CHUCK JONES EXTREMES AND IN-BETWEENS (2000, Margaret Selby)

Chuck Jones Extremes and In-betweens: a Life in Animation / DIR: Margaret Selby / WRIT: Greg Ford; Margaret Selby / PHOTO: Mead Hunt / EDIT: Steven Wechsler / SOUND: Danny Caccavo / PRD: CAMI Spectrum / 2000 / 1h 24m.

INTERVIEWEES: Chuck Jones; Maurice Noble (Background Artist); Bob Givens (Layout); Martha Sigall (inker-painter); June Foray (Voice actress); Stan Freberg (Voice actor); Marian Jones (Wife); Linda Jones (Daughter); Richard Kent Jones (Brother); Glen Keane; John Lasseter; Eric Goldberg; Rob Minkoff; Matt Groening; Ken Burns (Director); Ron Howard; Steven Spielberg; Joe Dante; Robin Williams; Whoopi Goldberg; Roger Ebert (film critic); Leonard Maltin

Very few animators are as recognizable as Charles M. Jones; you can tell by the look of it, that you're watching a Chuck's piece. There's an emphasys on the characters expressions, and a tinge of irony in their attitudes (like if the characters were only actors performing their parts). The "camera" work; the odd angles; those briefs moments of stillness before the action begins; the astounding Maurice Noble's backgrounds. Even among the huge Warner Bros library; so many great directors, so many different styles, yet, his work always excelled. As John Lasseter says, "he's given us his versions of some of the most famous cartoon characters in history, but his versions are the definitive ones."

This documentary was shown as an episode for PBS "Great Perfomances" TV series. Covers a good part of Chuck's career. His beginnings working as a cel-washer. Joining the Leon Schlesinger's Studio, and developing an early style, a strongly Disney influenced animation e.g.: Sniffles Takes a Trip (1940)But working with Tex Avery and breathing through the whackiness atmosphere of Warner Bros, soon enough Chuck will find his own voice. And so, comes his first absolutely personal works: The Draft Horse (1942) and The Dover Boys (1942).

This will inevitably lead to the masterpieces: Rabbit of Seville (1950) Feed The Kitty (1952); Duck Amuck (1953); Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century (1953); The Cats Bah (1954) One Froggy Evening (1955); Rocket Squad (1956) What's Opera, Doc? (1957); and so many more!!! great characters, like: Bugs Bunny; Elmer Fudd; Daffy Duck; The Roadrunner and the Coyote; Marvin the martian; Pepé le Pew; Papa, Mama and Junior Bears; Hubie and Bertie...    

His final period, always experimenting, always trying new things: How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966) The Dot and the Line (1965); and even his attempt on the Tom and Jerry series (1963-1967).

There is a lot more to tell about Chuck's career, but this serves as a great introduction. (by pelida77)

"I discover isn't a question of drawing, it's a question of expression what makes every character come to life." (C. Jones)

AVI / 700 MB / 1h 24m / Audio: Eng / (5/5 RAR parts)
Video: MPEG-4 / 624x352 (16:9) / 1017 Kbps / 23.976 fps / 0.193 Qf
Audio: MP3 / 48.0 KHz / 122 Kbps
Part 1...
Part 2...
Part 3...
Part 4...
Part 5...

THE COLORED CARTOON (2007, Christopher Lehman)

 

Christopher P. Lehman. The Colored Cartoon: Black Representation in American Animated Short Films, Amherst, University of Massachusetts Press, 2007.

PDF / 18 MB / 142 pp / 155849779X / 978-1558497795

The way in which black people were depicted during the Golden Age cartoon era was degrading, pure racism. Ethnic jokes, stereotypes, clownish roles, pejorative images, "negro dialect". Fortunately we've come a long way since those days.

The subject of this book is the colored cartoon: the black culture influenced animation during the golden age. In the first chapter Lehman will review stereotypes and traditional stories that configured the cartoon representations of blacks in the beginings of animation. 

Chapter Two detail the problems animation had with sound synchronization, and how the black culture helped to solve some of this problems: the minstrelsy tradition and the jazz-blues music were used for the 30's cartoon musicals. An interesting analysis of minstrelsy use in Van Beuren's Dixie Days (1930); Plane Dumb (1932) and The Lion Tamer (1934). The Bosko character, created by Harman and Ising, the first black-boy heroic cartoon figure. And the Fleischer's cool, empowered - non servile - black characters in Betty Boop's: Minnie the Moocher (1932); I'll be glad when you're dead you rascal you (1932) and The Old Man Of The Mountain (1933).

Chapter three impart on the representation of blackness during the Code era; a lot of cartoons from late 30's till mid 40's will be named and analized: the Hanna-Barbera "mammy" character; Ub Iwerks's Little Black Sambo (1935); the pale ending of Bosko; and Chuck Jones's Flop Goes the Weasel (1943). 

In the fourth chapter Lehman describes Tex Avery "trickster animation", pointing out his use of the african american culture (an application of bebop to animation, without stereotyping black people). And here comes a bold thesis by the author. To him, the Avery's Bugs Bunny is a black character... To prove it, he claims that Bugs coolness and his postures, mimicked the ones made by jazz-bebop performers. 

The fifth chapter deals on the representation of blackness in animation during World War II. A Master piece at the beat of Swing music and with an outstanding animation: Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs (1943). And the final effort of Hanna and Barbera to appropiate the black culture: The Zoot Cat (1944).

The post-war is the subject of the last two chapters; Particularly interesting are the pages dealing with UPA, and how this independent study made dissapear black characters from cartoons.

A cool book, really fun to read and very well documented. (by pelida77)

 

Do You Want To Read This Book? You could follow this link...

FRANK AND OLLIE (1995, Theodore Thomas)

Frank and Ollie / DIR: Theodore Thomas / WRITTEN: Theodore Thomas / PHOTO: Erik Daarstad / EDIT: Kathryn Camp / MUSIC: John Reynolds / PRD: Kuniko Okubo; Theodore Thomas / 1995 / 1h 29m.

INTERVIEWEES: Frank Thomas; Ollie Johnston; Jeanette Thomas (Wife); Marie Johnston (Wife); John Canemaker (Animator, Critic); John Culhane (Critic); Andy Gaskill (Animator); Glen Keane (Animator).

A documentary on this notable pair of animators, among the most talented and famous of Disney's so-called "Nine Old Men". And sure they have earned this reputation: main animation in 23 film features!!! In this doc what I really like, is how they edited the acting of Frank and Ollie with its animation counterpart; so you get to see what's behind animation, and how all the classical Disney scenes were born in their minds. (In their books they insist on how an animator is really an actor)
They will share their memories on: Alice's Queen; Pinocchio's nose; Bernard the janitor; Prince John thumb sucking problem; Bambi and Thumper; How Mowgli got "lured" by woman. The spaghetti scene in Lady and the Tramp; How Captain Hook managed to play the piano; and many more...

There's also a segment dedicated to their colleagues and mentors: Norm Ferguson; Ham Luske; Freddy Moore; Bill Tytla. You can tell how deeply they respect them. Ollie recall the huge impact that the flypaper scene in Playful Pluto had on him. Frank shows Freddy's pencil and reveal us that there's still some of Moore's talent on it. They loved everything about their jobs.
If you are an animation fan, you'll like this documentary. So, enjoy! (by pelida77)




AVI / 1.08 GB / 1h 29m / Audio: Eng / (6 RAR parts)
Video: MPEG-4 / 856x480 / 1478 Kbps / 25.000 fps / 0.144 Qf
Audio: MP3 / 48.0 KHz / 256 Kbps

Part1...
Part2...
Part3...
Part4...
Part5...
Part6...

HOW TO MAKE ANIMATED CARTOONS (1941, Nat Falk)

Falk Nat, How To Make Animated Cartoons , New York, Foundation Books, 1941.

JPG images / 10 MB / Eng / 73 pp (A scan made by animationresources)

The people from animationresources scanned this book, one of the very first on animation history.
A foreword was made by Paul Terry, which is real funny because he talks about the artistic possibilities of cartooning: animation as an art form! ... I mean, this comes from the same cheap bastard that proudly used to said: "If Disney is making chicken pâté, then we are making chickenshit!"
In the first chapter we have a brief history of the attempts to give illusion of movement to drawings: from the Altamira cave pictures till Emile Cohl's animated cartoons. A sweet mention to the Big Four: John Bray, Earl Hurd, Raoul Barre and... Paul Terry of course. According to the book he was the greatest pioneer of them all (I'm not being sarcastic here, I sort of agree with that). So Terry got the most pages and attention: Little Herman, Farmer Al Falfa, and the Aesop's Fables. And then the usual topics: McCay's Gertie the Dinosaur, Felix the Cat, Max Fleischer and Walt Disney (didn't give his permission to show pictures of Disney characters, BOO!!).
In the second chapter we take a journey through each of the "seven major" cartoon studios at the time: The Fleischer Studios; Walt Disney Productions; Terry-Toons; MGM cartoon Division; Walter Lantz Productions; Leon Schlesinger Productions and Screen Gems.

At the end of the chapter Walter Lantz explains how he created Andy Panda (But I'm not sure that he's telling the truth, cause I've once heard a very different story about the origins of Andy).
The third chapter is about the animation production process. Story and Gags, Design, Animation and Layout, Music and Sound Effects, The inking process... etc.
In the last chapter, there's an explanation on how to make your own animated cartoons... How to draw cartoon characters, Squash and stretch, etc. (There are hundreds of books that teachs you that, but the lessons here are made with...Famous characters, like Popeye!)

So, this book is awesome!!! (by pelida77)

Do You Want to read this book?, You could follow this link...

W. DISNEY: The Triumph of American Imagination (2007, Neal Gabler, *Audiobook)

Gabler Neal, Walt Disney: The Triumph of American Imagination, London, Vintage, 2007. "This is audible" :) Narrated by Arthur Morey.

Some critics describe Walter Elias Disney as a greedy capitalist, a mercenary butching fairy tales for profit. Intellectuals prefer to see him as a cultural pollutioner manipulating masses into merchandising consumption. "He wasn't an animator. He couldn't draw, not even his own signature" - they say - Always reminding us some sad story about employees working for pennies or how he was an abusive boss bully, a conservative dickhead, an anti semite nazi...!!!
This book is not a simple biography, it's a very well founded defense of the genius that was also a man; the most positive biography on Walt I've ever read (hear really) but not at the risk of losing objectivity: you'll know about his outbursts of wrath (sometimes his cruelty), the fierce oposition to laborist activism ("Commies sons of the bitches" used to said; Walt was a fervent hater of anything he though was communist influenced).
But beyond the shadows of the man's life there are some fine examples of his initiative, risky spirit, obsessive perfectionism, and inventiveness; all of which can be found on this book: Inverting the live-action animation relationship (Alice's Series). Giving Oswald personality. A bet on sound animation (Mickey). Mickey inbetween of Charlie Chaplin - Douglas Fairbanks type of heroe. Donald as an anti-Mickey (a bad-ass duck). Conceiving excellence as a corporate value. Insisting on specialization (extremes - inbetweens); Art classes for animators. Investing on colour. A full length feature cartoon, a perfect movie (Snow White). Colaboration with Lepold Stokowsky. Animation as an art experience: Fantasia. The Studio war output. Controversy about Bambi as reflecting negatively on hunters. Using "quickies" to finance quality on better pictures. The release of Song of the South in a socially unstable country. Failed project with Salvador Dali. Nice anecdotes (They hired real life dwarfs to draw them for Snow White!), some very obscure: Walt's mother died from monoxide poison. Wildlife documentaries with the Disney touch. 1st big studio producing for Television. The creation of a cultural icon: Disneyland...
This book has all of this and much more; a fascinant reflection about Walt Disney overcoming the myths and rumors surrounding his public persona and his own inner shadows: a real triumph to his unlimited imagination.
(by pelida77)





AUDIOBOOK / MP3 / 700 MB (180 MB X 4 parts) / 33hours / Audio: Eng
Narrator Arthur Morey /(Sample) 16.0 KHz / 48.0 Kbps.
4/4 parts (RAR container)

Part1...
Part2...
Part3...
Part4...

FUNNY PICTURES: Animation and Comedy in Studio-Era Hollywood (2011, Goldmark & Keil)

Goldmark Daniel and keil Charlie [Eds.], Funny Pictures: Animation and Comedy in Studio-Era Hollywood, Los Angeles, University of California Press, 2011.

PDF / 3 MB / 344 pp / Eng / 0520267249 / 978-0520267244

The comedy vein in American animation have always been favored, the goal of the golden age of animation was to amuse, that is: to make the audience laugh. But why there was such a predominance? In this collection of essays, the links between comedy and animation are explored from a variety of perspectives.

- Paul Wells focuses on the many ways Chaplin's cinema have influenced animation; e.g.: Felix in Hollywood (Otto Messmer, 1923), compare Modern Times (Chaplin, 1936) with Clock Cleaners (Disney, 1937).
- Mark Langer takes on the Fleischer Films to destroy the myth that they were failed gag narratives "made up as they went along". Instead he prefers to see their style as an inheir of the Vaudeville comedy and the New York urban context.
- J.B.Kaufman analizes the basic construction of comedy in early Mickey Mouse cartoons and what was different with Disney's later personality animation comedy.
- Gag oriented cartoons are seen as a reaction to the Great Depression in Donald Crafton essay. Expressing the Depression simbolically or literally: The three little Pigs (Disney, 1932); When my ship comes In (Fleischer, 1934); Honeymoon Hotel (Schlesinger, 1934); The Grasshopper and the Ants (Disney, 1934).
- The 30's cartoon gag narration is the subject of Richard Neupert study, focusing on three short masterpieces: Musicland (Disney, 1935); The Sunshine Makers (Van Beuren, 1935) and Funny Little Bunnies (Disney, 1934).
- Susan Ohmer reveal us Disney comedy as a precise Science to make us laugh (for profit), a narrative device constructed thanks to the efforts of the Audience Research Institute and George Gallup (one of the first attempts of marketing research).
- The golden age cartoons were racist... but funny. This is the subject of Nicholas Sammond research: the racist comedy in Golden Age animation.
- The relations between animation and live action comedy it's what gets Henry Jenkins atention (specially the Tex Avery cartoons).

- Philip Brophy enunciate the idea that cartoons are comical because underneath they have a... sexualized base, and symbolizes paraphilia sexual practices (atraction to objects rather than persons). To prove it, he will analize different cartoon characters: Daffy Duck, Yosemite Sam, Wile E. Coyote, The Roadrunner, Tinker Bell, Gerald and Mr. Magoo.
- Charlie Bowers films are the subject of Rob King Essay (and of course also The Mutt and Jeff cartoons).
- Tex Avery obsessions and humour (the same thing really) get Scott Curtis atention. His tendency to repetitions on single gags, and the automatism aspects of Avery's comedy.
- Ethan de Seife writes on Frank Tashlin visual comic style.
- The music and the sound effects are what makes a cartoon funny, that's the thesis of Daniel Goldmark; he will analize the work of the most important animation composers: Carl W. Stalling; Scott Bradley; Max Steiner; Joe Denat and Edie Kilfeather; Frank Churchill; Leigh Harline; Oliver Wallace; Philip A. Scheib.
- Linda Simensky analizes 1990's cartoons comedy.

Some are brilliant, others pure nonsense... It's a fun collection of essays (with a lousy cover art job: there's nothing funny about that picture). (by pelida77)

Do you want to read this book? You could follow this link...

THE HAND BEHIND THE MOUSE: The Ub Iwerks Story (1999, Leslie Iwerks)

The Hand Behind the Mouse: The Ub Iwerks Story / DIR: Leslie Iwerks / WRITTEN: Leslie Iwerks / PHOTO: Shana Hagan / EDIT: Stephen Myers; Seth Flaum / NARRATION: Kelsey Grammer / MUSIC: John Debney; Louis Febre / PRD: Leslie Iwerk Productions / 1999 / 1h 30m.

INTERVIEWEES: Ollie Johnston; Chuck Jones; Mark Davis; Ed Friedman; Mark Kausler; John Lasseter; John Hench; Richard Edlund; Don Iwerks; Virginia Davis; Roy Disney; Leonard Maltin, Russell Merritt, and Joe adamsom.

Who was Ub Iwerks? A pioneering animator? An Special Effects Technician? A great and generous teacher? A fast work at drawing? A free-spirited Artist? Through the years a man's work comes to form his face; looking at his photo I think it's possible to have a glimpse of Ub Iwerks life. He was all of that and more: he was a Genius.

Leslie Iwerks made her directorial debut in 1999 with this documentary about the achievements of his grandfather, the animation legend Ubbe Eert Iwerks (1901-1971). Overcoming a tough childhood; Ub learned the basics of animation in a comercial art job; where he got to know Walt Disney. Together they planted the seeds of an empire: they were two sides of the same passion. Like Walt, Ub was obsessed with perfection, and like him he was not marked by conformity to customs: he didn't rest on his laurels.

An inside look into the art of Iwerks. The "circle drawing, perfect perspective, rithmic animation". His legendary ability to draw faster and better than anyone: an average of seven hundred drawings per day for Plane Crazy (1928); Gallopin Gaucho (1928); and the first Silly Symphonies totally animated by him - layout, design, animation-, including masterpieces like The Skeleton Dance (1929).

You'll see him experimenting with the mixing of live action and animation. From the rough techniques used in the Alice's Comedies of the 20's; to the subtle and fluid illusions of The Three Caballeros (1945) and Mary Poppins (1964). Remaining loyal to Disney when the Charles Mintz / Oswald the lucky rabbit affair. Of course, creating the Mickey Mouse character. Breaking with Walt a couple of years later to make his own path with the opening of a Studio, Celebrity Productions (selling up his shares of Disney). There he nurtured some future talents: Shamus Culhane, Irv Spence, Ed Friedman, Grim Natwick, Steve Bosustow, and Chuck Jones. And his work would become a tour de force of the improvisatory, anarquist and surreal animation style: Flip The Frog, Wille Whopper and the Comicolor Cartoon's.

Finally you'll see him retiring from animation, and becoming the head of the photographics FX laboratory back at Disney's; where he earned the reputation of great creativity for solving technical problems: helping with the development and improvement of the multiplane camera, the Xerox's inking process, the sodium vapor travelling matte...

A captivating documentary; with some flaws (like Walt's southern accent off-voice used to read the letters) but made - you can tell - with love for the subject. (by pelida77)

AVI / 800 MB / 1h 31m / Audio: Eng / (5 RAR parts)
Video: MPEG-4 / 720x480 (3:2) / 1069 Kbps / 29.970 fps / 0.103 Qf
Audio: MP3 / 48.0 KHz / 137 Kbps

Part 1...
Part 2...
Part 3...
Part 4...
Part 5...

THE PIXAR STORY (2007, Leslie Iwerks)

The Pixar Story / DIR: Leslie Iwerks / WRITTEN: L. Iwerks / CINEMATOGRAPHY: Suki Mendencevic / EDIT: L. Iwerks; Stephen Myers / NARRATION: Stacy Keach / MUSIC: Jeff Beal / PRD: Leslie Iwerk Productions / 2007 / 1h 27 m.

NOTABLE INTERVIEWEES: John Lasseter; Steve Jobs; Edwin Catmull; Andrew Stanton; Pete Docter; Brad Bird; John Musker; Lee Unkrich; Jim Murphy; Ron Clements; Frank Thomas; Glen Keane; Joe Grant; Tom Hanks; Tim Allen; Billy Crystal; Roy Disney; Michael Eisner; Randy Newman; George Lucas; Dennis Muren.

This is a tale about three guys, an unemployed artist, a computer geek, and a cheated entrepreneur, coming together to form the most successful pioneering animation studio since Walt Disney days. Pixar has rocked our world, presenting us the legacy of 20th century animation under new creative forms. This documentary tell us the whole story right from its beginnings; exploring the careers of this three Key-man of the Studio.

You will get to know the inventiveness of Edwin Catmull, a Ph.D in Physics and Computer Science, and a passionate admirer of animations; Working for George Lucas Special Efects department and developing CG tools to assist the animators.

Also, the vision... the Balls really!... of Steve Jobs; investing for a decade more than 10 million dollars of his own money in a very risky - non profit at all - enterprise. Keeping the boat afloat with the financial assistance of The Walt Disney Company; and when that media mega-conglomerate threat on retiring that suport, planning the public offering of Pixar stocks for more than 100 million, forcing Disney to sign a 50/50 partnership.

But what this documentary is really about, is the will of an artist: John Lasseter. A story of determination, of keep struggling against all odds. You'll see him being elected as one of the young promising talents by "Disney's animation program" in CalArts; and winning two consecutive Student Awards. Applying for a job at Disney, working his way up from the theme park attractions to the animation studio: where he got to watch Tron (1982) and acknowledged the potential of CGI. And the birth of a dream: to make the first computer animated feature. But things at Disney weren't the way they used to. Many were afraid of losing their jobs because of this new technology, and so... He got fired! A very touching moment in the documentary. Can you imagine what was that like for John? Getting kicked out of the animation Mount Olympus to an exile land, the reality, where nobody cared about the virtual world?(... a little melodramatic, here)

In the darkest hour of his career, John would unite forces with Ed Catmull: Little he knew, that this was just the beginning... (by pelida77)

MP4 / 573 MB / 1h 28m / Audio: Eng
Video: MPEG-4 / 480x360 (16:9) / 767 Kbps / 23.976 fps / 0.185 Qf
Audio: AAC / 44.1 KHz / 132.3 Kbps

Part One...
Part Two...
Part Three...
Part Four...

MARAVILLAS DE LOS DIBUJOS ANIMADOS (1968, Bob Thomas)

Bob Thomas, Maravillas de los Dibujos Animados, Valencia, Gaisa, 1968.

JPEG / 66 MB / Spanish - Espanol / 185 pp / (A scan made by Ernest Pfluger)

This is the spanish translation of The Art of Animation (1958, Bob Thomas) The original english book is no longer being published. (If you can't read spanish, you'll still be able to enjoy the art, and inside-studio photographs.)

Like the Thomas and Johnston Illusion of Life, this is an absolute classic of animation literature. This book inspired a whole generation to become animators. John Lasseter once said that through this book he realised that people made cartoons for living... and of course, that's what he wanted to do. The book was used as an advertising teaser for the upcoming release of Sleeping Beauty (1959); which is treated as the pinnacle of Disney's Art form, and so this movie serves as a unifying theme for the book. Each chapter focuses on a particular aspect of the animation process; explaining its history, with recurrent memories about the old days, how things were made in the 20's (or even before) and how far with Sleeping Beauty they've come.

This was the first Disney book that gave partial credit to the artist (though it's funny-awkward how Walt Disney is depicted as someone that would actually make the drawings; and every now and then we get a boss ass-kissing sentence). Of course the nine are credited Ollie Johnston, Frank Thomas, Les Clark, Marc Davis, Milt Kahl, Ward Kimball, Wolfgang Reitherman, John Lounsbery and Eric Larson; and other famous artist like: Ub Iwerks, Fred Spencer, Wilfred Jackson, Albert Hurter, Gerry Geronimi, Fred Moore, Norm Ferguson, Burt Gillett, David Hand, Ham Luske, Byll Tytla... And more. But also some forgotten figures, like: Don DaGradi (writer); Webb Smith, Ed penner and Joe Rinaldi (Storyboards); Tead Sears and Dick Huemer (ex Fleischers animators). A MUST in your collection. (by pelida77)

Do you want to read this book? You could follow this link...

ALADDIN THE MAKING OF AN ANIMATED FILM (1992, John Culhane)

John Culhane, Aladdin The Making of an Animated Film, New York, Hyperion, 1992

JPEG / 43 MB / 123 pp / ENG / 1562828924 / 156282757X / 9781562827571

What we have here is a book on one of the milestones of Disney Reinassance, the multiple awarded film Aladdin (1992, Clements-Musker, Disney). It has a peculiar organization: "Each chapter is devoted to a particular aspect of animation as illustrated by a character" (So we get to see each of this departments for separate, one character for each department..., frankly thats quite stupid; e.g.: to ilustrate the Layout he chooses Abu!)

Story: The changes and variations over the original folk-tale. The exclusion of the "mother of Al" character. The biggest theme: freedom. The meaning of Aladdin "just be yourself". Jasmine as an independent-minded woman (almost like an animated feminist, really). Most of the coments included are by Clements and Musker.
Design: There's a detailed description of the work made by Eric Goldberg (great animator; in this film a designer); there's no mention at all of Glen Keane here... at least he got his own chapter (animation)
Direction: In this chapter we have a rather messy biographical aproach to Ron Clements and John Musker.
Sound: "You start from the story, you start from the characters, and where the plot goes. You need to have a number that expresses what the character wants" Alan Menken (Music Composer).
Animation: An interesting summary of Glen keane's career. And a shocking discovery for me: Acording to Keane the major influence for Al was... TOM CRUISE!!! in Top Gun (the crew watch the film over and over) This book is filled with memorable quotes, interesting anecdotes, an valuable lessons, like "Think in terms of movement: not one drawing at a time." G.Keane

"Ten thousand years will give you such a crick in the neck!"

Do you want to read this book? You could follow this link...

WALT BEFORE MICKEY (2011, Timothy S. Susanin)

Timothy S. Susanin, Walt Before Mickey: Disney's Early Years 1919-1928, Jackson, University Press of Mississippi, 2011.

PDF / 4 MB / 373 pp / 1604739606 / 978-1604739602

Another Book on Walt Disney, this one about his early years in animation business (really, that is the only period that matters in Disney's life as an animator). An insight into the mind of the genius, in the days when the world was young... (by pelida77)

Thanksgiving 1966. B 1: Kansas City. The road to the First Studios: Comercial Art, Film Ad, and "Home Experimenting". Kaycee Studios (1921-1922). The Laugh-O-gram Films (1922-1923).
B 2 Los Angeles. First steps in Hollywood. Disney Brothers Studio 1923 - 1926. Alice's Wonderland. Ub IWerks. 2719 Hyperion Avenue. Walt Disney Studio 1926 - 1928. Oswald the lucky rabbit.The creation of Mickey Mouse. Epilogue: After Mickey.

Want to read this book, real bad? You could follow this link...

ANIMATED REALISM (2011, Judith Kriger)

Judith Kriger. Animated Realism: A Behind the Scenes Look to the Animated Documentary Genre. Focal Press, 2011.

PDF / 32 MB / ENG / 210 pp / 0240814398 / 978-0240814391

I wasn't even aware of the existence of an animated documentary genre. But because of this book, I was forced to think in the beginnings of animation, in Winsor McCay's Sinking of Lusitania, and to conclude that animated documentaries have always been there. This book is not really about the doc genre history, rather about new examples of the genre (most of them from the 21st century, and about CGI productions).

Interviews with the artists: Yoni Goodman (animation in Waltz with Bashir); Bob Sabiston (creator of the Rotoshop); John Canemaker (The moon and the Son); Marie Joseé Saint Pierre (Femelles); Dennis Tupicoff (Chainsaw); Chris Landreth (Ryan); Paul Fierlinger (Tulip... among many others)

Do you want to read this book? You could follow the link...

THE ART OF TANGLED (2010, Jeff Kurtti)

Jeff Kurtti. The art of Tangled. San Francisco, Chronicle Books, 2010.

JPEG / ENG / 121 MB / 169 pp / 0811875555 / 978-0811875554

- A preface by John Lasseter
- Foreword by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard (Directors)
- The original concept sketches; background art
- The influence on art of: Pinocchio; Cinderella; Sleeping Beauty.
- Artwork by: Glen Keane; Laurent Ben-Mimoun; Dan Cooper; Claire Keane; Victoria Ying and more..

Artbook for the first succesful attempt of making a Disney Fairy Tale in CGI.
I wouldn't dare to call it a Disney work in the classical sense; this has the Pixar smell all over it, and the Dreamworks sarcastic way of approaching a fairy tale. But it is an attempt to emulate Disney Style, so... (by pelida77)

Do you want to read this book? You could follow this link...

WALT DISNEY: THE MOUSE THAT ROARED (2011, Jeff Lenburg)

Jeff Lenburg. Legends Of Animation. Walt Disney: The Mouse that Roared. New York, Chelsea House, 2011

PDF / 6 MB / Eng / 145 pp. / 160413836X / 978-1604138368

A very simple book. Maybe not a must-have for Disney hardcore fans, but If you have never read a Walt's bio, this would do as a great intro. The usual topics of Walt Disney's life: Childhood; first steps as an animator; Sync sound cartoons, Mickey Mouse; Three-Strip Technicolor, The Silly Symphonies; The multiplane camera, The Old Mill, Snow White; The Strikes, Bambi, Pinocchio, etc.; Disneyland, last projects and the final years. (by pelida77)

Do you want to read this book? You could follow this link...

HANNA BARBERA: SULTANS OF SATURDAY MORNING (2001, Jeff Lenburg)

Lenburg, Jeff. William Hanna & Joseph Barbera: The Sultans of Saturday Morning. Legends of Animation, New York, Chelsea House, 2001

PDF / 169 pages / Eng / 1604138378 / 978-1604138375

If I must pick a cartoon of my childhood, probably will be one made by Hanna-Barbera. And I suspect the same will happen to many of you. This book comes to celebrate the life and the amazing career achievements of the american genius duet.

Bill Hanna. His humble beginnings as a janitor at Harman & Ising studio. Working his way up: cel-washer, supervisor, inking and coloring, Music Department, storyline and storyboards. Directing his first cartoon at 23 years old!!!. The life Of Joseph Barbera. Joe's difficult childhood.
Some weird twists of fate: Pugilist, Banking Career, Cartoonist. Job as an inker at Fleischers. Second chance, The Van Beuren Studio, first time as an animator: Rainbow Parades, Cubby Bear, and Tom and Jerry (no... not that ones). Third chance!!! Paul Terry's: Farmer Al Falfa, Kiko the Kangaroo... Finally Both at MGM: Working under Fred Quimby's animation department. Captain and the Kids. The birth of Tom and Jerry. Monumental Success. 7 Best Short Oscars, 21 Academy Award nominations. The decline of MGM cartoons (Farewell to the Golden Age).

The department is closed. A new begining: The Hanna Barbera Animation Studio. Surviving on TV: reducing the costs. The Ruff & Reddy Show. Back to the top of the World The Huckleberry Hound Show. Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear, Pixie and Dixie, Quick Draw McGraw, Magilla Gorilla, Wally Gator, The Flintstones, Top Cat, The Jetsons, Space Ghost,Jossie and the Pussycats, Scooby-Doo... The charming 80's... This is the end my friends (by pelida77)

"To make people laugh. That's all we're trying to do." (Joe Barbera)

Would you like to read this book? You could follow this link...

TOY STORY THE SKETCHBOOK

Disney Pixar Toy Story. The Sketchbook Series. Bedford MA, Applewood Books, 1997.

PDF / 28 MB / Eng / 94 pp / 1557093407 / 978-1557093400

In November 1995, the feature length film "Toy Story" was released as a joint venture between Pixar Animation and Walt Disney Studios. Until 1999, when "Toy Story 2" was released, "Toy Story" was the third most successful animated film at the box office. This sketchbook contains: sketches and background studies done for both films. Intro by John Lasseter.

Do You want this book? You could follow this link...

THE LITTLE MERMAID SKETCHBOOK

Walt Disney's The Little Mermaid. The Sketchbook Series. Bedford MA, Applewood Books, 1997.

PDF / 14 MB / Eng / 73 pp / 155709344X / 978-1557093448

Features the preliminary sketches used to create the Disney animated classic Little Mermaid (1989), containing 150 black and white sketches by the hand of Mark Henn, Glen Keane, Ruben Aquino, Andreas Deja and Dan Haskett. Introduction by Ron Clements.

Do you want this Sketchbook? You could follow this link...

SLEEPING BEAUTY SKETCHBOOK (1997, Thomas and Johnston)

Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston [editors]. Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty. The Sketchbook Series. Bedford MA, Applewood Books, 1997.

PDF / 15 MB / Eng / 75 pp / 1557093431 / 978-1557093431

Features the preliminary sketches used to create the Disney animated classic Sleeping Beauty (1959), containing near 200 black and white sketches by the hand of Marc Davis, Ollie Johnston, Eyvind Earle, Milton Kahl and Frank Thomas. Thomas and Johnston are credited as "contributing editors", which means they get to choose the artwork worth to publish.

Do you want this Sketchbook? You could follow this link...