Ralph Bakshi

Great Animator that was responsible for the first Spider-Man Cartoon, the Lord of the Rings Cartoon, Heavy Traffic, Coonskin, Cool World, and the cartoon based on Crumb’s Fritz the Cat that everyone got really mad about. His last film, “The Last Days of Coney Island” is a movie we might never get to see. The interview below is mostly about his film “Wizards” which borrowed heavily from the world of Vaughn Bode, and was thwarted at the box office by the original Star Wars.

Follow the links below to watch the complete interview.

PART 2, PART 3

PART 4, PART 5

PART 6

July 22nd, 2008 - Posted in Cartoon Theatre | | 0 Comments

Cartoon Theatre: Roger Rabbit

“Rollercoaster Rabbit” A Maroon Cartoon

“Tummy Trouble” A Maroon Cartoon

July 10th, 2008 - Posted in Cartoon Theatre, Uncategorized | | 0 Comments

FLIPBOOKS

The first flip book appeared in September, 1868, when it was patented by John Barnes Linnet under the name kineograph (”moving picture”). They were the first form of animation to employ a linear sequence of images rather than circular (as in the older phenakistoscope). The German film pioneer, Max Skladanowsky, first exhibited his serial photographic images in flip book form in 1894, as he and his brother Emil did not develop their own film projector until the following year. In 1894, Herman Casler invented a mechanized form of flip book called the Mutoscope, which mounted the pages on a central rotating cylinder rather than binding them in a book. The mutoscope remained a popular attraction through the mid-20th century, appearing as coin-operated machines in penny arcades and amusement parks. In 1897, the English filmmaker Henry William Short marketed his “Filoscope”, which was a flip book placed in a metal holder to facilitate flipping.

The two flipbook fights below really push the Flipbook genre to the edge. The use of color, especially, is as good as any I’ve seen in animation in a long time. Points of contact are accentuated by Bic red ballpoint clusters of blood. Directed by a Youtuber out of South Korea that calls themselves Psalty.

Check out the end of this sequence. Amazing.

The next 2 are directed by Sam Faber Manning. The sounds are great.

July 8th, 2008 - Posted in Cartoon Theatre, Uncategorized | | 2 Comments

Kid America Cartoon Theatre

Both of today’s cartoons were aired on MTV’s Liquid Television. Jac Mac & Rad Boy was first aired on Night Flight, nearly 7 years before it aired on MTV.

Jac Mac and Rad Boy, 1985

Written and Directed by Wesley Archer

Now we always thought that Mike Judge had something to do with this cartoon, because Beavis and Butthead followed a short time later. But he didn’t. Still, Archer did go on to work with Judge, directing 6 episodes of King of the Hill as well as doing illustrations for Judge’s film, Idiocracy. Archer also directed some Futurama episodes and a ton of Simpsons. He was also an animator on One Crazy Summer, the “Savage” Steve Holland film.

Grinning Evil Death, 1990

Directed by Bob Sabiston (he went on to be head of Animation on A Scanner Darkly)

Written by Mike McKenna

July 7th, 2008 - Posted in Cartoon Theatre, Uncategorized | | 1 Comments

Star Wars Holiday Special

The animated segment produced by Nelvana was entitled ”The Faithful Wookie”. While the artistic style takes great liberties — R2-D2’s body is rubbery, C-3PO actually blinks {with vertical eyelids) and Han’s face is nearly unrecognizable — the animation is above average for television animation of the period and the music and sound effects are straight out of the film, along with the vocal talents of the main cast from the movie. Not only does the cartoon introduce Boba Fett, but his jet pack and rope gun as well, which are not used again in the movies until Return of the Jedi four and a half years later.

July 3rd, 2008 - Posted in Cartoon Theatre, Uncategorized | | 0 Comments