Archive: Disney's Uncle Remus Stories 1949 Today, we began digitizing an amazing Giant Golden Book from 1949...



Illustration: Disney's Uncle Remus Stories 1949

Thanks for your support.

Stephen Worth
Director
ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive  ¶ 7:54 PM

  I have been gravely remiss in my writings to these pages as of late. I must plead work overload. Too many big events in the planning.

This Saturday one of those events that I have had a small part in planning will be happening.

The Afternoon of Remembrance

Saturday,
February 3, 2007
Food and refreshments, 1 pm * Memoriams, 2 pm
Hollywood Heritage Museum (Lasky-DeMille Barn)
2100 N. Highland (across from Hollywood Bowl), Hollywood
The Afternoon is free of charge and is open to all; no RSVPs necessary.

This is a very meaningful and enjoyable event. And to all you starving animators out there the food is very good.
Larry Loc (ASIFA Blog Guy)  ¶ 7:19 AM

  Will Vinton Signs on for Stop Mo Expo:

Will Vinton (California Raisins and my fav, The Great Incognito) has graciously signed on for the ASIFA-Hollywood Stop Mo Expo taking place at Woodbury Univeristy on April 21st. It is good to have him on board. For more details on this even check the Stop Mo web page http://www.asifa-hollywood.org/blog/stopmo/index.html

Larry Loc (ASIFA Blog Guy)  ¶ 9:32 AM

  I have finished my voting for the Annie Awards. It worked nicely after a hiccup with the network at one of the schools I teach at and way too much security on the school`s server. It was nice to only have to trek into
LA for one Annie screening (the shorts are only excerpts). Make sure that you get your ballot in on time.

The final list is out for the Afternoon of Remembrance. The good news is that we are down 7 people from last year. If you have never been to this event you are missing out on a lot of amazing stories about a lot of amazing people.

The Animation Guild, ASIFA Hollywood and Women In Animation present:

AN AFTERNOON OF REMEMBRANCE

a non-denominational celebration of departed friends from our animation community:

Joe Barbera * Dawn Benedict * Ed Benedict * Nicolette Bonnell * Halerian Borowczyk * Harvey Bullock * Marlene Burkhart * Kimie Calvert * Brad Case * Elizabeth Case Zwicker * John Collins * Suzi Dalton * Barbara Dayyan * Gloria Estrada * Blanche Germanetti Phifer * Peter Hawkins * Chris Hayward * Edward Herskovitz * Thomas Hickson * Libby Hilberman * Rin Inumaru * Tony Jay * Patrick Kenney * Don Knotts * Pavel Koutecky * Bill Kovacs * Bill Lorencz * Dennis Marks * Norm McCabe * John McCartney *
Donna Paiker * Bob Papenbrook * Sid Raymond * Lloyd Rees * Tim
Rooney * Joe Simon * Terry Smith * Helen Soule * Maureen Stapleton * Jan Svochak * Alex Toth * Myron Waldman * Shirley Walker * Dennis Weaver * Lennie Weinrib Robert "Tiger" West * Shelley Winters * Berny Wolf

Saturday,
February 3, 2007
Food and refreshments, 1 pm * Memoriams, 2 pm
Hollywood Heritage Museum (Lasky-DeMille Barn)
2100 N. Highland (across from Hollywood Bowl), Hollywood
The Afternoon is free of charge and is open to all; no RSVPs necessary.

The Afternoon Of Remembrance will honor those in the animation community who passed away in 2006. Sheila Brown, Steve Krantz and Iwao Takamoto will be honored at the Afternoon of Remembrance in 2008.

Larry Loc (ASIFA Blog Guy)  ¶ 7:47 AM

  Archive: Maxfield Parrish's Arabian Nights Today, we digitized illustrations from a 1909 book by illustrator, Maxfield Parrish...



Illustration: Maxfield Parrish's Arabian Nights 1909

We're issuing a call for help for all of the friends and supporters of the ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive to assist us in making it possible to have the archive open full time. Please see our Call For Help Page to find out what you can do.

Thanks
Stephen Worth
Director
ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive  ¶ 6:06 PM

  Archive: Annie Award Book Ad Antran Manoogian, the President of ASIFA-Hollywood, asked me to write an article for the Annie Award program book reporting on all the great things the Archive Project has achieved in the past year. I asked him if I could tell the story in pictures, rather than words. Here is the image that will be running full page in the book...

  ¶ 8:42 PM

  Archive: Dan Gordon's Superkat Today, we posted a comic story by Dan Gordon featuring Superkatt...



Comics: Dan Gordon's Superkatt

Check it out...

Thanks
Stephen Worth
Director
ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive  ¶ 7:28 PM

  One of the people at last night`s Stop Mo Expo planning meeting was Robyn Yannoukos. Robyn is a UCLA Animation student who has completed a stop motion short entitled Africa Parting. She gave me a copy of the DVD and I have already watched it 4 times. Robyn is off to Slam Dance where her film has been accepted.


Great little pantomime animation with a great animaiton model a original sound track and a real storyline. The web site is: http://www.africaparting.com/

Larry Loc (ASIFA Blog Guy)  ¶ 12:22 PM

  Meetings and Meetings:

First off, our thoughts go out to Annette O`Neil who had to fly home on an urgent family emergency yesterday. She had a meeting scheduled for Annie Awards volunteers last night at Woodbury University. She sent out an email about 11am that most people did not get so I stepped in and did what I could to cover her part of the meeting. Annette, I have a list of volunteer names for you when you get back on your emotional feet. To all the volunteers that were thrown for a loop by the last minute unavoidable change of plans, Annette will be rescheduling as soon as she gets back. We will keep you posted.

The Stop Mo Expo planning session went very well. We had about 15 working stop motion professionals and 7 or 8 students and volunteers as well as 2 representatives of Woodbury University. Things are shaping up. I will be writing up my notes over the weekend and putting finishing touches on the schedule coming out of this planning session.


Larry Loc (ASIFA Blog Guy)  ¶ 7:40 AM

  Someone Needs to Educate the Educators:

I was all over Burbank yesterday. First at Woodbury Universay, then at the Smokehouse for a meeting of the Afternoon of Remembrance Committee then at the Archives and Finally at DreamWorks for the Screening of the Annie Shorts.

In my travels I got in a discussion with a fellow animation teacher. On the first day of class this teacher forces every student in his beginning animation class to do an action line with all of the extremes for a short animation, then he has them transfer their extremes to single sheets and finally he has them film the animation on 8s as a pose reel.

This is day one. Then on day two he makes them log in their animation on Layer 1 of an exposure sheet. He reviews all of they work. Any changes needed go on Layer 2 of the X-Sheet with an R in front of the frame number. The revised number goes on the new frame. Then inbetweens are worked out on layer 3 of the X-Sheet before they are drawn.

This is a brilliant lesson plan. But then this guy has 50 years in the business. He has an Emmy. Internet Movie Database is filled with page after page on screen credits. He is a member of the academy and serves on several Oscar committees. He is the highest student rated teacher at his school. And he is in danger of losing his job because he doesn`t have a Master`s degree. Damn it, he is a Master Animator, he doesn`t need no stinkin` piece of paper.

I teach in another school with a guy that has the piece of paper, the Master`s degree in animation. This other guy, with his piece of paper, has never worked in animation and does not animation and he can`t teach his way out of a wet paper bag. But he has the the damn piece of paper. I am all of the time teaching his students the simplest things about animation, the law of thirds and holds and smear cells and basic walk cycles.

Who would you want teaching you animation?

Not to worry about the Master Animator without a Master`s degree. If his small for profit school is dumb enough to ever let him go I can place him in any number of major Universities in a heartbeat. And I will. This is the type of teacher we need training the next generation. The majors don`t have to play the stupid accreditation games that are behind this bean counter nightmare. The majors have all the PhDs on staff that they need to meet their accreditation nut and are therefore free to hire real talent when they are lucky enough to find it. (/RANT)

Larry Loc (ASIFA Blog Guy)  ¶ 7:04 AM

  Archive: Milton Knight's Great Brown-Pericord Motor Today, we digitized a story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, illustrated by the talented cartoonist, Milton Knight...



Comics: Milton Knight's Great Brown-Pericord Motor

The complete 16 page story is available on the Archive blog now. Check it out.

Stephen Worth
Director
ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive  ¶ 8:18 PM

  A New Dress, Lost Childhood & Access:

The great hunt is over at long last. I can breathe easy. Every year my wife goes out hunting for a new outfit for the Annes grumbling under her breath about how unfair woman`s clothing is and I keep a real low profile and try not to mention that I will be wearing the same tuxedo that I have worn for the last couple of years.



Yesterday I hit the thrift shops on my weekly rounds looking for used videos and managed to score Davey and Goliath. Also found a He-Man and one of the saddest things on the use video racks, someone`s home movies from 1953. It is even sadder than the thrift store trophies to the world`s greatest dad or greatest teacher. These kids grew up as teenages in the 60s but someone throw out their childhood.



Sad! Of course I can`t figure out how anybody can turn loose of all of these rare animation videos. I`m just glad that they do.

I got my access code and password for the online Annie voting in the mail yesterday. If you have not received yours it should be in the mailbox Tuesday or Thursday. What I like about the on line voting concept is that everything is there and you know for sure that the people casting their ballots have seen what they are voting for. It doesn`t hurt to cut down on the mileage into LA either.

See you the Annie Shorts screening at DreamWorks on Tuesday.


Larry Loc (ASIFA Blog Guy)  ¶ 5:02 PM

  Archive: Lotte Reiniger's Adventures of Prince Achmed 1926 Today, we digitized a rare portfolio of prints from Lotte Reiniger's "Adventures of Prince Achmed" (1926)...




Filmography: Reiniger's Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926)]

I'll post more beautiful images from the first animated feature soon...

Stephen Worth
Director
ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive  ¶ 8:07 PM

  ASIFA REMINDER Week of Jan. 15th:

Tuesday Jan. 16th: Annie Awards Short Nominees Screening

VIEW THE ANNIE AWARDS NOMINEES in the Best Animated Short Subject Category:

(The full shorts will not be on the Annie voting site so you need to come to this event if you wish to do a good job of voting in this category)

• Adventure Time (Nickelodeon)
  
• Fumi and the Bad Luck Foot (Thunderbean Animation)
  
• No Time For Nuts (Blue Sky Studios)
  
• Weird Al Yankovic - Don`t Download This Song (Acme Filmworks)
  

When: Tuesday, January 16, 2007 at 7:00pm
Where: DreamWorks Animation - 1000 Flower Street - Glendale, CA 91201

Please RSVP with your full name and guest name to publicity@asifa-hollywood.org no later than Monday 01/15/07 . Seating is limited.


For more information about the Annie Awards including ticket purchase, visit www.AnnieAwards.com

--------------------------------------

Annie Online Voting:


Dear ASIFA-Hollywood Member,

At the recommendation of our voting company, balloting for the 34th Annual Annie Awards shall begin on Tuesday, January 16, 2007, instead of Monday, January 15, 2007, as previously announced.

Our apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused.

As a reminder, for the first time in Annie history, all voting for the 34th Annual Annie Awards will be cast online rather than by mail. Members will receive their login information and instructions by mail very shortly.

ASIFA-Hollywood

--------------------------------------

ASIFA Stop Mo Expo Planning Session:

A planning session for the upcoming Stop Mo Expo will take place on:

Wednesday, January 17th
Room D104 Design Center
Woodbury University Campus
7500 N Glenoaks Blvd
Burbank , CA 91504
at 8:00 pm [right after the 7:30 Annie Volunteers Committee Meeting]


Larry Loc (ASIFA Blog Guy)  ¶ 8:09 AM

  Archive: Canemaker on Tytla Part Two Today, we posted the conclusion of John Canemaker's article on Bill Tytla...



You can find the article at...

Biography: Bill Tytla Part One
Biography: Bill Tytla Part Two

On Saturday, I will post some clips of Tytla's underappreciated animation for Terrytoons.

Thanks
Stephen Worth
Director
ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive  ¶ 5:54 PM

  Archive: Ren & Stimpy Big House Blues Storyboard Today, we posted the third section of the storyboard to the pilot episode of the original Ren & Stimpy Show, Big House Blues...



Story: Ren & Stimpy Big House Blues Seq. 03

In case you missed them...

Big House Blues Seq. 01
Big House Blues Seq. 02

Thanks
Stephen Worth
Director
ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive  ¶ 12:47 AM

  Blessed are the mentors for they give back to the ages:

I got into a discussion of Pulp illustration yesterday with Mark Kausler and we got on the subject of Harry A. Chesler, the 30s comic book publisher. I had the fortune to know Harry in the late 70s when I was at the Kubert School. Harry was the guy that gave Joe Kubert his start when Joe was a 12 year old that showed up at every comic book studio in New York every week looking for work.

After Joe had come in to Harry`s studio every week for months on end Harry finally made a deal with him. Harry paid Joe`s daily subway fare and Joe came in to the studio after school and hang out and learned from the artists. Once Joe got good enough Harry started paying him. Joe started drawing moons in the back of other artists pages. And the rest, as they say, is history. Harry was always a supporter of young art talent.

Chesler was the patron of my friend John Totleben, which lets you know what an amazing artist Totleben was at 19 because no one, I mean no one, had an art patron in the late 70s. Harry had John doing illustrations of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam with no real plan of printing the book. It was more of a way for Harry to art direct John`s talents.

I remember the day that Harry opened up the giant chest that was the center piece in his living room. Out came Leyendeckers by the score and Rockwells (which Harry didn`t think much of) and a who`s who of other 30s illustrators. I remember seeing a St John and a number of lesser know 30s artists of real talent. It was one of those times when I wished that my eyes were cameras. There was too much to see.

Harry`s collection went to Fairleigh Dickinson University. John`s Rubaiyat illustrations are spread to the winds. Harry is long gone but he lives on in the artists he helped along the way. I just wish I could remember all the art I saw that one day in Harry Chesler`s living room.

Larry Loc (ASIFA Blog Guy)  ¶ 2:36 PM

  Archive: Carlo Vinci's Temperamental Lion 1940 Today, we scanned some Terrytoons model sheets on loan to us from the family of Carlo Vinci...



...and posted one of Vinci's greatest cartoons, "The Temperamental Lion" (1940).



Filmography: The Temperamental Lion 1940

Check it out!

Thanks
Stephen Worth
Director
ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive  ¶ 8:42 PM

  Ralphs Card Correction Please note that the correct organization number for the Ralphs card fundraiser is...

83902

We are listed as International Animated Film Society. If you used the number previously posted here, please re-register.

Thanks!  ¶ 2:41 PM

  Christmas Reading:



Just getting into some of the books that I got for Christmas. My current nightstand favorite is Pulp Art by Robert Lesser. The artwork is lavish and the text is sharp and astutely penetrating (in light of the subject matter of the cover images let me state that no pun was initially intended).

I came to the Pulps in the mid 60s through the reprints of The Shadow, Fu Manchu, Doc Savage (the great James Bama covers of the repackaged 60s paperbacks are still the pride of my paperback shelf), Tarzan, John Carter of Mars and H.P. Lovecraft. I love the writing and the art. It is so alive.

My mentor, Tex Blaisdell, started a Pulp humor magazine in the late 30s or early 40s in New York City that had such shockingly sexy covers that the second printing was pulled from the news-stands by the police. (the first printing sold out in hours). Unknown to Tex his little flowering publishing empire was being backed as a tax write off and was killed off for being too successful.

The summer movies that drive pop culture today were born in the Pulps as were the comics that I cut my teeth on. Lesser does an amazing job. Pulp Art is $14.60 at Amazon. It is well worth it for any follower of visual storytelling.
Pulp Art - Robert Lesser





A Single image tells a complete story. True masterworks of the storytelling art. Lesser makes the very strong point that the Pulp covers are the highest form of true Amarican art because it is the art on the people not the art of the elite.

Larry Loc (ASIFA Blog Guy)  ¶ 9:06 AM

  Giving Without Pain:



You know those cards that hang from you key chain. The ones from the supermarket. The ones that get you a discount on your groceries at the same time that they are feeding all your shopping habits to the evil planning spies in the basement at the world headquarters of supermarket chain without a need for a court order from a judge. Sorry, health hippie paranoia rearing its head. I use the cards, I`m a teacher I need the savings. And they do save money so I knowing let them track my spending habits and just hope they don`t go after tofu eaters as the next great treat to world peace.

Now there is a better reason to get one of those Ralphs cards. You can attach it to ASIFA-Hollywood and Ralphs will donate money to ASIFA-Hollywood through their Community Contribution program and the money will help us to keep all the magic alive at the Archives and the Annies and the screenings.

If you already have a Ralphs card you can attach your card to ASIFA-Hollywood over the Internet. The website is www.ralphs.com

Click on the large graphic in the middle that says Ralphs Community Contribution - Your Card - Your Community - Your Cause

You`ll see two boxes in the middle of the screen. One says Organization and the other says Participant.

If you don`t have a Ralphs Club card, Click on the sign up button in the Participant box.

Enter the NPO (Non Profit Organization) number for ASIFA-Hollywood, which is 83902 (We are listed in the Ralphs system as International Animated Film Society. I had to poke around a bit to find it.)

Put in your Ralphs Club card number and your identifying information, as requested on the web page name, address, email address, phone, (they don`t even ask you how long you have been a tofu addict).

Hit Submit and you`re good to go. The money starts coming in to keep ASIFA rolling on and it doesn`t cost you a penny.

It is easy and you only have to do it once. Got to go now, I`m late for my meeting of the Tofu Eater`s Underground Railroad Society.


Larry Loc (ASIFA Blog Guy)  ¶ 12:05 PM

  Archive: Nat Falk's How To Make Animated Cartoons Part Three Today, we digitized the next chapter in Nat Falk's 1939 book, "How To Make Animated Cartoons". This one details the production process with great art and photos from the Paul Terry Studios...



History: Nat Falk's How To Make Animated Cartoons Part Three

Great stuff!

Thanks
Stephen Worth
Director
ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive  ¶ 7:10 PM

  eMail Bag:

Couple of questions came in from my email.

SCREENER SECURITY:

This first one, from a former student, deals with a very important issue, screener security. This is never a joke. It is a big responsibility that should never be taken lightly.

The membership is being trusted with advanced copies on films with the understanding that, as profesional film people, we will protect the films in our care. If we don`t protect these films then there are dire consequences for the individual and even for ASIFA as a whole.

Hello Larry,

My name is Sheldon K_ _ _ _, and I am a past Animation
Aesthetics (animation history) student of yours at Cal State Fullerton. Thank you for the 'A'

That same fall semester of 2004 I joined ASIFA-Hollywood
and have been very happy that I did.

I just received my Happy Feet Screener about 30 minutes ago, and noticed that one side of the Technicolor seal was pealed up, and DVD was easily accessible because of that. I want to report it, like it says to do, but there was no information on how to report it and who
to call. I was just wondering if you could point me in the right direction on who to contact?

I just don't want to take any chances with this, just in case.

Thank you and Happy New Year!

Sincerely,

Sheldon K_ _ _ _

Sheldon,

A couple of years ago when we had problems with a few of the Incredibles DVDs not playing. At that time the person to contact was Rob Ankor at Techicolor 1-800-993-4567. They did a more than great job of customer service. I was very impressed with them. Not sure if Rob is still there but someone will take care of it.

I have 3 ASIFA members in my family and I notices that FedEx delivered the screeners is a roughed up condition (2 of the cases were cracked but the seal was not broken). This may be all that it is but I agree don`t take the chance.

P.S. By the way, if you got an "A" in my class you earned it. I don`t give students grades very often. Once in a while, if someone has a 89.7, I might round it up a little but the system is the system, you earn the points you get the grade.

Hope all is well with you and I look forward to seeing you at industry events and around the studios.

Larry

BALLOTS & RENEWAL:

This next email deals with 2 subjects that have come up a lot. The Annie question is seasonal but the renewal question is universal.

Hi Larry!

Happy New Year my friend! I haven't received a ballot for the Annies, am I being overlooked? Also, I think my membership is up for renewal and haven`t received anything. Can you check on it? . . . .

-a_ _

This year voting for the Annie Awards will be held on line. Log on procedures will be mailed out to the membership in the very near future (hoping for next week). The on line portal will open on 1-15-2007 and be open for 3 weeks. More details as they come available.

As for the membership notices. They have gone out for people that need to renew in December but have not yet gone out for January and February. The Holi-daze slows down everything in tinsel-town and prep for the Annie Awards does slow us down. Check your records and if you are due to renew then you can send us a check. You don`t have to wait for the notice. We will be glad to take your money.


Larry Loc (ASIFA Blog Guy)  ¶ 8:41 AM

  Thinking Small:

I am in a small mind today. It is all the fault of Sergio Aragones. I had a subscription to Mad Magazine when I was a younger kid and the first thing I always did when Mad showed up in my mailbox was read all the corner Sergio comics. I still try to do that today when I find a Mad at the news-stand but my eyes aren`t up to the task.

So what set me on this Aragones chain of thought today? I`m glad I asked me. I just started working in silver (see below) and I was going through boxes of small things with an eye to casting some of them in silver when I found a pewter figure of Sergio from a Groo The Wanderer set I got 20 some years ago.



That got me thinking of other small sculptures like the 40 year old Doc figure that belongs to my wife.



My all time fav is this 3 headed giant from Pal Partha that was taken off the market when the estate of one of the 3 Stooges objected. These are very rare and I understand IP law but it is a miniature masterpiece and I wish they could have worked something out and kept them on the market. You can tell there is a lot of love in the detail of the Stooge faces.



My symbol / Trademark in silver. Well those are my small minded thoughts for the day.

Larry Loc (ASIFA Blog Guy)  ¶ 9:41 AM

  Archive: Einar Norelius' Bland Tomtar Och Troll Today, we are featuring a little known Swedish illustrator, Einar Norelius...



Illustration: Einar Norelius' Bland Tomtar Och Troll (1929)">

This is the first of several posts on this amazing artist. We will be posting more over the next few weeks. Bookmark us and check back regularly.

Thanks
Stephen Worth
Director
ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive  ¶ 8:17 PM

  Annie Awards Swag Mounts Up:




The DVD of Happyfeet showed up today. The soundtrack to Cars showes up last week. The list is long this year.

Swag Total To Date:

1. Monster House (screener)


2. Over the Hedge (Full DVD)


3. Cars (Full DVD)


4. Flushed Away (screener)


5. Cars (Soundtrack)


6. Happyfeet (screener)


7. Cars (calendar)
   

People often say to me that they have been meaning to join ASIFA-Hollywood but they just haven`t got around to it yet. I just shake my head and tell them, No you can not borrow my screener. There is a tracking code embedded.

Thanks to Eric Graf for reminding me of the calendar

Larry Loc (ASIFA Blog Guy)  ¶ 10:24 AM

 

I have yet to figure out what is going on with EastWest DVD. They are putting out DVDs that are 99 cents at the 99 Cent Only stores. That I understand. But they are putting out titles featuring cheap strange animation like this little number, the Three Little Pigs.

Disney it is not by a very long shot. I can`t figure out who is animating these featured cartoons and in what county they are made and to tell you the truth I really don`t care that much. This is not the reason I pick up these disks.

The bonus features are the reason for buying any of these strange little disks. It is weird how good and rare some of the bonus stuff is compared to how bland and odd the headliner cartoons are.

The featured cartoons are The Three Little Pigs, The Two Spoiled Bears, and The Country Mouse and the City Mouse all in this very odd animation style with no title information to tell you where or when it was created.

The Bonus features are The Mummy Strikes, Jasper and The Haunted House, A Haunting We Will Go, The Cobweb Hotel, and Chick and Double Chick. All the transfers are good or better on this disk.

The gem of course is Jasper and the Haunted House. I have 2 other versions of this on VHS but they are in very pure condition. One will no longer play and the other is almost as bad. The transfer on this version is good and there are two music scenes in the East West DVD that are missing from my video copy.






Geogre Pal`s Puppetoons are important in the history of animation and stop motion. They are charming cartoons in their own right even if not PC. It is very good to see some of them making their way to disk.

Larry Loc (ASIFA Blog Guy)  ¶ 3:58 PM