BIRTH OF AN INDUSTRY (2015, Nicholas Sammond)

Nicholas Sammond. Birth of an Industry: Blackface Minstrelsy and the Rise of American Animation. Durham, Duke University Press, 2015.

/ PDF / English / 400 pages /0822358522 / 978-0822358527

In Birth of an Industry, Nicholas Sammond describes how popular early American cartoon characters were derived from blackface minstrelsy. He charts the industrialization of animation in the early twentieth century, its representation in the cartoons themselves, and how important blackface minstrels were to that performance, standing in for the frustrations of animation workers. Cherished cartoon characters, such as Mickey Mouse and Felix the Cat, were conceived and developed using blackface minstrelsy's visual and performative conventions: these characters are not like minstrels; they are minstrels. 

They play out the social, cultural, political, and racial anxieties and desires that link race to the laboring body, just as live minstrel show performers did. Carefully examining how early animation helped to naturalize virulent racial formations, Sammond explores how cartoons used laughter and sentimentality to make those stereotypes seem not only less cruel, but actually pleasurable. Although the visible links between cartoon characters and the minstrel stage faded long ago, Sammond shows how important those links are to thinking about animation then and now, and about how cartoons continue to help to illuminate the central place of race in American cultural and social life

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HOLLYWOOD CARTOONS (2003, Michael Barrier)

Michael Barrier. Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in Its Golden Age. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2003.

/ PDF / English / 672 pages / 0195167295 / 978-0195167290

In Hollywood Cartoons, Michael Barrier takes us on a glorious guided tour of American animation in the 1930s, '40s, and '50s, to meet the legendary artists and entrepreneurs who created Bugs Bunny, Betty Boop, Mickey Mouse, Wile E. Coyote, Donald Duck, Tom and Jerry, and many other cartoon favorites.

Beginning with black-and-white silent cartoons, Barrier offers an insightful account, taking us inside early New York studios and such Hollywood giants as Disney, Warner Bros., and MGM. Barrier excels at illuminating the creative side of animation--revealing how stories are put together, how animators develop a character, how technical innovations enhance the "realism" of cartoons. Here too are colorful portraits of the giants of the field, from Walt and Roy Disney and their animators, to Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera.

Based on hundreds of interviews with veteran animators, Hollywood Cartoons gives us the definitive inside look at this colorful era and at the creative process behind these marvelous cartoons. (Amazon)

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THE NOBLE APPROACH (2013, Tod Polson)

Tod Polson. The Noble Approach: Maurice Noble and the Zen of Animation Design. San Francisco, Chronicle Books, 2013.

/ PDF / English / 176 pages / 1452102945 / 978-1452102948

Nice book about the most influential animation designer of all time. There's also a bit of a bio here: his humble beginnings at the art school, working with Disney: he was the background painter in many of the Silly Symphonies, notably the Oscar winning The Old Mill (1937), eventually he became a background/layout artist working in Snow Whites, Bambi, Pinocchio, Fantasia and Dumbo... and then, he joined the strike against Disney! he was one of the very few "selected circle" artists to join, he had everything to lose but he did it anyways cause "it wasn't fair to the guys on the lower rungs". So he fought, won and... finally leave :(

During the war time period, started the first of many collaborations with Friz Freleng, Chuck Jones, Bob Clampett, Robert Mackimson.  

In 1951 he joined the Chuck Jones animation unit as layout designer and history was made, thus it begans his work at Warner Bros. Designing and creating background layouts for Duck Amuck, What's Opera Doc?, Kiss Me Cat. Then Working at MGM, retirement and coming out in the 90's. Etc. Etc.

But mainly this is an outline on the design philosophies of Maurice Noble, ilustrated with some of his designs: where to get inspiration from, how to choose color, how to break down the layout, etc. His logical approach to animation design: "Backgrounds and characters should work in harmony" and a simple line art style never interferes with a gag, design should always support a story not the other way around. (by pelida77)     

By the way, if you are any interested in background art take a peek at this amazing blog by Rob Richards:

animationbackgrounds.blogspot.com

"The real art of animation is filled with ideas and beauty and is never-ending joy"

(Maurice Noble)

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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...
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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)

 

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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)

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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)

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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)

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7 MINUTES (1993, Norman Klein) *Incomplete

Klein, Norman, M., 7 Minutes The Life and Death of The American Animated Cartoon, London, New Left Books, 1993.

JPG / 15 MB / Eng / *Incomplete (I'm being honest here) / 1859841503 / 978-1859841501

I recomend you use the Gonvisor or similar to read this book.

A long Essay about the american seven-minute cartoon, starting with the coming of sound in 1928 till the death of the genre in the 60's.
Klein it's a confusing critic, very obscure at times... you may get lost with the terms and clasifications he uses. But if you read this book while you watch the cartoons he analyzes, it could be a fun experience. Some clever points combined with pure nuisance (sadly, this last is way more frequent).
Brilliant: Norman classifies the characters in cartoons in three essentials roles: The Over reactor (Yosemite Sam,Donald Duck); The nuissance (e.g.: Daffy, ); and The Controller (Bugs in Duck Amuck; sub role: The Censor: Grandma in Sylvester and Twetee; the Wizard in Fantasia or the black woman in Tom and Jerry); This roles will evolve and change throughout different periods but still stay recognizable.
I'll give a list of themes (because the chapter titles suck):
19th Century Illustration and The Vaudeville influence. A comic strip cartoon. The irreverence in earlier cartoons. Felix The Cat. The irruption of Disney's first sound shorts. Mickey Mouse The Fleischer Style: City, Machines and Madness. Betty Boop and Popeye. The Decline of New York. Merrie Melodies. The dramatic improvement of color. 1936, towards a movie-like "Full animation". Moral Melodrama: the cautionary cartoon. The Sadism period. The chase cartoon... and a little more

- The story development and the changes in Style through history.
- Koko the clown, Mickey Mouse, Bosko, Silly Symphonies, Looney Tunes, Superman, Mighty Mouse, Heckle and Jeckle, Woody Woodpecker,Tom and Jerry, Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, Porky, Daffy, Wile E. Coyote and The Roadrunner, Mr Magoo, Droopy, Wolfie, Barney Bear, Chilly Willy... And fortunately, many many more.
- Winsor McCay, Otto Messmer, Ub Iwerks, Max Fleischer, Willard Bowsky, Seymour Kneitel, Dave Tendlar, Grim Natwick, Friz Freleng, Tex Avery, Chuck Jones, Bob Clampett, William Hanna, Joseph Barbera, Walter Lantz, Walt Disney, Bill Melendez, Fred Moore, Frank Thomas, Ward Kimball, Marc Davis.
- The notes are at the end of the book, that's a bit anoying.

(by pelida77)

As I've always said, this files are intended to be use as a preview (also a kind of a back up... in case your house... gets burned?); So STOP BITCHING about the missing pages; a 75 % of the book is complete: most of the missing pages are from the notes section
(and finally...books can be bought, you know?)

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Happy New Year!!!

DRAWING THE LINE (2006, Tom Sito)

Sito, Tom. Drawing the Line: The Untold Story of the Animation Unions from Bosko to Bart Simpson, Lexington, The University Press of Kentucky, 2006.

PDF / 7MB / Eng / 440 pages / 0813124077 / 978-0813124070

This one is a history of american animation unions. Tom Sito is said to be an important animator of the Disney "renaissance", and was once elected president of the Motion Picture Screen Cartoonist Union.

Something that we easily forget is that Animation is a colective art form, made by many, many individuals. And very often they are exploted by the bosses (I sound like a Red :P...)
I think that knowing about animation labor history helps you understand that. Like Tom says:
"Hollywood is a union town [...] Love them or hate them, for the last century the unions are the one undeniable fact of life in Hollywood animation. No one can hope to really understand the history of the American animated cartoon without knowing the union's story."

But, more than a boring list of union achievements this book is an intriguing history of american cartoon, right from it origins, to the latest CGI films.

If all this doesn't convince you, I would said that you should read this book just for the juicy anecdotes. e.g.: Dumbo was made during one of the fiercest animation strikes of american history, the 1941 Disney strike.
While more than half of the Disney workers were outside the studio raising strike signs, crossing the line, some of their colleagues depict them as clowns for posterity (in the scene where after their success the clowns plan to go see the boss and demand from him a raise; And you can imagine what was Walt answer when you realise that the other production made in 1941 was...
The reluctant Dragon.)

List of Chapters:

1. The World of animation studio: the cartoon assembly line / 2. Suits: producers as artist see them /3. Hollywood labor 1933-1941: The Birth of cartoonists unions / 4. The Fleischer strike: a union busted a studio destroyed 5. The great Disney studio strike 1941: The civil war of animation / 6. The war of Hollywood and the Blacklist 1945-1953 / 7. A bag of oranges: the Terrytoons strikes and the great withe father / 8. Lost Generations 1952-1988 / 9. Animation and the global market: the runaway wars 1979-1982 / 10. Camelot 1988-2001 /11. Animation... Isn't That All done on Computers Now: Where to now?

- Thousands of anecdotes and stories of the greatest artist of the age: Virgil Ross, Bill Tytla, Ub Iwerks, Tex Avery, Call Howard, Brenda Chapman-Lima, Bob Clampett, Grim Natwick, Don Bluth, Iwao Takamoto, Chuck Jones, Walter Lantz, Jay Ward, Winsor McCay, Fred Moore, Bill Hanna and Joseph Barbera, Pete Burness, John Lasseter, Frank Gonzalez, Gene Deitch, Ward Kimball, Bobe Cannon, and more...
- The working conditions during golden age of animation.
- The daily life of the Big Shots, a tale of Tiranny... (Well, you know what they say, only a whip could put up this tribe of grown up childrens to work): Walt Disney, Max Fleischer, Ted Turner, Leon Schlesinger, Amadee Van Beuren, Charles Mintz, Eddie Selzer, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Margaret Winkler Mintz, Paul Terry, Fred Quimby, Pat Sullivan, Ralph Bakshi, James L. Brooks, Lou Scheimer... and many more.
- The Dirty side of animation business.
- Top cartoonist that were also Union supporters like: Bill Tytla, Chuck Jones, Steve Bosustow, Maurice Noble,Bill Melendez, Arthur Babbitt (hail to you troublemakers).

The original cover sucked so much, that I decide to make one by myself... My very first book cover,Is not that bad, is it? ... Hell, I think this one could sell the book infinitely better.

(by pelida77)

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LOONEY TUNES: THE ULTIMATE VISUAL GUIDE (2003, Jerry Beck)

Beck, Jerry. Looney Tunes: The Ultimate Visual Guide. New York, DK, 2003.

PDF / 22.5 MB / Eng /144 pages. / 0789497581 / 978-0789497581

- Ilustrated with more than 800 images. Animation sketches, artwork, Background art and cels.

- It chronicles multiple aspects of classic Warner Bros. animation (every character who appeared WB cartoon), from cartoons and their creators, to comic books, memorabilia, merchandising.

- A complete dissection of each character. It's creator, cartoon appearance's, personality traits, gags, quotes, etc.

It's a nice book... Quite informative about the history of animated cartoon (for a visual guide).

(by pelida77)


"Brilliance. That's all I can say, sheer unadulterated brilliance."

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THE ANIMATED MAN: A LIFE OF WALT DISNEY (2007, Michael Barrier)

Barrier, Michael. Animated Man: A life of Walt Disney, Los Angeles, University of California Press, 2007.

PDF / 3.66 MB / 411 pp. / Eng / 0520241177 / 978-0520241176

The ultimate biography on Walt Disney (though its author doesn't apreciate this title). Usually the bio's suck: the critics easily forgets that their primary goal is not to write a literary piece but to give well based information (and just secondarily, to make it interesting); well... it could be argue of course that someone's life - even the one of a genius - isn't really that important, and the only reason why you may want to read this actually is because it could be... fun.

Barrier has interviewed almost anyone who once knew Disney (begining in 1969), probably read every book and magazine on the subject, hear Walt himself telling his story (by tape recordings
of a planned, never published autobiography), and of course watched all animation (and live action) made by the studio during Disney's life (specially interesting - at least for me - is the analisys of the silent cartoons period); So... he seems to be very well documented. He is able to "read" in the small trivial affairs of a man's life and then drop into conclusions about how it builded his genius. Also he gave his biography a novel style, that doesn't suit a serious research (but, you know, who wants to be serious?).

So if you can forget this new Dickens voice, you're sure gonna enjoy this book. Because Walts life could be real, real fun:

- His Childhood as a farmboy in Marceline; and as a city lad in Kansas City.
- His entry into animation world. The work with Ub Iwerks.
- The close (sometimes conflictive) relationship with Roy, his brother.
- Oswald, the Lucky Rabbit. Mickey Mouse and the Sound Cartoon.
- The creation of the Silly Symphonies.
- Snow White. The arrival of the Disney feature films. The art of Walt Disney.
- The strike of 1941.
- Walt Disney World.
- The eternal freezer dreams (nah...sadly, that was a myth)
- A well done portray of a man, whith his lights and shadows.

(by pelida77)


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THE HOLLYWOOD CARTOON (1975, Magazine)

"Film Comment Magazine: The Hollywood Cartoon" January-February 1975, Volume 11 Number 1.

PDF / 38 MB / 100 pages / Eng

- Published by the film society of lincoln center

An special number of the FC Magazine dedicated entirely on american animation. With articles written by renowned film critics: Leonard Maltin; John Canemaker and Jonathan Rosenbaum, among others.

- Articles on: Winsor McCay; The Warner Brothers animation studio; Chuck Jones; The Fleischer Brothers; Myron "Grim" Natwick, The Van Buren Studio (memories from Isadore Klein); Walt Disney; Frederick "Tex" Avery; etcetera.

- And of course, cartoon characters like: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky the pig, Roadrunner, Elmer Fudd, Gertie the Dinosaur, Little Nemo, Koko the clown, Betty Boop, Popeye, Gulliver, Superman, Snow White, Droopy, Chilly Willy, George and Junior, Tom and Jerry, Rocky and Bullwinkle, Yogi Bear and Boo Boo, etc etc etc (yes, yes, yesssss...)



This REALLY is a very cool magazine!!!

The images are a little bit damaged... who cares...

(by pelida77)

Oh, beautifull, beautifull Mag, I welcome you Into "my" world...

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THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ANIMATED CARTOONS (2009, Jeff Lenburg)

Lenburg Jeff. The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons, New York, Facts On file, 2009.

PDF / 18 MB / Eng / 785 pp. / 0816066000 / 978-0816066001

- 700 pages with thousands of entries in alphabetical order, productions from all over the world (American,Russian, French, Britain, Japanese, etc.) of silent and sound cartoon series;black & white and color; full length theatrical releases and TV specials, stop motion, CGI and 3D animation.

- With proper identification of all creators (designers, voice actors, producers, directors, musicians, original work, etc.)

- From little-Known works to legendary classics.

- Beautifull screen captures and illustrations

- Lists of chapters for each of the series.

- A brief history of american animated cartoon.


(by pelida77)


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THE SIMPSONS: A COMPLETE GUIDE VOL 1 (Ray Richmond)

RICHMOND, Ray, The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family, London, Harper Collins, 1997.

PDF / 154 MB / Eng / 239 pp. /0060952520 / 978-0060952525

Un completo y divertido análisis de los episodios de la serie desde sus primeros cortos del '87 hasta 1997 incluído (año de edición del libro... igual importa poco: sin duda los mejores episodios son los de esos primeros diez años).

- Datos de episodios: Director, Guión, Voces (famosos invitados), productores, fecha de emisión (original)

- Sinopsis de episodio. Con capturas.

- Breve biografía de los personajes del episodio.

- Frases notables. Canciones y momentos memorables. Pequeños datos curiosos.

- Referencias hacia el mundo del cine.

The Simpsons Complete Guide to your Favourite Show is a celebration of this family's phenomenal decade. Arranged by season, the book covers each episode of the television show, with the special episodes (the annual Halloween show, "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" and "Krusty Gets Kancelled") receiving eyeball-busting two-page spreads. In addition, special sidebars are sprinkled throughout, showing:

Simpsons firsts. Bart's chalkboard lines. Top Homerisms. An Itchy & Scratchy filmography. A Springfield timeline. Things the audience may have missed.

Highlighting the best of every show, The Simpsons is the ultimate celebration of the cartoon family that has kept the world in stitches. It is the ultimate must-have for all Simpsons aficionados.

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THE SIMPSONS: AN UNCENSORED UNAUTHORIZED HISTORY (John Ortved)

ORTVED, John, The Simpsons: An Uncensored Unauthorized History, New York, Faber & Faber, 2009.

PDF/ 1.1 MB / Eng / 352 pp. / 0865479887 / 978-0865479883

La historia de cómo se creó el show de animación más importante de los 90's (para algunos uno de los más importantes de la historia). Aproximación biográfica a Matt Groening.

Múltiples entrevistas a sus creadores, personajes del espectáculo (y del mundo de la comedia).

El PDF es espantoso, fue así como lo conseguí (pero se deja leer).

The Simpsons is one of the most successful shows to ever run on television. From its first moment on air, the series's rich characters, subversive themes, and layered humor resounded deeply with audiences both young and old who wanted more from their entertainment than what was being meted out at the time by the likes of Full House, Growing Pains, and Family Matters. Spawned as an animated short on The Tracy Ullman Show—mere filler on the way to commercial breaks—the series grew from a controversial cult favorite to a mainstream powerhouse, and after nineteen years the residents of Springfield no longer simply hold up a mirror to our way of life: they have ingrained themselves into it.

John Ortved's oral history will be the first-ever look behind the scenes at the creation and day-to-day running of The Simpsons, as told by many of the people who made it: among them writers, animators, producers, and network executives. It’s an intriguing yet hilarious tale, full of betrayal, ambition, and love. Like the family it depicts, the show's creative forces have been riven by dysfunction from the get-go—outsize egos clashing with studio executives and one another over credit for and control of a pop-culture institution. Contrary to popular belief, The Simpsons did not spring out of one man's brain, fully formed, like a hilarious Athena. Its inception was a process, with many parents, and this book tells the story.

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CHUCK JONES: A FLURRY OF DRAWINGS (Hugh Kenner )

KENNER, Hugh, Chuck Jones: A Flurry of Drawings Portraits of American Genius, Los Angeles, University of California Press, 1994.

PDF / 5 MB / Eng / 114 pp. / 0520087976 /978-0520087972

- Biografía de Chuck Jones (1912 - 2002). Desde sus comienzos en la animación como "cel-washer" (a los 19 años!!!), conociendo a leyendas de la industria como: Ub Iwerk, Grim Natwick, Fred "Tex" Avery, y por supuesto Michael Maltese,Bob Clampett,Ken Harris, Abe Levitow y más.

- Bugs, Daffy, Elmer, Pepé Le Pew, Roadrunner, Willy E. Coyote, The Grinch, Rikki Tikki Tavi.



- Ideas y definiciones sobre animación. Todo un cuadro de época sobre la animación en la primera mitad del siglo XX.

- Multiples citas del propio Chuck, que explican en qué consistía la animación en la Edad de oro.

- El proceso de creacion en el cartoon de la Warner.

- Ilustraciones hechas por Chuck.

- Por momentos el autor no es del todo serio en sus comentarios, y en sus múltiples intentos por hacerse el simpático... se pone en vergüenza (creo además que está un poco loco).

Kenner provides a brief, lively history of animation before focusing on the Warner Brothers animation studio, out of which came the wildest, most outrageous cartoons of the 1940s and 1950s. As Kenner notes, Warner was the only place in animation where the auteur theory applies, for each Warner cartoon director had his own take on the studio's characters. Chuck Jones was one of the directors responsible for the classics featuring the likes of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and the Road Runner, and his mastery of the Warner characters' personalities, along with his distinctive comic sensibilities (more droll than outlandish) and sense of visual design, made his cartoons standouts. In his somewhat rambling essay, Kenner makes perceptive observations on Jones' career and the artistry behind his six-minute gems.

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THE ILLUSION OF LIFE (Frank Thomas y Ollie Johnston)

THOMAS Frank y Ollie Johnston, Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life , New York, Disney Edition, 1981.

PDF or JPG images / 111 MB or 138 MB / Eng / 548 pp /0786860707 / 978-0786860708

Este es el mejor libro para poder apreciar el arte del estudio Disney y de la animación en general. La razón principal se encuentra en que sus autores no son críticos sino animadores de la vieja escuela. Nos ofrecen testimonio de un mundo que hoy ha dejado de existir, el de la Edad de Oro de la Animación (Verflossen ist das Gold der Tage). Disney representa el punto más alto que ha alcanzado este arte. Frente a las extraordinarias películas de los americanos las producciones del resto del mundo palidecen.

- Principios de la animación de Disney. Thomas y Johnston (los autores, y miembros del grupo de los 9) fueron los primeros en enunciar y explicar los principios aquí contenidos (muchos especialistas luego repetirán estos principios). Debido a esto The Illusion of Life se ha vuelto una obra canónica de la crítica de animación.

- Visión y Figura de Walt Disney. Un acercamiento distinto al genio estadounidense a través de los ojos de sus más íntimos colaboradores y amigos.

- Historia de la animación de Disney, desde los orígenes, atravesando distintas etapas de descubrimiento 1923-1936, pasando por la Edad de Oro de la animación (propiamente dicha): 1937- 1943; y el Período posterior a 1944, hasta finales de los 70's.

- Distintos aspectos en una obra de Arte de animación: Sonido, Diseño de Personajes, Planos, Background, Argumento, Color, etc. Con consejos, técnicas, secretos, etc., de los principales creativos de la historia de Disney.

- Tecnologías utilizadas. El libro explica las dificultades técnicas que debieron superar los animadores, y logra transmitir la excitación que provocaba cada uno de los descubrimientos.

- Cientos de Ilustraciones (a color), Background Art, Células, Storyboards, etc., de las distintas películas y cortos de Disney (con interesantes anécdotas acerca del proceso creativo en cada una de ellas).

En unas pocas palabras, es un libro absolutamente apasionante. (by pelida77)

Thomas and Johnston, two of Disney's original animators, here give the inside scoop on how the studio created the works that have charmed the world. "The text is ambitious. The authors simultaneously give a history of Disney animation and explain the processes involved in clear, nontechnical terms." Along with the splendid text are dozens of color and black-and-white photographs and illustrations. A "magnificent volume" that remains "essential for film collections and a feast for the most casual peruser."

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Or maybe you want to have this book in a better quality (JPEG images)

You could Follow this link...