Chuck Jones'sMastex' Des e r o n %@hat's Qyexa, Doc'?

,
Disney, Today's Cartoons, an t h e Art of tion Design

0 • s
• i • I II II I

Ig I 4 I
 e're e r ai n !

pKKZKR

0<' HANNA-BARBERA

And we want you to join us.

Fine Toon is 3 years old and we' re celebrating by giving away this
classic "Ruff and Reddy" production cel and background on April 1%,
1991. To enter our drawing just send or fax us your name, address,
and telephone number.
To make our celebration even better we' re giving away to everyone
entering the drawing a FREE3 month subscription to our newest
service, Fine Toon Art Exchange. It's the newest and best way to buy
and sell your animated artwork.

Fine Toon Art Exchange, Inc.

3770 Sunset Blvd.
Box 272723
• •

Houston, Texas 77277-2723

1-800-786-TOON ART K X C MA.k G K
FAX 713-667-4418
 Animato
ANIMATION COLLECTIBLES The Animation Fan's Magazine
FOR SALE
Staff:
Harry McCracken
Editor

Mike Ventrella
Publisher/Editor Emeritus

David Bastian, Steve Batory, Jerry Beck, John Cawley, Karl

Cohen, G. Michael Dobbs, Jim Fanning, Matthew Hasson, Hugh
Kenner, Jim Korkis, Dave Mackey, Mark Marderosian, Mark May-
erson, Bob Miller, John Province, Doug Ranney, Jay Rath, Jerry
Riddle, Thelma Scumm, Emru Townsend
Contributors
Mike and Jeanne Glad, Heidi Hooper, Ken Klise, Pam Martin,
Natalie and Sam McCracken, Richard Pini, Pam and Michael
Scoville
Special Thanks
Animation Books, Magazines, Posters, Lobby Cards, Ani-
mation Cels, Video, 16mm Cartoons. Send stamp for free Distributed by:
Capitol City Distribution, Inc., 2827 Perry St., Madison, Wi 55713
list.
Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc., 1720 Belmont Ave., Baltimore, MD
We also buy all types of Animation Material. Books, 21207
Animation Cels etc. Also wanted — back issues of Funny-
tsorfd and British animation magazine The Animator. Friendly Frank's Distribution, Inc., 3990 Broadway, Gary, IN 46408

V. Stasiunaitis Heroes World Disbtbution Co., 961 Route 10 East, Randolph, NJ

07869
7321 W. Breen Niles, III. 60648

THE CRICKET GALLERY

ANIMATION ART

A preferred dealer for Disney, Warner Brothers, Hanna-Barbera, and more.

Cels and Drawings • Vintage and

Contemporary

Please write or call for a free catalog

529 Covington Place
Wycoff, NJ 07481
1-800-BUY CELS

Animato 1
 160 Pages of Hard-to-Find Sooks
in Bud Plant's Incredible Catalog
Paul Chadwick has created an original color cover for the latest Bud Plant Comic Art Incredible
Catalog, mailing now. Writer Harlan Ellison considers Concete the best comic book now being pub-
lished...So do we!
All currently available Concrete comics, books and merchandise are listed in a special section,
along with other Dark Horse products and over 2,000 more items!!

Hard-to-find books are in special sections like:

Animation Books & Classic Cartoon Videos
Betty Page
Catalan, including exclusive Sale Books
Disney and Carl Barks
How-to Books on Drawing and Writing
Illustrators of the Past
A warehouse find features Canaveral
Press/Edgar Rice Burroughs books illustrated by
Krenkel and Frazetta-mint 1964-72 hardcovers.

Many creators are featured with their current

books and other products, including:
Vaughn Bode Winsor McCay
Milton Caniff Moebius
Robert Crumb Alphonse Mucha
Frank Frazetta Maxfield Parrish
Michael Kaluta Arthur Rackham
Walt Kelly Robert Williams
Milo Manara N.C. Wyeth

There's also a big selection of Sale Books, our most popular section. We track down some great
bargains. Don't miss Michael Whelan's Works of Wonder ($25) for just $9.9S...The Art of Jack Davis
Hardcover ($18.95) for $5.9S...A set of 20 different back issues of Comics Revue for just $9.95 — 75%
off cover price. Plus hundreds more!
You' ll also find Sale Comicsat 75% off cover price, Limited Edition books, prints and portfolios,
animation and cartoon videos and 1991 Calendars. Plus all the best graphic novels and art books. All
in mint, new condition and stocked in depth. Many out-of-print items. 172 pages...fully illustrated.

Call For A Free Copy: 916-273-2166

Call between 9am and 5pm, Pacific Time, Monday-Friday.
Or send $1 to Bud Plant Comic Art, PO Box 1689AN, Grass Valley, CA 95945.
We have hundreds of books you' ll never see at your local bookstore or comic book shop. Try us!

2 Animato
 10 30
Og
0 •

A xticles and I n t e r v i e w s : C o lumms

10 State-of-the-Art Artist : 8 Get Animatedi Industry Watch
: Rescuers at the boxoffice, SatAM ratings, and more.
Mike Gabriel talks about directing Miss Bianca and Bernard in
their big comeback vehicle, The Rescuers Down Under. Plus a Column by John Cawley
review of the film.
Interuiew by Jim Fanning : 44 Animation Anecdotes
: Animation facts you didn't know, including the secret of Walt's
' .success and John and Faith Hubley's wedding vows..
16 Stepping Into the Picture
Maurice Noble on his career as an animation designer, from Column by Jim Korkls
Disney's Silly Symphonies and early features to Chuck Jones' s
What's Opera, Doc? and Duck Amuck, to the state of anima- : 46 Toons on Tape
tion in the 1990s. : Reviews of new videotape releases, including the collected
Interuiew by Harry McCracken : misadventures of Private Snafu.
Column by Matthew Hasson
24 D a teline: Streamline
In a follow-up to last issue's Robotech retrospective, Carl : Regular Features
Macek talks about Zillion, Lensman, and other Japanese
animation being brought to this country by his partnership with : 4 Animatoriai
' .A salute to animation's APA.
Jerry Beck in Streamline Pictures.
Article by Bob Miller
: 4 Fan Mail From Some Flounder
30 Remembering Grim : Cartoon soundtracks, a pointed discussion of pencils, and
Our tribute to the late Grim Natwick and his remarkable : more.
seventy years in the animation business includes four features:
' 6 P r a xlnoscope
the last interview, by John Province; a remembrance by
Shamus Culhane; a brief biography by Jay Rath; and an : The usual potpourri of short stuff, including The Whole Toon
appreciation by Hugh Kenner. : Catalog's Doug Ranney on animation merchandise.

36 Acme Acres: an Analytical Atlas 27 C a rtoon Parade

They' re tiny, they' re toony, they' re all a little looney.... A Cartoon by Jay Rath
detailed critical guide to the adventures of Warner's pint-sized
crew of latter-day Looney Tunesters, including credits and story : 48 Short Subjects
summaries. : Reviews of The Carl Stalling Project, Robot Carniual, Cap-
Article by Daue Mackey : tain Planet, and more.

On the Cover: Elmer Fudd has never looked quite so majestic as in this inspirational painting by Maurice Noble for What' s
Opera, Doc? From the collection of Mike and Jeanne Glad. Copyright © W arner Bros. Inc.

ANINATO (ISSN: 1042-539X) s21, Spring, 1991. Published at PO Box 1240, Cambridge, MA 02238. Subscription rate: $10.00 for four
issues in North America; $15.00 in US funds elsewhere. Original contributions copyright I 1991 Animato except where noted. Unsolicited
manuscripts and artwork are welcome, but shoukl be accompanied by a SASE. Available back issues are s17 ( Ralph Bakshi interview; Chinese
animation; Who Framed Roger Rabbit) and s19 (John Lasseter and Pixar; Virgil Ross; Disney's Florida studio) at $3.00 postpaid and ®20 (Bugs
Bunny, Pinocchlo, Robotech, Roger Rabbit's roots) at $4.00 postpaid. All other back issues are sold out. Sorry!
Animato 3
 Eifman (The Slmpsons), Bruce Boughton
atorial (Tiny Toon Adventures),and James Homer
(Tummy Trouble). With recent audio re-
leases likeThe Carl Stalling Pro)ect (excel-

N ot too long after this issue of Diego Comic Con.

lent stuffl, one can hope that we' ll be
Anlmato goes to press, Apa- Apatoons's membership is made up of
hearing more cartoon music.
toons — animation's APA- about twenty-five contributors from
Keep up the good work on future issues.
will celebrate its tenth anniversary. The across the country and around the world,
(Sad to say, the Bugs Bunny newspaper
milestone is a significant one: Apatoons inc!uding animation professionals, writ-
comlcstrlp that John Cawley wroteabout
is the longest-lived animation publica- ers, and interested bystanders. The only
ln the last issue discontinued publication
tion currently published in this country. prerequisites are a love of animation and
recently.)
For the uninitiated, an APA (Amateur an interest in expressing one's views
Press Association) is a sort of club-by- about it. Several Anlmato contributors
MORE ON MR. TOAD'S
mail in which each member publishes a belong, among them your editor and
CREDITORS
small photocopied magazine, usually publisher.
Mark Mayerson
made up primarily of his own comments For more information about A patoons,
Toronto, Canada
on the APA's subject. In general, only send a selfwddressed stamped envelope
Alan Dean Foster ("Fan Mail From Some
contributors can receive an APA, al- to Bob Miller, Apatoons's editor, at
Rounder, " Anlmato >18) may be inter-
though a special sampler issue ofApa- 1540 North Catalina, Apartment N,
ested to know that the scenes of Toad's
toons will be available at this year's San Burbank, CA 91505.
creditors that are missing from the current
video release of The Wind ln the Willows
w ere also m i s sing f r o m t h e 1 9 5 0 s

C IA CI I Write toI'O I l l
DisneylandTV show in which it was shown
with an edited version of The Reluctant
Dragon. Quite recently, the Disney Chan-
Animato nel showed the "complete" version of The
0 at PO Sox 1240, Reluctant Dragon without the end of the
"Baby Weems" sequence.
Cambridge • MA
P/OIIgcigp The scenes missing are not censorable,
and I don't think they were cut on the basis
of running time. I strongly suspect these
GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE m ally studio-backed scpre, H e n r y cuts are the result of carelessness. There are
SPOTTED IN RECORD STORE Mancini has released the main theme to so many versions of some Disney cartoons
Tom Linehan the Disney picture on the Denon release (as parts of 1940s features, as reissued solo
West Roxbury, MA Premiere Pops (CC 72320), available shorts, and as parts of TV shows), that
Enjoyed the new format that debuted on cassette and CD. This is a spirited whoever pulled the material from the library
with the Bugs Bunny issue, particularly rendition of the theme and should be probably grabbed an incomplete version
the article about the new team on the some compensation for the lack of a without knowing so.
comic strip, Brett Koth and Shawn Keller. complete album with those wonderful While Disney has strongly protected their
Also enjoyed the countdown on Bugs's Vincent Price songs. films from a monetary standpoint, they
greatest hits, which would make a great Also, John and readers should know don't have a very good track record from an
prerecorded tape. that there is an LP version of All Dogs artistic one. Many of their theatrical reis-
The real reason I'm writing is to re- Go to Heauen (CRB 10403). It's out sues are shown in the wrong aspect ratio.
spond to John Cawley's column regard- there, but you' ve gotta look for it. Fantasia's soundtrack has been screwed
ing the soundtrack to The Great Mouse Recently, there's been a surge of noted around with repeatedly. In the 1970s they
Detectlue. Although there is no for- composers doing cartoons, like Danny rereleased The Three Caballeros in a 45
minute version! Be thankful that there's a
wHy...oA wson,~sy profit to be made in home video, or instead
THE CASE
0F nte
p@ p~y<NG OUR.
SONS."
... ini ll y,S l
r of complaining about cuts in Mr. Toad,
ilhlsststG
50VND
l
le~ )ha Bio+
lS A <s~ we'd all be wishing that we could see it.
I very much enjoyed John Province's inter-
TRAC
ING...
pe view with Bill Justice. I think that the pencil
that Justice mentioned was transcnbed in-
f correctly. The 6/8th should have been a
6H. Drawing pencils come in degrees of
hardness. The B series is soft, and the H is
hard. A 6H is one hard pencil.
(While Disney's record on preseruatlon of
l.P their animated films ls mixed, they should
be commended for their current Fantash
rerelease, which undoes the tampering
Cartoon by Tom Linehan. Characters copyright © The Walt Disney Company.
imposed on the fil m for its 1982 rere-
4 Animato
lease and features excellently-restored Matt Hasson fs far from burnt out, as with the late Grim Natwick — are ex-
sound and uisuals. All fn t he correct eufdenced by this issue's installment of cerpts from the work he's done for a
aspect ratio, no less. "Toons on Tape.' planned book of interuiews with anima-
You are correct about the type of pencil The Animato Film Poll is an informal tion artists who worked during the golden
Bill Justice mentioned, a typographical poll based on the lists sent to us by read- age of Hollywood animation. This book
error that somehow managed to slip by ers. While George Gallup or Lou Harrfs will be precisely the sort of "liuing his-
proofreadfngs by John Proufnce, Bill might think the pool of uoters too small tory you' re talking about.
Justice, and your editor, who definitely to be statistically significant, we find it Meanwhile, enjoy this issue's sizable
should haue caught it.) an interesting reflection of the films and interuiew with Maurice Noble.)
showsour readers particularly enjoy. By
ONE CORRECTION, the way, it's fine for readers who haue B&W DISNEYS BEING WASTED
TWO C}UESTIONS submitted listsin the past to send reufsed David Gerstein
Thomas Shim ones — the poll is sophisticated enough Santa Barbara, CA
New York, NY to replace your old uotes with new ones.) I' ve got to tell you how much I enjoy your
There are no storymen credited with The magazine. It's filled with millions of articles
Old Grey Hare and The Big Snooze in ROSS AND JUSTICE for animation buffs like me who can't get
Anfmato st20. While this is so in The Bfg "LMNG HISTORY" enough obscure facts and interesting
Snooze, Michael Sasanoff does get screen Len Kohl insights...l'd like to tell you something: that
duesforTheOld Grey Hare. Thoughtyou Chicago, IL is that 75% of Mickey Mouse's cartoons
might like to know, Harry. You guys are doing a terrific job! My only were in black and white and aboutten are
In all other respects, a fine, fine issue. gripe is that John Province's interviews available uncut! Years ago, you could get
Bravo. I do have two questions: whatever with people like Virgil Ross and Bill Justice them all on the Disney Channel; but the
happened to"Toons on Tape?" Did Mat- aren't longer. These guys are "living his- fact that they' re in black and white meant
thew Hasson finally bum out? And just how tory." Their thoughts should be recorded that about two years ago, they were com-
scientific is the Animato Film Poll? In other for posterity. I tried to do just that with pletely eliminated with most of the other
words, do you check for repeat entries, or animators Shamus Culhane and Gordon black-and-white "kid's fare."
do you throw the whole batch into your Sheehan for a lengthy "Popeye" article in Now, you can see the same early 1950s
computer? the film newspaper Classic Images. Pluto cartoon on four different shows at
(Thanks for the correction and the kind (The interuiews by John Prouince we'ue once, but as for Pluto's first appearance in
words. published — including this issue'sone The Chain Gang...noone can see that!N o
one at Disney realizes how many people
out there would buy a video collection of
This beautifully detailed sculptured these entries. I think ten videos which col-
desk lamp stand 13 inchestall. II' s lectors would want to buy could be made
made ofcastpolyester resinandhand-
with the complete series of black-and-
painted in amazingdetail, right down
lo thetextureonthepaving stones. The white Mickeys.
lamp even comes supplied with a (Nobody would like to see such tapes
miniaturekey-ringandkeys. Imported more than we would. Unfortunately,
from France, it's been converted lo there seems to be an unwritten law that
work withAmericanoutlets andaccept people — kids, especially — aren't inter-
standardU.S,candelabrabulbs. Cord ested in watchinganything that's in black
switch. Light bulb nof included. and white. This is the belief behind the
To order, send$166.00 plus $5.00 invention o f the dreaded colorization
shipping toWholeToonAccess, Dept. process, and it's undoubtedly why the
A-21, P.O. Box 369, Issaquah,WA many fine black-and-white Disney car-
98027. Or call (206) 391-8747 lo toons are not more widely seen. (Thefr
charge byphone. relatiue crudity is probably another rea-
son.)
206/ 391-8747 Any animation fan who wants to see
more use made of the early Disney films
might try writing the studio; it couldn' t
hurt. While it would be wonderful if
'bl e Dfsney released the films in their pris-
tine black-and-white glory, the studio
CS SOX 3b9 ISS AQUAH, WA 9S037
might at least consider computer-color-
ing them,as Warner's has done recently
To receive our 64-page wfth seueral films to fairly good effect.
catalog otanimation books,
vi teocassettes,postersand Reportedly, theawfulhand-coloredWar-
character merchandise, ner cartoons produced years ago in Ko-
send $2.00 ($4.00 outside
North America). rea that are currently in circulation will
euentually be replaced by computerwol-
ored uersfons.) •
Animato 5
 T he w o r l d of A nlm cIilon
available from the Guild at 330 West 45th
Two Resources for Collectors St., Suite 9D, New York, NY 10036. The
telephone number is (212j 765-3030.
Animation art collecting, being a young Scoville have established an ambitious Also of interest to collectors is Cel Magic,
hobby, is not nearly as well-defined as program of publications and services to aid a new book compiled by R. Scott Edwards
stamp collecting, coin collecting, and other collectors. The Guild publishes two fine and Bob Stobener that's the first one de-
pursuits with long histories. While both in- newsletters: the eight-times-a-year bulletin voted to the topic of collectiong animation
terest in the hobby and animation art prices The Update and a more elaborate quar- art. While some of the material in the
have skyrocketed, there has been some- terly publication, Directions. Other mem- historical chapters is questionable, the in-
thing of an information vacuum that's led to bership benefits include access to informa- formation on collecting — including an
misidentified pieces at auctions, wildly dif- tion in a database of art auction prices, a interview with Dave Smith of the Disney
fering prices for similar works, and other mail-order book service, and a search serv- Archives and sections on cel preservation
problems. ice for out-of-print books. Additional serv- and art prices — is invaluable. There are
The Animation Art Guild, which has been ices are in the planning stages. also a large number of well-reproduced
in operation since last year, aims to correct Membership in the Animation Art Guild color illustrations. The book is priced at
that. Guild directors Pamela and Michael is $49.00 in the U.S. More information is $19.95 and is available now. •

0'o'n
Dear Doug: While we're waiting for ing PD material that do stick to SP
somebody to release episodes of speed. Of course, the film prints to be
Mighty Mouse: the New Adventures pretty beat up, and the duplicating
on tape, can youtell us what Ralph m aster may be dbne on 1/2 or3/4"
Bakshl films are available on vide- tape, but at least they don't skimp on
otape I tape by copying at EP speed.
Only two Bakshi features are cur- Cartoon Marketplace Queries Some small companies that release
rently in release on home video.
Streetfight (1975), originally fftled
Answered by 9oug Rann~ PD material on SP tapes and at least
try forgoodqualityare: Video Yester-
Coonskin, is Baskhi's li ve-action/ani- You must have Leonard Maltin's Of and Other Peopleisagreatautobiog- year(fair), Shokus Video (marginal),
mated vision of Harlem street life. It' s Mice and Magic.Period. As far as I'm raphy that's full of history, insight, Video Resources/lra Gallen (very
available from Academy for $29.95. concerned,it's the best-written, most and Shamus's unblinking insideVs good), Video Rarities (good), Bosko
Fire aice (1993)isa sword-and-sor- accurate, most complete single his- vision. And let's not forget The Art of Video (very good), and Loonic Viideo
cery epic co-produced by Frank tory of American studio animation Walt Disney and Disney Animation: (fair). All these companies may be
Frazetta.andinspiredby his wwk. It' s there is. It can serve as the corner- theIllusion ofLife. They' re both mas- Iow-budget, but I think you' ll be satis-
available from RCA/Columbia for stone of any animaffon reference li- sivee, beauffful picture books that, after ffed with the tapes sbey put out.
$79.95 on VHS and $34.95 on brary and give you a good read no reading, could be lashed together to To me,the really distressing cases
Iaserdisc. Fritz the Cat, Heavy Traf- matter how many limes you go back make a fair-sized ocean-going raft. are the big-time, mainstream, expen-
fic, Lord of the Rings,and American toit. sive-looking releases that are re-
Pop are all long gone from video re- My other two choices bear in mind DearDoug: I' ve noticed that many in- cordedin EP mode. By far the worst
lease and essentially unobtainable. your specification of "currently avail- expensive videotapes are now re- offender is Family Home Entertain-
On moratorium, but still possibleto able." Beck and Friedlvald's Looney corded atthe SLP speed, resulting in ment (FHE). They put out 45-minute
ffnd as of January 1991,are Hey Tunesand Merrie Melodiesis a re- poor quality audio and video. Are Teenage MutantNinja Turtles videos
GoodLookin' (Warner Home Video) markable filmography. It's unques- there any companiesreleasing pub- and thirty-minute Chuck Jones TV
andWizards (Playhouse Video). tionably the acme of detailed refer- lic-domain cartoons that are main- specials (Cricket in Times Square,
WeaillookforwardtoMighty Mouse: ence d'ata on Warner cartoons, and taining the SLP speed? Are there etc.) for $14.95 on EP tape. I mean,
the New Adventures, which Bakshi Sbe synopsis provided for each and companiesI shouldstay away from? really...By contrast, Disney puts out
has pledged to make available on every Warner cartoon helps the Geez, this is a sticky matter for con- 75-minuteLucky Luke tapes in SP
home video, including the infamous reader to recall the cartoons and sumers and merchants alike. I think speed for only $9.95.
three-second flower/cocaine sniffing replay themin his mind. Definitely a everybody can spot the cheapo SLP By the way, the easiest way to de-
scene. Be careful, though, not to plus for those long, lonely years under (aka EP) public-d'omain tapes soldat tectan EP cassetteis simply to weigh
confuse the series with The New Sbe coconutpalms. Much the same mass market outlets. You know- it. A 45-minute SP tapeis noticeably
Adventures of Mighty Mouse — a can be said for George Woolery's the ones with the full-color but hide- heavier than a 45-minute EP tape. If
Filmation show from ten years earlier books, Children's Television Part 1: ously-crude boxait thatsellfor$4.99. you' re unsure, just hold a known SP
whichis available on tape. Animated CartoonSeries and Ani- If you buy one of these, you should tapein one hand and compare. •
mated TV Specials. They' re both either know better or be grateful that
Dear Doug:if youwere going to advise remarkably complete, and the infor- you can see anything at all on sbe Doug Ranney, co-owner ofThe Whole
someonewhowas planningtospend mation-packed synapses really con- screen for that price. Theironic thing Toon Catalog, a mail-order source
the rest of his life on a desert island jure up the cartoons in the reader' s is, you sometimes ffnda rare charac- for all things toon, will answer your
and could onlytake three (currently mind. ter or series on these tapes that you questions about videotapes, books,
available)animation books with him, As far as out-of-print treasures go, can't find anywhere else. There are and other animation-related pro-
whichones would you suggest? Shamus Culhane'sTalking Animals also many small companies releas- ducts. Write him c/o Anlmato.

6 Animato
 Fantasia Art Missing in
Museum of Cartoon Art Theft

On Sunday, March 3rd, five pieces of original art from the

production of Fantasia were stolen from the Museum of
Cartoon Art in Rye Brook, New York, where they were
being readied for an exhibit of artwork from the film. The
pieces, from the collection of Mike and Jeanne Glad, are
estimated to have a collective value in the low six figures.
The suspect in the case, who was seen by museum
personnel while the theft was apparently in progress, is de-
scribed as a white male in his mid forties with a pencil mous-
tache and brown eyes,weighing between 180 and 200
pounds and standing about five feet three inches tall. He is
said to speak with a foreign accent.
A reward of $5,000 is being offered for the safe return of
the artwork, no questions asked. Collectors or dealers who
may be offered the pieces for sale or have other informa-
tion on their whereabouts are urged to call the Rye Brook
Police Department at (914) 937-6368; the Museum's
Executive Director, Barbara Hammond, at (914) 939-
7214; or Michelle O'Neal of Mike Glad's office at (415) I
490-2303.
The Fantasia exhibition will open as planned on March
.k
10th and runs through June 16th. Over one hundred
pieces from the Mike and Jeanne Glad collection will be on
display, including reproductions of the stolen art. For more
information, contact the Museum at (914) 939-0234. •

The missing art, clockwise from top: watercolor paint-

ing by Tom Codrick of Mickey bringing broomsticks to
life, from the "Sorcerer'sApprentice sequence; water-
color painting by JoAn Hubley of apprentice Mickey at
a waterfall; caricature by Alex Igatieu of animator Bill
Tytla as the deuil from the "Night on Bald Mountain"
sequence;cel of Mickey Mouse as the Sorcerer's A ppren-
tice against master background. Not pictured: photo-
stat of ufllage rooftops from the "NigAt on Bald Moun-
tain" sequence. All art copyright © The Walt Disney
Company.
Animato 7
 GetAnhnatedi to make new animated successes, interest
dropped even more. The d irectors of
Rescuers II were allegedly disappointed

g5 Re%ps ancl
when they saw the mild promotion being
prepared for t h eir f eature, especially
compared to the major blowout being
planned for 1991's Beauty and the Beast.
Commentary The bottom line is that Rescuers Down
by John Camley Under, for whatever reasons, will be one
of the lowest~rossing Disney (and possibly
Rescuers Down and Out Oliuer's and Mermaid's promotions gi- major) animated features in recent years.
The Rescuers Down Under, a sequel to g antic. B a t t l in g h e a d -to-head w i t h
Disney'sbox-office success The Rescuers Universal's Land Before Time and Sulli- CBS Takes the Lead
(1977) has failed to match the financial van Bluth's All Dogs Go to Heauen, Disney With the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
magic of the original...or even the other went all out to promote its films, and won in its lineup, CBS has finally passed ABC
major animation releases of 1990. Open- the spot of ¹1 grossing animated film for as the Saturday-morning ratings leader;
ing in over 1200 theaters, the film did less both years. NBC now finds itself in the third spot.
that $3.5 million with a per-theater aver- However, the fall of 1990 found no CBS's decision to go for an hour of Turtles
age of just over $2800. It ranked ¹4 in the competing major animated features. Disney proved the turning point, boosting other
list of top-grossing films of the week. took a much softer-sell approach, letting well-rated CBS shows like Garfield and
This compares pretty poorly with Disney's the studio's name and the perceived recog- Friends and Muppet Babies back to the
most recent animated features. The Littl e nition of the title sell the film. Unfortu- top. ABC's former powerhouses Ghost-
Mermaid (1989) opened in third place nately, a film showed up that became
busters and Beetlejuiceare still doing well,
with over $6 million in less than 1000 major competition for D isney's: Home but the addition of more action-adventure
theaters, for a per-theater average of over Alone. This family comedy made short shows aimed at boys (see last issue's GA!
$6000. Oliuer & Company (1988) pulled work of many alleged holiday blockbusters, Industry Watch) on other networks has
in over $4 million at under 4000 theaters, including Disney's other major release, defused the previously-unbeatable ABC
for a per-theater average of over $4000. Three Men and a Little Lady. lineup.
Those same years, Don Bluth's All Dogs A less-visible piece of the puzzle may be
Go to Heauen (1989) pulled in over $4.7 the alleged non-interest of key studio brass
Meanwhile, the Fox Saturday morning
lineup has been in the number four spot, as
million andLand Before Time (1988) did in the project. Originally, Eisner's new is most of Fox's primetime lineup. Fox's
over $7.5 million opening weekend. You management team decided to do a sequel best-performing series are generally Tom
have togo back to 1987's The Chipmunk to the studio's most financially-successful and JerryKids andBobby'sW orld.Oddly,
Aduenture to find a major release doing feature (The Rescuers) because the most though T&J Kids has higher ratings,
less than Rescuers II. recent animated features at the time (Great Bobby's World has a better share against
It can't be blamed on the economy or a Mouse, Black Cauldron) had not p er- the three other networks, often with only
lack of interest in animated features in formed well. (Up until the release of An 50% of what the other networks are get-
1990. The year saw Disney's 1V-based, American Tail, Rescuers was the top- ting. Other Fox shows, such asT& J ¹ds,
European-animatedDuck Tales: the Movie grossing film, on first release, in animation generally get 30-4096 of the big three
pull in over $3.8 million. Jungle Book's history.) Initial interest was reportedly low, networks.
summer reissue opened with over $7.7 since the film didn't take a new direction, Renewals for 1991-1992 include Garfield
million, while Fantasia's fiftieth debuted at but was merely a recycling of old Disney and Friends (CBS), Teenage Mutant lVinja
$5.2 million. characters. Turtles (CBS), Bobby's World (Fox), Tom
Rescuers Down Under wiII probably end However, once management discovered and Jerry Kids (Fox), and Attack of the
up doing around $25 million. Though this that they didn't need oast Disney successes Killer Tomatoes (Fox). No doubt another
is a respectable figure for an animated returneewillbe the Bugs Bunny and
feature, it pales when compared to the Tweety Show, still usually tops in its time
recent megasuccesses of The Little Mer- slot.
maid, Oliuer & C o m p a ny, T he L a n d
Before Time, and An A m e r i can T ail, Altering the Classics
each of which grossed over $50 million. Disney got plenty of press when it went to
What went wrong? Basically, it appears work on the new reissue of Fantasia. For
to be a repeat of the Great Mouse Detec- this fiftieth-anniversary presentation, the
tiue (1986) syndrome: very little promo- studio digitally cleaned up the sound,
arneredg
tion. Both films g ood reviews, cleaned and corrected the negatives, and
but got almost no studio support. After WHO even recropped some scenes so that more
Mouse Detectiue d id so p o orly in t h e IS DIS
AMATEUR of the original footage (featuring black cari-
summer, An American Tail came out that '? catures) could be included. Most of the
fall and rewrote the box-office history books press and public applauded such enhance-
on animation. It also spurred the rebirth of ments to the classic film.
Cartoon by Jerry Riddle; characters copyright
financial interest in animation. © The Wolt Disney Company and Warner However, most seem to have forgotten
Disney learned from this, and made Bros. Inc. similar tamperihg in the 1980s created
8 Animato
quite a critical backlash. Most familiar was Cartoon by Mark Marderoisian "Lumage" process, which is a modem
when Disney decided to crop all the classic version of shadow, or silhouette, anima-
features so they would fit on a wide screen. tion, pioneered by the late Lotte Reiniger.
(In the past, theaters often did this anyway, For Lucas's fist venture into animation
but Disney left the films full frame so that (he later worked with Spielberg and Bluth
more caring cinema owners could project on Land Before Time), he went to San
them at the correct ration.) For the new Francisco animator John Korty (Sesame
Fantasia reissue, this new cropping was Street and others). For this feature, they
not put into effect. developed a new silhouette animation
Disney's other efforts at "touching up" system that gave even more dimension and
the soundtracks of its films have received depth than a multiplane camera. At the
almost no notice. It seems that all the early time, Korty hoped to use the new setup for
Disney features have had their sound digi- numerous films.
tally cleaned up for theatrical release to ever rerecorded. The film never received a full theatrical
help remove some of the age and hiss. This Such fiddling with rabbits' laughter proba- release. Lucasfilm bought out a theater in
process can include splitting the dialogue bly doesn't mean much, but Disney must Southern California at the time and ran it
tracks. Characters on the left side of the be careful how such additions are done. for a week. [It also was shown, unsuccess-
screen have their dialogue coming out of For example, when the studio added the fully, in the Boston area. — Ed.] Most re-
the left speaker, and characters on the new stereo dog barks, it did affect the viewers and even animation followers
right are heard from that side. film's original music track. The music seemed unimpressed. The quirky, curious
It can also include the rerecording of becomes slightly muted whenever the ste- film will now have a chance to be evaluated
some effects material. Examples of this reo dogs are brought in. by the animation masses.
occur inBambi, whose home video pack- Also from Warner's this spring will be
aging states "stereo." When the baby rab- Forgotten Animation Hits Video Gay Purr-ee (1963), UPA's second ani-
bits begin laughing at Bambi when he Twice Upon a Time (1983), George mated feature. Based on a story by Chuck
stumbles, tries to say "bird," and so on, Lucas's long-lost first foray into animated orny
Jones, and largely designed by C Cole,
their laughter has been rerecorded in true features, is set for release this spring from the film features the voices of Judy Garland
stereo. So have the barking dogs who Warner Home Video. The offbeat story and Robert Goulet. Often on TV, the
comer Faline. All parties at Disney are features a dog and his man on the quest for feature is another distinctive product that is
insistent that no major dialogue, though, is a cosmic clock. The film is filmed in the enjoyablebut fl
awed. •

Here we have some early car-

toons by Bob Clampett, re-
printed from a 1931 edition of Portrait of Sob Clampett
The Broadway World, an in-
ternalpublication of The Broad-
as a Young Cartoonist
way deparbnent store chain of
SouthernCalifornia.
"We are much favored in this o
issue by having several cartoons
from the pen of Robert E. Clam-
pett, a young local cartoonist of
much promise," reported the
(sv~lg y)
magazine. "Mr. Clampett is a
member of the Harmon-Ising
]sic] Animated Studios, and has
much to do with the creation of
funny little Bosko and his
pals...He was particularly ac-
tive in publication circles at the
Glendale High School from NIA • WO
TAN A
which he graduated a year ts.i, O or t l ll G l NONCE.V~
ago...He writes aswell as draws,
and from present indications
J>
has a brilliant future ahead of
I
him." Little did they know how
brIiant that career would be!
Many thanks to Animato
reader and The Broadway archi-
vist John Shermanfor uncov-
ering these carrtoonsandbring-
ing them to our attention.
Animato 9
 They were nice enough to set me up with
an appointment right away. So the next
day, maybe, I came in with my portfolio,
and I walked up to the great Disney anima-

Statsat tion building and looked at it like, "This is

where I'm going to be from now on." But

tlle4rt they said, "Well, we can't really accept you

on these, because you' ve drawn them from
books, not from life, so thanks for coming
in, see you later." I mean, I was absolutely
devastated. I just had such a feeling like,
"This is where I belong. I really want to be
here."
I came home and just got out the sketchpad
and started that same day drawing from
life. I went to the beach with my brothers
and watched them throw the Frisbee, and
drew them playing at the beach. I had
friends play basketball as I ran around with
my sketchpad and just sketched them. I did
Mike Gabriel joined th e W al t D i sney Unfortunately, I wasn't good enough to everything I could to give them what they
Animation Department in 19 7 9 . Ju s t get in for a number of years. I would always wanted, and finally these crummy little
ouer ten years later, he directed (with be sending drawings in, and never get ac- drawings on a pad of paper got me hired.
Hendel Butoy) The Rescuers Down Un- cepted. They were always encouraging me I mailed them in on a Monday and got hired
der, Disney's 29th full-length animated to take more art classes, more life drawing that week.
feature. With this film — acclaimed by classes. And I just tried for years and years,
such publications as Time, Newsweek, and I always expected a letter back: "Hey, What were your first animation assign-
and The New York Times as a ground- you' re great, come on in," but it never ments?
breaking achieuement in the art of ani- came.
m ated fi l mmaking — G a b r iel f i r m l y So I just kept drawing, drawing, drawing. Istarted on The Fox and the Hound as an
establishes himself as a leading talent in I would take art classes and life drawing inbetweener. And then, within about a
the animation industry. Here, Gabriel classes in college, but I would spend many year and a half, I was doing animation on
reflects on his career and the experience more hours at home on my own drawing small projects like the Condorman titles
of directing Disney's first non-musical out of great masters books — you know, and Fun With Mr. Future, which Darrell
action-aduenture animated feature. Rembrandt or Michelangelo or anything. Van Citters directed. Then I started ani-
Jim Fanning So a few years went by where I worked mating on The Black Cauldron and did
hard to get good enough to get into Disney. some Gurgi. I did a lot of characters on
Jim Fanning: Why don't we begin with I was determined I wasn't going to try again Black Cauldron.
your own beginnings? until I knew I was good enough. Cauldron was like fow or f ive years.
I finally decided to call Disney and say, "I After that, I guess it was The Great Mouse
Mike Gabriel: I'm what's known as an Air think I'm ready to be one of your artists." Detectiue and then Oliver & Company.
Force brat, and I have ten brothers and
sisters. I' ve lived throughout the country, By then you were being asked to contrlb.
but a large part of my childhood was spent Mike Gabriel and friends. Copyright © ute quite a bit more to each film, right?
in Kansas, out there in the wheat fields and 1990 The Walt Disney Company.
the rivers and all that, so I have a real I slowly got to do a little more and more on
affinity for nature and for haystacks and a each picture. On Great Mouse Detectiue
Huckleberry Finn kind of outdoorsy fun. I I got to design Toby the dog, and animate
love anything rural and bucolic — lightning a fair amount of his stuff. I got to kind of
bugs, birds, and lazy old streams that freeze oversee the fat cat, Felicia, helped to de-
over in the winter, and all that sort of thing. sign her, and animated a lot of her. I had a
ball doing that.
When did you decide that you were going Oliver & Company was my first expert-
to work in Disney animation? ence with story; the director, George Scrib-
ner, allowed to take part in developing the
I came here by birth, practically. Honestly, story. I hit it off with George real well, and
as far back as I can remember, I always I would go with him to recording sessions
knew that's where I wanted to go. It was and start learning how you handle a re-
never if, it was never maybe, it was always cording session for animation. I got to fly to
that's where I'm going. And it's really a New York and work with Billy Joel, the
blessing to know where you want to go, voice of Dodger. George also made me a
because you' re always working toward it. sequence director, which gave me a lot of
10 Animato
experience with issuing scenes to anima- Australia without having ever having been nest — the Aborigines' religion interprets
tors, and looking at tests, and being able to there. So I talked to the producer, Tom that to be carrying the souls up to heaven.
criticize other people's work and get a little Schumacher, and Hendel and I said that It just really inspired us that we could put
confidence that you can improve a scene. we needed to go to Australia to experience something on the screen that people haven' t
Personally, I hate people showing me it to know how to visualize this film. seen in animated film before. To give them
stuff and then having to criticize it. That is The executives at first, when they heard a look at this region through artists' eyes,
not a fun situation to be in. Well, that' s that, sort of said, "Ha ha, right." They based on reality. But we haven't restricted
what a director has to do all the time. And figured that we were just trying to get a free our thinking to keep it exactly as we saw it.
all you can hope is that you' re helping an trip to Australia, but they didn't take long We didn't just paint photographs. We in-
a nimator put something better on t h e to realize we were dead serious and we terpreted. We weren't afraid to go beyond
screen, that you' re not tearing down what meant it. We weren't about to do this film what we saw.
they' re doing, because they' re so talented without going to Australia!
to begin with. Hendel and I, the producer Tom Schu- The good us. cull theme certainly seems
macher, the art director Maurice Hunt, and central to most animated films. Can you
How did you become a director on The our head storyman Joe Ranft went all expand on how yo u de alt w i th t h ese
Rescuers Down Under? through the country for about three weeks. forces in The Rescuers Down Under?
The Australian outback is the most phe-
I got enough of the taste of directing on nomenal region. It looked as it had never The little boy, Cody, is mankind's pure and
Oliuer that somebody — I don't know who been touched by man, and that's a great good relationship with nature and the ani-
— decided that I might be a good director credit to the Aboriginal people who always mal world. McLeach is mankind's bad and
after that film. So somebody recommended live off the land, and never harm the land. evil influence on nature and the planet. So
me. They onlytake what they need, and they his introduction is shown by m o w ing
At the first hearing of the idea of doing a always replenish. through these trees, and birds scattering.
sequel to The Rescuers — I should say, a We met Aboriginal people and saw them The kid also is color-schemed with a very
sequel at all — I don't think either Hendel painting their great paintings, and had a lucid color palette: yellow, red, and or-
Butoy or I were particularly excited by that, barbecue with some of them. We ate under ange. That is all purity and light and good-
because you feel like that's a road that' s the stars with them, and the played their ness, and McLeach is all in greens — or the
already been walked by somebody else. instruments around the campfire. It was complement of red in the color scheme, so
Why do I want to walk in anyone else' s one of the most wonderful, wonderful that's another way you establish polar
footprints? nights of my life. opposites in the visuals of the film.
But throw in the fact that it's going to be We saw everything you could imagine on The color of Marahute is also chosen just
in Australia, and that was sort of the trump an Australian vacation. Bats flying at night, for the beauty and the purity of the color
card that you couldn't quite resist. I mean, and the most beautiful birds and the white yellow. There were some beautiful designs
here's a whole region of unique animals sea eagle. We were inspired by the white done — she was beautifully black with
that have never been tapped by Disney sea eagle — it's the actual name of the these grey, red, or magenta underwings,
animation before, and you'd be a fool not character in our film — Marahute — the and the animators were all excited about it.
to see the possibilities. You know, koala Aboriginals' word for white sea eagle, But to us that would have said, "Here
bears and kangaroos and frill-necked liz- which they believe is the holy carrier of comes the evil Marahute," with her black
ards, and all the snakes and the wombats souls to heaven. This bird will go up to and red, very strong, dynamic coloring. It
and kookaburras. And the region is so anything dead and carry off its carcass to its just would have said the wrong thing. And
beautiful.
And then you start to realize that those
characters, Bernard and Bianca, were so Nike eabriel
popular. Hendel and I went out to a Mexi-
can restaurant and talked it over one day on o rectlng
before accepting the job, and we realized
how nice it would be to start a film where
you have characters that are proven hits.
sisney's
The designs are done, and they' re very gHS
appealing; they were done by the Nine Old Q
Men long before we got on board.

The film captures a real sense of Austra-

lia and all it s ma ny un u sual aspects.
What sort of research did you do?

One of the first sensations I had when I

accepted this job directing Rescuers Down
Under was the absolute awareness that I
didn't know a thing about Australia, and
that it was impossible for me t o e ven
An Interview by Jim Fanning
conceive of trying to make a film about
Animato 11
 also, I wanted to relate her color yellow look at animation together, and discuss And the bird just ruffles her feathers, like a
with Cody's color to make them seem what the animators would show us. Often real eagle does when it's proud. And the
more out of the same cut of doth. Hendel and I would just go off in a room by boy looks at that and understands that
ourselves if we had a real problem in story, that's an affirmative answer. He just looks
How did you and Hendel Butoy handle and try to work out a direction to take it in at her and smiles.
the sharing of t h e d i r ectorial assign- to give to the story people.
The way it was written in the original
ment? script she did speak. She was up there
Was computer animation used ln The asking if the boy had brought the sardines.
People always wonder, how can you co- Rescuers Down Under? "Norwegian, my favorite," was her line.
They sat up there and talked.
When Wilbur jumps off the skyscraper and
the camera goes right over with him and The communication ofMarahute's emo-
pivots around him, and looks back up at tions ls particularly lmpresslue, consid-
him and then swings down. That shot was ering she doesn 't haveexpresslue eyesor
possible because we can computerize the or features.
whole city of New York and then texture
map it with windows, and then put real That was a great achievement — the ani-
snow blowing on top of real character mator, Glen Keane, getting so much
animation. But the background is all com- emotion out of a character that is a stem,
puter~enerated imagery. scowling eagle. We just crossed our fingers
We also used it for McLeach's truck. The and thought, "How's Glen going to do
Sydney Opera House, leach was a combi- this?" And he somehow did it. He would
nation of hand-painted. oackgrounds and find ways of tilting the head to sort of de-
then the Sydney Opera House itself — that emphasize the downward slant of the
level was computer generated, but there eyebrow. Just with little head gestures he
are three levels of hand-drawn background could evoke a lot of sympathy.
paintings behind that. So we did a lot of
combining things, too, to disguise it.
Nobody wants you to notice that there' s
been a computer-generated image any- I ' C.
direct? I mean, a film has to be directed by where in the film. If you notice it, then
one mind in basically one direction. Well, we' ve failed. I would say McLeach's truck
that's true. You can't co-direct with some- was excellently executed, because it is just
body who is completely opposite of what so loose and flexible. You think you' re
your tastes are and what your thinking is. looking at a truck; you' re never thinking of
The reason Hendel and I co-directed is a computer-generated drawing.
because we' re very much alike in our think- And you still have to animate them, too,
ing and our approach to filmmaking, ani- that's the thing. Animators have to sit there
mation, and character design. We' ve and figure out how to make that thing look
worked together for ten years at Disney as
animators, and when they put together this
film and asked if we wanted to direct, they
real and move right. It's not like you turn a
switch on and it runs. -)
It doesn't matter what your tool is. The
asked each of us who we would like to computer is just a new pencil. I don't think
direct with. Well, we picked each other it will ever replace pencil-drawing charac-
because we knew full well that we would ter animation, becuase that's the tool to
have similar tastes. There's a lot less con- use to get the best result. I mean, Disney
flict than you would imagine, simply be- animation is about character animation.
cause we' re the right guys to be working It's about personalities and being able to
together. draw from inside yourself the truest emo- I love the whole sequence of the bird
We' re a two-headed beast, really. We tion and get it onto the paper. And I think getting caught at the cliff by McLeach,
would walk around together all the time, the best conduit I' ve ever found is a pencil when he fires that rocket and it snares the
and paper. eagle out the sky, and the boy is all worried.
This page: two early sketches of the And you cut to McLeach up there jumping
ulllalnous McLeach by Mike Gabriel What are some of yo ur own p ersonal around, in one of the best scenes of the
(the second drawn when Danny DeVlto sequences or scenes ln the film?
fauorlte picture; this guy is just alive with delight
was considered for the role). Opposite
and greed and victory. Just phenomenal
page: the finalized, George C. Scott- I really love the nest scene, when Marahute acting, great reading from George C. Scott,
lnsplred McLeach, also by Mike shows her eggs to the boy and he really and the animator did more to bring it to life.
Gabriel, and Marahute the eagle as communicates with the eagle nonverbally. Duncan Majoribanks did that scene.
drawn by her animator, Glen Keane. They relate so clearly, and yet the bird is 1he layout guys, led by Dan Hansen with
All art copyright © The Walt Disney never saying any dialogue. Cody asks the Rasoul Azadani and Bill Perkins, did a
Company. question, "Are they going to hatch soon?" great job with all the spinning perspectives
12 Animato
and the boy jumping onto the bag and Rescuers who are wondering why Euln- the basic story was over once that boy was
spinning off the cliff. The depth in those rude wasn't featured in the sequel. saved and the bad guy was gone.
shots, the beautiful backgrounds. When it' s
over and McLeach is looking down on the After the boy is saved at the end and flies What technical advances do you feel
eagle, I always notice this stillness in the air off, we were going to cut to a wedding you'ue achieved in The Rescuers Down
in the audience. They' re just riveted at that sceneofBernard and Bianca coming down Under?
point; they' re absolutely breathless. That' s the aisle with their little wedding outfits on.
when you know you' re entertaining them, In the middle of this wedding, Evinrude W e' ve really been able to get a lot of
shows up and comes buzzing in with a production value in this film. We had an
message from the Chairmouse: "Congratu- incredible art director, Maurice Hunt, and
lations! P.S.: you' re needed in Bora Bora a great head of background, Lisa Keene,
immediately; forget the honeymoon." and once those two started kicking in visu-
It would have been a big kick to see als, the higher-ups really were impressed
Evinrude back on the screen. But he sort of with it. They didn't say, "No, you can't do
got tossed out with the whole sequence, that because it's going to take too long or
because we could not see ending another cost too much. They just said, "Let's get
one of these films with a wedding. How this on the screen, whatever we have to
many of these films are going to end with do."
"dun-dun-dun-da...Here comes the bride?" I'm thrilled with the look of the film. It has
Another Disney wedding. so much shading — when you add shading
All through this film we tried to always cut to a scene, you' re basically lighting it.
to something you weren't expecting. You' regiven the cinematographer's tools,
Whether it's Wilbur flying in the clouds which normally in animation you can' t
with these flamingos, or when we cut back have, if you have just a flat color to play
to the hospital and he's got a vice on his with. You basically have to get it down on
head. As soon as you know where you' re the background, and that's that. We' ve
going, then in you' re trouble. As soon as
you show the wedding outfit, you feel like,
well, I' ve seen this a hundred times. And
and you' ve got their interest. Either that or what more could you say? They are getting
they' re bored stiff. married, and you don't need to to see it. It
The scene of Joanna stealing the eggs was more Bernard's fear of proposing that
from McLeach from his toolbox is remark- was the problem, anyway. And she ac-
able. That scene was a lot of work by cepted and off they go.
Duncan Majoribanks again. That was one We also had a strong sense of wanting to
of the first scenes he did with McLeach and bring our own characters to the story, and
it was a ninety-foot scene. It took him create as many new personalities as pos-
months and months to do his part, and sible and not try to milk the first film for all
then we hadDave Cutlerdo the Joanna it was worth. We hoped we didn't need
part. Poor Duncan spends, I guarantee, at Evinrude. It was just that it would have been
least three months on t ha t s cene of fun to bring him back for ourselves.
McLeach, and then Dave Cutler does his I almost wish we had pushed a few more
Joanna animation in three weeks and steals of those little warm fuzzy buttons at the end
the scene! of the movie. too, because we do take the
You' re spending the whole time looking audience through a lot of violence and
at Joanna's eyes instead of McLeach. But tension, and maybe we should have milked
the scene is very successful. They both the warm sweet stuff at the end a little
worked very hard on pulling off the timing more, just to let people feel like it was all
of it, too. We all were very involved: Hendel worth it. But we also had what seemed like approached this film as a very cinematic
and I, and Dave Cutler and Duncan Major- twenty stories to wrap up at the end. We' ve effort. You' ll always see a shadow on the
ibanks, in how to make it even funnier- got the mother still waiting for the boy. character for most of the film, and also a
just the care in every little frame of that We' vegot the boy to go home. We' ve got cast shadow from the character.
scene shows. the eggs that are just now hatching- One of the things I am proudest of in this
It was a difficult scene to sell to the we' ve got to get the mother eagle back to film is the return of the colored ink-line
executives. They were worried because it those eggs. Okay, but we' ve got the boy look, which gives such a softness to the
was so long, for one thing. And we con- who needs to see the chicks, too — he characters, and such an appeal and a
vinced them that this is just a straight, showed so much love for those eggs. Yeah, roundness. Instead of black or grey around
simple, almost silent-comedy bit where okay, we' ll have the boy with the chicks, every line around the character, now we
you just hold the camera still and let the then he' ll go home to mother. Oh, yeah, can have a color — if Bernard is wearing a
situation develop and play. then he's got to free the imprisoned ani- red sweater, the sweater has got a dark red
mals. I mean, you could easily add twenty line around it. If a character has a little
There may Se a lot of fans of the original minutes onto this film, and it seemed like round nose, then it's a little soft red line
Animato 13
around that, which gives everything a ing the genre into these new directions,
rounding effect also. because they were determined to put quality
One thing I really got excited about was back into these films at any cost. And they
the ability to create innovation in our camera found a way to do it at a relatively cheap
moves and in our visual sto~elling tech- cost, which is even more impressive.
niques — to, in some ways, return to very
expensive shots that were only used in the How would you sum up the experience of
most elaborate Disney films, like "The directingan animated feature?
Nutcracker Suite" in Fantasia, with all the
little glowing characters and transparent These films take so much more effort than
leaves. Well, we got a little hint of that- anybody imagines. It's just staggering how
we have a short moment in our film where many people haveto do so much hard
the characters are riding on lightning bugs work to get these things made. It's easy just
and they go behind leaves, and it glows and to assume that Disney's been doing these
all. films so long that it must be easy to make
And you have multiplane-type shots. It them. It never is easy.
hints at what the future of animation is Where do you think today's generation It's the commitment of these people that' s
going to be all about. Right now, we' re sort of anfmators stands in relation to t h e just phenomenal to me. Because they have
of stepping up to the great old quality look achievements o f the past? to do it year after year after year, and they
of the 1940s. And I think you' ll see us in all kick into overdrive and give it their all.
the next few years going beyond that in I feel like our generation now is getting a That's how these films get done and that' s
creating new and even more elaborate- chance to make our mark in the annals of how come theylookgood.Becausepeople
looking movies and features than even the animation history. That we' re stepping out care enough to kill themselves for them.
1940s could muster. of the past's shadow now, because we' re
making our own statements and not just Finally, what's your last word on The
Aboue: this early design for a restau- copying anymore. We' re innovating a little Rescuers Down Under?
rant patron was used instead for the bit. And when I say "we," I mean all of us
Australian doctor character. Drawing in the animation field today. There are so It tumed out to be a very exciting, involv-
by Chris Sanders. Copyright © The many great features being done. Sullivan ing, and different animated film. I think it' s
Walt Disney Company. Bluth certainly was a large factor in push- unique. So I'm very proud of it. •
: :::O':;:;'":.5" N : :

quite differently.) The film fairly overflows

Miss Bianca's Comeback a Success: with good supporting characters, most
A Review of The Rescuers Down Under notably the villain McLeach's lizard crony
Joanna. (McLeach himself is the benefici-
Not long after The Rescuers Down Under rarely gets much deeper into its characters ary of a fine vocal performance by George
opened, its initial ad campaign — which than such films tend to do (which isn't very C. Scott that makes him one of Disney's
focused on Jake, the Crocodile Dundee- far). The most interesting character rela- more sympathetic villains.)
inspired Australian kangaroo rat — was tionship — between Cody (one of those Technically, the film shines. This is the
replaced by one featuring the Australian earnest but rather bland little boys that first animated feature produced using the
boy Cody astride the eagle Marahute in Disney has animated frequently) and his CAPS system, a technique (unpublicized
moonlit silhouette The new ad blatantly eagle friend Marahute (superlatively ex- by Disney) that colors each frame by com-
copied the memorable ad for The Little pressive animation by Glen Keane) is fully puter, eliminating the use of eels. The look
Mermaid that showed Ariel atop a rock in explored in the first five minutes. is as crisp and well-defined as that of any
moonlit silhouette. That said, The Rescuers Down Under is Disney feature of the 1950s, and the film's
That's a shame, because The Rescuers so consistently imaginative and charming excellent art direction gives everything an
Down Under doesn't have that much in that none of the above criticisms matter organic feel that's in tune with the film's
common with Mermaid — or , f or t hat much, at least while you' re in the theater outdoorsy story. The good looks the com-
matter, with the earlier Rescuers film. Nor watching the film. The storyrtelling is fresh puter coloring gives the movie are espe-
does it need to, really; this is a cartoon and uncliched, avoiding the overly obvious cially impressive considering that this is the
that's perfectly able to stand on its own. reliance on inspiration from earlier Disney process's first use; given time, CAPS could
The basic concept of taking the protago- films that marred parts of The Little Mer- turn out to be the most important technical
nists of 1977's The Rescuers (one of maid and has bedeviled most of Don Bluth's advance in animation since the introduc-
Disney's most successful features only in a work. A long series of scenes in which tion of color.
financial sense) to Australia is not a particu- Cody's need of help is transmitted by mice While one hopes that Bianca and Ber-
larly compelling one. Miss Bianca and across the world to Bernard and Bianca, nard will retire their screen partnership
Bernard are pleasant but shallow charac- who are dining in a swanky restaurant gracefully after this film (and that Disney
ters; voiced by Eva Gabor and Bob Newhart, operated by insects, is the most whimsical, will retire the idea of doing animated se-
they' re remnants of the Phil Harris era of well-imagined ten minutes or so that Disney quels), the partnership of directors Mike
Disney animation. This new story puts has done in ages. (It impressively takes an Gabriel and Hendel Butoy is off to a prom-
them in a quasi-Spielberg comedy-adven- idea not too remote from the "Twilight ising start indeed.
ture; while it's a funny, exciting one, it Bark" of 101 Da lmations and treats it Harry McCracken

14 Animato
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Animato 15
 By Harry McCracken
Anlntelieliit Iiiriee Noe

Ail art accompanying this feature copyright © W

arner Bros. inc.

Maurice Noble's career in animation Harry McCracken: I should start by stuff. The kiddies got down in front and
began at Disney In the 1930s, but he ls asking you how you got interested ln jumped up and down when you put on a
undoubtedly best remembered as the animation in the first place. cartoon, but the adult approach wouldn' t
designer who made so many of Chuck be considered until the making of Snow
Jones's Warner Bros. cartoons from 1952 Maurice Noble: Well, I was doing design White.
on some of the best-designed animated work for one of the largest department What they needed out there were people
films of all time. Noble's association with stores in Los Angeles, and I had designed that could handle watercolor rendering for
Jones continued into his later work for a children's department for two Christ- their backgrounds. I had been doing a very
MGM and Warner's; today, he creates mases. One of the scouts from Disney saw creative job, and designing all sorts of
serlgraphs and speaks at animation stu- the work, and this scout had also known things from departments to all sorts of
dios. He also recently designed and co- my work when I went to the Chouinard Art windows. I helped design the exterior of
wrote an episode of Tiny Toon Adven- Institute. I think I had the first one-man the building and all that. I went out there [to
tures. watercolor show at Chouinard. I was asked Disney] and sat down, and the first job they
I conducted this Interuiew with Maurice to come out there and try out as a back- gave me was painting an apple with a
Noble ln January,1991. It wasedited for ground painter, and that's how I got into wormhole in it. I thought, "Oh, what did I
publication by Noble and me. the animation business. get myself into?"
Harry McCracken This waspre-Snow White. The big prod-
Had you been Interested ln animation uct at that time were Silly Symphonies. We
Aboue: Inspirational story painting by before that? worked onThe Old Mill and some ofthe
Maurice Noble for What's Opera, Doc?. things that led up to Snow White.
From the collection of Mike and No, in fact being something of a highbrow
Jeanne Glad. Opposite page: Noble [laughsi, I hadn't paid much attention to it, Did you enjoy animation right away, or
meets fans at a Philadelphia Art although I guess I had seen and enjoyed did lt take some getting used to?
Alliance exhibition of Disney art in The Three Little Pigs,which was a turning
October, 1990. (Narc Dauls and Oliver point for the Disney studios. I had never I enjoyed the work, and was hooked. It was
Johnston are partially ulslble; Frank even thought of animation as a job or a challenge, because at the the time we
Thomas was also present.) career. I had an attitude that it was kid' s were painting these backgrounds, evety-
16 Animato
thing was done in transparent wash, and down in Hollywood on Seward Street. That' s I left there by invitation. I was a member
we weren't allowed to use any opaques at where we were isolated for almost two of the group that decided that the wage
all. The Whatman paper was stretched on years. All I did on that particular picture was structure of the Disney studio wasn't fair,
boards, and a pencil outline was traced. sketchwork; I probably did three or four and so I went out on strike and conse-
Then we were given a pencil rendering thousand watercolor sketches for it. quently lost my job. This was a very
with precise detail of shadows and forms As it finally appeared, my influence was traumatic experience: loyalty, opportuni-
and so forth, and we had to transpose that probably minimal, because they decided to ties, and finances were involved. Walt
into a oolor rendering. go with the approach that Tyrus Wong gave Disney set his standards high, and all
There were certain guidelines that were it — a certain Oriental flavor, if you recall the credit should be give him, even though we
set up, but we would be given a sequence film. My view of the story of Bambi was went out on strike.
of three or four or five or six backgrounds more on the grand scale, and Tyrus's ren- World War II was about to break out, so
that tied together. You can imagine the dif- dering and type of background seemed to after Pearl Harbor I enlisted, through the
ficulty of matching transparent washes lend itself to the intimate approach. My Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sci-
with different backgrounds that would be contributions were probably more indirect ences, in the Anny Signal Corps; they
cut from one to the other. on the film. were asking for technicians.

Was this a uery creative job at this point, Did you know Walt Disney well person- Were you glad that you ended up leau-
or were you mainly doing what some- ally? ing the studio?
body else told you to?
I wouldn't say that at all — did anyone? He That's one of those moot points. I really
It was more or less following what some- was kind of a law unto himself, you know. I feel I was able to be far more creative on
body else told me to do, because the pencil
renderings were very detailed and specific.
We were creating a mood, and we had to
exercise our judgement in that, but we
were working within a framework. Every L

picture must have a framework: story,

visuals, and music. A total composition. " \'

You had to work within the Disney style.

That's right. Well, I doubt whether we' d

call it a Disney style at that time. Snow
White's style was set up for that particular 4

picture. I suppose in a sense it was realism,

but realism with an overtone of Arthur
Rackham or something like that.
I worked on Snow White and Bambl, I
worked on the Stravinsky "Rite of Spring"
sequence inFantasia. I had screen credit
on Dumbo as color coordinator. I might
have painted one or two backgrounds on Photo by Dave Mackey
Plnocchlo, but not a great deal, because I
spent almost two years doing sketch work sat in the sweatbox with him and discussed my own, taking the route that I d i d.
on Bambi, and that overlapped into Plnoc- color breakdown on characters and so on. Disney has a tendency to over-refine their
chlo. When I was working on Snow White, I had product, and in that way they lose a lot of
a room that was sort of catercorner over their spontaneity and zip. By that I don' t
Was that more interesting work? from Walt's, and he could look over in my mean flashy zip, but the kind of a joyful
window and I could look in his window. I was quality that I found later in a lot of the
Yes, that was completely creative work. I working on the final sequence when the really silly things we did at Warner Broth-
became fascinated by the potential of the Prince awakens Snow White, and I'd be ers.
medium. I was doing thumbnail sketches there sometimes to eight, nine, ten, eleven
for mood and continuity and so forth, o'clock at night. Walt would say, "You still Did you find that your Disney training
searching for a way to present the picture. here, Maurice?" I'd say "Yes, I have a little gaue you a good background for your
Originally I worked with Gustaf Tenggren, something to finish up," and he'd say later work?
who was a well-known illustmtor. I worked goodnight and leave. I think the whole
about three months with him, and then I studio was feverishly caught up in the Snow Oh, yes. I really think the training was
believe he left the studio and went back to White production. But no intimate lunches very valuable. I know that many of the
New York. or that sort of association with him. young people in the business today work
About that time they were constructing at Disney two or three years, and then
theirnewstudio in Burbank,andtheBambl How did you come to leaue the Disney they go on into the other studios. They
unit was shifted over to a small building studio? shouldbe commended today foruphokl-
Animato 17
 I worked there I rnumber of years. One day
I got a call from Johnny Burton back at
Warner Bros., asking if I'd like to have a job
doing layout for Chuck Jones. I said,
"Confirm it with a telegram and I' ll be
there." So that's how my wife and I came
back to California, and subsequently I
worked with Chuck for almost twenty years.

Soyou came in and out of the animation

business a few times ouer the years.

Well, I was in the filmstrip business, but I

was always involved with film. Oh, and I
worked at the John Sutherland studios for
a time. Warner Bros. closed its studio at
one time [1953]; I, not knowing that the
studio was going to close, took a job at
Sutherland because I couldn't get a raise. I
happened to leave the week before it
closed; I didn't know anything about it, and
everybody accused me of having inside
ing the quality of animation, which is not Capra's films, when he was showing vari- information.
found in many of the other studios. The ous battle movements and so forth It was Sutherland was going to do a very impor-
Disney studio stillbelieves in drawing, which a very productive small unit — perhaps ten tant picture for U.S. Steel, and I was asked
is the basis of animation. men. to come over there and design it. It was a
I was working on design and renderings film to inaugrate the large stainless-steel
I know that you worked on the Priuate and things of that kind. The story unit did dome at the Pittsburgh ampitheater. We
Snafu cartoons during the war, so you the storyboards, and lots of times I would did the history of steel; I designed it and
were working on Warner cartoons sev- be called to design in black-and-white for Eyvind Earle painted it. It was a fine pic-
eral years before you actually Joined the the backgrounds. The story and the back- ture.
studio. ground designs were then shuttled off to While I was at Sutherland, we made one
Chuck Jones over at Warner Bros., and of the first films on cancer research for the
This was one of my first contacts with they would produce the cartoons as sub- Sloan-Kettering Cancer Institute in New
Warner Bros. The Signal Corps post was contractors. York. We did some films for insurance
at the Fox studio; we called it Fort Fox. companies. I remember one time I met
Ihad been down in Louisiana, and we had You weren't workingdirectly with Chuck John D. Rockefeller, Jr.; we must have
the Signal Corps units down there. They Jones at this time? been doing something for Standard Oil. It
were organized and then moved out over- was a very interesting, top-drawer type of
seas. I was in a position to take groups of I was over there a couple of times, but in a operation.
men over to the the post theater to see sense I wasn't directly working for him,
Frank Capra's various films, and after because his layout men had to adapt our When you started with Chuck Jones, did
watching them so many times I noticed the work. What I did, I assume, had some you know right away that you had a job
men were responding in the same general influence on the way the films were styled. where you'd be able to experiment and
As a matter of fact, I canbarely recall what do interesting things?
patterns.I set up a graph and tracked
responses of the men all the way through. the films were about! [Laughs]
I thought, "Gee, this is real interesting I guess I just kind of grew in the way I
stuff," so I sent it off to Colonel Capra. Oh, they're basicallypropaganda. Funny handled things. I'd always had in the back
After much waiting, all of a sudden I was propaganda, but propaganda. of my mind that super-realism in the back-
transferred to Colonel Capra's organiza- grounds behind flat animation was not the
tion in Hollywood. My commanding offi- Well, I remember we did one about Japan, right approach. So when I got the oppor-
cer was Ted Geisel, who was famous as Dr. and one about German spies, and I don' t tunity, I started to place more emphasis on
Seuss. It was a very creative bunch: we did know what else. They were all done in a shapes. I started to leave off the airbrush
the Snafu cartoons, we did propaganda comic-serious vein. They all had a mes- and create the spaces by shapes instead of
booklets and leaflets, we did various wam- sage. a lot of fussy shadows and so forth.
ings about health problems and venereal I tried to create each frame to support the
disease, we did charts that were inserts for What did you do after the war was ouer? action, and not clutter up anything or
interfere with a gag or bit of action. The
Aboue and opposite page: Noble I had some domestic difficulties and went style just evolved little by little. Chuck was
inspirational story art from the back to Saint Louis and started to do film- an inventive director, and in retrospect I
Private Snafu series. From the strips for an organization that was indi- wonder how the heck we got away with a
collection of Mike and Jeanne Glad. rectly connected with the Lutheran church. lot of the things we did. On the other hand,

18 Animato
as longas we tumed out those Road Run-
ners and Bugs Bunnys and all the various
things that were our bread and butter, once
in a while we could get ina What 's Opera,
Doc?or Duck Amuck or some of the more
outstanding pictures.
I am a great believer in the idea that color
and visual impact have a lot to do with the
response of the audience. I would play for
dramatic impact in both design and color,
in terms of putting over a story point. No
background is any good unless it's appro- L

prtate to the given situation or mood of the

thing that's being portrayed.
I think in terms of Claws For Alarm,
which is one of my favorite pictures, in
which we did that old haunted hotel. A lot
of dramatic shots and color were used to
enhance themood in that. Boyhood Daze
and From A to Z-Z-Z-Z, the Little Ralph
[Ralph Phillips] pictures, were sophisti-
cated, useful approaches to design, simpli-
fied and supporting the young spirit of the style is radically different from film t o So you were more interested in adapting to
films. film. depending on the subject matter, what was needed than forcing your style
In What 's Opera, Doc?, I did the sketches What's Opera, Doc? looks like no other onto a cartoon.
and Chuck built back into them. I quickly Warner cartoon, and neitAer does Robin
did away with the proscenium arch and Hood Daffy. The Bugs Bunny cartoons Oh, absolutely, because I don't believe that
everything, and let the audience move that featured Witch Hazel have a look all any cartoon is successful when you force a
right in on the picture almost immediately. their own, andsofortA. That's not some- design onto it. I think that this was one of
Then I treated it as super-grand opera and thing you see in t h e w o r ks of other the problems with UPA: they overdesigned.
satire. It was kind of a tour de force. directors — were you consciously chang- I talked to one gal who worked over there,
ing your style? and I said, "Gee, that was an interesting
Did you realize that you were working on picture, but what was it all about?" And she
a film that would come to be regarded as Oh yes, this was very deliberate. I was just said to me, "Well, I had fun." This is not
one of the best, if not the best, Warner trying to shape the style to fit the cartoon. communicating the spirit of animation to
Bros. cartoons euer made? The zany quality of Witch Hazel immedi- the audience.
ately suggested a zany approach: cup-
As it went along, I was aware that some- boards painted on the floor and up the wall, Were you influenced by UPA at all? I
thing was kind of happening. I put in a lot and so forth. She was a marvelous charac- tAink animation fans tend to think tAat
of innovative ideas, and I would get calls ter, and certainly wouldn't be in a normal UPA Influenced euerybody with their
from the ink and p ainting department setup. stylization in the 19 5 0s. Or were you
saying, "Now, you don't mean to say The same thing would hold true forRobin mouing towards being m ore s t ylized
you' re going to paint this character all Hood Daffy, which was a slapstick Robin anyway?
red?" or something like that. I'd say, "Yes, Hood. I hit on this free, fun style to support
that's the way we want it." And Chuck was the free and fun slapstick quality of the film. I' ll be very frank and say I don't believe I
backing me up on it. I think one of the great moments of anima- was influenced by UPA at all. I did my own
As we sketched and designed and put this tion is that line when Daffy is sitting on thing. In fact, I refused to go over to UPA;
thing together, when we finally got it, it was Porky'slap,and they're laughing and laugh- I preferred to stay working with Chuck at
just one of those things that came off. It ing and laughing, and all of a sudden Daffy Warner Bros. I think UPA outsmarted itself
could have been a pudding. This is one of says, "How jolly can you get?" It's timed in overdesigning and being kind of smart-
those strange things about doing some- beautifully, and I look back on that as one assed. In a sense they were walking in their
thing creative: you take a big chance, and of the great spots in animation. hallowed artistic halls. I think I can honestly
I suppose I could have been put out the I call it stepping into the picture. You look say that I' ve never designed anything that
front door if it had fallen on its face. But around and say, "Gee, what's this all about, I didn't think was going to communicate to
Chuck backed me up on it, and we have and does it feel right for this given picture?" the audience. After all, you have to have an
What's Opera, Doc?today. I still get a boot And thenyou go ahead and design from audience.
out of just watching it. that standpoint. I'm not particularly aware I'm not downplaying some of the good
that this is my style. This is the way it things. I think that Hubley's Moonbird is
One of the things I find interesting about happens as I design and draw a picture. It one of the charmers of the animation
a lot of tAe films you worked on with was a conscious seeking after something library. But if you ask me what films do I
Chuck Jones, especially during the late that I thought would support the mood of remember that they did at UPA, I can' t
1950s and 1960s, is that the graphic a given picture. really recall one.
Animato 19
Well, people remember Warner Bros. some of the more abstract pictures you think about it, here is a man who was
cartoons a lot better today than they did during the 1960s, like High Note, inventive, who could draw, who had a
recall UPA's. Now Hear This, and then later The Dot sense of color and drama and composi-
and the Line ouer at MGM? tion. He was really ahead of his time in
Oh, yes. They' ll say, "Did you work on terms of so many things. I can't say that
Duck Amuck?" or "Did you work on The Dot and the Linewasbuilton Norton any particular artist directly influenced me.
What 's Opera, Doc?"or "Did you work on Juster's book. The adaptation of it tried to You take in a lot of material, and then your
those Road Runners?" or "What about that stick very close to the dialogue and devel- subconscious takes over.
thing with all the mice in the hotel?" They opment, but to put that over into moving I really do believe that that the designers
remember the strengths and the fun of the graphics was a real challenge I think we got and peoplewho have worked with anima-
Warner Bros. cartoons. a good picture out of it. tion have created their own genre of art.
I just consider each picture a challenge. If I'm not trying to take any credit, but I really
I can't think of any director other than it calls for abstract, okay, let's go abstract. think we were innovators. We were design-
Chuck Jones when he was working with If it cafls for sentimental, let's go sentimen- ing in terms of length. All these other
you whose stylechanged so much from tal. I think this is what good design is all designers and painters were designing a
film to f i lm . T hat wouldn't have hap- about. composition in terms of a static viewpoint,
pened at Disney. and we were teasing the eye with the way
Did you feel like you were drawing on the color and the actions and the accents
I think that in th e D isney mechanism, artistic traditions other than animation? happened in a continuity on the screen, so
they' re tied into the ghost of Walt. It's a I think you told me you felt a special in the end we got a total composition. This
fanciful realism. They' ve created a lot of kinship with Matisse. is something that had never been done in
beautiful pictures, but that's their way of the graphic world before.
doing it. Somebody asked me, "Who is your favor- There is a very definite relationship be-
ite artist?" and I said Leonardo da Vinci. tween animation and music. One enter-
Did you especially enjoy wo rking on They werekind of aghast. Butwhen you tains the eye, and the other, the ear. Both

20 Animato
touch the emotions. guests.Somebody announced that "Now gotten back together with Chuck Jones
we' re going to have a cartoon about the fairly soon after that, since you worked
Was there a character or series that you Three Bears," and some dodo gal up there together at MGM.
enjoyed working on most? said, "Oh, not another story about the
Three Bears." This got to Warner Bros., I was there with him when he started up
I enjoyed working on th e L i ttle Ralph and they said to never make another Three with Tower 12, which became the MGM
pictures, because I thought they were gen- Bears story. [animation] studios. We didThe Phantom
tle, imaginative, and tender little pictures. Tollbooth, The Bear That Wasn' t, The
Were you at Warner Bros. up until the Dot and the Line...
Was there a reason why there were only time that the animation studio closed
two of those? down? On some of th ose films and the later
Warner Bros. cartoons, you were cred-
I don't o w about that. Whether that's the Oh, yes. As a matter of fact, I was there ited as Chuck Jones's co-director. Was
what Chuck wanted to do with him after Chuck left. We did The Incredible that because design had become more
or somebody put their foot down, I don' t Mr. Limpet, and I was designing and Phil important, or had your role in produc-
know. Inthe chain ofcommand, one never DeGuard was painting backgrounds, and tion changed?
knows. Friz Freleng and Hawley Pratt were doing
Chuck did a couple of things with the a lot of the directing on the animation. I Lots of times, the credit of co-direction
Three Bears, and I heard the story that it remember working with Johnny Burton, would show upand Iwouldn'teven know
was previewed up at Hearst's Castle; he Jr. on the wonderful matte shots that he I'd been given it. I would go in and check
had a theater up there and a bunch of did. Considering the almost primitive equip- the animators, maybe sit in on a recording
ment that we had at Warner Bros., it's a session. I was just all over the place, kind of
Above and opposite: Elmer Fudd calls marvelous job of matting of the live action pulling things together, ironing out a lot of
on the forces of nature in two more and the fish. spots while Chuck was going ahead with
Noble inspirational story paintings the next picture. I really don't recall a role
from What's Opera, Doc?. From the That was during the last days of the as cMirector. Someone called me the
collection of Mike and Jeanne Glad. Warner animation studio. You must have catalyst.
Animato 21
I thlnkyou told me when we were talking the screen. It must haue been a lot easier to keep
before that you feel the role of the layout Their present mode of operation is one of tight control ouer the look of a cartoon
artist has changed in animation ln recent such rush. Produce it and get it out, and when you worked with a small crew like
years. jump on the next one. How do you do that.
three stories in a week, like some of these
This is what I' ve observed, from what little studios do? Their pride in a p i cture is Not only was one able to keep more
I' ve been back in the studios. A rough almost lost. control over it, but there was also the esprit
sketch is made of the background, and the de corps and the spontaneity of the thing
layout man in a sense is the animation You were lucky that you didn't haue to that made these %amer Bros. cartoons
layout man. He just turns the animation do that many films a week. You didn' t what they are. They' re considered the fun
with a rough layout over to the background need to do sixty-flue episodes a year. classics. Our input was important, and we
person, and they paint a background. I felt responsible and proud of our work on
suppose it gets some okay somewhere Listen, we did an appalling amount of them.
along the line. work. [Laughs) Chuck and I produced eleven It's what I call the interference of the
'Ihe person who designed the picture s hort subjects a year, but think of t h e walnut desk with the creative process at the
doesn't have control over how it looks, amount of work that went into that: story, studios today. They want this character or
which I think is a great loss. If you' re character sketch by Chuck, and my design that character because they' re going to
designing a picture for mood, you have to work, and all the animation and ink and make a plastic doll out of it. Consequently,
follow through on the thing. That's what paint and dialogue and music scoring and this is worked into the story whether you
I' ve always insisted upon when I'm work- sound effects. want it or not. Inexperienced people are
ing on a picture: if I'm designing it, I'm That was done for eleven pictures a year sitting up there behind that walnut desk
going to see that that's the way it gets on by a small crew: there was Chuck Jones, making decisions on the p ictures, and
Mike Maltese, myself, Phil DeGuard the they' re really not the creative personnel.
Aboue: layout drawing by Maurice marvelous background man, and I think we I' ve not only experienced it myself; I' ve
Noble for a cartoon ln the Road had three animators and three assistants. gotten this from uery talented people, at
Runner series. From the collection of Ten to twelve people producing all these the Disney organization, and other organi-
Mike andJeanne Glad. short subjects. zations too.

22 Animato
 They' ve put the cart before the horse, rything, then you pick up on them and forth. But the word comes down acrossthe
and I think it's resulted in some instances in they' re crosseyed and stars are whizzing walnut desk: "We have to have three pic-
a very Iowgrade, semi-animated cartoon. around their head. This type of thing is the tures out this week." So the crew works like
These pictures are going to kill off the cheapest approach. crazy and gets their three pictures out, but
industry. There's no indepth analyzing a We' ve had a couple of generations of they don't stop to look back at it, because
character to even develop a personality. children that were raised on cruelty and "Oh well, it's going to be sent over to be
It's smash, bang, boom, crash. The car- violence. These kids sit and look at it for done in the Orient, and who knows what
toons today dote on violence and an almost four hours a day. You wonder what kind of we' re going to get back, anyway." There' s
cruel sense of humor. responses they' re developing. I really no esprit de corps. I think there's a lack of
I'm kind of on my soapbox regarding this. wonder; I really worry. But when they talk personal satisfaction on the part of the
By cluttering it up with a lot of fast, fast, fast about what they really like — these are the people who are trying to do the creating
gags, they make people think they' ve seen kids that watch all the shoot-up live-action today. They' re so remote from the final
something, and they really haven' t. There' s and cartoons — it's Bugs Bunny and Daffy product.
no time for development. Duck and Mickey Mouse and these gentle This is one thing that we were fortunate
things. I think we created some classics, in with our comparatively-small crew at
Do you think there'sroom for good work kind of like Aesop's fables. Warner Bros: everybody knew that we
in the kind of limited animation that' s I think Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a were depending on everyone else to really
done for TV today? very cruel picture. And it's an unkind deliver the goods. And this resulted in a lot
picture. There' s nothing funny about laugh- of these gems of cartoons. I didn't lmow
Yes, I do. I think one of the really big ing at a half-wit. that we were doing that at the time, but in
successes is the Charlie Brown series done retrospect this is evidently what we did.
by Bill Melendez. This animation is cer- Well, there's not a lot of humanity ln it.
tainly limited, but look at the charm of the Are you surprised that the interest has
things. I think one of the great moments of No humanity at all in it. This is why I worry. continued ln your work, and that people
animation history is when Linus reads the My neighbor moved just before Thanksgiv. am writing books and magazine articles
Christmas story on the Christmas pro- ing, and I went up to say goodbye. He about what you did?
gram. I watch it every year, and I get a lump introduced me to the young moving man,
in my throat every time. It's so utterly saying I had worked on SnowWhite and all Oh, I'm constantly surprised. I meet a lot of
charming and direct and simple: simple these various things. The guy was duly people that know more about what I' ve
staging, simple dialogue, the tone of the impressed, and then he turned to me and done then I do. I was speaking to [Steven]
voice. And this is very simple animation, said, "Did you work on Roger Rabbit?" Spielberg — we had met — and I told him
but it's the way it's done, and it's in char- Really, almost hostile. I said, "No, I didn' t." it was an honor to meet him, and he said
acter with their voices and what they' re He said, "I took my little girl to that, and it it was an honor to meet me, and we had a
doing. Let's just say they have "love." was a cruel picture." niceexchange of conversation. Somehow
This is one example of limited animation design came up, and I said, "I always
being done in an appropriate way. I think A lot of people would say that the Road designed stuff to please myself." He got
the Europeans in some of their films suc- Runner pictures were crueland overly that kind of quizzical look on his face, and
ceeded in doing it; I think back to a Yugo uiolent. I don't agree, but they do say I said, "Well, you can't really expect any-
slavian thing called Ersatz. A great design that. one to like something unless you like it
thing, but in a sense it's almost limited ani- yourself."
mation. It's the quality of thought that goes I' ve heard the same thing, but what hap- This is what Chuck and our crew and I
into the thing. It's the quality of approach, pened to the Coyote was that he got his were doing: we were turning out cartoons
and dialogue, and story construction. comeuppance for whatever he did; every- to please ourselves. In that way we got a
There's no cartoon unless you have a good thing backfired on him. It soon became certain spirit to them that came across to
storyline. understood that he was indestructible. I'm the audience, and they joined in the fun. If
not defending the violence of the Road you get too dam remote from a given
And good characters. Runners, but I think this was the reason it creative project, all of a sudden it becomes
was more acceptable. sterile. I think. this is what has happened in
Good characters, well that's right. If you the studios today.
have a good character and you build a good The funny thing ls, I imagine a lot of the I really do believe that animation is a
storyline around it, then you have a car- people who work on t h e se new films unique and wonderful artfonn — I hate to
toon. This is one of the things they did at you' re talking about feel that they' re in- make it an American artform, but I really
Warner Bros. I always thought of Daffy and fluenced by the Warner Bros. fil msyou think that's where it developed. I think it
Bugs and Pepe LePew and all of them as worked on. has vast possibilities; I'd like to see a mu-
people. I didn't think of them as cartoon seum where you could go in and sit down
characters; I thought of them as individu- I' ve had the opportunity to talk a number and see What's Opera, Doc? or The Dot
als. I could sit back and laugh at a lot of stuff of times with groups, most recently at the and the Line or any of the other short
that would come out of Daffy's mouth. Disney studios, and there's a real hunger subjects, just as you go into a gallery and
"What's this little smartass up to?" among these young animators and design- see static pictures.' I think it would be very
I can't warm up to these [new characters]: ers to really do some good work. They popular, and it may happen someday.
smash, bang, pose, blink-of-th ews, then really want to get in there and do good People would come out of a museum
zip off and crash offscreen, and shake eve- animation, good stories, good gags, and so laughing — wouldn't that be great! •

Animato 23
 or producer Carl M acek,
Robotech had been a c areer
highlight. The series had intro-
duced the American public to
Dateline:
the wonders of Japanese animation, with
its dynamic camera angles, intelligent sto-
ries, and engaging characters. Robotech
had spawned a ton of merchandise, a
series of novels and comic books, and a fan
following that exists to this day. But Har-
mony Gold, the producers, lost financing
to make new episodes, and eventually lost
interest in the show.
In 1987 Macek left Harmony Gold to
pursue other interests, working for DIC
Enterprises for a year. He describes this
experience as "frustrating" as well as "en-
lightening."
"In that year I was able to develop, with
Duane Capizzi, an interesting television
show called C.O.P.S. I then watched an
interesting show get butchered by a system
epitified by DIC — a.k.a. traditional Ameri-
can television animation," he says.
"The conceptof C.O.P.S. would have
been great had they allowed it tobe strong.
But they didn' t. The company's 'brass'
punked out when they opted to make it
funky. Being one of the key persons who
developed the story, I eventually got myself
into a lot of trouble by trying to stick to my
guns. The result: I was taken off the project
as head story editor, but they eventually
realized that they had to keep me on
because I was the only one who knew the
names of the characters.
"I was allowed to write 17 episodes under
my own name, and then I rewrote about a
dozen or so episodes that were really pretty one theater, and it's held over, then maybe releasingLensman, based on E.E. "Doc"
bad. At the height of production I had to another theater in another city might have Smith's Galactic Patrol. The movie boasted
rewrite an episode in a day. A few of the trouble getting their print," Macek says. a $5 million budget, spectacular special
episodes were, I thought, pretty good, but "Our operation is totally legitimate; it' s effects, and revolutionary (at the time)
by and large it was a very weird experience. above-the-board in every way...every dol- computer graphics.
"Then I decided, this isn't right. I took the lar earned by these movies is reported to "Interestingly enough, the very first thne
money that I had earned working for DIC the Japanese and so everybody's happy." I saw the Lensman movie, it was the very
and I opened up Streamline Pictures with The first movies that Streamline trans- first time that 'Robotech' [sic] was ever
Jerry Beck. Our first goal was to build a lated were Hayao Miyazaki'sMy Neighbor, shown," Macek says. "It happened at the
company geared to distribute Japanese Totoro andKlkl's Deil uery Serulce. Macek World Science Fiction Convention in
animation in the United States. Our phi- describes these authentic translations as Anaheim several years ago. I had done, in
losophy is to try to take programming we representative of "the true philosophy we English, a compilation of the first three
think will have value in the American mar- have in regard to Japanese animation." episodes of Macross. It was playing in a
ket, translate it authentically, give it spin, Neither film has been announced for the- video room, and it was on that same day
and present it in a way that is easy to atrical or video release in the States, that Macross was happening, I was sitting
enjoy." although Kikl played on Japan Air Lines in the convention theater watching Lens-
Streamline's first imports were Laputa: flights in the winter of 1989-90. man and I was overwhelmed; it was a mag-
Castle in the Sky, Twilight of the C'ock- Said Macek, "Tokuma is weighing all nificent film. Ever since, I kept trying to get
roaches, and Aklra. In an effort to make other offers, including ours, and our offer Harmony Gold to get Lensman. Well, the
their operation profitable (by cutting ad is limited, as far as the scope of what we last thing they got before I left was the
and print costs), Streamline releases only a want to do with the material, and they' re rights to Lensman. Th e y made two films
few prints at a time. looking at other aspects of it." from the property. One was a compilation-
"The [problem] is, that if it's popular in Last September, Streamline began of the first six episodes of the series, which
24 Animato
Streamline Pictures partners Carl Macek (this page) and Jerry Beck (opposite have mixed expectations. Some of them
page). feel as though anything after Aki ra is anti-
climatic. They miss the point of this par-
ticular film. To my way of thinking, Lens-
man is probably one of the most entertain-
ing films made in recent Japanese anima-
tion history. It's very exciting, very bright
and colorful in its outlook and in its story-
telling. I think it's a masterpiece of contem-
porary Japanese animation.
"Other reviewers looking for the next
breakthrough in terms of Japanese anima-
tion miss the boat," Macek says. "They
don't see the entertainment value that's in
this film. I think that the whole controversy
about it being a Star Wars ripoff will fade
away and people will just look at it as what
it is.
"Hopefully if the film is successful, our
plan is to do something with the Lensman
television series. And certainly we' ve got-
ten requests for doing that from a major
video company. You know, it's a long road
to hoe."
Kodansha had also produced a Making
of Le nsman film, which, according to
Macek, is not likely to be translated for
release here — at least, not in its present

Carl Mace@ format, due to previous copyright entan-

glements.
on Streamline "A lot of people own the rights to that

Pictures ancl particular documentary and it's very diffi-

cult working out all of the various contrac-

Life After tual obligations," Macek admits. "My plan

was to ultimately make an original docu-
Roliotech mentary on it. We may still do that, be-
cause there is some unique production
By Bob Miller point-of-view in the making of Lensman."

by and large worked together as a story. and its original soundtrack (done the way
They cut out flashbacks and things that we feel it should have been done). side from serving as co-founder
would be redundant, and made, I guess, a "Well, negotiations went back and forth, of Streamline Pictures, Macek
fairly competent moviel The Power of the back and forth. It was February of '89; in found time to produce a made-
Lens]. I have not seen it. Then the second March of 1990 we finally got a FAX saying for-home video called Com-
thing Lensman tumed out to be was the that we'd have the elements on March 29." puter Warriors, released in May 1990.
theatrical feature, which was edited down Under Macek's supervision, and the dia- Macek co-wrote the video with Bill Kroyer,
from its 107-minute length to 82 minutes, logue direction of Steve Kramer, Stream- who directed it.
and retitled The Secret of the Lens. They line translated Lensman as originally in- "Basically Computer Warriors was a
also changed the music. tended, the complete 107-minute-length work-for-hire that I did at Kroyer Films for
"Well, when Jerry Beck and I started film with six-track Dolby surround sound. Mattel Toys," Macek recalls. "It was an
Streamline, one of the films that we wanted Macek describes Lensman as, "an ex- opportunity to produce original anima-
to deal with was Lensman. And we nego- periment in restraint. What we tried to do tion using techniques that have not been
tiated in earnest and finally made a deal with Lensman is to completely follow the done before. The overall story can best be
February of 1989 to theatrically-release script of the original Japanese writer. And described as 'TRON in reverse.' A bunch
Lensman. When we saw the version of it even though he deviated from the Doc of guys that live in a c o mputer-based
that exists, we realized that we were not Smith storyline, we felt that it would be reality are thrown into the real world and
going to be able to release it that way be- more fair to the filmmakers to deal with have to leam to cope with the problems of
cause it had been cut radically, and it wasn' t their story than try to superimpose a Doc being confronted by dogs, toasters, wash-
strong enough to be a theatrical release. Smith-esque stoty to it. We feel that the ing machines, and things they have abso-
We requested the original Japanese pro- film captures the flavor of Doc Smith's lutely no idea what they are.
ducer to give us the right to go back in and stories very nicely. "It was designed by Vicki Jensen and laid
reconstruct the film to its original length "Reviewers that see Lensman oftentimes out by Ed Bell and several other people
Animato 25
who worked at Ralph Bakshi's Mighty you can buy it, and see it in a way that tumed kid with a gun and target on his
Mouse series. The look is very bizarre. It' s maximizes your enjoyment of it." chest. It was a really fun toy that addressed
best described as a contemporary-styled The first Video Comics series will be most of the problems of the original Lazer
story. So if it's effective at any level, it's due Zillion, a science-fiction action series. Each Tag system. Unfortunately, Zillion never
to the fact the animation is engaging and cassette will contain one episode, retailing got a start in the United States due to the
the story propels you along in a rapid-fire for $14.95. The first five episodes will be failure of Lazer Tag. Lazer Tag had a lot of
way, which is all you can hope to do released one per month, beginning Janu- returns; it was a high- priced ticket item. It
anyway. So far everyone who's seen it has ary 1991. never really caught on. The problems that
liked it. It's sold 175,000 copies on home "We' re doing things that are really unique. Lazer Tag had were solved with this Zillion
video already. Pretty amazing," Macek We' re making tapes available to the spe- toy, but the geniuses who control market-
says. cialty retail market first," Macek says. "It' s ing strategy in the United States, being
In addition to importing Japanese anima- not going to traditional home video stores who they are, decided that any other toy
tion, Streamline Pictures is making avafl- first. The only place you can see them is to similar to Lazer Tag really wouldn't meet
able actual eels from these productions. buy them through specialty retail outlet or the market. Subsequently Sega released
"Initially we' re offering original animation direct mail. It's a way that was done origi- two videogame cartridges for their master
art from Akira and in 1991, we' ll start to nally with Robotech.When you go back to system with characters which appear in
sell art fromRobot Carnival," Macek says. the roots of Robotech, you' ll discover that the cartoon. Hopefully, when we do the
"As wepickup productions — depending it began as an 'OVA' sold through the mail English version of it, we will introduce
on the time in which these films were and specialty retail shops as a home ver- American audiences to this excellent se-
produced, if the animation still exists- sion of Macross. There were three epi- ries."
we' ll negotiate with producers to bring this sodes of Macross, tied together on one The story takes place in the 23rd Century
artwork into the United States and market tape that cost $39.00. We' re selling one on the distant planet, Maris, which is settled
it at a reasonable price. We' re trying to give episode of Zillion for $14.95. by human colonists. Maris' solar system is
an alternative to people that want to buy Originally, Red Beam (Photon) Zillion attacked by a race of aliens, the Noza, who
animation art that don't want to spend aired in Japan in 1987, produced by also want to colonize the planet. The army
$150 for a cel from a TV show. Cels from Tatsunoko Studios (the animators of Mac- sends a team of freedom fighters, The
animated feature films have higher-quality ross). The series was produced by a staff White Knights, to battle the Noza with a
art done by better animators, and reflect initially assembled for Robotech II: The mysterious alien gun powered by an en-
the art of animation more than a television Sentinels. When that project was cancelled, ergy source named "Zillion." The Zillion
show. So far the response has been very the crew was able to switch over to Zillion, gun is the only weapon that can destroy the
good. based on a toy line created by Sega, the aliens.
Streamline is making these eels available electronics company. In all, 31 episodes The White Knights include J.J. (Doug
through specialty shops, by mail order, and were broadcast, followed by an Original Stone), a flamboyant teenager who often
at conventions. Animation Video released in June 1988, needs rescuing by Champ (Kerrigan Ma-
Yet another new Streamline project in- called Burning Night. han), an agent from the military, and Apple
volves bringing Japanese animation to the Macek describes the Zillion gun "like a (Barbara Goodson), a daring intelligence
home videocassette market. Their first Lazer Tag-type of toy. A kid got a gun and agent. Their main antagonist is Baron
release is a 48-minute documentary on vest that was a target, and would run Ryxx (pronounced "Ricks"), the alien
Akira called Akira: Production Report, around the back yard firing at another cos- commander obsessed with destroying our
dubbed into English by Macek, released From Robot Carnival.
last fall. The video retails for $24.95 and is
available at "finer" comic book shops
around the country, and at theaters showing
Aklra.
Streamline is also releasing the movie
Akiraon home video, spearheading a new
label called "Video Comics.
"Video Comics is an attempt to release
videotapes of key Japanese animation into
the United States, distributed initially to
specialty retail shops on a monthly basis,"
Macek explains. "It's our attempt at doing
OVA-style animation introduced to the
specialty retail market, dubbed into Eng-
lish, as opposed to being subtitled.
"By releasing Akinr on videotape it can
stop, or put a dent in, the operations of the
major video bootleggers. We want to send
a message to the people that watch Japa-
nese animation which says, basically, that
this stuff is going to be made available in
English, on video, at a reasonable price. So
26 Animato
heroes.
By selling Zillion as a home video, Macek
hopes to avoid restrictions as to the kind of
language used in the show, and the type of
subject matter.
'It's going to be very authentic to the
Japanese, but done in a similar fashion to
what people like best aboutRobotech. It' s
going to have snappy dialogue and well-
acted character voice actors, that kind of
thing," he says.
"It will be, hopefully, Robotech for a new
generation. That's our goal; we' re trying to
r epeat the success, the i m p act t h a t
Robotech had. Zillion does not have as
vast a canvas as was present in the original
J apanese stuff t ha t w a s t u r ned i n t o
Robotech, but, the animation is very good,
and the characters are very engaging. So,
hopefully, through the course of the ex-
periment withZillion, we might get some-
thing that has a similar feel and a similar From Lensman.
appeal."
Star, the theatrical feature. And we' re "Basically, we' re trying to aggressively
arl Macek reveals more projects working to develop new p rojects with bring the stuff into the market in a way that
in the works from Streamline Japanese studios from scratch. So we' re shouldhave been done about five years
Pictures: "We' re negotiating going to have a heavy workload. ago," Macek says. "It was kind of side-
right now w ith several OVA "We' ve also started to look intemation- tracked with the relative success of Akim
producers," he says. "I feel that in the next ally beyond Japan to bring films to the With Lensman and Robot Carnival we' re
several months we' ll be releasing OVAs on United States. We' re working to bring going to be bringing animation out in a way
a regular basis. We' ve made a deal to Soviet and Eastern European animation that does justice to the material. Hopefully
release Robot Carnival to the theaters into the country. We' re going to try to more people will see it and more people
starting in the beginning of 1991. We' re in become an animation clearing house, to will begin to understand what other people
final negotiations for Fist of the North get people to see lots of foreign animation. like in it." •

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Animato 27
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THE BEST SELECTION OF "ANIMATION FOR GROW'N-UPS"!

i'Niiiiicf&c)w

International Tournee of International Tournee of Outrageous Animation Bruno Bozzetto: Animator

Animation, VOL 1 (19th) Animation, VOL 2 (20th) VOL 1 VOL 1

Beitfe Matt ttil".

VIP My Brother Superman West and Soda Guido fvlanuli: Animator International Tournee of
VOL 1 Animation, VOL 3 (21st)

FUTUROPOLIS special effects and science fiction, Borge Ring whose Academy Award-
In the future men will be men but winning animation has entertained millions and Paul Driessen whose witty
super-heroes will be animated! surrealism is a work of pure genius. Also spotlighted is the work of
Blast off for some out-of-this- Holland's best contemporary animators.
world, cosmological comedy in
this hilarious sci-fi parody. An ALICE
unparalleled cinematic experi- Jan Svankmajer, the Czech animation master, crafts an "Alice in Wonder-
ence and a outrageous parody of land" of childhood into something new in which adults can find meaning
nearly every film genre. and resonance, "A surrealist dream universe by one of the few true
" 'FUTUROPOLIS' irreverent masters of contemporary
humor is a delight"-NEW YORK animation -Amos Vogel, FILM
TIMES COMMENT

GIANINI AND LUZZATI: THE BROTHERS QUAY:

ANIMATORS VOLUME 1
Italian animators Emanuele The beauty, the accomplishment,
Luzzati and Giulio Gianini the surrealism, the black humor,
collaborate to bring the world of music alive in this outstanding collection even the horror ranks the work of
of their multi-award winning work. Includes the Academy award-nominated The Brothers Quay among the
PULCINELLA, PULCINELLA AND THE MAGIC FISH, AN ITALIAN IN most illustrious and intriguing
ALGIERS andTHE THIEVING MAGPIE, also an Academy award realizations of the animator's art.
nominee. Featuring THE STREET OF
CROCODILES andTHE CABI-
ANIMATION INTHE NETHERLANDS NET OF JAN SVANKMAJER.
This award winning program showcases the work of such pioneers as
George Pal, whose puppet animations Ied to a groundbreaking career in
Animato 29
Remembering

Not many people liue to see their hun-

dredth birthday; how many of those that
do mark it by gluing a uigorous and funny G ihn's I,asi I n t e l v i e pr
speech beforemore than fiue hundred
w ellwishers? Grim Natwick did, and i t By John ProvInce
was a memorable and fitting cap to his
seuenty years in and around the anima- : On March 11th, 19 90 I e n j o yed the John Province: C ould we t a lk a b i t
tion business. (Those that weren't able to: honor of c o nducting Grim N a t wick's about how you got into animation?
make tAe party can experience it thanks : last formal interuiew, for my forthcom-
to a fine videotape that will be auailable: ingbookofanimation interuiews. Thanks Grim Natwidc: I receiveda telephone call
from Bosko Video shortly; see their ad : are in order to Mr. Mare Dauls, who was from Gregory LaCava, with whom I'd
elsewhere in this issue for details.) f nualuable in h e lping m e l o cate M r . roomed for a semester in art school. Wil-
Even thougA wAen we began planning : Natwick and who graciously permitted liam Randolph Hearst, the old newspaper
this feature it was as a birthday tribute : me to use him as a reference. Kind monarch, was insane about animation and
ratAer than a m emorial, there doesn' t : words should also be extended to Mr. wanted to open his own studio. He'd inter-
s eem much reason to d w ell sadly o n : Natwick'scaregiuers, the French family viewed LaCava and must have taken a
Grim's passing last October. That t h is : of Santa Monica, California, who made liking to him,becausehe put him in charge
man's remarkable career and the history : his last years comfor
tableand filled with of the whole place.Gregory remembered
of animation are essentially synonymous : affection. I haue no doubt that it was the that I could draw funny little horses and
is asmuch a reminder of how young tAe : kindness and friendship ofthese good animals, and told me that "this is a brand
artform is as it is a celebration of how : people that kept Grim Natwick among new business. It's great. You' ll like it!"
long Grim Natwick lived. : us a bit longer. So I agreed to try it. The luckiestexperi-
Harry McCracken dohn Proulnce ence of my life was probably Gregory
30 Animato
 i uteto
ation s
a not e eni
Opposite page: Grim Natwick, late in
Ais life. TAis page: a Natwick animation
drawing from one of the fi rst Betty
Boop cartoons. Note the dog ears. From
the collection of Mike and Jeanne Glad.

Charecter copyrtght © Retscher Studios/King Features.

LaCava nagging at me to try animation. dancing with a chorus girl about twke as that he was going to become a gentleman.
He just couldn't get artists! He'd be an tall as he was. I'd learned how to do the He casts a fishing line through a transom,
interesting person to write about, even circular waltz, so I danced them around in and gets a "bite" — whkh is a nke mat.
though he wasn't in animation all that long. a circle. LaCava called everyone over to Then he gets a hat, and a pair of pants, and
His mind was just filled with gag avenues. my table and said, "Look what Natwick's a pair of patent leather shoes. He gets
done." Some of the animators tried it and dressed up in this stuff and goes to the
How was it working in this brand new found that it wasn't too difficult. They barber for a shave. The barber is foaming
business? started doing some experimenting after his face, and there's a little dog running
that, but before they would have never from one side of the chair to the other and
There was no competition between the dared try it. Some of them were excellent looking up at Hooligan. Happy gets nerv-
early animators, because we all had the animators, such as George Stallings, Bill ous and asks the barber, "What's with that
same problems. These fellows had many Nolan, and John Foster. crazy little dog down there?" The barber
of them, and we figured them all out: how When I was in art school, after I'd finished says, "Sometimes I mim!"
to make the figures move, how to get them drawing a live model from the front, I used
in and then get them out again. It took to go around and draw the back, because W ere you at
Hearst when LaCaua leftfor
about three years to really feel comfortable I thought it was an interesting exercise. So Hollywood?
with the darned thing. Most of the guys I knew what was back there. (Laughs)
never had more than a year or two of art Yes, I was, and he was very gracious to me
school, and they used to turn the charac- Do you remember any other scenes you about that. He called me into his office and
ters around by walking them off the screen. worked on at Hearst? said, "Grim, I'm not going to be around
I did a Silk Hat Harry once in a dance here much longer,and when I'm gone,
hall, with lots of drinking and music and Yes, I did a Happy Hooligan, and they they' re going to offer you my job, because
pretty girls that I could draw. Harry was gave me a scene where Happy had decided they like your work. But don't take one
Animato 31
nickel less than a hundred dollars a week, Natwick prouided the illustrations for Will Rogers's book Ether and Me
because that's what I'm getting!" (1 927). The lady ln this drawing bears at least a passing resemblance to a
LaCava was the highest-paid person in more famous dancing girl that Natwick would create three years later.
the business at the time, but he went into
the manager's office and demanded to be
raised to six hundred dollars a week, which
was more than double what Harold Lloyd
was making! The manager called Hearst
and told him what Gregory wanted, and
Hearst's reply was "Fire the son of a bitch!"
If LaCava had just quit on Hearst, he would
have ruined him.

How did you get your job at the Flelscher

Studio?

I'd been working out at Bill Nolan's studio d,

in Long Branch, New Jersey, just a brief
bus ride from New York. It was a very small
operation; just two or three animators, an
assistant, and I think his father was the
cameraman. ]Laughs] Anyway, Bill had to
close his studio, and went over to Lantz. I
was still thinking I would get into magazine
illustration, and actually did do some cov- character's. How did you come up with You worked on both the first and second
ers for some of the smaller boys' maga- her design? full-length animated feature films, Snow
zines. White and Gulliver's Travels. Do you haue
She is made up of a lot of little tricks. She a fauorite between the two?
By this time, you had been ln animation has no chin; her cheeks come right to-
for some tlme. Did you still regard lt as gether and the lips are in the middle. The They were equally interesting. My position
just a passing job? spit curls are supposed to be fascinating, at Disney was just as another animator. At
and the garter suggests sex. She's a little Reischer's I had my own group of good
Well, animators were making a hundred clown, really. She could sing "Boo~op - friends and trainees under me, so I was at
dollars a week, and Norman Rockwell was a-Doop," and even little children could un- least superficially in charge. They were a
making a thousand! ]Laughs] In any case, derMnd her. very talented group, and together we
my assistant at Nolan's called me up and It wasn't accidental; it was eight years of worked on the Prince and the Princess,
said, "Hey Grim, do you want a job? Max art school. One o f t h e i n -betweeners who was very much like Snow White.
Reischer is hiring animators." I went down thought I had forgotten to draw her chin,
and had a pleasant conversation with Max, so he put one into a drawing and it changed Your career has Seen pluotal in making
and that was the beginning. her whole personality! animation a legitimate art form. What
would you call your proudest achleue-
At the time you arriued at Flesicher's, Can we talk a little about your work on ment?
Bimbo was their Slg star. I'ue seen model Snow White?How much did you haue to
sheets where Betty Boop looks li ke a do with designing that character? Oh, I would have to say Betty. Years ago I
dog. was in Russia, helping to make an Ameri-
Walt had Albert Hurter, the Swiss artist, can film, and I wa s introduced to the
Bimbo was the only character that Reis- who sort of oversaw the whole thing. I [Russian] producer as the man who created
cher had really developed, so I naturally always tried to remember that Snow White Betty Boop. His face lit up and he said,
aiumed they wanted a girl dog for the was a princess, even though she never "Aaaaaaahh, Betsy Boopl" So they know
girlfriend. So I worked up some drawings, appeared that way in the story. I submitted her over there. I was the guest of the
and thought, "This is crazy; they can' t drawings of her wearing a three-pointed French government some time ago, and
want this," and threw those drawings away. crown and a cute little dress, but they were everyone over there was wearing Betty
Apparently my two assistants, Al Eugster never used. Everything had to be tumed sweatshirts. I get a lot of mail from Eng-
and Shamus Culhane, who were just two over to Hurter, and he pretty much did a land.
kids learning
the business at the time, composite of all of them. My life has been like playing cards with a
picked them up and finished them. I was I worked with Mare Davis on Snow White. marked deck, only I didn't know they were
shocked several months ago to see those Mare was a very skilled artist, and I was marked until I tumed them over. It has
first drawings again. Apparently they were lucky to get him. Jack Hannah later be- been a very interesting life, because Betty's
saved when they should have been dis- came an assistant of mine, and he's very gone all over the world, and she's taken me
carded. good, too. But Mare could draw a good with her. •
Snow White, and I think that Walt consid- [Interuiew Copyright © 1990 John Prou-
B etty's l o ok s ar e u n l i k e a n y o t h e r ered him one of the best, even then. ince.)
32 Animato
 G rim N a t w i c k R e m e m b e r e d : spots. When the studio vanished during the
T he Ma n F r o m Eisenhower depression of 1958, Grim
faded into obscurity as a freelance 1V spot
Wisconsin Heights animator. Finally, in 1967, he decided to
retire in Hollywood to see, as he wryly put
it, if he "could get the Mickey Mouse out of
By Shamus Culhane my paintbrush.
But Dick Williams dragged Grim back
n Sunday, October 7, 1990, It was an awesome sight to see Grim into the limelight when he had him go to
Grim Natwick, creator of Betty draw. In his prime, he was built like a London to work in his studio as a consult-
Boop, died in his sleep. Several fullback; he was easily the strongest man I ant. There, in his mid-eighties, he ani-
weeks before, he had been hos- have ever known. Crouched in his chair as mated an exquisite little scene of a wart-
pitalized with a heart attack which had if ready to spring, a frail-looking pencil held ridden witch for Dick's feature picture.
probably been caused by the excitement of in a massive fist, one eye-tooth showing in Suddenly, the entire animation community
celebrating his 100th birthday on August a ferocious snarl, Natwick might be draw- became aware that there, in their midst,
18th. ings Snow White with her hand delicately was a monolithic and historical figure whose
With hhn died a piece of American his- poised to balance a bird on her finger. roots and tendrils were grounded in the
tory, because Grim lived his childhood in Al Eugster, Bernie Wolf, and I were like a very beginnings of animation.
Wisconsin Rapids, a small town which still pack of frolicking puppies following in the He became a beloved, almost revered
held fading vestiges of frontier life. When wake of a huge St. Bernard. Grim taught figure, gracing many an occasion with his
he was born in 1890, Sitting Bull and his
minions had scarcely been pacified. Grim Natwlck at Disney: a Grim Natwlck animation drawlng of Mickey Mouse
used to tell us tales of an annual pow-wow from Alpine Climbers (1936). Courtesy Pam Martin.
that was held on ground that was still
sacred to the Indians, just on the outskirts
of town.
When he spoke of braves bedecked in
buckskin, beads, and feathers, Grhn would
often get up and demonstrate a typical
Indian dance step, a complex-looking
combination of shuffles and short hops.
He would remind us that many of the older
Indians who attended these meetings might
very well have been part of the horde that
massacred General Custer and his troops
in 1876.
Grim's father owned the town's furniture
store. It was heated by a huge pot-bellied
stove. Every winter, the store was a gath-
ering place for the menfolk of Wisconsin
Rapids. They assembled to keep warm,
chew tobacco, and whittle, while the story-
tellers made the old days come to life. Each
detail was savored, and the hair-raising
parts of the narrative were always deliber-
ately underplayed. Grim, like Davy Crock-
ett, adopted that style of delivery, and Copyright © The Walt Disney Company.
became a renowned after-dinner speaker.
His punchlines were delivered in almost us, and a half-dozen other kids, the rudi- presence, and convulsing his audience with
inaudible tones, with an expressionless ments of animation at the Fleischer studio his homespun wit. As Grim neared his one-
face. The direct antithesis of our modem- in 1930. When he moved on to the Iwerks hundredth birthday, it seemed as if every
day frenetic standup comics on television. studio, we followed him, and did the same person iln the field strained to see if he
Grim was one of the few east coast to Disney's. Al and I joined him again at would make it. When he did. there was a
animators to have studied abroad. (Al Giess Fleischer's in Miami. Then Grim followed lavish party which over four hundredpeople
and Izzy Klein were the others.) There he me to the Lantz studio; I directed films attended. It was a display of affection
developed a sense of design that he incor- there, but Grim had little interest in direc- unparalleled in animation history.
porated into his animation, as can be seen tion. He preferred to animate, and pro- Nature was kind to Grhn Natwick. He
in some of his later drawings of Betty ceeded to create some of the best Woody never suffered the slightest trace of senility,
Hoop. Another outstanding example of his Woodpecker scenes that were ever drawn. and he died without pain. Those of us who
unique talent is the luxurious swirl of Snow We finally parted when he joined UPA in were his friends can consider ourselves
White's skht as she hurries down the stairs Hollywood. Later, they sent him to work in fortunate. Grim enriched our lives beyond
in the dwarfs' house. their New York branch, animating TV measure.•
Animato 33
 The Life of Gri m N a t w i @c: continued to produce many of the Hearst

%rom Happy Hooligan properties. "I was doing things that other
animators had not dared to do," Natwick

to Roger Rabbit said. "I deliberately would sometimes draw

a side view or a back view, just to know it
was there."
By Jay Rath Walter Lantz, who worked with Natwick
at Hearst's, told Joe Adamson for The
yron H. "Grim" Natwick, crea- animated film, a slapstick cartoon showing Welter Lantz Story that Natwick "learned
tor of Betty Boop and countless a man being flattened by a steamroller. "I animation faster than anyone I k new,
other animated characters dur- laughed myself sick at that," Natwick told because he was such a wonderful draughts-
ing a career spanning the his- Comics Scene magazine the year before man." Natwick, for his part, called himself
tory of animation, died Sunday, October his death. "I don't know where it was made "a rough animation guy."
7th,1990 ofpneumonia in California,at or where it came from, but it always stuck Natwick continued his studies at the New
the Santa Monica Medical Center. in my mind." York National Academy of D'esign and, in
During his lifetime Natwick worked with Natwick's move from the Chicago Art 1925, at the Vienna National Academy in
and for Max and Dave Fl eisChe, John Institute to the Hearst International Film Austria. Upon his return to New York,
Terry, Ub Iwerks, Walt Disney, Chuck Service in New York is somewhat vague. Natwick joined the Reischer studio. In
Jones, Walter Lantz, Shamus Culhane, He gave various accounts, some contradic- 1930 he created Betty Boop, as he told the
Richard Williams, and many others. tory. [See John Province's interview with Chicago Tribune in 1989, after seeing a
One of the first animators to be dassically Natwick in this issue for more informa- sheet-music cover illustrated with the like-
trained in the arts, he found his first profes- tion.— Ed.] He was drafted to fight in ness of Helen Kane, the original "Boop-
Oop-A-Doop" girl. Betty's figure, he said,
Poses from a model sheet of Ub Iwerkss Flip the Frog, probably by ¹t w tck. came from Mae West. Oddly enough,
From the collection of Mike and Jeanne Glad. Natwick also credited the work of Charles
Dana Gibson, well-known to fans of maga-
zine cartoons for his elegant line drawings
of hauntingly beautiful women. Betty
Boop's eyelashes and legs, Natwick said,
were those of a Gibson Girl.
"I knew for her to do dancing and other
things she had to do, her legs were impor-
tant," he said.
Iil Natwick joined Ub Iwerks' Celebrity Pro-
) ( ductions, where his character designs
became dominant, according to Leonard
Maltin. In 1933 he redesigned Iwerks'
Willie Whopper to give the character more
personality. Iwerks valued Natwickso much
that he offered him a partnership, but he
declined and moved to Disney.
sional success in New York, where his World War I, but the Armistice was signed Towards the end of his life, Natwick said
background quickly won him notice. before he was to be shipped overseas. To that he did nothing during his first year at
"I was what they call a natural animator," earn money, he illustrated sheet-music Disney other than collect his paycheck.
Natwick remembered, "and I don't know covers, including W.C. Handy's first six Earlier, however, he recalled working on
why. I have always attributed it to the fact published songs, for a Chicago publisher. Silly Symphonies, working most of the
that I was interested in athletics." Then, at the urging of fellow Art Institute time on female characters, probably in
Natwick was born a century ago, on alumnus Gregory LaCava, he went to work preparation for Snow White and the Seven
August 16th,1890, to James W. and at Hears
tInternational. Dwarfs.
Henrietta Natwick, in Centralia, Wiscon- "LaCava said he'd pay me forty bucks a He was the chief animator for both Snow
sin, later incorporated into the west side of week," Natwick told the Chicago Reader White and the Prince for that film, working
Wisconsin Rapids. He grew up surrounded in 1989. "I said, 'All right, I' ll try it for one with five assistants. Natwick admitted in
by small-town characters, lumberjacks, and month.' I figured people would still be pub- Leonard Maltin's Of Mice and Magic that
Indians, all of whom provided material for lishing songs if I didn't like it.'" he used rotoscoping for poses in Snow
stories with which Natwick would later That precise sequence of events is im- White — but that the tracings were valu-
entertain his peers. probable, however: Hearst International able only as key drawings, with as many as
He attended elementary school and high dosed in July of 1918, while the Armistice one hundred in-betweens separating them.
school in Wisconsin Rapids, and after wasn't signed until November 11th of that Shamus Culhane recalls that Natwick
encouragement from a teacher who told year. made informal attempts to organizea union
him that there was nothing left to leam Still, there is no doubt that Natwick's while at the Iwerks studio. He left Disney
there, he travelled to Chicago to attend the talent shone at Hearst's, and later at John before the 1941 strike and returned to the
Art Institute. He had already seen his first Terry's Greenwich Village studio, which Fleischer studio, where he worked on its

34 Animato
two feature-length films. Gulliver's Trau- Williams on the latter's 1977 Raggedy two-thirds of them, she's too tall. If she gets
els and Mr. Bug Goes to Town. Natwick Ann and Andy feature. He also advised too tall you lose the cuteness."
joined WakerLantz's studio in 1944, where the animators who worked to recreate Bet- He characterized television cartoons as
he animatedWoody Woodpecker. In the ty Boop for Williams' animation in Who "spastic animation."
1950s, he animated Mr. Magoo and other Framed Roger Rabbit. Grim Natwick had homes in West Los
characters at UPA's New York studio. He Natwick enjoyed his rediscovery as Betty Angeles and Chillicothe, Missouri the year
also worked for Shamus Culhane, helping Hoop's creator, and travelled widely to before his death. He was returned to his
to create some of the first animated televi- promote sales of limited~dition eels of the native Wisconsin Rapids for burial at For-
sion commercials. character. Sometimes he used the appear- est Hill Cemetery on October 11th, 1990.
Grim Naiwick officially retired in 1968, ances as forums to denigrate merchandis- He is survived by his daughter, Nancy
but five years later Richard Williams lured ing of the character most dosely hnked Matehall, a brother, Vernon, a sister, Gla-
him to London to help train animators for with his name. "I get things sent to me all dys, and two grandsons. He was preceded
his as-yet unfinished film The Thief and the time — Betty Boop posters, cardboard in death by his parents, five brothers, and
the Cobbler. Natwick also animated for cutouts, placemats," he said. "And in about one sister. •

plausibly. Betty's metamorphosis, dog to

Claeera FrOZn a erhn Century cuiia,ueesurprisingacccghiocaichwalt
Disney'seye, and by 1937 Grim Natwick
By Hugh Kenner found himself in charge of the title charac-
ter in Snow White. His 84 scenes com-
prise a tenth of the final footage. "The
he anonymous att was architec- dog with long ears, but the rest of her was dwarfs were much easier," he once re-
ture once (who designed the extremely feminine, and she did a rather called. Tie nose, eyes, whiskers together,
Colosseum?). In our time it's been swinging dance in the first picture (Dizzy and "if it wasn't perfect in between, you
film animation. That has lately Dishes, 1930), which no dog could have wouldn't notice." But Snow White's eyes
engaged a corps of volunteer historians, done." Soon "the long ears developed into were in an open space; when she tumed
thanks to whom it's easy now to say who earrings, and she was nothing but a cute her head "eyes and mouth had to follow
invented Betty Boop, who swept Snow little girl." through perfectly, otherwise you'd get a
White down that staitway. One man: Grim
Natwick. The master of them all, other cel Poses from a Betty Boop model sheet, before the transformation from canine
pioneers affirm; without question, the to human was complete.
unparalleled virtuoso at imparting life and
movement to cartoon girls.
Natwick was present nearly at the crea-
tion of the animator's art, to which he was
likely the first to bring art-school training
(Chicago Art Institute; National Academy
of Design; three years of life classes at the
Vienna National Academy, where his
heroesbecame Egon Schieleand Gustav
Klimt). So, back in, oh, 1916, when ani-
mators were settling for rubber-hose limbs,
Grim Natwick to their astonishment was Copyright O Fletscher Studios/Rng Features.
articulating wrists, elbows, ankles, at the
then-normal rate of a hundred drawings Yes, that was Betty Hoop, now ageless at jitter." His mind would affixeyes and mout
per morning. Those were finished frame- sixty. At first, hardly anyone else in the not to flat paper but to the three-dimen-
by- frame drawings, camera-ready. Dele- studio could animate her. Shamus Culhane, sional head art study had made second
gation of mere drudgery to cleaner-up- later master of all Seven Dwarfs, would nature.
pers, in-betweeners, was a dodge that recall struggling to give her "an arm, and And his triumph was her run — circling,
hadn't been thought of. not just a kind of stick with a hand on it." diminishing — down that staircase. 'n te
By 1930 he was with Max and Dave But Grim's Betty's vamping seemed art- way he'd been used to twenty years before,
Fleischer, and sound had arrived, and the less. His art teachers had imparted forearm he specified every frame: "The best anima-
in thing was to animate current hit tunes; anatomy suchas any vamp fl aunts:ulna, tion I ever did."
but fast, before they'd faded. One morning radius, trim carpus. Round hips swung How many creators have seen their 101st
a record alighted on Grim Natwick's desk: too. Cartoons weren't aimed at kids. That year? Sophocles did live to be ninety, and
"the 'Boop-Oop-a-Doop' song sung by came only with Saturday a.m. TV. Aeschyltts might have made it past 69 had
Helen Kane." Mickey Mouse, Horace Horsecollar, not an eagle dropped a tortoise on his bald
You' ve guessed the next step, but not Clarabelle Cow, Donald Duck; conceived head. That tortoise was a gag fit for Grim
quite. Helen Kane wore spit curls, "So I as farmyard animals, most cartoon charac- Natwick to relish, last August 16th, on his
started with that and designed a little char- ters of the 1930s stayed that way. For, apt hundredth birthday. •
acter who was supposed to work with to seem funnier than people, they were (Reprinted, with permission, from Art &
Bimbo the dog. She started out as a little also easier for untrained hands to animate Antiques, September 1990 ]
Animato 35
 Neat twist ending makes this one worth watch-
ing more than once.

"Animaniacsl" (A) 11/12/90 ' / D: Art

Viteio / W: Paul Dini, Tom Minton / Buster
describes how an animated cartoon is made,
tutors Plucky in flashback management, and
hosts the main event: animated films made by
the Tiny Toons themselves for their Animation

ggoal©
101 course. Judges indude Bugs, Porky, and
I Daffy. Some of the animated fUms are quite in-

ggoe+co ventive, induding Dizzy Eat World" and "A

Montana Max Christmas." Gogo Dodo's entry

A+ A Critical Guide to is mainly dips from Warner's Joe McDoahss

comedy So You Want To Leam To Dance,
starring George O'Hanlon. Shirley's runs for
17:34 (that's 17 hours, 34 minutes), so Plucky's
Tile Zoon Adwent Iues five-second entry wins by the unanimous ded-
sion of the judges — "It's short!" Great fun for
cartoon fans.

"The Anvil Chorus"(S) 9/26/90' ' / D i Art

By Dave Mackey Leonardi / W: Jim Reardon, Paul Dini, Don
Dougherty, Tom Ruegger / Plucky gets pelted
by anvils during a performance of the famous
musical piece "Anvil Chorus." Halfway in, a
here was a country song a few lished Warner Bros. mythos. (The char- Peggy Charren type comments on the acts of
years back In which It was stated acters are technically not related to the violence committed thus far, and herself gets
that "Some days are diamonds, konked by an anvil. Art Leonardi, an old-time
original Looney Tunes gang but there is Warner Bros. animator, is justiflably proud of
and some days are stones." As enough of a heritage that you do haue to this reel, recounting with more than a little glee
It Is In life, so It Is In Tiny Toon Adven- consider the personalities o fsome ofthe that Plucky gets hit with forty anvils and six
tures.The fi rst 65 episodes of the show original cAaracters and wonder if, for rounds of cannon fire.
haue used a uariety of directors, writers example, Hamton's motiuation would
(despite the fact that Plucky sings "the be similar to Porky Pig's in a situation.) "Aroma Amore" (S) 10/2/90 ' / D: A r t
s cripts were r ejected I n t h e s h ow's This guide couers the first 65 episodes ViteUo / W: Sherri Stoner / LePew redux:
Furrbafl gets a white stripe painted down hh
opening, tAere are scripts here), story of theshow, except for one whicA was back and is therefore pursued by Rfi LeFume.
editors, animation subcontractors, and unavailable for uiewing at presstlme. Very good take on the Pepe series; thematicaiy
storytelling formats, accounting for wide Daus Mackey grouped with the other two Furrball stories that
swings ln quality owing to tAe talents of Viteio directed for the October 2nd broadcast.
tAe participants inuolued on certain days. "Acme Acres Summer Olympics" (S) 2/
But even a Iowwchelon 1TA ls watcA- 12/91 ' / D: Rich Arons / W: Earl Kress, Jim "Awful Orphan" (S) 9/27/90 / D: Art
Reardon, Tom Minton, Tom Ruegger /T rack ViteUo/ W: Nick Hollander /Hmyra adopts Li'I
able; you Just won't laugh as loud and as and field events with sportscasters Foghorn Sneezer. The Elmyra stories don't operate in a
long at it. Leghorn and Speedy Gonzales. A procession of broad range of plot situations, since Hmyra only
So, ln the spirit of scAolarsAip and extremely dumb (stupid, even) spot gags. wants to love little pets.
consumer Information, what follows Is
an episode guide to Tiny Toon Adven- "The Acme Bowl"(A) 11/16/90' /D : Ken "A Bacon Strip"(S) 10/3/90 / D: Ken
tures. This Is alphabetically arranged by Boyer / W; Steve Langford, Debra Blanchard, Boyer/W: Wayne Kaatz/Hamton has to make
episode title so you can quickly find your Tom Ruegger, Paul Dini / Acme Looniversity it home without his dothes. Features June
vs. undefeated (for 200 years!) Perfecto Prep. Foray as Granny. If you have a slow-motion
fauorite story and see If my opinion of it with Buster at QB. Perfecto woos Plucky over to VCR you can analyze Hamton's jump on the
matches yours. Title Is followed by epi- their camp because he has the last remaining diving board; the CENSORED sign doesn' t
sode format, (A) for Aduenture, a half- Acme Loo playbook The sort of gridiron pot- quite keep up with that which is being censored.
hour story, and (S) for short, which runs boiler Warner's would have done in live action
for one program segment. (Some shorts 55 years ago. "Bag That Bunny"(S) 9/26/90 " / D: Art
are double-length.) Leonardi / W: Dale Hale / Hmyra recruits
"America's Least Wanted" (S) 2/22/91 ' Calamity Coyote to trap Buster.
The date listed ls of original broadcast / D: Rich Arons / W: Jim Reardon / Plucky
on thesyndicated, ffuedays-a-week "Tiny watches America's Top 10 Criminals, hosted "Bat's All Folks"(double-length S) 11/15/90
Toon Aduentures." This does not con- by Flakey Fakem (voice of Casey Kasem) and is '/ D: Art Viteio / W: teleplay by Paul Dini,
sider the weekend broadcasts seen on convinced that milquetoast Hamton is Knuckles Buzz Dixon; story by Bruce Timm, Art ViteUo /
some stations. Followed by the star rat- Cutlet, one of the maniacal criminals on the Parody of Batman and his merchandising
Ing, shamelessly stolen from Joe Adam- show. Idea of criminal pig lookalike U(ted from through the ages with Plucky in the starring role.
son, andmeaning roughly the same thing Frank Tashlin's Porky's Double Trouble.
— cease Is "A great short film....," and "Bear Necessities"(S) 12/12/90" /D: Ken
"And All That Rot" (doubielength S) 2/18/ Boyer / W: Gordon Break , Jim Reardon /
e Is "Awwwww.....' Star ratings encom-
91 ' / Di Rich Arons / Wi Eddie Fitzgerald / Hmyra vs. the 'Ihree Bears; Stan Freberg as
pass these key factors: humor, produc- The great detective Brainy Domes (Buster) sus- Junyer. Her antics drive the highly domestkated
tion ualues, and faithfulness to estab- pects Mont!arity of stealing the Queen's jewels. bears back into the zoo.
36 Animato
"Best O' Plucky Duck Day" (A) 11/21/
90 "'/ D : Rich Arons / W: Beth Bornstein,
Paul Dini, Eddie Fitzgerald, Tom Minton,
Tom uRegger /Buster introduces these "duck
tales" (oops). "One Minute Till Three": the
longest minute of Plucky's day is the last
minute of Granny's computer animation class.
"Sticky Feathers Duck": Plucky tries to steal
a candy bar from a convenience store. "Duck
In The Dark": after watching a Freddy Krueger
type movie, Plucky is somewhat reluctant to
turn off the lights before going to bed. De-
spite its title, these three shorts (technically
formatted as an adventure) have never been
seen before.

"Bird Dog Afternoon" (S) 9/27/90 - /

D: Art Vitello/W: Pat Alice, Ben Hurst, Tom
Ruegger/Perpetually-starved Furrball is after
a trio of baby birds watched over by a basset
hound.

"Bleacher Bummer" (S) 10/30/90 "/ D:

Kent Butterworth / W: Chuck Menville /
Acme Looniversity plays Perfecto Prep in
baseball, but the real action is off the field. All Tiny Toon Adventures illustrations copyright © 1990 Warner Bros. Inc.
Features appearances by Porky Pig and
Sylvester. Final gag is a play on the Energizer commercials to get a job, how to score points with your boss,
with that bunny who keeps going and going and etc. by demonstrating his and Babs' experience
"Boo-Ha-Ha" (S) 2/4/91 "'/D : Kent But- going.... but not as funny as a surprise appearance at Weenie Burger.
terworth / W: Tom Minton, Wayne Kaatz, by the bunny in an otherwise unrelated short would
Tom Ruegger / Plucky and Hamton spend have been. "Buster's New Bike" ( S) 2/12/91 " / D :
the night in a haunted hotel. For cartoon Rich Arons / W: Grant Moran, Tom Minton,
trivia buffs, Plucky signs the guest register, in "Bunny Daze" (S) 11/1/90 " / D: Art Leonardi Tom Ruegger / Buster has to put his old bike out
which the following names already appear: /W: Barry Caldwell /Babs has fun at home alone to pasture, so he tries to buy one from Bicycle
C. Jones, Tex, Steven Spielberg, Jean by fantasizing. At least someone's having fun. Bob (who sounds a lot like Mr. Haney from
MacCurdy, David Marshall, I. Freleng, Kent Green Acres, not surprising since Pat Buttram
Butterworth, Thomas Ruegger, and Martin "Buster And The Wolverine" (A) 10/19/90 " did the voice). Buster gets ripped off so he
Strudler (Marshall is an animation supervi- / D: Art Leonardi / W: Tom Ruegger, Paul Dini / coaxes Bob to confess on live television. A few
sor; Strudler is a layout artist for the series- Musical retelling of "Peter and The Wolf" modified bad puns like "stop on a dime" and "belted
all the other names are selfwxplanatory). to suit the TTA characters. Includes a gag cameo tires."
And there's a scene inspired by the Black by the Mynah Bird, complete with "Fingal's Cave"
God sequence from Fantasia. music. "Butt Out" (S) 10/4/90 " / D: Rich Arons /
W: Sherri Stoner, Tom Ruegger / Roderick and
"Born To Be Riled" (S) 9/20/90 '" / D: "Buster At The Bat" (S) 2/12/91 ™ / D: Rich Ruebella disturb Babs with their smoking.
Art Leonardi / W: Sherri Stoner / Babs Arons / W: Jim Reardon / Yet another parody of
makes fun of her friends Fifi and Shirley, so Thayer's classic poem — but Plucky needs to have "Buttering Up The Buttfields" (S) 2/11/91
they get back at her. his contract renegotiated before he steps up to bat. "' / D : Art Leonardi / W: Paul Dini, Tom
A telling parody of big money baseball in the 90's. Minton, Wayne Kaatz / Plucky, working as a
"Buffed Bunny" (S) 9/20/90 ' / D : Art This is one of a number of TTA episodes in which waiter at the Acme Acres Country Club, has to
Leonardi / W: Gordon Bressack, Charles M. all the characters talk out of the side of their serve the club's most demanding customers:
Howell IV / To impress Babs, Buster tries to mouths; in most cases this animation styling is The Buttfields (who have extremely large rear
pump himself up. Bugs Bunny makes a courtesy of Kennedy Animation. ends, recalling those old Saturday Night Live
cameo appearance in his den, which includes sketches). Naturally, they order duck a I'orange.
framed portraits of Friz Freleng, Bob McKim- "Buster's Guide To Dating" (S) 11/19/90 ' So Plucky tries to convince them that they' d
son, Chuck Jones, Bob Clampett, Frank / D: Gerard Baldwin / W: Tom Ruegger, Sherri really rather have rabbit — namely, Buster. Pete
Tashlin and Tex Avery. This and the other Stoner, Paul Dini /Buster and Babs illustrate some Puma (Stan Freberg) is back for more lumps.
two 9/20/90 episodes were wrapped with a dating dos and don'ts. I guess since Buster and
parody of The Mickey Mouse Club called Babs are "no relation," this means that they can "C Flat Or B Sharp?" (S) 12/7/90 '"' / D:
"Buster Bunny Bunch," in some cases match- date. Gerard Baldwin / W: Buzz Dixon / Liszt's
ing the original MMC opening animation Second Hungarian Rhapsody, longtime staple
step for step. "Buster's Guide To Goofing Off"(S) 2/15/91 of WB cartoons, is the musical score for this
"' / D : Ken Boyer/W: Tom Minton/Busterputs short in the Friz Freleng tradition. Hamton,
"Bunnochio" (double-length S) 12/12/90 off his school science fair project (one of those Buster and Plucky have to figure out how to get
'" / D : Ken Boyer/W: Tom Ruegger, Tom volcanos everyone seems to make) until the very a piano from the Looniversity bell tower to the
Minton / Toymaker Gepetto (voice of Orson last minute, substituting dynamite for the baking recital hall downstairs. Though the short evokes
Bean) presents Buster Bunny to a cadre of soda solution. memories of Laurel and Hardy's The Music
toy company executives as an interactive, Box, the title card borrows from Chuck Jones'
belligerent toy. As Bugs did in Case Of the "Buster's Guide To Part Time Jobs" (S) 11/ High Note.
MissingHare, Buster plays "Red Light Green 13/90 "' / D: Art Leonardi / W: Gordon Bres-
Light" with the toy company's sales force. sack, Charles M. Howell IV / Buster tells you how "Citizen Max" (A) 10/15/90 '"' / D : A rt

Animato 37
Vitello / W: Gordon Bressack, Charles M. they came with the wallet! Bonus throwaway pseudonym "Allen Smithee," which is tradition-
Howell IV, Paul Dini, Tom R uegger/Kane Lite: prologue: the opening titles to The Hamtan ally used when a film is bungled beyond its
Parody of you-know-what with Monty in the title Shour, co-stamng Hmyra Tyler Moore, Rose director's control and he doesn't want his name
role and lots of homages to Welles, yet essen- Shirley, and Plucky Ducksterdam! Bet he trips on it. To my knowledge it has never been used
tially retelling the story of the original film. over the ottoman! in animation. The director was said to be dis-
Instead of "Rosebud," Hamton tries to decipher pleased with the subcontracted animation.
the meaning of Monty's last word — "Acme"- "Dream Date Game" (S) 11/19/90 "' / D:
after his expulsion from Acme Loo. Premiered Rich Arons / W: Tom Ruegger, Paul Dini / "Duck Out Of Luck" (S) 10/11/90 ™ / D:
on the "Prime Toons" weekend edition on Hmy'ra has to pick a date from among Hamton, Eddie Fitzgerald / W: Eddie Fitzgerald, Wayne
September 28, 1990. Plucky and Monty in this spoof of The Dating Kaatz / The viewers decide what Plucky should
Game. Sponsored by Weenie Burgers. do in this cartoon. They make him Duck Daring
"Class Cut Up" (S) 11/7/90 "' / D: Art Le- and Duck Kong.
onardi/W: Earl Kress, Tom Ruegger/Stop me "Drooley Davey" (S) 11/8/90 " / D: Kent
if you' ve heard this one before: Hamton tries to Butterworth / W: Tom Minton, Paul Dini, Beth "Duck Trek" (S) 10/10/90 " / D: Ken Boyer
convince Foghorn Leghorn, Nurse Granny, and Bernstein / Elmyra babysits the title character. / W: Jim Reardon / The innnnnnteresting
Bugs Bunny that the dead frog he's dissecting in
science class can actually sing and dance. Per-
sonally, I thought that frog was still sitting in the
cornerstone of the Tregoweth Brown Building
waiting around for 2055 A.D.

"Cross Country Kitty" (S) 10/2/90 " / D:

Art Vitello / W: Eddie Fitzgerald / Furrball, in
another attempt to find a permanent home,
takes up residence with Mary Melody, who
takes him on vacation to keep his mind off
Sweetie.

"Dapper Diz" (double-length S) 12/4/90

/ D: Rich Arons / W: Paul Dini / Mr. Popular
(Buster) transforms Dizzy Devil from a slob into
a cultured gentleman.

"Day For Knight" (S) 2/18/91 "'/ D : Rich

Arons/W: Earl Kress, Tom Minton, Jim Rear-
don / Court jester Babs is sentenced to the
dragon's lair; Buster is sent to her rescue. The
opening sets us up for a remake of Knighty.
Knight, Bugs, with Babs entertaining the King,
but the story veers off on its own direction and
offers us new stuff. The neurotic dragon that
threatens Babs is a parody of Woody Allen,
complete with darinet. "Duck Dodgers Jr." (S) 2/4/91 " / D: monster Gossamer appears in this unnnnnin-
Kent Butterworth / W: Mike Kazaleh, Maurice terestng sci-fi spoof.
"Debutante Devil" (S) 10/11/90 " / D: Art Noble, Wayne Kaatz / Designed by Maurice
Vitello / W: Sherri Stoner / Tutored by the Tas- Noble /Plucky becomes Eager Young Space "Easy Biter" (S) 9/25/90 '" / D : A rt Le-
manian Devil, Dizzy Devil is out to eat Babs. Cadet as Daffy once again assumes the role of onardi/W: Pat Alice, Ben Hurst, Tom Ruegger
DUCK DODGERS IN THE 24-1/2TH CEN- / A mosquita is out to put the bite on Hamton
"Devil Doggie"(S) 9/18/90 "/D: Art Vitello TURY!!!I Marvin Martian is back, too, with a right in the hams.
/ W: Paul Dini / Hmyra wants to keep Dizzy Tiny Toon counterpart, Marcia Martian.
Devil as her pet puppy. Nothing's ever going to come close to the classic "Eating Between The Lines" (S) 11/20/90
1952 cartoon which inspired this, but I would "' / D: Gerard Baldwin / W: Eddie Fitzgerald,
"A Ditch In Time" (A) 11/9/90 "' / D: Art rate it above Chuck Jones's 1980 sequelDuck Jim Reardon / Acme Acres food chain: Book-
Vitello / W; Wayne Kaatz, Art Vitello, Bruce Dodgers And The Return Of The 24-I/2th worrn eats books, Sweetie eats Bookworm.
Timm, Douglas McCarthy / Inspired by H.G. Century. Inviting Maurice back to do layout and Meanwhile, for the first time since 1946, some
Wells, Plucky builds a time machine, sending a key background design was a Noble move on of the books come to life! A rocket from The
Taz-osaurus back to the present day; mean- the producers' part, though his 1991 view of Right Stuff blasts o(f, and falling Bookworm is
while, Buster and Babs meet their ancestors. the future is strikingly similar to that which he caught by The Catcher In The Rye.Celebrity
envisioned in the original Duck Dodgers. But joke: Sweetie is pummelled by a book entitled
"Drawn And Buttered" ( S) 2/22/91"' / D : it's still better than your average television car- The Mike Tyson Story, thereafter comment-
Rich Arons / W: Jim Reardon, Grant Moran / toon and noteworthy enough to warrant credit- ing, "Now I know how Robin Givens feels!"
Hamtan buys a lobster fram Cap'n Teneal's ing Maurice as designer on the title panel, Somewhat inspired by the classic WB short
Seafood Emporium, and the lobster (who sings Sniffles And The Bookworm.
"We' re Shoving Right Off For Home Again" ) "Duck In The Muck" ( S) 11/14/90 "/ D :
thwarts all attempts to boil him. After this lobster "Allen Srnithee" / W: Tom Minton / Plucky "Egged&n Eagle" (S) 2/19/91 "/ D : Ken
plays a few pranks on Hamton, he makes the @he Toxic Revenger) investigates swamp pollu- Boyer / W: Sherri Stoner / The stork, some-
highly unoriginal declaration that "I do this stuff tion and finds it caused by Max's ice cream what more sober than in his past Looney Tunes
to him through the whole cartoon." The lobster spoon factory. At the end, mutated, double- appearances (Goa GooGo/lath, Stork Naked,
pulls the old "spare me, I' ve got a family" bit, billed Plucky proposes a spinoff series: Twin A pcs Of Wrath, etc.) but no more competent,
showing a wallet full of pictures. Hamton shows Beaks. Reportedly, one of the TTA directors di- delivers Sweetie Bird to an American Eagle, so
identical pictures in his billfold and declares that rected this cartoon (and one other) using the the Eagle trains Sweetie to become the proud

38 Animato
symbol of our nation. Boyer/W: Wayne Kaatz, JimReardon/Buster Witty and flamboyantly staged, but otherwise
and Plucky are mistakenly imprisoned for the your basic babysitting story, straight out of the
"Elmyra At The Mall" ( S) 2/15/91 ' / D : misdeeds of Max and his gang. Outstanding trunk, right down to its predictable ending where
Ken Bayer / W: Nicholas Hollander / Charlie animation, especially in the third and final act, the kid is still awake and sitter is asleep.
Dog pulls out all the stops, including the old Sad and excellent direction by Ken Boyer.
Eyes routine, to find his pals a home. Meanwhile "It's A Jungle Out There" (S) 10/17/90 '/
(real plot begins here), Elmyra's parents take her "Go Fetch" (S) 11/8/90 "' / D: Kent Butter- D: Rich Arons / W: Pat Alice, Ben Hurst /
shopping, and when she looks for "aminals" at worth / W: Bob Carrau / Hmyra plays fetch Concord Condor gets into all sorts of trouble
the pet store, she becomes loc)ied in the mall with Barky Marky. while flying, including a run-in with Arnokl (one
overnight. Poor "aminals." of the show's original characters, a Sch-
"Hare-Raising Night" ( A) 10/1/90 "' / D : warzenegger-inspired bulldog voiced by Rob
"Elmyra's Round The Worldk" (S) 2/8/91 Art Vitello / W: Gordon Bressack, Charles M. Paulsen). The TTA equivalent of a McKimson
'" / D: Art Leonardi / W: Pau( Dini / Buster is Howell IV / Plucky Duck is in the dutches of throwaway.
knocked unconscious and ima nes what Elmyra mad scientist Dr. Gene Splicer (voice of Jeff
is like in different countries. u nusual cartoon, "Butt Steak" Altman). Bugs Bunny cameo. "Journey To The Center Of Acme Acres"
directed in the visual ~le o Leonardi's main (A) 9/24/90 "' / D: Art Leonardi / W: Wayne
title work for TV and movies "Hare Today, Gone Tomorrow" (A) 10/9/ Kaatz/ Monty steals the earth's golden core;.the
90 "' / D: Ken Boyer, Eddie Fitzgerald / W: gremlin from "Falling Hare" causes earthquakes.
"Elmyra's Spring Clea
ning"(S) 11/6/90
/ D: Eddie Fitzgerald, Klant Butterworth /,
Wayne Kaatz, Tom Ruegger, Gordon Bressack,
Charles M. Howell IV/ When Elmyra decides to "Jungle Bungle" (S) 2/14/91 "/ D : K en
W: Eddie Fitzgerald / A little gem. Elmyra vacu- keep Buster as a pet, he discovers an entire Boyer / W: M.D. Sweeney / Buster and Babs
ums the house, most of the ciieatures in it, all the menagerie of similarly imprisoned animals. investigate the global warming trends caused by
water in the fish bowl... and more. Neat dia- Watch carefully for a gag inspired by Spielberg's the destruction of the rainforests. As clinical as
logueless cartoon with a dagical music score, logo of the bicycle silhouetted against the moon. it sounds.
and one of the few cartoons i whichex-Mighty
Mouse directors Fitzgerald,and) Butterworth "Her Wacky Highness"(A) 9/21/90 "" / "K-9 Kitty" (S) 10/2/90 " / D: Art Vitello /
really sparlde, and Elmyra gefs something more D: Ken Boyer / W: Sherri Stoner / After W: Tom Minton / Furrball tries to pass himself
to do than love unsuspectin$ toons to death! Professor Elmer Fudd sends her home for acting off as a dog to gain adoption by a cat-hating
up in school, Babs runs away to Wackyland and couple who can't tell the difference.
"Europe In 30 Minutes" A) 10/26/90 ' '

is made queen. Coming relatively early in the

/ D: Art Leonardi / W: S ephen Hibbert / series, this cartoon made it dear that Sherri "KACME-TV" (A) 2/26/91' '/D: Kent But-
Buster, Babs, Hamton, and ucky take a whirl- Stoner would be the writer to handle Babs's best terworth, Art Leonardi, Ken Boyer / W: Paul
wind tour of Europe, then cf'ashland at Buck- moments. Dini, Sherri Stoner, Tom Ruegger / Various
ingham Palace and become ihvolved in a plot to television spoofs, too many to list but the best
kidnap Prince Charles (voice! of Tim Cuny) and "Hero Hamton" (A) 11/23/90 "' / D: Ger- include a commercial for Unlucky Worms (a
Princess DI. ard Baldwin / W: Gordon Bressack, Charles M. word-for-word take on Lucky Charms), the
Howell IV / Hainton challenges Montana Max game show Gyp-Parody in which Elmyra drives
"Falling To Pizsas" (S) 11/13/90 " / D: Art to a fight after school, receiving training help Buster into senility, I Loue Dizzy (black-and-
Leonardi / W: Sherri Stoner / Calam< Coyote from Plucky, spiritual guidance from Shirley the white tribute to Lucy's job on the candy assem-
wants the pizza that Little Beeper is delivering, Loon, and moral support from Porky Pig. bly line), a promo for Honey, I Shrunk The
so he devises some ingenious methodology to Clothes (credits for this film whiz by about as fast
intercept it. Imagine a Road Runner/Coyote "Hold The Sugar" (S) 2/15/91 ' / D : Ken as they do forBox Office Bunny), The Blunder
cartoon taking place in the city and you have the Boyer / W: Tom Minton / In an ant colony Years, and The Acme Home Cartoon Kit,
gist of this cartoon. where everyone loves sweet treats, one ant featuring caricatures of the entire TTA staff.
prefers healthy snacks like oat bran and brown This was the final show produced in the show's
"Fang You Very Much"(S)9/25/90 "/ D: rice. This causes the other ants to ostracize him. first season; more artists were credited on this
Art Leonardi / W: Richard Mueller / EImyra's Eventually, though, he saves them from being episode than any other.
new pet bat turns into Count Bloodcount the turned into chocolate-covered ants. Unique one-
vampire (Transyluanfa 6-5000). shot, refreshing but somewhat predictable. "Kitty Cat-Astrophy" ( S) 10/17/90 "/ D :
Rich Arons / W: Gordon Bressack, Charles M.
"Fields Of Honey" (A) 1 1/2/90 " ' / D: " Hollywood Plucky" (A) 10/23/90 "" / D: Howell IV / Furrball's imagination runs wild in
Ken Boyer / W: Sherri Stoner, TomRuegger / Art Vitello / W: Sherri Stoner / Plucky tries to Hamton's house. The title card for this short is
Warner delves into its prehistory for this out- sell his script to the most powerful producer in a direct swipe from the classic Looney Tune
standing adventure featuring its Harman and Hollywood. Lots of current celebrity caricatures Kitty Kornered;unfortunately this cartoon isn' t
Ising stars, Bosko and Honey. Babs discovers and in-jokes — watch for a star on the Walk of quite as inspired as Bob Clarnpett's original
she has no classic Warner Bros. counterpart like Fame bearing the name Art Vittello (sic). One of
the other Tiny Toons until she finds Honey, so, the most successful update jobs of a classic "The Learning Principal" (S) 11/20/90 ' /
urged on by a heavenly voice as in Field of Warner Bros. storyline — two, actually, since D: Gerard Baldwin / W: Paul Dini / Buster is
Dreams (hence the title), she wages a one- it's a hybrid of HollywoodDaffy and The Scar- sent to the principal's office. Pay no attention to
wabbit campaign to resurrect Honey's fleeting let Pumpernickel. Premiered on the weekend that wabbit behind the curtain. (The principal is
fame. Warm and funny; unquestionably the best Prime Toons show on September 21st, 1990. voiced by Noel Blanc, quite good in a voice char-
episode of the series, and a great showcase for acterization of his own and not one of his dad's.)
Babs, herself a Honey of a character. "Home Wrecker" (S) 9/25/90 '" / D : Art
Leonardi / W: Pamela Hickey, Dennys McCoy "Let's Do Lunch" (S) 2/19/91 ' / D : A rt
"Fur~ n e Conclusion" ( S) 11/1/90' / D : / Monty wants to build a house where Buster's Leonardi / W: Nicholas Hollander / Weird
Art Leonardi / W: Wayne Kaatz, Chris Otsuki / hole is, and lowers it on the bunny. So Buster reverse on the Tweety-and-Sylvester situation:
"Rescuers" Buster and Babs save helpless ani- spooks Monty, who thinks he's killed him. Sweetie, fearing the inevitable, tries to end it all
mals from being turned into furs by Madame by allowing herself to be eaten by Furrball.
Gotcha Grabmore (voiced by Joan Gerber), "I Was A Teenage Bunny Sitter" (S) 2/6/ However, Eimyra threatens Furrball with evic-
91 '" / D: Rich Arons / W: Sherri Stoner / tion (rom her home if he's found to be eating
"Gang Busters" (A) 10/12/90 '™ / D: Ken Babs's adventures in babysitting little Duncan. birds. The masters of the cat/bird chase them-

Anirnato 39
selves make a cameo appearance, in tribute to might be something like this. Here, Calamity, Mr. Popular (Buster) transforms Hamton into a
Friz Freleng. hoisted on his own petard as usual, becomes cool dude.
covered with tar and falls into feathers, which
"Li'I Sneezer" (S) 9/19/90" / D: Rich Arons form a white stripe on his back. In rushes ever- "Never Too Late To Loon" (S) 9/19/90'"
/ W: Stephen Langford, Paul Dini / Sylvester amorous Fifi (whose downright sexy voice is /D: Rich Arons/W: Jim Reardon/Pluckytries
tutors Furrball in catching Li'I Sneezer the mouse. provided by Kath Souci). So now he has to keep to get Shirley to help him cram for a test by
Fifi at bay while pursuing Little Beeper. A weak channeling the genius of Einstein into his brain.
"Llfestyles Of The Rich And Rotten"(S) 9/ ending strips one star from what would be a
26/90 "'/D: Art Leonardi/ W: Rowby Goren three-star cartoon. "No Deposit, No Return Of The Trash
/Babs and Buster, doing their best Robin Leach Bag Dispenser" (S) 2/14/91 '" / D : Ken
imitations, interview Montana Max for a ritzy "Migrant Mallard" (S) 10/17/90 / D : R ich Boyer / W: Sherri Stoner / Plucky once more
TV show, while Max sends Arnold after them. Arons / W: Tom Minton / Plucky Duck avoids in the guise of environmental crusader, this time
flying south for the winter. Same situation pre- renamed from Toxic Revenger (possibly to
"Little Cake Of Horrors" (S) 10/22/90 " / viously explored in the cartoon Daffy's South- avoid confusion with the Toxic Crusaders se-
D: Art Leonardi / W: Dale Hale / Dieting ern Exposure, directed in 1942 by Norm ries); this time, he tries to stop Elmyra from
Hamton is tortured by a cake that says "Eat Me." McCabe, 48 years later a timing director on this polluting the lake. TTA treads on Captain
particular episode of TTA. Planet's turf in this short, demonstrating how to
"The Looney Beginning"(A) 10/29/90 "" separate paper from glass from aluminum and
/D: Glen Kennedy, Dave Marshall, Ken Boyer, "Milk, It Makes A Body Spout"(S) 2/22/91 turn them over to recycling centers.
Rich Arons / W: Paul Dini, Sherri Stoner / "/ D : Rich Arons / W: Tom Minton, Tom
Buster and Babs Bunny create the Acme Acres Ruegger / Buster and Plucky argue over who is "No Toon Is An Island" ( A) 2/25/91 "'/D :
gang and setting to save a cartoonist's job. An funnier. To settle it, they decide that the funniest Art Leonardi / W: Gordon Bressack, Charles
ample introduction to the series, characters, one is whoever can make Hamton laugh hard M. Howell IV / The gang finds a treasure map,
so they set sail aboard the "S.S. Tiny Tub" for
an island, where the Green Eyed Monster awaits
them. Cautionary tale about what happens
when toons become consumed by greed.

"Oh For Art's Sake" (S) 2/6/91 "/ D : no

director credited / W: Sherri Stoner / Plucky
fakes artistic talent for Hmer Fudd's art class
and is offered money for a painting he created
merely by pausing real life with a VCR remote
control. A bit on the abstract side; probably
directed by Rich Arons. This and the two other
cartoonsdated 2/6/91 have veryfunny "Acme
Home Shopping Network" wraparounds. The
set for this show is almost the same as the one
used by J,C. Penney Home Shopping Network.

"Open And Shut Case" (S)12/7/90"'/D:

Gerard Baldwin / W: Tom Minton /Hamton is
awarded a Wonder Locker but can't remember
the combination when he locks his lunch in it.

"Optical Intrusion" (S) 9/18/90 ' / D : A rt

Vitello / W: Tom Minton / Furrball finds a pair
of 3-D glasses that work too well, since they
actually bring the objects that he sees crashing
into his face. Unlike a certain Bugs Bunny car-
toon from 1953, this cartoon has lots of good,
and setting (which premiered as a special on enough to squirt milk out of his nose. Buster meaningful 3-D footage.
CBS in primetime on September 14, 1990). imitates Acme Loo teachers; Plucky does a
Glen Kennedy and his animators have a distinc- really gross belching song. All three participate "Out Of Odor" ( S) 2/ll / 9 1 ' / D: Art
tively rubbery style which is seen to good effect in a milk-flooded finale. This episode didn' t Leonardi / W: Arleen Sorkin, Beth Milstein /
in this episode. prevent America's Dairy Farmers from buying Elmyra wants to keep Fifi as a pet cat, but is only
their "Milk, it does a body good" spot in national minorly discouraged when she learns Fifi's a
"Love Among The Toons" (S) 11/6/90 "' broadcasts of the show on its original airing. skunk. Co-writer Arleen Sorkin is better known
/D: Kent Butterworth and Eddie Fitzgerald /W: as the hostess ofAmerica's Funniest People.
Gordon Bressack, Charles M. Howell IV, and "Miniature Goof" (S) 10/30/90 ' / D: Kent
Eddie Fitzgerald /An overburdened Cupid Elmer Butterworth / W: Grant Moran, Tom Ruegger "Paper Trained" (S) 10/4/90 / D: Rich
(voice of Greg Burson) sends Concord to fill in / Ruebella and Roderick build a free miniature Arons / W: Jim Reardon / Paperboy Buster
for him, and his misaimed arrow makes Babs fall golf course but exclude Buster and Babs from tries to collect on Max's paper subscription.
in love with Monty . Inspired by Stupid Cupid. playing (though they do allow minorities, as
Features a neat View-Master sequence of the noted in a restaurant sequence), so they assume "Pasadena Jones" (S) 10/10/90 "/ D: Art
Tiny Toon characters as 3-D puppets. the mannerisms of snobs. Moonlighting toons: Vitello / W: Sherri Stoner, Wayne Kaatz /
Sylvester shows up briefly as a Notary Public and Buster stars in "Pasadena Jones and The Secret
"Love Stinks" ( S) 11/19/90 " / D : K e n Porky as a cop. Of Life," a no-more-thanwkay spoof of one of
Boyer /W: Sherri Stoner / What if Chuck Jones Spielberg's big moneymakers.
had amnesiaand couldn'tkeep the Road Run- "Mr. Popular's Rules Of Cool" (S) 12/10/
ner and Pepe LePew series straight? The result 90 / D : Art Vitello / W: Gordon Bressack / "Pieos Of M ind" (S) 11/7/90 ' / D : Art

40 Animato
Leonardi / W: Jim Reardon / Wile E. Coyote Friend sends Buster over to play with Monty. "Sleight Of Hare" (S) 10/11/90 " / D: Art
hosts as Calamity's life flashes before his eyes. Monty's fall from the top of his building re- Leonardi / W: Tom Minton, Wayne Kaatz /
sembles Willoughby's in The Heckling Hare. Case of the missing prestidigitator: at Max's
"A Pigment Of His Imagination" (S) 12/4/ birthday party, Buster fills in after the hired
90'" / D : Rich Arons/W: Therese Naugle/ "The Re-Return Of The Toxic Revenger" magician quits.
Hamton Pig's imaginary friend turns out to be (S) 9/27/90 " ' / D : A r t Vitello / W: Jim
more obnoxious than his real friends. Reardon / When Montana Max siphons off the "Slugfest" (S) 12/10/90 "" / D: Art Vitello
/ W: Jim Reardon /Jam-packed parody of
entire swamp to fill his swimming pool, it's up to
"Pit Bullied" ( S) 11/14/90 " / D : "Alan Plucky in the guise of the Toxic Revenger to Ninja Turtle fandom and anything else that gets
Smithee" / W: Earl Kress / Sweetie turns to save the day. Plucky's guise as the Toxic Re- in the way. The heavily-merchandised Imma-
science to get Furrball to try to eat something venger is not unlike Daffy's Western alter ego, ture Radioactive Samurai Slugs show (their
else, like Arnold the pit bull dog. The Masked E-Venger. names are Picasso, Warhol, Rockwell, and
Grandma Moses) is Plucky's favorite. So Plucky
"Pluck O' The Irish"(S) 2/11/91 '" /D: Art "The Return Of Pluck Twacy" (double- and Hamton decide to become two more Slugs
Leonardi / W: Paul Dini / Plucky and Hamton length S) 2/20/91 " / D: Eddie Fitzgerald / W: (naming themselves Sherwin Williams and Earl
visit Cardio Vascular Castle in Ireland and face Eddie Fitzgerald / Plucky slips on a banana peel Scheib!) to help Elmyra kill slugs in her kitchen
a banshee whose stare turns people to stone. and imagines himself as Pluck Twacy, famous — but they wind up on the wrong end of her
Reminiscent of Wearing of the Grin. deteck-i-tive, searching for Shirley The Loon's broom and escape into a Samurai Slugs stunt
lost aura. Almost literal remake of The Great show with Slug archenemy The Iodizer (whose
"Plucky's Dastardly Deed" (S) 12/7/90 " Piggy Bank Robbery with guest appearances head is a canister of salt, voice of Jim Curn-
/ D: Gerard Baldwin / W: Tom Minton / Plucky by Peter Lorre, Sloppy Moe from "Injun mings). We later meet up with Sgt. Roach and
cheats on his Cartoon Calculus final exam, then Trouble," and a variation of the sexy she-duck his Cockroach Commandos, including Super
dreams ot being chased by a lynch mob of from The Super Snooper. Fly and Dung Beetle Bailey, in the most hilarious
FoghornLeghorns. roster of throwaway characters since Clampett's
"The Return Of The Toxic Revenger" (S) rogues gallery in The Great Piggy Bank Rob-
"Prom-ise Her Anything" (A) 10/8/90 '"' 10/22/90 " / D : Art Leonardi / W: Pamela bery. And we learn the lowest life form of all is
/D: Ken Boyer /W: Paul Dini, Bob Carrau/ Hickey, Dennys McCoy / Plucky as the Toxic a TV executive, who says "I just don't know until
The gang gets formal for the Acme Looniversity Revenger investigates air pollution caused by I see the Ratings." Closer: Hamton reminds us
Junior Prom. Footage of Bugs from "Hot Cross Montana Max's hole factory. (Maybe Max bought to "just say no to slugs.
Bunny" (the Danny Kaye scat number figures the patents from the estate of Bob McKimson,
prominently) and Bugs, Daffy, and Mama Bear who introduced the concept of portable holes in "Squish" (S) 9/20/90 " / D: Art Leonardi /
appear in cameos. his 1955 one-shot The Hole Idea.) W: Len Janson / Shirley The Loon tries to
convince Dizzy Devil that it' s, like, not a good
"The Raven" (S) 2/19/91 "' / D: Ken Boyer "Robin Hare" (S) 2/8/91 "' / D : A rt Le- idea to step on bugs. Shirley, voiced by former
/ W: Sherri Stoner, Paul Dini / Sweetie plays onardi / W: Gordon Kent / Buster and his Saturday Mght Liue performer Gail Matthius,
the title role in this cockeyed adaptation of the merrie men (and Mary Melody too) vs. Max the is, like, one of those characters you wish they' d
Edgar Allen Poe-m, read by Vincent Price. Sheriff of Nottingham. Maid Babs saves the day. do more with, and some junk.
Don't expect a straight reading, but it's very
hard to tell where Poe ends and Stoner-Dini "The Roches"(S) 2/20/91"'/ D : Ken Boyer "Starting From Scratch" (A) 9/28/90 "/
begins. / W: Sherri Stoner / Exactly what you'd expect: D: Ken Boyer / W: Wayne Kaatz, Tom Ruegger
the singing Roches(Maggie, Terre, and Suzzy as / Various furry Toons are bedeviled by fleas, so
"A Quack In The Quarks" (A) 9/17/90 "' themselves) depicted as Roaches, each with four Babs, Buster, and the gang shrink themselves to
/ D: Art Vitello / W: Tom Minton / When arms, who show up in Hamton's kitchen to flea size to deal with them.
showing two new charges, Frank and Ollie, perform a concert. Cute entry about an im-
around the Looniversity, Plucky Duck becomes mensely talented yet amazingly undersung vocal "Superbabs"(S) 10/10/90 " / D: Art Vitello
embroiled in a space adventure, because Frank trio (though the musical material they were / W: Sherri Stoner, Tom Minton, Wayne Kaatz
and Ollie are Martians. It's a safe bet that the given could have been better). A parody of / Babs as a super-heroine. One of three luke-
names Frank and Ollie are inspired by Frank Roger Rabbit, voiced by Steven Spielberg, makes warm film parodies framed by Babs and Buster's
Thomas and Ollie Johnston, two of Disney's a cameo in the prologue. movie date.
Nine Old Men who have become the studio's
best latterly chroniclers. Ollie is voiced by "Rock 'n' Roar" ( A) 10/5/90 " / D : A r t Teddy Bears Picnic" (S) 2/6/91 "/ D: Rich
Carol Kane. Vitello / W: Sheryl Scarborough, Jim Reardon, Arons / W: Paul Dini / The Three Bears atend
Kayte Kuch / Buster finds an egg; when it the company picnic,where Paw and Junyer
"Real Kids Don't Like Broccoli" (S) 2/4/91 hatches, it's a Tyrannosaurus Rex. compete in father-and-son picnic games. This is
-' / D : Kent Butterworth / W: Wayne Kaatz, one you couldimagine Chuck doing much
Kent Zbornak/ Buster, private eye of the future, "Sawdust And Toonsil" ( A) 11/5/90-' / D : better. Highlight: Cree Summer as Elmyra sings
is tracking down Babs's missing 'droid, defeat- Rich Arons / W: Gordon Bressack, Charles M. the title song, which had been heard in WB
ing Max's army of evil 'droids with a computer Howell IV / The circus comes to Wackyland, cartoons as far back as the 1930s.
virus. Buster and Babs appear as slightly older and the evil ringmaster is out to get Gogo Dodo,
versions of themselves, with the difference most the world's last Dodo. "Tennis The Menace"(S)10/30/90 "' /D:
noticeable in Babs, here given a throaty Kath- Kent Buttenvorth/W: Gordon Bressack, Charles
leen Turner/Jessica Rabbit voice (still provided "Scent-imental Pig" ( S) 11/14/90 -' / D : M. Howell IV / Montana Max stages a tennis
by Tress MacNeille) and a sexy woman's body. Eddie Fitzgerald/W: Eddie Fitzgerald/Hamton tournament and invites only lousy players (in-
smells good enough to eat when hit by a bottle cluding The Bookworm) so he can win.
"Rear Window Pain" ( S) 11/7/90 "' / D : of fragrance developed by some mad scientists.
Art Leonardi / W: Earl Kress, Jim Reardon / "That's Incredibly Stupid" (S) 11/6/90 - /
Bedridden Plucky sees lots of strange things "Senserely Yours, Babs" (S) 10/3/90 "' / D: Kent Butterworth / W: Chuck Menville /
through his binoculars. D: Ken Boyer /W: Sherri Stoner, Tom Minton Plucky and Dizzy go on one of those anything-
/ Babs must get her sense of humor back by for-money game shows.
"Rent A Friend" (S) 11/1/90 "' / D : A rt sundown or she' ll be a nerd forever. Babs as a
Leonardi /W: Jim Reardon, Paul Dini / Rent A humorless character is actually quite hilarious. "To Babs Or Not To Babs"(S) 2/8/91 '"'/
Animato 41
D: Art Leonardi / W: Paul Dini / Actress Baba Art Leonardi / W: Len Janson / Sitcom spoof,
auditions for William Shakespeare himself. complete with laugh track, with Hamton and
Another Tress MacNeille tour de force, with Dizzy Devil in the Felix and Oscar roles.
Baba working through many voices and ulti-
rnately spending a great deal of the reel dressed "Whale's Tales" (A) 11/26/90 '" / D: Kent
as Elvira, Mistress Of The Dark. Butterworth / W: Nicholas Hollander / Hmyra
adopts a baby whale whose mother was trapped
"To Bleep Or Not To Bleep" (S) 9/19/90 by Gotcha Grabmore and is about to be made
/ D: Rich Arons / W: Sherri Stoner, Paul Dini into cosmetics. Lots of nice Disneyesque fram-
/ Fowlmouth tries to clean up his language. ing establishing the relationship of the two
Bleeps aplenty make this a bill-reader's delight. whales. Gotcha's assistant Octavius is voiced by
Saturday Night Lfue regular Phil Hartman.
" TT: Music Television" (A) 2/1/91'" ' / D :
Art Vitello / W: Sherri Stoner, Paul Dini, Tom " What's Up Nurse?" (S) 11/20/90 ' / D :
Minton, Art Vitello, Bruce l1mm, Douglas Mc- Gerard Baldwin/W: Stephen Langford/Pl ucky
Carthy / Music video show featuring videos for fakes illness to get out of class and is sent to
"Istanbul, Not Constantinople" and "Particle Nurse Hmyra. June Foray as Granny, and in the
Man" by They Might Be Giants (both showcas- prologue to the cartoon, Stan Freberg reprises
ing Plucky), "Respect" by Aretha Franklin (fea- his role as Pete Puma, who has become the
turing Babs), "Money 9 hat's What I Want)" by Acme Loo janitor.
Barrett Strong (naturally, Max), and a parody of
"The Sorcerer's Apprentice" sequence from "Whining Out" (S) 10/4/90 "' / D : Rich
Fantasia wherein Buster, weary of working Arons / W: Paul Dini, Bob Carrau / The gang
under Bugs' supervision, programs the Tiny dines out at a toney restaurant called Attitude;
Tooncomputer for his own fanciful adventures. Babe does her Cher imitation. Buster and the
Bonus: one of MTV's two Julie Browns — the other toons are at their best when up against
buxom, redheaded one — provides her own stuffed shirts such as the restaurant's maitre d'.
voice for a very funny (and all too brief) parody
of her JustSay Julfe show. "Who Bopped Bugs Bunny'?" (A) 12/14/
90 "' / D: Kent Butterworth / W: Paul Dini,
"Turtle Hurdle" (S) 11/8/90 "' / D: Kent Earl Kress,Sherri Stoner / Bugs Bunny disap-
Butterworth / W: Earl Kress, Tom Ruegger / A pears from a French film awards ceremony, so
turtle attempting to cross the highway tries to the Tiny Toons investigate when a likely suspect
get help from Michigan J. Frog. Epilogue: is found in Sappy Stanley (guest voice Jonathan
Buster recommends not crossing busyhighways Winters), an arrogant elephant jealous of Bugs's
and shows usElmyra's brain, which is nonexist- fame. Includes footage from Knfghty Knight
ent. Michigan doesn't work as a character unto Bugs,and Stan Freberg is heard as Pete Puma
himself rather than just the enigmatic singing (still a janitor). The most Mighty Mouse-esque
frog in the cornerstone; using him like just an- episode of the series in concept, design, and
other Looney Tune character is ill-advised. personnel; contributing alumni from the short-
lived but beloved Bakshi series, besides director
"Venison Anyone?" (S) 12/10/90 "/ D: Art Butterworth, include Eddie Fitzgerald, Mike
Vitello / W: Charles M. Howell IV /Hunter Max Kazaleh, and John Kricfalusi. Winters is great as
is thwarted by Vinnie, a smartass deer who talks the smarmy Stanley.
street jive. An attempt was made to ban all guns
from the series, but this rare exception in which "Wild Takes Class" (S) 11/15/90 ' ' / D:
Monty hunts with a rifle got through, and Vinnie Art Vitello / W: Paul Dini / Bugs instructs the
reminds us that we shouldn't be playing with dass on basic takes like the Avery Aaooogah,
guns anyway. Vinnie is like when other studios the Friz Frizzle, and the Chuck Out Of Luck
would try to come up with lunatic animal char- Pathetic Eyes Routine. Daffy's classis more ad-
acters like Bugs Bunny and fail miserably, vanced; naturally, ambitious Plucky would rather
emulate his mentor's approach, so he finds
"A Walk On The Flip Side" (S) 10/3/90 ' himself stuck in a take that turns him into a giant These exquisite 14Kgoldandsilver plate enamelled
/D: Ken B oyer/W: MichaelReaves/ Max ex- eyeball (the Clampett Corneal Catastrophy). cloisonnepinsare importedfromFranceexclusively
periences life as a rabbit. Some potentially The various takes are animated in the styles of by WholeToon.Neverbefore offered inAmerica.
frightening images in this short might scare the directors they' re named for, though Avery's They' reavailablefor $7.96 eachfrom WholeToon
away little kiddies; parental guidance suggested. wild takes are more indicative of his MGM days. Access, Dept.A-21,P.O.Box 369,Issaquah,W A
98027.Please add $2.40 postage and handling per
"Waste Deep In Wackyland" (S) 2/14/91 "Win Lose Or Kerplowle" (S) 9/18/90 "' / order. Orcall(206) 391-8747 lochargebyphone.To
receiveour64-pagecatalog of animationvideocas-
"'/ D: Ken Boyer / W: Ji m Reardon /Gogo D: Art Vitello / W: Gordon Bressack, Charles seltes, books, postersandcharacter merchandise,
finds Monty's dumping his garbage in Wacky- M. Howell IV / Montana Max bribes a game send $2.00 ($4outsideNorth America).
land. There are cameo appearances by Sherri show host in order to win.
Stoner (a mermaid who Gogo catches while
fishing but throws back!) and the zooming WB "Working Pig" (S) 11/13/90 ™ / D : Art
shield. Those under the age of twelve should ask Leonardi/W: David Cohen,RogerS. Schulman
their parents to explain who Phil Spector is to / Hamton works in a department store, his POSTOFFICE eox 349 I S S AOUAH, WA
9eoav
understand the "wall of sound" gag. As Gogo, supervisor sounding not unlike Frank
Frank Welker does impressions of Raymond "Yeeeessssss?"Nelson, and he has to sell some- Better l.lfring ThrOugh TOOnS
Burr and Bill Cosby, among others. thing to Elmyra, who wants to buy something
but she doesn't know what. Features parodies of 2061 391-8747
" The Weird Couple" (S) 10/22/90 ' / D : Smurfs and Transformers. •

42 Animato
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Animato 43
 Disney's Secret
J Bn0 K o r L i s 's "That was the secret of Walt," said ani-
mator Ward Kimball in a mid-1970s inter-
view. "He didn't do the stuff with his
tongueincheek.When he did Flowers and
Trees, which had a tragic ending, he was
A C o l e m a n o f ' T i i kb i t s a n d %X r i v h a sincere; he believed in it. And when he did
Snow White, he was completely serious.
And to this day, the picture makes people
Welcome concerns the UPA Dick Tracy series. Mel cry when Snow White dies. The new gen-
Among many other activities, I have been Blanc is credited with doing the voice of Go eration sits there sobbing in their Kleenex.
writing animation anecdote columns for a Go Gomez, the stereotyped Mexican de- And this is something that's very hard to do
variety of publications since 1976. Cur- tective, but according to animation writer with a cartoon — because after all you are
rently, one of my columns appears in every Mark Evanier, Blanc only provided the exaggerating and caricaturing and the
issue ofAnimation magazine. I hope I' ll be voice for the pilot episode. Paul Frees did tendency is to do a putwn. Not Walt! I think
able to contribute a brand new column to the voice on the one hundred or so other that was his secret."
each iwue ofAnimato as well. A publisher cartoons, and yet it is Blanc that is still
has expressed some interest in putting credited with the voice of the character. Felix's First Interview
together a book of these anecdotes, and I' ll In May, 1926, Felix the Cat supposedly
share more information on this with you as Supervisor? Director! gave his first interview, to writer Edwin
soon as something happens. I once asked Warner director Bob Clam- Gallinagh for the magazineParis and Hol-
Speaking of books, I have been fortunate pett why some of the early Warner Bros. lytvood. Felix was asked to what he attrib-
to coauthor two books on animation with cartoons used the term "supervisor" in- uted his great success. "Hard work, simple
my friend, business associate, and writing stead of a direction credit. Clampett re- living, and Pat Sullivan, my director," the
partner John Cawley. The Encyclopedia plied, "Leon Schlesinger called his direc- cat replied. "He makes one live his parts.
of Cartoon SuperstarsandHow To Create tors 'supervisors,' which I believe he took I am sure that I could never continue my
Animation, both from Pioneer Books, are from Irving Thalberg, who called his ksy screen work so successfully under any
available in stores now. If you have any filmmakers at MGM 'supervisors.' I think other director. My one ambition is to give
interesting animation anecdotes you'd like Leon was smart enough to know that if he the screen my own interpretation of
to see in future columns, please feel free to called people 'supervisor' that the audi- Shakespeare'sHamlet. My life is my work.
send them to me in care of Anlmato. ence would think that the supervisor was I intend doing bigger and better things."
just the bookkeeper or the pencil lead For a silent screen star, Felix sure knew
Smurf Violence d ispenser. So when Leon went to t h e how to put his foot in his mouth, by not
Peyo, the creator of the Smurfs, discov- racetrack, they'd say, 'Hey, that was a mentioning Otto Messmer, who was his
ered that television standards and practices great cartoon you drew last night, Leon.' true creator and the animator and writer of
eliminated one aspect of his popular comic And he'd just smile. the Felix cartoons for Sullivan.
strip. "I had to do away with a trademark of "Remember, in those days people thought
most stories: the bespectacled Smurf who that Walt Disney did everything himself, The Wedding Vow
hits the moralizing Smurf on the head with from drawing the animated cartoons to the Animator Mark Mayerson was gracious
a mallet as soon as the moralizing begins," comic strip to everything else. Sometimes enough to point out to me the very unique
commentedPeyo. "Thatcouldn'tbe shown even people in the business didn't know weddingvows of John and Faith Hubley.
on TV, I was told, because the little specta- who was doing what. It has only been in John Hubley had a Iong and varied career
tor [watching at home) could very well go recent years that some of these talented in animation, from work at Disney to time
into his father's garage, take a hammer, people have started to get credit for their spent at UPA to work as an award-winning
and hit his sister on the head with it." work." independent animator. Reportedly, when
the Hubleys married, their wedding vows
Getting the Credit Just Swimmingly included the stipulations that they would
In animation, it is sometimes hard to de- Jodi Benson, the voice of Ariel the mer- always make at least one independent film
termine credits, because too often they are maid in Disney's animated feature The a year and that they would always have
not listed correctly. For example, Tim Little Mermaid, has told reporters that dinner with their children.
Bugard storyboarded sections of three dif- Disney is working on a sequel but that "it
ferent episodes of The Slmpsons, but only won'tbe until 199®1994at least." Benson An Inspiration
received onscreen credit for one episode. has been keeping busy recreating Ariel on Paula Abdul, the popular singer and
Jack Hannah only worked on the Hare- the Disney children's album Sebastlanand dancer, got together with her idol, Gene
cules Hare segments forBeany and Cecil, Friends, and provides the voices for prin- Kelly, for an Annie Leibovitz photo session
and yet is credited with working on the cesses in two other animated projects. She for the pages of Vanity Fair. Abdulclaimed
entire series. Comic-book artist Mike Royer is Princess Arabella in the holiday video to know every one of Kelly's movies by
did some work on superhero animated car- Why Christmas Trees Aren't Pe rfect, heart, and said she used his 1945 filmAn-
toons in the mid-1960s, but because he and she's Princess Tula in Hanna-Barbera's chors Aweigh, in which he dances with
was a freelancer and not a staff person, he Dark Water. "It's a sci-fi adventure series Jerry Mouse, as the inspiration for her
received no credit. — sort of a futuristic Pirates of the Cari& Opposites Attract video, in which she
The latest credit mixup I' ve run across bean," says Benson. dances with an animated cool cat. •

44 Animato
 '»' • Rare Disney animation celluloids
• Original background paintings
• Pastel "storyboard" drawings
• Vintage pencil animation drawings
• Catalog available on request
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Animato 45
 well as teach. They all have the distinctive
erme
touch of zaniness that p atesallWarner
Bros. cartoons, as well as some adult, ris.

on que humor. Characters say "hell" and

"damn" quite often, and there are even
some nicely-drawn topless mermaids in A
A Video Cohunn Sy Matthew H assen Lecture on Camouflage that are even bet-
ter than the centaurettes in Fantasia.
Overall, The Complete, Uncensored
The Complete, Uncensored Private tead, by the way). It gives some interesting Priuate Snafu, Volume One is a great
Snafu, Volume One information on the making of the series compilation that really panders to collec-
Bosko Video (60 minutes) and on the people who created it, most no- tors with its well-researched cover notes,
This is the first of two volumes that will tably Frank Capra and Ted "Dr. Seuss" quality, size-corrected prints, and hi-fi
include the complete seriesof Private Snafu GelseL The films run in the order of their sound. I'm looking forward to volume two.
army training films, produced by Warner release, beginning with Coming...Snafu!,
Bros. for the Army Signal Corps during which is actually a promotional trailer that Inside Termite Terrace, Volume Four
World War II. Although several Snafu shorts introduces the character and runs only Bosko Video (87 minutes)
have previously shown up on public~ about 2-1/2 minutes. Snafu is voiced by This latest in the series is somewhat
main video collections and cable shows Mel Blanc with a B rooklyn accent and lacking in rarities compared with previous
such asNight Flight, the quality of prints sounds a Iot like Bugs Bunny, although in entries, but is still a tasteful collection,
has usually been pretty poor. They proba- this opening film his voice is higher-pitched. consisting mainly of Merrie Melodies with
bly were taken from old 16mm prints of Even though these films are almost fifty one-shot characters. It opens with Bosko
the Army-Nauy Screen Magazine. Bosko years old and deal with a war that was over in Hold Anything, which consists primar-
Video has uncovered pristine, first-genera- before most of us were born, watching ily of singing and dancing with no plot (as
tion prints of the series, some of which these cartoons while the gulf war was still do most of the early Warner Bros. car-
havenotbeen seen since thewar.Even the actively going on gave them a lot more toons). Bosko goofs around on a construc-
ories which are not of firs-generation quality meaning. The soldiers in that war had to tion site with a bunch of Mickey Mouse
are superior to those which have appeared live by the same rules as Snafu; to make a lookalikes. Later on in the film, he acciden-
on previous collections. The soundtracks mistake in battle can mean death. To drive tally decapitates one of them with a saw.
also have a much cleaner sound, and are the point home, that is f a ctly what hap- Three black-and-white Merrie Melodies
recorded in hi-fi. pens to Snafu in almost all of these films. are included: Freddy t h e F r e shman;
But what really makes this collection a He is smashed by a Japanese tank inGold- Crosby, Columbo, and Vallee; and One
winner for film purists is that all the prints brick, leaving him with a nice goldbrick More Time, the last featuring Foxy, an-
have been "matted down" to the proper tombstone. In Spies he is literally blown to other Mickey Mouse clone with little points
film frame size for television. Most classic hell by Nazi U-boats, and meets the devil in on his ears and a bushy tail. The remaining
cartoons on TV are shown "as is," with the form of Hitler himself. In Booby Traps, entires are color Merrie Melodies: Let It Be
part of the picture spilling ousr the border he is blown to heaven by an exploding Me, Robin Hood Makes Good, Bars and
of the TV image. Many people don't real- piano, only to find that heavenly harps Stripes Foreuer, and Pigs In a P o l ka.
ize how much of the picture they are miss- explode as well (especially when playing Rounding off the collection are Case of the
ing, unless they read the title credits and the last note of "Those Endearing Young Missing Hare and To Duck Or Not T o
see names that are cutoff at the edge of the Charms," a favorite Friz Freleng gag). Duck with Bugs and Daffy, respectively.
screen. (For instance, Inside Termite Ter- Snafu does not get blown away in every Nothing rare about the last two; I suppose
race, Volume Four has the title card of film, but there is an important safety lesson no Warner Bros. cartoon would be com-
Hold Anything reading "Old Anything." ) to be learned in each one. Another topic plete without "star" characters. Also in-
Some MGM and Warner Bros. videos use covered is leaking vital information to the cluded as a bonus is Outpost, a Private
matting for the titles and credits, but the enemy, as in Spies and Going Home. Snafu cartoon that isn't included in Priuate
rest of the cartoons are shown oversize. Gripes, Infantry Blues, and The Home Snafu, Volume One (although this one
Priuate Snafu, Volume One has a thin Front deal with Snafu's frustration as a isn't "matted"), and a l ive-action short
grey border surrounding the film image, lowly private relegated to peeling pota- subject titled Harry Von Zell and Harlow
which has been reduced in size to just toes, marching endlessly through mud, Wilcox at NBC S t udios. This takes us
below that of your TV screen, so that no and manning lonely outposts in the frozen behind the scenes at NBC radio to see the
part of the picture gets cut off. Bosko north. In many of these situations he is faces of then-famous radio actors, includ-
Video has also taken the extra step of visited by a cigar-chomping "Fairy Godser- ing footage of a young Mel Blanc doing
superimposing the director's name at the geant.." He waves a magic wand and Porky Pig. The fact that Porky is the only
beginning of each fIm, as no credits were shows Snafu a vision of an alternate future voice he demonstrates might date this film
ever given in the originals. On the down in which Snafu is in charge of the Army from earlier than 1945, the date that it
side, they also superimpose their logo at base. Of course, with Snafu in charge stated on the box. By that time, Bugs and
random points during each film, just as TV things degenerate into anarchy in no time, Daffy had surpassed Porky in popularity.
stations do with their station I.D.s. and the base is overrun by the enemy. After Though it does not rank quite as high as
Snafu, Volume One opens with a printed waking up from this nightmare, Snafu goes the first three volumes, Inside Termite
prologue by Mike Barrier that runs about back to peeling potatoes with a vengeance. Terrace, Volume Four still has some col-
two minutes (much longer than it takes to Snafu films were made to entertain as lectible stuff on it. S

46 Anitnato
 IN 3 Rl IIS® LIIIlfN INllON CSS
II I IIt I I | II I let
CINANI

"OUT OF THE INKWELL,"Circa 1931 "BAMBOO ISLE," Circa 1932

Framed size 20 wide by 16 1/2 high Framed size 19 1/2 wide by 16 high

"THE HERRING MURDER CASE," Circa 1931

Framed size 19 1/2 wide by 17 high
A.P.G. Publishing has signed an exclusive
agreement with King Features-Fleischer Stu-
dios to create "Betty Boopiw" animation eels. OUT OF THE INKWELL, Circa 1931
"Betty BoopiM" and the Fleischer studio who Edition size 125 *
created her are historically important in the hand painted on clear celluloid
field of animation art. applied to a photograph background
Each cel comes with a statement of authori- $95O.OO
zation as to the edition size and exact number
of the particular cel. The art itself is dynamic in THE HERRING MURDER CASE, Circa 1931
color and each individual celluloid is hand Edition size 125'
painted. One of the three limited editions has a hand painted on clear celluloid
photographic background, while the other two applied to a watercolor background
cele are mounted over an original hand painted $95O.OO
wateroolor background. The editions are lim-
Ited to an edition of 125 to ensure their collecti- BAMBOO ISLE, Circa 1932
bllity. They are the first series to be created by Edition size
Shamus Culhane. Each statement of authen- hand inked and hand painted on celluloid 125'
ticity describes the exact scene of the cel, and applied to a watercolor background
each cel is hand signed by Shamus Culhane. $950.00
These exclusive, artlsltcallyatractive celafrom 'plus 3 artist proofs
the glorious era of the 1930s have been me-
ticulously created by a now legendary figure in
the animation industry. Each cel presents an
exact historical perspective of dassic anima-
To Order by Phone:
tion as depicted by Shamus Culhane in the Animation Piusi Gallery Animation Plus! Gallery
early 1930s. 790 N. Milwaukee 8610 W. Third St.
Chicago, IL 60622 Los Angeles, CA 90048
312 • 243 • 86666 213 • 275 • 5513
VISA • MasterCard • AMEX
Welcome
Animato 47
 On this album, the early montages Indi-
cate that It took a couple of years for
Stalling's music to reach full flower, since
at flrst It was saddled by the last vestiges of
the old Warner policy of usingcartoonsto
plug scenes from the big studio's features.
It wasn't uncommon for an angelic-sound-
ing female trio to coo songs like IWanna
Woo right In the middle of a cartoon's slap-
stick action.
Chps from the war and postwar yeais
teflect a Stalling freed from shilling, no
longer needing to play 32 bars of anything
straight to keep themusicpublishershappy,
and even parodying his nowlegendary
musical shorthand for a Tex Avery reel
called Porky's Preuiers. Also added was
the influence of
compose/bandleader Ray-
mond Scott, author of such favorite Sta5-
The Carl Stalling Project guages. Willner later used this music for the Ing quotations as Powerhouse and Dinner
Music From Warner Bros. Cartoons, soundtracks of two shorts and a feature Music fora Pack of Hungry Cannibals.
1936-1958 produced by the Warner cartoon depart- The 1950s montage features the mature
Warner Bros. Records ment, and even took some of it home tust Stalling style, with many abrupt changes in
Reviewed by Dave Mackey to listen to for his own entertainment. tempo, style, orchestration, and mood-
The Bugs Bunny Looney Tunes 50th Now, he's shared thae basement tapes all within seconds, designed to match the
Anniversary Special, first broadcast in with us, with Ihe help of John Zom, who onscreen lunacy crafted by Jones, Freleng,
early 1986, included a brief throwaway has never been ashamed of crediting Stall- and McKlmson. Stalling worked only from
gag of bronze god Billy Dee Williams stat- ing as a primary musical Influence. the directors' sketches and pretimed ac-
ing that when he's with a woman and Before Carl Stalling, Warner Bros. car- tion, and not from finished animation,
wants to set a romantic mood, he puts on toons had to put up with standard 1930s- which makes his work, oftimes the perfect
a Carl W. Stalling album. He demonstrates type cartoonmusic,composed by Frank marriage of sight and sound, all the more
by playing a rapidfire cacophony of musi- Marsales during the Harman-Ising years, remarkable.
cal flourishes and sound effects off of a and bythe team of Bernard Brown and Technically, it's the complete musicscores
record album — Carl Stalling's Greatest Norman Spencer afterward. But as the art from Stalling's later years, without sound
Hits, Volume 6. N ot e xactly music for of animation matured (especially as it wes effects and voices, that make the biggest
dancing in the sheets. Funny gag, let's go practiced at Termite Terrace), Its music Impression, sounding robust even on cas-
on to the next one. needed to foflow suit. Enter Stalling, who sette. There's much listening pleasure to
But that gag stuck in a lot of craws, had worked for Walt DIsney, Ub Iwerks, be derived from Stupor Duck (a bonus
including those of Hal Willner (music coor- and Ted Eshbaugh, who was not twenty- track on the ~ e ve r sion only) and
dinator for the special) and John Zom, something like the animators he now There TheyGo-GeGol (both 1956), and
both of who had admired Stalling's music worked for, but a seasoned veteran at 48. from To Itch His Own (the final Stalling
for years, and wondered if a real Stalling He was no stranger to matching music to score, from 1958). (The soundtrack to
album would be feasible. Almost five years onscreeen action, since he had been an There They Go-Go-Go! has some se-
later. the comedy bit could be resurrected organist for silent movies in his teen days quences outmfwrder when compared to
as an actual commercial for The Carl back in Kansas City. the cartoon itself — possibly some last-
Stalling Project: Mu sic From Wa r n er Some may argue that Stalling was In the minute shuffling from Chuck Jones when
Bros. Cartoons, 1936-1958. (The album, upper echelon of cartoon music compos- the cartoon was in post-production?)
not surprisingly, is on Warner Bros. Rec- ers merely because he had three hours of There are also some raw sessions with
ords.) recording time for each six minute short, Stalling and his musicians striving for the
When Lome Michaels was producing the regular acceN to a fifty-piece orchestra perfect take of sections of music from
aforementioned special back in1985, an maintained by a big motion picture studio, Putty Tat Trouble(1951)andabitof Liszt
associate remembered Hal Willner's affin- and free access toseveral ma)or catalogues from a cartoon Identified only as "Produc-
ity for cartoons during his days as aSatur- of popular music. But It's not the tools that tion No. 1425" that is actually LIverace's
day Night Live musical supervisor, and matter, it's what you make with them. piano number from WideoWabbit (1956).
asked him to compile the music for the Stalling was a master carpenter, one of One Is reminded of the patient-but~
show. Willner (aided by WB cartoon pro- only a handful of men who worked primar- manding piano teacher, but with the roles
ducer Kathleen Helppie) was able to gain ily in short subJects deserving of that plati- strangely reversed as conductor/protege
access to a number of music-only sound- tude(others include RaSr@'sMGMcounter coaxes the proper rhythm of The Hunger-
tracks (some with sound effects) found by part, Scott Bradley, boogiawoogie man ian Rhapsodyfrom pianist/mentor Stall-
film editor Rick Gehr in the Warner vaults, Darrell Calker at Lantz, and Marvin Hatley ing.
since Warner's produced soundtrackswith- of the Hal Roach Studios — but those are Some of the older cuts are a little rough
out voices for dubbing into foreign lan- other albums, or should be). (but still Iistenable), including the complete
 GET TED!
Animation Development, Wiitiftg Martagerrtenf, Research & Publications - Since 1984

Announces our first book:

Get Anf'mated! s

WHO'S WHO OF ANIMATION GETANIS(APED!3 Ifao'I Hho

Clmmfdn, KeaaelhF (19)2.(9I)9). Animator at Warner Brnthcrc during Ihr

Fouics andFifties, gcncrsgy inFriz Freleng'I' unit.
GA/'s 8%o's $%o of Animafion will feature information on
Caarsd, aGry (1959- ). Storyboard artist. animator Newly si Film Roman. His
hundreds of professionals in the animation industry: student liim, TOBY (shout a badly mimated chsramcr sent to a "home" fnr
peoriy animated characters). hssbecomeacult lsvoritc.
animators, directors, writers, layout artists, background • OAR)l)R 3> AND 11UMIIM 19ss 91,
BOBBY '5 WORID 19ui.

painters, character designers, assistants, in-betweeners, voice Ethmrdh cglfogph)97)). voice of Jiminy cricket in walt Disney's p)N(K'-
CHIO (1999) snd tater appearances of the cbarsder. Oriy'nagy a singer/per-
artists, producers and morel 8%o'sH%o will cover from the fnrmer known
oa stageand scrccnas "Ukelele lkc 7

most famous names in the business to those just starting to Has.gslf (1932.). Producer, director ofdwzcasof SatAM series (orDhincyTV,
Film Roman, Hanna-Barbers. Marvdandrahcrs.
make a name. • I>UCK TAI>m Imc. YME >HISONS 19nt OARHPJ 3> AND >u)PNDS twit, A PUP
'vAMFD SCOOBV.DOO ma
t M, PAPDO U Imh.

Image, Jean (19 Auccr, d(rector of shone, fcaturcs ond TV scrics in

This volume will become one of the essential references for Fiance. Born> the U.S, most(y via thc home video market.
I lriginagy ( Hadju, he emigrated toFrance in )922.
those dealing with animation. Whether your a historian re- • ALADDI'
MUNCh.
IBFAIIULOUSADV(crlllRESOPBARON

searching animation's past, curious about a fellow worker's fosse,Chueh(lv yOP g~uv -Gor,producer andautlmr.
credits, or looking to hire animation talent,GA/'s $I%o's H%c) Onesf(he keydtrnn,
Fifties whcrc hewas inui.
9 age of theFor(iceand
'

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Bago
will be your best source for information. Bunnyasdesf(PDurk He
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g m 4Q ' heRoadRun.
aerand Coyote, pape Lepew,c VC~ ' rs. (n the
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producing TV specie(s. in 1976 beweni .ghtics he
Animation Pmfessionals - Don't be left out! wmtinued onand off at Waraers, producmi h cele, wrote
o chiidrcn's book. W(IUAMS THE BACKWA. it the stan of
Ihe Nineties he announced lhe fonna(ion of a new > s company that
Ifyou'pu currently working in the animation industry(cel, com- would beginwork onfesiure and TVprojcms.
• 11)E NIGHT WATCHMAN (fiiu u elnnor> )93S. BFD11MB FOR SNIPPLIB )9N.
puter, clay, etc), or have done work in the past, and would like WACKIKI WA)luff 19th INL'I AT 1>IE CIRCUS 19i>, PAST AND FURRY J>US (Cni
Roon l4omr), Icw.FOR SCBNf.)MPJIP AL RFASONS(AA) 1999,DUCK DODGERS IN
YIIE M Ut CBNI7)RY 1933. ONE NIOGG 7m)ENING 1933, WIIATS OPERA, Doc .
to be included in this key reference guide, send GA! your cur- 1937. 11(B DOT AND Tl IE I JNE (AA) )993, HOW 11IE GRINCH SfOLE CHRIS)WAS
GV) 1917 Tl IE PI)A NTOM
TO)3 BOO)l I (teii or • I IVI I. A Cl IRLYIM ASCA)ID) . (AA.
rent resume and/or letter of credits. Pwevccr) 1973, RING 11KKI TAVI (IV) Ili>3, RAOOPDY AVW AND ANDY IN TIIE
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Address all entries to GA! WHO'S WHO, PO Box 1458, Bur- Kalb. BreB (196th ). Animation, storyboards, snd lsyou( for suchstudios ss
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ORDER NOW AND SAVE!

GA/'s 8%o's 8%o is scheduled to be published the Summer of 1991 at a cover price of around $19.95. However,
if you order your copy before June 1st, 1991, you pay only $13 (plus $2 for shipping & handling). This will be a
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The Encyclopedia of Cartoon Superstars

From A to (Almost) Z
by John Cawleytutd Jim Korkis
Fully illustrated biogtaphies of the top 25 animated cartoon characters. Discover how the ggeateat CartOOn
Characters were created, how they
changed aver the yeats and what they'te doing now. Enjoy knowing the inside stories on the following 25 Cartoon Superstan: Alvin, Betty
Boop, Bugs Bunny, Casper, Coyote dt Road Runner, Daffy Duck, Donald Duck, Droopy, Felix the Cat, the Flintstones, Heckle dt Jcckle,
Hucklebet)fy Hound, Mickey Mouse, Mighty Mouse, Mr. Magoo, the Pink Panther, Popeye, Porky Pig, Rocky d( Bullwinkle, Roger Rabbit,
ScoobyDoo,the Smurfs,Tom d(Jerry,W oodyWoodpecker, and YogiBear.

Over200pages in a large trade paperback from PioneerBooks. Ifnotavailable in yourlocalbookstore,send $19.00 (includespostage and
handling) to: GET ANIMATED ! 9 PO Box 1458, Burbank, CA 91507. (No orders outside the U.S.)

Animato 49
score from 1939's The Good Egg, with Frank: I returned to the old homestead on Frank: I'd thought that this was an English
the rendition of Ho-Dle-Ay, Start the Day Friday night after a particularly sumptuous dub job of the Japanese Wizard of Oz
Right under the main credits which were feast at Foo's Cantonese Pleasure Pit & series, but it turns out that it's a new series
lost when the cartoon later became a Blue Takeout. Before I even had a chance to get based on the film. Maybe "based on" is a
Ribbon reissue. On the minus side, there is a tall, cold one out of th e icebox, the little to light to describe this cartoon: visu-
an editing error on the opening cut from telephone began to howl. As the fates ally, the series matches the film to the
You Ought to Be in Pictures (1940) that w ould have it, it t umed out to b e t h e smallest detail, which is a real treat if you
begins with a Looney Tunes opening theme Animato editors. It had been a long time love the movie. The Wicked Witch returns
that wasn't recorded until 1941. The ensu- since I had heard from them, so there must to plague the Emerald City, now lorded
ing cuts from Porky's Preuiew include a be some dirty work afoot — after all, when over by the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and
vocal blackface rendition of September in did they ever call to shoot the breeze? No, Cowardly Lion. With the Wizard wafting
the Rain that seems to have been taken there was some thankless task to be done, around the globe in his balloon and unable
from a public-domain print, possibly to and I was their man. Animato needed a to aid our heroes, Dorothy is called back to
include Mel Blanc's voiceover. And the report on the Saturdaymorning lineup.As Oz to help fend off the evil witch and her
liner notes misspell the Fleischer brothers' I said, a thankless task... winged monkeys. The voices closely match
last name, and at one point give Stalling's Dave: I'm at the age when I can reach out those of the original actors, the animation
middle initial as S. (He was credited with his and touch my thirtieth birthday, so you can is serviceable, and you get a song in every
middle initial through the mid-1940s.) probably guess what sort of stuff I grew up episode! This one's definitely worth pro-
Despite the extra track on the cassette on inthe 1960s and 1970s. Ihaven'tbeen gramming your VCR for, if not actually
version, the compact disc (sorry, no vinyl too sympathetic towards the Saturday getting up for.
r elease) is worth owning fo r it s m o re morningscene for several years now, thanks Dave: I'm not terribly impressed, though
complete documentation, including extra to the growing reliance on license charac- some of it looks pretty. It starts off with two
comments by Executive Producer Greg ters and presold concepts. strikes against it, by being based on one of
Ford and additional illustrations, including But the quality of S aturdaym
orning
shows, the most glorious movies of all time. Ani-
animation backgrounds, photographs of which hit rock bottom somewhere around mated versions of Oz have traditionally not
Stalling and his orchestra, and a Virgil Ross the time of Strawberry Shortcake and her done well. Why mess with tradition?
animation drawing from the Steve Schnei- sickening friends, has improved to the
der collection. Just for fun, the dialogue point where I can sit down and enjoy some Zazoo U (Fox, 8:30am; Film Roman)
transcription sheet from Stop, Look and of these series. Chalk it up to enthusiastic Frank: I'm told that Zazoo U is Fox's
Hasten (1952) — a Road Runner cartoon attempt at creating a hipper, more cutting-
artists fresh out of art school, who grew up
— is also included, although the dialogue on substandard stuff and would like to do edgeSesame Street for slightlywlder kkh.
consists primarily of "Beep Beep" over better for the next generation of kids. It's cool, it's hip, it's MIV, man. After
and over. Ford, longtime animation scholar watching ten minutes of the show, you
a nd co-writer/director of some o f t h e Bobby's World(Fox,8:00am EST; Fil m realize that you haven't a clue as to what
newest Warner Bros. cartoons, is right on Roman) this show is supposed tobe about. The only
target when he argues that the music of Frank: Based on some Howie Mandel thing I learned from Zazoo U is that I had
Carl Stalling is an end in itself as well as routine, I'm told. Bobby's World is noth- missed the first half-hour of All4tar Wres-
means to an end. And to those who might ing new — a series about a very young boy tling. The lure of Bruno Sammartino
ask why the score from, say, Duck Amuck with an overactive imagination who dreams beckons...
or any of two dozen other classics wasn' t a lot. If you' ve seen Bill Watterson's Cal uin Dave: This show reaches out and grabs
included, Ford only had about 250 scores and Hobbescomic strip, then you' ve seen you with its offbeat design, which Is as
to choose from and weighted the score's this concept explored in more depth. If removed from the traditional as has ever
musicality (and availability) higher than the you' ve seen Chuck Jones's Ralph Phillips been seen on television. One of animation's
reputation of the cartoon it accompanied. shorts, then you' ve seen it realized by far elder statesmen, Bill Littlejohn, animated
Both the CD and cassette versions in- more talented humorists. Bobby's World the main titles, and some episodes were
clude three more essays, one each by Zom, suffers from a running problem with most directed by Warner Bros. animators Norm
Willner, and Dick Blackbum, all attributing of this season's cartoons: it could be vastly McCabe and Tom Ray.
the decline/death of the Hollywood car- improved by tightening the show into two
t oon to Stalling's retirement in 1 9 5 8 . 12-minute stories rather than one unfo- Tom A Jerry Kids Shocogox,9:00am;
Though I won't go quite that far, I will say cused half-hour plot. Hanna-Barbera)
that after Carl Stalling left the scene, car- Daue: I think this series will be a hit for the Dave: Yet another resurrection of the old
toon Melodies weren't quite so Merrie. ten-and-under set, since Bobby, created MGM standbys. It's much better than H-
This first album (more are to follow) ce- and voiced bycomic Howie Mandel, ap- B's 1975 T&J series, but nowhere near
ments his place in history. pears to be of the same intellectual and what Bill and Joe were capable of in the
emotional bent. TV fans will note the pres- glory days. Good scripts, largely by car-
Saturday Morning, 1990-1991 ence of Jim Staahl (who played Nelson toon veteran Jim Ryan (Pink Panther
Reviewed by Frank Strom and Dave Flavor on Mork and Mindy) on the show's theatrical cartoons) cry out for better exe-
Mackey writing staff, as well as musical director cution in the animation.
(We asked ueteran Animato contributor John Tesh. Watch it with your kids.
Frank Strom and newer contributor Dave H ick M o r a nis i n G r a o e dale H i g h
Mackey to c omment on t h i s season' s The Wizard of Oz (ABC, 8:30am; (NBC, 9:30am; Hanna-Baibera)
network TV animation offerings.) Ruby-Spears) Frank: Rick Moranis is a school principal
50 Animato
at this school f o r t e e nage mon- Kid 'N Play (NBC, 10:00am; Marvel and travel back to ancient China to replace
sters...vampires, werewolves, gorgons, and Productions) it. They end up getting arrested and put to
so on. Personally, I felt this concept was Daue:This show reminds me a lot of the work building the Great Wall of China.
too close to my own high school days to old Jackson 5lue series. Rappers KId 'N There are all sorts of funny incidents along
qualify as enter'.ainment. Remember Mad Play aren't MC Hammer, but they' ll do for the way, Including the boys inventing
Monster Party? Groouie Ghoulies? Maybe NBC's purposes. With live-action wrap- Chinese take-out food.
Drac Pack? If so, you know what you' re arounds and pro-social messages. Not ter- Dave: CBS's only all-new Saturday mom-
gonna get here. In an effort to be a little ribly bad. ing series this season (Teenage Mutant
more socially-re!evant than its predecessors, Ninla Turtles is a crossover from syndca-
Grauedale High tr ies to d eal with the Netu Kide o n t h e B l o ck (A B C, tion) features the voices of Alex Winter,
problems of teenagers. Big mistake. The 10:30am; DIC) Keanu Reavss, and George Carlin, all of
only thing that puts this cartoon on the Frank: It'd be too easy to just pummel this who appeared in the original movie. This
map is that it f eatures the great vocal cartoon mercilessly. Way too easy. Sure, is a most outrageous series, dude, with lots
talents of Twin Peaks' Kirnmy (" Lucy" ) it's awful, but what did you expect? It' s to keep fans of the original movie pleased.
Robertson. virtually identical to every other cartoon It's the best new entry on any of the three
Daue: Monsters, SCTV spinoffs, and you' ve ever seen based on a pop group or big networks.
offbeat high schools have a!I been done tocelebrity. I'm convinced that they' re just
death, rendering this series useless. I'd rewriting old Ha r l e m G l o b e t r o t t e r s Attic Bosey (ABC, 12:00pm; Nelvana)
rather see Moranis reprising his original cartoons...or The Monkees. While New Daue %!s series features the adventures
role over in Th e R e al G h o stbusters, Kids looks like it was done by Hanna-Bar- of Roseanne Barr as a little girl. Canadian
wouldn't you? bera in 1972, it is in fact from DIC...in actress Kathleen Laskey (whom you may
1990. The more things change... remember as daffy cashier Marlene
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (Fox, Daue: A live-animated hybrid, with lots of Wimaraner on the ll~ction series Check
9:30am; Marvel Productions) footage of the real Kids to please their ft Outl) voices the title character. In one
Frank: Remember the two (soon to be adolescent followers. I don't even know baseball-related episode, LIttle Roseyc!aims
three) live-action films? Same thing, only whyl'm reviewing this with all the other she can spit and scratch with the best of
here the tomatoes can talk. Looks like it' s animated shows (or reviewing It for this them. Given the real Barr's National An-
been farmed out to Korea. Is it any won- magazine, rather than for Teen Beat). If It them escapade this past summer, that
der? What I d o w o nder about is how were an all-animation show, it would be a alone was worth a few chuckles. This show
Addams Family star John Astin could be pretty poor excuse for one. isn't as bad as I thought It would be. It' s
so hard up for work that he would take a pretty good, In fact. Barr and husband
voice job on this bowzer. Bill & T e d'e & ccellent Aduenturee Tom Arnold are ~ ive P roducers.
Daue: Now, this is the sort of thing I'd (CBS, 11:00am; Hanna-Barbera)
expect from Fox. This series, while lacking Frank: Well, hot damn! Here's a good Dangaio and Gunbueter
in animation finesse, is saved by its absurd one! I had my doubts about whether aBill (U.S. Renditions videotapes, $34.95 each)
premise and irreverent scripts. Could be & Ted cartoon could have any real merits, Reviewed by Christopher Tennaro
the cult show of the year. but that was all dispelled within the first five U.S. Renditions, a subsidiary of Nippon
minutes of this little beauty. Based on the Shuppan Hanbai USA, Inc., has released
Piggsburg Pigs (Fox, 10:00am; Ruby- clever time-travel/comedy film of the same these two original animation videos (or
Spears) name, Bill & Ted is off to a fine start. In the OAVs) from Japan. In reviewing bothtapes,
Frank: Being the tough-but-fair guy that first episode, the boys break an antique I wondered whether to concentrate on the
I am, I decided to give the Fox network one Chinese vase belonging to Bill's stepmom, translations or the videosthemse!ves. Since
more chance to redeem itself. They blew it. both aspect are of Intetest, I shall cover
This very paint-by-numbers show is loosely 5
c
each separately.
basedon The Three Little Pigs. So loosely, FIrst, the translations.Dangaio and Gun-
in fact, that the rather simplistic premise buster are subtttled and unedited versions
isn't readily apparent until about ten min- of the original Japanese videos. Fmnkly, I
utes in. Piggsburg Pigs commits the one didn't know what to think of the idea. My
unforgivable sin of having absolutely no concern was that the captions would ob-
personality at all. Oh, it tries to be clever, struct the action, since the action in Ja-
but doesn't quite deliver. For example, two panimation moves at such a breathtaking
of the lead pigs are based on Jackie Glea- pace. Fortunately, U.S. Renditions has
son and Art Camey, which is nothing that given us quite legible computer~nemted
hasn't been done better in everything from subtltles that seem to fairly represent the
Warner Bros. shorts to The Flintstones. action on screen.
Daue: For thirteen-year-olds who have Only on occasion dkl I find the dialogue
fond, nostalgic memories'ofThe Get-Al ong confusing. Fortunately, since these are
Gang. I couldn't sit through five minutes of videos, they can be screened over and over
this crud. When the "We' ll be right back" again for clarity. I am new convinced that
bumpers before the commercials look better H~Ouav this is the best method for faithfully bring-
than the show, th'e show is in trouble. ing Japanimation to the States. $34.95
Coproduced by Fred Silverman. Cartoon by Mark Marderoslan apiece is a reasonable price for such films.
Animato 51
 My only criticism of U.S. Renditions' first Cartoon by Mark Manleros(an Reviewed by Bob Miller
releases is that these videos are apparently How do you determine which cartoons
the first installments of continuing OAV are worth watching?
series. One wonders if all the future chap- Sometimes you can tell just from the
ters will also be subtitled and released. Run- show's title, if not its concept, without ever
(
ning time for these videos fall short of an %i watching a single frame of celluloid.
hour. How about translating theatrical Such is the case with Captain Planet and
releases, which are generally over two the Planeteers, a 26 half-hour series which
hours in !en~, and also provide a com- premiered last fall on Superstation TBS'
plete story? Now, that would be a bargain! and in syndication. Indeed, the series got
Although Dangaio and Gunbuster were its start from its title alone, when media
0 mogul Ted Turner ushered Barbara Y. E.
distinctly made for direct video sales, each 4

is episodic in nature. Both begin with a Pyle into his office, and wanted her to
teaser, opening credits, story, and finally develop a series about a pollution-fighting
closing credits. Both stories contain ma- superhero called "Captain Planet."
ture situations, and a standard cover letter Yes, Captain Planet. How original. Never
accompanies each video, explaining the mind that heroes named "Captain" prolif-
content. termined to graduate from th e Space erate like the measles. Captain America
The videos' animation differs from broad- Academy to avenge her father's death. and Captain Video and Captain Midnight
cast Japanimation most notably in its The video actually consists of two sepa- and Captain Nice and Captain Power and
character animation. The eyes regularly rate episodes. The first follows Noriko as Captain Caveman and Captain Cupcake
blink, and the jaws occasionally move. she struggles through the trials and tribula- — and now CaptainPlanet.Oh, boy.
Most importantly, the figures are more tions of her first month in an all~irl acad- The Los AngelesTimes reported that
fluid in motion. emy. This episode too closely borrows Barbara Pyle created the concept of a
Dangalo is an old-fashioned giant-robot from the Rocky theme in American films, group of children called the "Planeteers,"
story. The story opens interestingly enough as Noriko participates in a rigorous train- each wearing a magic ring. Combined,
with a teenage girl named Miya Alice, who ing program. Just picture her in her RX these rings would summon Captain Planet
awakens to find herself within a space trainer tobot jogging across a sandy beach to fight major threats to mankind such as
station. Immediately, she is attacked by at sunset, throwing punches in the air- — get this — Verminous Skumm, Dr.
robot guards, on a satellite about to ex- doesn't quite work! But although Noriko is Blight, Looten Plunder and Duke Nukem.
plode. She soon meets three other teen- a bit of a crybaby, her spunk keeps the Sound menacing, don't they'? With names
agers who all realize that they have two story alive. During her physical training, like these, I doubt these villains will get any
things in common: they can only remem- she can be seen belting out the count as she more respect than Rodney Dangerfield.
ber their names, and each seems to have vigorously jumps rope. "198, 199, 200. The bad guys, of course, are a "non-
special ESP abilities. Gosh, that's perfect!" she proudly exclaims. specific ethnicity." This is to placate those
This interesting beginning diminishes as The second chapter finds Noriko and with the mentality that one villain repre-
the mystery of who they are is quickly re- Kazumi, a senior pilot, flying into orbit sents an entire ethnic group. Can't risk
solved. After successfully abducting four after being selected as the two best pilots offending anybody, these days.
Danfighter spaceships, they flee from the from Japan. Here they meet with a com- Naturally, the five Planeteers are a ra-
space pirates who wanted to exploit their petitive Soviet pilot who quickly befriends cially-mixed bunch from different parts of
powers. Natural!y, the Danfighters com- them after a friendly duel during training the world. Each wears a ring with the
bine to transform into the giant robot practices. power to control an element of nature-
Dangaio! At first, the linkup is unsuccess- Gunbuster cleverly builds suspense, and earth, air, fire, water, plus a new one,
ful, but when it comes time to defend Miya leaps to an intense climax that kept me on heart. Now, if one has those powers, why
Alice's native Tokyo from another giant the edge of my seat. The writing is clever, bother to summon Captain Planet? Who
robot on the rampage, they are able to rise and the scenes are well staged. For any Ja- needs him?
to the occasion and defeat the enemy. panimation fan, this is a must! Conversely, why do we need the kids?
Dangaio features likable character de- One thing I learned from these videos is Basically, they serve as ciphers for our
signs, but the mecha robots and space- that the Japanese borrow from American viewers to relate to. Y oung'uns are a
ships are so bizarre and abstract that one is films as frequently as Americans borrow mandatory fixture in cartoons these days,
never sure what one's looking at. In addi- from the Japanese. Furthermore, Japani- especially with junior versions of Scooby
tion, the dialogue is often rather juvenile mation stories wander greatly, from silly Doo, Flintstones, Muppets, and James
and preachy. This video is for those who situations to radically-adult themes. The Bond proliferating on the telly. But, if you
prefer strictly light fantasies. flow often seems uncomfortable, and is not were a superhero, would you want children
GunSuster starts, as Dangaio ends, with unlike that of some Disney and Bluth films. tagging along? Would you risk endanger-
a surprisingly standard storyline. Our young All in all, though, the Japanese offer stories ing their lives when battling villains?
heroine Noriko dreams of the day she can one can find nowhere else, in a vivid ani- DIC Enterprises, the makers of Captain
become a space pilot like her father, and mation style that's as exciting as the adven- Planet, feels viewers will be impressed by
travel to the stars with him. Her father tures these heroines are thrust into. the celebrity cast, with Whoopi Goldberg
tragically dies when his spaceship is pre- as Gaia; LeVar Burton as Kwami; Ed Asner
sumably destroyed by a mysterious alien Captain HanetandthePIaneteers as Hoggish Greedily; plus James Cobum,
force. Now, more than ever, Noriko is de- DIC Productions; TBS Jeff Goldblum, Meg Ryan, Charlie Sheen,
Animato 52
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Animato 53
and Sting as "polluting perpetrators." mysticism of the Stone Age. She wakes up there's been any improvement, but no.
Now, wait a minute. When you watch a and is horrified to see the Earth is polluted. The scripts continue to be laced with dia-
cartoon character, do you watch because "The time has come for the rings," she logue in which the characters state the ob-
of the actor providing the mice? Do kids concludes. She teleports "five special kids" vious. In one story, the Planeteers' jet is
watch Bugs Bunny just to hear Mel Blanc, to Hope Island. These "Planeteers" will be iced up. Someone points out, "We' re
or because Bugs is a funny character? Is "the world's greatest hope" in fighting covered with ice!" Wheeler activates his
Donald Duck popular because he's voiced pollution. ring (from the inside. Miraculously, the
by a famous celebrity, or because he' s Gaia doesn't bother consulting the kids' interior isn't scorched) and melts the ice.
Donald Duck? parents. Nor does she ask the kids if they "Look! The ice is melting!" As Pee-wee
The bottom line is, no matter who does want to go to Hope Island in the first place. Herman would say, "Duh!
the voice, if the character isn't appealing She just interrupts their routines and off Idiot plots and lapses in logic also abound.
enough, the viewers will turn the channel they go. Forget about school, family, friends. In another episode, the kids are fighting a
to watch someone with more charisma. Let's go fight the bad guys. The kids agree, forest fire caused by the crash of a meteor.
For instance, given the choice, who would of course. Oddly, Wheeler — whose ring controls fire
you prefer to watch: Captain Planet, or There's no time to give the rings an — can't stop it. Gi can't drown it with
Bugs Bunny? extended workout. Hoggish Greedily is water, Kwami can't bury it with dirt, and
Captain P/anet has enlisted several "non- polluting a beach and he has to be stopped! Ma-ti's heart power is ~ as useless. Linka
paid" consultants to "simplify" the com- Gaia gives the kids a jet (they' re in a hurrytries to blow it out with wind — which, as
plex issues of the environment: astrono- and she doesn't teleport them to the scene?) any fireman could tell her, would only fan
mer Carl Sagan, Greenpeace activist Peter with which, miraculously, they are able to the flames to make it bum farther and
Dykstra, and oceanographer Jean- Michel fly. Gaia is with the Planeteers "in spirit." faster. Not a bright idea for a Soviet who' s
Costeau. A DIC exec said the show will If they get into trouble they can't handle, supposed to be well-educated; or for Gala,
teach children how they can protect the she tells them to combine their powers. who could have warned her; or for that
planet. Greedily promptly sprays their jet with oil matter, the writer of this silly episode. And
Perhaps it's laudable to have a cartoon (over a long distance? Don't ask me how). Carl Sagan — who is said to be a technical
series promoting ecology, but who will "That' ll teach them to interfere with the advisor on this series — apparently ig-
watch it? In the 1970s, the networks pro- plans of Hoggish Greedily," he says as they nored the scientific sloppiness, or else the
grammed "pro-social" shows for Saturday drop to the sea. producers ignored his advice.
morning. LikeCaptain Planet, each pro- Unfortunately, they don't crash. The kids The pnduction values are typical of a
duction had technical advisors to make the manage to save themselves. Then Greedily cartoon when you Do It Cheap. The ani-
shows educational and "safe" to watch. threatens to spray the animals with oil if the mation is choppy. The timing of the move-
Sealab: 2020 explored the ocean; Korg: Planeteers don't back off (even though the ment is awkward. The characters' expres-
70,000 B.C speculated on prehistory; animals are already coated with oil!). sions don't match the vocal performances.
Yogi's Gang battled antisocial misfits like This is too much for our heroes. They The camera angles are less-than-dynamic.
Mr. Waste and Mr. Pollution (Hmmm, combine their ring powers, which sum- And the music is so-so. Now, how can
sounds familiar). Not surprisingly, kids mons forth — Captain Planet! The heroes' Turner expect kids to watch a substandard
tuned away from these shows in droves. hero, with crewcut hair, skin of blue, and show when the competition — Disney and
They had hadenough education for the toothpaste smile. Captain Planet! Hero of Warner Bros.— is far superior and avail-
week at school. As Joe Barbera has said, the environment, who leaves behind a bail able at the touch of the remote control or
regarding cartoons, "They should leave of smoke as he flies. VCR button?
education to the schools and the entertain- Planet quickly rips the oil pipeline and Of course, Turner and DIC want you to at
ment to us." creates a whirlpool that sucks the oil back least sample their show. But, knowing
The pilot, "A Hero for Earth," opens with into the hole (How? Don't ask me.), seals what you do now about Captain Planet
a giant "land blaster" grinding its way the hole and jams the pipe into a trash can! and the Planeteers, do you really want to?
through a wildlife sanctuary. It's operated (How can a trash can support a 100-foot-
by that mean ol'stereotype Hoggish Greed- long pipe without toppling over? Don' t
ily.
We know he'sthe bad guy because he ask.) He grabs Rigger — "I know just the RoSot Carnfual
has fangs, an upturned nose, pointed ears, place for garbage like you" — and stuffs Released by Streamline Pictures
beady eyes, and a mohawk haircut; grunts, him into another trash can. Reviewed by Emru Townsend
laughs at his own threats, and — like most Then, Greedily sprays the Captain with The notion of syncing a pantomime ani-
TV cartoon viflains — talks like his throat is toxic waste, which happens to be his mated film to music is hardly new; Disney's
congested. Greedily has the obligatory side- weakness."Ha-ha! No one defeatsGreed- Steamboat Willie and Silly Symphonies
kick, Rigger, who's along so his boss won' t ily. No onel" But the girls fetch some water are classic examples, and even "silent"
talk to himself. and dean him off. The sun recharges our films usually had a pianist performing to
Greedily wants to drill for oil, even if it' s hero just in time for him to wipe out the accompany what was being seen onscreen.
Greedily's machine. Naturally, Greedily gets
in a wildlife sanctuary. "I' ll be so rich I' ll be However, since the days of the Silly Sym-
in hog heaven," he oinks. away. "I' ll be back, Captain Planet." phony — and the ultimate Silly Symphony,
The machine drills through the earth and The kids assume mantra positions, and Fantasia —there has been a profound lack
cracks the ceiling of th e u nderground Planet returns to their rings — leaving the of this genre of animated film, with the
bedroom of Gaia, the spirit of Earth. Yes, kids alone to clean up the animals. What a possible exception of music videos.
even in the scientifically-advanced Space lazy superhero. Enter
RoBotCarnival,am id-1980sJapa-
Age, Ted Turner's progeny embrace the I' ve sampled other episodes to see if nese techno-Fantasia with a twist. Like
54 Animato
Fantasia, Robot Carnival is comprised of Aura Battler Dunbine), is set in a dark- tering glass, the smooth movement some-
several animated shorts set to music. Unlike ened laboratory illuminated only by the oc- times makes the characters themselves
Fantasia, Robot Carniual's segments are casional flash of lightning. A (macP) scien- seem inhuman.
produced by different teams, each with tist with an unidentifiable something on his "Starlight Angel" is a short about two
their own distinct style, while all the music back creates a robot which can mimic girls' visit to the fair. This is a light, enter-
is composed by Jo Hisaishi, who has also anything he does. to his dismay. Further taining, 'feel-good" sort of film, which is
composed soundtracks for anime classics comment would give away the joke. fairly average. The story meanders a bit in
such as Nauslcaa, Laputa, and Ar i on. Deprive," directed by Hidetoshi Omori some places, leaving the audience occa-
Where Fantasia's unifying theme is fantasy, (who has worked on Dunblne, and more sionally muttering, "Yes, yes, get on with
Robot Carnival's unifying theme is, as the recently the new Guyuer videos), is a fast- it!" Hiroyuki Kitazume directed "Starlight
title suggest, robots. paced action film. An invading overlord Angel," which is highly reminiscent of his
In some ways, Robot Carniual's struc- and his minions kidnap a young girl, and work for Zeta Gundam.
ture is much like that of Fantasia. It gam- her robot friend sets off to rescue her from "Meiji Karakuri Bumei Kitan: Koumoujin
bols through some light-hearted sequences, their clutches. Askle from the catchy music, Shurai no Maki" (" Strange Tale of Meiji
takes time out for a relatively somber short, a few neat visual effects during his retribu- Machines: The Episode of the Red-Haired
has a trio of shorts (one light-hearted, one tion, and a particularly nasty surprise, Man's Invasion" ) is the secondRobot Car-
'art," and one uproariously funny), and a there's nothing too exceptional about this nivall short to have any dialogue. Strangely,
final, dark sequence. segment. the music seems to only be a minor aspect
of this film, which is about a western man
invading 16th century Japan with his giant,
lumbering wooden robot. Some Japanese
youngsters attempt to retaliate with a
wooden robot of their own, with some
hilartous consequences, like accidentally
punting a small house into the stratosphere
when they mean to raise the right leg to
start walking. Hiroyuki Kitakubo, chief ani-
g%jk." , 5g
mator of Black Magic M46, directed this
bit of silliness.
"Cloud" sticks out from the rest of Robot
Carnivalas "Toccata and Fugue" in D
Minor did in Fantasia; it's not cel anima-
tion. Unlike "Toccata," it doesn't even
have much animation at aIL Cloud has a
quiet, contemplative soundtrack and fea-
tures a small, robotic child wearing a jacket.
Little happens in this as far as plot goes;
most of the film is comprised of still draw
ings serving as a backdrop for the robot's
journey. Mao Lamdo(Urusei Vatsura) di-
rectedthis, probably the closest to an "art"
film Robot Carniua/ has to offer.
"Niwatori Otoko to Akia Kubi" (" Chicken
From Robot Carnival.
Man and Red Neck" ) owes quite a bit to
The film's opening has a little boy in the T w o of the shorts within this movie vio-Fantasia's "Night on Bald Mountain." An
desert going about daily life until a poster l ate the musk-only rule, of which the first ordinary city is ovenun by demonic robots
ad blows his way. He picks it up, squints at i s "Presence." Directedby YasuomiUmetsu at night, and one man is trapped in it all.
the type, and runs off in a panic to warn the (who was behind the opening of Pro JectA- "Chicken Man and Red Neck" has a few
villlagers: the Robot Carnival is coming! k o 3 ) ,the film'ssubduedbackgroundmusic slapstick moments, but is still generally a
People frantically run for cover and cower is mainly accompanied by the voice of the dark Im. What it lacks in the sheer power
in their hovels as the Carnival makes its m a incharacter, a man who creates robotic and dark majesty of both the music and ani-
destructive presence known. This segment toys for a living. The world he inhabits is mation in "Night on Bald Mountain," it
was directedby Katsuhiro Otomo(creator mu c h l ike ours, only robotics are more makes up with a frenetic pace and the
and director of Ak i r a) and Atsuko c o m monplace.Inhisprivateworkarea,he tenor of poor Chicken Man. This was
Fukushima (who worked on Cobra and c r e ates a robotic female companion, who directed by Takashi Nakamura, who later
Lensman), and is enjoyable for its large s t a r t les him by e xhibiting some all-too- became chief animator of Aklra.
dollopsofslapstickcartoonviolenceasthe h u man behavior. This touching film is The closing segment was directed by
Robot Carnival's fireworks detonate within h auntingly beautiful, with lush background Katsuhiro Otomo and Atsuko Fukushima.
the village and its cancing dolls explode in designsandultradetailed, colorfulcelwork. The Robot Carnival is over, and the mobile
the company of their human consorts. The a n i m ation itself is smooth — almost sign/parade vehicle is in ruins. The ending
"Frankenno Haguruma" (" Frankenstein's too smooth. While it suits certain things, is a funny and almost sadistic surprise; see
Gears" ), directed by Kouji Morimoto (of s u ch as flying cars and slow-motion shat- the movie and judge it for yourself. •
Animato 55
I I

I I

Stabur has a huge selection of Disney, Danger Mouse,

Count Duckula, Marvel and other studios of animation
art along with limited edition prints and original comic
art. For a free brochure send us your name and address
requesting information or call our toll-free number. l

A,

1-800-346-S940 © Walt Disney Company

Stabur Corporation • 11904 Farmington Road • Livonia, MI 48150 • (313) 425-7930

Little Mermaid "Ariel" Bisque Figurine. 6"x6.5"Wx4.5D. Made in

Mexico for Disney. A beautiful and exquisite piece sure to increase in
HOLf T O D P Al J' value. $125 plus $6 shipping snd handling (UPS) anywhere on the main-
land. Limited quantities and very hard to find. Any questions or for a xerox
COUP OWN DR P l l fVESE copy of the figurine send a self-addressed stamped envelope for xeply.
ST)xlfCON.IC POOK! ' California xesidents add $g.44 tsx. Also,
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CLEVF. Oi-I t/0//'I one a Disney character or theme with "Coca-Cola" on it They axe mounted
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0 15th Anniversary logo and aCoca-Cola logo. Framemeasuxes22"x26" and
has a wue for hanging. Will be shipped in a Disney designed presentation
carton. Limited number of sets available to collectors. $180 framed set
• tlat
Add $10 for shipping andhandling (UPS) anywhere on the mainland. All
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self-addresed stampedenvelope. California residents add 63/4% sales tax.
i Finally,

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This watch is limited to 5,000 and is sure to increae in value. $300 MIB
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For all orders, please allow 1 to 2 weeks for delivery. To order include a
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Lorelei's Disney Dealings

11548 Larchmont Drive Corona CA 91720

56 Animato
 Hello Animation Fans
Our first volume of "The Complete Uncensored Private SNAFU Cartoons" is now ready and in
stock. It contains the first fourteen of the RARE cartoons that were madefor the Armed Services
during World War II, in release order. These were shown to the troops in "The Army-Navy Screen
Magazine", a weekly newsreel, that was put together by Frank Capra. All of these great cartoons
were made by the Warner Bros. cartoon staff, scored by Carl Stalling, and were voiced by the great
Mel Blanc. They were directed by Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, Frank Tashlin and Bob Clampett.
Bugs Bunnyeven makes an appearance in one. These vintage classics were never shown to the
general public, and although some have resurfaced in the last few years, the majority have not been
seen in almost fifty years! Almost half of this collection was transferred from pristine 35mm prints.
These cartoons were geared to the troops, and were considered rather risque at the time. There is
an occasional "hell" or "damn", and a few contain some partial nudity (cartoon nudity, what else?).
These cartoons are all in black 8 white, the way they were made. This tape sells for $24.95
(($2.50 U.P.S.) If you have a P.O. Box, please give us a street address. UPS insures your orders, it is
a pain with the post office.
We will be releasing Volume Five of our popular series, "Inside Termite Terrace" in March. These
are all Warner Bros cartoons that were made in the 1930's and 1940's. ($24.95 + $2.50).
We were priviledged to film famed animator Grim Natwick's 100th Birthday. This was held last
August 18th, and sponsored by Los Angeles ASIFA. The cream of animation society was there, and
he was given tributes by Chuck Jones, Walter Lantz, Mae Questel and Mare Davis. Grim was the
creator of Betty Boop, and animated Snow White in the Disney classic. This will also be released in
March, with a portion of the proceeds going to ASIFA's cartoon restoration fund ($24.95 + $2.50).
We have just obtained EXCLUSIVE North American video rights to the RARE Ub Iwerks series,
"Flip The Frog". This consists of thirty-eight cartoons, of which Grim was the chief animator, and Carl
Stalling scored the music. Most will be transfered from the original negatives.
We hope that you enjoy these unique offerings for your video collections.

The Folks At Bosko Video

"Complete Uncensored
Private SNAFU" Vol. 1
$29.95 a

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