Marv Newland: International Rocketship

I founds these animation cels online for sale from Marv Newland films from the 1980's. His films are very colorful and have the spirit of animation like the early days of animation. "Sing Beast Sing" was a seen in the Spike and Mike Sick and Twisted Animation festival in the 1980's.
Finding cels like these fro me are like hoping to catch a big fish over many months!

This cel is from the film "Anijam" (1984) and this particuar sequence was animated by Sally Cruikshank (no relation to Don Shank another top animator). She did the weirdest animation I'd ever seen. She is not afraid to take animation to places like the world of early Betty Boop and Koko the Clown. Her sequence from "Twilight Zone the Movie" has creatures stretching in the most bizarro-toon style this side of Never-Never Wonderland.

DISNEY "GREAT AMERICAN INK" AND "VAN EATON GALLERIES"
Mowgli and Baloo Bear from "Jungle Book" (1967). The background has low contrast here. The characters read in silhouette as Baloo is getting a back rub during the song "Bare Necessities" written by the Sherman Brothers. This song was a big hit and is still heard today.

Here is the link to the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcglnY_xGfc&NR=1

Medusa from "The Rescuers" (1977) Milt Kahl animated this villain. This character was one of the last in the great Disney Villains animated by the last of the nine old men. Here Medusa is talking to her partner, Snoops who is working with an Orpan, a little girl named Penny to get "the Devil's Eye", a diamond that is stuck in an underground cavern.

Van Eaton Galleries $400

Brer Fox and Brer Bear from "Song of the South" (1940). Great extreme drawing. Brer Bear really wants to see Brer Rabbit's the laughing place and is expressing it here to the doubtful fox. This may also be Milt Kahl. It's a clean up drawing in pencil, the inkers could trace these drawings on to cells and then paint the colors on back.

I believe the voice acting on the soundtrack inspires the animator to make the visuals exciting and believable.

'Flopdoodle X Switcheroo' - 2009 HOLIDAY PARTY

by Eric Stefani

On 11.21 artists Amanda Visell, Tim Biskup and Michelle Valigura teamed up to show new work at an Annual Holiday Party. They asked me if I wanted to play my accordion when they saw me performing at the Farmers Market. When they handed me the invite I was surprised to see that I had owned a book of hers "Popping Through Pictures: Painting by Amanda Visell".

I stopped by their studio ("Switcheroo") a few days before to see many 3D wooden sculptures in the middle of being made. It was the HelperCentaurEphunt a collaboration of Tim and Amanda. Visell mentioned they had done figures for a Simpsons couch gag in puppets, worked with the guys that finished one of Ray Harryhausen's Animated Stop-motion Short Fairytales, "The Tortise and the Hair"and had a hand in making their own line of vinyl characters. I was blown away.

The night of the party Valigura helped me bring in my equipment and showed me where they'd like me to set up my accordion, microphone and iPod speaker. After negotiations, Amanda offered to pay me a handsome $100 which was more than I've ever been offered to play for.

HelperCentaurEphunt

One of Valigura's Mustache Paintings

Michelle Valigura (37)

Tim Biskup (42)

Amanda Visell (32)

This character was two feet from me. He seemed friendly enough until I noticed his axe. I think he's made out of wood with some great colors choices that scream at you, I think this is Visell but could be Biskup.

http://www.myswitcheroo.com/

A switcheroo is a sudden unexpected variation or reversal often associated with a joke (sometimes "the old switcheroo"). I noticed only a few week before meeting them their studio is located very close to a nearby Walt Disney Industrial Building and Amanda Visell's cool paintings are sold at Disneyland and their galleries.

I played for three hours at the entrance to the studio and although I had gotten mostly positive feedback, someone told me that I should be playing Depeche Mode. Never the less I stuck to my handle bar mustache guns and pounded out my Disneyland Carousel Music set and most of book 1-7 from the Palmer and Hughes Accordion course books.

Here is an image by Tim Biskup. Notice the woman's skin is the wood grain. I did not notice this at the show until I found it online.

Perhaps the highlight of the night for me was receiving a paper bag with a Dragon Scout (value $85) and plush dolls including Pistol Pedro (gun), Brass Knuckle Bob and George and Gary Grenade . . . I was so happy and touched.

Thanks guys, your work is on fire and so inspiring! The Dragon Scout Art/Toy and Plush Dolls are awesome!

Images borrowed from Vinyl Pulse and someone at the show.

Lowbrow

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lowbrow_(art_movement)

I was lucky enough to get to visit the The Filmation Archives a few weeks ago though my friend Scott Yasso. Scott has been working on an animated filmed film for 20 years. His favorite cartoon was/is "He-Man".
Stand here with Scott is the man who bought the archive, Steve from San Diego. He let us grab boxes and look thru them. Cels were sticking together but we carefully separated them.

I spent $60 on four books and and got a whole scene of animation cels of a character called Skeletor. I have never watched "He-Man" but was interested in Animation from "Groovy Goolies", "Gilligan's Island" and "The Brady Bunch". There wasn't much time but there were over 300 boxes in this archive. We will have to come back to see it again soon.

Here is a set up from "He-Man" I got and I really like the color here. I am still working out how to turn off the flash on my camera, so check back to see up dates later.

I bought an old book by Jeff Lotman "Animation Art" The Later Years 1954-1993. A400 page book of 'animation set ups from all studios including Early Klasky Csupo, Disney, Filmation etc. Prices in here were steep back then, I can not image how much they are worth now!

I remember this was one of my favorite commercials with the guy who plays 'Thurston Howl the Third' doing the voice.
This would be a hard sell.
One color and a great cartoon with a great message.
The tasty-freeze with chocolate on top really grabbed me. How funny it would be to see them being eaten in a cartoon.
This Acey Bird would be funny on rotisserie!
Limited color with black and white really jumps out at you.

Interesting way they approached the nose. Makes you want to buy the product.
These are always kind of creepy, hamabalism.
I really like this bunny, can not remember what colors or why but it's a memorable image.

This dog, like the cat make you want to buy the product! Little Rascals era, Petey.

I bought this book called "Meet Mr. Product". It's a small book full of fun designs for products, mostly food. I flipped when I saw this Carl's Jr. logo with the shoes. I remember staring at this image for hours while sucking down a chocolate shake and having a cheese burger and fries.

You are probably thinking this guys a junk food junky. Actually I am a cartoon junky. I love these simple cartoon images that take me right out of hell and send me to heaven. Note the off register print in red and no other color. Extreme minimalist style.

Joan Miro made paintings that were painted in abstract forms but they had a storyline behind them. You actually can see characters and things in their simplest forms. I really think he had original thing going for him. I would like to learn how he did it.

This image grabbed hold of me when I saw it wrapped around a book cover at Barnes and Nobles. I remember having to analyze and write about this one for an art class in High School back in 1984. Super flat simple shapes and bold colors. The stick man is peeing I think.