I have posted my last set of grades for the semester. Free at last, free at last! Now it is right on to Christmas. Speaking of which the ASIFA-Hollywood party was great. Couple hundred animators or so hanging out and talking about animation. I sang a few verses of Deck us all with Boston Charley to Rita Street, hung out with old friends, met new friends, proudly introduced around some of my students that were smart enough to get my message on networking.

I know I said that I would talk a little on the Brad Bird screening at a later date. (This being that later date) I lied. I re-read the stuff over on Animated News and they cover all the bases.

What I will do is pass on some insights from my History of Animation students from Cal State Fullerton. On the final I asked them to give me their favorite fun fact that they got from the class. Here is a sampling of their answers:

• The voice of Boris Badinou was a narc (Paul Frees was not just a voice actor he was also an FBI Special Agent on the Hollywood narcotics squad)

• I learned that there is a Dark Side of the animation history. All the breach of contracts, the strikes, and the backstabbing. I also like the guest speakers that came.

• I`m not sure its really a fact but having Tom Sito come and speak on the strikes really gave us an opportunity to get an insiders point of view. I`ll never forget his pro union speech.

• The guest lecturers, I really enjoyed Tom Sito. I`d write down the paint lady`s name but I forgot what it was. (Martha Sigall)

• Learning about how the industry really works and that the Disney company wasn`t all happy and wonderful as they claimed to be.

• The animation industry was brutally serious! Walt Disney was not as heroic as I thought!

• Flintstones advertised cigarettes!

• That Betty Boop used to be a dog. (Betty was originally designed as a girlfriend for a cartoon dog named Bimbo back when Bimbo meant a tough or gangster)

• I really enjoyed seeing the cartoons that the animation studios and film companies deny ever making. The guest speakers were also amazing.

• All the back stabbing that goes on in this industry. Awesome. Also, I am a new fan of Karl Zeman. I need to get my hands on to Baron Munchhousen.

• Animation does not have to be done by Disney to kick ass! Hertzfeldt rocks! (I showed Rejected in class)

• That Walt Disney was not as charming as I thought he would be. He was a grumpy guy who many animators had mixed feeling about. Walt took things very personally like the strike but at times he can be a sweet man like when he paid for the hospital bills of one of his workers. (Walt left Al Zinnen on the payroll for a year and a half when Al was dying. He also paid for Al`s funeral. * source, Al`s nephew, one of my former students)

• That Speedy Gonzales was based off the animator Frank Gonzales.

• I was most fascinated by the pre Disney portion of the class. I learned a lot that I had not known before taking this course. I think it is good for animators and other in the same field to learn and know as much as possible about the history and heritage of the medium.

A little insight of my own. Students take the truth about Walt so hard because Walt was so good at playing the character Uncle Walt. When students see that Walt was human, they have a hard time forgiving him. I try and try to show the good and even great side to one of the most important figures in American animation history but students can not forgive him for not being all good, all kind, Uncle Walt. It is like I killed the Easter Bunny or something.
  ¶ 9:25 AM