $40 - $130 on Amazon.com), but it's a read that's worth it. It's also chock-fill of model sheets, animation cells and stills, layouts, and more.

All yours for £ 24.99

It's also a shame that his cartoons aren't restored on a DVD set in America (aside from the Droopy Collection). There's one in France, but I doubt it'sgonna work on a Region 1 DVD player. Oh, and they're censored. I say it's about time those cartoons got the uncensored DVD treatment in the motherland! But if you want it, you can find it here.

Anyway, since it's close to Halloween, I thought I'd post Who Killed Who?, a murder mystery by you-should-know-who-by-now. A great early effort from him, filled with wonderful jokes, fast-pacing, good animation, and Santa!..... Wait, wha?

Baseball Bugs

2011-10-04T19:47:00.000-07:00

A reenacting of the last Astros game.

With baseball season coming to a close, I figured this would be appropriate. Baseball Bugs is one of my favorite Bugs cartoons because I think Bugs as a single ball team reminds me of many of the underdog teams we all root for and want to see win. In my case, that would be the Houston Astros. Good God, those poor guys had a bad season.

The last game I went to personally, they lost 13 to 6. The conga scene with the Gashouse Gorillas at bat really reminds me of the way the Astros practically let the Cardinals win that night.. Even the scoreboard looked like it did in this 'toon.

Well I like this cartoon because of that and it's friggin' hilarious! Oh, and look out for some good Virgil Ross animation in this one. Enjoy! ;)

Plight of the Bumblebee

2011-08-31T20:22:00.000-07:00

Today's cartoon is an interesting one to me. I know over the years, Disney's been bound to trash several ideas over the years, like Fantasia sequels during Walt's life time. Before I found this one, I never thought that they would toss out a Mickey Mouse cartoon. (Kind of ironic, when you think about it.) The weirdest part of it is that the animation is 95% complete. A few years ago someone on YouTube found a pencil test of said cartoon and news of the short spread across animation forums like the influenza.

Anyway, it's called Plight of the Bumblebee and was originally directed by Jack Kinney, hands down the best shorts director at Disney.(He mostly handled the Goofy series as well as two Donald Duck cartoons I know of like my favorite one, Duck Pimples.) The story is that Mickey finds a bee named Hector singing bebop (get it?) but sporadically hits an operatic note. Mickey offers to be Hector's manager and he signs Hector a contract. However, he finds out that the insect has a weakness for flowers because whenever he drinks from one, he instantly gets drunk. (I admit, that idea is pretty funny.) So Mickey finds a way around it and Hector becomes a successful singer with his help.

What do I think of it? Well, I think it's very entertaining and would have loved to see it finished. Coming from Kinney's crew, it's top notch over most of the shorts at the time and is far better than anything Mickey appeared in after Mickey and the Beanstalk. There's wonderful, lively animation by John Sibley and Fred Moore (he designed the current Mickey look and I'm sure got dibs on animating in every one of his 40's and 50's shorts. ) Sibley called it the best Mickey short ever and claimed it was shelved because he and Moore looked it over and felt it had an awkward length to it. Kind of an odd way to go really...

Who knows? My hope is that maybe John Lassenter or someone at Disney sees this and gets the idea to try and make this short see the light at last. I can see it happen.

With his talent and my brains, we'll hit the TOPS!!

I posted the cartoon's pencil test on my Facebook account and so far haven't gotten any guff from it. Enjoy!

The Oily Bird

2011-08-01T23:12:00.000-07:00

I have mixed feelings on the Harveytoons distributed by Paramount studios. On one side, they do have entertaining animation in them and, to be honest, can be kind of fun to watch. On the other hand, and this was the biggest fault, they weren't that original or novel. They ranged from okay to WTF. I also think they had a lot of trouble finding a target audience. My argument is that most of them (which I think was about 70%. I'm just guessing here.) are mild, child-friendly, and aren't really that funny, like with the Casper and Little Audrey series. Then you have Baby Huey and Herman and Katnip (my personal favorites from this group) that were made for movie-going adults in mind and can be really funny.

Today's short is one of the cartoons from the latter argument from 1954 directed by Izzy Sparber. I do love the music and the animation of the little worm when his eyes open in rhythm to the snake-charming music.

There is one thing that bothers me though... the whole thing is about an earthworm in a derby trying to foil his enemy, a brown early bird.

MGM - The Early Bird Dood It! (1942) by Cartoonzof2006

Gee... sound f'n familiar?

Oh, and as if the bird didn't look familiar!

At least they know how to take influence from the good animators (to be polite). The problem is that Harveytoons like this one didn't do it too well.

The Looney Tunes Show (Parte Deux)

2011-07-14T22:37:00.000-07:00

Several months ago, I made a post about the new Looney Tunes show. Today, it remains as one of my most viewed posts on the blog (I'm a little surprised by that.) You canview the original post here.

A few months have passed since it premiered and about 9 or 10 episodes have aired. I'm sure so

me of you guys are wondering if I saw it and if I did, what do I think? Well, I've seen them all and so far....

I think Bugs said it best in one episode: "I like it"

I really do. I know it's no where near the caliber of the original classics, but it's still an enjoyable show compared with everything else on Cartoon Network now. They even brought back the originals to air thanks to this show. So some good did come out of it after all.

I think I can name some good reasons why this show works. Here we go:

#1.) The show's creators.

I've done a little research and figured out that this show has been made by two animators named Spike Brandit and Tony Cervone. These two are animators with a history at Warner Bros, working there since the 1990's according to their IMDB pages. Their credits include directing a few Animaniacs! episodes and creating Tom and Jerry Tales with the help of Joe Barbera. Now they're in charge of everything T & J related. They were also involved in another Looney Tunes show that's been well received by a lot of Tune-heads like me: a little dity called Duck Dodgers.

So yeah... these guys have experience with these characters.

And that's a good thing. At least WB had the decency to give the show to people who know and care about these characters vs giving them to someone like Seth MacFarlane (thank God he doesn't handle the show!) It shows that the company still does care about the Looney Tunes.

#2.) The animation

I know that it's still kinda TV-ish quality, but again, it's still much better than anything else on CN. The show is traditionally animated and colored with computers. I think that's how it's handled, but I'm just guessing here.

Above is a still from one of the latest episodes. Looking at it alone says (to me, at least) that the quality is still pretty high for a TV cartoon, so give it some slack here. The backgrounds are amazing (I really love the paint-splatter technique for the skies in this show. It's just wonderful to look at.) I'm pretty sure this show has a high budget so it allows for better animation.

Speaking of which, I forgot to mention the designs by Ms. Jessica Borutski. I defended her a lot in my last post, so I'll cut to the chase here. They do look nice and have a refreshing new look our friends. I still can't figure out why Bugs is purple, though...

#3) The Looney Tunes are still more or less the same as they were in the Golden Era.

That is to say without a few adjustments, But very little has changed about they're personalities: Bugs is still a wise-cracking smart-ass, Porky is still a very mild mannered nice guy, Yosemite Sam is still brash and loud, and the gophers are, well, themselves.

Few have changed kind of drastically since the classics. One is Daffy.

God, I still love that design...

Anyway, a few people have described him as a buffoon, even calling him the new Peter Griffin (...that hurt just to say that.) Well, I think Daffy here is more or less based off of his character in the Duck Dodgers show. Here, he's still narcissistic, zealous, obnoxious, slobbish, and oblivious to everyone else's needs or desires from him. He's also completely in over his head, believing that he's the center of the universe, even though he isn't and sort of has a very high opinion of himself.

The persona says Jones-ish, yet the look says Clampett. It's a nice fresh take.

But that's nowhere near the one character that needed an upgrade and benefited from it: Lola from Space Jam.

Again, wonderful design. I think she looks better now than ever...

Err, if you've seen Space Jam, then you'll know Lola. In the movie, she was basically a paper cit-out of a female athlete. Harsh but true. She wasn't funny or fun in the movie and I think she hasn't been seen since then. (except for the baby revival show)

Spike and Tony took her in and actually made her a fun character, even if she can be kind of annoying. Here, she's the very ditsy, clingy, obsessive semi-girlfriend of Bugs. I say semi because Bugs doesn't feel the same way about Lola, calling her crazy on a few occasions.

Then again, can you blame him?

#4.) The main stories are still kind of fun

The stories are sort of a hit-and-miss to be honest. But there's more good ones than mediocre, so it's not so bad.

My favorites, so far are:

The Jailbird and Jailbunny: Daffy gets arrested for littering the Grand Canyon and drags Bugs along for disrupting the court. It's kind of funny after the two break out. Bugs wants to go back because he can make fun of the other prisoners and get away with it, calling it a smart-alec's paradise (makes sense).

No resemblance at all...

Casa de Calma: Bugs and Daffy go to a spa. Disaster meets Daffy after trying to impress a starlet. This is so far the most like the original classics out of all the ones that aired.

That's an interesting expression. There's lots more from Daffy in this one.

This is just adorable!

Devil Dog: The Tasmanian devil escapes from the zoo and makes it to Bugs' house. Taz is really intimidating at the beginning. He acts more like the real animal he's based on and even has red eyes! He's never been more scary. Bugs eventually tames him thanks to Speedy's advice (I'll admit, that killed the mood for a while) and the two become friends.

See? Told ya.

This would have been a interesting short...

The Foghorn Leghorn Story: Daffy is offered a lead in Foghorn's new biopic. There's a great fight scene in the end.

It got better later.

Eligible Bachelors: Bugs and Daffy get auctioned at a bachelor auction. Lola gets Bugs on a date in Paris and Daffy gets the day with Granny. (She only wanted him to help out with chores. She's 90. Get your mind out of the gutter!) Granny then engages Daffy and the audience in a very gritty WWII story where she saves the artwork at the Louvre. It's actually really cool.

Guess who this is?

So those are my thoughts on The Looney Tunes Show. It's an ok show. It's fun, neat-looking, and worth the thirty minutes.

I know I've listed some good qualities about the show, but it's not perfect. For example, I don't care for the CGI Coyote-Roadrunner shorts, which by the way, why didn't just animate them like the rest of the show? It'd look a lot better to me. And why are they only two minutes? That's about the length of one joke in some of the originals.

But you should check it out. And I'll say it now so it doesn't look like I'm defending the show to death: nothing beats the classics. They brought them back thanks to this show on CN and there's also the DVD's.

Well, th-th-th-th-that's all folks! Hope you enjoyed!

The Old Man of the Mountain & Oogie Boogie's Song

2011-04-26T20:08:00.000-07:00

I don't think I've ever talked about a Betty Boop cartoon before, but I guess there's a first time for everything.

This particular one, The Old Man of the Mountain, is one I think I was drawn to because of the music choice. Cab Calloway actually did some songs for the cartoons. I know he also sang for Minnie the Moocher (without a doubt the biggest mindfuck of the animated world).

I have the funny feeling what draws me to the Fliecher's cartoons of this era was simply the animation and the music... that's it! Even though the stories were weak and weird as hell, at least they aren't boring! In fact, I think most of them are really funny simply because of how crazy these cartoons were. (kind of like watching Ren and Stimpy, actually.) Old Man is probably my personal favorite one so far. You can watch it below.

I also wanted to bring up the kind of influence Betty Boop has on animation, even today.

I'm sure someone's gonna read this and think: What does The Nightmare Before Christmas have to do with Betty Boop? Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!

Actually, I want you guys to find this movie (if you have it) and watch it again. Specifically, watch the scene where the main villain Oogie-Boogie enters. That whole song sequence seems to have somewhat been influenced on those Calloway-Beety Boop catoons. From what I've researched, Tim Burton asked the film's composer, Danny Elfman, to listen to Minnie the Moocher as an aid for writting Oogie-Boogie's song. You can really feel the influence in the song. There's even a line from the original cartoon that was homaged in the movie! I'm not saying what it is, though!

The song itself is really damn good. I'd be lying if I didn't say it wasn't one of the best villian songs ever composed! I can tell that Oogie's actor, Ken Page, seemed to really enjoy himself when singing this. He really seems to combine the darkness and sadistic nature of the character with the pure enjoyment of what Oogie plans on doing with Santa. In fact, I think you can learn everything you need to know about Oogie is in this song. (aside from what he's really stuffed with. Again, watch it for yourself!)

Don't believe me? Watch it yourself!

Professor Ludwig von Drake

2011-04-08T20:18:00.000-07:00

My God, I love this guy! He always brightens my day with his kooky narrations and wacky inventions. I just think he's one of the most underrated Disney characters out there (Trust me, there's a lot!). Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think he was created by Bill Justice (Wikipedia now says both Walt and Milt Kahl created him now) as a host for The Wonderful World of Color. As an added bonus, Paul Frees created that wonderful German accent he speaks in. Today, the equally-talented Corey Burton performs him. Below are some videos of his best stuff, including his Academy Award nominated short, A Symposium on Popular Songs (1962), and two of my favorite shorts of his from House of Mouse.

A Wild Hare

2011-02-26T10:13:00.000-08:00

Bug's first cartoon and Oscar nod. It's a great, funny short with beautiful animation done by Virgil Ross and Rod Scribner. The backgrounds are just as lovely. I wanted to post this one because today is actually Tex Avery's birthday! If he was still around he'd be 103 today. So happy birthday to the funniest cartoonist ever.

As a bonus, enjoy my favorite Tex Avery cartoon as well.

Der Fueher's Face

2011-02-24T15:36:00.001-08:00

Where do I begin with this one?

Well, it's my favorite Disney cartoon that won an Oscar. It's funny, daring, politically incorrect, friggin' sweet, and it's Donald!

Of course, it was made in WWII, if you couldn't tell by the title. Ol' Uncle Walt was probably one of the most patriotic Americans back then, and he definitely had a hand with the victory on the home front with all those propaganda films he did. This is one of those films, but it's weapon is comedy, not information. It's almost like watching a Daffy cartoon. Key word: almost.

Another nice thing about it is that it doesn't really cram education down your throat like some of the others he and his artists did.

I think that Disney was really right on the money with Donald. In this period, Jack King was the director that handled Donald the best. Dick Lundy did a good job with Donald as well, but Jack Hannah from the late 40's -50's did better. So did Jack Kinney on the few he did.

Geez, there's a lot of Jacks here.

Life With Feathers

2011-02-24T15:30:00.001-08:00

Nominated for the 1946 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, but lost to the Tom and Jerry cartoon, Quiet, Please! It's funny how it's Freling's cartoons are the ones to get nominated for this award.

Also the first appearance of one of my favorites and also Freling's baby, Sylvester.

Knighty Knight Bugs

2011-02-15T15:14:00.000-08:00

So far, the only Bugs Bunny cartoon to win an Oscar. Nice entry, but I think Hare-Way to the Stars would have been a better choice for this year.

And, as a bonus, here's a video of the cartoon actually winning the award.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6AipTOMpd0&feature=related

Birds Anonymous

2011-02-11T10:45:00.000-08:00

It's February! You know what that means? OSCAR MONTH!!

This February, I'm posting cartoons that have been nominated or won an Oscar for Best Animated Short. I posted Rooty Toot Toot earlier today, but this one is one of my all-time favorite cartoon that was recognized by the Academy as well as, what I think, the best Sylvester-Tweety cartoon.

I just love the black humor in this one. What Sylvester goes through in this cartoon is a definite parallel to anyone that has ever tried to give up an addiction, whether it's smoking, alcohol, drugs, sex, or anything else. There' s also a pretty good morale summed up by Tweety at the end. And of course, it's pulled off with the traditional Warner Bros. slapstick.

Ed Seltzer had died before this cartoon won, but Mel Blanc accepted it for him. He later went on to say that this was one of his favorites to voice for, especially Sylvester.

Do I think Birds Anonymous deserved it's Oscar?

Yes. Yes I do.

Creating Animated Cartoons with Character

2011-01-28T21:20:00.000-08:00

Another great book worth the purchase! Written by animator Joe Murray, creator of the Emmy-winning shows Rocko's Modern Life and Camp Lazlo, this book is essentially a guide-line for those of us wanting to get into the animation business. It features not only some neat production art from both shows and the short films he's done, but it also has some great pointers on how to make a TV-show with great characters in mind. I have to admit, the man gives great, solid advice.

I personally enjoy Murray's work, probably because I grew up watching Rocko and came to love Lazlo when it premiered. I ain't kiddin' when I say that Rocko was the only cartoon from the 90's to rival the insanity of Ren and Stimpy! Other than that, every character he's made has a distinct design and, most importantly, he has a GREAT concept of character. I love how every story he writes stays in focus with the characters and how they can relate to a modern audience.

If you're interested, you can get the book on Amazon.com for about $15. A good deal!

The Looney Tunes Show

2011-01-01T20:26:00.000-08:00

This post is something that I wanted to get off of my chest for a while. Judging by the title, I think you already know what it is. So here we (Or I ,rather) go...

To begin, this show has been bashed by so many animation fans simply because of the new character designs by one of my favorite modern artists, Jessica Borutski. (And it's not even out yet!) I liked her two shorts, I Like Pandas and The Good Bunny With the Bad Teeth. That constellations idea she had for a show was really cool too. Overall, her art is very pleasant to look at and she definatly has developed a style of her own.

However, back last year, she was bashed for her designs on a new Looney Tunes show. If you haven't seen it, here they are:

That's just Bugs and Daffy. So why are people bashing Miss Borutski, you ask? Well first of all, some animation fans, like me, grew up with these characters and really don't want to see their appearances changed on this kind of level. If you noticed, the characters are more angular than before and they have extremely simplified shapes so that they can be animated easier on a flash program like ToonBoom or whatever it's called. A lot of animation fans really hate this kind of thing and prefer the lush style of traditional animation. I know I refer the old way over flash.

Even the plot of the show got people fired up in a bad way. Well, instead of being their usual, slapstick selves, we get to see what life is like for Bugs, Daffy, and the other Looney Tunes outside of the Warner Bros lot. We see the rabbit and duck (both voiced by Jeff Burgman for the first time in 10 years) living together in a house. Trust me, they didn't want to see them looking like this:

Now now it comes to this: what do I think of them?

Well, they are appealing in their own right. I'm not too angry about the radical change of appearances. Even 70 years ago, the great directors and artists of Termite Terrace had changed these characters slightly to fit their own styles. Jones, Avery, Clampett, McKimson, Freling, Davis, Tashlin, and all the other animation directors had their own way of designing these characters and modeling their personalities to their own desire. Even I do it! (I think I'll try this again in a while in color too.) For instance, I give Bugs' ears black tips, a feature not seen since Elmer's Candid Camera in 1940. Say what you want, I think they look kind of cool.

I actually like some of these designs myself. While Bug's new look mis growing on me, I really enjoy the way Daffy, Pepe, Marvin, The Gossamer, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn, Sylvester, and Petunia Pig. (kudos on Borutski for reintroducing a character not seen since 1937) I think my favorite overall is Sylvester's look. It kind of reminds me of McKimson's look for the cat: a big nose with short legs.

I accept the fact that these are Borutski's own versions of theses classic characters and as true admirers of animation, we should try to look at the positives. After all, she's doing something that not a lot of new artists get the chance to do: reintroduce these classic characters to a new generation with new concepts and ideas. I think it's only fair that we should at least honor Borutski for her efforts and goals for this show. If you have kids, then I would expose them to both this new show and the classics that are beautifully restored on the boxed DVD sets. If they like one over the other, that's fine.

As for the show's writing quality, well... look for yourself:

I wasn't impressed by the first clip, but I thought that the second was a little better. (I just noticed Mac and Tosh made a cameo)

I think I'm going to wait until February when this show comes out and take a look for myself. To be honest, it looks better than some of the other attempts of reintroducing the Looney Tunes or classic cartoon characters in general. (Remember Loonatics?.... I thought not. And don't make me mention that godawful Yogi Bear movie!) Keep in mind that this is going to be completely different from the classics of the golden age because humor has changed over the years.

For now, I'm keeping my optimistic perspective for this new show and hope it turns out better than people claim it is. My only hope that after this Borutski can have a shot of doing more of her own original ideas for TV. So rest your sphincters, gentlemen.

Phew! Glad I got that off of my chest!

Oh, and Happy New Year to you readers.

Rooty Toot Toot

2010-12-30T10:08:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite cartoons ever! I just can't see anything wrong with it. Even if I'm used to seeing more characters drawn like Bugs or Mickey, I love the way UPA drew their cartoons because they seemed to be the only ones who could do this style with perfection. (After all, they invented it!) I also like the way Frankie does almost every movement on tip-toe, like a ballerina. Wonder who animated her? Maybe Pat Matthews?

I also love the timing of this cartoon. Everything is in tune to the song, Frankie and Johnnie, even if they aren't singing. Oh, and Thurl Ravenscroft plays Honest John, Frankie's lawyer.

This one was also nominated for an Oscar in 1952 for Best Animated Short Film. It lost to the Tom and Jerry cartoon, The Two Mouseketeers. Shame. It's such a brilliant movie.

Peace on Earth

2010-12-28T19:19:00.000-08:00

One of the best cartoons to come from Hugh Hartman's department at MGM. A great cartoon for the holidays.

Invitation to the Dance

2010-12-07T20:04:00.000-08:00

I know I posted another scene from this movie, but I really wanted to share this clip from YouTube with you guys. It's a scene from a documentary about how the movie involved using a reference model for the animators. The end result is a very beautiful scene from the movies: the colors, the dancing, the music, the flawless mixing of Gene Kelly with this animated princess, everything was just beautiful. Just watch and see!

The Walt Disney Animation Archives series

2010-12-02T18:51:00.000-08:00

I just bought the newest book from this series of books. I have to admit that like the first two books, this one is very captivating. The book covers almost every era of Disney animation, chock full of wonderful storyboards, character designs, and concept art. I'm especially fond of Mary Blair's contributions. Below is a picture by Mary Blair from Alice in Wonderland and a sketch from The Jungle Book.

If you're a classic Disney animation fan (like yours truly) then this book along with the other two in the series is worth the buy. The catch is that they're really expensive if you try to buy them at a book store (they're about $50 a pop!) Luckily, Amazon.com has this book and the other two for about $31.50 (37% off!) So yeah, I recommend reading all three.

Turkey Jerky

2010-11-19T10:37:00.000-08:00

No, it's not the Tex Avery cartoon.

And now for something completely different...

I've been on an Animaniacs kick lately. I admit, it's a wonderful show with great animation and stories throughout. I could go on about this great show, but I want to keep this post short.

In a nutshell, this episode is the only Thanksgiving episode that I know of and it's a nice satire of the story of the first Turkey Day and Miles Standish, chock full of the zany, fast-paced, Marx-Bros-esque humor found in the Warner Bros cartoons. Enjoy it and happy early Thanksgiving.

Good night, everybody!

(Blooper) Bunny

2010-11-06T12:36:00.000-07:00

This is one of the Bugs Bunny shorts made in the early 90's. This one was made for the 51rst birthday of everyone's favorite rabbit. The designs on the characters may be stock images from WB of that time, but the writing and directing here is worth mentioning. It was directed by Greg Ford and Terry Lennon, who previously directed Invasion of the Bunny Snatchers. Like the shorts from the 50's, this and Bunny Snatchers have sort of a very risqué sense of humor, considering when it was made. Both cartoons actually hammer how big-shot executives seemed to have ruined classic characters we love. However, Bunny Snatchers examined this more and with funnier results. (Blooper) Bunny is still worth a look. After all, it is a product of the early 90's.

Of Mice and Magic

2010-10-27T21:42:00.000-07:00

A Famous Studio cartoon from Paramount directed by Izzy Sparber, one of three chief directors there. I love the musical score for these cartoons, particularly this one. Mae Questal appears as Louise as she sings a grand rendition of "Personality".

Another thing: it's not every day that you can say that there was a more violent cat and mouse team than the infamous Tom and Jerry. Everyone, meet Herman and Katnip. These cartoons are played out like a T&J cartoon, only there are far more brutal jokes like one where Herman brushes Katnip's teeth with a metal file, or pounding Katnips head so hard with a mallet that it actually leaves an imprint. Aside from that, Katnip's little strut when he thinks he catches Herman is hilarious.

On top of that, the voice acting is pretty stellar. Mae Questal relives her moments as Betty Boop and Sid Raymond is always a riot. Arnold Stang also appears in this cartoon and does a good job. I personally like his Top Cat voice better, though. Oh well. :)

I wish I could present this in a higher quality than what I have, but these are incredibly hard to find.

Cousin Tex

2010-10-18T17:03:00.001-07:00

A Pixie-Dixie cartoon and the first one I believe. This series reminds me of watching a Tom & Jerry cartoon. After all, the last cartoon of that series was released the same year this was made. Coincidence? Pixie and Dixie are cute but don't have much to offer. Mr. Jinks on the other hand, wow! Jinks was the real star of these cartoons. He's such a wonderful character and even has a distinctive voice. Creating such a character with limited animation is really hard to do, but Hanna, Barbera, and Daws Butler really pull it off. It's because of Jinks that makes this series my favorite H-B cartoons outside of Yogi Bear and Quick Draw.

Well, even if the story in this one isn't too far off from a T&J cartoon like "Pecos Pest", it's still very enjoyable. I liked Cousin Tex (after all, he is better than Cousin Batty. Ask Yowp about that one.) The branding iron joke was my personal favorite and the ending was pretty unexpected. Carlos Vinci and Mike Lah animate this cartoon. Kudos to H-B for this little gem.

Nowhere Bear

2010-10-12T19:24:00.000-07:00

Another classic H-B cartoon. Ed Love's designs and expressions on Ranger Smith are worth watching. H-B must have let each animator have a distinctive style, kind of like the classic Warner Bros cartoons.

El Kabong Meets El Kazing

2010-10-06T20:22:00.000-07:00

This is kind of odd for me, considering that I usually discuss theatrical cartoons with full animation, but I'd like to talk about the early Hanna-Barbera cartoons.

I've really began to appreciate this era of animation a lot. Even if the animation is extremely limited, the designs of the characters were still very pleasant to look at and the staging of these cartoons was simple, but easier to understand. Now, I don't know much about these early H-B shorts, but thankfully my blogger friend Yowp does. The link to his blog is somewhere on the side of mine. Visit it! It's worth it!

Anyway, I've really begun to love Quick Draw McGraw in particular. Everything aout this guy is just so damn funny. His actions, motifs, and most importantly, his voice. Daws Butler does a wonderful job portraying Quick Draw and Baba Looey. I know he based a lot of these characters on TV and movie stars of the 50's, like Yogi Bear was Art Carney and Mr. Jinks was a mix of Crazy Guggenheim and Marlon Brando. I'm not sure where Quick Draw's comes from. Maybe it's original?

I really get a kick out of the El Kabong cartoons. Thanks to the writing by Mike Maltese with George Nichol's animation, this has become my personal favorite Q-D cartoon. And, as a bonus, the prototype Snagglepuss in in this one! The Burt Lehr voice is still there, but he's orange and more of a wise-ass villian than a patsy ham and sort of a hero. The part where Snaggle hyphen puss demostrates his "Kazinger" always gets me! Even Baba Looey gets into the act at the end, as El Kapowey. "champion of champions, I theen"!

Orange Snagglepuss from, "The Lyin Lion" (1960)

Long story short, this cartoon just rocks! I'll probably post more posts dedicated to these shorts, so keep a look out by visiting regularly. Again, for more information about the early H-B cartoons, visit Yowp's blog (the link's on the right.)

Bedeviled Rabbit

2010-10-02T14:54:00.000-07:00

My father's favorite cartoon as well as being one of my favorites simply because of the Tasmanian devil. This is part of why I like McKimson's cartoons so much. He was really able to appeal to grown men in particular thanks to his classic sense of humor. There's a lot more violence and adult jokes in McKimson's work than any other director at Warner's. (In fact, look at when Taz is tossing up a salad. There's dead squirrels coming out of it!)

Taz himself is vaguely different from a lot of other cartoon characters at the time because of his persona. He's a vicious, nasty brute with some hilarious vocals from the great Mel Blanc. I wonder if anyone really laughed out loud while Mel was recording. I guess I'll never know. I know Jack Warner in particular really loved the little slob.

Artistically speaking, I really enjoy the backgrounds to this cartoon. The colors feel really natural even if they're mostly green. At least they're not in some garish neon-green color. I got to admit, Rick Thomas did a good job with the forest's look.

Well, enjoy this one. It's even better when you watch it with your friends. :D

Two Crows From Tacos

2010-08-17T23:12:00.000-07:00

This post is dedicated to two of the most underrated and forgotten characters in Looney Tunes history: Jose and Manuel, the two Mexicali Crows. They were made as part of WB's funny Mexican cannon and made around the same time as another Mexican who overshadows them, Speedy Gonzales. While Speedy is quick and smart, these two are the polar opposite, happily being lazy and very, very stupid.

Jose is the short, fat one and is always quick to say that he's the "bre-ains" of the two. Manuel is the skinny one and possibly, the dumber of the two. They first appeared in Two Crows From Tacos, an underrated 1956 gem by Friz Freling and perhaps one of the most controversial cartoons he ever made.

The biggest controversy over this one are the sterotypes portrayed here. Even though the stereotypes are horrific, the way the two crow characters are represented is what makes this cartoon work so well. Art Davis, I believe, animated a huge bulk of this short and Virgil Ross (seemingly) animates the scene where Jose and Manuel beat up the cactus for having their "grlass-hopp-er". There's also a very unique ending to this cartoon. Instead of an iris out, we get to see a beautiful Mexican sunset as they sing their favorite song, offbeat but happily, with the immortal words, "That's all, folks!" written over the background.

The two crows reappeared in a 1959 Speedy Gonzales cartoon called Mexicali Shmoes (this time as cats), where they try to catch Speedy the same way they tried to catch their grasshopper as crows. With the same result, of course! It's probably my favorite cartoon the two crows were in. It was also nominated for the 1959 Academy Awards for Best Animated Subject and introduced Speedy's cousin, Slowpoke.

Their final appearance together was in the 1962 short, Crow's Feat, again directed by Freling. They're back as crows and manage to be outwitted by, of all people, Elmer Fudd! (they mistake him as a"scares-crow")

"Hey look, Jose! A ticking corn!"

The Three Caballeros

2010-08-01T13:40:00.000-07:00

A scene from The Three Caballeros animated mostly by Ward Kimball. I can't get enough of his stuff. It's just so appealing to me!

For those who don't know, Ward was a animator for Disney (and one of the infamous Nine Old Men ) that centered his work on more cartoony subjects, like the mice in Cinderella, the crows in Dumbo, and Jiminy Cricket on Pinocchio. He later went to directing his own cartoons, like the award winning Toot, Whistle, Plunk, and Boom and It's Tough to Be a Bird!. Ward remains one of my favorite animators because of his cartoony style and it stands out a little better than some of the other animators at Disney. I'm thinking about doing an animator reel on either him or Milt Kahl on the next post, so keep your eyes peeled!

Donald's Camera

2010-07-12T09:14:00.001-07:00

Since I'll be in DisneyWorld next week, I'd thought I'd show one of my favorite Disney shorts. Yes, it's Donald. And yes, it's directed by the guy who created the duck and one of the best cartoon directors, Dick Lundy. The story is rather basic, but as expected from Disney, animation is top notch. There's also a pretty cool running cycle from the woodpecker character. (Funny. 6 years after this was made, Lundy would be directing some of the best Woody Woodpecker cartoons at Walter Lantz' studio. Coincidence?)

The biggest reason why I like this short is because Lundy has a few scenes where Donald's expressions aren't the kinds you would see in the "How to Draw Disney Characters" manual. As in some of them look exaggerated, but not quite on the Warner Bros. or Tex Avery level. It's the scene with the toothpaste worm dance gag. The duck had never looked more evil! (especially in the third picture!)

Poop Goes the Weasel

2010-07-07T13:04:00.000-07:00

A guilty pleasure of mine.

Aside from it's title (really?), this one is actually one of the better 50's Noveltoons I've seen and it's certainly better than some of the Tweety cartoons from that era too. The animation on the weasel character is really sublime.

Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor

2010-07-02T21:16:00.001-07:00

My favorite Popeye cartoon growing up. It's great to see it fully restored to better colors that what I saw as a kid. A few pointers, this is the very first colored Popeye and it was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Subject in 1936 but lost to Walt Disney's The Country Cousin. (How aside it being from Disney I'll never know...)

Everything about this short is great and top-notch for Fleischer's studio. The music, the turn-table layouts (I'm a big fan of that trick), Bluto's song at the beginning, Whimpy trying to eat the duck, the two-headed giant, and Popeye being... well, Popeye, were the best parts. The good news is that this cartoon's in the public domain as well as the two other Popeyes and one Betty Boop cartoon made in color.

I'm really beginning to get accustomed to the animation in these cartoons. There's great stuff from Will Bowsky, George Germanetti, Ed Nolan, and Orestes Calpini here. Bluto's closeups used to scare me when I was a kid, but now I think it's pretty unique for a cartoon from those days. It's the style of this and all the other Fleischer cartoons was what made thier 'toons really stand out from the other studios. They were, in a sense, the Warner Bros. of the 1930's.

Little Swee' Pea

2010-07-01T18:43:00.000-07:00

I just started getting into Fleischer cartoons recently. I thought why not post a Popeye cartoon, so here we are.

I like how some of the backgrounds look realistic in these. I heard that what Fleischer did was he had a turntable with the setting on it and he filmed it then placed the animated characters in it. It's a neat process and something I oughtta look into in the future.

The Pink Panther (1963)

2010-04-27T19:43:00.000-07:00

In my mind, the original Pink Panther from 1963 is one of the best movies ever made. Not only did this movie jump-start the careers of Blake Edwards, Peter Sellers, and musician Henry Mancini, it also opened a huge door for Warner Bros directors Hawley Pratt and Friz Freleng. In general, the movie is wonderful and if you haven't seen it, then go rent it (or buy it) and watch it.

Anyway, I made this post to concede with my previous posts on Pink Panther opening credits. The very first one from '63 has, in my opinion, the best look for the coolest pink feline around. Freleng and Pratt made this character very sleak looking, but it fits the character well. The claws are cool and I also love how he doesn't look so anorexic here. The panther trying to sneak his name in the credits always makes me laugh.

Well, anyway, here is the video. Enjoy!

Pink Panther titles

2010-04-22T20:09:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a huge fan of The Pink Panther movies. The best were the ones with Peter Sellers and Blake Edwards involved of course. However, I also love the animated sequences from each movie's start, so I picked a few of my favorites and posted them here.

#1: A Shot in the Dark (1964)

A Shot in the Dark Titles (1964)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006. - Classic TV and last night's shows, online.
My personal favorite Pink Panther movie of all. While not the first Pink Panther or the best animated, but the musical score by Henry Mancini is charming and perfectly fits Inspector Clouseau's personality.

#2: The Return of the Pink Panther (1975)

The third Pink Panther movie. This scene was animated by Richard Williams and Ken Harris and is arguably very good considering the year it was made. Williams and Harris used 24 frames a second here vs. 12. They also animated The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976) and a few commercials.

#3: Trail of the Pink Panther (1982)

Trail Of The Pink Panther - Intro (1982)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006. - Watch feature films and entire TV shows.
Animated by Freleng-DePatte studios, this one was one of the more creative intros done with the series. Sadly, this was Sellers' last P.P. movie before he died of a heart attack. He was only 54. At least this movie was dedicated to him and remains one of the funniest in the series.

#4. The Pink Panther (2006)

I won't get in too deep with this one. I thought this one's intro had a quirk similar to the originals, but the movie itself sure wasn't. Steve Martin was o.k. in this movie, but nothing compared to what Sellers did with Clouseau.

Invitation to the Dance scene

2010-03-13T16:50:00.000-08:00

I stumbled onto this scene while surfing through YouTube one day. I gotta say, it looks good. I have't seen the whole movie yet, but now I want to! It's too bad it isn't on DVD...

Anyway, this scene involves the great Gene Kelly dancing to Sinbad's theme from Scheherazade (Rimsky-Korsakov). What drew me in was how the animator managed to make a legless animal like the snake to dance so elegantly. Since not a lot is known about this little gem, I'm trying to figure out who animated this. I know it's from Hanna-Barbera's department at MGM, but I don't know who animated it. I'm thinking Ken Muse or Ray Patterson. Just to guess...

Anyway, check it out. It's great to kill 2 minutes. :)

Invitation to the Dance: Snake Dance (1956)
by Cartoonzof2006

The Mad Tea Party

2010-03-04T18:52:00.000-08:00

My favorite scene form Disney's Alice in Wonderland (The 1951 orginal). I've yet to see the new version by Tim Burton. I might see it later this month.

Anyway, I love this scene because it's driven by sheer comedy. I can definitely see how Ward Kimball (the guy who animated this scene) may have been inspired by the great Tex Avery for some of these jokes. After all, Kimball was the funny guy of Disney animation! Ed Wynn and Jerry Colona were just priceless as the Hatter and Hare.

Well, enjoy watching. I always do. And a merry unbirthday to all!

The Mad Tea Party (1951)
by Cartoonzof2006

Barbary-Coast Bunny

2010-02-24T21:17:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite Chuck Jones Bugs cartoons. I enjoy the premise of the story as well as Chuck's drawing style in this era. His stuff in the 50's and early 60's had the best look, I think. I also admire the design of the villain, Nasty Canasta. He looks so slobbish yet appealing. Mr. Jones really had a way with drawing as John K puts it, "lummoxes". His Bugs Bunny is also quite handsome looking too.

Barbary-Coast Bunny
by Cartoonzof2006

Bellboy Donald

2010-02-08T08:50:00.000-08:00

Salary for a bellboy: $30,000 a year
Average cost of a hotel nowadays: Up to $200
New suitcase: $50
Elevator maintenance: $756
Soda pop: $0.50
Donald's evil laugh at the end of this cartoon: Priceless

Bellboy Donald (1942)
by Cartoonzof2006

Concerto in C-Major

2010-02-02T16:50:00.000-08:00

Another scene from Allegro no troppo. This scene was intended to be a day-brighter since it comes right after the very depressing Valse triste. This is probably the cutest segment in the movie and does it's job of putting the audience in a better mood.

The music choice is kind of surprising. I personally find Vivaldi an adequate composer, but a few of his works like The four Seasons and this concerto catch my attention. It's one of the very few works of his that can tell some sort of story. I only wish I knew which concerto this was. As in a full name.

Anyway, enjoy this. I'll probably go back to American animation after this post.

Allegro non troppo - Concerto in D major (1977)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006. - Full seasons and entire episodes online.

Valse Triste

2010-01-29T19:44:00.000-08:00

Another scene from Allegro non troppo. I thought this one has the most emotion put into it. It defiantly pulls some heartstrings. The cat's memories of the house mixed with Jean Sibelus' music makes an instant classic in animation no matter what country it comes from.

Allegro no troppo - Valse Triste (1977)
by Cartoonzof2006

Allegro non troppo

2010-01-29T12:21:00.000-08:00

This is actually an Italian animated film from 1977 that I stumbled upon on YouTube a few months ago. The whoile fim is essentially a parody of Disney's Fantasia made by animator Bruno Bozzetto. I personally felt this movie (when it comes to individual style and humor) is the superier one of the two. It's amazing that this one animator can have so many styles in this film versus the 7 or eight directors of Fantasia. There are six movements in the film altogether, one of which will make it in Fantasia 2000 almost 30 years later.

The segment I want to show you is my favorite part of the film. When Maurice Ravel wrote Bolero, it instantly became a classic. (Not bad considering he had narcolepsy when he wrote it.)
What Bozzetto does here is something that's a direct parody of The Rite of Spring in Fantasia. Here, a black blob from a Coke bottle evolves into many fantastic creatures and are on a continuous march for survival. Wait... why am I doing all the talking? Watch it for yourself here!

Allegro non troppo - Bolero (1977)
by Cartoonzof2006

Allegro non troppo - Bolero (1977) (Part 2)
by Cartoonzof2006

The Disney Family Album: Milt Kahl

2009-09-29T15:06:00.000-07:00

I found this special feature about Milt Kahl from Youtube a while ago and I thought it's worth sharing with y'all. It's pretty cool as it focuses on his entire career at Disney, even though I think they skipped talking about Tigger. Oh well, it's still worth the watch.
Oh yeah, there's a small montage of some of the scenes he worked on at the end of part three which I thought was a nice touch.

More things have changed!

2009-09-08T15:31:00.000-07:00

I've gone back and changed some posts as well as upload new videos to Blogger so that all of you faithful followers can watch the cartoons!

The Cat Above...
Tee for Two
Rabbit Transit

Dog Tax Dodgers

2009-09-07T19:09:00.001-07:00

I'm really starting to get into Walter Lantz cartoons. It's probably because almost every one that I've seen has been very cartoony and also appealing to me, not only to look at but also because they're very funny. This cartoon is a good example of what I'm talking about. I thought it was funny just to see Andy Panda and Wally Walrus together in the same picture. They seem to work well together in this cartoon. I wonder if there's more like it?
Pat Matthews' animation is superb as usual and I really like how Andy looks in this era with Dick Lundy.

Andy Panda - Dog Tax Dodgers (1948)
by Cartoonzof2006

Drooler's Delight

2009-09-03T17:59:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite Woody Woodpecker cartoons. No suprise, it also comes form my favorite director from Walter Lantz' studios, Dick Lundy. It's not just the jokes and the really loose animation from Pat Matthews that makes me like Lundy's cartoons. He really seemed to help put Woody at the peak of his cartoon career. I've noticed, not only does Woody look his best with Lundy, but also his voice has better acting to it. Before with people like Shamus Culhane, who also did some good Woody toons, his actor Ben Hardaway seemed to not have too much experience acting. Woody's voice with Culhane and before this cartoon seemed to lack emotion. Here and with other late Lundy cartoons, it's improving. Maybe Hardaway got lessons or something. Who knows?

Anyway, Drooler's Delight is a gem from this era of animation, and it's definitely worth the watch. After this, I think Woody gave a new meaning to "booby traps".

Here's a model sheet drawn by Fred Moore. (I think that's who drew this.)

EDIT: By the way, I've heard that Ed Love was the only one who animated this. He did a great job for being the only animator here!

Woody Woodpecker - Drooler's Delight (1949)
by Cartoonzof2006

The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers!

2009-09-01T19:07:00.000-07:00

In honor of The Tigger Movie being relased on DVD, I felt I could find some old Tigger model sheets at least and post 'em.

I really enjoy Tigger. To me, he has the most color out of all the Pooh characters. He's very egotistical like Chuck Jones' Daffy, but more jolly and fun-loving than the arrogant black duck. Tigger's speech is even funny, supplied by the talented Paul Winchell, who did a few other voices for Disney before he died.
I also think The Tigger Movie is the best of the "newer" Pooh movies. I also noticed that the animation style is reminiscent of the older shorts, especially since there's some pretty rough drawing lines in both films.

Here's a clip of Tigger from Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day animated by Milt Kahl.

Edited Posts

2009-09-01T18:33:00.001-07:00

The title explains all. click on the links to see some cartoons that Dailymotion deleted.

Eatin' on the Cuff
Wild and Wooly Hare
Draftee Daffy

I'll re-post some more later this week. Til then, ttfn!

Wee-Willy Wildcat

2009-08-29T15:56:00.000-07:00

Yup. Willy Wildcat. The meanest kid that ever lived!
Another great Barney Bear cartoon and another fine addition to the Dick Lundy film collection. I feel sorry for poor Barney because he tries everything to bond with the kid, gets practically killed. The end was the payoff of the short.
Yessir, that child psychology really works, don't it?

Barney Bear - Wee-Willy Wildcat (1953)
by Cartoonzof2006

The Bear's Tale

2009-08-29T15:37:00.000-07:00

An early Tex Avery fairy-tale cartoon. I find this cartoon a good attempt at having most of the story's jokes based on narrative break-downs. The papa bear, of course, was my favorite. That hearty laugh (supplied by Avery himself) really knows how to make me laugh, as well as the line, "I know there's no robber! There's just a little girl asleep up there. I read this story last week in Reader's Digest!" The below gag, I heard, has been used in a lot of Benny Hill episodes.
So what does Red Riding Hood have that Goldilocks hasn't?
Well...

Merrie Melodies - The Bear's Tale (1940)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006 - Check out other Film & TV videos.

Buckaroo Bugs

2009-08-17T22:17:00.001-07:00

Man, there's a lot of history with this cartoon. First of all, it was Bug bunny's first Looney Tunes cartoon and the final cartoon produced by Leon Schlesinger during his stay at the Warner Bros.

Buckaroo is also one of Bob Clampett's finest cartoons. There's great animation from Bob McKimson and Rod Scriber to see in this gem, especially near the end when Red Ryder and his horse jump off a canyon cliff. The horse's take in that scene was genius and could only be thought up of by an animator from Clampett's unit. I think it was McKimson, but I'm not sure.

Looney Tunes - Buckaroo Bugs (1944)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006 - Full seasons and entire episodes online.

Cobs and Robbers

2009-08-10T20:10:00.000-07:00

I don't think I ever covered a Barney Bear cartoon before, but here goes...
Now, Barney was made back in 1941 by Rudie Ising. His earliest shorts were kinda Disney-esque, but rather dull to me. His last official cartoons were made in the 50's by Dick Lundy. I think these were the best thatnks to great comic timing. Lundy's cartoons weren't funny on the same level as Tex Avery's, but still laughable.
Cobs and Robbers is actually my favorite one from this era. The wind-up crow bait gag was just hilarious. Don't know who animated it, but combined with Scott Bradley's musical score - genius!
Oh, and look at the card around 1:27! ;)

Barney Bear - Cobs and Robbers (1953)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006 - Full seasons and entire episodes online.

Hare-abian Nights

2009-08-10T20:01:00.000-07:00

Man, it's been a while!

Sorry for the lack of updates lately. Hope this will entertain all you faithful readers.
This is the only cartoon that I know of that was directed by one of Chuck Jones' best animators, Ken Harris. I feel it could have been better, since this is only a "clip-show" type of cartoon. At least we get to see Yosemite Sam drawn the Chuck Jones way. It's a rare find, and that's why I felt I should of posted it.

Merrie Melodies - Hare-abian Nights (1959)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006 - Check out other Film & TV videos.

Pluto and the Armadillo

2009-06-05T21:30:00.000-07:00

I just got into watching Disney films again. I gotta say, some of them are pretty impressive. Sure, they're no Warner Bros. cartoons, but these films have real craftsmanship. True art in motion. Wonderful animation. Lively music.

Anyway, this one isn't very remarkable. I'm not really a big Pluto fan, but this cartoon was really cute. I also really like the theme music for the armadillo when it's walking. It's a nice way to kill off 7 minutes.

From what I heard, Pluto and the Armadillo was supposed to have been in the movie, Saludos Amigos, but ended up being cut from the final film due to time constraints. Well, I'm glad they finished it instead of abandoning the idea.

Below are some really cool sketches by Frank Thomas.

Pluto and the Armadillo (1943)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006 - Full seasons and entire episodes online.

The Mouse on 57th Street

2009-03-23T18:43:00.000-07:00

In honor of the new Chuck Jones documentary and marathon on tonight on TMC, I thought I'd post this underrated feature directed by Mr. Jones.

This cartoon has the honor of being the last Warner Bros cartoon written by Mike Maltese. It's really hard to find and just as hard to see on TV. I think I only saw it once on Cartoon Network before I rediscovered it on YouTube.

Anyway, this is one of Chuck's best and most unique cartoons he did at Warner Bros. I don't think he ever made another short like this during his career.

Merrie Melodies - The Mouse On 57th Street (1961)
by Cartoonzof2006

Foxy by Proxy

2009-03-10T18:54:00.000-07:00

What Friz Freling lacks in animation quality, he makes up for with really funny cartoons, like this one. Foxy is definitely one of my favorite Bugs Bunny cartoons directed by Freling. The train track scene always leaves me howling wth laughter! I swear, It also looks like one of Bob McKimson's animators did a scene on this one. It's the scene where Bugs tries to lose the other hunting dogs after the stupid one caught the train. If I'm wrong let me know.

Here's some good drawings from the cartoon. A little light on the lines, though...

Merrie Melodies - Foxy by Proxy (1952)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

Woodsman, Spare That Tree

2009-03-02T15:34:00.000-08:00

I'd like to drift away from all the big animation studios for a minute to talk about a wonderful, under-rated and rarely seen series of cartoons: the Fox and Crow cartoons from Columbia pictures. These are real gems from the golden Age and rarely ever talked about, even by today's big shots of the business.

I like that the whole series, like Tom and Jerry or the Coyote and Roadrunner, revolves around the chemistry between two different characters except that they aren't out to kill each other. The characters go well together, and never needed a third supporting character to make it work. I don't think they ever did.

Anyway, the example I'm showing you is the second one of this two-dozen titled series and my personal favorite out of all of them. I can't really say anything bad about this one. The backgrounds are amazing and the animation is the best of the series. I heard Emery Hawkins animated at least two scenes in this, but I bet he did more judging by some of the drawings and the way the Fox looks and moves. Also, the voices really fit the characters better than the first cartoon, The Fox and the Grapes to me. Here, they're voiced by Frank Graham and Paul Frees (God love them both!) respectively versus the first one where both were performed by Mel Blanc. (the greatest voice actor ever!) No offence to Blanc lovers, but Graham and Frees portray the pair better.

I also like the music and how the beginning of almost each one is introduced by a Johann Strauss waltz and makes up the bulk of the score. In this one, it's Künstlerleben (An Artist's Life), Op. 316.

Any who, take a look for yourself and see what I'm talking about. Feel free to comment if you like it. :)

Fox & Crow - Woodsman, Spare That Tree (1942)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

Jumpin' Jupiter

2009-03-02T15:31:00.001-08:00

My favorite Porky and Sylvester cartoon. I love the way Chuck draws Sylvester in his cartoons. It's the best one to me next to Clampett's version. Jumpin' Jupiter has amazing backgrounds, funny jokes, and a good story with some good animation. Also, one of the instant martians from Hare-Way to the Stars makes an appearance.

Merrie Melodies - Jumpin' Jupiter (1955)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

Nelly's Folly

2009-03-02T15:28:00.000-08:00

A rather Disney-esque version of One Froggy Evening, but still worth a watch or two. That giraffe's vocals are golden! Was also nominated for an Academy Award.

Merrie Melodies - Nelly's Folly
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

All the Cats Join In

2008-12-28T19:18:00.001-08:00

Eye and ear candy is the best way to describe this short from Make Mine Music. This Disney short is the jazziest cartoon I've ever seen. I'm not sure who directed it, but I do know that Fred Moore is the primary animator. He has a very appealing style of drawing girls here. (Not that I'm perverted or anything...)

The music is really what sets the cartoon in stone for me. Benny Goodman is one of my favorite jazz musicians and he was definitely a good pick for this short.

Below are some of the drawings by Fred Moore.

Make Mine Music - All the Cats Join In (1946)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

Pluto's Christmas Tree

2008-12-24T18:37:00.000-08:00

This cartoon is pretty cute. It has good animation as usual, cute story, ect.
The thing about Pluto's Christmas Tree is that it has very beautiful backgrounds, especially during the scene where Chip and Dale look around their newly decorated home.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Ramadan, or whatever holiday it is you celebrate! And may your every New Year dream come true!

Mickey Mouse - Pluto's Christmas Tree (1952)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

Tiger Trouble

2008-12-11T16:21:00.000-08:00

The best of the Goofy cartoons. Period.

Like a lot of Jack Kinney's cartoons, this one has a Warner Bros feel to it. The music's very jazzy, the animation is close if not a little better, and the gags are hilarious!

Speaking of animation, Milt Kahl did this short, too! He did most of the animation on the tiger here. His animation of the big cat wrestling with Goofy is priceless! It's very fluid, solid, and very funny. Just the things that animation is all about!

Here's some sketches by Bill Beet, too.

Goofy - Tiger Trouble (1945)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

Lake Titicaca

2008-12-11T15:12:00.000-08:00

This short Donald Duck cartoon is actually form the 1943 film Saludos Amigos

I posted this one due to my recent interest of Milt Kahl's great contributions to Disney. He really was a great animator with amazing drawings. Kahl was a very good draftsmen as well as one of my heroes. He really sets high standards for his work and achieves it better than just "okay". Here, he animates the scene with Donald and the llama on the suspension bridge as well as the scene before with the llama.

Other than Kahl's work, the backgrounds are terrific and the gags are cute as well. Enjoy this one 'cause there's more where that came from! :)

Donald Duck - Lake Titicaca (1943)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

Hippety Hopper

2008-11-04T17:29:00.000-08:00

I just got into watching Robert McKimson cartoons more, and I must say that his early directing attempts were certainly better than what would come later. I find McKimson an adequate director, but that's only because he really was just an animator at heart.

His early cartoons he directed had very fun and fluid animation, and the cartoons with the very silent character, Hippety Hopper, are good examples of what I'm talking about. Hippety may not be as cute as he was later, but then again McKimson wasn't about cute.

I thought it was great watching Sylvester's reactions to the baby kangaroo and the dog trying to help him out. The ending was a real knee-slapper, too! I'll also post more McKimson cartoons later, so enjoy this one for now.

Merrie Melodies - Hippity Hopper (1949)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

Here's another great Hippety cartoon, Pop in Pop!

Merrie Melodies - Pop 'im Pop! (1950)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

Nothing But the Tooth

2008-11-04T17:23:00.000-08:00

Another Davis short put up by request. There's not much to say about this one except the wonderful animation again by Bill Melendez, Emery Hawkins, Basil Davidovitch, and more.
The Indian here is an okay character, but it's funny how he's portrayed as well.

Looney Tunes - Nothing But the Tooth (1948)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

Mexican Joyride

2008-10-26T18:14:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my friend Kevin Langley, I just adore Art Davis cartoons. I speak for most of us when I say that Davis was an extremely underrated director. Where jokes fail in his cartoons, animation quality makes it up. "Mexican Joyride" is definitely his best short. It's just too funny for me to pass up! The animation is also just superb with talents like Bill Melendez and the great Emery Hawkins under his wing.

I'll probably post more Davis shorts later, but for now, enjoy his masterpiece work.

Looney Tunes - Mexican Joyride (1947)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

Hare-um Scare-um

2008-10-21T17:53:00.000-07:00

The third appearance of Bugs Bunny. It's also the first time he's been colored gray as well as recieving his name from the model sheets. This one's actually my favorite of all the proto-Bugs shorts. The jokes always leave me laughing, the characters are great, the animation's good, and the musical score (By legend Carl Stalling) fits well with the picture.

Below is a model sheet of this Bugs and the cartoon itself.

Merrie Meleodies - Hare-Um Scare-Um (1939)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

The Barber of Seville

2008-10-12T17:56:00.000-07:00

The first cartoon with the redesigned Woody Woodpecker as well as one of the best Woody cartoons ever. There's also wonderful animation from Verne Harding, Les Kline, Pat Mathews, and of course, Emery Hawkins. I also love the aria Woody sings at the end of the cartoon.

Would you trust this guy with a razor?

Woodey Woodpecker - The Barber Of Seville (1944)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

Jerky Turkey

2008-10-11T17:29:00.000-07:00

Another funny Tex 'toon.

This is one of the few cartoons that Tex directed that wound up in the public domain, and I thought it was wonderful to see I found a high-quality video of the whole thing in English!! A good one to watch on Thanksgiving, don't ya think?

Aside from that, there's still wonderful animation done by Preston Blair and many others as well as the story being done by Heck Allen.

MGM - Jerky Turkey (1945)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

Slap Happy Lion

2008-10-11T15:44:00.000-07:00

One of the best from Tex Avery. I think this is the one short with the most gags thrown into it, making it one of the most outrageous shorts Tex and his crew ever did. After all, what's more silly than a lion being afraid of a little mouse?

MGM - Slap Happy Lion (1947)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

The Aracuan Bird

2008-08-23T18:50:00.000-07:00

Yep. I'm back again! I just got a job a few months ago, so I haven't been able to post as often as I would like to. Here's something just for the sake of something new.

One of my favorite Disney characters is the rare Aracuan Bird featured in two classic Donald Duck shorts, Clown of the Jungle (1947), and a segment on Melody Time called Blame it on the Samba (1948) where in both shorts is voiced by the great Pinto Colveg. I love this guy because there's definitely some Tex Avery influence on him. It's a shame that he didn't come back for more shorts than this since he's such a fun character. Below is a model sheet form Blame it on the Samba and the cartoon, Clown of the Jungle.

Hammy Model Sheet

2008-06-22T19:07:00.000-07:00

This is one of those rare posts where I examine modern cartoons. There's a handfull of those that intrigue me, and this model sheet from Dreamwork's Over the Hedge is one of them. After seeing this model sheet and several others, I came to the conclusion that the movie would have looked better if it was animated traditionally instead of computers. Below is a model sheet of the character Hammy. He looks a lot cuter here than he did in the final project.

I want my COOKIES!!!

Prest-O Change-O

2008-06-06T15:15:00.001-07:00

The first colored bugs Bunny cartoon and the first directed by Chuck Jones. Chuck did a lot of Disney-esqe 'toons from the 1930's, which is when this was made. The same rabbit is back, this time colored white, quieter, and just as crazy! Oh, yes, did I mention he does magic tricks too?

Visit this site for more pictures: http://duck-walk.blogspot.com/2006/05/more-magic-from-that-crazy-white.html

Merrie Melodies - Prest-O Change-O (1939)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

Porky's Hare Hunt

2008-06-06T15:06:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to do a post on this one for a while, so here I go.

The Very first Bugs Bunny cartoon. At first created by Ben Hardaway, this rabit was quite different from Bugs even though they're one in the same. This hyperactive rabbit is a lot less calm than bugs and here, his first foe was actually Porky Pig! Later on this little white rabbit will evolve into a grey, cool hare.
Oh yes, let's not forget his laugh and voice. It's a lot like Woody Woodpecker's, isn't it?

Musical Moments from Chopin

2008-06-06T14:46:00.000-07:00

One superb musical cartoon. I'm a sucker for cartoons timed to music, and at the Walter Lantz studio, no one does it better than ex-disney animator Dick Lundy. He really knew how to time actions with music. I think Lundy may have been in charge of the "Musical Minatures" series. This one in particular has various pieces from classical pianist Frédéric Chopin instead of focusing on just one piece of music.

Musical Minatures - Musical Moments from Chopin (1946)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

Kaa Model Sheets

2008-06-03T13:43:00.000-07:00

In case you're wondering, I find snakes the hardest animals to draw in cartoons. It's not body composition, believe me, that's the easy part! It's getting the head to look right is what's so hard about drawing them! To help myself out, I found some model sheets of Kaa the python from Walt Disney's The Jungle Book (1967). They're good resources to learn how to draw snakes(especially the second one for heads!)

Before you ask, I am a Wolfgang Reitherman fan (That's who directed The Jungle Book). His style of drawing and directing really just captivates me. In my opinion, he actually did the best cartoons for Disney in the 1960's. His drawings are rather almost like Chuck Jones' drawings to me.

More snake heads:This one above has a good angle to work with.

My God, that's a big snake!!!!

Pecos Pest

2008-05-23T13:47:00.000-07:00

Very hilarious! Jerry's uncle Pecos makes a great one-shot character. I'm not sure who does his voice, though it sounds like Stan Freberg.

I'm not sure why, but these facial expressions just crack me up (especially the middle one!). Maybe it's out of knowing Tom's fear of Uncle Pecos.

Tom and Jerry - Pecos Pest (1955)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

The Cat Above and the Mouse Below

2008-05-20T13:47:00.001-07:00

My favorite Tom and Jerry from the Chuck jones era. To start, the character designs are pretty good. I prefer Tom's old look from the H-B years, though. I mean he just looks too cuddly in these cartoons to be Tom. Then again, the Boris Karloff-eyebrows are pretty cool.
However, I adore Jerry's new look. He's just so cuddly, I wanna hug him! In fact, one of the characters I created has his look based on this version of Jerry. I'll get to posting his pictures once I get a scanner.

The music's great in this one, and Jerry's aria at the end always makes me smile.

Tee for Two

2008-05-20T13:34:00.000-07:00

Another favorite of mine from the Tom and Jerry filmography. I think people who play golf will really like this short. I happen to know some people who golf like Tom, too. Unfortunatly, I'm one of them!

These are some great backgrounds painted by Robert Gentle from Klangley's site. Thanks, buddy! :)

Rabbit Transit

2008-05-19T15:59:00.000-07:00

The last, but certainly the least, of the "Tortoise vs. Hare" bugs cartoons. Friz Freling tried to make the theme of Bugs vs. Cecil more down-to-earth for this one. Well it worked.

Now don't get me wrong, I thought this one is funny, but it doesn't have the energy and fun of the previous two shorts. Anyway, watch it here:

Tortoise Wins by a Hare

2008-05-19T15:44:00.000-07:00

Out of all of the "Tortoise vs. Hare" Bugs bunny shorts, this one is the best one. directed by the ever-so vunedvah Bob Clampett! There's a lot of great jokes in this one as well as fluid directional control and beautiful scenes animated by Rod Scribner.

A model sheet of Cecil. I like his new hat. Wonder why they didn't use it...

I think Clampett may have had a fetish for suicide gags.

Anyway, here's the toon so you can watch, too! :)

Merrie Melodies - Tortoise Wins by a Hare (1943)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

Tortoise Beats Hare

2008-05-19T15:36:00.000-07:00

Ah yes. This one was posted on request, but I actually meant to post this one anyway. This was Tex Avery's 2nd Bugs Bunny cartoon after his sucessful "A Wild Hare". Now it's here where an extra dimension of Bug's personality unfolds: if you put the heckling hare into a situation that he isn't in control of, like here, then Bugs will turn into the heckled and in the end, tries to figure out just how and why he lost.

Now here's a model sheet from Tex's department by Bob Givens (I think).

Here's the cartoon.

Merrie Melodies - Tortoise Beats Hare (1941)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

Robin Hood Daffy

2008-05-13T14:26:00.000-07:00

In my book, the best Porky and Daffy cartoon ever. Ever. This one is just hilarious. A real golden oldie. The violence and action-reaction gagas were what made this work. Plus, I'm a big Chuck Jones fan. Just watch and see why.

Merrie Melodies - Robin Hood Daffy (1958)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

The Adventures of Daff-bot and Pork-stello

2008-05-13T14:16:00.000-07:00

Sorry for that incredibily lame pun.

Aside from that, this post is about the partnership between Daffy Duck and Porky Pig. It almost seems like they were MADE just to be partners. Perhaps it's just because thier personalities are so diffreent from each other that they go well together. After all, opposites attract! :)

It all started in 1937 with Tex Avery's film, Porky's Duck Hunt. This film was one of Tex's gems when he worked at Warner Bros. This was the first time Porky and Daffy had been together as well as Daffy's first cartoon.

Porky's Duck Hunt (1937)
Uploaded by voiceman91

(Yeah, I didn't post this, but I'm just using it as an example.)

After Tex, Bob Clampett was the next director to try out this odd couple. The relationship between duck and pig always changed with directors. In the case of Bob Clampett, they're acquantances or good friends. Here to represent this are two Clampett toons, The Daffy Doc and Tick Tock Tuckered.

Looney Tunes - The Daffy Doc (1938)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

Merrie Melodies - Tick Tock Tuckered (1944)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

Even though Robert McKimson had alot of Clampett's ideas when he became a director, his ideas with Porky and Daffy's partnership was far diffrent. The two are usually casted as enemies or they just don't like each other. Daffy Doodles, McKimson's first cartoon he directed, is a good example of this rivalry.

Merrie Melodies - Daffy Doodles (1946)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

Finally there's Chuck Jones. Jones usually casted them as friendly partners, but he usually made Daffy the star of these cartoons instead of Porky. Daffy still retains a little daffiness for these shorts while Porky was downgraded to an eager sidekick or just a calm sarcastic one. They also parodied a lot of movie genres with Jones, form westerns to science fiction. Here are a couple of these cartoons, Deduce, You Say, Rocket Squad, and Duck Dodgers.

Looney Tunes - Deduce You Say (1956)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

Merrie Melodies - Rocket Squad (1956)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

Duck Dodgers In The 24th1/2 Century
Uploaded by Renaki

Tex Avery: Father of National Geographic

2008-04-29T15:09:00.000-07:00

When Tex Avery worked for Warner Bros., he often did cartoons that involved poking fun at travelouge and nature films with sight jokes and puns galore. Here are some examples of what I'm talking about.

Merrie Melodies - Detouring America (1939)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

Merrie Melodies - Cross Country Detours (1940)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

Tex Avery filmfest

2008-04-29T14:57:00.000-07:00

Tex Avery is definitly my favortite cartoon director, reaching the peak of his career while working for MGM studios. He did many one-shot shorts for MGM, doing very few shorts with star characters since he felt what you do with the character was more important. Anyway, here are some shorts he did while at MGM. You may learn a thing or two from him.

MGM - The Early Bird Dood It! (1942)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

MGM - One Ham's Family (1943)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

MGM - Batty Baseball (1944)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

MGM - Hound Hunters (1947)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

MGM - King-Size Canary (1947)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

Droopy - Wags to Riches (1949)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

MGM - Magical Maestro (1952)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

MGM - The Flea Circus (1954)
Uploaded by Cartoonzof2006

Wild and Woolly Hare

2008-04-27T19:18:00.000-07:00

Just a Bugs Bunny cartoon I posted at someone's request. It's a lot of fun to watch, so enjoy!