Friday, April 25, 2008

"Pluto's Blue Note"

I'm a sucker for Pluto cartoons. There's always a great walk cycle or two in them. In this case there's a really great dance scene with Pluto. This one was nominated for an Academy Award in 1948.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Animaland - "It's A Lovely Day"

Here's some more fine animation from David Hand's Animaland series and some model sheets to go along with it. Though I prefer my cartoons wilder than this, I love the solid craftsmanship in these cartoons. I can't even draw these characters right, let alone move them around. Anyone else think "Ginger Nutt" should be a porn star's name?


Thursday, April 17, 2008

Bill Wray's King Crab

(I uploaded the cartoon again, so this is a repost.)


Bill Wray is one of my favorite artists. I love his background paintings in Ren and Stimpy, Samurai Jack and the many comic book covers he's done. Please do yourself a favor if you haven't already and check out his site bigblownbaby.com. If you haven't read his comics of the same name track them down. They're hilarious. There's also a Hellboy Jr. trade out which is really funny. There's a Baby Huey spoof called "Huge Retarded Duck" that's sick and twisted. He has to be one the finest inkers I've ever seen. His dry brush technique is incredible. Enough ass kissing, let me get to this cartoon. This aired on Cartoon Network's What A Cartoon Show in 1999. I read in an interview that King Crab was to originally be a part of Cartoon Network's night time adult programming, what would later end up being Adult Swim. But the idea of an expensive original show scared them off. It's a shame, I really think this show had the potential to be a big hit. "I... I've never been comfortable... in the men's room." Hilarious stuff. I believe that Bill has had the rights to the character returned to him fairly recently so maybe there's a chance he'll sell it to a different network. Bill also has a blog where he posts his beautiful landscape paintings, check it out here. There's a fantastic interview with art and a painting lesson in Mike Manley's DRAW! magazine, issue 6. Pick it up if you can. The awesome Stephen DeStefano, who also King Crab with him is also interviewed.


Uploaded by klangley

Update-I forgot to mention the awesome King Crab sculpture by Jason Peltz and Bill Wray. It can be ordered on Bill's site, here. Check out more of Jason's sculptures and illustrations.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Heckle and Jeckle - "Blind Date"

This is one that I posted about two years ago before Youtube closed my account. There's a couple of really great and goofy walks in this one. I'm going to try and post some of the cartoons that were originally on Youtube, so forgive me if I repeat myself.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Chuck Jones - "Case Of The Missing Hare"

I forgot I posted this on Dailymotion the other day. Does anyone know if Art Heinemann was still part of Jones' unit when this short was made? The color styling seems very similar to his other work with Jones and even with Shamus Culhane at Lantz. If not his influence is rather obvious.

Dexter's Lab - "Changes"


I haven't posted many recently, or somewhat recently made cartoons since Bill Wray's King Crab. Which I have to go back and repost since it was taken down from Youtube. I like Dexter's Lab but I really wish the whole series would've have maintained the livelier animation that was done in the pilot episodes. Watch this episode and compare it with one that will probably be on during the "Cartoon Cartoon" show this weekend. I think you'll surprised how much better this one is. I believe the first season was released on DVD in Australia and Europe recently, but why not here? I'd buy it. Hell, I love those Justice Friends cartoons.


Uploaded by klangley

Monday, April 07, 2008

Popeye - "Klondike Casanova"

I'm a pretty big fan of most all the Famous Studios shorts I've seen, in spite of the shortcomings of a lot of them. Though during the first few years after the studio's formation they released some pretty damn good cartoons. The animation is really great in a lot them. The early Popeye and Little Lulu shorts being the best, IMO. "Klondike Casanova" has some great animation in it, courtesy of Johnny Gentilella. Popeye's voice was provided by Harry Foster Welch as Jack Mercer had been drafted by the Army.

Sunday, April 06, 2008

Tubby

I'm too tired to upload a cartoon tonight so here's a few chuckles at Tubby's expense. I love the line work in the Little Lulu comics.

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Scribner Story Sketches

I haven't had much time to post lately because I was in the process of moving. Now that we're all settled in over here maybe I can pay this blog a little more attention. Here's three scans of Rob Scribner's story sketches from "Coal Black And The Sebben Dwarfes". These just so happen to coincide with one of my favorite scenes that Scribner animated.

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Riff Raff and the Catillac Cats

Forget Bugs Bunny and Chuck Jones. Clampett, Avery, Mickey Mouse, Andy Panda, all those famous names and shorts are nothing compared to the greatness I've posted today. I think 80s TV cartoons are where it's at and are under appreciated. I can't wait to sit down and study this cartoon frame by frame.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

A Day At The Governor's Office

Politicians never cease to astound me.

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Art Davis - "Bye Bye Bluebeard"


If I'm not mistaken I believe this was the last short produced by Art Davis' unit before it was disbanded. (I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong)I love that in each Davis short you can always count on at least one cool camera angle. Like this one below.



Friday, February 29, 2008

Jack Kinney - "Motor Mania"


Jack Kinney has made my list of favorite directors. (Thanks for getting me into his work Thad) He seems to be the one at Disney who was best at making cartoons along the rowdy Warner Bros. style. His shorts aren't sweet and sugary like his contemporaries were making at Disney. Just check out "Duck Pimples" "Hockey Homicide" and this great short "Motor Mania". Goofy's just a road raging dick throughout. Also, the backgrounds by Claude Coats are great. I'd love to own one of those.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Tex's 100th Birthday


Tex Avery is by far my favorite director, no other director's shorts make me laugh like Tex's. I don't think any other director was as influential as he was. Not even Chuck Jones. I won't try and persuade anyone that Tex is the all time greatest. But for me there's no one better. I wanted to do something really special for Tex's centennial but PC troubles kept me from really putting together a great tribute. But I did manage to finish up a clip reel of scenes from his MGM shorts. (Which for me, are the all time greatest cartoons.) I've spent many hours watching these shorts in chronological order and each one gets funnier and funnier. I think one gets sucked into Tex's "world" when viewing them that way. Anyway, Happy Birthday to the greatest cartoon director of all time.


Tex at the drawing board with Fred Quimby

Tex and Fred Quimby

Tex at Schlesinger's. Tex is second from the left, seated next to a rather large Frank Tashlin.

The Termite Terrace Crew

Tex and musical director extraordinaire, Scott Bradley. (Even though Tex didn't think so)





Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Tex Avery - "Red Hot Rangers"

I just noticed the other day that it's been two years (this Wednesday) since I started this blog. It doesn't seem like I've been blogging that long. I originally started this blog to post drawings and clips from a short that I was working on. I was inspired by Wil Branca and Nick Cross' production blogs, but quickly realized that I need to really work on improving my drawing ability and practice animating before I would have been happy with any of the work I was doing. (I'm still working at it) I started posting model sheets from some classic shorts to just post something in between my crap. Thanks to links early on from Thad, John K., Amid, Mark Mayerson, and the Animation Archive blog (thanks guys!!) people actually started reading this blog, or at least looking at the pictures since I say very little. It's been great "meeting" fellow bloggers like Thad, Ryan, David, Benj, Pedro, Greg, Craig D, Kasey and plenty of others. Thanks for all the drawing advice that I've been given and all the historical information that's been tossed around here. Even relatives of Jim Tyer and Robert Gentle have visited, very cool. This whole blogging thing has been much more enjoyable than I thought it would be. Thanks everyone!!

Here, enjoy another one of Tex Avery's MGM classics.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Thursday, February 07, 2008

Freleng - "Jack-Wabbit And The Beanstalk"


I don't recall if I've bothered to post any Freleng shorts or not but it's certainly not because I don't enjoy them. I do favor his early to mid 40s shorts over his later work, especially his Bugs Bunny shorts like "Fresh Hare", "Little Red Riding Rabbit" and the one I'm posting, "Jack-Wabbit And The Beanstalk". And Friz' "Yankee Doodle Daffy" has always been one of my favorite Daffy shorts.

I love this model sheet of the Giant, though I can't recall who drew it. I forgot that I had scanned it otherwise I would've posted it some time ago.

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

A G-G-G-Ghost ?!?

Here's a great take from the 1952 Casper short "Spunky Skunky". Yes, that's right I said Casper. What can I say, my boys love Casper so we watch the cartoons quite often. And I'm a sucker for most Famous cartoons. Even when it's the same story over and over.




Uploaded by klangley